BYLAWS OF MASSACHUSETTS EDUCATIONAL TECHNOLOGY ADMINISTRATORS ASSOCIATION
ARTICLE I. Organization
Section 1. Name, Mission, Location and Fiscal Year
1.1 Name. As set forth in the Articles of Organization, the name shall be Massachusetts Educational Technology Administrators Association (METAA).
1.2 Mission. Our mission is to unite Massachusetts PK-12 educational technology administrators – public, private, independent, charter, parochial – into one professional association for the purpose of advocating for and supporting the vision, policies, practices, and funding for historical, current, and cutting edge technology within all aspects of teaching, learning, and professional productivity.
1.3 Location. The principal office of the consortium shall be located at 200 Danforth St, Framingham, Massachusetts. The Executive Board may change the location of the principal office of the organization and may, from time to time, designate other offices within the State of Massachusetts as the business of the organization may require.
1.4 Fiscal Year. The fiscal year shall, unless otherwise decided by the directors, end on the 30th day of June in each year.
Section 2. Membership
2.1 Membership. Membership shall be open to current, aspiring, and retired public and private school technology administrators in Massachusetts.
2.2 Annual Dues. The founding board initially and the directors thereafter shall establish the dues requirement necessary to become a member of the organization. Each year at their annual meeting, the directors shall announce the amount of the annual dues.
2.3 Duration. Membership shall be for a period of one year, from July 1 to June 30.
2.4 Types of membership.
a) Active – full membership
b) Lifetime – shall be available to all Presidents at the conclusion of their term of office.
c) Honorary – The Board of Directors will, at the discretion of the Board, recognize members of the community for their contributions toward METAA’s goals by awarding honorary, one-year membership. Honorary members shall have no voting rights at any meeting nor be considered for the purposes of establishing quorum.
d) The Board of Directors will, at the discretion of the Board, add membership types as appropriate.
2.5 Non-discrimination. METAA does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, disability, or age.
2.6 Membership Privileges. Members may attend meetings, hold office, vote, and participate in organizational activities.
2.7 Suspension or Removal. A member may be suspended or removed with or without cause by a majority vote of the Board of Directors. A member may be removed for cause only after reasonable notice and opportunity to be heard.
2.8 Friends of the Organization. The Board of Directors may designate certain persons or groups to serve in an advisory capacity. They shall have no right to vote at any meeting nor be considered for the purposes of establishing a quorum.
Section 3. Meetings
3.1 Annual Meeting. There will be one annual meeting of the members for the purpose of governance of the organization. The date, time, and location shall be determined by the Board of Directors. Notice of the annual meeting shall be given at least 14 days in advance.
3.2 Regular Meetings. Regular meetings of the organization shall be held throughout the year; the time and place shall be determined by the Board of Directors. The purpose of such meetings will be identified by the needs of the membership.
3.3 Special Meetings. Reasonable notice of the time and place of special meetings shall be given to each member.
3.4 Quorum. At the annual meeting, the presence of two-thirds of the board members constitutes a quorum.
3.5 Action by vote. Each member shall have one vote when a quorum is present at any general membership meeting. The Board of Directors is authorized to call for an electronic proxy vote of the membership.
ARTICLE II. Governance
Section 1. Board of Directors
1.1 Officers. Officers will include: President, Vice President, Secretary, and Treasurer
1.1.1 The current president may choose to invite the immediate past president to serve on the board in an advisory capacity to the president and to the board for a two-year term concurrent with the president. This is a non-voting role.
1.2 Board Members. There shall be up to seventeen total board members, including board officers, and these members shall constitute the board.
1.2.1 Terms. The Directors and Officers shall be elected by the members for terms of two years. The term of office of all elected Officers and Directors shall start on July 1st.
1.2.2 Eligibility: All current METAA members who have been actively contributing to METAA for at least one full year, immediately prior to running, are eligible to run for the board.
1.2.3 Responsibilities. The Board of Directors shall have general management of the organization. Responsibilities include, but are not limited to the following:
a) conduct routine business
b) establish policies
c) create and dissolve committees
d) fill vacancies
e) uphold bylaws
1.3 Board Officer Eligibility: Candidates for board officers must have actively served as a member of the Board of Directors for at least one full year within five (5) years prior to the current election.
