CONSTITUTION OF THE VIRGINIA ELs SUPERVISORS’ ASSOCIATION

 

Article I: NAME 

The name of the organization shall be the Virginia English Learners (ELs) Supervisors’Association (VESA). 

​

Article II: PURPOSES 

VESA is a nonprofit educational organization. The purposes of the organization shall be: 

• To promote and support the teaching of ELs.

• To enhance and support the learning opportunities of ELs.

• To exchange ideas among members that support ELs in our schools and communities. 

• To recognize and publicize excellence in EL teaching and communities. 

• To advocate on behalf of ELs and their families.

• To provide an annual conference for educators of ELs.

• To offer scholarships for post-secondary education to ELs. 

 

Article III: MEMBERSHIP 

There shall be classifications of membership in VESA: 

• Professional Membership: All EL supervisors and/or school division designees in the state of Virginia may become professional members, with all rights and privileges of membership in VESA, including the right to vote and to hold office. Members initiate or maintain membership through the payment of annual dues (date). Eligibility for full membership in VESA including the right to vote and hold office will not be denied to a member on sabbatical or leave of absence. 

• Honorary and emeritus membership: Honorary or emeritus membership in VESA may be conferred by the President, with the approval of the Executive Board, on individuals who have distinguished themselves by their contributions to EL education.

  • Membership dues shall be recommended by the Officers and voted by a majority of members present at the VESA meeting. 

  • Payment of annual dues shall entitle the individual to membership in VESA for the current academic year (September 1 to August 31). 

  • Honorary and emeritus members are exempt from the payment of dues. 

​

Article IV: EXECUTIVE BOARD MEMBERS - President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, Immediate Past President, one or more representatives from the Virginia Department of Education, the Conference Coordinator, the Scholarship Committee Chair, and a representative from each of the eight regions in the state

•  President 

  •  Duties. The President shall: 

    • preside at the meetings of the Officers, the annual conference, and other scheduled meetings. 

    • call meetings of the Officers no fewer than two times a year. 

    • appoint a member to fill an unexpired term of the Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, or the Chair of any standing committee.

    • advise the Officers of VESA and assure that the business of VESA is carried out. 

    • be designated a co-signer with the Treasurer for documents required by financial institutions. 

    • hire a conference coordinator to organize the annual conference as outlined in the conference coordinator’s job description.

  • Term. The president shall serve a two-year term. If the President is unable to complete the term, the Vice President shall assume the office for the unexpired term. 

• Program Chair 

  • Duties. The Program Chair Shall: develop the program of workshops for the annual conference work with the conference coordinator to schedule workshops and secure needed equipment 

  • Term. The Program Chair shall serve a two-year term. If the Program Chair is unable to complete the term, the President shall appoint a replacement. 

  • Selection. The Program Chair shall be appointed by the President with the approval of a majority of members. 

• Vice President 

  • Duties. The Vice President shall: 

    • preside at meetings of VESA as directed by the President in case of the President’s temporary absence. 

    • be prepared to assume duties of the President, in the case of that person being unable to complete his or her term of office. 

    • make recommendations for special recognition and awards to the members for their approval. 

    • secure, organize and supervise vendors at the annual conference. 

  • Term. The Vice President shall serve a two-year term. If the Vice President is unable to complete the term, the President shall appoint a member to the office for the unexpired time. 

• Secretary 

  • Duties. The Secretary shall: 

    • record and report to membership minutes of all VESA meetings. 

    • maintain an orderly and accessible file of the official records of VESA. 

    • maintain a current mailing list of ESL supervisors or designees. 

  • Term. The Secretary shall serve a two-year term. If the Secretary is unable to complete the term, the President shall appoint a member to the office for the unexpired time. 

• Treasurer 

  • Duties. The Treasurer shall: 

    • collect all member dues and assessments and will have custody of all funds of VESA, depositing and disbursing such funds as required by the Officers. 

    • maintain the permanent fiscal records of VESA. 

    • maintain an accurate roster of the dues-paying membership. 

    • be empowered to sign documents required by financial institutions. 

    • supervise the collection of pre-registration and on-site registrations for the conference and provide the conference coordinator with a list of registrants. 

    • present a financial report at each VESA meeting 

  • Term. The Treasurer shall serve a two-year term. If the Treasurer is unable to complete the term, the President shall appoint a member to the office for the unexpired time. 

• VESA Executive Board 

  • The Executive Board will consist of the President, Vice President, Conference Program Chair, Secretary, and Treasurer, Past President, and one representative from each of the eight regions in the state. 

    • The representatives will be chosen yearly by their region or will be appointed by the President. 

