Women's Caucus Bylaws
Article I - Name
The name of this organization shall be the Women’s Caucus (Caucus) of the Pennsylvania Association of School Administrators (PASA).
Article II - Goals and Objectives
The goals of this Caucus shall be entirely consistent with those of the Pennsylvania Association of School Administrators and shall be to improve the status, rights and opportunities of women in educational leadership. In addition, specific objectives include:
- Recruiting for PASA and Women Caucus membership, participation, and leadership.
- Developing a network among women in or aspiring to positions in educational leadership.
- Working to increase the number of women in positions of educational leadership.
- Supporting and disseminating research pertinent to the status of women in education.
- Sponsoring conferences, seminars, and meetings that provide knowledge and support for skill building and competency in educational leadership.
- Encouraging members to provide leadership for the implementation of race, gender, and national origin equity throughout educational systems.
Article III - Membership
The Caucus is composed of current members of the Pennsylvania Association of School Administrators who have applied for and who have received membership in the Caucus as determined by the Caucus Executive Board in accordance with these Bylaws.
Article IV - Dues and Funding
Section 1. Caucus dues, if any, shall be determined in accordance with the PASA Bylaws.
Section 2. The Caucus shall receive funding from PASA in accordance with the PASA Bylaws.
Article V - Officers and Executive Board
Section 1. The Caucus Officers shall be a President, Secretary, and Immediate Past President.
Section 2. The Executive Board of the Caucus shall be composed of the President, Secretary, Immediate Past President, Chairs/Co-Chairs of Caucus committees, the Caucus Regional Representatives, and, at the discretion of the Caucus President and as annually designated by the Caucus President, emeritus members who previously served as Caucus President and/or Chairs/Co-Chairs of Caucus committees. The PASA Executive Director and PASA President shall serve as ex officio nonvoting members of the Caucus Executive Board.
Section 3. In addition to the duties set forth in these Bylaws, the duties of the Caucus Officers shall be those customary for the office that they hold.
Section 4. The President shall preside at all Caucus and Executive Board meetings; appoint all committees and committee Chairs/Co-Chairs; serve as an ex-officio member of all committees. The President shall serve as the Chairperson of the Executive Board. The President or the President’s designee shall serve as the Women’s Caucus member and liaison to the PASA Board of Governors in accordance with the eligibility requirements for PASA Board of Governors members.
Section 5. The Secretary shall act in the place of the President during the absence of the President; shall oversee the appropriate handling of correspondence, reports, records and Caucus Bylaws; shall assure that appropriate notice is given for all meetings of the Executive Board and Caucus; and shall assure that minutes of all Executive Board and Caucus meetings are prepared and maintained as the official record of such meetings.
Section 6. The Immediate Past President shall perform such duties as the Executive Board may prescribe or the President may delegate in accordance with these Bylaws.
Article VI - Caucus- Procedures
Section 1. The Executive Board shall act as the general agent of the Caucus in carrying out the goals and objectives of the Caucus in accordance with these Bylaws. The Executive Board shall handle all administrative matters of the Caucus; shall adopt policies for the organization and operation of the Caucus; shall determine eligibility for Caucus membership; shall serve as or appoint a nominating committee to submit a slate of officers to the Caucus membership for selection in even-numbered years; shall have the power to act on behalf of the Caucus between meetings of the Caucus in the case of emergency; shall carry out directives of the Caucus; and shall have such other powers and functions as may be delegated to it from time to time by the Caucus in accordance with these Bylaws. Each member of the Executive Board shall be a current member of PASA and the Women’s Caucus in accordance with these Bylaws.
Section 2. All vacancies occurring during a term of office shall be filled within ninety (90) days based on appointment by the Executive Board.
Section 3. When a person shall cease to be a bona fide current member of the Pennsylvania Association of School Administrators, her membership in the Caucus shall cease immediately without any action by PASA or the Executive Board.
Section 4. When a member of the Executive Board shall cease to be a bona fide current member of the Pennsylvania Association of School Administrators or of the Caucus, her membership on the Executive Board shall cease immediately without any action by PASA or the Executive Board.
