*M**AINE **E**DUCATIONAL **O**PPORTUNITY **A**SSOCIATION **C**ONSTITUTION*
*ARTICLE I. NAME*
*Section 1*
The name of the organization shall be the Maine Educational Opportunity
Association hereafter referred to as the Association.
*ARTICLE II. PURPOSE*
*Section 1*
The purpose of the *Maine Educational Opportunity Association *shall be to
bring together those persons who are involved in programs that provide
students access to secondary and postsecondary education. The Association
will be particularly concerned about those students who, because of socio -
economic status, ethnic background, restricted cultural - educational
experiences, and/ or disabilities find themselves in a position of
disadvantage with traditional students.
*Section 2*
The Association will focus on the following:
a. coordinating efforts among other organizations and persons with similar
concerns
b. responding efficiently and meaningfully to issues affecting the
educational resources and environment of nontraditional students;
c. increasing the awareness of legislators, agencies, community groups,
faculties and administrators about the educational and financial needs of
low - income, minority, educationally disadvantaged and disabled students;
d. promoting research, conferences, and activities that accomplish the
purposes of the Association.
*ARTICLE III. MEMBERSHIP*
*Section 1*
The membership shall consist of individuals interested in the purposes of
the Maine Educational Opportunity Association.
a) Professional membership is defined as those professionals who are
committed to the purposes of the Association. Each active professional
member is entitled to one vote and is eligible to hold office.
b) Associate membership is defined as all other individuals, including
students, paying dues as specified in the constitution. Associate members
may not vote or hold office.
c) Honorary membership is a lifetime designation and is defined as retirees
or individuals who have made substantial contributions to educational
opportunity programs as determined by the MEEOA executive board. Honorary
members may not vote or hold office unless they are also professional
members.
*Section 2*
A member shall be dropped from membership for nonpayment of dues or other
just cause, as defined by the Executive Committee.
*ARTICLE IV. OFFICERS*
*Section 1*
The officers of the Association shall be President, President-Elect,
Secretary, and Treasurer.
*Section 2*
The Executive Committee will consist of the officers, the immediate
past-president, who will serve as the State Liaison to NEOA, and the
Conference Chair.and the chairs or coordinators of the standing committees. All
Executive Committee members shall be Professional Members of the
Association. Each individual on the Executive Committee shall have one
vote.
*Section 3*
The Executive Committee should represent as nearly as possible the
different MEEOA Programs and the geographic areas throughout the State.
*Section 4*
The term of office for all Executive Committee members standing committee
members, treasurer, and secretary, shall be one year. There shall be no
limit to the number of terms a person may be elected, or appointed to the
Executive Committee.
The President-Elect shall be elected each year. At the end of each year,
the President-Elect will automatically transition to the role of President,
and the President automatically will transition to the role Past-President.
*Section 5*
If an officer or representative fails to fulfill the responsibilities of
his or her office, the Executive Committee shall appoint a person to
complete the unexpired term except in the case of the President and the
President-Elect. If the President is unable to continue his or her term,
the President-Elect will assume the Presidency immediately.
*Section 6*
In the event of the President-Elect's absence, death, resignation or
assumption of the Presidency, there will be two three alternatives
depending on the length of time remaining in the term of office.
a) If there are fewer than six months remaining in the term of the
departing President, the President-Elect will complete that term as
President. The Executive Committee shall share the responsibilities of the
President-Elect.
b) If there are six or more months remaining in the term of office, the
vacancy shall be filled by a special at - large election. In this case, the
new President-Elect will fill the remainder of that term and then assume
the Presidency in the normal order.
c) In the absence of a President-Elect, the most recent President shall
fill that role until an election can be held.
*ARTICLE V. DUTIES OF OFFICERS AND EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE*
*Section 1*
The President shall be chief executive officer of the Association, preside
at all general meetings of the association, chair the Executive Committee,
appoint all members of the committees subject to the confirmation of the
Executive Committee, unless the method of selection is otherwise specified,
and hold ex-officio membership on all committees. The President shall
perform the duties customary to that office and such additional duties as
directed by the Executive Committee.
*Section 2*
The President-Elect shall act in the place of the President at all
association and Committee meetings when the President cannot attend.
*Section 3*
The Secretary shall perform the duties customary to the office and such
additional duties as may be directed by the Executive Committee.
*Section 4*
The Treasurer shall represent the association in assuring that the receipts
and expenditures of funds are in accordance with the directive of the
association as defined by the Executive Committee. He or she shall submit a
full financial report prior to or at the annual meeting and such interim
reports as the Executive Committee may direct.
*Section 5*
The Past-President will serve as State Liaison to NEOA when his or her term
as President ends at the annual meeting of the association. The
Past-President will also serve as co-chair of the Nomination and Election
Committee.
