New Jersey School Counselor Association Bylaws
Article I
Name and Purpose
Section 1 - Name: The official name of the association shall be the New Jersey School Counselor Association, Inc. (NJSCA), a chartered division of the American School Counselor Association (ASCA), and an affiliate of the New Jersey Education Association (NJEA).
Section 2 - Use of Name: The official name of the association, as specified in Article 1, Section 1, shall be employed in connection with all official business and communications pertaining to the Association.
Section 3 - Purposes: The purposes of the Association shall be as follows:
A. To foster a closer personal and professional relationship among school counselors.
B. To advance the profession of school counseling in order to maximize the educational, vocational, personal, and social growth of each student.
C. To improve the standards of school counseling and the relationships with other pupil personnel services for students in P-18.
D. To assume an active role in helping young people to understand and improve such services.
E. To promote the publication of scientific, educational, and professional materials with the purpose of raising the standards of all who work in school counseling.
F. To promote the National Standards for School Counseling and the NJ Model for Comprehensive School Counseling Program Development.
Section 4 - Administrative Year: The administrative year begins on July 1 and ends on June 30.
Article II Membership
Section 1 - Types of Membership: The Association shall include three types of membership: professional, student, and retired.
Section 2 - Requirements of Membership: In order to qualify for one of the types of membership, an individual must meet the requirements specified for the membership being sought.
A. Professional Membership: A Professional Member of NJSCA, Inc. shall pay annual dues and retains all the rights and privileges of membership in NJSCA, Inc.
1. Employment Requirements
a. The member must be employed as a school counselor, director, supervisor or coordinator of guidance (or equivalent title), and must devote fifty percent (50%) or more of his/her time to counseling or guidance activities; or
b. The member may have been previously employed as counselor, director, supervisor or coordinator of guidance (or equivalent title) and must have devoted fifty percent (50%) of his or her time to school counseling and guidance activities during the years of employment; or
c. The member must be employed in an educational institution other than elementary, middle/junior high, senior high, or post-secondary school and must be responsible primarily for the provision and /or improvement of professional guidance services for individuals enrolled in elementary, middle/junior high, senior high, and post-secondary school setting; or
d. The member must be employed in a state or national department of education and be responsible primarily for the provision and/or improvement of professional guidance services to elementary, middle/junior high, senior high, and post-secondary school pupils; or
e. The member must be employed in a private agency and be responsible primarily for rendering guidance services to elementary, middle/junior high, senior high, and post-secondary school pupils; or
f. The member must be employed in a school or school system as a pupil personnel worker (other than a school counselor, director, supervisor, or coordinator of guidance services), an administrator, or in a supervising or instructional capacity.
2. Academic Requirements:
a. The member must hold a Master's Degree and be eligible for certification by the New Jersey Department of Education.
B. Student Membership: A Student Member of NJSCA, Inc. shall pay annual dues and retains all the rights and privileges of membership in NJSCA, Inc.
1. Employment Requirements: No person who is employed full-time in a position that would make him/her eligible for professional membership shall be entitled to student membership.
2. Academic Requirement: The member must be a full-time or part-time student who is enrolled in a planned program of counselor education and working toward a degree or certification recognized by the New Jersey Department of Education
C. Retired Member: A Retired Member of NJSCA, Inc. shall pay annual dues and retains all the rights and privileges of membership in NJSCA, Inc.
Section 3 - Dues: Dues shall be recommended by the NJSCA Executive Board and ratified by a majority of the voting members.
Section 4 - Severance of Membership: A member may be dropped from membership for any conduct that tends to injure the Association or to affect adversely its reputation, or that violates principles stated in ASCA Code of Ethics or the NJSCA Bylaws. Any member charged with engaging in such conduct shall be given an opportunity to present evidence in his/her behalf through witnesses or, otherwise, shall be given the opportunity to confront witnesses against him/her. He/she shall also have the right to appeal and have a hearing before the NJSCA, Inc. Executive Board, whose decision shall be final.
