This document guides the operation of MAESP. The MAESP president and MAESP district presidents meet annually as a committee to review the Constitution and consider proposed revisions. Input from MAESP members is solicited at MAESP district meetings in the fall. Changes approved by the Executive Committee in December are voted on by the general membership at the MAESP business meeting in March.

Name:  The name of the organization shall be the Missouri Association of Elementary and Middle School Principals.

Purpose:  The purposes of this Association are:  to form closer relations with persons concerned with the education of children; to bring about a greater unity of action among the elementary and middle school principals of Missouri, with particular emphasis on elementary and middle school education; and to foster activities that permit increased professional growth of all elementary and middle school principals.

Section 1:  Membership shall be of six classes:  (1) active members, (2) institutional members, (3) aspiring principal membership, (4) associate members, (5) honorary members, (6) retired and (7) lifetime retired members.

Section 2:  Active membership is restricted to those who pay their regular membership fee and (1) who hold a valid elementary principal and/or middle school principal's certificate or have a major responsibility for supervision and administration of an elementary and/or middle school, regardless of title; (2) persons who are actively engaged in educational research, professional education, elementary or middle school administration.

Section 3:  Institutional membership is reserved for higher education institutions and the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.  Membership dues shall be set at active dues rate plus $50 as outlined in Article III, Section 1 of the By-Laws, entitle the members to 3 copies of each MAESP publication, and make any regular employee of the member institution who is not an elementary principal eligible to attend MAESP conferences.  This membership does not include the right to vote, hold office or receive legal financial support.

Section 4:  Aspiring principal membership is reserved for persons not serving in an elementary and/or middle school administrative or supervisory capacity. Aspiring principal members shall be eligible for all privileges of the Association except the right to vote, hold office or receive legal financial support.

Section 5:  Associate membership is reserved for those who are not eligible for other types of membership.  Associate members will be entitled to all privileges of the Association except the right to vote, hold office or receive legal financial support.

Section 6:  Retired and lifetime retired membership shall be for those retired administrators of an elementary or middle school.  The members shall have all rights and privileges of active members except the right to hold office.

Section 1:  The officers of the Association shall be president, president-elect, secretary/treasurer, and the immediate past-president, each to be elected annually with the exception of the past-president, the president, and the state representative of the National Association of Elementary School Principals (NAESP), who serves a 3-year term.  The office of the president shall be filled by the ascendancy of the president-elect except as provided in Article VI, Section 3.  The officers and the Executive Committee shall assume their duties on July 1.  Officers shall serve until replaced the year following their election or until they are no longer eligible for active membership in the Association.

Section 2:  The Executive Committee shall consist of:  president and immediate past-president, the president-elect, the secretary/treasurer, the state representative of the National Association of Elementary School Principals (NAESP) and the following representatives:  (1) representatives elected by or appointed from each of the districts;  (2) a representative of the retired principals appointed by the MAESP president (3) Zone 8 Director when from Missouri; (4) NAESP President or President-elect when from Missouri; and (5) the MAESP Executive Director or his/her designee.  The MAESP Executive Director or his/her designee shall serve as an ex-officio, non-voting member.

All members of the Executive Committee shall be members of MAESP at the time of their election or appointment and throughout their tenure.

Each district is to elect their representative(s) to the Executive Committee for a term of two (2) years.  This body shall constitute a board of directors and is authorized to conduct any business of the Association not otherwise provided for that may arise between general membership meetings.  The names of these representatives shall be submitted to the President of MAESP by July 1.  Each district shall submit a copy of their Constitution and By-Laws to the MAESP office biannually.

Section 3:  General membership district representation of the Executive Committee shall be based on paid membership from the previous year and shall be determined as follows:

                 No. of Paid Members                      No. of Representatives

75 or less	1
76 - 125	2
126 - 175	3
176 - 225	4
226 - 275	5
276 - 325	6

 ARTICLE V - MEETINGS

Section 1:  In the case of contested races, the president-elect, the secretary/treasurer, and NAESP Representative (every third year) shall be elected by a marked ballot mailed no later than ten days following the MAESP Spring Conference.  Nominations from the floor during the Business Meeting at the Spring Conference will be accepted, providing the proposed nominee meets the criteria for running for office outlined in Article IV, Section 3, parts B and C of the By-Laws.  Ballots shall be postmarked for return no later than twenty four (24) days following the ending date of the MAESP Spring Conference.  If there are no contested officer races, a motion may be made during the business meeting to accept the ballot by acclamation or by voice vote, in lieu of mailing ballots.

