Bylaws of the South Carolina Counseling Association

A State Branch of the American Counseling Association

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Article I - NAME AND PURPOSE

Section 1. The name of this Association shall be the South Carolina Counseling Association, Inc., a branch of the American Counseling Association, Inc.

Section 2. This Association is organized as the South Carolina Branch of the American Counseling Association. The name of the State Association shall be employed in connection with all official business and activities of the Association. The name of the State Association shall not be used by organizations or agencies without the approval of the Executive Council.

Section 3. The purposes of this Association, consistent with the purposes of the American Counseling Association, are to enhance individual human development by:

(a) seeking to advance the scientific discipline of guidance, counseling, and personnel work
(b) conducting and fostering programs of education in the field of guidance, counseling, and personnel
(c) promoting sound guidance, counseling, and personnel practices in the interests of society and the individual
(d) stimulating, promoting, and conducting programs of scientific research and education in the field of guidance, counseling, and personnel work
(e) publishing scientific, educational, and professional literature
(f) advancing high standards of professional conduct, by conducting scientific, educational, and professional meetings and conferences
(g) informing and educating the general public about the human development profession
(h) establishing contacts with various organizations for scientific and educational pursuits
(i) examining conditions which create barriers to individual development and working to remove them

Section 4. The State Association shall be autonomous in the conduct of its affairs consistent with the Bylaws of the American Counseling Association.  (Back to Top)
 


Article II - MEMBERSHIP

Section 1. Membership in this Association shall be of four types:

(a) Regular. Regular members shall be those who are considered as being identified in one or more areas in the helping professions, who subscribe to the objectives of the Association, and who pay annual dues in full. Dues for Regular members shall be recommended by the Executive Council and approved by the Association.
(b) Emeritus. A member who retires after reaching age sixty-two (62) or is retired after twenty-five (25) years of professional service in personnel and guidance employment or related employment, and who has been a member of the Association for at least five (5) successive years, is awarded Emeritus member status and remains an active member of the Association, with full privileges, without paying dues.
(c) Student. Student members shall be those who are classified as full time in an undergraduate or graduate program at an accredited college or university. Student members shall have all rights and privileges of Regular members. Dues shall be established by the Executive Council.
(d) Allied. Allied membership is available to organizations that desire to support the Association but not be actively involved in its governance. Requests for Allied membership are approved by the Executive Council. Dues shall be established and regulated by the Executive Council.

Section 2. Severance of Membership

(a) A member may be dropped from membership not for cause/for cause which includes conduct that tends to injure the Association or to effect adversely its reputation, or that is contrary to or destructive of its objectives according to the Bylaws and Code of Ethics of the Association and the American Counseling Association.
(b) A member shall be dropped from membership for nonpayment of dues.  (Back to Top)


Article III - Officers

Section 1. The officers of this Association shall be a President, Immediate Past President, a President-elect, a Secretary, a Treasurer, and a Treasurer-elect.

(a) The President-elect and Treasurer-elect shall be elected at large from among the members of the Association. The Secretary shall be appointed by the President and approved by the Executive Council. All officers shall serve for one-year terms or until their successors are elected.
(b) The President-elect shall automatically become President of the Association one year after commencement of the office as President-elect, or upon the death or resignation of the President. The Treasurer-elect shall automatically become Treasurer of the Association one year after the commencement of the term of office as Treasurer-elect, or upon the death or resignation of the Treasurer.
(c) In the event of the resignation, incapacity, or death of the President-elect or Treasurer-elect, the Executive Council shall have the authority to appoint a person to fill the remainder of the term of office.
(d) An elected officer shall not be a candidate to succeed himself/herself in a consecutive term, except, however, that a President-elect succeeding to the office of President by reason of death or resignation of the President shall serve the full one-year term as President in addition to serving the unexpired term of the resigned or deceased President, and the Treasurer-elect succeeding to the office of Treasurer by reason of death or resignation of the Treasurer shall serve the full one-year term as Treasurer in addition to serving the unexpired term of the resigned or deceased Treasurer.
(e) Elected Association officers may not simultaneously hold an elective office in a State Chapter or Division.

Section 2. Qualifications of Officers. Officers shall have been members of the Association for at least two (2) years, and shall hold memberships in the Association and the American Counseling Association. A candidate for President-elect shall have served on the Executive Council for a minimum of one (1) year in an elected or appointed position.

