Association For Childhood
Education International
OFFICIAL BRANCH CONSTITUTION
FOR ALL ACEI BRANCHES
ARTICLE I - NAME
The name of this Branch of ACEI shall be _____________________________________________.
All ACEI Affiliate Branches are required to use "[Name of Branch] of the Association for Childhood Education International" as their complete and official name.
The term "Branch" shall refer to ACEI Country, State/Province, Local or Student Branches, unless otherwise noted.
ARTICLE II - MISSION AND PURPOSES
ACEI's Mission is:
To promote and support in the global community the optimal education and development of children, from infancy through early adolescence, and to influence the professional growth of educators and the efforts of others who are committed to the needs of children in a changing society.
The purposes of this organization internationally shall be:
- To promote the inherent rights, education and well-being of all children in home, school and community.
- To work for desirable conditions, programs and practices for children from infancy through early adolescence.
- To bring into active cooperation all individuals and groups concerned with children.
- To raise the standard of preparation for all of those actively involved with the care and development of children.
- To encourage continuous professional growth of educators.
- To focus the attention of the public on the rights and needs of children and the ways in which various programs must be adjusted to fit those rights and needs.
To achieve these purposes, ACEI is guided by a dynamic philosophy of education which is flexible and responsive to human needs in a changing society.
ARTICLE III - MEMBERSHIP
Section 1. Branches.
(a) Any group or organization whose activities are in harmony with the purposes of ACEI, and has adopted this written constitution (modified as permitted herein), and has elected officers, shall be eligible for affiliation with ACEI as a Branch.
(b) Any group of local ACEI Branches, and/or individuals, having a constitution and elected officers, shall be eligible for affiliation with ACEI as a Country or State/Province Branch.
Section 2. Individual Memberships.
(a) Any person whose interests are in harmony with the purposes of ACEI shall be eligible for individual membership. Individual members shall pay annual dues to ACEI Headquarters, including International dues, National dues (organized or provisional), State/Province dues (organized or provisional), and Local Branch dues (where one exists and the individual chooses to join), as provided in Standing Rule (1). Individual members not belonging to a Local Branch are considered At-Large.
(b) Individuals belonging to a Local or Student Branch shall be members of and pay annual dues to the State/Province Association (organized or provisional) or to ACEI, as provided in Standing Rule (1).
(c) Individual membership shall consist of the following categories: "Comprehensive," includes persons actively engaged in educational and allied professions involving children and those who work with children, and other persons who have an interest in the mission and purposes for which ACEI is organized; "Professional," includes those persons who otherwise qualify as professional members, but only receive one ACEI publication, Childhood Education as part of their membership benefits; "Retired," includes former Professional members who have ceased active career pursuits but who wish to remain affiliated with ACEI; "Student," includes full-time students who provide certification of academic status; "Basic," includes those persons who otherwise qualify as professional members, but are not entitled to receive Childhood Education as part of their membership benefits. The aforementioned classes of membership shall be entitled to all the rights and privileges of the Association for Childhood Education International, including benefits and services except as specifically stated under the "Basic" membership category.
(d) If a Branch through its own action or failure to act, discontinues affiliation and later requests reinstatement, a fee set by the ACEI Executive Board shall be charged to cover the expenses entailed.
ARTICLE IV - OFFICERS AND COMMITTEES
Section 1. Officers. Officers of this Branch shall consist of a President, President-Elect or an immediate Past-President, Treasurer, and Secretary. Student branches shall consist of a Faculty Adviser(s) in addition to the above-referenced officers. List all other applicable officers in an attached addendum. Be sure to list those officers that the Branch needs according to its function. Officers must be current members of ACEI.
Section 2. Committees. Standing Committees may be established by your Branch when, in accordance with the judgment of the Branch officers, they are needed to further the purpurposes and programs of the Branch. (Having committees to represent each age level of interest has been the traditional approach but may not be feasible for some branches.) List your standing committees in an attached addendum.
Section 3. Duties of Officers and Committees. A general description of the duties of the officers and committees may be included in an attached addendum. KEEP THEM SIMPLE.
Section 4. Executive Board. If a Branch deems it necessary, the elected officers and the committee chairs shall constitute the Executive Board.
Section 5. Elections and Appointments. Officers shall be elected and committee chairs appointed for a term of one year unless otherwise noted in the Branch's Bylaws or amended section of this Constitution. In accordance with the ACEI Executive Board Motion 17 (August 1987), officer elections shall be held in the spring or earlier. A current officer roster shall be sent to ACEI Headquarters by June 1 for publication in the ACEI Exchange, fall yearbook issue.
Section 6. Voting. Election of officers shall be by mail ballot unless otherwise noted. To be counted, ballots must be returned to the place and within the time designated on the ballot. Other voting methods may be used if voted upon and approved by the Branch members. Additional voting methods must be attached in the addendum or so noted in the Branch Annual Report.
ARTICLE V - MEETINGS
Regular meetings of the Branch shall be held at the place and within the time designated by the Branch officers or Executive Board, if applicable. Special meetings shall be scheduled when necessary.
ARTICLE VI - DISSOLUTION
Upon dissolution of this Branch, if such should occur, the Officers, or Executive Board if applicable, of the Branch shall return all assets of the Branch, remaining after payments of debts and liabilities, to ACEI Headquarters, as so noted in Article XI, ACEI Constitution. Thereby, all funds transferred to ACEI will be deposited into an ACEI restricted fund and used for future ACEI branch development.
ARTICLE VII - AMENDMENTS
This Constitution may be amended at any meeting by a two-thirds majority of the members present, providing there has been a previous notice concerning the amendment.
ARTICLE VIII - PARLIAMENTARY AUTHORITY
Robert's Rules of Order, newly revised, are recommended parliamentary procedures to be used to govern the meetings of the Branch. Use of the procedures is optional and may be based upon the discretion of the Branch officers.
STANDING RULES
- Annual dues shall be the amount established by the ACEI Executive Board.
- Only the President of the Country, State/Province and/or Local Branch is authorized to sign the Branch Constitution. The Faculty Adviser(s) sponsoring an ACEI Student Branch must sign the Branch Constitution.
- These Standing Rules may be amended, suspended or rescinded at any meeting by a majority of votes cast, provided notice of the proposed change has been sent with the call for such a meeting.
- Any other provisions about officer descriptions, committees, voting methods, special meetings, etc. may be created separately as Bylaws.
Signature of Branch Officer: ______________________________________________________
Branch Role: ________________________________________ Date: _____________________
Updated - April 2008
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