TransGender Education Association
Proposed changes to the TGEA Bylaws:
September 5th, 2009
Summary: A proposal is hereby made to change the current TGEA Bylaws in the following manner. The purpose is to change the period of membership from September to the following August to a one-year period starting from membership approval (following receipt of a valid, paid application or renewal).
Specific Changes:
Article 3: Membership, currently reads as follows:
Membership is an agreement between the individual and the Transgender Education Association for a one (1) year term (September 1st to August 31st). During that period, the member agrees to pay all dues and fees in the manner agreed upon between the member and the Treasurer. Also, a member attending an official TGEA function agrees to comply with the TGEA bylaws and any other rules established and posted. Membership is not transferable or assignable.
The TGEA Board proposes to change this text to read (changes highlighted in red):
Membership is an agreement between the individual and the Transgender Education Association for a one (1) year term starting from the receipt of the valid, completed and paid membership application or renewal. During that period, the member agrees to pay all dues and fees in the manner agreed upon between the member and the Treasurer. Also, a member attending an official TGEA function agrees to comply with the TGEA bylaws and any other rules established and posted. Membership is not transferable or assignable.
A vote will be taken at the October 10, 2009 TGEA meeting, on these proposed changes.
TGEA Bylaws
Article 1: Name
The name of the Organization is the "Transgender Education Association of Greater Washington D.C." Hereinafter TGEA
Article 2: Mission Statement
Provide means for individuals identifying themselves as transgender to understand and accept their lifestyle through methods and options which may include but are not limited to providing a supportive environment and day-to-day assistance, providing peer counseling and or referral to professional, institutional, and other appropriate resources, helping individuals to overcome their sense of isolation, and providing appropriate educational and social opportunities.
To provide a comprehensive support system for those persons dealing with the problems associated with the transgender lifestyle, including friends, family, relationship partners, and significant others.
To provide educational resources and information to anyone involved in or desiring information about crossdressing, transsexualism, or cross gender behavior, which may include but are not limited to seminars, workshops, orientation and training sessions, the publication and distribution of informational material. TGEA actively promotes and encourages participation in an extensive public education program for the individual, for groups of individuals, medical and mental health professionals and colleges to eliminate prejudice and discrimination within the general public sector.
Article 3: Membership
Membership in TGEA is open to any person who has reached the age of 18 who perceives their gender role to be different from what is expected of the gender assignment made at birth; to a spouse, relationship partner, or significant other of that person; and to anyone who has an interest in such behavior - with the exception of those person(s) or organization(s) whose intent is to take advantage of those with a differing gender role. Individuals under the age of 18 may attend TGEA membership meetings if accompanied by their parent or guardian.
Membership is an agreement between the individual and the Transgender Education Association for a one (1) year term (September 1st to August 31st). During that period, the member agrees to pay all dues and fees in the manner agreed upon between the member and the Treasurer. Also, a member attending an official TGEA function agrees to comply with the TGEA bylaws and any other rules established and posted. Membership is not transferable or assignable.
A spouse, relationship partner, or significant other of a member who is not a member themselves, may still enjoy all privileges of a member with the exception of voting or chairing a committee or holding office.
Nonmembers may attend meetings either as the guest of a member or after contacting TGEA leadership and undergoing a personal interview. All nonmembers must adhere by the code of conduct. A member hosting a nonmember(s) vouches for the nonmember¹s conduct at the meetings.
TGEA is an equal opportunity organization. Membership shall not be denied, qualified or terminated for any reason other than for behavior detrimental to the good of the association as a whole or to any of its members.
Candidates for membership must:
Request membership by completing a membership application
A candidate for membership is accepted or denied based on the candidate¹s willingness to comply with the established policies, rules and regulations.
Termination, Restriction or Suspension of Membership:
Membership privileges may be suspended, terminated or revoked for violating the Bylaws, Code of Conduct, Standards of Behavior or for behavior detrimental to the good of the organization.