Section 3. Duties of Officers

(a) The President shall be the chief elected officer of the Association, shall preside at all meetings of the Association and shall preside at all meetings of the Executive Council. The President shall appoint the members of all committees, except as otherwise specified in the Bylaws, and shall be an ex-officio member of all committees, except the Nominations and Elections Committee. The President shall represent the Association at all meetings of the American Counseling Association-Southern Region.
(b) The Immediate Past President shall serve as chairperson of the Nominations and Elections Committee and consultant to the Executive Council.
(c) The President-elect shall perform the duties of the President in the absence or incapacity of the President. The President-elect shall serve as chairperson of the Convention Committee. The President-elect shall also represent the Association at all meetings of the American Counseling Association-Southern Region.
(d) The Secretary shall record the proceedings of regular and called meetings of the Association, Executive Council, and Executive Committee.
(e) The Treasurer shall represent the Association in the receipt and expenditure of funds in accordance with the provisions established by the Executive Council, the Bylaws, and the Policies and Procedures.
(f) The Treasurer-elect shall perform the duties of the Treasurer in the absence, incapacity, or death of the Treasurer.

Section 4. Compensation and Expenses of Officers.

(a) None of the officers of the Association shall receive any compensation for services to the Association. The actual expenses of the officers shall be paid by the Association up to, but not exceeding, the amount specified in the budget and only when not paid by the employer of the officer. (Back to Top)


Article IV - EXECUTIVE COUNCIL

Section 1. Composition of the Executive Council.

(a) The voting members of the Executive Council shall be the President; the Immediate Past President; the President-elect; the Treasurer; the Treasurer-elect; the presidents of the state divisions, chapters, and interest groups; and chairpersons of standing committees. The Executive Secretary, elected by the Executive Council, and the Secretary and Parliamentarian, appointed by the President, shall be ex-officio non-voting members.
(b) The President may invite the attendance of special committee chairpersons and resource persons as deemed necessary.

Section 2. Functions of the Executive Council.

(a) Formulation and approval of policy within the provisions of the Bylaws of the Association.
(b) Formulation of policy appropriate for executive action and the direction of their execution.
(c) Referral to appropriate groups for decision on items of major importance in the Association. In matters of American Counseling Association business requiring a vote of the membership, the Executive Council by a two-thirds vote will decide if Regular membership only shall vote on such business.
(d) If one or both of the representatives are unable to attend meetings of the American Counseling Association-Southern Region, the Immediate Past President and the Secretary, in this order, shall be designated as the two alternates.

Section 3. Meetings of the Executive Council.

(a) The Executive Council shall meet often enough to interpret and set policy in accordance with the wishes of the membership. The meetings shall be held at such time and place as designated by the President.
(b) The Executive Council must have a quorum of not less than one half of its members to carry on the business of the Association.
(c) Meetings of the Executive Council shall be called by the President, or by a majority of its members. A ten-day notice of a meeting of the Executive Council shall be mailed to the last known address of each member thereof, and such notice shall, as far as practical, contain a statement of the business to be transacted at such meetings.

Section 4. Executive Committee. The Executive Committee of the Executive Council shall consist of the President, Immediate Past President, President-elect, Secretary (ex-officio, non-voting), Treasurer, Treasurer-elect, Executive Secretary (ex-officio, non-voting), and Parliamentarian (ex-officio, non-voting). Standing and special committee chairs and other resource consultants may attend meetings of the Executive Committee as non-voting members at the invitation of the President. The Executive Committee shall act for the Executive Council but within the limits and policies prescribed by the Executive Council and the membership. The Executive Committee shall meet often enough to carry on the business of the Association between meetings of the Executive Council and the Association. At least two thirds of the members must be present to constitute a quorum for the Executive Committee to carry on its business. (Back to Top)
 


Article V - COMMITTEES

Section 1. Committees of the Association, both standing committees and special committees, may be created to promote the purposes of the Association, and shall consist of members of the Association, with their number, jurisdiction, method of selection, and tenure determined in accordance with the Bylaws of the Association.

Section 2. Standing Committees. The Association shall have the following standing committees, each of which shall perform such functions as may be prescribed by the Executive Council and by these Bylaws.

