Name

 

The name of this association shall be Specialist Association of Gifted Educators in British Columbia (SAGE-BC).

 

Objectives

 

1. Acting as a clearinghouse for information re:  programs, means of evaluation, and related resource materials.

2. Assisting in the development, implementation, and expansion of teacher education and in-service programs for persons interested in working with gifted children[BB7].

3. Actively encouraging research interest into the identification of and programs for gifted children.

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Base of operation

 

The operations of the association are to be carried on throughout the province of British Columbia but chiefly through the BCTF office located in Vancouver.

 

Article 1 – Membership

 

1. Any person involved or interested in education of gifted children may become a member upon payment of dues.

2. Membership of the association shall consist of:

• Active members – persons who are BCTF members.

• Associate members – persons interested in the work of the association who are not BCTF members.

• Student members – persons enrolled at least half-time in a college or university.  Eligibility is limited to four calendar years.

• Honorary life members – persons nominated and approved by the Executive Committee.

1. Only active members of the association shall have the right to vote, and only active members who are also active BCTF members shall have the right to hold office for the roles of President, Vice-President, Secretary and Treasurer.

2. The dues shall consist of an amount set by the Annual General Meeting of the association, payable to the BCTF.

3. The membership fee for the association shall be the 12-month period following receipt of the membership fee by the BCTF.

4. All members of the association are entitled to receive a copy of all publications for the 12-month period of their membership.

 

Article 2 – Executive Committee

 

1. The Executive Committee shall consist of the elected officers of the association.

2. A vacancy in the elected membership of the Executive Committee shall be filled by Executive Committee appointment, the person appointed to serve until the following annual election.

3. The Executive Committee shall report on its activities to the membership through its publicationsor any special meetings held for such purposes.  The Executive Committee shall act for the membership in the administration of established policies and programs.  It shall serve as the central management committee of the SAGE-BC subject to review by the membership, and shall make recommendations with respect to matters of policy and operations.

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Article 3 – Officers and committees

 

1. The table officers of the association shall be a president, vice-president, secretary, treasurer, conference chair, communications, and up to two members-at-large.  All table officers shall be elected as provided for in Article 8.

2. The officers shall perform the duties pertaining to their respective offices and other such duties as may be approved by the Executive Committee.  The president shall report annually to the membership on behalf of the Executive Committee.

3. All officers and all elected members of the Executive Committee shall serve from the October conference and AGM to the following year’s conference and AGM.

4. Elected officers will hold their positions for a maximum of five years.

5. Appointed officers continuing in office shall have their appointments reconfirmed by the Executive Committee at the last meeting in each fiscal year.

 

Article 4 – Chapters

 

1. The purpose of a chapter is to promote general school scholarship within the school district(s) included in the chapter and to co-operate in the promotion of general and joint enterprises with the SAGE-BC and other similar groups, and with the BCTF and other local bodies.

2. The Executive Committee may establish a chapter of the SAGE-BC in any B.C. school district in which a majority of the SAGE-BC active members employed within the area are involved and voting on the issue favors such actions provided; however, that the total number of persons voting on the issue shall not be less than 50 % of the total number of SAGE-BC active members employed within the area.  A regional chapter may consist of an area composed of two or more contiguous school districts.

3. Any chapter of the SAGE-BC shall have a constitution; furthermore, there shall be no conflict in principle between the constitution and by-laws of the chapter involved and the constitutions and by-laws of the SAGE-BC, and copies of the chapter constitution and by-laws, and subsequent amendments to them, are to be filed with the SAGE-BC and approved by the Executive Committee.

4. The constitution and by-laws shall provide appropriate rules governing the holding of meetings, the constitution of a quorum, the conduct of nominations and elections, the establishment and appointment of committees, the setting of fees, and the procedure for their own amendment.  Such documents shall also define the membership of the chapter, its name and objectives, and its elected and appointed offices.

5. No more than one chapter of the SAGE-BC shall exist in any school district.

6. A chapter may admit non-voting members to association meetings.

7. Each district or regional chapter shall be the final authority within the SAGE-BC in respect to all programs and policies that concern only the area for which the chapter is responsible provided they are not inconsistent with any programs and policies established by the SAGE-BC Executive Committee, or by the BCTF.  Any chapter may establish committees that parallel provincial committees to carry out overall programs within its own area and to maintain liaison between its members and the provincial committee.

8. No chapter shall incur expense on behalf of the association except as authorized, nor shall any chapter commit the association by any declaration of policy.