Article III
NJSCA, Inc. Officers
Section 1 - Officers and Terms of Office:
A. The officers of the Association shall be a President, President-Elect, President-Elect-Elect, Immediate Past President, Secretary and Treasurer.
B. All officers of the Association shall be elected by a vote of the members of the Association.
C. The President-Elect shall automatically become President of the Association one year after the commencement of his/her term of office as President-Elect, or upon the death of or resignation of the President. In the event that the President-Elect should resign or be unable to complete his/her term or the President's unexpired term, the successor will be the President-Elect-Elect.
Section 2 - Nominations and Election of Officers:
A. The President -Elect -Elect and Secretary shall be elected annually by secret ballot, electronically forwarded to and returned by members of the Association. For each office, the nominee with the highest number of votes returned shall be elected. The Treasurer shall be elected for a period of three (3) years by a secret ballot, electronically forwarded to and returned by members of the Association. The individual with the highest number of votes shall be elected. In the event the Treasurer is unable to complete his/her term of office, an interim Treasurer will be appointed by the Executive Board of the Association to fill the unexpired term of office.
B. Officers must be members of NJSCA, Inc. at the time of their election and during their term of office. The NJSCA President, President-Elect and the President- Elect-Elect should be members of ASCA.
C. The Nominations and Election Committee shall determine the eligibility of each member nominated and select a minimum of one (1) candidate to a maximum of three (3) candidates plus provide for write-in candidates for each office on the ballot. The Immediate Past President shall chair the Nominations and Elections Committee. He/she shall appoint members of said committee from the Executive Board.
D. Should any elected officer be unable to assume his/her office, the next ranking candidate on the election return shall assume the position. In an emergency situation when neither elected officer is able to hold the office of President, the current President with approval of the Executive Board shall nominate an alternate candidate for the ballot, to be elected by the general membership.
E. In any case of vacancy of office not provided for in Article III, the President shall appoint from the Executive Board a member to assume the office until the completion of that term of office.
F. Delegates to the ASCA Delegate Assembly shall be the current NJSCA President and the Executive Director. Additional delegate(s) to the ASCA Delegate Assembly shall be appointed by the President and approved by the Executive Board with first priority going to Executive Board members.
Section 3 - Duties of Officers:
A. During his/her term of office, the President shall serve as the presiding officer of NJSCA, Inc. The President, with the approval of the Executive Board, shall appoint all necessary committees and perform such other duties as incidental to the office or properly required by vote of the Executive Board.
B. The President-Elect shall serve as a member of the Executive Board, be responsible for program planning, and other duties as directed by the Executive Board.
C. The President-Elect-Elect shall serve as a member of the Executive Board and be responsible for other duties as directed by the Executive Board.
D. The Secretary shall keep the records of all the meetings of the Association and the Executive Board.
E. The Treasurer shall carry out the financial transactions of the Association and the Executive Board. He/she will maintain records of the transactions and prepare financial reports for each meeting of the Executive Board. The Treasurer shall prepare for review and approval by the Executive Board a list of all monetary disbursements between Executive Board meetings. The Treasurer shall assure that the proper documents are filed by our accountant as required by NJSCA Inc.'s federal 501(c)(3) status.
Article IV Executive Board
Section 1 - Composition:
A. The Executive Board shall be composed of the Association Officers (President, President- Elect, President-Elect-Elect, Immediate Past President, Secretary, and Treasurer), presidents of the county school counselor associations or their appointed representatives, committee chairpersons, and members-at-large appointed by the President. The President shall see that the P-18 work settings are included among those on the Executive Board.
B. Executive Board members must be members of NJSCA, Inc.
C. The position of Executive Director shall be a paid position whose stipend shall be determined by the Executive Board. The Association President shall place in nomination the name of a qualified professional and approval shall be required by a majority of the Executive Board. The Executive Director shall serve at the pleasure of the Executive Board and the Officers.
