Bylaws

Section 1. This council shall be called the South Dakota Reading Council, serving the area of the state of South Dakota.

v The South Dakota Reading Council shall be a professional organization for individuals who are genuinely concerned with the improvement of reading programs and teaching procedures both developmental and remedial for children and adults and with the provision of adequate guidance in all situations in which reading serves as a vital aid to learning.

v To simulate and promote research in developmental, creative, corrective, and remedial reading.

v To disseminate knowledge helpful in the solution of problems related to reading.

v To promote mutual understanding and cooperative work among educators in the elementary grades, junior high, high school, special areas, college and in leadership positions.

v Membership in the council shall be open to all persons engaged in furthering the teaching or supervision of reading at any school level, to parents and to all others interested in the purposes of the council.

v Membership in the council shall become effective upon payment of council dues for the year beginning July 1 and ending June 30.

v Dues are payable in advance for each year which begins July 1. Dues will be delinquent if not paid by October 1. Initial membership may be initiated at any time during the year. Full time students and retired persons shall pay dues at a reduced rate. Dues for annual membership shall be set by the council upon recommendations of the Board of Directors and approval of the Assembly.

v Any member whose dues remain delinquent shall be removed from the role of active membership, with consequent loss of all privileges. Such member may be reinstated upon full payment of dues for the year in which reinstatement shall be made.

v Membership in the International Reading Association shall not be mandatory but shall be strongly recommended.

v The elected officers of the council shall be President, President-elect, Vice President, Recording Secretary, and Treasurer. The office of Corresponding Secretary and Director of Membership shall be appointed. Any member in good standing, who is also a member of the International Reading Association, is eligible to be an officer of the council.

v The term of Vice President shall be one year. He/she will then automatically succeed to the office of President-Elect for one year. At the expiration of that year in office, the President-Elect shall become President for one year. The term of the Recording Secretary shall be one year; however, she/he may serve more than one term immediately following the first term in office. The Treasurer is elected for a three -year term and may be re-elected for another three -year term.

v Each officer shall assume the duties of his office July 1 following the spring election and shall continue to serve for the duration of his term.

v The President shall act as the executive officer of the council. The President shall preside at all meetings of the council, the Board of Directors, and the Executive Committee and exercise general leadership and supervision over the affairs of the council in implementing its purposes and execute such additional duties as are defined by the Board of Directors or the Assembly. In the event that the President-Elect does not assume the duties of the President, the current President may service another term upon approval of the Executive Board of Directors.

v The President-Elect shall be a member of the Board of Directors and the Executive Committee, shall be chairperson of the Program Committee, shall be responsible for any programs that are sponsored by the Council and presented at the yearly South Dakota Education Association[CEI4] , and shall fulfill such other duties as are assigned by the Board of Directors or Assembly. The President-Elect shall assume and perform the duties of the President in the event of the absence, incapacity or resignation of the President. Should the office of President become vacant, the President-Elect shall become President immediately and shall serve the remaining portion of the President's term in addition to the year for which the President- Elect was elected. In the event, for any reason, the President-Elect is unable to assume the President immediately, the Vice-President shall assume the duties of Presidency.

v The Treasurer shall be a member of the Board of Directors and the Executive Committee. The Treasurer shall execute the duties essential to the maintenance of accurate and up-to-date records and have custody of the funds of the Council, which shall be deposited in the name of South Dakota Reading Council of the International Reading Association. The Treasurer will sign checks with the approval of the Board of Directors, be bonded by the Council for an amount fixed by the Board of Directors, the bond to be filed with the President, and will cooperate fully with an annual audit. Within thirty (30) days of retirement from the office, the Treasurer will turnover to the successor all funds, accounts, and books of the Treasurer. In the event the officer cannot complete the term of office the Executive Committee, with the approval of the Board of Directors shall appoint a member to serve in the office until the next annual election.

v The Recording Secretary shall be a member of the Board of Directors and of the Executive Committee and shall execute the duties essential to the recording of the actions of the Board of Directors, the Executive Committee and the Assembly. The Secretary shall keep a permanent book of the minutes of all meetings and cooperate fully with the successor to the office of the recording secretary by turning over up-to-date records within thirty (30) days of retirement from office. In the event the officer cannot complete the term of office the Executive Committee, with the approval of the Board of the Board of Directors appoint a member to serve in the office until the next annual election.

v The Director of Membership shall be a member of the Board of Directors and the Executive Committee and shall be chairperson of the membership committee. The Board of Directors will appoint the Director of Membership. This person may be reappointed for a second three-year term. In the event the officer cannot complete the term of office the Executive Committee, with the approval of the Board of Directors shall appoint a member to serve in the office until the next annual election.

v The President of the Council may appoint a Corresponding Secretary to assist with the business of the Council, pending approval of the Board of Directors. The Corresponding Secretary shall not be a member of the Board of Directors, but shall be a member of the council.

