Constitution of the Georgia Association of Teachers of Japanese
**approved by members of GATJ at the annual meeting of July 23, 2010.
Article I. Name and Object
- This Society shall be known as the Georgia Association of Teachers of Japanese (hereinafter GATJ).
- Its object shall be the promotion of interest in and the advancement of the study of Japanese.
Article II. Membership
- Any person may become a member by payment of dues.
- On or before August 1 of each year, each member shall pay an annual fee as dues, in an amount fixed by vote of GATJ on recommendation of the Executive Committee. If the annual dues are not received in full within the time prescribed, the member shall forfeit the rights of membership until payment of all arrears is received in full.
- A member may pay dues in advance for one or more years, and such dues shall be considered as payment in full regardless of any future change in the amount of dues voted by GATJ after the date on which they were paid.
Article III. Officers and Committees
- The officers shall be a President and a Treasurer, elected by a two-thirds vote of the quorum at the Annual Meeting. If the office of President should, through any cause, become vacant, a past President shall thereupon assume the duties for the remainder of that term. If the office of the Treasurer should, through any cause, become vacant, the President, with the advice of the Executive Committee, shall appoint a member of the Association.
- The President shall serve for one year (and shall be eligible for reelection for additional terms) and shall take office at the conclusion of the Annual Meeting. The President shall preside at the meetings of GATJ and the Executive Committee and shall appoint non-elective committees as may be required. The President may invite appropriate individuals to attend and participate at the Executive Committee without vote.
- The President shall keep the records of the deliberations of GATJ and of the Executive Committee and report them to members of GATJ.
- There shall be an Executive Committee, composed of a President, a Treasurer, one K-12 school representative, one college representative, and a Webmaster. Members of the Executive Committee shall be nominated and appointed by the President. The Executive Committee shall meet as often as needed to transact the business of GATJ. It shall have power to take any action that GATJ itself could take, but all its acts must be reported to GATJ within a week. The meetings of the Executive Committee shall be open for observation, but without the right to speak or vote, to any member of GATJ. The President may ask members of the Executive Committee to vote upon specific questions and shall do so at the request of any other member. All decisions of the Executive Committee shall be by a majority vote of those members present. In case the votes are evenly divided, the vote of the President shall be decisive.
- If the office of any other members of the executive Committee should, through any cause, become vacant, the President, with the advice of the Executive Committee, shall appoint a member of the Association.
Article IV. Finances
A bank account shall be opened in the name of the Georgia Association of Teachers of Japanese, and the Executive Committee shall be empowered to sign checks. Any two members of the Executive Committee shall be required to sign checks.
Article V. Meetings
- There shall be an Annual Meeting of GATJ, at such time and place as shall be determined by the Executive Committee. A quorum shall consist of those present at the Annual Meeting.
- The Executive Committee may call special meetings of GATJ.
- Titles and descriptions of presentations to be made at the Annual Meeting must be submitted to the President beforehand, and its disposition of such presentations, including a possible limitation of the time to be devoted to them, shall be final.
- Any agenda items requiring a vote must have the approval of two-thirds of the members voting.
Article VI. Amendments
- Proposed amendments to the Constitution must be submitted to the members for approval by either (i) A two-thirds vote of the Executive Committee of the Association, or (ii) A petition to the Executive Committee, in care of the Treasurer of the Association, signed by ten percent of the membership.
2. Any proposed amendments to this Constitution must have the approval of two-thirds of the members voting.