Article I. Name of the Organization

The name of the organization shall be the Greater Nashville Alliance of Black School Educators also referred to as GNABSE.

Article II. Purpose and Functions of the Organization

Section 1.        Purpose

The purpose of the Greater Nashville Alliance of black School Educators is to promote and facilitate the education of all students, Black students in particular, to establish a coalition of Black educators and others directly or indirectly involved in the educational opportunities, to identify and support Black professionals who will assume leadership positions in education and to influence public policy concerning education of Black students.

Section 2.        Functions

The functions of the organization shall be:

1. To raise the academic achievement level of all students and to place particular emphasis on that type of learning which builds positive and realistic self-concepts among black students.
2. To establish and promote the degree of awareness, professional expertise and commitment among Black educators necessary to enhance and contribute to the efforts of other educators and community persons.
3. To recognize and celebrate educators and community leaders for their exceptional work and leadership.
4. To offer specialized training to prospective educators and educational leaders via the development of courses through cooperative programs with school systems and institutions of higher education.
5. To cultivate resource personnel equipped to assist Black educators in dealing with special problems which may arise.
6. To meet and share ideas, proven programs and effective techniques for demonstrating that youth can achieve irrespective of socioeconomic conditions.
7. To provide and share validated research for educators on improving educational programs.
8. To develop and promulgate positions on key educational issues which affect the education of students and impact upon public policies.

 

Article III. Membership

 

Section 1.        GNABSE Membership Eligibility

Any person who shares in an administrative, teaching, supportive, supervisory policy position, or who is associated with any phase of educational works shall be eligible for active membership. The educational service for those eligible for membership may be in a public or non-public school; regional, local state, national, or federal educational agency or association; college or university.

Section 2.        GNABSE Membership

1. A member is in “good standing” when his/her payment of dues for the current year of GNABSE has been confirmed by the Treasurer or Financial Secretary.
2. The financial secretary and treasurer shall keep an accurate record of all active members. Financial membership in GNABSE is required for participating in all business meetings.

Section 3.        NABSE Membership Affiliation

To be an affiliate, membership in the national organization, NABSE, is required by GNABSE. A minimum of ten (10) local members must be national members.

Section 4.        NABSE Commissions Membership

Each GNABSE member who joins NABSE may participate in one of the eight NABSE Commissions of his/her choice. Members are encouraged to select the Commission which parallels their job functions. Selection of a Commission shall be upon establishing or renewing membership in NABSE. No GNABSE member shall hold membership in more than one Commission at any time.

Policy Commissions: NABSE sponsors eight policy commissions which conduct research and educational activities around special issues in education. These commissions include:

A.        Administration: addresses concerns related to the administration and                                  governance of school districts and focuses on the management of local                           schools and explores innovative practices related to school operations.

B.        Governance in Education: examines education policy and develops                                    legislative strategies to address the policy reform priorities of the Alliance.

C.        Higher Education: addresses programming, policy development and                                   administrative issues of importance to institutions of higher education.

D.        Instruction & Instructional Support: explores facets of instructional                                    methodologies with emphasis on local school instructional priorities.

E.         Special Projects, Research & Evaluation: conducts research around                                    educational delivery and academic results and examines critical issues and                     areas of interest to special educational projects, programs and institutions.

F.         Retired Educators: functions to recognize the contributions and talents of                           retirees, develop programs to enhance the quality of life for NABSE                              members, especially its retirees, and promote financial support for the                                NABSE Foundation.

G.        Superintendents: provides a forum for information exchange and                                        collaboration among current and former superintendents of public                                            educational systems.

H.        Parents: promotes an open, inclusive and supportive structure for families                          seeking quality educational services that promote best practices, research-                               based programs and partnerships for the development of children of                                   African descent.

Article IV.  Organization

 

Section 1.        GNABSE Governance

1. The membership shall be the governing body of the Greater Nashville Alliance of Black School Educators (GNABSE). It shall be composed of all members “in good standing.” Any member in good standing is expected to participate fully in membership meetings. Any person whose dues has not been received, recorded, and deemed up-to-date by the Treasurer or Financial Secretary shall have no voice in the governance of GNABSE.