(a) Ethics. The Ethics Committee shall be charged with the responsibility of reviewing charges against individual members and Chapters in violation of the Code of Ethics and Standards of Practice of the American Counseling Association and to make recommendations to the Executive Council as set forth in the Bylaws of the Association.
(b) Convention. The Convention Committee shall make all arrangements for the Association's Annual Convention as described in Policies and Procedures.
(c) Membership. The Membership Committee shall be responsible for coordination of the growth and maintenance of the membership of the Association.
(d) Nominations and Elections. The Nominations and Elections Committee shall be in charge of conducting fair nominations and elections procedures for electing officers of the Association.
(e) Newsletter. The Newsletter Committee shall be responsible for publishing a newsletter in accordance with policy and budget considerations established by the Executive Council each year.
(f) Budget and Finance. The Budget and Finance Committee shall be responsible for formulating, revising, and monitoring the budget for the Association. Also, it shall be responsible for training, supervising, and auditing treasurers of Association divisions, interest groups, and chapters. Association officers shall be members of this Committee.
(g) Publicity. The Publicity Committee shall be responsible for publicizing the activities of the Association through the dissemination of information to the news media.
(h) Public Policy and Legislation. The Public Policy and Legislation Committee shall be responsible for keeping the Association membership informed of legislation affecting guidance and counseling and recommending procedures for action.
(i) Professional Development. The Professional Development Committee shall be responsible for monitoring the continuing education process and keeping records for all Association and Association co-sponsored educational events.
(j) Long-Range Strategic Planning. The Long-Range Strategic Planning Committee shall be responsible for overseeing implementation of the Association strategic plan as adopted by the Executive Council. In addition, the Committee shall develop, recommend, and coordinate revisions to the planning document as required for long-range planning. The Long-Range Strategic Planning Chair shall be responsible for submission of the approved plan to the American Counseling Association.
(k) Awards. The Awards Committee shall be responsible for marketing, receiving nominations, judging, and announcing winners for all Association awards. As the need arises, the Committee shall recommend changes in award guidelines and procedures.  (Back to Top)


Article VI - DIVISIONS

Section 1. A State Division of any National Division of the American Counseling Association may be chartered within a state provided the following requirements are met:

(a) A group of National Division members must indicate a desire to form a State Division.
(b) An Organization Committee must set up purposes, objectives, and plans for organization in accordance with the purposes and Bylaws of the National Division and this Association.
(c) A letter of intent must be drafted and signed by this Committee and forwarded to the Association Executive Council for its approval, as well as to the National Division.
(d) The Association must notify the National Division of the American Counseling Association of its approval of the formulation of a State Division.
(e) A State Division shall establish its own dues and have entire control and management of funds to be expended for divisional purposes.
(f) If a State Division ceases to function in compliance with its bylaws, it shall be understood that the Division is on inactive status as long as such noncompliance exists. The National Division shall be notified of the inactive status of the State Division.
(e) A State Division shall establish its own dues and have entire control and management of funds to be expended for divisional purposes.

Section 2. State Division officers must be members of the National Division and this Association.

Section 3. Members of Association divisions must be members of the Association.  (Back to Top)
 


Article VII - CHAPTERS

Section 1. A Chapter may be established by petition to the Association President, with a subsequent majority vote of the Executive Council and a two-thirds vote of the members present at an Annual Business Meeting. A Chapter must be composed of at least fifteen (15) Association members.

Section 2. The entire membership shall be notified of such a petition at least thirty (30) days before the business meeting.

Section 3. Elected Chapter Officers shall be members of the Chapter, Association, and the American Counseling Association.

Section 4. A Chapter shall collect its own dues and have entire control and management of funds to be expended for local purposes.

Section 5. A Chapter may have its own charter revoked by a two-thirds vote of the Executive Council if it fails to maintain suitable activities and/or a reasonable number of members in good standing in this Association. Such a Chapter must receive written notice at least thirty (30) days prior to the meeting at which such action might be taken. Representatives of the Chapter may present evidence that the Chapter is fulfilling its purposes satisfactorily.

Section 6. Members of Association Chapters must be members of the Association. (Back to Top)
 


Article VIII - NOMINATIONS AND ELECTIONS

Section 1. The Nominations and Elections Committee shall be appointed by the President of the Association. There shall be no fewer than five and no more than nine persons appointed. As nearly as possible divisional and geographical representation will be important considerations. There shall be at least one meeting of the Committee to determine the nominees for each of the elective offices.