Section 2:  The members who shall fill the vacancies regularly occurring in the Executive Committee shall be elected by the respective districts and reported to the MAESP office by June 1 of each year. All MAESP Executive Committee members must be members of MAESP during their tenure.

Section 3:  The Executive Committee shall have power to fill vacancies occurring in the office of president, president-elect, secretary/treasurer, and NAESP Representative.   Such appointees shall hold office until the next regular election of the Association.  If the vacancy occurs in the office of president, the president-elect automatically becomes acting president (unless unable to serve) for the remainder of that term.  This in no way interferes with his/her right to a regular term as president.  Should the office of president-elect be filled by the Executive Committee, the appointee shall not succeed as president unless recommended by the nominating committee and/or elected by the membership present and voting at the annual Spring meeting.

Section 4:  When any district has a vacancy on the Executive Committee for a longer period than three months, the Executive Committee shall have power to appoint a representative from that district to serve until a representative is regularly elected.

Section 1:  Duties of the respective officers shall be:

President:  Perform all duties that customarily pertain to this office and serve as delegate to the NAESP Convention and to the July New State Leaders Conference.  It shall be the president's duty to annually inform all committee members of their duties and to appoint an Assistant Director of Arrangements for the MAESP Spring Conference according to the provisions of Article V, Section 9 of the By-Laws.

President-Elect:  Assume all duties of the president in his/her absence, appoint and chair a constitution committee to annually review the constitution and handle procedural details of all proposed amendments; serve as an active member of the budget and finance committee, serve as a delegate at the NAESP Convention and to the July New State Leaders Conference, assume responsibility for the state booth at the National Convention, serve as chairperson of the nominating/elections committee, serve as program chairperson for the annual spring conference and all other duties assigned by the president.

Secretary/treasurer:  (1) Take minutes at all meetings; (2) present minutes of previous meeting for approval; (3) present an updated report on the current financial status of MAESP at Officer and Executive Committee meetings; (4) sign checks; (5) fulfill any duties assigned by the President.

NAESP Representative:  The responsibilities of the NAESP representative shall include but not be limited to serving as chair of the membership committee, representing NAESP at all meetings of MAESP officers, giving reports on membership at meetings of the executive committee and to the general membership at the Spring Conference, acting as a liaison between MAESP and NAESP, attending the State Leaders meeting in Washington D.C., keeping general membership appraised of actions and services of NAESP, obtaining delegates for the NAESP delegate assembly, providing NAESP with requested information, representing Missouri on the Zone 8 Governing Board, and serving as the chair of the Missouri National Distinguished Principal selection committee.

Section 2:  The Executive Committee shall be responsible for all work of the Association, arrangement of programs, the designation of time and place for meeting, the planning of study groups, special conferences, and other work which will promote the welfare of the members and the cause of elementary education.

Section 1:  Amendments may be proposed either in writing at the March business meeting of the Association or in writing to the Executive Committee through the President.  Members of the Association shall be informed of and be furnished with a copy of the proposed amendments at least 30 days prior to the date of the meeting at which a vote for adoption is to be taken or ballots mailed.   A printing in the MAESP magazine and/or newsletter will constitute proper notice to the membership.  A copy of any amendment proposed by a member shall be sent to the president and a copy to the president-elect.  The president-elect shall be responsible for getting a copy to the Editor of the MAESP magazine and/or newsletter for printing.

Section 2:  Proposed amendments shall be read and voted upon at a general membership meeting of the Association.  Provided there is a quorum present, a majority vote shall be required of an amendment.

Section 1:  Association records and accounts shall be the property of MAESP and shall be open to inspection by any member upon written request to the Executive Committee.

Section 2:  The Association may receive grants for special purposes and may deposit and expend these funds according to terms laid down by the grantor and accepted by the Executive Committee.

