Bylaws

Article I - Name and Affiliation

The name of the organization shall be Georgia Engineering & Technology Education Affiliate, hereinafter referred to as Georgia eTED.  The Association shall be a Division of the Georgia Association of Career and Technical Education (GACTE). 

Article II - Purposes

The purposes of this Division shall be:

Section 1. To establish and maintain active leadership in all types of engineering and technology education.

Section 2. To render service to districts and local communities in promoting engineering and technology education.

Section 3. To promote interest and develop quality in all phases of education for college and career awareness in the areas of engineering and technology education.

Section 4. To encourage professional growth and cooperative interaction among all individual groups involved in engineering and technology education.

Section 5. To provide open forums for the study and discussion of all questions involved in engineering and technology education.

Section 6. To unify all engineering and technology education interests of the state through representative membership.

Section 7. To cooperate with other states in the further development of engineering and technology education.

Section 8. To emphasize and encourage the promotion, improvement, and expansion of all programs of career and technical education. 

Article III- Membership

Section 1. The members shall be actively engaged in or retired from teaching or administering engineering and technology education programs and related disciplines, enrolled in teacher-training institutions, or employed in business and government activities.

Section 2. The classes of membership shall be Professional, Associate, Retired, Honorary and Student.

A. Professional Members--Any individual involved in teaching or administering programs for/about engineering and technology education in an academic institution may become a member by the payment of dues. As a unified state, full payment of ACTE, GACTE, and Georgia eTED dues is required.

B. Associate Members-- Any individual interested in furthering the purpose of the Division may become a member by the payment of dues. This option represents corporations or business/industry and the military.

C. Retired Members – Any individual retired from engineering and technology education who retired from active employment and have been a GACTE member for at least one (1) year.

D. Student Members--Future engineering and technology education teachers who are enrolled in the teacher-training programs of the public and private colleges or universities of Georgia, upon payment of the annual dues set by the Division.

E. Honorary Membership--Any individual who has made a significant contribution to education for/about engineering and technology education may be elected to lifetime honorary membership in the Division by the Executive Board.

Section 3. Only Professional members shall have voting rights. Members choosing dual division affiliations may hold office representing only their primary affiliate and have only one vote in matters pertaining to the Division.

Section 4. Membership dues for the Division shall be payable each year. Dues shall be fixed by the Executive Board in keeping with the interests of the members and shall be approved by the members at the business meeting for the following year.

Section 5. The membership year shall be on a cycle membership with renewal being required one year from the day dues are accepted by the ACTE office. 

Article IV – Affiliates (Affiliates may be other organizations or groups who support Georgia eTED, i.e. ITEEA, GETEA, PAGE, GAE, etc.)

Section 1. When a group meets the following criteria, it may petition the Board of Directors to become an affiliate with a Vice President:

A.  The interest of the group is clearly defined as being directly involved in or closely related to career and technical education.

B.  The group represents an interest that is state wide in scope.

C.  The group cannot be identified in an existing service and/or is not currently served by a single existing service.

D.  The group is organized in the interest of expanding and improving career and technical education.

E.   The group must present their bylaws as evidence of organization of the group and a copy of the minutes that includes the motion to affiliate with the Division.

F.   The group must petition the Board of Directors in writing to become an affiliate with a vice president. The petition must be presented to the Board of Directors for approval at least ninety (90) days before the annual conference. Upon approval, the petitioner will submit the name of the vice president who will be installed at the annual meeting.

Section 2. An affiliate shall not be represented in any office or on any standing committee unless there are five (5) members in the Division representing the affiliate thirty (30) days before the annual business meeting in July of the membership year.

A.  Disaffiliation – In the event any affiliate does not maintain five (5) members, any officer representing the group will serve a one-year probationary term following the loss of affiliate status.

B.  Reinstatement – If the affiliate can increase its membership to five (5) or more by November 1 of the membership year, the affiliate may be reinstated in the Division. In the event the affiliate does not gain reinstatement but does increase its membership to five (5) or more within five (5) years, the affiliate may regain affiliate status. In the event that a group that has lost its affiliate status and wishes to affiliate after five (5) years, that group must have a minimum of five (5) members and shall apply for affiliate status in the same manner as a new affiliate and shall be considered a new affiliate, if approved.

Article V - Officers

Section 1. The officers of the Division shall be President, President-Elect, Vice President,  Secretary, Treasurer and Immediate Past-President. It is recommended that all levels of engineering and technology education be represented on the Board.

Section 2. Qualifications for Division Officers

A. Division officers shall be unified professional members of ACTE/ GACTE/ and Georgia eTED for a minimum of two years prior to serving on the board.

C. The incoming officers will be installed at the Georgia eTED annual business meeting and will assume duties following the conclusion of the GACTE Annual Conference.

Section 3. Duties of Division Officers

A. President—The President shall preside at all meetings of the Division and of the Executive Board; shall maintain regular communication with executive board and organization membership; shall represent Georgia eTED at all regional affiliate conferences and across the state as appropriate; shall be an ex-officio member of all Division committees with the exception of the nominating committee; shall complete additional duties as deemed necessary by the Executive Board. The President shall have the power to appoint alternates for any duty that the elected or appointed individual may not be able to perform. 

B.  Vice President/GACTE Representative -  The Vice President shall serve as the Georgia eTED representative on the GACTE Board of Directors and shall meet the requirements as set forth by the GACTE constitution.  

C. President Elect—In the absence or inability of the president, the president-elect shall assume the duties of the president; shall shadow President on all major projects; shall complete additional duties as deemed necessary by the Executive Board. 

D. Secretary—Secretary shall attend to all correspondence of the Division and keep a correct permanent record of the minutes of the meetings (Division and Executive Board); shall provide the executive board with a copy of the minutes within 30 days of the conclusion of each meeting; shall complete additional duties as deemed necessary by the Executive Board. 