Termination, restriction or suspension proceedings can be initiated by any Board member, or by a written request from any member. A member accused of misconduct will be informed and given an opportunity to address the Board of Directors. After hearing the testimony, the Board of Directors will make the initial determination of misconduct. A two-thirds vote of the Board of Directors in attendance is required for a finding of misconduct. All voting will be by secret ballot.
The accused may request an appeal of the initial decision by submitting a written request to the TGEA Secretary within seven days. The matter will be addressed at the next board meeting. Both the accused and accuser will have an opportunity to address the board. A two-thirds vote of the Board of Directors in attendance is required to reverse the initial decision.
The Board may not terminate, restrict or suspend the membership of a Board member. The membership privileges of a Board member may only be terminated, restricted or suspended by a vote of the general membership at a regular meeting, and requires a majority vote of the members in attendance. At least twenty-five (25) % of the membership must be present.
Upon a decision to terminate membership, all information about the member shall be deleted from the organization records, and no portion of the membership fees shall be refundable.
Rights of Membership
All members, upon being approved for membership as above and paying the appropriate dues, will enjoy the rights and privileges of the Association and are invited to attend all meetings, receive newsletters, are eligible to become officers, serve on and chair committees and vote on all issues put before the Association.
Resignation
A member may resign their membership at any time by putting their intent in writing to the Secretary. Dues are not refundable. Resignation will not relieve the member of the responsibility to pay any dues, or other charges accrued and unpaid.
A member who has resigned may rejoin by the procedure for new members or by petition to the Board of Directors through a written request to the Secretary. Reinstatement shall be made by a vote of a simple majority of the Board of Directors.
All memberships are owned by the association and assigned to the individuals who meet its standards and pay appropriate dues. A membership may not be shared, transferred, divided or inherited.
Article 4: Governance of the Association
The Association will be governed by a Board of Directors, which will be composed of its elected officers. The Board of Directors will have all powers enumerated by the Commonwealth of Virginia as limited by the Articles of Incorporation and the by-laws. The Directors are not required to be residents of the Commonwealth of Virginia but must be fully paid members of TGEA.
The Board of Directors will directly govern all aspects of the Association with the exception of the following:
Removal of officers (article 6)
Approval of changes in the by-laws (article 11)
A quorum of the Board of Directors for the transaction of business at any meeting of the Board of Directors shall consist of a majority of the Board, unless a greater number is required by law or by these Bylaws.
Any member may request a special membership meeting by petition to the Board of not less than ten percent of the full membership. Regular meetings may be held at other times or places as the Board of Directors see necessary.
Decisions of the membership will be made by a simple majority of at least twenty percent of the membership. No proxies, written or otherwise, will be allowed for a membership vote. In the event that twenty percent of the membership is not present the Board of Directors will make the appropriate decision.
Article 5: Officers
There will be eight voting members of the Board of Directors. A majority of the board members is considered to constitute a quorum. There shall be a Corporate Agent as required by law.
Board positions and right of succession:
The President is the chief executive officer of the Association and will supervise and control all the business affairs of the Association, execute directives of the Board of Directors, preside at meetings of the membership and Board of Directors, assure coordination of all functions of the Association including communication among officers, serve as liaison with other organizations, and be the official spokesperson for the Association to outside groups and individuals. The President will be an ex-officio member of all standing and ad hoc committees. The President can establish ad hoc committees and appoint project leaders as needed.
The Vice President will assist the President in administration of the affairs of the Association and will assume the duties of the President in the case of absence, disability, relocation, resignation or termination of the President. The Vice President will coordinate with the Director of Programs and Director of Membership in activities and arrangement for meeting facilities.
