SLSMEA Constitution & Bylaws


St. Louis Suburban Music Educators Association Constitution

Section I, Name
The name of the organization shall be the St. Louis Suburban Music Educators Association.

Section II, Affiliation
This organization shall be affiliated with the Missouri Music Educators Association and a district thereof, as defined in Article I, Section 5 of the Missouri Music Educators association Constitution.

Section III, Object
The Purpose of the St. Louis Suburban Music Educators Association shall be the improvement of music education.

Section IV, Members
A member shall be any person actively involved in music education:
a. whose school district in which they are employed is a full member of the St. Louis Suburban Cooperating School District and/or
b. is on the music faculty of a college or university in the St. Louis area.
c. is appointed as a member in good standing by the president of the association
d. is a music student enrolled in a local college/university **

Section V, Government
The government of the association shall be vested in the body of members who are in good standing as specified in Section IV.

Section VI, Officers
Executive and administrative officers shall be provided for in the By-Laws.

Section VII, Meetings
Meetings of the association shall be held as provided for in the By-Laws.

** note: college/university students are nonvoting members)

St. Louis Suburban Music Educators Association By-Laws

Article 1, Members
Section 1 A member shall be any person actively involved in music education:
a. whose school district in which they are employed is a full member of the St. Louis Suburban Cooperating School Districts and/or
b. is on the music faculty of a college or university in the St. Louis area.
c. is appointed as a member in good standing by the president of the association
d. is a music student enrolled in a local college/university

Article 2, Meetings
Section 1 A general membership meeting may be scheduled annually by the executive board prior to the start of the school year.
Section 2 Executive Board meetings will be scheduled by the president and occur during the year. All association members may observe at executive board meetings but they may not discuss, or participate at these meetings.

Article 3, Elected Officers
Section 1 President - The President shall preside at all meetings of the association and of the executive Board. He shall sign all vouchers, call all board meetings, and shall appoint and be an ex-officio member of all committees. The term of office shall be for two years and elected in odd years. The President will serve as Past President for two years at the conclusion of his term of office.

Section 2 President-Elect - In the absence of the President, the President-Elect shall assume the duties of the President. The President-Elect shall automatically succeed the President at the end of his/her term. The term of office shall be for two years and elected in odd years.

Section 3 Secretary - The secretary shall keep the minutes and records of the association and shall be the custodian of the records of the association. He/she shall devise and keep the records as are necessary for the efficient conduct of their office. At the expiration of their office , documents and records in both electronic and paper form shall be turned over to the incoming secretary. The term of office shall be two years and be elected in odd years.

Section 4 Treasurer/By-Laws Chair
a. The Treasurer shall be responsible for the payment of all financial responsibilities incurred by the association as approved by the executive board.** At the expiration of their office, the funds, books, and canceled checks in their complete form shall be turned over to the successor. The successor or an individual appointed by the board shall perform an audit of the books.
b. The By-Laws Chair shall be responsible for keeping an updated Constitution and By-Laws for the organization. He/she will make recommendations upon directions from the executive board for any necessary changes to the By-Laws. He/she will be responsible for insuring that all meetings and actions of the membership fall within the scope provided by the association’s Constitution and By-Laws. The term of office shall be two years and be elected in odd years.
** Treasurer is not responsible for the St. Louis Cooperating School District Funds. These funds are the responsibility of the President or his/her designee

Section 5 Executive Committee - Executive Committee members shall act as the policy making body of the association. The committee shall consist of the officers enumerated above, the Past President, and additional members elected or appointed to the following positions as designated for two year terms. Appointed committee members shall be appointed by a simple majority vote of the executive board.

a. Elected members:
1. HS Band VP, odd years
2. JH/MS Band VP, even years
3. HS Orchestra VP, odd years
4. JH/MS Orchestra VP, odd years
5. Elementary Orchestra, even years
6. HS Jazz VP, odd years
7. JH/MS Jazz VP, even years
8. HS Vocal VP, odd years
9. JH/MS Vocal VP, even years
10. Elem. Vocal VP, odd years
11. College/Univ VP Chair, even years
12. General Music/Multi-Cultural Chair VP, odd years

b. Appointed members:
1. Festival Chair
2. Awards/Recognition/MIOSM Chair
3. Video Coordinator
4. Website Coordinator

Article 4, Nominations and Elections
Section 1. A nominating committee of at least two members shall be appointed by the president. The nominating committee shall prepare a slate of candidates for each office on or before May 1 of each year. This slate will be provided to the membership.

Section 2. The ballot of officers for election shall provide the opportunity for write-in candidates.

Section 3. The term of all elective officers shall begin with the last executive board meeting of the school year.

Section 4. All vacancies shall be filled by simple majority vote of the executive board to complete unexpired terms.

Article 5, Amendments
Section 1. Constitution - the Constitution of the association may be amended at any regular meeting of the association by an affirmative vote of a 2/3 majority of the members present and voting, provided that notice of the proposed change has been approved by the executive board and provided to the membership not less than ten calendar days prior to the meeting. A voice vote will be sufficient for all general meeting voting purposes unless a substantial number of members call for a ballot vote.

Section 2. By-Laws - the By-Laws of the association may be amended at any regular meeting of the association by an affirmative vote of a simple majority of the members present and voting, provided that notice of the proposed change has been approved by the executive board and provided to the membership not less than ten calendar days prior to the meeting. A voice vote will be sufficient for all general meeting voting purposes unless a substantial number of members call for a ballot vote.

Article 6, Job Descriptions
Section 1. Each member of the executive committee shall compile a detailed description of their responsibilities and duties.
The complete description of job responsibilities and duties,
and a timetable of activities shall be provided to their
successor. A copy of their job duties/timetable shall also be given to the By-Laws chair.

Section 2. The President of the association has final authority over committee members job responsibilities and duties.