9. Any chapter may withdraw from chapter status provided the issue has been submitted to a vote of the chapter membership and is favored by a majority of the voting members; and provided, further, that notice of withdrawal is sent to the president of the SAGE-BC.

10. A chapter may be dissolved by the Executive and shall be dissolved if it becomes inactive for a period of one year or fails to comply with the provisions of the by-laws.

 

Article 5 – Meetings

 

1. A general meeting consists of the voting members of the association with authority to act as set out in article 5.2 and 5.3.  A general meeting shall be held annually and at such other times as may be set by the Executive Committee or by membership petition as provided for in article 5.5.  For all persons attending any conference there may be a registration fee as fixed by the Executive Committee.

2. The association by a vote at a general meeting may refer to any matter to the Executive Committee with recommendations and may require the Executive Committee to report on such matter at any specified session of the association.

 

Article 6 – Voting

 

1. Voting on motions at all meetings shall be by a show of hands, except when a ballot is demanded by at least one-third of the active members present.

2. Votes by mail of the association may be authorized by the Executive Committee between meetings.  For votes of the association 25% of the voting membership shall constitute a quorum and a majority of those voting shall be required to carry.

3. The Executive Committee shall have authority to set the time limit during which votes will be recorded, but if no such time limit is set, no vote shall be counted unless received within 30 days from the day the text of the ballot or question voted upon was mailed properly addressed to those entitled to vote on the matter involved.  In the case of a vote by mail of the association, the Executive Committee may designated publication of the ballot or question submitted in the SAGE-BC journal as the appropriate method of submitting the matter to the members for their determination.

 

Article 7 – Quorum

 

1. Twenty-five percent or 25 voting members, whichever is less, shall constitute a quorum at general meetings.

2. Four voting members shall constitute a quorum of the Executive Committee

 

Article 8 – Nomination and Elections [BB14]

 

1. The Executive Committee shall appoint a nomination committee from the membership and they will request nominations from the membership for executive positions. The president and vice-president positions will be filled each year by current executive members. The other positions will be open for nominations to the membership.

2. Nominations shall be placed before active members of the association, accompanied by a biography and a statement of aims and objectives for each nominee, under the direction of the Executive Committee.

3. The Nomination Committee shall have charge of the conduct of the election of officers of the association, and the counting and tabulating of all votes cast.

4. For each office the candidate receiving the largest number of votes shall be elected and shall be so reported to the association by the Nominating Committee in the next SAGE-BC publication.  In the case of a tie vote, the successful candidate shall be determined by lot conducted by the Nominating Committee.  In the event that a candidate for election to the Executive Committee withdraws from candidacy in the period between the nomination and the beginning of the new term of office, and the candidate is successful in the election, the candidate receiving the second largest number of votes shall be elected.

 

Article 9 – Fiscal year

 

1. The fiscal year of the association shall end June 30.  The fiscal year shall govern all business and activities of the association except as otherwise provided in the constitution and by-laws.

 

Article 10 – Finances

 

1. Annual estimates of income shall be based on the actual income of the preceding year plus and unexpended balance remaining from the preceding year.  In no case may expenditures be budgeted in excess of the established income arrived at in that manner.

2. Financial records of the association shall be maintained by the BCTF.

3. A written report shall be made annually to the membership, by the treasurer, detailing receipts and expenditures, explaining the association's fiscal status.

 

Article 12 – Parliamentary authority

 

1. Robert's Rules of Orders (revised) in the latest edition, shall govern the association in all cases to which it can be applied and in which it is not inconsistent with the constitution, the by-laws, or special rules of order of the association.

 

Article 13 – Representations outside the BCTF

 

1. As a recognized provincial specialist association, this association shall conform to the constitution and by-laws and to the policies of the BCTF, as well as to the expressed wishes of the BCTF Executive Committee. Representations may not be made by the association to any authority or agency outside the BCTF on any matter that is properly the concern of the BCTF.

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Article 14 – Amendments to the constitutions and by-laws

 

1. All proposals for amending the by-laws shall originate in the Executive Committee.  A proposed amendment or new by-law shall become effective when it shall have been approved by a majority of the members of the Executive Committee present and voting at a meeting of the Executive Committee, followed by ratification by a three-quarters vote of the members present and voting at a general meeting, provided at least one month's notice shall be given to the association[BB15]   of the text of the proposed amendment.

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Article 15 – Filing

 

1. A copy of the constitution and by-laws of the association shall be filed with the BCTF.

 

Article 16 – Ratification

 

1. Amendments to or revisions of the constitution and by-laws of the association become effective only upon the approval of the BCTF Executive committee.

 

Dated:  October 18, 2018

Date of last amendment?  November 1981