1.4 Board Appointments: At any time when the maximum number of Board of Directors has not been met, the Board may appoint additional METAA members to serve on the Board. Members thusly appointed, will have voting rights on the Board. Each appointment may be 1 or 2 years, as proposed by the board at the time of the vote.
1.5 Committees. Each member of the board will serve on one of the standing committees.
1.6 Meetings. The Board of Directors shall meet regularly and meetings shall be scheduled and announced by the President. Special meetings of the Board of Directors may be called by the President at any time; and he/she must, upon the written request of any member of the Board, call a special meeting to be held not more than ten (10) days after the date of such request.
1.7 Quorum. At any meeting of the Board of Directors, the presence of two-thirds majority of the board shall be necessary to constitute a quorum for the transaction of business. However, should a quorum not be present, a lesser number may adjourn the meeting to some future time.
1.8 Electronic Meetings. Members of the Board of Directors and members of any committee designated by the Board may participate in a meeting of such board or committee by means of a conference telephone, video conferencing technology, or similar communication equipment by means of which all persons participating in the meeting can hear each other. Participation in a meeting in such a manner shall constitute presence in person at such meeting. Such meetings may be partially or wholly “virtual" meetings.
1.9 Voting. At all meetings of the Board, each member shall have one vote. Electronic polling may be conducted if warranted.
Section 2. Officers
2.1 The President shall preside at all meetings of the Organization and of the Board of Directors and shall perform all other duties pertaining to the office. He/she shall be ex-officio, a member of all committees except the nominating committee.
2.2 The Vice President shall act as an aide to the President and shall perform the duties of the President in that person’s absence.
2.3 Secretary shall keep official records, including minutes of annual and Board meetings. If the secretary is absent from any meeting a temporary secretary at the meeting shall exercise the duties of the secretary at that meeting.
2.5 Treasurer is the chief financial officer of the organization and is responsible for financial affairs, and shall keep full and accurate records thereof.
2.6 Suspension or Removal. An Officer may be suspended or removed by the vote of the Board of Directors. An Officer may be removed with cause only after reasonable notice and opportunity to be heard.
2.7 Resignation. An Officer may resign by delivering written resignation to any officer. Such resignation shall be effective upon receipt unless specified to be effective another time. An acceptance thereof shall not be necessary to make it effective.
2.8 Vacancies. If any officer vacates their position, the Directors may appoint, by Board vote, a successor. The successor must be a current member of the Board of Directors. Each such successor shall hold office for the unexpired term.
Section 3. Committees
3.1 Standing Committees. There shall be standing committees appointed by the Board of Directors. Each committee member shall serve a one year term to coincide with that of the school year. A member of the Board shall serve as a liaison between the standing committee and the Board of Directors.
3.2 Ad Hoc Committees. Ad Hoc committees may be appointed by the Board of Directors for such purposes as circumstances may warrant. Each committee shall limit its activities to the accomplishment of the purpose for which it was created.
Section 4. Execution of Papers
All legally binding documents accepted or endorsed by the Board of Directors must be signed by the President and Treasurer.
Section 5. Personal Liability
The members, Directors and Officers of the organization shall not be personally liable for any debt, liability, or obligation of the organization. All persons, corporations or other entities extending credit to, contracting with, or having any claim against, the organization may look only to the funds and property of the organization for the payment of any such contract or claim, or the payment of any debt, damages, judgment or decree, or of any money that may otherwise become due or payable to them from the organization.
Section 6. Amendments
These bylaws may be altered, amended, or repealed in whole or in part by a vote of 2/3 of the Board of Directors. Except with respect to any provision thereof which by law, the Articles of Organization or these bylaws requires action by the members. Not later than the time of giving notice of the meeting of members next following the making, amending, or repealing by the Directors of any bylaws, notice thereof stating the substance of such change shall be given to all members. The members may alter, amend, or repeal any bylaws adopted by the Directors or otherwise adopt, alter, amend or repeal any provision which by law, the Articles of Organization or these bylaws requires action by the members.
Section 7. Dissolution
In the event of dissolution, after paying any outstanding debts, all remaining assets of a dissolved Chapter revert to the national organization. An act of dissolution must meet the same requirements as for passage of an amendment.
amended August 14, 2019