v The State Coordinator shall be an ex-officio member of the Board of Directors and the Executive Committee. Candidates for State Coordinator shall be selected by the Search for Coordinator Committee, which shall be appointed by the Board of Directors and shall follow the International Reading Association guidelines for selecting a State Coordinator. If there is more than one (1) candidate for State Coordinator, the Board of Directors shall select one (1).

v The Zone Coordinators shall be approved annually by the Board of Directors at the Annual Conference and shall serve under the direction of the State Coordinator.

v The Past President of the Council shall be a member of the Board of Directors and the Executive Committee and serve as Chairperson of the Nominating and Awards Committees. They shall present the outgoing President an appreciation gift.

v The Board of Directors shall exercise general supervision over the property and affairs of the Council. It shall have the general power to administer the affairs of the Council between general business meetings and shall report its actions to the next general meeting of the Assembly. Its actions shall have the approval of the Assembly.

v The Board of Directors shall consist of the elected officers of the State Council, the immediate Past State President, the elected Presidents of each Local, Special Interest, and Student Councils, the Chairpersons of the Area Standing Committees and the Directors of Membership and Student Membership and the Newsletter Editor. The State Coordinator, Zone Coordinators and Parliamentarian shall serve as Ex-officio members of the Board.

v The first meeting of the Board of Directors shall be held no later than September 1. The Board shall be empowered to hold such meeting on the call of the President, as deemed necessary and at such times and places as the President may determine. If the President is unable to attend the meeting, they can designate a person to take their place. Not less than three meeting shall be held each year.

v A quorum of the Board of Directors shall consist of one more than one half of the voting members in attendance at the said Board meetings.

v The President is authorized to poll the Board by mail or telephone concerning important decisions, which must be made between meetings. All such decisions and/or actions shall be recorded by the Recording Secretary and presented to the Board at its next official meeting to be inserted into the official records.

v The Assembly shall be the legislative body of the Council and shall have full power and authority over the affairs of the Council within the limits set by these bylaws. It shall have the authority to review decisions made by the Board of Directors and accept or reject them.

v All members of the council, who are in good standing, shall be notified at least two months in advance of the Assembly.

v The Assembly shall have the power to amend these bylaws as provided in Article X.

v A quorum shall consist of one more than one half of the voting members in attendance at the said council meetings.

v The rules contained in the current edition of Robert’s Rules of Order shall govern the meetings of the Board of Directors and the Assembly in all cases in which they are not consistent with the provisions of these bylaws.

v At the discretion of the President, a parliamentarian may be appointed to advise the President as chairperson of the Board meeting and the Assembly.

v All officers, except the President and President-Elect shall be elected at[CEI6] the annual meeting of the Council.

v The nominating committee shall prepare a slate of nominations annually. Each nominee must be a member of the International Reading Association and of the Council. There shall be nominees for the office of Vice-President, Treasurer and Recording Secretary. In preparing the slate, the Nominating committee shall be responsible for securing advance consent from all nominees before presenting the slate to the Board of Directors and preparing the vita for each nominee, which shall be published in the newsletter. Recommendations for nominees shall be made to the nomination committee by each local council. The nominating committee shall have a minimum of three members with the immediate Past-President of the council serving as chairman. The other members shall be appointed annually by the President.

v Voting shall take place at the annual meeting of the Council. The President shall give an opportunity to propose nominations from the floor for each office after the slate from the nominating committee has been presented including a short vita of each candidate. Voting shall be by ballot for each vacant elective office. Space shall be provided on the ballot form for the names of candidates nominated from the floor. A plurality of the votes cast shall constitute an election. In the case of a tie, a ballot for the two highest nominees shall then be distributed. The results of the election shall then be announced.

v The Nominating Committee shall prepare three (3) members to the Elections Committee prior to the election to tally the ballots and report the results to the President for announcement at the annual conference.

v The committees of the Council shall be organized into four areas. Each area shall have a Committee Chairperson who shall serve as a member of the Board of Directors and shall be responsible for the functioning of the committees in their area. The four areas shall be:

v The number of committees in each areas shall be determined annually by the Executive Board with the approval of the Board of Directors: The following committees shall be appointed annually: Audit, Budget, Bylaws, Policies and Procedures, Nominating and Publishing.

v The number of members of each area committee shall be determined by the Executive Committee with approval of the Board of Directors, provided that each committee shall have not less that three members.

v The members of the area committees shall be appointed by the President with the approval of the Board of Directors. Committees shall serve for the term of the President unless otherwise specified in the charge to the committee. In making appointments one member shall be returned to each committee, if possible, and consideration shall be given to the desirability of experienced and gradually changing personnel. Chair of all committees shall be appointed by the President with the approval of the Board of Directors.

v The chairperson of each Area Committee shall be appointed annually by the President with the approval of the Board of Directors. Each Area Committee Chairperson shall be a member of a Local Council, the South Dakota Reading Council and the International Reading Association. An Area Chairperson may be a member or chair of an individual committee and shall be responsible for the running of all committees in the area.

v The Executive committee shall consist of the President, who shall serve as chairperson, the President-Elect, the Vice President, the Recording Secretary, the Treasurer, the Director of Membership and the Director of Student Membership, the State and Zone Coordinators, the Newsletter Editor[CEI7] , and the Immediate Past President.