1. The Executive Board, henceforth referred to as “the board,” shall provide leadership for the Membership in the governance of the organization. There shall be (9) regular Board members or officers consisting of the President, President Elect, Recording Secretary, Corresponding Secretary, Treasurer, Financial Secretary, Parliamentarian, Historian, and Chaplain. The Immediate Past President will serve on the Board for two years immediately following his/her term. All officers shall be elected from among the membership according to the guidelines outlined in the Election section of these By-laws.

Section 2.        Membership Meetings

1. Members shall meet monthly at such time and place as shall be determined by the Board. This shall constitute a “legally called meeting.” In the event a change from the adopted regular meeting place is needed, the President may, with notification to the membership, designate a time and place for the membership meeting.
2. Meetings of the membership other than monthly meetings may be legally called by the Board provided that notification specifying the time, place and purpose of the “Called Meeting” is made to each member “in good standing.”
3. Meetings of standing, ad hoc, or other committees shall notify the president.

Section 3.        Dues

1. Dues shall be determined by the membership.
2. Dues shall be paid annually and is required for members to be deemed “in good standing” and thereby eligible to vote.
3. Membership scholarship assessment is due no later than June 1 of the fiscal year, which run July 1 through June 30.

Section 4.        Quorum for Membership Meetings

Seven members consisting of at least two (2) Board members along with no less than five (5) general members in attendance shall be necessary in order to conduct official business of the Alliance and shall constitute a quorum.

Section 5.        Membership Meetings

The President shall, after declaring a quorum, call to order the meetings of  the Membership. In the absence of the President, the President Elect, at the request of the President, shall chair the meetings. Otherwise, the meetings shall be chaired following the prescribed order of succession as outlined in these By-laws.

Section 6.        The Order of Succession

In the absence of the president and president elect, the meeting shall be chaired as follows: the immediate past president, the recording secretary, the corresponding secretary, the treasurer, the chaplain, the historian, and the parliamentarian.

Section 7.        Conducting Business of Membership Meetings

A quorum must be declared in order for the Membership to conduct                                   business. The membership shall:

1. Receive and act on the annual report of the Board;
2. Receive and act on the financial and audit reports;
3. Receive and act on reports of the Board and all standing committees;
4. Determine dues for membership in GNABSE;
5. Propose ideas and strategies for the further development of the goals                                  and objective of the Alliance;
6. Initiate amendments to the By-laws. Proposed amendments must be                                   submitted to the Constitution and By-laws Chair.

Section 8.        Voting at Membership Meetings

A quorum must be declared in order for the Membership to vote.

1. Each member in good standing shall have one vote.

1. The President or presiding officer may vote only to break a tie vote.

1. A majority vote is necessary to carry a motion, except in cases involving                            amending these By-laws, in which case, a two-thirds vote of the                                     Membership voting is required.

1. Members must be present in order to vote on general business matters.                               Ballots are not required when voting on general business matters.

1. When voting on general business matters, during conference calls or virtual meetings, voting shall be done by roll call when deemed necessary.

1. Voting for officers, virtually or in-person, shall be by ballot, except where motions to accept by acclamation have been so moved.

Section 9.        Conducting Business at Board Meetings

1. The Board

The Board shall be composed of the (9) regular officers and the immediate                        Past President of the Greater Nashville Alliance of Black School                                            Educators. The immediate Past President shall remain on the Board for                              two years following his/her term. The president of the organization shall                                   chair the meetings of the Board. The Board shall serve as the                                           representative of the membership and shall be empowered to make                                                 decisions regarding policies established by the Alliance when the                                                membership is not in session.

1.       The Board shall meet every other month at a time and place                                                determined by the Board.

2. Special meetings of the Board may be called by the President or by                                    at least four members of the Board.

3.          Any changes regarding the regular time and place of Board                                                 meetings requires notification to Board members specifying                                         the time, place, purpose and/or reason for the change. Notification                                      must be at least three (3) days in advance of the date of the                                                           proposed change or Called Meeting.

1. Quorum for Board Meetings

A quorum must be declared in order for the Board to conduct business.                              For Board meetings, a quorum shall consist of a majority of Board                                           members. Therefore, with a (10) member Board, (6) Board members shall

constitute a quorum for Board meetings.

1. Voting at Board Meetings

During Board meetings, each member of the Board shall have one vote.                             Any official action by the Board shall require a majority vote of the                         officers voting.

