MAIN Bylaws |
Section 1 - Name: The name of the organization shall be Minnesota Advocates for Immersion Network (MAIN). It shall be a non-profit organization incorporated under the laws of the State of Minnesota.
Section 2 - Mission: Minnesota Advocates for Immersion Network acts collaboratively to support, enhance and educate others about language immersion in schools.
Section 3 - Purpose: MAIN is organized exclusively for charitable, scientific, literary and educational purposes.
The purposes of this corporation are:
Section 1 - Eligibility for membership: Membership shall be open to professional educators and higher education professionals with expertise and experience in immersion education, as defined below. Professional educators shall be employed with or exploring the possibility of working with any pre-school, elementary, or secondary language immersion program. Language immersion programs are defined as those that:
Section 2 - Annual dues: Programs or individuals may choose to join MAIN at one of these four membership levels. For membership, language immersion programs are defined by different physical location and student population. Programs may be whole schools or strands within English-medium school sites. Parents of member schools are automatically included in the school’s membership.
Membership fees shall be reviewed periodically and adjusted according to organizational needs.
The amount required for annual dues may be changed by a majority vote of the members at an annual meeting of the full membership.
Section 3 - Rights of members: Each MAIN member from a program and individual members shall be eligible to cast decision-making votes.
Section 4 - Non-voting membership: The Board shall have the authority to establish and define non-voting categories of membership and participation.
Section 1 - General membership meetings: Regular meetings shall occur at least three times per year at an announced time and place. At the meeting, the members shall be updated on current initiatives and issues and will provide input on the general direction of MAIN for the coming year. At the May meeting, members shall elect Board officers.
Section 2 - Special meetings: Special meetings may be called by the Senior-chair, the Vice-chair, or a simple majority of the Board of Directors.
Section 3 - Notice of meetings: Printed notice of each regular meeting shall be given to each member, by e-mail, not less than two weeks prior to the meeting.
Section 4 - Quorum: The members present at any properly announced meeting shall constitute a quorum.
Section 5 - Voting: All issues to be voted on shall be decided by a simple majority of the quorum present at the meeting in which the vote takes place.
The Board shall have 9 to 15 members. The organization will attempt to find members who represent all of the languages taught in Minnesota immersion schools; elementary and secondary programs; urban, suburban, exurban, and rural districts; 1-way, 2-way, and Indigenous programs; and other constituencies as deemed relevant by the Board of Directors. Board members include four officers (Senior-chair, Vice-chair, Secretary and Treasurer), one representative from each of the four committees and a MAIN parent member representative.
The Board receives no compensation.
Section 8 - Special meetings: Special meetings of the Board shall be called upon the request of the Senior-chair, the Vice-chair, or one-third of the Board members. The secretary shall send out notices of special meetings to each Board member at least two weeks in advance.
Section 1 - Committee formation: The Board may create ad hoc committees as needed. The Board shall appoint chairs of ad hoc committees. These committee chairs may recruit volunteers to assist in the work of each committee. The corporation shall have the following standing committees: Teaching and Learning; Personnel, Program Design, and Development; Language Immersion Advocacy; and Communication, Culture, and Community.
Section 2 - Committee membership: Each committee will include a chairperson and a representative to the Board (who may or may not be the committee chair).
Section 3 - Committee responsibilities include, but are not limited to:
Section 1 - Appropriations: By the last meeting of the year each committee will meet to identify priorities and discuss funding requests for the following academic year. At the summer meeting committee chairs and members of the Board of Directors will be expected to reach a consensus before allocating funds according to priorities established for the coming fiscal year. When developing the operating budget, 20% of each year’s funds will be held in reserve for general operating expenses. At the close of the fiscal year, no less than half of the reserve (10%) must be maintained and carried over to the next fiscal year.
Section 2 - Undefined Committee budget: The committee chair will submit a proposed committee budget to the Board of Directors for review before the first general meeting of the fiscal year. The Committee chairs will share the budgets with the general membership. By June 15 the committees will submit final expenditure reports to the Treasurer.
Section 3 - Budgeted expenditures: Items designated by the committees on the committee budget will be dispersed by the treasurer through invoice or reimbursement.
Section 4 - Items not on the standing committees’ submitted budget need to be approved by the members of those committees.
Section 5 - Undefined Process: Procedures for reimbursement will be defined by the Board of Directors.
Section 6 - External Sponsorship: If a committee seeks to generate new revenue from outside sources, approval is required by the Board of Directors and notification will be given within ten business days.
Section 7 - Budget sub-committee: A budget sub-committee will be comprised of the Treasurer, Chair, and two other members of the Board of Directors. They will perform an informal audit at the end of each fiscal year.
Section 8 - Signatories: Any request for payment exceeding $500 requires two signatures by the Treasurer and Chair or Designee.
Section 9 - The fiscal year shall be July 1 to June 30.
Section 1 - Amendments: Proposals to amend the bylaws may be submitted to the secretary for distribution to the Board. By simple majority vote, the Board will decide whether to pursue the proposed amendment at the next General Meeting.
In the event of the liquidation or dissolution of this corporation, whether voluntary or involuntary, or by operation of law, except as and to the extent otherwise provided or required by law, the remaining property and assets of this corporation shall be distributed as provided in the Bylaws of this corporation, or in the absence of any such provision in the Bylaws, in such manner as the Board of Directors of this corporation, as constituted at the date of entry of the order allowing or directing the liquidation of this corporation’s affairs, in their discretion shall by the affirmative vote of a majority of the directors determine to be best calculated to carry out the objects and purposes for which this corporation is formed; provided, however, that all of the assets of the corporation shall be distributed for one or more exempt purposes within the meaning of Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, or any corresponding section of any future federal tax code, or shall be distributed to the federal government, or to a state or local government, for a public purpose.
For the purposes of membership, immersion programs are defined as those that
Changes to the bylaws were approved at a meeting of the Board of Directors by a simple majority vote on May 3, 2010.
Changes to the by-laws were approved at a meeting of the Board of Directors by simple majority vote on August 19, 2011.