Bylaws of The Association for the Gifted

ARTICLE I. NAME
Section 1. The name of this organization shall be The Association for the Gifted (hereafter TAG), a Division of the Council for Exceptional Children (hereafter CEC).

ARTICLE II. PURPOSES
Section 1. The primary purpose of this organization shall be to promote the welfare and education of children and youth with gifts, talents, and/or high potential.
Section 2. TAG will strive to improve educational opportunities for individuals from diverse groups with gifts, talents, and/or high potential who have often been underrepresented in gifted programming and services; diversity includes but is not limited to ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, culture, religion, and/or exceptionalities.
Section 3. TAG will develop and disseminate scholarly resources, such as books, journals, and online material, to strengthen and support the field of gifted education.
Section 4. TAG will develop and support standards in gifted education and administer the accreditation process in the field.
Section 5. TAG will partner with CEC and its divisions and other entities whose purposes are consistent with its own.

ARTICLE III. MEMBERSHIP
Section 1. TAG shall maintain a membership that meets the membership qualifications established by CEC.
Section 2. All members of TAG must hold concurrent membership in CEC.
Section 3. Every member shall be entitled to all rights and privileges of TAG.

ARTICLE IV. ORGANIZATION
Section 1. TAG shall be affiliated with CEC.
Section 2. The fiscal year shall be January 1 through December 31.
Section 3. The membership year shall be consistent with the policy of CEC.
Section 4. Any organization interested in furthering the cause of education of the gifted may seek affiliation with TAG.

ARTICLE V. DUES
Section 1. The annual dues of this division shall be proposed by the Board and shall be consistent with the dues policies of CEC.
Section 2. TAG members must pay membership dues to CEC.
Section 3. To prevent a lapse in membership, TAG members must pay annual dues before the end of the their membership year.

ARTICLE VI. BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Section 1. The Board of Directors (hereafter Board) shall consist of the following elected positions: president, past president, president elect, secretary, treasurer, two division representatives to the CEC Representative Assembly (hereafter RAs), up to one member at large, and membership chair.
Section 2. The Board shall consist of the following appointed positions: Journal for the Education of the Gifted (hereafter JEG) editor; newsletter editor; the President of the Council of State Directors of Programs for the Gifted or his or her designee (hereafter CSDPG representative); Public Relations coordinator; Standards and Accreditation coordinator; Diversity, Equity, and Access Committee chair; and Children and Youth Advocacy Network (hereafter CAN) coordinator.
Section 3. A quorum shall be 51% of the Board members attending the Board meeting. All elected and appointed positions have voting privileges.
Section 4. All Board members shall serve two consecutive years with the following exceptions: The treasurer, the Standards and Accreditation coordinator, the newsletter editor, and the RAs shall serve three consecutive years, with them RAs having staggered terms; the JEG editor shall serve four consecutive years.
Section 5. A vacancy in any of the offices, except president, president elect, and past president, shall be declared and filled by action of the Board upon recommendation by the president, and such persons(s) shall serve until replaced by a duly elected successor.

ARTICLE VII. OFFICERS
Section 1. The officers of TAG shall be president, past president, president elect, secretary, and treasurer.
Section 2. All officers must be members in good standing of the Council for Exceptional Children and TAG at the time of their nomination and election and remain so throughout their term of office.
Section 3. A new president elect shall be elected every other year. After serving two years as the president elect, the individual becomes the president of TAG for a two-year term. Following the presidency, the person serves as past president for two years.
Section 4. The administrative term of office shall be January 1 through December 31.
Section 5. A vacancy in the office of president shall be filled by automatic succession of the president elect. If more than one year remains of the president’s term, a special election will be held to fill the position of president elect. A vacancy in the office of president elect with less than one year remaining of the president elect’s term shall be filled by a nominee recommended by the Nominations Committee and approved by the Board. The new president elect will then become president at the end of the president elect term. If more than one year remains of the president elect’s term, a special election will be held to fill the position of president elect. A vacancy in the office of past president shall be filled by a nominee recommended by the president. The president is encouraged to appoint a former past president or assign the duties as needed to other members of the Board.
Section 6. The president, president elect, and past president cannot hold consecutive terms in the same office. This shall not apply in the case of an officer selected to fill any portion of an unexpired term.
Section 7.
A. A petition for removal of an officer shall be signed by at least five members of TAG and submitted in writing to the president. If the president is the subject of the petition, it shall be submitted to the president elect.
B. The president (president elect in the case of a petition to remove the president) shall, within seven calendar days, notify each Board member in writing of the receipt of such a petition, solicit relevant evidence from all parties concerned, and call a special meeting (electronically or in person) of the Board to consider the matter within 30 days following the receipt of the petition.
C. At the Board meeting, an opportunity shall be made available to all interested parties to present any relevant evidence; a two-thirds majority vote of the entire Board is necessary for removal of the officer. Removal from office is effective immediately.
D. The officer being considered for removal shall be provided with the results of the Board action in writing within seven days.

ARTICLE VIII. MEETINGS
Section 1. One annual business meeting for the membership shall be held at the annual CEC convention.
Section 2. The TAG Board shall meet quarterly, with one meeting held in conjunction with the annual CEC convention. The other meetings may be held electronically or in person. Missing two consecutive Board meetings is cause for dismissal from the Board.
Section 3. The Board shall have the authority to conduct regional meetings, conventions, or conferences.

ARTICLE IX. COMMITTEES
Section 1. Standing committees shall be the Membership; Publications; Governmental Relations; Elections; Awards; Diversity, Equity, and Access; Public Relations; External Funding; Gifted Standards; Outreach; and Finance committees.
Section 2. Ad hoc committees may be established and their functions assigned at the discretion of the president. The purpose and length of service of the committee must be clearly established.

ARTICLE X. DISSOLUTION
Section 1. In the event of dissolution of TAG, the Board shall, after payment of all liabilities of the division, dispose of all assets of the division by forwarding them to the headquarters of CEC (a non-profit corporation) with a request that they be retained in an account for a period not to exceed five years. If the five-year period expires without reorganization of the division, the funds will be transferred automatically to CEC’s general fund. However, if CEC is not then in existence or no longer a qualified distributee, or unwilling or unable to accept the distribution, then the assets of TAG shall be distributed to a fund, foundation, or corporation organized and operated exclusively for the purposes specified in Section 501 (c) (3) of the Internal Revenue Code (or the corresponding provision of any future United States Internal Revenue Law). If, within five years, the division is reorganized, the assets on deposit will be made available to the newly organized division, which must be exempt under Section 501 (c) (3).
Section 2. Under no circumstances shall any of the property or assets of TAG, during its existence or upon dissolution thereof, be distributed to any officer, member, employee, or subsidiary of TAG.

ARTICLE XI. AMENDMENTS
Section 1. Proposed amendments to the Bylaws may be petitioned by Board members or five general members, submitted to the president, reviewed and approved by the Board, and distributed to the general membership at least 30 days before a vote is to be taken. The Board will determine whether the membership will vote by electronic ballot or at the annual business meeting.
Section 2. Amendments to the bylaws must pass by a simple majority of members voting.