Nomination and Election of Officers.
a) The Executive Committee shall appoint a Nomination and Election
Committee consisting of the Past-President and Membership Chair, who will
co-chair the Committee, and additional professional members at least two of
whom aren't members of the Executive Committee. The Nomination and Election
Committee shall poll the membership to encourage a broad base of
nominations before establishing a slate to be presented to the annual
Meeting (Art. IV, Sec. 3). The Nomination and Election Committee shall
provide for nominations from the floor of the annual Meeting; each
nomination shall be submitted in writing with three signatures of
professional members supporting it. The Nomination Committee will present
those people running for office a week prior to the annual meeting.
b) The Nomination and Election Committee shall conduct the election with
secret ballots, unless the slate is uncontested, and tabulate the results
at the annual Meeting; a majority vote shall determine the results. In the
event that there is no annual meeting, or if there is no candidate
identified for a particular office, this procedure shall be carried out by
absentee ballot through the mail or electronically using either online
voting or e-mail. In the event of a tie, the candidates who tie will face
an immediate run-off vote.
c) Professional membership is defined as those professionals who are
committed to the purposes of the Association. Each active professional
member is entitled to one vote and is eligible to hold office.
*ARTICLE VI. DUES*
*Section 1*
Annual Association dues shall be established by the Executive Committee.
*ARTICLE VII. MEETINGS*
*Section 1*
An annual meeting shall be held at a time and place designated by the
Executive Committee. At this time the membership will conduct the business
of the association and elect officers. Special meetings may be called at
the discretion of the Executive Committee. Notice of all meetings of the
association shall be (E-)mailed to each member at least fifteen days prior
to the meeting.
*Section 2*
The professional members present at an official business meeting of the
Association shall constitute a quorum.
*Section 3*
Meetings of the Executive Committee shall be called at the discretion of
the President or by a majority of the members of the Committee.
*Section 4*
A majority of the members of the Executive Committee shall constitute a
quorum.
*Section 5*
The Executive Committee shall have the authority to carry on all business
of the Association between meetings of the membership.
*ARTICLE VIII. COMMITTEES*
*Section 1*
There shall be two seven (7) standing committees - the Nominations and
Elections Committee (Art. V, Sect. 5, a+b) and the, Conference Committee,
Public Relations, Alumni, Development, Membership, and Government Relations.
*Section 2*
The Conference Committee will be chaired by the Conference Chair (Art. V
Sect. 2). The Committee will consist of those regular members interested in
working on the annual conference. All committees will be led by a chair or
coordinator.
*Section 3*
Any other committees will be ad hoc and appointed by the President with the
approval of the Executive Committee.
*ARTICLE IX. FINANCES*
*Section 1*
No part of the net earnings of the Association shall benefit any officer of
the Association, or any private individual. Nor shall either be entitled to
share in the distribution of any of the assets on dissolution of the
Association.
*Section 2*
Reasonable compensation may be paid for services rendered to or for the
Association effecting one or more of its purposes.
*Section 3*
Upon dissolution of the Association its assets shall be distributed
exclusively to charitable, scientific, literary, educational and/or testing
for public safety organizations as may be selected by a majority vote of
the sustaining association membership.
*ARTICLE X. AFFILIATION*
*Section 1*
The association may affiliate with other organizations committed to similar
purposes. The professional membership must approve such arrangements by a
simple majority of those attending the Annual Meeting, when the Executive
Committee has recommended affiliation and when all members have received a
fifteen-day notice of the motion to affiliate.
*Section 2*
Affiliation under this article involves only a friendly, mutually helpful
relationship and implies no loss of independence by the Association or the
affiliate.
*ARTICLE XI. AMENDMENTS TO THE CONSTITUTION*
*Section 1*
A proposal for amendment, supported with the signatures of five
professional members, shall be submitted in writing to the Executive
Committee.
*Section 2*
The Secretary shall mail or E-mail notices of proposed amendments to each
member of the Association not less than fifteen and not more than
thirty forty-five
days before the next membership meeting. Two - thirds of the Professional
members present at the membership meeting must approve the proposed
amendment to affect its adoption.
*Section 3*
A similar procedure may be effected by mail if that is deemed necessary by
the Executive Committee. Members must be notified at least fifteen days,
but not more than thirty days, before the final count of the proposed
amendment and of the procedure to vote. Two - thirds of the Professional
members present must approve the proposed amendment. with a quorum of the
total membership voting to affect its adoption.
*ARTICLE XII. ADOPTION OF CONSTITUTION*
*Section 1*
Upon approval of this constitution in the manner prescribed for amendments
in Article XI, this constitution shall be effective until amended, or
dissolution of the Association.
As amended, October 23, 2007
As amended, December 15, 2015
Teri Morse, Advisor (2015-16 President, MEEOA)
Maine Educational Opportunity Center
Mid Coast Territory
207.551.3331 CELL
207.581.2532 FAX
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