MEGT Constitution
Minnesota Educators of the Gifted and Talented (MEGT)
CONSTITUTION
ARTICLE I: Purpose
Section 1. Name. The name of this organization shall be The Minnesota Educators of the Gifted and Talented (MEGT).
Section 2. Purpose. Through our core values, Minnesota Educators of Gifted and Talented will promote and support the preparation of educational professionals, collaborate with other organizations and agencies, and encourage scholarly research and dissemination of information to benefit gifted and talented students in school and society through:
- Innovation – forward-thinking and creative approaches in education practices.
- Advocacy and Outreach – access to free and appropriate academic programming for all gifted and talented learners throughout Minnesota.
- Equity – participants in gifted and talented programming mirror the demographics of each district; such as cultural, linguistic, and economic diversity.
- Collaboration and Collegial support – opportunities for professional development, networking, and the sharing of resources.
ARTICLE II: Membership
Section 1. Membership. Active membership is open to all pre-service and current educational professionals as well as those who are aligned with the core values of MEGT.
Section 2. Dues. The annual dues for membership in MEGT shall be determined by the State Board of Directors. Members remit dues directly to the state organization. Fifty percent of dues from each member shall be remitted to the member’s region.
Section 2. Privileges. Privileges of membership shall be defined as follows: Active members may receive all publications of the organization, attend all business meetings, may hold office, serve on committees, and vote in business meetings.
ARTICLE III - Organization
Section 1. Non-profit Status. The Minnesota Educators of Gifted and Talented is incorporated under the laws of the State of Minnesota and is a non-profit organization. No part of the net earnings of the corporation shall benefit, or be distributable to its members, trustees, officers, or other private persons, except that the corporation shall be authorized and empowered to pay reasonable compensation for services rendered.
Section 2. Regions. The Minnesota Educators of Gifted and Talented shall be a state organization divided into chapters and/or regions for purposes of representation.
Section 3. Membership & Fiscal Year. The membership year of the organization for the Minnesota Educators of Gifted and Talented shall be February 1 through January 31 and the fiscal year shall be July 1 through June 30.
ARTICLE IV: State Board of Directors
Section 1. Composition. The State Board shall consist of four representatives from the Metro region and three representatives from each of the following regions: Mid-MN, Northern MN, and Southern MN. In addition, the Board shall include the immediate past-president and up to four members at large may be appointed annually by the president and approved by the State Board.
Section 2. Qualifications for Representatives. A candidate for the Board must be a current MEGT member. A candidate must be a current or retired educational professional. A candidate must reside or be employed in one of the MEGT regions. A candidate may choose to run in either the region where they reside or of the address of their primary place of employment.
Section 3 Terms. Each representative serves a three-year term. In the event that a representative is unable to complete their term with more than a year remaining, the region will elect a representative to fulfill the remainder of the term. If less than a year remains in the term, the position shall remain vacant.
Section 4. Election of Representatives. Nominees will be elected from vacancies in all four regions with the nominees in each region receiving the highest number of votes filling the open seat(s). Representatives will be elected by their regions only.
Section 5. Duties. The duties of the State Board of Directors shall be to make policy and carry out the business of the organization.
Section 6. Board Meetings. The State Board of Directors shall meet a minimum of two times per year and as deemed necessary by the president. Representation of a majority of board members shall constitute a quorum. A special meeting of the Board of Directors shall be held whenever called by the president or by a majority of the Directors.
Section 7. Board Member Voting. At state board meetings, each board member in attendance will have one vote in all matters. For a motion to pass, a majority of the votes is required. Time sensitive business may require online discussion and action. In this case, each board member will have one vote. A non-response within the designated time frame will be counted as affirmative.
Section 8. Officers. The officers shall be president, president-elect, secretary, and treasurer. These offices shall be nominated by and from the State Board of Directors. Officers will be elected by the Board and constitute an Executive Board.
Section 9. Officer Terms. Membership on the Board of Directors for the president and president-elect is extended for the duration of their terms in office, without need to run for re-election. Other officers are elected for a one-year term.
Section 10. Election of Officers. Immediately after each election of directors, the Board shall hold a regular meeting and elect a president, vice president or president-elect, secretary, and treasurer. Only elected directors are eligible to hold office.
The President shall be elected for a two-year term. The president-elect elected at the beginning of the second year of the president’s term becomes president-elect and shall succeed to the presidency the following year. At the expiration of two years in office, the president shall automatically become past-president. The immediate past-president shall serve as an ex-officio (voting) member of the board for two years.
Section 11. Officer Vacancies. If a vacancy occurs in the office of president, the president-elect shall serve as acting president for the remainder of the term of office, at which point they shall assume the presidency for the regular two year term of office. Other officer vacancies shall be appointed from the existing Board.
ARTICLE V: Committees
Section 1. Committee Formation and Appointment. There shall be standing committees as determined by the Board of Directors. The president shall appoint the members and chairs of select committees except where membership is designated by policy. Each committee will be chaired by a Board member. Committees may consist of members of the Board or MEGT members from the general membership.
Section 2. Ad hoc Committees. Ad hoc committees may be appointed by the State Board of Directors as needed to carry out the purposes of the organization.
Section 3. Executive Committee. An Executive Committee shall consist of all serving officers. The Executive Committee will initiate policies and actions for Board consideration and develop an agenda for each meeting.
Section 4. Legislative Committee. As advocacy is a central function of the Board, a Legislative Committee shall be a standing subcommittee of the Board and shall initiate the legislative agenda and draft potential legislative requests for review by the larger Board.
Section 5. Elections Committee. The Elections Committee will consist of the past-president, as chair, and all members of the Board not currently up for election. The responsibilities of the Elections Committee include verifying the eligibility of candidates for the Board, recommending a slate of candidates to the Board of Directors for election by the membership, and coordinating the voting process.
ARTICLE VI: Association Meetings
Section 1. Business Meeting. There shall be at least one annual business meeting. Business meetings of the organization are open to all MEGT members.
Section 2. State Conference. There shall be at least one state conference per year except in years when the Annual Conference of the National Association for Gifted Children is held in Minnesota. The Board may vote to cancel the state conference due to unforeseen circumstances.
Section 3. Special Meetings. Special meetings of the members of this Association may be called by the president following consultation with the Board, or by special request by the membership to the Board.
Section 4. Quorum. Those members in attendance shall constitute a quorum at a regular or called business meeting.
Section 5. Online Voting for Business Actions. When membership action is required between business meetings, notification and voting may occur online. A non-response within the designated time frame will be counted as affirmative.
Section 6. Notice of Meeting. Notice of every regular and special Association meeting of members shall be prepared and distributed prior to the date of the meeting. Such notice will state the business thereof.
ARTICLE VII: Regional Organization
Section 1. Regional Chapters. Chapters of the Minnesota Educators of Gifted and Talented are considered to be an integral part of the corporate entity, and therefore need not be separately incorporated under the laws of the state of Minnesota.
Section 2. Regions. Members and chapters of the Minnesota Educators of Gifted and Talented shall be organized into regions. Regions shall include: Metro, Mid-MN, Northern MN, and Southern MN.
Section 3. Regional Meetings. Regular meetings shall be held as each chapter and/or region determines.
ARTICLE VIII: Amendments
This constitution may be amended at any business meeting by a two-thirds vote of the membership present. Time sensitive amendments may require online discussion and action. In this case, each member will have one vote. Proposed amendments must be distributed to members at least 14 days prior to consideration. A non-response within that time frame will be counted as affirmative.
