ARTICLE IX – MEETINGS OF THE ASSOCIATION
Annual Meeting
The annual meeting of the Association, to be known as the Delegate Assembly, shall be held at such hour on such business day, not earlier than September 20 nor later than November 30, in each year and at such place within Massachusetts as the Board of Directors shall determine. Resolutions and other purposes for which an annual meeting is to be held additional to those proscribed by law, by the agreement of association, and by these by-laws may be specified by the Board of Directors and by written application made to the Secretary-Treasurer not later than June1 in any year by at least five active members located in at least two Divisions. Resolutions submitted by a single school committee may be presented to the Delegate Assembly upon approval by the Board of Directors on the recommendation of the Resolutions Committee. If an annual meeting is not held within the dates specified above, a special meeting may be held upon call by the Board of Directors with all the force and effect of an annual meeting.
Resolutions will expire at the conclusion of the Delegate Assembly three years after their adoption. The MASC Legislative Committee shall provide a list of expiring resolutions to the membership no later than March 1st of the year in which they expire. Readoption of an expiring resolution can be accomplished under the method proscribed in ARTICLE IX, section 1.
Special Meetings
Special meetings of the Association may be called by the Board and shall be called by the Secretary-Treasurer or, in the case of the death, absence, incapacity or refusal of the Secretary-Treasurer, by any other officer of the Association, upon written application by at least seven active members located in at least two divisions. Such call shall state the purpose of the meetings, the place and time, which shall not be sooner than forty-five days from the date of the call by the Board of Directors or of such application, as the case may be.
Place and Date
A written notice of the place, date, and purposes of all meetings of the Association shall be given by the Secretary-Treasurer or, in the case of death, absence, incapacity or refusal of the Secretary-Treasurer, by any other officer of the Association at least thirty days before the meetings to each member of the Association by mailing it postage prepaid and addressed to each member at that member’s address as it appears in the records of the Association. The written notice of any meeting at which officers are to be elected shall include the names of the persons proposed by the Nominating Committee and of those persons named in notices filed pursuant to Article VII, section 3 with the office for which each person is proposed.
Quorum
Twenty active members shall constitute a quorum at all regular and special meetings of the Association. Except where a larger vote is required by law, by agreement of association or by these by-laws, a majority of the votes cast on any question at a meeting at which a quorum is present or in any mail ballot at which at least twenty active members cast ballots shall decide. Quorums at Division meetings shall be set by each Division’s by-laws.
Voting by Mail
At the direction of the Board any question other than the election of officers may be submitted to the active members for vote by mail. Ballots shall be prepared by the Secretary-Treasurer and mailed, postage prepaid, to all active members at their addresses on the Association’s records. Each ballot, or an accompanying notice, shall state the date fixed by the Board, which shall not be earlier than thirty days after the date of the mailing, by which ballots shall be returned to the Secretary-Treasurer. All ballots shall be returned to the Secretary-Treasurer. All ballots shall be opened and counted by the Secretary-Treasurer and two other officers, designated by the President, on the day following the date so fixed. The Secretary-Treasurer shall report the result to the President and the Board.
Voting at Meetings
All members of the Association and all members of school committees which are active members of the Association may attend and speak at any meeting of the Association. Only active members shall be entitled to vote on the election of officers or on any other matter as to which members of the Association shall have the right to vote and each active member shall have one vote. No later than seven days prior to each meeting of the Association each active member shall by written notice to the Executive Director designate one of its members as its voting delegate. All ballots and other votes cast by an active member at any Association meeting shall be cast by and only by its voting delegate or, if the delegate is absent, by its alternate voting delegate if one shall have been designated. Votes cast by active members on any question submitted by mail as provided in Article IX, section 5 of these by-laws shall be cast by vote of each active member adopted and certified in the manner by which such active member adopts and certifies its official acts.
Superintendents at Meetings
Any superintendent of schools employed by an active member school committee may attend any meeting of the Association and may speak if, but only if, recognized by the presiding officer.
Parliamentary Procedure
At all meetings of the Association and the Board of Directors Robert’s Rules of Order shall be the authority for determining parliamentary procedure.