  • The Executive Board will meet a minimum of four times a year in addition to the three regularly scheduled meetings.

 

Article V: ELECTIONS 

VESA will hold elections every two years at or prior to the spring meeting for the positions of President, Vice President, Secretary, and Treasurer.

• Eligibility

  • Any member in good standing shall be eligible to hold elected office in VESA. 

• Nominations

  • The nominating committee will be appointed by the President. 

  • The slate of nominees shall be President, Vice President, and in alternating years, Secretary, Treasurer. 

  • Elections will be held during the VESA Spring Meeting. A ballot may be submitted electronically by a member. A member who votes by a ballot submitted by electronic transmission is deemed present at the VESA Spring meeting. Persons so nominated must meet eligibility requirements; they must also be present at the meeting to consent to their nomination or, if unable to be present, have indicated their consent in writing. 

• Voting

  • Election shall be held during the VESA spring meeting. 

  • Members in good standing shall be eligible to vote. 

  • Members may vote in a slate of officers by acclamation. Whenever two or more names are submitted for a position, voting for such a position shall be by secret ballot. 

  • A plurality of the valid votes cast shall constitute an election. 

• General

  •  Any Officer wishing to resign must notify the President in writing. 

  • The Officers shall formally consider at a regularly scheduled meeting the removal of any officer who fails to attend two consecutive meetings, is excessively absent from meetings, fails to maintain membership in VESA, or is found guilty of malfeasance in office. A two-thirds vote of voting Officers present at the meeting during which the voting takes place shall constitute officers’ approval of the removal. 

 

Article VI: MEETINGS

VESA holds an annual conference, a minimum of three meetings for the general membership, and four meetings of the Executive Board. 

• The Officers shall choose the time and place for the annual conference. 

• Notice of the time and place of the annual conference shall be provided to all members. 

• A business meeting shall be held during the conference. 

• The Officers may schedule additional meetings of VESA during the year, providing the membership with written notification at least thirty (30) days prior to such a meeting. 

• There shall be a minimum of two regular meetings of the members each year, one at the annual conference and another at a site chosen by the President. Members shall receive written notification of the regular meetings at least thirty (30) days in advance. 

 

Article VII: AMENDMENTS 

• This constitution may be amended at any business meeting by a two-thirds majority of the members voting, provided written notice of each proposed amendment has been provided to all members.

• VESA, the corporation, is organized exclusively for charitable, religious, educational, and scientific purposes, including, for such purposes, the making of distributions to organizations that qualify as exempt organizations under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, or the corresponding section of any future federal tax code.

• No part of the net earnings of the corporation shall inure to the benefit of, 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 and to make payments and distributions in furtherance of the purposes set forth in Article Third hereof. No substantial part of the activities of the corporation shall be the carrying on of propaganda, or otherwise attempting to influence legislation, and the corporation shall not participate in, or intervene in (including the publishing or distribution of statements) any political campaign on behalf of or in opposition to any candidate for public office. Notwithstanding any other provision of these articles, the corporation shall not carry on any other activities not permitted to be carried on (a) by a corporation exempt from federal income tax under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, or the corresponding section of any future federal tax code, or (b) by a corporation, contributions to which are deductible under section 170(c)(2) of the Internal Revenue Code, or the corresponding section of any future federal tax code.

• If reference to federal law in articles of incorporation imposes a limitation that is invalid in your state, you may wish to substitute the following for the last sentence of the preceding paragraph: "Notwithstanding any other provision of these articles, this corporation shall not, except to an insubstantial degree, engage in any activities or exercise any powers that are not in furtherance of the purposes of this corporation."

• Upon the dissolution of the corporation, assets shall be distributed for one or more exempt purposes within the meaning of section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, or the corresponding section of any future federal tax code, or shall be distributed to the federal government, or to a state or local government, for a public purpose. Any such assets not so disposed of shall be disposed of by a Court of Competent Jurisdiction of the county in which the principal office of the corporation is then located, exclusively for such purposes or to such organization or organizations, as said Court shall determine, which are organized and operated exclusively for such purposes.

​

Last amended: September 28, 2018

​

==========================================================

 

BYLAWS OF THE VIRGINIA ELs SUPERVISORS’ ASSOCIATION 

 

Article I: NAME 

The name of the organization shall be the Virginia English Learners (ELs) Supervisors’ Association (VESA). 

 

Article II: PURPOSES 

VESA is a nonprofit educational organization. The purposes of the organization shall be: 

• To promote and support the teaching of ELs.

• To enhance and support the learning opportunities of ELs.