1. Unable to Serve

When any Board member is unable to perform the duties of the office to which he/she was elected, the president shall appoint from the membership an officer pro-tempore to perform the duties of the said office until the duty officer is able to resume his/her duties or resigns.

1. Preparation of Annual Report

The Board shall prepare an Annual Report for the membership.

Article V: Officers

 

Section 1.        Designation of Officers

The officers of the Greater Nashville Alliance of Black School Educators shall be the Board consisting of the President, Immediate Past-President, President-Elect, Recording Secretary, Corresponding Secretary, Financial Secretary, Treasurer, Parliamentarian, Historian and Chaplain. All officers shall be elected from among the GNABSE membership. No two offices shall be held by the same person.

Section 2.        Term of Office

The term of office for Officers shall be two years. The office of Recording Secretary, Treasurer, Historian, and Parliamentarian will be elected during even number years. The offices of President-Elect, Financial Secretary, Corresponding Secretary, and Chaplain will be elected during odd number years. The Past president will serve for two years on the Executive Board immediately following his/her term as President.

Section 3.        Removal from Office

Any person holding an elected office of GNABSE may be removed for good cause by a two-third vote of the membership whenever it is judged that the best interest of the organization shall be served thereby.

Section 4.        Filling Vacant Offices

If there is a vacancy for any reason in the office, the President shall recommend an appointee to the Board and to the membership for acceptance and confirmation.

Section 5.        Resignations

If an officer resigns for any reason, he/she shall submit written and/or verbal notification of his/her intent to the President.

Section 6.        President

The President shall have all powers and duties of the office. The President shall preside at all meetings. The President shall appoint the chairpersons of all standing and ad hoc committees, shall establish ad hoc committees, and shall establish other committees as needed.

Section 7.        President-Elect

The President-Elect, in the absence or disability of the President shall, in consultation with the President, perform the duties and exercise the power of the President. The President-Elect shall also perform such other duties as shall be prescribed by the President. The President-Elect will assume the office of President at the completion of his/her elected term. If the President-Elect is unable to assume the office of President, the Immediate Past President shall serve for one year and the newly elected President-Elect shall serve the second year.

 

 

Section 8.        Immediate Past President

The Immediate Past President shall serve as advisor to the President, and in consultation with the President, perform varied duties as shall be prescribed by the President.

Section 9.        Recording Secretary

The Recording Secretary shall keep minutes of the Executive Board and membership meetings and shall perform other appropriate duties and functions as assigned by the President.

Section 10.      Corresponding Secretary

The Corresponding Secretary will assist the President in all correspondence and in the absence of the Recording Secretary shall keep minutes of the meetings and shall perform other appropriate duties and functions as may be prescribed by the President.

Section 11.      Treasurer

The Treasurer shall be the chairperson of the Budget Committee which shall study all official audit reports and make recommendations to the Alliance and shall serve on the Audit Committee. The Treasurer shall ensure that sound and fiscal management procedures and policies are established by the signing and the disbursement of checks. The Treasurer will work in conjunction with the Financial Secretary. Two signatures will be required on all Alliance checks. The President and Treasurer will be the primary signers. The Financial Secretary shall be an authorized back-up signer to ensure continuing operations, in the event a primary signer is unavailable.

Section 12.      Financial Secretary

The Financial Secretary shall work in conjunction with the Treasurer to ensure that sound fiscal management procedures and policies are followed and that membership information is current. An annual report will be accessible showing all revenues and expenses, including an overview and breakdown for the fiscal year. Financial records and documentations shall be preserved for a minimum of five (5) years for audit and tax purposes.

Section 13.      Parliamentarian

The Parliamentarian shall maintain order at all meetings, utilizing the current edition of Robert’s Rules of Order, as a guide for establishing the conduct and the management of its meetings.

Section 14.      Historian

The Historian will keep an historical record of all major events, maintain archives of the organization’s programs and activities, and a scrapbook containing articles, pictures, etc.

Section 15.      Chaplain

The Chaplain shall, in consultation with the President, perform varied duties as shall be prescribed by the dictates of that office and as may be prescribed by the President.

 

 

 

 

Article VI: Standing Committees

 

The standing committees of the organization are as follows: Budget/Finance, Constitution and Bylaws, Legislative/Educational Issues, Nomination/Election, Public Relations, Membership, Hospitality, and web site.

