2003 Annual report of the Constitution, Bylaws, and Handbook Revision Committee

TO: TOM GILSON, SCLA PRESIDENT
RE: YEAR END REPORT FOR THE CONSTITUTION, BYLAWS, AND HANDBOOK REVISION COMMITTEE
DATE: DECEMBER 8, 2003
FROM: JAMES CROSS, CHAIR

The Committee's major accomplishment this year was to move the Handbook into its fifth edition and to suggest changes that would greatly simplify its editing. This was done by having only changes to the Constitution and Bylaws submitted to the membership for approval, as opposed to all changes to the Handbook. The Committee also recommended changes to the Constitution and Bylaws that added the Executive Secretary as an ex-officio member without vote to the Executive Board; added the Scholarship for Diversity Committee to the list of standing committees; made it easier for the Executive Board to determine the duties of its employees and develop policies and procedures for the organization; allows the Executive Board to vote using e-mail under certain circumstances; and other changes to improve consistency with other portions of the Constitution and Bylaws.

The Chair also gave a presentation on parliamentary procedure at the SCLA Committee Retreat on March 1, 2003. He attended the March, May, August and October Board meetings and answered any questions relating to parliamentary procedure that arose during the course of the year.

2003 SCLA Handbook Changes

(Approved by Membership Oct. 22, 2003)

HANDBOOK, SECTION I. INTRODUCTION

Scope: Change paragraph to read "The South Carolina Library Association Handbook (SCLAHB), fifth edition, 2003 includes the Constitution and the Bylaws, which are approved by the general membership. It also includes administrative procedures and guidelines approved by the Executive Board, and the bylaws of Sections and Round Tables approved by the membership of those Sections and Round Tables."

Organization: retitle Section IV. as "Administrative Guidelines and Procedures" and V. as "Officers, Executive Secretary, Committees, Sections, and Round Tables"

Revision and Coordination:

Revise second sentence to read "All updated materials are made available after the Annual Conference by the Executive Secretary to all current members."

Revise #4 to read "Items approved by the Executive Board that affect the Association Constitution and Bylaws are submitted to the membership for approval at the Annual Conference."

Create new #5 to read "Items approved by the Executive Board that affect other sections of the SCLAHB are submitted to the membership at the Annual Conference for information and inclusion in the SCLAHB."

Definitions: Delete entire section.

CONSTITUTION (HANDBOOK, SECTION III)

Article V Executive Board: add first under "Ex-officio members without vote: " the Executive Secretary".
BYLAWS (HANDBOOK, SECTION III)

Change duty G. from "To employ salaried persons" to "To employ salaried persons and determine their duties." in Bylaws Article IV. Executive Board, Section 2. Powers and Duties.

Add a new duty "I." that reads "Establishes administrative guidelines and procedures for conducting day-to-day operations of the Association." in Bylaws Article IV. Executive Board, Section 2. Powers and Duties.

Add a new duty "J." that reads "Reviews procedures of all committees as needed." in Bylaws Article IV. Executive Board, Section 2. Powers and Duties; this would echo the Executive Board duty listed in Article V. Committees, Section 1.

Add the Scholarship for Diversity Committee to Bylaws Article V. Committees, Section 2. Standing Committees as "m."

Change Bylaws Article V. Committees, Section 3. Special Committees, b. to read "Special committees shall include the Nominating Committee, the Conference Program Committee, and other committees deemed advisable by the Executive Board."

Change current wording in Article VI. Sections, Section 4 and Article VII. Round Tables, Section 3 to "... provided they do not conflict with the Constitution and Bylaws of the South Carolina Library Association."

Change the title of Article VIII. Meetings and Quorum, Section 5 from "Votes by Mail" to "Votes by Mail and Electronic Mail" and add the following three sentences to the end of Section: "The Board may vote using e-mail when time is an issue. That vote should be ratified at the next regular Board meeting. Such e-mail votes shall be conducted under the same requirements as votes at meetings."

HANDBOOK SECTION V.

Add Scholarship and Diversity Committee; spell out RAAC [Round Table for African-American Concerns] in first paragraph; delete "Proposed" in B.; capitalize University in third sentence of B.1.

HANDBOOK MISC.

Change title to note that this version is the Fifth Edition, 2003.

Move Section and Round Table bylaws to Section V. under appropriate Section or Round Table. (Model bylaws stay in Section IV.)