Virginia Social Studies Leaders Consortium By-Laws





Virginia Social Studies Leaders Consortium Bylaws 

ARTICLE I - NAME

The organization shall be called the Virginia Social Studies Leaders Consortium and shall be an organization for personnel having responsibility for the development and implementation of social studies education programs. This Consortium shall be an affiliate of both the Virginia Council for the Social Studies and the National Council for the Social Studies.


ARTICLE II - PURPOSES

The purposes of the Consortium shall be:

Section 1. To encourage growth in social studies education in the Commonwealth through the collective efforts of individuals with assigned leadership responsibilities;

Section 2. To promote a free flow of ideas among social studies educators in supervision, curriculum development, teacher education, public history organizations, the Virginia Department of Education; and other organizations that support social studies education;

Section 3. To initiate a direct channel of communication among, but not limited to, the Virginia Council for the Social Studies, the National Council for the Social Studies, the Virginia Department of Education, legislative bodies, civic agencies, educators, and community leaders;

Section 4. To promote and advocate for curricular, instructional, and assessment best practices in social studies education;

Section 5. To foster a positive image of social studies educators as trained professionals whose primary concern is to create classroom communities in which students gain deeper understanding of the social studies while developing essential skills in historical thinking, economic decision making, geographic analysis, and global citizenship; and

Section 6. To seek solutions to needs in social studies education.


ARTICLE III - MEMBERSHIP AND DUES

Section 1. Membership. Membership in the Consortium shall be open to social studies educators in supervision, curriculum development, teacher education, public history organizations, the Virginia Department of Education, and other organizations that support social studies education.

Section 2. Dues. Membership in the Consortium shall become effective upon payment of dues for each year.

Section 3. Change in Dues. Changes in annual membership dues for the Consortium shall be proposed by the Executive Committee and approved by an affirmative majority vote of Consortium members in attendance at a regular meeting.

ARTICLE IV - OFFICERS

Section 1. Officers. The elected officers of the Consortium shall be President, President Elect, Secretary, Treasurer, and Legislative Liaison. Any active member is eligible to be elected as an officer of the Consortium.

Section 2. Terms of Office. The terms of office for President, President Elect, Secretary, Treasurer, and Legislative Liaison shall be two years. The term of the President Emeritus shall be one year. At the conclusion of the term as President Elect, this officer shall assume the office of President. 

Section 3. Assumption of Office The assumption of office shall take place as described in Article VIII, Section 3. 

Section 4. Duties of the President. The President shall act as the executive officer of the Consortium. This officer shall preside at all meetings of the Consortium; shall act as chairperson of the Executive Committee; shall create ad hoc committees; shall suggest a Co-Chair of the state social studies conference; shall suggest a Historian for the Consortium to document, record and archive the activities of the organization; shall notify the membership of the date, time, and place of all general meetings at least two weeks in advance of the meeting; shall circulate proposed amendments to each member two weeks in advance of the meeting at which the amendments are to be discussed; and shall exercise general leadership and supervision over the affairs of the Consortium to implement its purposes. The President or their designee may submit to the Executive Committee requests for reimbursement for expenses above and beyond the normal duties of the office.

Section 5. Duties of the President Elect. The President Elect shall assist the President and serve as a member of the Executive Committee, and shall fulfill such other duties as are assigned by the Executive Committee. At the conclusion of the term as President Elect, this officer shall assume the office of President.

Section 6. Duties of the Treasurer. The Treasurer shall serve as a member of the Executive Committee; keep accurate and up-to-date financial and membership records; have custody of funds of the Consortium, which shall be deposited in the name of the Virginia Social Studies Leaders Consortium; and sign checks for authorized expenses of the Consortium.

Section 7. Duties of the Secretary. The Secretary shall maintain a permanent book of the minutes of all general meetings and meetings of the Executive Committee; cooperate fully with directives from the general meetings and/or the Executive Committee meetings regarding needed correspondence and notices.

Section 8. Duties of the President Emeritus. The President Emeritus will be an honorary member of the Executive Committee for one year from the end of their term as President. Additionally, the President Emeritus will serve in a non-voting advisory role on the executive committee.

Section 9. Duties of the Legislative Liaison. The Legislative Liaison shall serve as a community and legislative contact who tracks proposals, board of education action, legislative bills and policies which impact social studies education, develops and maintains communication channels with general education committees and communicates details of legislation to the membership at-large.

Section 10. Vacancies. Officers must be members of the Consortium as described in Article III. If a job change or other life circumstance makes a current officer ineligible for office, the officer must relinquish their position. In the event that an elected office becomes vacant, a new officer shall be nominated by the President and approved by a majority of the Executive Committee within thirty days of such vacancy. In case of a vacancy in the office of President, the President Elect shall assume the duties of President. The Executive Committee shall elect a new President Elect to complete the unexpired term of this office.

Section 10. Removal from Office. An elected officer may be removed by the affirmative vote of three-quarters of the members present at a regular meeting of the Consortium.

