VOTE AT THE DECEMBER 2006 MEETING FOR THE BYLAWS!

DALLAS METRO COUNSELING ASSOCIATION

BY-LAWS

Adopted - October 1989 --- Amended – December 1992, October 1995, 2006

ARTICLE I

Name, Affiliation, and Purposes

Section 1. Name - The name of this Association shall be the Dallas Metro Counseling Association.

Section 2. Affiliation –This Association is the Dallas Metro Chapter of the Texas Counseling Association and shall conduct its affairs in compliance with the By-Laws of that organization.

Section 3. Purpose- The purpose of this association is defined by the mission statement, values, and goals of the Texas Counseling Association in the Association’s current Strategic Plan, as developed by the Association Board of Directors and approved by the Association Senate.

(a) Mission Statement – The Texas Counseling Association (TCA), a diverse community of counseling professionals, educates about, and advocates for the understanding and delivery of effective counseling.

(b) Values – The Texas Counseling Association (TCA) values the following:

□ Actualization: We believe in helping others and ourselves to actualize and develop full personal potential.

□ Empowerment: We believe in helping others and ourselves to be responsible for one’s own positive development through the life span—its ages, stages, and status.

□ Affecting Positive Change: We believe in affecting positive change and growth in society, in the counseling profession, and in the individuals we serve. We also believe that counselors’ developmental, educational and wellness perspectives distinguish them from other mental health care providers.

□ Leadership: We believe in leaders being responsible, committed and willing to take risks in order to effectively serve our membership and our purposes.

□ Professionalism: We believe in promoting and enhancing professional excellence and ethical behavior.

ARTICLE II

Membership

Section 1. Types of Membership - membership shall be of one type - individual. Such persons may become members of the Association upon payment of annual dues.

Section 2. Classes of Membership – Membership shall be of three classes – regular, student and affiliate.

Section 3. Regular Membership

(a) Eligibility - Any person whose primary responsibilities or interests are in the area of human development - specifically guidance, counseling, or personnel work and others with similar interests and responsibilities such as community agency workers, school social workers, school psychologists, para-professionals in counseling - shall be eligible for membership. No one may be denied membership in this Association on the basis of ethnic group, color, creed, gender, affectional or sexual orientation, age, and/or handicapping condition.

(b) Privileges - Any person who has met the qualifications for regular membership and has paid the prescribed dues shall be eligible to attend meetings of the Association, to vote, and to hold office.

Section 4. Student Membership

(a) Eligibility - Open to students who are enrolled in a planned program in the area of human development - specifically guidance, counseling, personnel work, community agency work, school social work, school psychologists, and para-professionals shall be eligible for student membership.

(b) Privileges - Any person who has met the qualifications for student membership and has paid the prescribed dues shall be eligible to attend meetings of the Association, but student members may not vote nor hold office.

Section 5. Affiliate Membership

(a) Eligibility – Any person who is interested in the area of guidance, Counseling or personnel work but whose primary responsibilities are not in the area of human development shall be eligible for affiliate membership.

(b) Privileges – Any person who has met the qualifications for affiliate Membership and has paid the prescribed dues shall be eligible to attend meetings of the Association, but affiliate members may not vote nor hold office.

Section 7. TCA and ACA Membership – Members of this Association shall be encouraged to apply for membership in the Texas Counseling Association and its divisions.

Section 8. Dues - Dues for members of the Association shall be recommended by the Board of Directors and established by action of the Membership. Payment of dues to the Association shall entitle a person to membership as qualified in these by-laws.

Section 9. Severance of Membership

(a) A member may be dropped from membership for the nonpayment of dues.

(b) A member may be dropped from membership for any conduct that tends to injure or discredit the Association, or that is contrary to or destructive of the objectives according to the By-Laws and Code of Ethics of the Association.

~~(b)~~ (c) A member may be dropped from membership if their license or certification is revoked by their

credentialing agency.

~~(c)~~(d) It shall be the responsibility of the Board of Directors to determine whether or not a member should be

dropped from membership.

ARTICLE III

Officers and Staff of the Association

Section 1. Officers and Terms of Office

(a) The officers of this Association shall be the President, the President-Elect, the Immediate Past President, the Secretary, the Treasurer and the Senator.

(b) All officers of the Association shall be elected at large from among the individual members of the Association and shall serve for one year terms or until successors are elected; except the Treasurer who shall serve for a two-year term and the Senator who shall serve for a three-year term.

(c) The term of office of any elected or appointed officer of the Association shall begin on July 1, and shall be for a period of one year or until a successor takes office unless the Chapter By-laws specify a two or three year term.

