OATJ membership

Ohio Association of Teachers of Japanese

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By-laws
The Ohio Association of Teachers of Japanese (OATJ)
Proposed By-laws (Oct, 2000)

I. Name

The name of the association shall be The Ohio Association of Teachers of Japanese (OATJ); hereafter referred to as the Association.

II. Purpose

The Association shall promote and improve the study and the teaching of Japanese, and encourage a spirit of professional cooperation among its members.

III. Membership

Any teacher of Japanese, or any teacher interested in the teaching of Japanese, may join the Association upon payment of the annual dues as specified by the By-laws of the Association. Membership shall be retained by the continued payment of the annual dues. Annual dues for the Association are US$25.00 for regular membership, and US$20.00 for student membership. Membership is on a fiscal-year basis (October 01 - September 30) and must be renewed by October 31 of the membership year.

IV. Officers and Elections

1. The officers of the Association shall be a president, a vice-president, a secretary and a treasurer. The four elected officers shall be charged with governing the Association. At no time shall the president and vice-president both be either college teachers or primary/secondary teachers. All officers shall be elected for a term of two years.

2. Elections shall take place at the annual meeting.

3. All officers shall be elected by a majority of the members present at the time of voting. A majority is defined as at least one-half of the members present plus one.

4. All officers must be current members of the Association.

5. In the event that an office becomes vacant, the remaining officers shall take over the responsibilities until a replacement is elected at the next annual meeting. In the event that two or more offices become vacant, the remaining officer(s) shall appoint interim officers to serve until the next annual meeting, at which time replacements shall be elected.

V. Duties of Officers

1. The responsibilities of the president include:
A. representing the Association in its relations with other professional organisations or designating a representative therefor.
B. informing membership of matters of relevance to the Association and to the members. C. planning for meetings of the Association in consultation with the other officers.
D. conducting all Association officer meetings.
E. authorising, in consultation with the other officers, on the expenditure of Association expenses in excess of $50.00.

2. The responsibilities of the vice-president include:
A. representing the president to conduct all meetings and official business in the absence of the president.
B. assisting the president as requested in the operation of the Association.
C. overseeing the publication and distribution of the Association's newsletter.

3. The responsibilities of the secretary include:
A. representing the president to conduct all meetings and official business in the absence of the president and the vice-president.
B. assisting the president as requested in the operation of the Association.
C. keeping an accurate record of Association and officer meetings.
D. submitting copies of all minutes to the president for distribution to the membership.

4. The responsibilities of the treasurer include:
A. keeping an accurate record of the Association's finances, and reporting on the Association's finances at the annual meeting.
B. paying of the expenses authorised by the officers
C. depositing of dues received from the membership.
D. advising the officers as to the Association's financial situation.
E. keeping accurate and up-to-date lists of the Association's membership.

VI. Administration

The administration of the Association shall be in the hands of the officers. In addition, the ex-president of the Associatioon shall be member ex-officio, without vote, for one year following his/her retirement from office.

VII. General Membership Meetings

1. The Association shall meet at least once a year. The time and place of the meeting(s) shall be determined by the president after due consultation with the other officers. The members present at any meeting shall constitute a quorum.

2. Meetings shall be conducted informally. However, if deemed necessary, Roberts Rules of Order will be followed.

3. The president shall be responsible for the meeting agenda and shall arrange for the agenda to reach Association members in sufficient time before meetings.

4. It is the policy of the Association to have the minutes of the previous meeting distributed and approved at the next Association meeting.

VIII. Publications

To facilitate communication and the exchange of ideas, and generally to promote the study and teaching of Japanese in Ohio, officers may, at their discretion, arrange for the publication of an official Association newsletter. The vice-president shall oversee the publication and distribution of the newsletter.

IX. Amendments of the By-laws

The by-laws of the Association may be amended by a two-thirds majority vote of the members present at any regular meeting. Such amendments may be proposed by the officers, or by written notice to the officers by at least four members of the Association not later than one week in advance of the meeting at which action is to be taken.