CONSTITUTION OF THE
NEBRASKA STATE COUNCIL FOR THE SOCIAL STUDIES, INC.
Article I Name and Purpose
Section I
This association shall be known as the Nebraska State Council for the Social Studies, Inc. The term "social studies" is used to include history, economics, political science, geography, anthropology, sociology, psychology, and all modifications or combinations of subjects whose content and aim is predominantly social and which are organized for the purpose of instruction.
Section II
The Nebraska State Council for the Social Studies, Inc is designed as the official Nebraska affiliate of the National Council for the Social Studies The Nebraska State Council for the Social Studies, Inc. supersedes and replaces the organization formerly named the Cornhusker Council for the Social Studies.
Section III
The purpose of this Council shall be:
A. To assume leadership in Nebraska
i. In improving the teaching of the social studies.
ii. In promoting the professional growth of social studies teachers.
iii. In promoting and encouraging research and other activities, designed to improve the social studies program in the schools and colleges of the state.
iv. In contributing to the direction, implementation, and evaluation of state social studies standards
B. To cooperate with all agencies in the state including state and local education associations in improving the teaching of the social studies.
C. To serve the interests of the National Council for the Social Studies in Nebraska.
D. To promote and encourage the establishment of local councils for the social studies if deemed appropriate and necessary.
Article I I Membership
Section I
Membership in this Council shall be open to all elementary, secondary, and college teachers of the social studies and others interested in the social studies curriculum and instruction. Membership in the Council shall be divided into three classes: active, associate, and institutional.
A. Active members shall be persons who have paid dues to this Council. The annual dues for active membership in this Council shall be proposed by the Executive Committee and ratified by a majority of those members attending the annual business meeting.
B. Associate membership is open to all individuals enrolled in an undergraduate teacher education program in any college in the state. The cost of the student membership will be one half of that of an active membership. Associate members are not permitted to vote or to hold office.
C. Institutional membership is open to schools, colleges, or other appropriate institutions. Dues shall be 1.5 times that of the active membership dues.
Section II
A. Membership fees must be paid on a yearly basis.
B. Membership shall last one year from the date dues are paid.
C. Life memberships are available with fees to be determined by the Executive Committee.
Article II I Officer s
Section I
The officers of this Council shall be a president, president elect, an executive secretary, recording secretary, a treasurer, an advisor, an editor or editors, two representative from each of the Congressional districts, and representatives from professional organizations related to the social studies discipline.
Section II
The duties and terms of the officers: They shall have the duties and shall perform the functions customarily attached to their respective offices, with such others as may be listed below or from time to time prescribed.
A. The President: He/She shall preside over the annual and/or semiannual conferences, special meetings of the Council, and shall be primarily
i. Responsible for planning the annual and/or semiannual meeting(s). He/She serves as president for a two year period following his/her term as president elect. He/She shall chair the Program Committee.
B. The President Elect: He/She performs any duties the president is unable to fulfill and succeeds to the office of president following his/her term as president elect. He/She shall chair the publicity committee. He/She serves for a term of two years.
C. Immediate past president: serves as an advisor to the program committee for a term of two years.
D. Treasurer: He/She is responsible for keeping a record of the Council's Expenditures and receipts, and for the safekeeping of the Council's funds. The treasurer may not disperse funds without the approval of either the president or the executive secretary. He/she serves for a period of two years. He/She is the person responsible for solicitation, collection of dues and maintenance of the membership roster.
E. Executive Secretary: He/She is responsible for maintaining historical records and council archival data, coordinating communication and official documents with the National Council for Social Studies, filing required state documents and papers, and coordinating decisions made by the Council or the Executive Committee. His/Her term of office is for five years.
F. Recording Secretary: He/She is responsible for taking and disseminating all minutes of all meetings of the Executive Committee and Council. His/Her term of office is for two years.
G. Advisor (ExOfficial): The advisor shall be the director of social sciences for the Nebraska Department of Education. His/Her term shall be as long as he/she holds that position. He/She shall chair the curriculum committee.
H. The Editor(s): He/She/orThey shall be responsible for the publication of the Chronicle (when editorial submission and other factors justify publication) and the newsletter and serve at the discretion of the Executive Committee but normally for terms of one year renewable. The editor or editors are entitled to a vote in the Executive Committee and maybe given a stipend for their services. He/She shall chair the publications committee and be responsible for submitting information for the council website.
I. NCSS Delegates: The Executive Committee shall elect a delegate or delegates to the National Council for Social Studies.
i. The delegate at large serves for a one year term. Additional delegates, if necessary, also serve a one year term. The Executive Committee may contribute funds to send the delegate(s) to the NCSS Convention and the Assembly of Delegates.
J. The Congressional District Representatives: Each Congressional representative shall serve as a communication agent to and from members in his/her Congressional district. They shall conduct a membership drive in the Congressional district primarily at the beginning of each school term. They will secure at least one article concerning activities in their Congressional district, which shall be submitted each year to the editor(s) of the council publications. Congressional district representatives shall be appointed by the Executive Committee and shall serve for a term of two years.
K. The Executive Committee: It shall consist of the president, president elect, immediate past president, treasurer, executive secretary, recording secretary, advisor, the editor or editors, the Congressional district directors, and the representatives from the professional organizations related to the social studies discipline. The Executive Committee shall direct the affairs of the Council between annual and/or semi annual meetings. It shall have administrative responsibility for the publishing of all council publications, and shall appoint/or remove the editor or editors and shall make final decisions concerning the over all organization and administration of all council publications.