Section 2. The Nominations and Elections Committee shall solicit from the membership nominations for each of the elective offices of the Association. The Committee shall screen nominees for eligibility and willingness to serve. The Committee shall present a final slate of nominees containing no fewer than two and no more than three eligible names for each office. All members of the Association whose dues are current are eligible to vote.

Section 3. The election shall be conducted by secret ballot mailed to all members allowing sufficient time for completed ballots to be received prior to the Convention by the Chairperson of the Nominations and Elections Committee. Mailed ballots shall be returned in envelopes clearly designated as "SCCA Ballot." Members who have not returned ballots by the Annual Convention shall be allowed to vote during the Convention.

Section 4. All ballots shall be counted during the Annual Convention by the Nominations and Elections Committee. Election results shall be announced prior to adjournment.

Section 5. Elected officers shall take office on the first day of the official year of the Association. (Back to Top)
 


Article IX - FINANCES

Section 1. Dues for members of the Association shall be recommended by the Executive Council and approved by the Association.

Section 2. Official year and the fiscal year of the Association shall be consistent with the official year and fiscal year of the American Counseling Association.

Section 3. All dues shall be paid in advance and shall be due and payable on such date as may be fixed by the Executive Council.

Section 4. A member whose dues are not current shall neither receive Association publications nor be eligible to vote at the Annual Business Meeting or in Association elections. Members who have not paid dues for two (2) consecutive years shall be dropped from the membership rolls.

Section 5. A member who has been dropped from the Association rolls may become reinstated by reapplication for membership and payment of current dues.

Section 6. A member who retires after reaching age sixty-two or is retired after twenty-five (25) years of professional service in personnel and guidance employment or related employment, and who has been a member of the Association for at least five (5) years is awarded Emeritus status and remains an active member of the Association, with full privileges, without paying dues.

Section 7. The Association books must be audited each year. A report shall be prepared and submitted to the Executive Council before the Association's Annual Business Meeting. The President shall appoint the Auditing Committee.  (Back to Top)
 


Article X - MEETINGS

Section 1. There shall be an Annual Business Meeting at which the Association's business shall be conducted. The time and place of the Meeting shall be determined by the Executive Council.

Section 2. Special meetings shall be called at any time by the President, with the approval of the majority of the Executive Council.

Section 3. Notices of each meeting shall be sent to each member at least thirty (30) days prior to the date of such meetings.

Section 4. Any members present at regular or called meetings of the Association shall constitute a quorum. (Back to Top)
 


Article XI - INDEMNIFICATION

Section 1. This Association shall indemnify each member of the Executive Council, as described in Articles III, IV, V, and the Policies and Procedures Manual, for the defense of civil or criminal actions to the extent permitted by law.

Section 2. The Association shall indemnify the members of the Executive Council from and against any and all judgments and fines that are imposed on a member acting within the scope of the member's official duties. This protection is afforded only when a determination shall have been made that the individual acted within the scope of official duties and when it is determined that such action was in good faith and in the best interest of the Association.

Section 3. This indemnification shall be made only through action of the Executive Council that the individual has met the foregoing applicable standard of conduct. If necessary, this conclusion may rely on questions of law through the advice of independent legal counsel. (Back to Top)
 


Article XII - NONDISCRIMINATION

Section 1. There shall be no discrimination against any individual on the basis of ethnic group, color, creed, gender, sexual orientation, age, or disability.  (Back to Top)
 


Article XIII - PARLIAMENTARY AUTHORITY

Section 1. The latest edition of ROBERT'S RULES OF ORDER (by Henry Martin Robert) shall govern the proceedings of the Association not otherwise specified in the Bylaws.  (Back to Top)
 


Article XIV - AMENDMENTS

Section 1. Except as is provided in Section 2 below, amendments to the Bylaws may be acted upon only at the Annual Business Meeting of the Association. If presented in writing to all members of the Association at least thirty (30) days prior to the Annual Business Meeting at which the proposed change is to be considered, such an amendment may be adopted by a two-thirds vote of the membership present. Any amendments to such proposed amendments or any amendments not presented in writing to all members of the Association thirty (30) days in advance of the annual meeting may be adopted by at least a four-fifths vote of the members present.

Section 2. If, in the judgment of the Executive Council, action upon a proposed amendment is desirable before the next Annual Business Meeting, it may be taken through a mail ballot following presentation of the amendment in writing to all members of the Association. If two thirds of the members returning ballots within the succeeding thirty (30) days vote affirmatively, the amendment shall be adopted. (Back to Top)

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