E. Treasurer—The Treasurer shall maintain a complete record of the Division’s financial records; shall have custody of all money belonging to the Division, pay all Division bills approved by the Executive Board, keep a record of all expenses and income, and present special reports as requested by the President and/or Executive Board; shall complete additional duties as deemed necessary by the Executive Board.

F. Immediate Past-President—The Immediate Past-President shall advise the Executive Board, assists the President upon request. 

Section 4.  Terms of Office

The term of office for President, President-Elect and Immediate Past President shall be one (1) year. The term of the Vice President shall be three (3) years.  The term for secretary shall be two (2) years and will be elected in odd years.  The term of the treasurer will be two (two) years and shall be elected in even years. 

Article VI - Meetings

Section 1. There shall be one general state meeting per year; which shall align with the GACTE annual conference

Section 2. The Executive Board shall meet at least three times per year as scheduled by the President and approved by the executive board.

Article VII - Governing Bodies 

Section 1. Assembly of members shall transact such business of the Division as may be proposed to it by the Executive Board and such other business provided for in these Bylaws.

Section 2. The Executive Board shall be the Division’s Officers and the Chairpersons of the standing committees. The Board shall have the power to fill any vacancies that may occur in its membership until the next annual meeting, shall prepare the annual budget, and establish strategies to implement the Program of Work.

Article VIII - Committees 

Section 1. Appointed or non-elected positions to the Executive Board shall be the following:

A. Georgia eTED Membership Committee Chair—Shall be responsible for recruiting and maintaining members in ACTE, GACTE, and Georgia eTED; shall be responsible for maintaining communication with Georgia eTED and attending membership director meetings as scheduled; shall complete additional duties as deemed necessary by the Executive Board.

B. Awards Committee Chair—Shall solicit nominations for annual awards program; shall create a committee to review nominations and select winners in each category; shall coordinate distribution of special tokens of appreciation for guest speakers and division members; shall complete additional duties as deemed necessary by the Executive Board.

C. Public Relations Committee Chair—Shall be responsible for creating the Georgia eTED  newsletter, and other public relations activities; shall take and share conference and meeting pictures on social media and with members, responsible for the development and maintenance of relevant and current information on the division’s website.shall complete additional duties as deemed necessary by the Executive Board.

D. Nomination Committee Chair—Shall be responsible, with the aid of the Executive Board, for presenting nominations for officers as their terms expire; shall prepare ballots; shall be responsible for seeing that the Division bylaws are accurate and making recommendations for changes as necessary; shall complete additional duties as deemed necessary by the Executive Board.

E. Professional Development Committee Chair—Shall assist the DOE Program Specialist in planning professional development activities for engineering and technology teachers by soliciting speakers/presenters and survey members for workshop offerings; shall complete additional duties as deemed necessary by the Executive Board.

F.  DOE Program Specialist shall serve on the Georgia eTED Executive Board as an ex-officio member.

Section 2. Special Committees - May be appointed by the President as needed for the realization of the purposes of the Division.

Section 3. All division officers and committee chairpersons must be unified members to be nominated and must remain unified for the duration of their term on the board.

Article IX - Method of Amending the Bylaws

Section 1. The Bylaws may be amended at the annual business meeting by a two-thirds vote of the active members present, upon the recommendation of the Executive Board to whom the amendment shall have been presented by the committee appointed to revise the Bylaws.

Section 2. Proposed amendments must be submitted in writing to all members prior to the business meeting at which the vote will be taken.

Article X – Quorum

Section 1. Annual Meeting

The number of Professional members present at the annual business meeting shall constitute a quorum.

Section 2. Board of Directors Meeting

The presence of a majority of the Board of Directors shall be necessary to constitute a quorum.

Section 3. Committee Meetings

The presence of fifty percent plus one (50% + 1)  of the number of members of a committee, at the direction of the President of the Division, shall be necessary to constitute a quorum.

Article XI- Fiscal Year

The financial year of the Division shall be from September 1 of one year through August 31 of the following year.

Article XII - Parliamentary Procedures 

Section 1. The latest edition of Robert's Rules of Order, Newly Revised will govern any provision not covered by these Bylaws.

Section 2. Those members present at the meeting of the Division shall constitute a quorum.

Article XIII – Amendments and Reviews

The Bylaws may be amended and/or revised by a vote of two-thirds of the members voting at any annual meeting provided that notice of the proposed changes be given in due form to the membership at least thirty (30) days prior to the annual meeting at which time a vote will be taken on the changes. Bylaws, which are consistent with the Articles of Incorporation, may be adopted.

Article XV- Dissolution of the Affiliate

Section 1. Proceedings, forced or voluntary, to dissolve the Georgia Affiliate of Engineering and Technology Education (Georgia eTED) shall begin immediately upon a two—thirds majority vote of the Board of Directors with all members present.

Section 2. Dissolution proceedings can be initiated only after conclusive evidence establishes that no reasonable alternative exists.

Section 3. Dissolution Proceedings.

A. A quorum shall consist of all members of the Board of Directors.

B. Immediately upon ratification of the motion to dissolve, the Executive Director shall advertise the action in three major regional newspapers for the next three consecutive Mondays.

C. The advertisement of the dissolution shall state and advise members that all holdings and property will be disposed of by public auction on the fourth Monday following the initial action.

D. All proceeds from the disposed property, holdings and other assets shall be applied toward any legal indebtedness of the Division. The remaining proceeds, if any, shall be distributed to career and technical education student organizations in Georgia, according to the membership in the Association divisions which have career and technical student organizations that are chartered and are of a non–profit, tax–exempt status.

E. The Board of Directors shall be responsible for preventing any Division funds from being used for the benefit of any member.