Texas Counseling Association - TCDA - Bylaws

The Texas Career Development Association

1204 San Antonio
Ste. 201
Austin, Texas 78701

Phone: (512) 472-3403
(800) 580-8144
Fax: (512) 472-3756

A division of the Texas Counseling Association

TEXAS CAREER DEVELOPMENT ASSOCIATION

BY-LAWS

ARTICLE I

NAME, AFFILIATION, AND PURPOSE

Section 1. NAME – The name of this division shall be the TEXAS CAREER DEVELOPMENT ASSOCIATION, division of the TEXAS COUNSELING ASSOCIATION.

Section 2. AFFILIATION – This Association is a division of the TEXAS COUNSELING ASSOCIATION and a state branch of the NATIONAL CAREER DEVELOPMENT ASSOCIATION, a division of the AMERICAN COUNSELING ASSOCIATION and shall conduct its affairs in compliance with the by-laws of those organizations.

Section 3. PURPOSES – The purposes of the TEXAS CAREER DEVELOPMENT ASSOCIATION are identical to those of the NATIONAL CAREER DEVELOPMENT ASSOCIATION:

  1. To promote a greater understanding of the meaning of work.
  2. To foster career development over the life span.
  3. To establish and improve the standards of professional service in the field of career development.

ARTICLE II

MEMBERSHIP

Section 1. TYPES OF MEMBERSHIP – Membership shall be one type – individual. Such persons may become members of the Association upon payment of annual dues.

Section 2. CLASSES OF MEMBERSHIP

  1. Regular Membership – eligibility – Any person whose primary responsibilities or interests are in the area of human development – specifically career development, counseling or personnel work shall be eligible for membership. No one may be denied membership in this Association on the basis of race, color, creed, sex, affectual or sexual orientation, or age.
  2. Student Membership – eligibility – Open to students who are enrolled in a planned program in counseling, guidance and/or a related field who are not employed more than half-time as a professional counselor.
  3. Retired Membership – eligibility – Any person who retires and is a current regular member of the Association may continue membership with the same privileges.
  4. Emeritus Membership – Members who have retired from the counseling profession, and have been a member of TCDA for at least ten (10) years, and have shown exemplary service, may request Emeritus Status. Emeritus Membership is granted to an individual by a vote of the Board of Directors. Emeritus members shall be exempt from payment of dues to the Association.

Section 3. Dues for members of the Association shall be recommended by the Board of Directors and approved by a majority of the membership present at the annual meeting.

ARTICLE III

OFFICERS AND DUTIES

Section 1. Officers and Terms of Office

  1. The officers of this Association shall be the President, the President-elect, the Immediate Past President, the Secretary, the Treasurer, the Senator and the TCDA Representative to the TCA Board.
  2. All officers of the Association, except the Treasurer, shall be elected at large from among the individual members of the Association and shall serve for one-year terms or until their successors are elected.
  3. The president upon recommendation of the Board of Directors shall appoint the Treasurer.
  4. The term of office of any elected officer of the Association shall begin on July 1 and shall be for a period of one year or until a successor takes office.
  5. The Senator and Alternate Senator shall be elected for a three-year term beginning July 1.
  6. The TCDA Representative to the TCA Board of Directors shall be elected for a three-year term beginning July 1.
  7. All officers of the Association must reside in the state of Texas. Officers who move out of the state of Texas during their term will resign from their position.

Section 2. DUTIES OF OFFICERS

  1. The President shall preside at all meetings of the Association and shall be chairperson of and preside at meetings of the Board of Directors. The President, subject to approval 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.
  2. The President -Elect shall perform the duties of the President in the absence or incapacity of the President as determined by the Board of Directors.
  3. The Immediate Past President shall serve as chairperson of the Nominations and Election Committee and Awards Committee
  4. The Secretary shall maintain the official records of the business meetings and meetings of Board of Directors. The Secretary shall be empowered to affix the seal and execute Official documents of the Association and to perform the duties customary to this office and additional duties as directed by the Board.
  5. The Treasurer shall serve as chairperson of the Finance committee and represent the Association in assuring the receipt and expenditures of funds in accordance with the directives established by the Board of Directors. The Treasurer shall be responsible for seeing that financial report is prepared for presentation to the Board of Directors at the Annual Conference.
  6. The Senator shall represent this Association at all regular and called sessions of the TCA Senate.
  7. An Alternate Senator will be elected at the same time that the Senator is elected and will assume the duties of the Senator in the absence of the Senator.
  8. The TCDA Representative to the TCA Board of Directors will represent this Association at all meetings of the TCA Board and will report to the TCDA board and membership the activities of that Board. (All subsequent references to this office will be sited as above.)
  9. All officers of this Association will maintain and pass to their successors the records of that office.
  10. All Association officers must attend regularly scheduled Association meetings. Officers who are unable to attend 50% or more of the scheduled meetings in an annual year (July – June) will resign from their position.