Section 3:  The properties and funds of the Association, together with any funds or properties received by gift, bequest, devise or accrued income, shall be the charge of the Executive Committee for investment and safekeeping.  No part of the funds shall be spent except as recommended by the Finance Committee by majority vote.  The secretary/treasurer of the Association shall make a financial report at each meeting of the Executive Committee and to the membership at its annual business meeting.  The Association records and accounts shall be audited annually by a certified public accountant and a report made to the membership. The secretary/treasurer, under the direction of the MAESP Executive Director, shall be responsible for maintaining a complete accounting system which clearly identifies all receipts and expenditures.  The executive director, secretary/treasurer, and office personnel shall be bonded for the amount of funds handled by the Association.

Section 4:  No part of the net income, revenue or grants of the Association shall be used for the personal benefit of any member, officer, or private individual except that reasonable compensation may be paid for expenses or services.  No member, officer, or private individual shall be entitled to share in the distribution of any part of the assets of the Association on its dissolution or liquidation.  In the event of such dissolution or liquidation, the assets of the Association, after payment of debt and obligations, shall be transferred to an organization with federal tax exemption for charitable and educational uses and purposes similar to those of this Association.  The receiving organization shall be designated by the Executive Committee at its final meeting.

Section 1:  For general membership meetings, fifty (50) members, representing a majority of the districts (7), shall constitute a quorum.

Section 2:  A quorum for the Executive Committee shall consist of either the president or president-elect and twelve (12) additional members or their designates, representing at least a majority of the districts.  Voting members of the Executive Committee who cannot attend may register a proxy vote.  The member who cannot attend must contact the MAESP Executive Director or his/her designee to notify him/her of their absence and register the person to cast the proxy ballot.  The proxy shall be a MAESP member of the same MAESP district as the Executive Committee member who registered the proxy.  The process must be completed prior to the Call to Order of the Executive Committee Meetings.

Rules of Order:  The proceedings of this Association shall be governed by "Robert's Rules of Order, Newly Revised" in cases in which it is not in conflict with the Constitution and By-Laws of the Association.

Section 1:  The annual dues of MAESP in 2008-2009 shall be
 

Section 2:  First year Missouri principals and first year assistant principals will be charged fifty (50) percent of  active members dues according to the sliding scale.

Section 3:  Ten dollars ($10.00) of MAESP annual membership dues are for a one-year subscription to "The Elementary Principal".

Section 4:  MAESP dues are adjusted annually (to round dollars) based on the U.S. government consumer price index, also known as cost of living adjustment or COLA. Dues increase in 2008-09 was based on a COLA of 2.2 percent.

Section 1:  The Nominating/Elections Committee shall be composed of the district president or his/her duly designated representative from each district.  The president-elect shall serve as chairperson of said committee.

Section 2:  It shall be the chairperson's responsibility to review eligibility of candidates for the Association's elective offices and to inform the Executive and Nominating Committees of those candidates making proper filing applications.

Section 3:  Those persons wishing to submit their names as a candidate for the office of president-elect, secretary/treasurer or NAESP representative shall:

A. file for that office by December 1, notifying the MAESP Executive Director of their intent to become a candidate in writing.
B. have paid annual dues, on or before the filing date.
C. have been an MAESP member for the three years immediately preceding the present year and be a current member of NAESP.
D. send a resume of their professional activities (not to exceed 200 words in length) to the MAESP office by December 1.  The resume shall appear in a publication prior to the election.  The MAESP Executive Director or his/her designee will announce the names of the candidates for the various offices to the district presidents immediately after the deadline for filing has passed.
E.  The term of the office of NAESP representative shall be for three years and he/she shall not succeed him/herself.  In addition to the above, candidates for the office of NAESP representative shall:
   1.  be a practicing elementary or middle school principal
   2.  have been an active member of MAESP and NAESP for the five years immediately preceding the present year.

Section 4:  The Nominating/Elections Committee shall meet to review eligibility of candidates, make nominations if no candidate has filed for an office, and to prepare the ballot for the election.  A nomination shall be made for president in case the president-elect does not succeed to the presidency.

