By-Laws
ARTICLE I Name
This organization shall be called the Massachusetts Council of Administrators of Compensatory Education (Massachusetts CACE).
ARTICLE II General Objectives
The purpose of Massachusetts CACE is to further the goals of education of the disadvantaged through programs funded by local educational agencies, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, or the federal government. More specifically this organization will pursue the following general objectives:
1. Provide a forum for local administrators of compensatory education programs to discuss common problems, develop cooperative means of solving problems, and propose policies for the conduct of federal projects and other creative compensatory educational programs in the Commonwealth.
2. Provide support and initiate legislation or other means that will serve to facilitate the attainment of the goals of federal and other compensatory education programs in the Commonwealth.
3. Cooperate and work collaboratively with the state and federal Departments of Education in order to fulfill CACE’s objectives in the Commonwealth.
4. Disseminate information effectively about federal projects and other creative compensatory programs within the Commonwealth.
5. Provide informational assistance and consultant help to communities that are interested in developing compensatory education programs.
ARTICLE III Membership
Membership in Massachusetts CACE shall be open to local administrators of compensatory education programs operating in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The term “compensatory education programs” denotes Title I programs, Title I-type programs, or other federally funded programs. Membership is from the first day of the annual conference to the next annual conference. Memberships are individual memberships regardless of the funding source used to pay the dues. Each membership will allow one individual to attend the annual conference at the member rate. Membership paid by the LEA is transferable during the membership term to the successor. Membership dues shall be set annually by the Executive Board.
ARTICLE IV Officers
1. Massachusetts CACE shall be governed by the following officers to be elected annually by the membership.
a. President
b. Vice-President
c. Recording Secretary
d. Corresponding Secretary
e. Treasurer2. The above five officers shall be elected from the membership for terms of one year.
3. In the event that one of the elected offices other than President becomes vacant during a term of office, the Executive Board shall appoint a member of the organization to fill the vacancy until the next election is held.
ARTICLE V Executive Board
The Executive Board of Massachusetts CACE shall be made up of the five officers, the immediate past president, and up to eleven other members appointed by the President assuming office for the membership year. To the extent possible the presidential appointees should represent all regions of the Commonwealth.
ARTICLE VI Annual Election
1. Election of officers for the membership year shall be held at the annual business meeting. The Vice President is also the President-elect, and shall assume the office of the President in the succeeding year. The newly elected officers shall assume their duties immediately following the election.
2. The procedure for conducting the annual election of officers shall be as follows:
a. The Nominating Committee shall prepare a slate of officers to be voted on by the membership at the annual business meeting.
b. The proposed slate of officers shall be announced at the annual business meeting with opportunity given for nominations to be made from the floor.
c. If there are nominations made from the floor then the election for those offices being contested will be conducted by secret ballot. The outgoing President shall conduct the election, shall count the ballots, and shall announce the final results. The outgoing President may appoint a committee, consisting of members not standing for a contested office, to assist in this task.
ARTICLE VII Officers: Duties and Responsibilities
1. President: The President of Massachusetts CACE shall be the organization’s chief executive officer. He or she shall preside at all general meetings and all meetings of the Executive Board. The President shall to the best of his or her ability pursue all he goals and objectives of the organization within the framework of this constitution. The President, or the President’s appointed representative, shall represent Massachusetts CACE at the state and federal levels on all matters that concern the organization.
The President shall appoint Chairs of the following Standing Committees: State Educational Agency Liaison; Federal Educational Agency Liaison; Conference Planning; Membership; Public Relations; and Audit, the purpose of this last being to audit the organization’s financial records. The President may also appoint other committee chairs as needed according to the directions stated in this constitution. The President may make additional appointments he or she deems needed for effective administration of the organization.
2. Vice-President: During the Vice President's tenure he or she serves as the annual conference chair, chair the conference planning committee, and shall perform other duties as directed by the President.
3. Recording Secretary: The Recording Secretary shall keep and disseminate the official minutes of all meetings.
4. Corresponding Secretary:The Corresponding Secretary shall be responsible for all correspondence to the membership at large and, when so instructed by the Executive Board or the President, with whomever else it is deemed appropriate for the organization to communicate in writing. He or she shall regularly inform the Executive Board of all official communications received and shall direct the official response of the Board to all interested parties.
5. Treasurer: The Treasurer shall maintain the official books of the organization and list of current members. He or she shall also maintain all funds of the organization in an appropriate checking account in an approved banking institution. The Treasurer shall maintain accurate financial records and shall report on the status of all the organization’s funds at each meeting of the Executive Board and at the general meetings.
6. Committe Chairs: Committee Chairs shall be responsible for reporting to the Executive Board on the status of the committee.
ARTICLE VIII Meetings
1. General Meetings:There shall be at least four general meetings during each membership year, which shall be the annual business meeting. Other meetings may be called during the year by either the Executive Board or the President. Two weeks prior notice of the agenda for such meetings shall be required.
The number of members in good standing present will constitute the quorum for any general meeting.
2. Executive Board Meetings: The Executive Board shall meet at least four times within the school year. A special meeting of the Executive Board may be called, with a twenty-four (24) hour notice by the President. The number of Executive Board members present will constitute a quorum.
At each meeting of the Executive Board there will be an opportunity for any member of the organization to address the Board about concerns of the membership. Executive Board meetings are open to all members of the organization. Members are encouraged to attend and participate.
3. Committee Meetings: Committee meetings shall be called by the Chair of the committee.
ARTICLE IX Voting Eligibility
1. Voting at general meetings of Massachusetts CACE shall be open to any member in good standing of the organization. “Good standing” denotes that dues for the coming or current year are paid by the start of the meeting at which he or she might cast a vote.
2. Voting at Executive Board meetings shall be restricted to members of the Board as defined in Article V.
ARTICLE X Amendments
These bylaws may be amended by the membership at any general meeting. Proposed amendments must be submitted to the membership at least two weeks prior to the scheduled meeting at which adoption is being requested. Members will be given two weeks notice in writing for any proposed amendments. Adoption of any amendment shall require a vote of two-thirds of the voting members present at the meeting.
Revised 2.08