BY-LAWS OF THE
CHRISTIAN EARLY CHILDHOOD ASSOCIATION
OF GREATER KANSAS CITY
ARTICLE I – NAME
Section 1
Originally established in 1969 as the Christian Preschool Association of Greater Kansas City, the name of this organization shall be the Christian Early Childhood Association of Greater Kansas City. The Association is exempt from Federal income tax under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. Contributions to the Association are tax deductible under section 170 of the Internal Revenue Code. The Association was incorporated under the Missouri Nonprofit Corporation Law on August 24, 2006.
ARTICLE II – PURPOSE
Section 1
The purpose of this organization shall be to: (1) provide spiritual and educational information, inspiration and fellowship for Christian early childhood program staff by means of conferences, workshops, etc., (2) stimulate the development of professional growth and high spiritual standards of member programs, (3) promote the advancement of interest in Christian Education of children, (4) act as a service organization, but not seek to control the operation of its members.
ARTICLE III – MEMBERSHIP
Section 1
Any church-sponsored* early childhood program which accepts and teaches the deity of Jesus Christ and subscribes to the by-laws of the Association is eligible to apply for membership. The representative of the program shall be the director and/or director-appointee with only one vote for each membership.
*Church-sponsored – the member program is a mission or outreach of the church and is ultimately responsible to the governing body of the church. In the event that sponsorship is questioned or need to be defined, the board may request a copy of the program by-laws.
Section 2
Church Denominational offices and Christian elementary schools, which accept and teach the deity of Jesus Christ and subscribe to the by-laws of the Association, are eligible to apply for membership as a separate entity. A representative shall be appointed by the office or school with only one vote for each membership.
Section 3
Final acceptance of any application shall rest solely with the Executive Board.
Section 4
All member programs shall pay annual dues for the fiscal year beginning September 1 and ending August 31. These dues must be received by October 1. After October 1, the membership dues will be considered delinquent and an additional late fee will be added. New membership will not be accepted after December 31 for the current year. The Executive Board with the approval of a simple majority of the membership will determine any changes to the annual dues.
Section 5
All member programs are encouraged to attend and support all events. If directors cannot attend a regularly called meeting, they may appoint representatives to attend in their absence.
Section 6
All member programs may invite any interested church members, in addition to their staff to attend sponsored functions at the member rate.
ARTICLE IV – OFFICERS AND DUTIES
Section 1
The officers shall consist of president, vice-president, secretary, treasurer, hospitality, historian/chaplain, and conference coordinator(s). They shall form the Executive Board. The conference coordinator(s) shall be elected as an officer annually by a vote of the Executive Board voting without the conference coordinator(s) present.
Section 2
A nominating committee of three members shall be appointed by the president at the spring meeting. Election of members to each officer position except conference coordinator(s) shall be held prior to the summer conference, with announcement at the summer conference. An officer position (president, vice-president, secretary, treasurer, hospitality, and historian/chaplain) , elected by the members, can be held by the same member for no more than three one-year terms except for the treasurer that can be held for four one-year terms. Nothing prevents a member from being elected to another officer position after serving the maximum terms for a position.
Section 3
The president shall have the official powers and duties usually assigned to the office and shall be an ex-officio member of all standing committees. He/She shall have been a member in good standing for at least one year. He/She shall act as chairperson of the Executive Board, and shall be responsible for the planning and chairing of all programs during the tenure of office. The President shall appoint an individual to audit books for the past fiscal year. An audit report will be completed four months after the September 30 year-end. The President shall assist as needed with the summer conference.
Section 4
The vice-president shall preside in case of the absence of the president. He/She shall act as membership, and shall be responsible for all promotion and publicity. The vice-president shall compile a roster of members’ relevant contact information to be duplicated and distributed to all members, and shall keep an attendance record of members at all meetings. The vice-president shall assist as needed with the summer conference.
Section 5
The secretary shall keep the minutes of all meetings and the correspondence of the Association. The secretary will maintain a permanent record of the official legal documentation of the Association including certificate of incorporation, federal IRS forms, tax filings, insurance policies, and other related documents. Following each meeting he/she shall distribute copies of the minutes to each board member. The secretary shall assist as needed with the summer conference.
Section 6
The treasurer shall maintain any and all funds for the Association and shall pay bills incurred by the Association. At least every three months, the treasurer shall present a report that shows income and expenses for the three months and year to-date periods compared to the prior year’s same periods. Also, a balance sheet will be presented. These reports will be approved by the Executive Committee and included with the minutes. Entries to the books will be made promptly and the bank will be reconciled monthly. The books will be presented for audit 45 days after year-end. The Association’s year-end is September 30. The treasurer shall assist as needed with the summer conference.
Section 7
The hospitality chairperson shall provide hospitality for summer conference & all fellowship and training events, and shall be responsible for securing meeting places for Executive Board and Association meetings. The hospitality chairperson shall assist as needed with the summer conference.
Section 8
The historian / chaplain shall keep a record of all on-going and past activities, including publicity and promotion of the Association. Chaplain duties shall consist of providing spiritual devotions for each meeting or event. The historian/chaplain shall assist as needed with the summer conference.
Section 9
The conference coordinator(s), with the assistance of the Executive Board, shall be responsible for planning and implementing and evaluating registration fees and workshop assignment, presenters, training certification, location, and other details as required.
Section 10
Any vacancy occurring on the Executive Board and any office to be filled by reason of an increase in the number of officers may be filled by nomination and majority vote of the remaining officers.
ARTICLE V – MEETINGS
Section 1
The Executive Board shall hold quarterly meetings for the purpose of establishing a yearly calendar, selecting committees, planning a winter seminar, planning roundtables, and pre-planning, finalizing and evaluating the summer conference. Additional meetings may be called if considered necessary by the president.
Section 2
Director Roundtable meetings shall be held at least three times a year. The Executive Board will meet to establish the next year’s tentative calendar of Directors’ Roundtables to be announced at the summer conference.
Section 3
Fees for events and conference attendance shall be designated by the Executive Board.
ARTICLE VI – AMENDMENTS
Section 1
A committee to discuss proposed changes and updates to the by-laws shall be appointed by the president as needed. The committee shall consist of three members in good standing in the Association.
Section 2
Notification of by-law changes should be made to the Executive Board at least two weeks prior to the date of the meeting at which those changes are to be considered.
Section 3
By-laws may be amended by a simple majority vote of the entire Membership. Notification of changes will be provided to all members at least two weeks prior to a vote deadline.
ARTICLE VII – COMMITTEES
Section 1
Temporary committee members may be appointed by any member of the Executive Board with the approval of the Board to serve for a period of time necessary to complete the assignment.
Revisions approved March 31, 2010