Section 5:  Any Candidate who is nominated from the floor or whose name is marked as a write-in on the ballot must meet requirements B and C under Article IV, Section 3.

Section 1:  The Standing Committees of MAESP are Finance, Plans and Policies, Spring Conference Program, Legislative, Membership and Redistricting, Resolutions, Spring Conference Arrangements, Public Relations, Distinguished Principal Banquet and National Distinguished Principal Selection.  All Committee members except MAESP office staff and non-principal members of the National Distinguished Principal Selection Committee shall be active MAESP members.  Additionally, the NAESP Representative as an elected individual has a committee-like responsibility for NAESP related affairs.

Section  2:  FINANCE COMMITTEE:  The Finance Committee shall be composed of the president, past-president, president-elect, secretary/treasurer, and the NAESP state representative.

It shall be the duty of the MAESP Executive Director to present an annual budget to the MAESP Finance Committee.  It shall be the duty of the MAESP Finance Committee to review and approve an annual budget.

Section  3:  PLANS AND POLICIES COMMITTEE:  The Plans and Policies Committee will be chaired by the MAESP past president.

This committee will be composed of five members.  The members of this committee shall be appointed by the MAESP president for a term of three (3) years, with one (1) or two (2) members being appointed annually.  Members are not eligible to succeed themselves.   The MAESP President may appoint Ad Hoc members.  Their terms will correspond with the MAESP President's term of office.  If committee members become unable to serve, the MAESP President shall appoint a replacement to fill the unexpired term.  The Plans and Policies Committee shall study the organizational needs of MAESP.  Specific recommendations on long- and short-range goals will be reviewed and revised annually and presented to the Executive Committee and the General Membership at the MAESP Spring Conference.

Section  4:  PROGRAM COMMITTEE:  The president-elect is responsible for such committees as he/she deems necessary to assist in planning and presenting the Association's program.

Section  5:  LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE:  There shall be a Legislative Committee composed of one member from each district.  Each District President shall annually appoint one member to the Legislative Committee.  The name of this representative shall be submitted to the MAESP Office by June 1.  The MAESP President shall appoint a chairperson of the Legislative Committee for a term of one year.  The committee shall meet one time each year as a group at a time determined by the chairperson and may meet at other times at the discretion of the President.  The committee shall meet to carry out duties as assigned by the President.

The Legislative Committee shall also include a Coordinating Committee to be appointed annually by the President of MAESP.  The Coordinating Committee shall have the following responsibilities:

a)  They shall meet annually in August to elect a chairperson, review resolutions adopted by MAESP at the spring conference, identify legislative committee members from each MAESP district, review the MAESP legislative platform from the previous session, and brainstorm issues for the new platform.

b)  The committee in conjunction with the governmental relations person shall prepare a draft legislative platform for consideration by the full legislative committee and shall assist in the actual preparation of the platform during the committee meeting.

c)  They shall work with the Executive Director of MAESP during the legislative session to coordinate legislative testimony and communicate as needed on issues with district legislative committee members.

Section  6:  MEMBERSHIP AND REDISTRICTING:  This committee shall be composed of the state representatives.  Where there is more than one (1) representative from a district, the district president shall designate one (1) state representative to be the district membership chairperson.  The chairperson of this committee shall be the NAESP representative.  It shall be the duty of this committee to encourage individual membership of principals in local, state and national associations.

The committee will consider problems of forming districts or sub-districts with the recognized district and make suggestions, where desirable, to the Executive Board for action.

At the present time, there are 14  districts.  They are as follows:  Central, Clay-Platte, Jefferson County, Kansas City, Kansas City Suburban, Northeast, Northwest, St. Joseph, St. Louis Suburban, St. Louis, South Central, Southeast, Southwest, and Springfield.

Section  7:  RESOLUTIONS COMMITTEE:  This committee shall be composed of six (6) members.  The members of this committee shall be appointed by the president for a term of three (3) years with two (2) members being appointed annually.  The chairperson of this committee shall be appointed by the president.  The duties of this committee shall be as follows:

1. It is the obligation of this committee to be responsive to the membership of the organization.

2. This committee shall establish a close working relationship with the Plans and Policies and Legislative Committees.

3. The actions of this committee are to be publicly disseminated, stating the position of MAESP on vital issues.

4. This committee should assist in distributing printed copies of adopted resolutions to the membership, professional organizations, news media, and other interested parties.