• To exchange ideas among members that support ELs in our schools and communities. 

• To recognize and publicize excellence in EL teaching and communities. 

• To advocate on behalf of ELs and their families.

• To provide an annual conference for educators of ELs.

• To offer scholarships for post-secondary education to ELs

 

Article III: MEMBERSHIP

There are classifications of membership in the Virginia English Learners (ELs) Supervisors’ Association (VESA

• Professional Membership: 

  • Professional membership shall be conferred through the payment of dues and shall entitle members to vote, hold office, attend meetings, and be considered as a member in good standing. Membership dues shall be recommended by the Executive Board and voted on by a majority of members present at the VESA meeting. 

  • Payment of annual dues shall entitle the individual to membership in VESA for the current academic year (September 1 to August 31) and are due at or before the fall meeting.

  • Failure to pay dues may result in termination of membership and non-admittance to meetings.

• Honorary and emeritus membership: 

  • Honorary and emeritus members enjoy all rights of membership in VESA except the right to vote and to hold office.

 

Article IV: EXECUTIVE BOARD MEMBERS

Executive Board Members include the President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, Immediate Past President, one or more representatives from the Virginia Department of Education, the Conference Coordinator, the Scholarship Committee Chair, and a representative from each of the eight regions in the state. Any Executive Board member wishing to resign must notify the President in writing. At a regularly scheduled meeting, the Board shall formally consider the removal of any Board member who fails to attend two or more consecutive meetings, is excessively absent from meetings, fails to maintain membership in VESA, and/or is found guilty of malfeasance of office. A two-thirds majority of voting members of the Board in attendance shall constitute approval

• President: 

  • Duties. The President shall:

    • preside at the meetings of the Executive Board, the annual conference, and other scheduled meetings.

    • call meetings of the Executive no fewer than three times a year. 

    • appoint a member to fill an unexpired term of the Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, regional representatives, or the Chair of any standing committee.

    • advise the Executive Board of VESA and assure that the business of VESA is carried out.

    • be designated a co-signer with the Treasurer for documents required by financial institutions. 

    • secure the services of a conference coordinator to organize the annual conference as outlined in the conference. 

    • serve one two-year term and then serve as the Immediate Past President.

    • appoint regional representatives when one is not chosen by the region.

    • submit all required reports and documents annually to the State Corporation Commission.

    • provide support to the incoming President in order to ensure an orderly transition.

• Vice President:

  • Duties. The Vice President shall: 

    • preside at meetings of VESA as directed by the President in case of the President’s temporary absence.

    • Be prepared to assume duties of the President, in the case of that person being unable to complete his or her term of office. 

    • make recommendations for special recognition and awards to the members for their approval. 

    • secure, organize, and supervise vendors for the annual conference, either individually or in collaboration with the Conference Coordinator.

    • serve one two-year term.

    • provide support to the incoming Vice President in order to ensure an orderly transition.

• Secretary:

  • Duties. The Secretary shall: 

    • record and report the minutes of all VESA and Executive Board meetings to the membership. 

    • maintain orderly and accessible VESA records. 

    • oversee the registration at meetings. 

    • maintain a current list of EL supervisors or designees. 

    • serve one two-year term.

    • provide support to the incoming Secretary in order to ensure an orderly transition.

• Treasurer: 

  • Duties. The Treasurer shall: 

    • collect all member dues and assessments, and have custody of all funds of VESA, depositing and disbursing such funds as required by the Executive Board.

    • maintain the permanent fiscal records of VESA.

    • maintain an accurate roster of the dues-paying membership.

    • work with the Conference Coordinator and President to establish a fiscally responsible budget. 

    • be empowered to sign documents required by financial institutions.

    • complete all necessary tax documents in collaboration with a tax professional.

    • submit the annual payment to the State Corporation Commission.

    • supervise the collection of registrations for the annual conference and provide the Conference Coordinator with a list of registrants. 

    • present a financial report at each VESA meeting.

    • work with the Scholarship Committee Chair to award scholarships, and inform recipients and post-secondary institutions.

    • serve one two-year term.

    • provide support to the incoming Treasurer in order to ensure an orderly transition.

• Immediate Past President:

  • Duties: The Immediate Past President shall:

    • serve one two-year term concurrently with the President as an advisor to the Executive Board, at the behest of the President.

    • assume responsibilities as directed by the President.

• Conference Coordinator: 

  • Duties. The Conference Coordinator shall: 

    • establish the Conference Committee in collaboration with the President and Vice President. 

    • develop the program for and coordinate all aspects of the annual conference in collaboration with the President and Vice President. 

