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BY LAWS OF THE
TEXAS SCHOOL NURSES ORGANIZATION, INCORPORATED
Revised 11/9/2008
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ARTICLE I NAME
The name of the organization shall be the Texas School Nurses Organization, Incorporated (hereafter known as TSNO.)
ARTICLE II GOALS
The goals of the organization shall be:
Section 1: To operate as an educational organization on TSNO Bylaws, revised, on a non-profit basis; and
Section 2: To promote and advance the quality of school health services and health education throughout the state.
ARTICLE III AFFILIATION
The TSNO is a unified affiliate of the National Association of School Nurses, Incorporated (NASN.) TSNO Regional Affiliates (Regions) are comprised of TSNO/NASN members of geographic regions defined by Texas Education Agency (TEA.)
ARTICLE IV MEMBERSHIP AND DUES
Section 1: Eligibility. Active membership in the TSNO shall be open to any registered professional nurse who meets the requirements for school nursing in the state of Texas, and who is in compliance with such other qualifications or requirements as set forth in these bylaws.
Section 2: Instatement. Any person eligible for membership shall become a member
upon payment of dues set for her/his class of membership, and who meets
the requirements set forth in these bylaws for her/his class of membership.
Section 3: Classification. The following shall be the classes of membership: Active,
Associate, Retired, Student, Corporate/Business/Professional Organization, Member-at-Large, TSNO Lifetime, and NASN Honorary.
A. Active members
1. To qualify for Active membership in TSNO, one must:
a. be a registered professional nurse,
licensed by the State of Texas;
b. have as a primary assignment, the administration,
education or the provision of school health services;
2. Any retired member who desires to remain in the Active
membership classification shall be required to pay full Active
dues, and upon payment of dues, shall be granted Active
membership privileges.
B. Associate members shall be:
Any registered professional nurse, licensed by the State of Texas,
who is not eligible for Active membership, but who serves a school as a school nurse, upon payment of dues, shall be an Associate member.
C. Retired members shall be:
Any school nurse who is a member of TSNO, upon retirement shall be eligible to become a Retired member, upon notification to TSNO.
D. Student members shall:
1. Be enrolled in a professional nursing program to meet requirements to become a school nurse, or a student not currently a nurse, in a professional nursing program.
2. Submit proof of enrollment in a professional program with the membership form.
3. Be allowed a maximum of five years of student membership.
4. Be ineligible for student membership if they have completed the requirements to be a school nurse and are pursuing further
education.
E. Corporate/Business/Professional Organization members shall be:
1. Those organizations who desire to support the goals of the TSNO, and whose members are not eligible for Active or Associate
membership in the TSNO.
2. Granting of a Corporate/Business/Professional Organization membership shall in no way bind the TSNO to support
philosophies, policies or products of said organization.
F. Member-at-Large members shall be:
Those members who hold a special interest in or who are working
with the TSNO, and who do not fit into any other TSNO membership classification.
G. TSNO Lifetime members shall be:
Any TSNO President, at the conclusion of their term of office, will be granted a TSNO Lifetime Active membership.
H. Honorary members shall be:
TSNO members who are NASN Past Presidents shall be honorary
members of TSNO with full Active membership rights.
Section 4: Rights. Active members shall be entitled to vote,
hold elected or appointed office, make motions, debate,
serve on committees, and participate in the Annual Business Meeting of the TSNO.
Section 5: Rights/Restrictions. Individuals who are categorized as Associate, Retired, Corporate/Business/Professional Organization, Student, and Member-at-Large members
shall have all the privileges of membership and serving on committees, except the
privileges of making motions, voting and holding elected or appointed office.
Section 6: Dues. TSNO shall establish the annual dues.
ARTICLE V FISCAL AND MEMBERSHIP YEAR
Section 1: The fiscal year of the TSNO shall be from January 1 though December 31,
(effective January 2008.)
Section 2: The membership year shall be a calendar year from the time the person pays
dues to NASN/TSNO.