5. An open hearing will be held annually at the Spring Conference prior to the General Business Session.

Section  8:    SPRING CONFERENCE ARRANGEMENTS COMMITTEE:  There shall be a Spring Conference Arrangements Committee comprised of two members.  These two members shall include a Director of Arrangements and an Assistant Director of Arrangements for the MAESP Spring Conference.  One new member will be appointed by the MAESP President each year following the close of the spring conference. Committee membership shall be for two years with each member serving respectively as assistant director and director.  The duties of each member shall be as follows:

        Director of Arrangements - shall be responsible for arrangement and coordination of the facilities for the spring conference.
        Assistant Director of Arrangements - shall serve as a back-up to the Director of Arrangements for the first year and will be responsible for the vendors' hospitality room.

Section  9:  PUBLIC RELATIONS COMMITTEE:  There shall be a Public Relations Committee comprised of one representative from each district and two at-large members and the Executive Director or his/her designee.  The district representative shall be appointed by the president of each district.  The two at-large members shall be appointed by the MAESP president and along with the Executive Director shall be responsible for the statewide activities.  The two at-large members shall be appointed for concurrent three-year terms.

Section  10:  NATIONAL DISTINGUISHED PRINCIPAL SELECTION COMMITTEE:  The National Distinguished Principal Selection Committee shall be charged with the selection of the Missouri National Distinguished Principal.  The committee shall be composed of the NAESP Representative, who will serve as the chairperson, the past year's NDP recipient, the MAESP retired principal representative, the chairperson of the Public Relations Committee, and a second former Distinguished Principal or a current Missouri national officer.  The chairperson may select from previous NDP recipients to fill any committee vacancies that may occur.

Section 11:   DISTINGUISHED PRINCIPALS BANQUET COMMITTEE:  The Distinguished Principals Banquet Committee shall be charged with the responsibility for the arrangement of the Distinguished Principals banquet.  The committee shall be appointed annually by the MAESP president.

Section 1:  The Missouri Association of Elementary School Principals shall be affiliated with the National Association of Elementary School Principals.  The State of Missouri shall be divided into districts as provided by this Constitution and By-Laws and representatives shall be elected by and from each district.

Section 2:  Any group of local school district principals wishing to change districts within MAESP must:

1. Be located within a school district with contiguous boundaries to the MAESP district they wish to join.

2. Obtain a petition from the MAESP state office.

3. File a petition with the MAESP district they wish to leave.

4. File a petition with the MAESP district they wish to join.

5. File a petition with the MAESP Executive Committee through the Membership and Redistricting Committee of MAESP.

If the petition is approved by all the above-mentioned groups, the redistricting shall be achieved and MAESP district boundaries shall be redrawn within 30 days to show the approved change.  If the petition is not approved by either of the two districts affected, they shall file a letter with the Executive Committee stating their reasons.  The Executive Committee of MAESP shall make a determination based on evidence submitted by the districts involved.

Section 3:  Any group of local school district principals wishing to dissolve their existing MAESP district and consolidate with another MAESP district must:

1.  Be located in a MAESP district with contiguous boundaries to the MAESP district they wish to join.

2.  Obtain a petition from the MAESP state office.

3.  File a petition with the MAESP district they wish to leave.  The petition must contain  signatures of the lesser of a minimum of twenty active MAESP members or eighty percent of current active membership from the district seeking dissolution.

4.  File a petition with the MAESP district they wish to join.  The petition must contain signatures of the lesser of a minimum of twenty active MAESP members or eighty percent of current active membership from the district seeking dissolution.

5. File a petition with the MAESP Executive Committee through the Membership and Redistricting Committee of MAESP.  The petition must contain signatures of the lesser of a  minimum of twenty active MAESP members or eighty percent of current active membership from the district seeking dissolution.