Section 2 - Meetings:
A. The Executive Board shall meet at the time and place as may be designated by either the President or a majority of voting members of the Executive Board.
B. Seven (7) members of the Executive Board shall constitute a quorum.
Article V
Business Affairs of the Association
Section 1 - Fiscal Year: The fiscal year shall begin on July 1 and end on June 30.
Section 2 - Property of the Association: In the event the Association should be dissolved, none of its property shall be distributed to any of the members. Instead, all of its property shall be transferred to such organization or organizations that the Executive Board shall determine to have purposes and activities most nearly consonant with those of the Association, provided however, that such organization or organizations shall be exempt under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Law.
Section 3 - Parliamentary Authority: The parliamentary authority for the meeting of the Association shall be the latest edition of Robert's Rules of Order.
Article VI Committees
Section 1 - Standing Committees: The Standing Committees of the Association shall be Bylaws, Conference Planning, Executive Board, Finance, Membership, Nominations and Elections, and Professional Development.
Section 2 - Special (Ad Hoc) Committee: A special (ad hoc) committee shall serve until, in the opinion of the Executive Board, the purpose of the said committee is accomplished.
Section 3 -Committee Membership: A committee member shall serve for the administrative year or until the purpose of the said committee is accomplished.
Section 4 -Committee Chairs: Standing and Special Committee chairs shall, with the approval of the Executive Board, be appointed by the NJSCA President
Section 5 - Finance Committee: The Finance Committee shall be composed of the President, President-Elect, President-Elect-Elect, Secretary, Treasurer and a Member-at-Large. This committee shall oversee the fiscal operations of the New Jersey School Counselor Association,
Inc. Length of service on this committee shall be determined by the terms of office of each of its members.
Article VII
Adoption and Amendment of Bylaws:
Section 1 - Amendment and Adoption: These Bylaws may be amended by a majority vote of the membership voting after submission of the proposed amendment.
A. An amendment shall be proposed in writing by the Executive Board or over the signature of twenty-five (25) members. Copies of the amendment proposed under provision of the following paragraph shall be forwarded electronically to the membership.
B. An amendment proposed at any meeting shall be voted by electronic ballot.
Section 2 - Publication: The Bylaws of the Association shall be available to the membership on the NJSCA, Inc. homepage.
Updated:
Summer 2015
Spring 2009
Summer 2006
Fall 2005
Spring 2003
New Jersey School Counselor Association
FINANCIAL POLICIES
Finance Committee
The Finance Committee of the New Jersey School Counselor Association, Inc. oversees the income and expenditures of the Association. The members of the Finance Committee are Treasurer, who is the chairperson; President; Past-President; President-Elect & Executive Director.
It is the responsibility of both the president and the treasurer to ascertain that all expenditures fall within the guidelines established and the current budget.
Budget Requests and Plans of Action
The Finance committee will use budget requests and Plans of Action, in developing a proposed, balanced budget is to be submitted to the Executive Board for approval at its first fiscal year meeting.
Annual Budget
The Finance Committee (Treasurer- Chair; President; President-Elect, Past-President & Executive Director) shall review all budget requests and present a proposed balanced budget to the Executive Board for approval. The Executive Board shall consider the proposed budget, make any changes deemed advisable, and approve a balanced budget.
Budget Adjustments
The budget adjustments for the association are made from the Finance committee to the Board. Other budget adjustment must be accompanied by budget request and a plan of action sent to the Finance Committee for review and recommendation to the Executive Board.
Budget Expenditures
All expenditures to be reimbursed by NJSCA, Inc. will be set by the limits of the Association budget (officers and committees) in compliance with the Association’s governing categories and Financial Policies.
Over expenditures
The Treasurer will reject any request for payment, which extends beyond the limits for which the money was allocated. The person refused has the right to appeal the decision of the Treasurer to the Finance Committee. A second appeal may be made to the NJSCA, Inc. Executive Board. In all cases, the decision of the Executive Board shall be final.