Section 2. Duties of Officers

(a) The President shall preside at all meetings of the Association and shall be chairperson of and preside at meetings of the Board of Directors. Each President shall serve as alternate to the TCA Senator. The President, subject to confirmation by the Board of Directors, shall appoint the members of all committees, except otherwise specified in these By-Laws and shall be an EX Officio member without vote of all Committees, except the Nominations and Election Committee. The President may appoint a parliamentarian as deemed necessary.

(b) The President-Elect shall become President of the Association one year after commencement of his-her term as President-Elect or upon the death or resignation of the President. In the case of the latter, the President-Elect shall serve for the unexpired term of the President he/she replaces and the term for which he/she was elected. The President-Elect shall also perform the duties of the President in the absence or incapacity of the President and shall be a member of the Board of Directors. The President-Elect shall serve as coordinator of the Annual Conference.

(c) The Immediate Past President shall be a member of the Board of Directors and shall serve as Chairperson of the Nomination and Election Committee. He/she shall perform such duties as delegated to him/her by the Board of Directors.

(d) The Secretary shall keep records of the meetings of the Board of Directors. Upon the death or resignation of the Secretary, the Board of Directors shall select someone to fill the unexpired term.

(e) The Treasurer shall be responsible for the financial affairs of the Association and shall keep adequate records of receipts and expenditures. The Treasurer shall prepare an annual budget and financial statement as outlined in Article VII. Upon the death of resignation of the Treasurer, the Board of Directors shall select someone to fill the unexpired term.

(f) The Senator shall represent the Association in the TCA Senate and shall serve as specified by the TCA By-Laws, Article V. Upon the death or resignation of the Senator, the Board of Directors shall select someone to fill the unexpired term.

Section 3. Nomination and Election of Officers and Board Members

(a) Nominations and Election Committee – There shall be established a Nominations and Election Committee consisting of the Immediate Past President of the Association as chairperson and such other member of the Committee as the chairperson shall nominate subject to the Board approval. No member of the Nominations and Election Committee may serve for two consecutive years nor may any member be a candidate for office while a member of the Nominations and Election Committee.

(b) All members in good standing, except student members, may vote.

(c) The Nominations and Election Committee shall conduct the nomination election of officers by secret ballot mailed to the voting membership.

(d) All elected officers and board members of the Association shall be Members of DMCA and TCA. The Senator shall also be member of ACA.

(e) The Nominations and Election Committee shall use the following Guidelines in nominating and electing procedures.

(1) The nomination ballot shall be mailed to the voting membership and made available to the

membership on the internet as close as is feasible to January 1.

(2) The nominations ballot shall include a statement indicating that the returned Ballot may be

returned in two ways, shall specify the requirements necessary to hold each office or position listed on the nomination ballot, and shall also include a statement that any qualified member may nominate more than one person for each elective office:

(a) First class mail postmarked on or before March 1.

(b) Placed in a locked ballot box at the March meeting.

(3) The names of the two nominees receiving the highest number of votes for each office shall be

placed on the election ballot, which shall be mailed to the voting membership and made available on the internet as close to April 1 of each year as is feasible. The election ballot shall include a statement indicating that the ballot may be returned in two ways:

(a) The ballot may be postmarked on or before May 1 to be counted.

(b) The ballot may be placed in a locked ballot box at the April Meeting.

(4) The candidate receiving the higher number of votes for each office shall be elected. The

Candidates shall be informed of their election status at least five days prior to installation date

of elected officers. Officers shall be installed at the regular May meeting of the Association.

(5) All ballots, envelopes and tally sheets shall be sealed and filed with the Secretary. Such

materials are to be held secure for one year. In the event of a tie for first place, a runoff election will be conducted with a June 1 postmark deadline.

(6) The Nominations and Elections Committee shall submit a detailed plan regarding nomination

and election procedures to the Board of Directors during the November board meeting. The plan shall include procedures for:

(a) certification of date of mailing of nomination and election ballots;

(b) method of determining authenticity of the voter;

(d) procedure for counting and verifying correction of election results;

(e) procedure for handling a tie vote for nomination and elections.

Section 4. Removal of an Officer or Board Member from Office

(a) Members of Dallas Metro Counseling Association (DMCA) affirm that DMCA has the right and obligation to prescribe and enforce its standards for those who hold office

(b) An Officer or Board Member may be sanctioned or removed for office for cause. (A list of the most common valid causes for removal of an Officer from office can found in the TCA Governance Manual Section 10-D as may be amended from time to time).

(c) Any Officer or Board Member who is not fulfilling the prescribe standards of his/her office shall be notified in writing by the President as directed by the Board. The Officer or Board Member so notified will then be given an opportunity to be heard and to rectify the situation, if possible.

(d) DMCA shall adhere to the protocol for the removal of officers as set forth by the Texas Counseling

Association.