    • recruit and retain conference sponsors and vendors.

    • schedule workshops and secure needed equipment, including but not limited to, technology, electronics, pipes and drapes, signage, and catering.

    • ensure that the conference stays within budget in collaboration with the Treasurer.

    • serve one two-year term. 

    • provide support to the incoming Committee Coordinator in order to ensure an orderly transition.

• Scholarship Committee Chair:

  • Duties. The Scholarship Committee Chair shall:

    • establish a scholarship committee. 

    • advertise the scholarship opportunities to stakeholders, including but not limited to, Title III Coordinators and School Counseling Supervisors.

    • collect and review applications with the committee.

    • maintain an updated application.

    • establish criteria for the selection of scholarships.

    • inform the Title III Coordinators in the divisions of the recipients.

    • collaborate with the President and Treasurer to determine the amount and number of scholarships.

    • provide support to the incoming Scholarship Committee Chair in order to ensure an orderly transition.

 

Article V: ELECTIONS

VESA will hold elections every year at or prior to the spring meeting for the positions of President, Vice President, Secretary, and Treasurer. Members may be considered for positions on the Executive Board if they are in good standing.

• Nominations: 

  • The nominating committee will be appointed by the President.

  • The slate of nominees presented by the committee shall be President and Vice President, and in alternating years, Secretary and Treasurer. 

  • Nominations from the floor may be made during the spring VESA meeting. Persons so nominated must meet eligibility requirements and give consent for their nomination.

• Voting: 

  • Elections shall be held prior to or during the VESA spring meeting. 

  • Members in good standing are eligible to vote. 

  • Members may vote on a slate of officers by acclamation. Whenever two or more names are submitted for a position, voting for such a position shall be by secret ballot. 

  • A plurality of the valid votes cast shall constitute an election. 

 

Article VI: MEETINGS

VESA holds an annual conference, a minimum of three meetings for the general membership, and four meetings of the Executive Board. 

• The Executive Board shall choose the time and place for the annual conference.

• Notice of the time and place of the annual conference shall be provided to all members. 

• A meeting for the general membership shall be held during the conference. 

• The Executive Board may schedule additional meetings of VESA during the year, providing the membership with written notification at least thirty (30) days prior to such a meeting. 

• There shall be a minimum of three regular meetings of the members each year, one at the annual conference and others at a site chosen by the President. Members shall receive written notification of the regular meetings at least thirty (30) days in advance. 

 

Article VII: COMMITTEES 

Committee Chairs are appointed by the President in consultation with the Executive Board for one two-year term. Committees consist of:

• Nominations Committee 

• Recognitions and Awards Committee

• Scholarship Committee

•  Others as determined by the Executive Board

 

VIII. AMENDMENTS

• This constitution may be amended at any business meeting by a two-thirds majority of the members voting, provided written notice of each proposed amendment has been provided to all members.

• VESA, the corporation, is organized exclusively for charitable, religious, educational, and scientific purposes, including, for such purposes, the making of distributions to organizations that qualify as exempt organizations under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, or the corresponding section of any future federal tax code.

• No part of the net earnings of the corporation shall inure to the benefit of, 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 and to make payments and distributions in furtherance of the purposes set forth in Article Third hereof. No substantial part of the activities of the corporation shall be the carrying on of propaganda, or otherwise attempting to influence legislation, and the corporation shall not participate in, or intervene in (including the publishing or distribution of statements) any political campaign on behalf of or in opposition to any candidate for public office. Notwithstanding any other provision of these articles, the corporation shall not carry on any other activities not permitted to be carried on (a) by a corporation exempt from federal income tax under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, or the corresponding section of any future federal tax code, or (b) by a corporation, contributions to which are deductible under section 170(c)(2) of the Internal Revenue Code, or the corresponding section of any future federal tax code.

• f reference to federal law in articles of incorporation imposes a limitation that is invalid in your state, you may wish to substitute the following for the last sentence of the preceding paragraph: "Notwithstanding any other provision of these articles, this corporation shall not, except to an insubstantial degree, engage in any activities or exercise any powers that are not in furtherance of the purposes of this corporation."

• Upon the dissolution of the corporation, assets shall be distributed for one or more exempt purposes within the meaning of section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, or the corresponding section of any future federal tax code, or shall be distributed to the federal government, or to a state or local government, for a public purpose. Any such assets not so disposed of shall be disposed of by a Court of Competent Jurisdiction of the county in which the principal office of the corporation is then located, exclusively for such purposes or to such organization or organizations, as said Court shall determine, which are organized and operated exclusively for such purposes.

​

Last amended: September 28, 2018

​