ARTICLE VI OFFICERS
Section 1: Composition. The elected officers of the TSNO shall be President,
President-Elect, Secretary, Treasurer, Director to the National Association of School Nurses, and Nominations Coordinator, and shall be members of the
TSNO Executive Committee.
Section 2: Eligibility.
A. Only Active members of the TSNO shall be entitled to hold office.
B. Candidates for the office of President-elect shall have served on the
TSNO Executive Committee.
C. Candidates for the office of Director to the National Association of
School Nurses shall have served on the TSNO Executive Committee,
and must have been a NASN member for the two previous years.
Section 3: Term of Office.
A. The President and President-elect shall serve for a term of only two years.
B. The President-elect shall be elected in even numbered years and shall automatically succeed the office of President at the expiration of the President�s term and shall act for the president in the absence of the president.
C. The Secretary shall be elected in odd numbered years and serve for a
term of two years, or until a successor is elected.
D. The Treasurer and Nominations Coordinator shall be elected in even numbered years and serve for a term of two years, or until a
successor is elected.
E. The Director to the National Association of School Nurses shall be
elected in odd numbered years, shall serve a four-year term and shall
serve one term only. The term of office shall coincide with NASN's guidelines.
F. The term of office for all officers shall commence upon installation.
G. No member of the Executive Committee may hold the same office for
more than two terms.
Section 4: Vacancy.
A. A vacancy in the office of President shall be filled by the President-elect, who shall serve for the unexpired term of the President and the term
of office as President to which she/he was elected.
B. A vacancy in the offices of Secretary, Treasurer, NASN Director or Nominations Coordinator shall be filled to complete the unexpired
term by appointment by the President with approval of the Executive Committee.
C. A vacancy in the office of President-elect shall be filled by a vote of the membership at the next scheduled election.
Section 5: Duties. The elected officers shall perform those duties prescribed by these
bylaws, the parliamentary authority adopted by the TSNO, and those duties
as specified in the operating guidelines.
Section 6: Any disciplinary procedures within the TSNO shall be conducted as prescribed by our parliamentary authority, Robert's Rules of Order, Newly Revised.
ARTICLE VII MEETINGS
Section 1: Annual Meetings:
A. The TSNO shall hold an Annual Meeting each year at the time and place determined by the Executive Committee to conduct the business of the organization.
B. Quorum A majority of the Active members registered and present
shall constitute a quorum.
Section 2: Electronic Meeting:
Board of Directors, Executive Committee, Standing and Special committees
are authorized to meet by telephone conference or through other electronic communication media as long as a quorum is present and all the members simultaneously participate during the meeting.
Section 3: Electronic Voting:
Any vote of the TSNO may be conducted electronically provided all authorized members are included and the vote/decision is ratified at the next regularly scheduled meeting of that body.
ARTICLE VIII BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Section 1: Composition. The TSNO Board of Directors shall be composed of the
Executive Committee and each TSNO Regional President.
Section 2: Eligibility. The Regional President or representative must currently be an
Active member of the TSNO, and must have been an Active member for at
least one year prior to serving on the Board of Directors.
Section 3: Rights. If a Regional President is not available, each TSNO Region shall be
entitled to designate a representative to the Board of Directors in the
manner prescribed by the Region�s respective bylaws and in accordance
with the eligibility requirements noted in Section 2.
Section 4: Authority. The Board of Directors shall conduct the affairs of the TSNO in accordance with these bylaws and directives adopted by the membership at the Annual Meeting.
Section 5: Duties. The Board of Directors shall:
A. Serve as a liaison between TSNO and the Regional Membership.
B. Provide input and support to the goals and objectives of the strategic
plan and operating guidelines.
C. Identify issues and priorities in school health and review resolutions
and practice guidelines recommended by the Executive Committee.
D. Evaluate the programs designed to implement the goals and objectives of the TSNO.
Section 6: Meetings. The Board of Directors shall:
A. Meet at least once prior to the Annual meeting.
B. Upon due notice, hold such other meetings as the Executive
Committee may determine.
