South Dakota Chapter of the AATF: Constitution

AATF of South Dakota

CONSTITUTION OF THE SOUTH DAKOTA CHAPTER OF AATF
This Constitution was approved on November 8, 1974 and ammended on December 10, 2000.

ARTICLE I: NAME: The name of this organization shall be the South Dakota Chapter of the American Association of Teachers of French
ARTICLE II: PURPOSE: The purpose of this organization shall be to serve the interests and need of teachers of French and the teaching of French at all levels of instruction, in both public and private schools, to stimulate professional growth, and to foster interest in the French language, literature and culture.
ARTICLE III: MEMBERSHIP: Membership in the South Dakota Chapter will be open, upon payment of dues, to teachers of French at all levels, to former teachers of French, administrators, students of French, and friends of the French language and culture.

Regular membership runs from January 1 to December 31. Student membership is on the academic year and runs from September 1 to August 31 of the following year.

The dues are such as the National Office imposes. The dues for regular members are payable in the fall of the year preceding the membership year. Members who have not paid their dues by December 31 are delinquent. There are no chapter dues.
ARTICLE IV: OFFICERS: The officers of the South Dakota Chapter shall be a President, a Vice-President and a Secretary-Treasurer. Only AATF members in good standing (dues paid up to date) may be nominated and serve as officers. Elections will be held on even-numbered years by mail ballot and determined by majority vote. Terms of office are for two (2) years, except for the original officers who will serve two and one-half (2 1/2) years.

1. The duties of the President shall be, in addition to the usual ones of calling and presiding over meetings of the chapter, to approve all orders drawn against the funds of the chapter.

2. The Vice-President shall preside over meetings and act in the place of the President in the absence of the latter. If the President becomes unable for any reason to complete his/her term, the Vice-President shall succeed to the presidency and complete the regular term as President. The Vice-President shall serve as the Program Chairman and shall appoint the Chairman of the French Contest.

3. The Secretary-Treasurer shall receive the dues of the chapter members and forward the appropriate share in regular chapter reports to the National Office, keep detailed financial accounts of receipts and reimbursements, make a complete financial report at the Spring meeting of the chapter, keep up-to-date lists of active members of the chapter, keep the minutes of the business meetings, make the necessary mailings to members, serve as custodian of the Constitution and chapter records and send reports of meetings to the French Review as desired by the chapter.

4. Each year in which there is to be an election, the President shall, by February 1 appoint a nominating committee of three members chosen from the membership of the chapter. This committee shall present a slate of nominees at the Spring meeting of the chapter. Nominees may also be proposed from the floor. The new officers shall enter upon their functions as of the time of the election, and the Secretary-Treasurer shall immediately certify the results of the elections to the National Office through the Region VII (West Central) representative. Election shall be by majority of those present at the Spring meeting.

5. The absence of an officer for a period of three months or more from the country shall automatically cause his office to be considered vacant. A vacancy in the offices of Vice-President or Secretary-Treasurer will be filled for the remainder of the term by appointment of the Executive Board.
ARTICLE V: MEETINGS: The Chapter shall have two meetings a year, one in the Fall and one in the Spring. Other special meetings may be called by the President in consultation with his/her Executive Board.
ARTICLE VI: EXECUTIVE BOARD: The Executive Board of the Chapter shall consist of the three elected officers and the immediate past President. It is authorized to conduct all important business between meetings and may be called into session or consulted by telephone at the initiative of the President. Its decisions must be submitted to the general membership for ratification.
ARTICLE VII: AMENDMENTS: The Constitution may be amended by a two-thirds vote of the membership present at any regular or special meeting, providing that notice announcing the exact nature and working of the proposed amendment shall have been sent in writing to each member of the chapter at least one month in advance, along with the time and place of the meeting.
ARTICLE VIII: NATIONAL CONSTITUTION: All articles of the National Constitution and By-Laws apply to the South Dakota Chapter, and nothing in this Constitution is to be considered in contradiction to the National Constitution.
AMENDMENTS: Amendment I. Amendment I was passed on Dec. 10, 2000. Note, this Amendment changes part of Article IV: Officers.

The sentence "Elections will be held on even-numbered years at the Spring meeting and determined by majority vote" was changed to "Elections will be held on even-numbered years by mail ballot and by majority vote."; Amendment II. Amendment II was passed on Dec. 10. 2000. Note, this Amendment changes part of Article IV: Officers. The sentence "No officer may hold the same office for two consectuve terms" was eliminated.