ARTICLE IV

Board of Directors

Section 1. Composition

(a) The Board of Directors shall be composed as follows:

(1) The officers of the Association.

(2) Three members elected from the membership.

(b) Directors from the Membership shall be elected at the same time as the Officers. Two members shall

be elected in each even numbered year and one in each odd numbered year. The term of office shall

be two years. Upon the death or resignation of one of the board members from the Membership, the

Board of Directors shall select someone to fill the unexpired term.

Section 2. Powers and Functions of the Board of Directors

(a) To formulate Association policies and recommend such policies to the membership

(b) To conduct the business of the Association and make recommendations to the membership.

Section 3. Meetings of the Board of Directors

(a) The Board of Directors shall meet prior to each regularly scheduled meeting of the Association. Other meetings may be called as necessary by the President or five members of the Board.

(b) Each member of the Board of Directors shall have one vote and a majority of the voting members of the Board shall constitute a quorum.

(c) The President of the Association shall preside at meetings of the Board of Directors and President-Elect shall preside in the absence of the President.

ARTICLE V

Committees

Section 1. Appointment of Committees – The President, subject to confirmation by the Board of Directors, shall name such standing and special committees as may be needed to conduct the activities of the Association.

Section 2. Standing Committees – The Standing Committees of the Association shall be Awards Committee, By-Laws Committee, Ethics Committee, Hospitality Committee, Legislative Committee, Membership Committee, Nomination and Election Committee, Program Committee, and PR/Marketing Committee.

Section 3. Appointment of Special Committees and Chairpersons - The President, subject to confirmation by the Board of Directors, shall name such special committees as may be needed to conduct the activities of the Association.]

ARTICLE VI

Meetings

Section 1. Regular Meetings – Six meetings shall be scheduled from September through May. Time and place for these meetings shall be determined by the Board of Directors.

Section 2. Special Workshops/Conferences – Special workshops/conferences shall be scheduled according to the needs of the Association. It is recommended that a minimum of one Workshop/Conference be completed per year.

ARTICLE VII

Business Affairs

Section 1. Dues – Annual Association dues for membership shall be recommended by the Board of Directors, approved by the membership and collected by the Treasurer.

Section 2. Budget – The Treasurer shall prepare and present a budget to the Board of Directors for adoption at the final meeting of the Association each year. The approved budget shall be reported to the membership.

Section 3. Financial – A financial report shall be presented to the Board of Directors at the final meeting of the Association each year. A financial statement shall be included in the final Newsletter each year.

Section 4. Severable or Transferable Interest – No member shall have any severable or transferable interest in the Association.

Section 5. Control and Management – All property of the Association shall be subject to the control and management of the Board of Directors. Any accumulation or disposal of real property, except upon dissolution of the Association, must be approved in advance by the Board of Directors.

Section 6. Disposal and Dissolution – Upon dissolution of the Association, none of its property shall be distributed to any of the members, and all such property shall be transferred to such other organization or organizations as the Board of Directors shall determine to have purposes and activities most nearly consonant with those of the Association, provided that such other organization(s) shall be exempt under Section 501 (c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Laws.

Section 7. Appropriation of Association Funds – No appropriation of Association funds shall be made except pursuant to the authority of the Board of Directors.

Section 8. Officer and Committee Expense – All expenses incurred by an officer or Committee of the Association in excess of the funds appropriated therefore shall be the personal liability of the person or persons authorizing such excessive expenses.

Section 9. Association Year – The official year and the fiscal year shall be July 1 to June 30 of the following year.

ARTICLE VIII

Amendments

Section 1. Amendments.

(a) These By-Laws may be amended at a regular meeting of the Association by a 2/3 affirmative vote of members present and voting by the following procedure:

(b) Proposals to amend the By-Laws may be amended by a majority vote of the members of the Board of Directors, or by petition signed by twenty-five regular members in good standing. All such proposed amendments must be submitted in writing or electronically to the Board of Directors at least sixty (60) days prior to the presentation of the amendment to the membership for approval or disapproval. Each member shall receive a written copy or an electronic copy of the proposed amendment thirty (30) days prior to the regular meeting of the Association in which the amendment is presented.

(c) Proposed amendments may originate with the By-Laws Committee. Such proposed amendments shall be presented to the Board of Directors, accompanied by rationale, at least thirty (30) days prior to the Board of Directors meeting.

(d) The President of the Association shall report amendments to the Executive Director of TCA within thirty (30) days following membership approval.

ARTICLE IX

Rules of Order

Section 1 Rules of Order Robert's Rules of Order Revised (by Henry Martin Robert) shall govern the proceedings of the Association not otherwise specified in the By-Laws.