By Laws

ARTICLE I: NAME

The name of the organization shall be TexTESOL IV.

ARTICLE II: PURPOSE

• TexTESOL IV is a professional non-profit organization established as an affiliate of TESOL in 1978. Its purpose is to perform educational activities permitted by the federal and state tax codes: namely to promote scholarship; to share information through discussion, study, publication, and research; to promote high standards in the field of English to Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL); and to cooperate appropriately with other groups having shared goals.
• Said organization is organized exclusively for charitable, religious,educational, and scientific purposes, including, for such purposes,· themaking of distributions to organizations that qualify as exempt organizationsunder section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, or corresponding section of any future federal tax code.
• Upon the dissolution of the organization, assets shall be distributed for one or more exempt purposes within the meaning of section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, or corresponding section of any future federal tax code, or shall be distributed to the federal government, or to a state or local government, for a public purpose. Any such assets not disposed of shall be disposed of by a court of competent jurisdiction in the county in which the principal office of the organization is then located, exclusively for such purposes or to such organization or organizations, as said Court shall determine, which are organized and operated exclusively for such purposes.

ARTICLE III: MEMBERSHIP

• Section 1. Membership is open to any person involved or interested in promoting ESOL education.
• Section 2. The Board of Directors shall set the members’ dues.
• Section 3. The nominating committee will consider only members who have paid their dues as potential officers or members of standing committees.
• Section 4. A membership year shall begin and end on the opening date of the annual conference in the fall of each year.
• Membership dues are renewable on the date of the annual conference.
• Section 5. Persons may join TexTESOL IV at any time during a membership year by paying dues for the current year.
• Section 6. The names of current members and other information deemed to be pertinent shall be included in the TexTESOL IV directory at such times as it is posted on the TexTESOL IV website.

ARTICLE IV – BOARD OF DIRECTORS MEMBERSHIP

• IV- Section 1. The members of the Board of Directors of TexTESOL IV shall be President, Past President, President-Elect, Conference Chair, Conference Chair-Elect, Secretary, Treasurer, Newsletter Editor, Conference Program Chair, Conference Registration Chair, Membership Coordinator, Historian, Advocacy, Webmaster, and two Members-At-Large.
• IV- Section 2. All nominees for an office shall be members in good standing of TexTESOL IV.
• IV-Section 3. A Board member may be dismissed for failure to perform duties as listed under their terms of office or for missing three meetings during a membership year subject to Board decision per approved Board procedures.
• IV- Section 4. The terms of office shall begin and end at the annual conference.
• IV- Section 5. The terms of office of the Board members shall be as follows:
  • President: The term shall be for one year; the president may not serve successive terms. The president shall serve an additional consecutive year in the capacity of Past President.
  • Past President: The term shall be for one year; the past president may not serve successive terms.
  • President-Elect: The term shall be for one year.
  • Conference Chair: The term shall be for one year.
  • Conference Chair-Elect: The term shall be for one year.
  • Secretary: The term shall be for two years.
  • Treasurer: The terms shall be for two years.
  • Newsletter Editor: The term shall be for two years.
  • Conference Program Chair: The term shall be two years.
  • Conference Registration Chair: The terms shall be two years.
  • Membership Coordinator: The term shall be two years.
  • Historian: The term shall be two years.
  • Advocacy: The term shall be two years.
  • Webmaster: The term shall be two years.
  • Members-At-Large: The term shall be one year.
• IV – Section 6. The Board members shall perform the duties described in the guidelines for TexTESOL IV Members and in these bylaws.

PRESIDENT

• Preside at the board meetings and at the annual business meeting.
• Arrange for a meeting site for monthly board meetings.
• Prepare meeting agenda.
• Serve as an official representative to the Council of Presidents.
• Attend the meetings of the Council of Presidents at state and international TESOL conferences, or arrange for a representative from TexTESOL IV to attend.
• Serve as either the Executive Director or Secretary of the Council of Presidents during the years of the 5-year cycle in which the rotation falls to TexTESOL IV.
• Serve as an official delegate at the TESOL Leadership Workshop.
• Attend the international TESOL conference in the spring, representing TexTESOL IV through participation in discussions and through voting; or arrange for a representative from TexTESOL IV to attend.
• Submit newsletter articles for the Fourth Estate.
• May sign checks written on the TexTESOL IV bank account.
• May sign checks written on the TexTESOL IV bank account.