If the petition is approved by all the above-mentioned groups, the redistricting shall be achieved, MAESP district boundaries shall be redrawn within 30 days, and representation on the MAESP Executive Committee for the dissolved district shall immediately be withdrawn.  If the petition is not approved by either of the two districts affected, they shall file a letter with the Executive Committee stating their reasons.  The Executive Committee of MAESP shall make a determination based on evidence submitted by the districts involved.

Section 4:  Any group of local school district principals wishing to incorporate a new MAESP district must:

1. Present a description of the proposal for the new district to the MAESP state office.  The  description must clearly identify the boundaries of the proposed district and recommend a name for it.

2. Obtain a petition from the MAESP state office.

3. File a petition with each MAESP district whose land area would be reduced if the proposed new district were approved.  The petition must contain signatures of a minimum of thirty active MAESP members located within the newly proposed MAESP district.

4. File a petition with the MAESP Executive Committee through the Membership and Redistricting Committee of MAESP.

If the petition is approved by all MAESP districts whose land area would be reduced and by the MAESP Executive Committee, the new district shall be officially recognized on the next July 1 following approval and given the name approved by the MAESP Executive Committee.  MAESP district boundaries shall be redrawn to include the new district, district officers shall be elected, and representation on the MAESP Executive Committee shall be granted in accordance with Article IV, Section 3 of the MAESP Constitution.  If the petition is not approved by all MAESP districts whose land area would be reduced, the petitioners shall file a letter directly with the MAESP Executive Committee through the MAESP President asking for further consideration of their petition concerns.  If the petitioners are not satisfied with the decision of the Executive Committee, they may appeal their case to the membership by requesting time on the agenda at the annual MAESP Spring Conference Business Meeting.

Section 1:  The state delegates to the NAESP Convention will be appointed by the NAESP Representative with assistance from the State President in the following manner:

1. The State Representative to NAESP is an automatic delegate and is not counted against the State Quota.

2. The State President shall be the first delegate appointed.

3. The State President-Elect shall be the second delegate appointed.

4. The Secretary-Treasurer shall be the third delegate appointed.

5. The remaining delegate quota will be appointed by the NAESP Representative with assistance from the State President. All recommended delegates shall be members of MAESP and NAESP.

Section 2:   The NAESP Representative will be chairperson of the State Delegation.

Section 1:  Selection process:

            A.  The NAESP Representative of MAESP shall serve as the Zone 8 representative.

Section 2:  Terms of office:

            A. Term of office for the Zone 8 representative shall coincide with the term of office for NAESP Representative of MAESP.

            B.  MAESP retired principal representative will also serve as Missouri's Zone 8 Retired Principal Representative.

Section 1:  An Executive Director/Lobbyist shall be employed.

Section 2:  MAESP shall contribute annually an amount, as determined by the MAESP Finance Committee, to the Missouri Council of School Administrators (MCSA).  This non-profit organization shall be governed by the president, past president, and the president-elect of MAESP; and the president, past president, and the president-elect of the Missouri Association of School Administrators.  MAESP shall employ an Executive Director and an administrative assistant to carry out the functions of MAESP. Other personnel shall be approved by the MCSA governing board necessary to carry out the administrative functions of MCSA.

Section 3:  The complete duties of the Executive Director are outlined in a job description which is on file in the MAESP office.

Section 4:  Terms of employment including salary, expenses, fringe benefits, working relations with other educational organizations, etc. for the MAESP Executive Director and the MAESP administrative assistant shall be determined by MAESP.  Within-state auto expenses and all lobbying expenses incurred in performing the Executive Director's job shall be reimbursed by MAESP.  Other expenses incurred by the Executive Director including lodging, meals, out-of-state transportation, registration fees, and membership dues shall be reimbursed by MAESP.  Expenses reimbursed by MAESP shall be subject to MAESP expense guidelines and shall be approved by the Treasurer of MAESP.

Section 5:  The Executive Director may be appointed to any of the MAESP standing committees at the discretion of the President of MAESP.

  Adopted March 11, 2008

MAESP
3550 Amazonas Drive, Jefferson City, MO 65109
Phone: 573-638-2460
Fax: 573-556-6270
E-mail: maesp@mcsa.org
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