Section 7: Term of Office.
A. Elected officers shall serve terms of office as stated in Article VI
of these bylaws.
B. The Regional President shall serve a term in compliance with the
Region�s bylaws.
C. Each Regional President shall serve no more than two consecutive
terms on the Board of Directors with the following exceptions:
1. An individual who has been elected or appointed to serve an
un-expired term shall be eligible to serve an additional term; and
The current regional President or representative may serve an additional term if no one else in the region is eligible.
Section 8: Quorum. A majority of the members of the Board of Directors shall
constitute a quorum.
Section 9: Removal. A member of the Board of Directors shall be removed if the region
they present dissolves or if they fail to meet the requirements for Active membership.
ARTICLE IX EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
Section 1: Composition. The Executive Committee shall be composed of:
A. Elected officers: President, President-Elect, Secretary, Treasurer, NASN Director, and Nominations Coordinator.
B. Standing Committee Chairpersons: Advocacy, Member Services, Professional Development, and School Health Issues.
C. Ad-hoc appointees may be requested to attend meetings by the
President in a non-voting capacity.
Section 2: Authority. The Executive Committee will exercise the Powers of the Board of Directors when the Board is not in session.
Section 3: Duties. The Executive Committee shall:
A. Conduct the business of the TSNO between meetings of the Board
of Directors.
B. Report its actions to the Board of Directors at the next Board meeting.
Section 4: Executive Committee Meetings.
A. In the interval between annual meetings, the TSNO Executive
Committee may meet to conduct the organization's business.
B. The time and place of such meetings shall be determined by the
President.
Section 5. Terms of Office. Elected officers shall serve terms of office according to
Article VI, Section 3 of these bylaws.
Section 6: Vacancy. Unless otherwise noted, a vacancy in the Executive Committee
shall be filled by appointment by the Executive Committee to complete an unexpired term.
Section 7: Quorum. A majority of the elected officers shall constitute a quorum.
Section 8: Removal. A member of the Executive Committee with two or more
unexcused absences from the Executive Committee meetings or
unprofessional conduct shall forfeit her/his position if requested to do so by
a majority vote of the other members of the Executive Committee.
ARTICLE X COMMITTEES
Section 1: Standing and Special Committees.
A. Unless otherwise stated, the composition, power, term and duties of
all standing and special committees shall be recommended by the
President and approved by the Executive Committee.
B. The President, or her/his designee, shall be an ex-officio member of
all committees except the Nominating Committee.
Section 2: The Nominating Committee.
A. Membership: The Nominations Coordinator will serve as chair with four members selected annually from the Regional Presidents and approved by the Executive Committee.
B. Duties:
1. Seek qualified candidates for office and conduct elections outlined in the TSNO bylaws and operating guidelines.
2. Manage all awards and recognitions established by the Board according to the operating guidelines with the exception of the Presidential awards.
Section 3: The Finance Committee.
A. Will consist of four members: the President-Elect, the Treasurer, and two Regional Presidents appointed by the President from the TSNO Board and approved by the Executive Committee.
B. Ad-hoc appointees may be requested to attend meetings by the Finance Committee Chair based on financial knowledge and expertise.
ARTICLE XI ELECTIONS
Section 1: Elections.
A. Election of officers shall be by ballot.
B. Ballots and biographical data of the candidates shall be provided to all eligible members and returned in accordance with procedures outlined in the operating guidelines.
C. Plurality vote of those voting in any election shall constitute an election.
Section 2: Eligibility. Only Active members of the TSNO shall be eligible to be elected to office.
ARTICLE XII STANDING COMMITTEES
Section 1: Composition. The standing committees of the TSNO shall be: Advocacy,
Member Services, Professional Development and School Health Issues. The President shall appoint the chair with the approval of the Executive
Committee.
Section 2: Eligibility. The appointee must have been an Active member of the TSNO for
at least two consecutive years immediately prior to appointment.
