As of June 20, 2018
ARTICLE I - ORGANIZATION
Section 1. The Center for Geography Education in Oregon ("C-GEO") is organized to improve geographic education and awareness in the State of Oregon.
Section 2. It is the policy of the C-GEO that discrimination or harassment on the grounds of race, color, gender, marital status, religion, age or disability will not exist in any area, activity or operation of the organization.
ARTICLE II – MEMBERSHIP
Section 1. The membership shall consist of graduates of the C-GEO's institutes (“Teacher Consultants”) and the Coordinators (defined in Article V below).
ARTICLE III - THE STEERING COMMITTEE
Section 1. The Steering Committee shall serve as the policy-setting body for C-GEO.
Section 2. The Steering Committee shall be composed of seven Teacher Consultants and two informal educators (with a goal to have members represent elementary, middle, and high school, while also being regionally diverse) as voting members, appointed or elected for a term of three years each, as follows:
- Three members of the Steering Committee shall be elected on a rotating basis such that in each year three members of the Steering Committee rotate off the committee and three members are elected to the committee.
- If there are no members running for election to the steering committee in any particular case, the Director will nominate an individual or individuals and the Steering Committee will vote on the new committee member(s).
- Each member of the Steering Committee may appoint a Teacher Consultant or appropriate designee as an alternate to attend one Steering Committee meeting per year. The Steering Committee member must notify C-GEO (by phone, e-mail, or letter) prior to the Steering Committee meeting of the name of the alternate. The alternate shall exercise all voting and other rights of the Steering Committee member during the meeting.
- Steering Committee members are required to attend all meetings. If a member of the Steering Committee misses two meetings in a single year of appointment, then at its discretion, and with the vote of a simple majority of the voting members present at a meeting of the Steering Committee, the Steering Committee may remove the absent member from the Steering Committee and designate another Teacher Consultant or informal educator as a replacement for the balance of that member’s term.
Section 3. If a member of the Steering Committee resigns or is removed, the Director and Programs Coordinator shall appoint a replacement to serve out the term.
Section 4. Additional members of the Steering Committee (voting or non-voting) may be appointed upon recommendation by the Coordinators to the Steering Committee and majority vote of the Steering Committee.
ARTICLE IV - MEETINGS
Section 1. The Steering Committee shall meet three (3) times per year at a time and place to be specified.
Section 2. The membership shall be invited meet once a year at a time and place to be specified by the Steering Committee. Meetings will be announced in C-GEO newsletter.
Section 3. Special meetings may be called at the request of the Director or Programs Coordinator or a majority of the Steering Committee.
Section 4. The act of a majority of the Steering Committee present at a meeting at which a quorum is present shall be the act of the Steering Committee. A quorum shall be constituted by a simple majority of appointed and elected members.
Section 5. Meetings of the Steering Committee, and any votes of the Steering Committee may be held by telephone conference call, electronic mail, posted mail, or any combination of these.
ARTICLE V - OFFICERS
Section 1. The Director and Programs Coordinator shall serve as the Executive Officers of C-GEO. The functions of Secretary and /or Treasurer will be filled by these Executive Officers or their appointee(s).
ARTICLE VI - CONTRACTS, LOANS, CHECKS AND DEPOSITS
Section 1. All contracts, loans, checks and deposits will follow Portland State University.
ARTICLE VI - INDEMNIFICATION OF EXECUTIVE OFFICERS
Section 1. Each officer now or hereafter serving the organization and each person who at the request of or on behalf of the organization is now serving or hereafter serves, whether for profit or not for profit, and his or her respective heirs, executors, and personal representatives, shall be indemnified by the organization against expenses actually and necessarily incurred by him or her in connection with the defense of any action, suit, or proceeding in the which he or she is made a party by the reason of being or having been a Steering Committee member, Director, Programs Coordinator or other officer, except in relation to matters as which he or she shall be adjudged to be liable for the negligence or misconduct in the performance of duties; but such indemnification shall not be deemed exclusive of any other rights to which such person may otherwise be entitled.
ARTICLE VIII - MISCELLANEOUS
Section 1. The fiscal year end of the organization shall be June 30th.
Section 2. The rules of procedure at the meetings of the membership and Steering Committee shall be the rules contained in Roberts' Rules of Order on Parliamentary Procedure newly revised, so far as applicable and when not inconsistent with these Bylaws.
Section 3. The organization shall keep current and complete books and records of account and shall keep minutes of the proceedings of its meetings. All books and records of the organization may be inspected by any member, his or her agent or attorney, for any proper purpose at any reasonable time.
ARTICLE IX - AMENDMENTS
Section 1. The power to alter, amend, or repeal these Bylaws or adopt new Bylaws shall be vested in the Steering Committee. The Bylaws may be altered, amended, or repealed or new Bylaws adopted at any meeting called for that purpose, upon due notice of its object, by a majority vote of the Steering Committee.
ARTICLE X - C-GEO BY-LAWS
Section 1. C-GEO is committed to a structure which includes a Director and Programs Coordinator. To meet institutional and financial agreements with C-GEO's host institution, Portland State University, as well as to insure geographic and institutional balance, it is strongly suggested that:
- The Director position be affiliated with Portland State University and
- The Programs Coordinator position shall be an at-large position, filled by a person affiliated with another institution of higher education, or the Oregon Department of Education, or a teacher-consultant from the K-12 establishment, and who resides outside the Portland metro area.
Section 2. In the event of a leadership change in C-GEO, the individual who wishes to step down shall, under normal circumstances, give notice at least six months in advance, preferably by March 1 of the program year.
Section 3. In the event of a vacancy in the Programs Coordinator position, the Director shall call for and gather applications by posting a vacancy notice with the geography departments and the schools of education at Oregon institutions of higher education, the Oregon Department of Education, and to all teacher-consultants in the State of Oregon. The Director will present the names and applications of qualified candidates to the Steering Committee for feedback at a meeting.
Section 5. The Director and Programs Coordinator appointment are subject to biannual (every two years) review by the Steering Committee, or, if requested, by three (3) members of the Steering Committee.