CONSTITUTION

OHIO CHAPTER

AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF TEACHERS OF FRENCH

DATE PROPOSED: Jan. 10, 2006

DATE APPROVED: Mar. 31, 2006

Article I: Name

The name of this organization shall be the American Association of Teachers of French–Ohio Chapter.

Article II: Purpose

The purpose of this organization shall be to serve the interests and needs of teachers of French and the Teaching of French at all levels of instruction, in both public and private schools, to stimulate professional growth, and to foster interest in French language, literatures, and cultures.

Article III: Membership

1.  Membership in the Ohio Chapter shall be open, upon payment of dues, to any person who shares the aims and purposes of the organization as set forth in Article II.

2.  Regular membership runs from January 1 to December 31.  Student membership is on the academic year and runs from September 1 to August 31 the following year.

3.  The dues are such as the National Association imposes.  The dues for regular members are payable in the fall of the year preceding the membership year.  Members who have not paid their dues by December 31 are delinquent.

Article IV: Officers

1.  The officers of the Ohio Chapter shall be a President, Vice President, and a Secretary-Treasurer.  Only AATF members in good standing (dues paid up to date) may be nominated to serve as officers.

2.  The duties of the President shall include, in addition to the usual ones of calling and presiding over meetings of the chapter, approval of all orders over $200.00 drawn against funds of the chapter, and the appointment of the Administrator of the Grand Concours.

3.  The President’s terms shall be for a period of two years.  S/he shall succeed to office automatically from the position of Vice President except in instances where the office of Vice President is vacant, in which case a presidential election shall be held.

4.  The Vice President shall preside over meetings and act in the place of the President in the absence of the latter.  If the President becomes unable for any reason to complete his/her term, the Vice President shall succeed to the presidency and complete the President’s term.  Then s/he shall enter upon his/her own regular term as President.  The Vice President shall serve as the AATF representative on the Ohio Foreign Language Association Board.

5.  The Vice President’s term shall be for a period of two years, after which s/he succeeds to the office of President.

6.  The Secretary-Treasurer shall receive and deposit the Ohio Chapter dues membership checks from the National Association; keep on file detailed financial accounts of receipts and disbursements, make a complete financial report at the spring meeting of the chapter; keep on file the up-to-date list of members of the chapter periodically compiled by the National Association; keep the minutes of the business meetings; make the necessary mailings to members; serve as the custodian of the constitution and chapter records; and send reports of meetings and activities to the National Bulletin as desired by the chapter.

7.  The Secretary-Treasurer’s term shall be for a period of three years and the Secretary-Treasurer may be re-elected.  The Secretary-Treasurer shall be elected in a year in which there is no vice presidential election if possible.

8.  By January 1 of each year in which there is to be an election, the President shall appoint a nominating committee of three members chosen from the membership of the chapter.  This committee shall present a slate of nominees at the spring meeting of the chapter.  Nominees may also be proposed from the floor.  Election shall be by a majority of those present at the spring meeting.

9.  The Secretary-Treasurer shall immediately certify the results of the elections to the National Office through the Regional Representative.

10.  The new officers shall enter upon their functions as of June 1 after their election.

11.   If an office becomes vacant through the death, resignation or absence of the incumbent, the vacancy shall be filled for the remainder of the term by appointment of the Executive Board, except, of course, for an office for which there is automatic succession.

12.  The Grand Concours Administrator shall have the option of selecting a Co-Administrator with the approval of the President.

Article V: The Executive Board

The executive board of the chapter shall consist of the three elected officers.  The Executive Board is authorized to conduct all important business between meetings, and may be called into session or consulted electronically at the initiative of the President.  Its decisions must be submitted to the general membership for ratification at the spring meeting.  The immediate Past President, the Grand Concours Administrator, and other members may be asked by the President to serve on the Executive Board.

Article VI: Meetings

The chapter shall have at least one meeting a year, in conjunction with the Ohio Foreign Language Association meeting.  Other special meetings may be called by the President in consultation with the Executive Board.

Article VII: Amendments

1.  The Constitution may be amended by a two-thirds vote of the members present at any regular or special meeting, providing that notice announcing the exact nature and wording of the proposed amendment shall have been sent in writing to each member of the chapter at least one month in advance, along with the time and place of the meeting.

2.  All matters not covered by the constitution shall be governed according to Robert’s Rules of Order.

Article VIII: Applicability of the National Constitution

All articles of the National Constitution and By-Laws apply to the Ohio Chapter, and nothing in this constitution is to be considered in contradiction to the National Constitution.

Article IX: Dissolution

This chapter may be dissolved by a two-thirds vote of the members present and voting at a regular or special meeting, or through the suspension of its charter by the National Association acting under the authority of National By-Law II 5 (C).  In case of dissolution, all remaining funds in the chapter treasury and all chapter records shall be turned over to the National Executive Secretary of the AATF under the terms of the aforementioned By-Law.

By-Laws

1.  All financial accounts of the chapter shall have two authorized signatories.  Normally, these shall be the President and the Secretary-Treasurer.  The account for the Grand Concours shall have as signatories the Grand Concours Administrator and the Secretary-Treasurer.  However, only one of the signatures shall be required on any financial document.

Télécharger la Constitution ici:  AATF-OH Constitution