PAST PRESIDENT

• Serve as liaison with the TESOL central office.
• Disseminate news to and from TESOL central office, including the updating of officer list, in a timely manner.
• Send conference announcements to TESOL CONNECTIONS.
• Chair the nominating committee and gather information regarding prospective nominees.
• Submit the list of nominees to the Board members and to the Newsletter Editor for publication no later than one month in advance of the fall conference.
• Serve as an official representative to the Council of Presidents.
• Attend meetings of the Council of Presidents at state and international TESOL conferences, or arrange for a representative from TexTESOL IV to attend.
• Serve as either Executive Director or Secretary during the year of the 5-year cycle in which the rotation falls to TexTESOL IV.
• Serve as an official delegate to the TESOL Affiliate Council at the International TESOL Conference in the spring.
• Serve as resource person for the President.
• May sign checks written on the TexTESOL IV bank account.

PRESIDENT-ELECT

• Publicize TexTESOL IV conferences and events to potential participants, other affiliate newsletters, and local business or professional organizations such as the Chamber of Commerce, newspapers, local school districts, and local university newsletters.
• Attend meetings of the Council of Presidents at state TexTESOL conferences.
• Preside at meetings in absence of the President.
• Provide oversight and support for Conference Chair, Treasurer, Membership Coordinator, Secretary, and Conference Registration Chair to ensure all responsibilities are carried out.

CONFERENCE CHAIR

• Set the theme for the annual conference at the beginning of the calendar year.
• Investigate and visit conference sites to determine availability and suitability.
• Determine conference site at the beginning of the calendar year.
• Appoint committee chairs four months prior to the conference.
• Working with treasurer, determine the budget based on the prior year’s conference and monitor expenditures.
• Oversee the preparation of Call for Proposal, Call for Publishers, registration forms, and conference program.
• Preside over the annual conference.
• Take care of post-conference tasks, e.g. thank-you notes, reimbursements for valid expenses, no later than two weeks after the conference.
• Attend the TexTESOL state conferences.
• Serve as contact/resource person for next year’s conference.
• Coordinate conference signage.

CONFERENCE CHAIR-ELECT

• Serve under the Conference Chair as vice-chair of the annual conference.
• Assume responsibilities assigned by the Conference Chair.
• Serve as Chair of the Publisher Committee.
  • Solicit exhibitors and advertisements for the conference.
  • Solicit contributions from publishers and other sponsors.
  • Organize and set up an exhibit area; check on the area periodically during the conference.
  • Turn over revenue and accurate records to the Treasurer.
  • Encourage conference participants to visit exhibit area.
  • Write thank-you letters to all exhibitors.
  • Turn over records, names, and addresses of contracts to the following
  • year’s Conference Chair Elect.

  TREASURER

  • Prepare monthly treasurer’s reports and an annual financial statement including a projected budget for the board; submit the annual financial statement at the first board meeting following the fall conference, and a summary article submitted to the newsletter.
  • Pay bills, issue reimbursements, and make deposits on a timely basis.
  • Work with the Conference Chair and President Elect to pay conference bills in a timely fashion, and present board with a conference report on receipts/expenses.
  • Submit annual tax information to IRS.
  • May sign checks written on the TexTESOL IV bank account.

  SECRETARY

  • Record minutes and email them to Board members at least one week prior to the meeting.
  • Notify Board members at least one week ahead of upcoming events.
  • Provide Board members with letterhead stationery as needed.
  • Provide board members with a list of names and addresses of all board members.

  MEMBERSHIP COORDINATOR

  • Maintain and update a computer database of new and existing members.
  • Email welcome letter to new members.
  • Produce a Membership Directory.
  • Coordinate mailings to members.
  • Compile a database for recruiting potential members and send out recruitment mailings as needed.
  • Invite inactive members to renew.

  CONFERENCE PROGRAM CHAIR

  • Produce Call for Proposals.
  • Receive program proposals from potential presenters.
  • Determine which proposals to accept with help of a selection committee.
  • Send notification letters to presenters.
  • Arrange the program schedule.
  • Prepare the printed conference program prior to conference with help of a committee.
  • Provide assistance to presenters (e.g., arrange special areas; prepare certificates; recognize presenters) during the conference.