Requests for Additional Funds
Requests for additional funds to exceed the budget amount must be defined as to need. Requests must be sent to the President. The Finance committee may grant approval for any over expenditure not to exceed $100.00. The Governing Board upon the recommendation of the finance Committee must grant approval for any expenditure exceeding the budgeted amount by $100.00.
Organizational Sustenance
Organizational sustenance shall consist of all committees identified for the purpose of soliciting funds to sustain the organization structure, purchase of items for profitable resale are allowable expenses.
Reimbursement Procedures
Expenses incurred on business of the Association shall be authorized for reimbursement by the appropriate NJSCA, Inc. officer or committee chair. Payment authorizations must be submitted to the treasurer and the Executive Director within 30 days of the incidence of the expense. All expenditures must be accompanied by an explanation and a receipt using one of the attached forms.
Travel/Lodging & Meals
Transportation: Travel by air, train, and bus must have a fare as low as possible to accommodate convenient travel arrangement and be accompanied by dated receipts.
Travel by Private Auto: When allowable, travel by private auto will be reimbursed at determined yearly using the federal government rate.. Airport ground transportation costs will be reimbursed when reported on payment authorization(delete) (add) appropriate forms.. lf school cars can be used for travel purposes, mileage will not be paid.
Auto Rental: Auto rental may be reimbursed only if the Finance Committee chair and President specifically authorize it and there is no other available transportation at less cost.
Rooms: Room Expenditures, whenever possible, should be based upon one-half the prevailing minimum rates for double occupancy. Single room housing accommodations will only be allowed when unusual circumstances occur and warrant.
Meals: Officers and the Executive Director will be reimbursed $50.00 per day for the cost of meals not included in conference registration.
NAR
NJSCA, Inc. will pay travel, registration, and lodging expenses for those individuals attending a North Atlantic Region meeting
State LDI
When necessary, lodging and meals at LDI will be provided for board members attending. If requested, mileage will be paid for by NJSCA, Inc.
State Conference
NJSCA, Inc. will pay for a room for one night for the NJSCA, Inc. President, the Executive Director and the Treasurer, for the keynote speakers, and for the conference chair. Registration for these individuals is complimentary.
ASCA Delegate Assembly, LDI, and ASCA Conference
NJSCA will pay travel, lodging, food and registration for the aforementioned events for the Executive Direction, the incoming (July 1) president and president elect. Individuals are asked to request funding for these events from their school district. NJSCA will pick up costs for funds that will not be covered by the district.
Administrative Expenses
The officers will budget for phone, postage and additional expenses each year according to previous years’ examples of necessary costs.
Liaison Activities
It is the responsibility of any organization requesting the NJSCA, Inc. President or Executive Director attend and participate in scheduled events to make financial arrangement with the President or the Executive Director.
End of Fiscal Year Accounting
The accounts of all officers and committee chairs should be resolved by June 15 of each year. The Finance Committee chair (Treasurer) will be responsible for submitting for publication an end of year financial statement.
Funding for Cooperative Conferences
NJSCA, Inc. seeks to cooperate with other state divisions, agencies, and chapters in the development and sponsorship of conferences, seminars, and workshops for members. If NJSCA, Inc. approves partial funding of an event; it is a sound rule of thumb that all special events should be self-supporting. Advance funding should be requested and included in the budget for the year with approval of the Executive Board. A credit card will be given to the Executive Director to be used for approved expenses. All use of credit card should follow guidelines set up by the NJSCA, Inc.
Credit Card
A. Items charged on the credit card may not exceed the amount budgeted for that item unless prior approval is received from the Finance Committee. An officer may be responsible for any amount that exceeds the budgeted amount.
B. Credit Card should be used to pay for hotel, registration, plane expenses that are covered in NJSCA, Inc. financial policies.
C. Monthly reports and expenses must be given to the treasurer.
Policies written August 2003
Policies updated August 2005
Policies updated September 29, 2015
Policies updated May 11, 2016