Section 3: Terms of Office. The Advocacy and Member Services chairpersons shall be appointed for a two year term beginning in January in the even numbered
years effective January 1. The Professional Development and School Health Issues chairpersons shall be appointed for a two year term in the odd
numbered years effective January 1. Each committee chair shall serve no
more than two consecutive terms.
Section 4: Duties. Each chairperson shall perform the duties prescribed for the position in the operating guidelines of the TSNO.
ARTICLE XIII PARLIAMENTARY AUTHORITY
The rules contained in the current edition of Robert's Rules of Order, Newly Revised, shall govern TSNO in all cases to which they apply and in which they are not inconsistent with
these bylaws and any special rules of order the TSNO may adopt.
ARTICLE XIV AMENDMENTS TO BYLAWS
Section 1: The Bylaws may be amended by a two-thirds vote at the Annual Meeting with previous notice of the proposed amendment having been sent to the
President at least sixty (60) days prior to the date of the Annual Meeting and provided to the members at least fifteen (15) days prior to the date of the
Annual Meeting.
Section 2: The Bylaws may be amended by a four-fifths (80%) vote at the Annual
Meeting with written notice having been made available at least eight (8)
hours before the vote, to all eligible members registered at the Annual
Meeting.
BYLAWS APPROVED AMENDMENTS
(TSNO INITIATED)
Initial TSNO Bylaws were approved July 15, 2003.
November 13, 2004: Two amendments were presented and approved at the November 13, 2004 TSNO Business meeting during the conference in Austin, Texas in accordance with
the TSNO Bylaws.
1. ARTICLE XII, Section 1 was amended to include the position of Professional
Liaison that had been inadvertently omitted from the original bylaws.
2. ARTICLE XII, Section 3 was amended to include that the Professional Liaison
will serve a two year term and be appointed in the even numbered years.
November 5, 2005: One amendment was presented and approved at the November 5,
2005 TSNO Business meeting during the conference in Dallas, Texas in accordance with
the TSNO Bylaws.
1. Article V was amended to be in compliance with a change in NASN Bylaws. The
fiscal year remains the same. The membership year shall be the calendar year
from the time the person pays dues to NASN/TSNO.
November 11, 2006: Nine amendments were presented and approved at the November 11, 2006 TSNO Business meeting during the conference in El Paso, Texas in accordance with
the TSNO Bylaws.
1. Article III was amended to include the definition of TSNO Regional affiliates.
2. Article IV, Section 3, subsection C a deletion was made to clean up the
wordiness.
3. Article IV, Section 3, subsection D Be ineligible was substituted for Not be
granted student membership.
4. Article IV, Section 3, Subsection E persons deleted to improve meaning.
5. Article V, Section 1: The fiscal year was amended to January 1 through December 31, effective January, 2008.
6. Article VI, Section 3, Subsection A or until Successors are elected and installed
was deleted.
7. Article VI, Section 3, Subsection B and shall act for the president in the absence
of the president was added.
8. Article VI, Section 3, Subsections C and D and installed was deleted.
9. Article VI, Section 3, Subsection E change that removed the two-year term
option for NASN Director to coincide with NASN's guidelines.
November 8, 2008: Twenty-six amendments were presented and approved at the November 8, 2008 TSNO Business meeting during the conference in Austin, Texas in accordance with the TSNO Bylaws.
1. Article IV, Section 5: Sections A. and B. combined to clarify responsibilities of each membership class and increase opportunity for members of other categories to serve on committees.
1. Article VI, Section 1: designated as changed to members of to clarify language.
2. Article VI, Section 2: or as a TSNO Committee Chair deleted to clarify language and remove redundancy under new definition of Executive Committee.
3. Article VII, Section 1: current language becomes part A. Part B (Quorum) added for clarification and more rational order.
4. Article VII, Section 2: moved to Article IX (Executive Committee) for clarification and more rational order.
5. Article VII, Section 3: moved to Section 1 for more rational order.
6. Article VII, Section 4: delete hear each other and to clarify language for current electronic technology.
7. Article VII, Section 5: Email Voting changed to Electronic Voting. Body of section changed to allow TSNO to conduct elections electronically in the future.
