CALIFORNIA COUNCIL FOR ADULT EDUCATION
PREAMBLE
We, the members of the California Council for Adult Education, in order to become increasingly proficient in meeting the responsibilities of adult educators to the society in which they function, and to promote and enhance adult education in the State of California, do establish this Constitution for the California Council for Adult Education.
ARTICLE I - NAME
Section 1
The name of this non-profit professional educational organization shall be the California Council for Adult Education, hereinafter referred to as CCAE, or the Organization.
ARTICLE II - PURPOSE
Section 1
The purpose of this organization shall be:
A. To assist in developing an effective program of continuing education for adults in California.
B. To implement the state role and purpose to the membership through the state, section, and chapter leadership and adopted programs of the Organization.
C. To promote membership in the Organization, promote the welfare of adult educators, and facilitate communications in keeping with state, section, and chapter policy.
D. To be involved in supporting legislation beneficial to adult education.
E. To provide educational and professional in-service opportunities for its membership.
F. To recognize outstanding effort and achievement of individual members, students, and supporters of adult education.
ARTICLE III - MEMBERSHIP
Section 1
Membership in this organization shall be open to all persons and organizations interested in the field of adult education.
ARTICLE IV - Officers
Section 1
The officers of this organization, hereinafter referred to as the Executive Board, shall be the following:
A. President
B. President - Elect
C. Secretary
D. Past President
E. Members-at-Large (2)
F. Vice President (Position to phase out effective 6-30-2009)
Section 2
The Board of Directors, hereinafter referred to as the Board, shall be composed of the following members:
A. Members of the Executive Board
B. Section Presidents, or their designee, and such other allowable voting representatives.
C. Ex-officio non-voting members as determined by the Board.
Section 3
Ascendancy in office shall be as follows:
A. The President-Elect shall ascend to the Presidency.
B. In the event the President resigns or otherwise ceases to hold office, the President-Elect or Past President shall assume the duties and title of President until the end of the President’s two-year term.
1. If the ascension occurs during the first year of the President’s two-year term, the Immediate Past President shall fill the position for the remainder of that year, and the President-Elect shall fill the second year of the term, and then serve the two-year term for which that person was elected. If the Immediate Past President is unable to fill the position as noted above, the prior Past Presidents will be eligible to fulfill the term, with the most recent Past President eligible first.
2. If the ascension occurs during the second year of the President’s term, the President-Elect shall fill the position for the remainder of the term, and then serve the term for which that person was elected.
C. If the President-Elect resigns or otherwise ceases to hold office, the same section shall select a replacement to fill the office of President-Elect. If the section cannot produce a qualified candidate within sixty days, the selection of a replacement shall fall under Article 5, Section 5 of the Bylaws.
D. In the event the President and President-Elect both resign or are unable to complete the terms of President and President-Elect, the Immediate Past President shall temporarily assume the duties of the office of President, and shall convene a Special Meeting of the Board within forty-five days to determine the ascension of officers.
E. In the event the Secretary resigns or is unable to assume his/her duties, the President shall appoint, with the approval of the Board, a person representing the same section to complete the term of office.
F. In the event either of the Members-at-Large is unable to complete the term of office, the same section shall, within ninety days, select a replacement to fill the office.
ARTICLE V - MEETINGS
Section 1
There shall be four quarterly Board Meetings a year. The first meeting of the fiscal year shall be designated as the Annual Business Meeting, and the final meeting of the fiscal year, held in conjunction with the State Conference, shall be designated as the Annual Board Meeting. Additional meetings may be called by the President, or by a majority of the Board.
ARTICLE VI - SECTIONS AND CHAPTERS
Section 1
The organization shall be divided into geographical regions called Sections and Chapters.
Section 2
Section Organizations
A. Each of the Section Boards of the Organization shall be known by its appropriate title as indicated in the Bylaws.
B. Sections shall prescribe rules and regulations consistent with the rules and regulations of the Organization. Section Bylaws must be ratified by the Board
C. Sections shall have at least three of the following officers: President, Vice President (or President-Elect), and Secretary-Treasurer.
D. Sections shall complete the annual IRS forms as prescribed by the Organization and submit the form by September 15 of each year to the State Office for official filing.
E. Section boards shall meet not less than twice a year.
F. Establishment of a new section may occur under the following conditions:
1. There must be a minimum of 500 potential members in the proposed section.
2. An active verified roll of 250 potential members establishes provisional section status.
3. Maintenance of minimum membership requirements for two years will establish permanent section status and eligibility for state office. The Executive Committee shall determine the placement of the new section on the rotation lists for State Officers and State Conferences.
4. A petition for section status shall have been presented to the parent section and approved prior to presentation to the State Board.a. The subdivision shall not deplete the membership of the existing section by more than 40%.
b. Approval by the State Boards shall be required.
G. In sections where chapters do not exist or are not active, the Section Executive Board may recognize school representative to sit on the Section Board.
Section 3
Chapters
A. Local chapters of the Organization, whose purpose is defined in Article II, Section 1(B), may be formed by written application from ten paid members and approval by the Section and State Boards.
B. Chapters shall have at least three offices: President, Vice President and Secretary-Treasurer.
C. Chapters shall hold at least two meetings a year.
D. Chapters shall complete the annual IRS form as prescribed by the Organization and submit the form by September 15 of each year to the State Office for official filing.
Section 4
Associate Chapters
A. In schools where Chapters are not functioning due to the size of the school (generally under 800 ADA), Sections and the State Board may approve Associate Chapters.
1. The Associate Chapter must have three or more members.
2. The Associate Chapter need not maintain a checking account, have elected officers or organize any chapter activities.
3. The Associate Chapter shall select one representative to sit on the section board with full rights of membership, including voting and right to hold elected or appointed office, and the Associate Chapter and its members may participate in all planned CCAE activities.
4. The Associate Chapter Representative shall act as a liaison between the school and the Section.
Section 5
Affiliations
A. The Organization, for the purpose of uniting resources of all adult educators, state and national, may seek affiliation with other associations which further the purpose and goals of the Organization
ARTICLE VII - GOVERNANCE
Section 1
The governance of this Organization shall be vested in the Board of Directors.
Section 2
The administrative functions of this Organization shall be vested in the Executive Committee, subject to ratification by the Board of Directors.
ARTICLE VIII - AMENDMENTS
Section 1
This Constitution may be amended at a regular or special meeting of the Board by a 2/3 Board quorum vote, providing notice of the proposed amendment(s) was submitted to the members of the Board no less than thirty days prior to the meeting.
Section 2
Proposals to amend this Constitution may originate in the following ways, and in all cases, will be referred to the Constitution and Bylaws Committee for proper action:
A. By written request of an organizational member via a representative on the Board.
B. By a motion of an officer or member of the Board, or by recommendation of the Constitution and Bylaws Committee to the Board for inclusion on the agenda at the next meeting.
Section 3
All proposed amendments submitted to the Constitution and Bylaws Committee shall be submitted to the Board in a timely manner, allowing for proper notification guidelines to be met, and with or without a recommendation regarding action form the Constitution and Bylaws Committee.
Amended 1979 David Eshelman, Chair
Amended 1994 Colette Fleming, Chair
Amended 2002 Bill Bettencourt, Co-Chair,
Sharon Brannon, Co-Chair
Amended 2007 Dr. Sue Lytle Gilmore, Chair