ARTICLE V - EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE   

Section 1. Function. The Executive Committee shall exercise supervision over the affairs of the Consortium and will also serve as the Board of Directors that govern the Consortium. The Executive Committee shall have the power to administer the affairs of the Consortium between meetings. The actions of the Executive Committee may be nullified by a two-thirds vote when a quorum of the Consortium has been achieved.

Section 2. Composition. The Executive Committee shall consist of all officers listed in Article IV.

Section 3. Meetings. The Executive Committee shall be empowered to hold such meetings as deemed necessary by the President. The President must convene with the Executive Committee at least once prior to each meeting of the Consortium to consider items for the agenda.

Section 4. Quorum. A quorum for a meeting of the Executive Committee shall consist of a simple majority of its members.

Section 5. Expenditures. The Executive Committee may by majority vote approve requests for reimbursement from the President, or President’s designee, if those expenses are the result of duties above and beyond the enumerated duties of the office. 

ARTICLE VI - FUNCTIONS OF THE CONSORTIUM   

Section 1. Composition. The Consortium shall consist of the Executive Committee and all other active members of the Consortium.

Section 2. Function. The Consortium shall be the legislative body and shall have full power and authority over the affairs of the Consortium within the limits set by these bylaws. It shall have authority, when a quorum is achieved, to accept or reject decisions made by the Executive Committee by a majority vote of members present.

Section 3. Quorum. A quorum shall consist of a simple majority of the members of the Consortium in attendance.

Section 4. Meetings. The Consortium shall meet in-person, at a minimum of two times-in the fall and spring (unless special circumstances beyond their control prevents this). Virtual meetings may also be convened as needed.

Section 5. Notification of Meetings. The President shall notify all members of the date, time and place of the meeting at least two weeks in advance of each meeting.

Section 6. Amendments. The Consortium shall have the power to amend these bylaws as described in Article X.

ARTICLE VII – COMMITTEES

Section 1. Committees. The Consortium shall have the discretion to establish the following committees with a quorum of members in attendance, as necessary, to support the work of the organization:

Committees will report at each meeting for the purpose of educating and informing the Consortium and to make recommendations for action by the Consortium.

Section 2.  Membership.  All members of the Consortium are encouraged to serve on a committee. Each committee shall elect its own chairperson who reports to the Consortium at each meeting.  

Section 3. Composition. There shall be at least three members, including the chairperson, on each committee. Other persons with special expertise may be called in if circumstances warrant such action.

Section 4.  Duties of the Committee Chairs.  The chair will convene meetings, as needed, prepare reports of the committee, and consult with the President to set the business meeting agenda, maintain committee membership lists, define the scope of the committee’s work, and collaborate with other committees on issues related to the work identified by the chair.

Section 5.  Ad Hoc Committees. The President may create ad hoc committees.  Membership for ad hoc committees shall be at the discretion of the Executive Committee. 

ARTICLE VIII - ELECTIONS

Section 1. Mode of Election. All officers, except for the President Emeritus, shall be elected at the spring meeting every two years (on odd years). The nominating committee or the executive committee may present a slate of nominees for each office to the Consortium for approval. Nominations may also be made from the floor. In the event of two individuals being nominated for a single office, membership will vote for that single office and the slate cannot be approved as a whole. The highest number of votes shall be necessary for election to office. In the event of a tie, the Executive Committee shall make the final decision.

Members who are attending the meeting virtually may participate in the election process.

Section 2. Nominating Committee. The nominating committee shall prepare a slate of nominees every two years. The committee shall secure advance consent from each nominee. The committee shall ensure a nomination of at least one person for each office.   

Section 3. Term of Office. Each elected officer’s term shall begin at the conclusion of the spring meeting of the election year.

ARTICLE IX - PARLIAMENTARY AUTHORITY

The rules contained in Robert’s Rules of Order shall govern the proceedings of this Consortium, except in cases governed by law and special rules adopted by the Consortium.

ARTICLE X - AMENDMENTS

Section 1. Origins. Any member may propose an amendment to these bylaws by submitting such amendment(s) to the Executive Committee. The Executive Committee will consider such amendments and, by majority vote, approve them for final deliberation and vote. Further, the Executive Committee may initiate amendments and submit them to the Consortium for approval.

Section 2. Procedure. The President shall circulate proposed amendments to the Consortium two weeks in advance of the meeting at which the amendments are to be discussed.  Amendments may be adopted by the affirmative vote of two thirds of the members present and voting at a regular meeting of the Consortium (whether in-person or virtual).

Section 3. Incorporation. Amendments adopted as described in Section 2 shall be incorporated into these bylaws.


ARTICLE XI - AFFILIATION

Section 1. Affiliation. The Virginia Social Studies Leaders Consortium shall be an affiliate of both the Virginia Council for the Social Studies and the National Council for the Social Studies.

Section 2. Relationships. The Consortium welcomes collaboration with related professional organizations who promote the advancement of social studies education.