  CONFERENCE REGISTRATION CHAIR

  • Chair Registration Committee at the fall conference
  • Process conference registrations, including transferring funds to the Treasurer and providing an updated membership list to the Membership Coordinator.
  • Prepare registration envelopes including receipts, participant badges, and lunch tickets when applicable.
  • Schedule volunteers to staff registration tables or other duties as needed.
  • Order conference ribbons.
  • Prepare signs for registration tables.
  • Be in charge of and prepare for on-site registration.
    • Prepare on-site registration forms.
    • Organize registration area.
    • Prepare a list of procedures for handling registration and distribute to all volunteers.
    • Keep supplies on hand, e.g., for making signs, money box with at least $50 cash for making change, a “paid” rubber stamp, staplers, pens, scissors, masking tape, double-stick tape for ribbons, and poster boards.
  • Receive and input conference pre-registrations.

  CONFERENCE PROGRAM CHAIR

  • Produce Call for Proposals.
  • Receive program proposals from potential presenters.
  • Determine which proposals to accept with help of a selection committee.
  • Send notification letters to presenters.
  • Arrange the program schedule.
  • Prepare the printed conference program prior to conference with help of a committee.
  • Provide assistance to presenters (e.g., arrange special areas; prepare certificates; recognize presenters) during the conference.

  HISTORIAN

  • Collect and maintain copies of monthly agendas, minutes, and treasurer’s reports for seven years.
  • Collect and maintain copies of newsletters and annual conference programs.
  • Produce and archive photographs of annual events.
  • Maintain record of annual conference data on a designated form (e.g., revenue, expense, number of participants).
  • On significant TexTESOL anniversaries, create historian displays at annual conference.
  • Archive and collect and maintain membership directories.

  NEWSLETTER EDITOR

  A newsletter shall be published at least three times a year.

  • Solicit, collect, and edit articles of interest to the ESL professional field.
  • Design and produce each issue of the newsletter.
  • Arrange to have the newsletter posted to the TexTESOL IV official website.
  • Attend board meetings.

  ADVOCACY

  • Keep up-to-date on issues of concern to the TexTESOL IV membership.
  • Provide information and feedback to the board regarding socio-political issues.
  • Provide content for newsletter column, Speaker’s Corner.
  • Advocate for TexTESOL IV members and ESOL learners. If needed, organize forums and workshops.
  • Provide a workshop/booth at regional conference to communicate local, state, and national issues to the membership.
  • Be a liaison between TexTESOL IV and TESOL for advocacy issues.

  MEMBERS-AT-LARGE

  • Attend board meetings.
  • Provide information and feedback to the Board regarding matters of interest to the membership.
  • Be members of ad-hoc committees of the Board.
  • Assume such responsibilities, as the Board deems necessary from time to time.

  WEBMASTER

  • Develop, when necessary, and maintain the TexTESOL IV website regularly.
  • Seek guidance from the President and majority opinion of the Board as to what should be posted on the website.

ARTICLE V – MEETINGS 

• V-Section 1. A regular meeting of the Board of Directors of TexTESOL IV shall be held monthly unless the President issues notification otherwise. A quorum for a regular board meeting requires attendance by a simple majority of the filled board positions. All votes, excluding amendments to the bylaws, require a simple majority of those present at the regular board meeting.
• V-Section 2. The meeting of the full membership held at a designated time in the fall shall be known as the annual meeting and shall be for the purpose of electing offices, receiving annual report, and conducting any other business deemed necessary.
• V-Section 3. A special meeting may be called by the President or on the written request of a member of the organization. The purpose of the meeting shall be set forth in the notice.
• V-Section 4. Notice of the annual meeting shall be given at least 30 days in advance.
• V-Section 5. Those members present at the annual business meeting shall constitute a quorum.
• V-Section 6. Members of the Board of Directors who must travel more than fifty miles to attend meetings may request mileage reimbursement at the rate in effect for Texas state employees.
• V- Section 7. In the event of resignation during a year, the President shall appoint a member to serve in the office until the following annual business meeting and election, at which time a replacement will be elected to fill the unexpired term.

ARTICLE VI – PARLIAMENTARY AUTHORITY

The proceedings and business of TexTESOL IV board shall be governed by Robert's Rules of Parliamentary Procedure unless otherwise provided herein.