|
Charter
Article
I
The name of the
organization is the Norwegian Researchers and
Teachers Association of North America (NORTANA)
Article
II
The purpose of the
organization is:
To engage in all
activities that will enhance Norwegian studies in
North America, and which will prove to be of mutual
benefit to teachers of Norwegian and the
instructional program they serve. By way of
example, these activities include the preparation
and publication of textbooks, workbooks and related
teaching materials; the sharing of information
through newsletters and teaching materials
catalogs; the acquisition of funds to finance
conferences, workshops, and seminars that will
encourage a spirit of cooperation and collegiality
among the instructors of Norwegian studies.
Article
III
The organization is
a nonprofit educational organization and does not
afford pecuniary gain, incidentally or otherwise,
to its members and officers or to the institutions
they serve. This does not, however, rule out
stipends, grants, commissions or salaries to
persons performing tasks that have been duly
authorized by the governing body of the
Association.
By-Laws
of the
Norwegian Researchers and Teachers Association of
North America (NORTANA)
Founded
June 1987
Article
I
(Members)
1. Unless there be
a request to be excluded, all instructors in North
America in the field of Norwegian studies, and on
all levels of teaching, shall be regarded as
members of NORTANA. If the Association begins to
charge dues, only those who pay the dues will be
members in good standing. (Note: since October
1989 dues $10/year $25/3 years).
2. The governing
body of NORTANA shall be empowered to recruit and
to admit as members persons who are not teachers,
but who function as directors, supervisors, or
administrators of programs closely related to
Norwegian studies.
3. Each member
shall be entitled to vote on each matter submitted
to a vote of the members.
4. The proper
officer of the governing body shall maintain an
updated membership roster of the Association.
Article
II
(Officers)
1. The organization
shall be managed by a board of directors consisting
of a minimum of five members. This board shall be
called the Executive Committee of the Norwegian
Researchers and Teachers Association of North
America.
2. The members of
the executive committee shall be elected by the
membership at large for a term of three years. In
the event of an interim vacancy, the committee is
empowered to elect a replacement for the unexpired
portion of the term. (Note: the last election
took place in spring 2002, with nominations
solicited in fall 2001)
3. The executive
committee shall elect from its own body a
president, vice president, and a
secretary-treasurer. The committee shall also elect
a newsletter editor, who may or not be an elected
member of the executive committee. When the
appointed editor is a person outside of the
committee, that editor shall become an ex officio
and fully privileged member of the executive
committee. In such event the committee will have
sic members. (Note: in spring 1999 it was agreed
to add a webmaster to the executive committee as ex
officio member)
4. The executive
committee shall be empowered to create, fill, and
dissolve both ad hoc and standing committees.
Article
III
(Meetings)
1. The president of
the executive committee shall call a general
meeting of the members every third year for the
central purpose of electing a new executive
committee. Such meetings may be held in conjunction
with larger conventions attended by teachers of
Norwegian. This does not preclude annual or more
frequent meetings of the Association. Those members
assembled for the meeting shall agree on procedures
to follow during the meeting. Without a statement
otherwise, Robert's Rules of Order will be
the arbiter in procedural matters. (Note:
meetings take place twice a year, at the Norway
seminar in fall and the SASS meeting in spring).
2. In the event a
general meeting cannot be arranged, the executive
committee shall be responsible for conducting the
necessary business of the Association through
written communication.
3. An opportunity
to vote in the election of the executive committee
shall be afforded all members, either by proxy or
absentee ballot.
4. At the
expiration of its three-year term, the executive
committee shall present to the members of NORTANA a
written statement which will cover the following
three categories and be published in the next
Newsletter of the Association:
- Projects,
programs, and assignments undertaken and
completed during the past triennium.
- Projects,
programs and assignments initiated during the
past triennium, but are still in progress.
- A recommended
agenda for the incoming executive committee for
the coming triennium.
5. When the
executive committee is called to a scheduled
meeting, a committee member who is unable to attend
may name his or her own alternate. If a committee
member fails to designate an alternate the
committee at large may do so. Alternates must be
members of NORTANA.
Article
IV
(Changes
in By-laws)
Changes in the by-laws may be proposed by
members in good standing to the executive
committee, which will in turn submit them to the
membership by a mail ballot. Changes in by-laws
take effect if two-thirds of the voting membership
approve them. The voting membership includes all
people who return ballots by the specified date to
the specified ballot-counters.
Article
V
(Dissolution)
Upon the
dissolution of the Association, the Executive
committee shall, after paying or making provisions
for the payment of all the liabilities of the
Association, dispose of all of the assets of the
Association in such a manner or to such an
organization or organizations organized and
operated exclusively for charitable, educational,
or scientific purposes as shall at the time qualify
as an exempt organization or organizations by the
current Internal Revenue Code, as determined by the
Executive Committee.
|