8. Article VIII, Section 1: elected officers, appointed committee chair changed to Executive Committee and or representative. Deleted to clarify language and apply consistency to Executive Committee designation.
9. Article VIII, Section 3: Names Regional President as official delegate to Board of Directors and provides alternate if no Regional President available.
1.
2. Article VIII, Section 4: Remove Section B to remove redundant language.
3. Article VIII, Section 5: Redefines and clarifies responsibilities of the Board of Directors.
4. Article VIII, Section 7: or representative removed from B. and C. to clarify Regional President as official delegate to Board of Directors.
5. Article IX, Section 1: names four standing committee chairpersons (Advocacy, Member Services, Professional Development, and School Health Issues) and provides membership on the Executive Committee which is consistent with NASN bylaws. Permits other individuals to participate in Executive Committee meetings as consultants or temporary members in a non-voting capacity.
6. Article IX, Section 2: may replaced with will to clarify language.
7. Article IX, Section 4: Meetings of the Executive Committee shall be held at least twice a year. Other meetings may be called by the President. Replaced with A. In the interval between annual meetings, the TSNO Executive Committee may meet to conduct the business of the organization. B. The time and place of such meetings shall be determined by the President. To clarify language and provide flexibility related to the number of meetings.
8. Article IX, Section 6: New section Vacancy. Unless otherwise noted, a vacancy in the Executive Committee shall be filled by appointment by the Executive Committee to complete an unexpired term. added to provide process for filling Executive Committee vacancies. Section 6 Quorum becomes Section 7.
9. Article IX, Section 8: Removal. Moved from Article VII, Section 2.
10. Article X, Section 2: Replace A. will consist of four members chosen by the Nominations Coordinator and approved by the Executive Committee. With A. Membership: The Nominations Coordinator will serve as chair with four members selected annually from the Regional Presidents and approved by the Executive Committee. Replace B. Will be responsible for seeking qualified candidates for office and determining the TSNO School Nurse of the Year as outlined in the operating guidelines. with B. Duties: 1. Seek qualified candidates for office and conduct elections outlined in the TSNO bylaws and operating guidelines. 2. Manage all awards and recognitions established by the Board according to the operating guidelines with the exception of the Presidential awards. Delete C. and D. This provides additional opportunities for involvement of Regional Presidents and structure for the committee that encourages geographical diversity. Allows expansion of awards and recognitions.
11. Article X, Section 3: Replace Secretary with President-Elect and replace two members appointed by the President and approved by the Executive Committee. with two Regional Presidents appointed by the President from the TSNO Board and approved by the Executive Committee. Add B. Ad-hoc appointees may be requested to attend meeting by the Finance Committee Chair based on financial knowledge and expertise. allowing the President-Elect to have a working knowledge of finances prior to taking office as President and giving Regional Presidents opportunity to learn more about finances.
12. Article X, Section 4: Omit section due to redundancy, covered in Section 1.
13. Article XI, Section 1: Delete word mail. Combine sections B. and C. providing opportunity to electronic voting in the future.
14. Article XII, Section 1: Change Governmental Liaison, Marketing, Professional Development, Professional Liaison, Publications/Historian, and Website Liaison to Advocacy, Member Services, Professional Development and School Health Issues to align standing committees with TSNO Strategic Plan and goals and ensures that voting members of Executive Committee consists of a majority of individuals elected by the membership.
15. Article XII, Section 3: Replace Governmental Liaison, Professional Liaison and Marketing with Advocacy and Member Services and Professional Development, Publications/Historian and Website Liaison with Professional Development and School Health Issues. Add effective January 1 to years. Add Each committee chair shall serve no more than two consecutive terms. All to align functions of the Board and increase leadership pool.
16. Article XIII Annual Conference: Delete Article. Covered in Operating Guidelines.
17. Article XV, Section 1: replace mailed with provided to allow for electronic communication of proposed bylaw revisions to membership. |