Section 5. The Executive Board may remove any Executive Board member or Caucus member whenever in its judgment the best interests of the Caucus will be served thereby, upon an affirmative vote of two-thirds of all other Executive Board members. Written notice of the intention to consider removal of an Executive Board member or Caucus member shall be included in the notice of such meeting and written notice of the intention to remove the Executive Board member or Caucus member and the reasons therefore shall be provided to the member. No Executive Board member or Caucus member shall be removed by action of the Executive Board without such notice and without having the opportunity to be heard at such meeting, but no formal hearing procedure need be followed.
Section 6. The Executive Board and Caucus meetings shall be governed in the conduct of its business procedure by the most recently published edition of Roberts Rules of Order on all procedural questions not specifically addressed by these Bylaws, as far as applicable. However, Caucus Rules of Order may be amended at any meeting by a majority of those present in person at such meeting.
Section 7. Meetings of the Executive Board shall be held at least three times per year.
Section 8. The Executive Board shall have the right to meet in private session to discuss any matter, which shall be rendered confidential, and any material the disclosure of which constitutes an unwarranted invasion of privacy. However, official actions of the Executive Board shall be open to Caucus members in accordance with these Bylaws.
Section 9. A quorum for regular and special Caucus meetings shall consist of a majority of Caucus members who are present in person for the meeting.
Section 10. A quorum for regular and special meetings of the Executive Board shall consist of a majority of Executive Board members who are present in person for the meeting.
Section 11. One or more members of the Caucus may participate in meetings of the Caucus by means of conference telephone or similar communications equipment during which all Caucus members participating in the meeting can hear each other. Participation in the meeting pursuant to this section shall constitute presence in person at the meeting for purposes of a quorum.
Section 12. One or more members of the Executive Board may participate in meetings of the Executive Board by means of conference telephone or similar communications equipment during which all Executive Board members participating in the meeting can hear each other. Participation in the meeting pursuant to this section shall constitute presence in person at the meeting for purposes of a quorum.
Article VII - Election of Officers
Section 1. Election of the Caucus President and Secretary shall be held at the annual business meeting of the Caucus in even-numbered years. The retiring President shall become the Immediate Past President.
Section 2. The Caucus President and Secretary shall be declared elected based on a majority vote of Caucus members in attendance at the business meeting. To be eligible to be a voting member of the Women’s Caucus, PASA and Caucus dues must be paid to PASA in accordance with PASA Bylaws.
Section 3. The term of office for the Caucus Officers shall be two years and is renewable.
Article VIII - Committees
The President shall annually appoint committees and committee Chairs/Co-Chairs that are deemed necessary to support the work of the Caucus or that may be requested by a majority vote of the Executive Board.
Article IX - Caucus Meetings
Section 1. The Caucus shall hold an annual business meeting, which shall be held concurrent with the annual spring conference of the Women’s Caucus or as otherwise determined by the Executive Board with at least thirty (30) days’ notice to Caucus members.
Section 2. Special meetings of the Caucus may be called by the President or whenever a majority of the Executive Board or Caucus members request such a special meeting.
Article X - Amendment of Bylaws
Section 1. Caucus Bylaws may be adopted, amended, or repealed in the following manner:
a. Recommendation by the Executive Board upon two-thirds vote of Executive Board members present at Executive Board meeting;
b. Adoption by two-thirds vote of Caucus members present at any duly scheduled Caucus meeting with at least 2 weeks’ notice to Caucus members; and
c. Approval by majority vote of the PASA Board of Governors during a PASA Board of Governors meeting.
Section 2. Proposed amendments to the Bylaws must be received by the Executive Board in writing.
Section 3. Unless otherwise provided thereby, an amendment to the Caucus Bylaws shall become effective immediately upon the adjournment of the meeting of the PASA Board of Governors at which it was approved.
Article XI - Dissolving of the Caucus
The Caucus may be dissolved in accordance with PASA Bylaws.
Note: Bylaws last revised in November 2022.