The Treasurer will maintain, with the Director of Membership, accurate membership lists; collect, maintain, and disperse funds; prepare, with the other Directors and committee chairs, budgets for all functions of the Association as a whole; generate monthly financial reports and, with the President, an annual financial report for the Board of Directors and the membership at large; and generate financial projections for the coming year. The Treasurer shall also compile and submit all tax forms to the appropriate agencies.
The Secretary is responsible for preparing and making available the minutes of each annual, special, regular and Board of Directors meeting, and signing certain legal documents as required by state regulation or the rules of the AssociationÕs financial institution.
The Director of Outreach is responsible for the development of an effective and aggressive outreach program to the general public and professionals; for developing and tracking a budget for the Outreach program; for coordination and execution of the Outreach program, for developing and coordination of all official contacts with the media.
The Director of Membership will maintain with the Treasurer, accurate membership lists; maintain the membership database; provide all special notices to the membership, and contact and arrange for interviews with perspective new members.
The Director of Programs is responsible for coordinating all programs conducted at the monthly membership meetings, maintaining a current schedule of planned programs, and administering the program budget.
The Director of Publications is responsible for developing, producing, directing, and delivering to the membership a newsletter; for developing and tracking a budget for the newsletter; and for executing the production of the newsletter. The newsletter will be published monthly. A majority vote of the board of directors can suspend the publishing of no more than two editions of the newsletter per year with the stipulation that they are not consecutive editions. The Director provides oversight and final approval of the website, and any other official publication of the organization. The Director is responsible for any advertising in official TGEA publications.
The Corporate Agent will serve as liaison between all Federal, State, County and Local Governments agencies and the Board of Directors of the Association. The Corporate Agent is appointed by, and serves at the pleasure of the Board. The Corporate Agent must live in and be a citizen of the Commonwealth of Virginia. The Corporate Agent's address will be the official address of the Association. The Corporate Agent may be any member or Board member of the Association.
Article 6: Resignation/Removal of Officers
Officers may be removed from office for the following reasons:
A. Resignation ratified by the Board of Directors.
B. Termination of TGEA Membership under Article 3.
C. Three or more unexcused absences from scheduled Board meetings.
Removal from office under Article 6, sections A, B and C is automatic and requires no further action.
In addition, Board members may be removed in accordance with the following procedure for other acts detrimental to TGEA, including but not limited to failure to fulfill the duties of their position, personal use of TGEA funds, falsification of records, disclosure of confidential information, or willful misrepresentation of TGEA to the media or law enforcement.
Procedures for removal from office:
Proceedings are initiated by the submission of a petition outlining the misconduct. Any TGEA member may submit a written petition to the Board of Directors. The matter remains anonymous until reviewed fully by the Board of Directors.
Unless the accused is the President, the President will convene and preside over a closed meeting of the Board of Directors upon the receipt of the petition. The right of succession applies to governance of the meeting if the President is the accused. The following process will be adhered to:
The accused will be allowed to put forward their case.
The remaining members of the Board of Directors may question the accused and discuss the situation amongst themselves.
The remaining members of Board of Directors must vote unanimously to recommend removal. If the vote is not unanimous, the proceeding stops.
If the vote is unanimous the Director is suspended from office pending presentation to the general membership at a regular meeting to be held within sixty (60) days of the Board action.
At the designated meeting of the membership, the matter is presented to the membership for ratification of the removal. Immediate removal from office will take place upon the vote of the majority of members present.
Termination of membership must be brought up as a separate matter.
Article 7: Payment of Dues
The Board of Directors will set the amount of the annual dues and may authorize a lesser amount for those members receiving an electronic newsletter or other differentiated membership categories. Dues are payable at the beginning of each meeting season. The Board of Directors may excuse, amortize, or reduce dues payments for members facing special hardship, for representative of sister organizations, and for other such reasons as it deems appropriate.
Article 8: Books, Records and Annual Reports
The Association shall keep complete books and records of account and shall also keep minutes of the proceeding of the Board of Directors and committees having any of the authority of the Board of Directors, and shall keep these at the office of the registered agent or appointed designee (to be an elected Board member).