L. ExOfficials: Representatives from professional organizations related to the social studies discipline.
Section III
Officers shall be eligible for reelection with the exception that the president may not be eligible for immediate reelection to the post of president or president elect.
The Executive Committee may select a person to fill a vacancy until the next election is held.
Section IV
An elected officer may be removed for just cause by a two thirds majority vote of the Executive Committee. The individual in question must be notified in writing that such action is being contemplated and must be given no less than two weeks nor more than four weeks to respond to the Executive Committee.
Section V
The members within the Congressional districts may organize district or local councils with the approval (two thirds vote) of the Executive Committee.
Article IV Meetings Section I
The biannual meetings shall be held inthe spring and/or fall of each year at a time and place designated by the Executive Committee. For the purposes of amending the Constitution, the fall meetings will be the official annual meeting unless directed otherwise by the Executive Committee.
Section II
The Executive Committee may call special meetings.
Article V Committees
Section I
The standing committees of the Nebraska State Council for the Social Studies, Inc. may include but are not limited to the following:
A. Nominations
B. Membership
C. Curriculum
D. Publicity
E. Program
F. Publications
G. Awards Committee
Section II
The Executive Committee shall make the appointments to any and all committees.
Section III
The functions of these committees shall be:
A. Nominations Committee
The Nominations Committee shall have the responsibility to propose a slate of officers for the Council for consideration by the membership of the annual meeting. It shall also make recommendations to the Executive Committee for individuals to serve on the several standing committees. The names of those individuals nominated for office shall be, if possible, published in a publication of the Council at least one issue prior to the annual meeting. Nominations for office maybe made from the floor at the annual meeting.
B. Membership Committee
The Membership Committee shall have the responsibility to provide leadership in securing new members for the Council, to organize ways of drawing prospective members' attention to the work of the Council, and to make studies on the composition of the membership, which may have an effect upon the work of the Council. It shall also have the responsibility to continually assess the needs of the members of the Council in order to more effectively improve the services offered by the organization.
C. Curriculum Committee
The Curriculum Committee shall have the responsibility for providing leadership in all matters related to the organization of the social studies curriculum and the instruction used in elementary and secondary schools. This shall include:
1) Identifying promising practices inthe schools,
2) Conducting studies on trends inthe social studies,
3) Proposing research studies designed to provide data upon which a better social studies program could be organized,
4) Suggesting innovative approaches to the social studies,
5) Collecting curriculum and instructional materials which shall be useful for schools, and
6) Making the results of their investigations available to the members of the Council.
D. Publicity Committee
It shall be the responsibility of the Publicity Committee to carry on any activities designed to create a more favorable impression of the Council by working with the various communications media, to coordinate the relationship between the Council and communications media, to actively publicize the programs offered by the Council, and to prepare materials which maybe used to publicize the work of the organization to prospective members.
E. Program Committee
The Program Committee shall have the responsibility to:
1) Organize the program for the annual meeting,
2) Organize any special programs suggested by the Executive Committee or suggested by the membership,
3) Provide liaison between the Council and other organizations in designing programs for social studies teachers,
4) Suggest additional program services to the Executive Committee or the membership for their consideration,
5) Conduct studies of needs of members relative to program desires,
6) Evaluate the effectiveness of the content or format of existing or future programs.
F. Publications Committee
The Publications Committee shall have the responsibility to work under the direction of the editor /or editors in preparing and distributing all publications of the Council deemed necessary by the Executive Committee or by the membership of the Council. Through these publications, it shall have the responsibility to keep the membership informed of the various activities of the Council, and to make available to all members information which would be helpful in improving the quality of social studies programs inthe elementary and secondary schools. This committee shall also have the responsibility of suggesting to the Executive Committee or to the membership any additional publications, which they feel, are necessary to promote the work of the Council or to stimulate effective social studies programs.
G. Awards Committee
The Awards Committee shall have the responsibility of promoting and recommending candidates to the Executive Committee for approval. The awards shall include but not be limited to the following awards:
- Paul Beck: Outstanding Educator
- Outstanding Teacher for each of the Congressional Districts
- Outstanding Student Teacher for each of the Congressional Districts
Section IV
The Executive Committee may establish additional committees.
Section V
Vacancies on any committee maybe filled by appointment by the Executive Committee and/or the President.
Article V I Affiliation of Local Councils
Section I
Any local social studies council in Nebraska that may be established may become affiliated with the Nebraska State Council for the Social Studies by adopting a resolution to that effect and forwarding a copy of that resolution and a copy of the constitution, thereafter the Executive Secretary shall issue a certificate of affiliation to the local council.
Section II
All officers and members of such local councils must also be members of the Nebraska State Council for the Social Studies, Inc.
Article VI I Dissolution
Upon dissolution of this corporation, if such should occur, the Executive Committee of the Nebraska State Council for the Social Studies shall distribute all of the assets of the corporation, remaining after the payment of debts and liabilities, to such institution or institutions or association or associations as the majority of the members of the Nebraska State Council for the Social Studies Constitution (April 26,2001) Executive Committee shall direct, which are exempt from tax under section501 (co 3)of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954 and Regulations.
Article VII I Amendments
This constitution may be amended by a majority vote of the members present and voting at the annual business meeting of the Council. The proposed amendments shall be to the general membership at the annual business meeting at which time the vote is to be taken. A notice of amendment to be proposed shall be printed in an official publication of the Nebraska State Council for the Social Studies, Inc., at least one issue, if possible, prior to the annual business meeting at which the amendment is to be considered.
Article IX Ratification
This constitution will be ratified upon receiving a favorable vote of two thirds of the membership present and voting at the annual business meeting.
|