Section 3. UNCOMPLETED TERMS OF PERSONS ELECTED TO TCDA POSITIONS

  1. In the event that the President-elect, Secretary, or Board Members’ position is vacated due to death, resignation, or any other reason, the TCDA Board of Directors shall appoint a person to fill such office until the next regular election at which time a person will be elected to serve the remainder of the uncompleted term.
  2. In the event the Immediate Past-President’s position is vacated due to death, resignation, or any other reason, the TCDA President shall appoint a former past-president of TCDA to fill the office for the remainder of the uncompleted term.
  3. In the event the Representative to the TCA Board of Directors or the Senator is unable to serve due to death, resignation or any other event, the President of this Association shall appoint a representative to fill the office until the next regular election at which time a person will be elected to serve the remainder of the uncompleted term.

ARTICLE IV

THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Section 1. COMPOSITION

  1. The Board of Directors shall be composed as follows:
  2. The Officers of the Association;
  3. Three Board Members elected at large for staggered three-year terms;
  4. The Senator
  5. The Representative to the TCA Board
  6. All members of the Board of Directors shall be members of ACA, NCDA, TCA, and TCDA

Section 2. POWERS AND FUNCTIONS OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS

  1. Shall perform the administrative duties of the Association.
  2. Shall conduct and manage the business of the Association between its official meetings.
  3. The President conducting a telephone canvas of the Board of Directors and securing a majority vote of the Board may expedite the business conducted by the Board of Directors. All such business conducted by the President and Board of Directors shall be communicated to the rest of the Board and TCDA membership in the next subsequently published newsletter of the Association. The following business matters constitute those that may be conducted by the Board of Directors via a telephone canvas conducted by the President. A consensus of a majority of the Board of Directors shall suffice as action by the Board in these matters.
  4. Approval of appointment of committee members who are appointed by the President and subject to confirmation by the Board of Directors.
  5. The appointment of person(s) to fill the uncompleted terms of office of TCDA officer(s).
  6. Approval of the Board of Directors to conduct a mail ballot of the membership.

In the case of the conducting of Association business, which requires notification of the entire membership, the President (after notification of the membership via the TCDA Newsletter) with a majority vote of the Board of Directors, may conduct a mail ballot of the Association membership to determine whether majority approves the action to be taken.

Article V

NOMINATION AND ELECTION OF OFFICERS AND BOARD MEMBERS

Section 1.

 

  1. 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 members of the committee as the chairperson shall nominate subject to Board of Directors approval. No member of the Nominations and Election Committee may serve for two consecutive years and/or be a candidate for office.
  2. All members in good standing may vote.
  3. The Nominations and Election Committee shall conduct the nominations and election of officers, by secret ballot mailed to the voting membership.
  4. All officers and Board Members of the Association shall be members of TCDA, TCA, NCDA, and ACA.
  5. The Nominations and Election Committee shall use the following guidelines in the nominations and election procedure:
  6. The nominations ballot for the appropriate Officers and Board Members as are called for by these by-laws, shall be mailed to the voting membership no later than February 1 of the year following the annual meeting of the Association.
  7. The nominations ballot shall include a statement indicating the returned ballot must be post-marked prior to March 5 to be counted, and shall specify the requirements necessary to hold each office or position listed on the nomination ballot.
  8. The election ballot shall be mailed to the voting membership of the Association no later than April 1 of each year. The election ballot shall include a statement indicating that members are to put a signature as prescribed in the instructions on the ballot and that the ballot must be postmarked prior to May 1 and received no later than May 10 in order to be counted.
  9. The results of the election shall be certified to the personnel of the Austin office of TCA

Section 2. COMPENSATION OF OFFICERS – None of the elected officers of the Association shall receive any compensation for their services as such to the Association

ARTICLE VI

COMMITTEES

Section 1. STANDING COMMITTEES – The Standing Committees of the Association shall be the Membership, Nominations and Elections, Strategic Planning, Newsletter, Finance, By-Laws and Awards.

Section 2. APPOINTMENT OF STANDING COMMITTEES – The President, subject to confirmation by the Board of Directors, shall appoint the chairperson of each standing committee except Nominations and Elections for a term of one year.

ARTICLE VII

DELEGATES TO NCDA

Section 1. THE PRESIDENT- shall be automatically designated as TCDA representative to the NCDA Delegate Assembly. Should it not be possible for this person to attend the national convention, or should the Association need additional representatives, the Board of Directors acting upon the recommendations of the President will make the election of such persons.

ARTICLE VIII

AMENDMENTS

Section 1 AMENDMENTS TO THE BY-LAWS OF THE Association may be made at a business meeting by a majority of those present.

Section 2 NO PROPOSITION TO AMEND THE BY-LAWS shall be acted upon unless written notice thereof is submitted to the membership at least fifteen days prior to the meeting at which the same is to be submitted for action.

Section 3. A COPY OF SAID PROPOSAL shall be given to the Secretary at least thirty days prior to the meeting at which the said amendment(s) are to be proposed.

ARTICLE IX

PROPERTY OF THE ASSOCIATION

Section 1. IN THE EVENT THE ASSOCIATION IS TO BE DISSOLVED, none of its property shall be distributed to any of the members and all of the property shall be transferred to such organization or organizations as the Board of Directors shall determine to have purposes and activities most nearly like those in the Association.

ARTICLE X

PARLIAMENTARY AUTHORITY

Section 1. ROBERT’S RULES OF ORDER, Revised (by Henry Martin Robert) shall govern the proceedings of the Association not otherwise specified in these by-laws.

Amended: 2006