Article 9: Security of Information
All files, records, membership lists are confidential and are maintained by the Board of Directors at no more than two secure places. All statutory requirements regarding confidentiality and restriction of access will be rigorously maintained. Upon termination of responsibility of the mailing list the Board member must surrender all information in all formats to an appropriate Board member. Any abuse of membership information including the secure non-sanctioned mailing will result in the immediate expulsion of the person responsible and possible civil action.
Article 10: Relationship with other Societies
TGEA shall maintain itself in good standing with other societies within the gender community, with those of other sexual minorities, and in general be a good citizen corporation within the wider society. Affiliation with other groups of approximately the same size or smaller is permitted upon affirmative vote of a majority of the Board of Directors.
Article 11: Amendments to These By-laws
Amendments to the by-laws are enacted by simple majority vote of the membership at least thirty days after notification of change in the by-laws is made. Notification may be made by mail, messenger, or by reading at a scheduled meeting of the Association.
Article 12: Election/Voting Procedures
Each Director serves a one-year term. There is no restriction to the number of terms a board member can serve.
Elections for the office of President, Treasurer, Outreach Director and Director of Publications shall be held at the annual May meeting. Nominations will open at the March meeting and close at the April meeting. New Board members take office at the July Board of Director's meeting. Elections for the office of Vice President, Secretary, Membership Director, and Programs Director shall be held at the annual November meeting. Nominations will open at the September meeting and close at the October meeting. New Board members take office at the January Board of Director's meeting..
Nominating Procedure:
Any member in good standing can nominate or be nominated for any position on the Board of Directors. Any member nominated must acknowledge and accept the nomination to be placed on the ballot. A list of all members nominated will be published in the newsletter.
Balloting:
Ballots will be prepared for the election. Ballots may be handed out by the Treasurer when members check-in for the meeting. Write-in candidates will be accepted. Absentee ballots will be printed in the edition of The Pinnacle in the month preceding the election; mail or email absentee ballots should be sent to the Secretary, and if received before the start of the election meeting will be counted. After voting has been closed, ballots will be validated and counted by a member(s) who is not on the outgoing board or on the Ballot. Results will be reported to the President. In the event of a tie, the persons in the tie will have a run-off ballot.
Election to Fill an Unexpired Term:
If a Board member resigns or is removed from office, a special election shall be held to fill the office for the unexpired term, at the first possible membership meeting.
Article 13: Dissolution
Upon the dissolution of TGEA and the payment or the provision for payment of all the liabilities of TGEA, the Board of Directors will dispose of all the assets of TGEA exclusively for the purposes outlined in Article 2.
Approved by the TGEA Board of Directors and adopted by the TGEA membership on
on May 5th, 2007.
Erica Clark
Merri Banks
Melissa Morton
Andrea von Kaenel
Gracie Daniels
Sharon Rose
Brooke Poley
Be familiar with the TGEA Bylaws, Code of Conduct and Standards of Behavior
Agree to adhere to the TGEA Bylaws, Code of Conduct and Standards of BehaviorElection of officers (article 12)
The Board is required to meet at least once a month separate from the regular monthly meetings to conduct the operating business of TGEA. The membership will be kept advised of the times and places of Board meetings. All members in good standing may attend Board meetings as non-voting participants. The President, and in the President's absence, the Vice-President, will preside over the meetings. The meetings will be conducted according to Robert's Rules of Order, and the presiding officer will have the option of running the meeting in informal fashion.A. President
Non-voting and non-elected member of the Board: Corporate Agent
B. Vice President
C. Treasurer
D. Secretary
E. Director of Outreach
F. Director of Membership
G. Director of Programs
H. Director of PublicationsThe charges and evidence will be presented by the person presiding.
President
Vice President
Treasurer
Secretary
Director of Outreach
Director of Membership
Director of Publications
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