v The duties of the Executive Committee shall be: to prepare or have prepared the annual budget, the agendas for the Board of Directors meetings, review all committee reports, secure a Newsletter Editor, and perform other responsibilities as directed by the president.

v The committees in the Area of Council Business shall be Bylaws/ Policies and Procedures, Nominating, Awards, Publicity[CEI9] , and others as determined by the Executive Committees with the approval of the Board of Directors. A yearly listing of committees in this area shall be published in the Newsletter.

v The committees in the Area of Council Funding and Finances shall be Audit, Budget , Grants, [CEI12] Scholarship, Funding for Prospective Councils and others as determined by the Executive Committee with the approval of the Board of Directors. A yearly listing of the committees in this area shall be published in the Newsletter.

v The chairpersons of the committees in each area shall carry out the charge to their committee and may be called to report directly at any scheduled meeting of the Board of Directors in addition to their annual-year-end report.

v A Local Council may be formed by ten or more certified members of the International Reading Association in any locality in which no local council is operative. A Local Council may receive organizational assistance from the State or Zone Coordinators. A Local Council may secure a charter from the office of the Executive Director of the International Reading Association with the approval of the State Coordinator and State President. A Local Council shall have bylaws consistent with the purposes and bylaws of the International Reading Association and the South Dakota Reading Council. It shall elect its own officers who are IRA members, determine the amount of and collect its own dues, and organize its own program. All members must be members of the South Dakota Reading Council

v A Special interest Council may be formed by ten or more certified members of the International Reading Association who represent individuals who are particularly interested in some particular aspect of reading or who represent a particular academic profession such as clinicians, college professors, etc. A Special Interest Council may receive organizational assistance from the State or Zone Coordinators. Special Interest Council may secure a charter from the Executive Director of the International Reading Association with the approval of the State Coordinator and State President. A Special Interest Council shall have bylaws consistent with the purposes and bylaws of the International Reading Association and the South Dakota Reading council. It shall elect its own officers who are IRA members, determine the count and collect is own dues and organize it own programs

v A Student Council may be formed by ten or more certified students that are members of the International Reading Association. A Student Council may receive organization assistance from the Director of Student Membership. A Student Council may secure a charter from the Executive director of the International Reading Association with the approval of the State Coordinator and the State President. A Student Council shall have bylaws consistent with the purposes and bylaws of the International Reading Association and the South Dakota Reading Council. Its members must be members of the South Dakota Reading Council. A Student Council shall elect its own officers, determine the amount of and collect is own dues and organize its own programs

Article X. Representation at the Annual Assemblies

v Representation of the South Dakota Council at the Delegate Assembly of the International Reading Association shall be in accordance with that specified by the bylaws of the International Reading Association in Article VI. Section 1, which reads in part as follows:

*Each state, provincial, regional, or special interest council of the Association shall be entitled to one (1) delegate, provided the delegate has paid dues for the current year to the Association...One person may represent only one (1) council in the Assembly. A council may send an alternate for each delegate; an alternate may vote only when the delegate is absent.

v Representation of local councils at the South Dakota Reading Council Assembly shall be in accordance with Article VI section of these bylaws.

v In the case of dissolution of this Council, any assets remaining after the payment of debts or provisions therefore, will revert to the International Reading Association.

v All proposed amendments shall be sent to the Council Coordinator at IRA Headquarters for approval before presenting them to the members for adoption.

v Amendments adopted as described in Section 2 shall be incorporated into these bylaws. Copies of all amendments adopted, shall immediately be sent to IRA Headquarters, the State Coordinator, Zone Coordinators, the State President, and to all local council presidents by the Recording Secretary.

[CEI1]Delete

[CEI2]See above

[CEI3]Made a new bullet.

[CEI4]No longer do. Delete this portion.

[CEI5]Delete this entirely as we no longer attend.

[CEI6]All officers, except the President and President-Elect shall be elected at the General Assembly Business Meeting at the Annual SDRC Conference.

[CEI7]Add Historian to the Executive Committee.

[CEI8]These positions bring a great deal of knowledge about SDRC history. Change this bullet to read The Historian shall serve as an ex-officio member. The remaining committee members become voting members of the Executive Committee

[CEI9]delete

[CEI10]Delete Legislative and Program

[CEI11]Add International Projects, Speaker’s Bureau, and Reading Incentive Program, and Teachers as Readers.

[CEI12]Add Grants

[CEI13]Delete Administrators and Reading, Native Americans and Reading.

[CEI14]Add: Exemplary Reading Program, Reading/Language Arts Standards, Multi-Cultural…

[CEI15]Change to read: A majority of the voting members present at the General Assembly-Business meeting at the Annual SDRC Conference.

[CEI16]Change to read: Amendments may be adopted by the affirmative vote of two-thirds of the voting members of the council at the General Assembly-Business meeting at the Annual SDRC Conference, providing the proposed amendment(s) have been circulated to each member at least thirty (30) days in advance of the meeting.