Section 1.        Duties and Responsibilities

The duties and responsibilities of each committee are as follows:

Budget/Finance: The Budget/Finance Committee will formulate, monitor, and present the budget for controlling funds to implement objectives of the organization. The committee shall ensure that sound fiscal management procedures and policies are established and put into effect.

Constitution/Bylaws: The Constitution/Bylaws Committee shall be responsible for reviewing, evaluating, and formulating changes in the Constitution/Bylaws of the organization. The committee formulate its findings as proposed changes for consideration by the membership

Legislative/Educational Issues: The Educational Issues Committee shall examine ideas and policies that affect the education of children, particularly children of African descent. The committee will develop and promulgate positions on key educational issues which affect the education of students and impact upon public policies.

Nomination/Election: The Nomination/Election Committee shall oversee the election process in accordance to the constitution/bylaws of the organization.

Public Relations: The Public Relations Committee shall disperse information about GNABSE to the community, including the media. It shall keep GNABSE aware of the PR efforts and results. The committee will provide information to the national organization about outstanding programs and activities of the group.

Membership: The Membership Committee shall explore opportunities to recruit, engage and retain members. The committee shall plan and implement a recruiting drive annually.

Hospitality: The Hospitality Committee shall extend courtesies and promote fellowship among members of the organization. The committee will provide refreshments for membership meetings in accordance with budget allocation of the organization.

Web Site: The Web Site Committee shall monitor and work with the web site host to keep information accurate and current for the web site.

 

 

Article VII: Elections

 

Section 1.        Time of Elections

Officers of the organization shall be elected in May of each year.

1. Elections will be held in odd years for following offices,                                                     President-Elect, Financial Secretary, Corresponding Secretary,                                           and Chaplain.

1. Elections will be held in even years for the following offices: Treasurer,                             Recording Secretary, Historian, and Parliamentarian.

Section 2.        Nominations/Elections

1. The Nominating/Election Committee shall be composed of one Executive                          Board member elected by the Board and three members elected by the                         general membership. The chairperson for the committee is to be appointed                         by the President.

1. The Nominating/Election Committee shall set up objective criteria for the                          selection of at least one and no more than three persons to run for each of                                  the official offices of the organization as stated in the bylaws.

1. Nominations may be made from the floor by members in good standing at                         the April meeting.

1. The slate of candidates shall be presented at the April meeting.

1. Ballots will be prepared for voting at the time of election in May.

Section 3.        Voting

1. All members in good standing shall be eligible to vote.

1. Members must be present at the election meeting to vote.

1. A majority vote of members voting will be required. When necessary, a                             run-off election between the two candidates will be held.

1. The ballots will be forwarded to the Recording Secretary to be held for                              twelve months following the election.

1. The results of the election shall be announced by the end of the election                             meeting in May.

Section 4.        Election by Acclamation

When only one candidate is proposed for each position on a slate of                                   officers and no further nominations are made from the floor, the presiding                             officer may declare the slate elected by acclamation.

 

Article VIII. Amendments

 

These By-laws may be amended at any membership meeting or at any special meeting called for that purpose provided that:

1. The proposed amendment has been submitted in writing to the Executive                           Board.

1. Upon certification of the President that requirement “A” above has been                             satisfied, the proposed amendment shall be submitted to the membership                                 for its consideration. Such amendments shall require an affirmative vote                            of two-thirds of the members voting.

 

Article IX. Order of Business

 

Unless altered or suspended at any meeting by a majority vote of the members present, the following shall be the order of business at meetings of the organization.

1. Ascertainment of members present
2. Minutes of previous meeting
3. Report of officers
4. Report of committees
5. Unfinished business
6. New business

The rules contained in the current edition of Robert’s Rules of Order shall govern the membership in all cases to which they are applicable and in which they are not inconsistent with these bylaws and any special rules of order the Alliance may adopt.

 

Article X. Dissolution Clause

The Greater Nashville Alliance of Black School Educators may be dissolved only with authorization by its Executive Board given at a special meeting called for that purpose and with subsequent approval by a two-thirds (2/3) vote of the Voting Members. Upon dissolution or termination of GNABSE, all remaining assets, after payment in full of all its debts, and obligations, shall be distributed to such tax-exempt organizations (with purposes similar to those of GNABSE) as shall be chosen by the then existing Executive Board with approval by a two-thirds vote of the Voting Members.