II. Purpose:

The purpose of this chapter shall be to further and to improve the teaching of German in Utah and to promote a spirit of joint effort and aid among the teachers at all levels.

III. Membership:

1) Any teacher of German or anyone interested in the teaching of German may join the chapter and the national organization upon payment of the annual dues set by the national organization.

Membership will be renewed on an annual basis.

2) The dues are to be paid annually early in the school-year (September or October).

3) Graduate students, part-time teachers, or non-teaching professionals may be junior members of the national organization.

4) A teacher who at the time of retirement has been a member for at least fifteen years may elect Emeritus status. Dues for this type of member will be determined by the national organization.

IV. Officers:

1) The officers of the Chapter are President, Vice President, Secretary, and Executive Secretary.

2) These officers shall be elected at the annual meeting on the basis of nominations prior to or during the meeting. The candidates must be members in good standing. They must agree in writing to serve for the period of time specified. The President and Vice President shall serve for at least one year and Executive Secretary for at least two years. In the event the President is unable to fulfill the full term of office, the Vice President will assume the duties until the next scheduled state chapter meeting. If the Vice President, The Secretary, or the Executive Secretary is unable to complete the term of office, the President shall appoint a replacement for the remainder of the term.

3) The Nominating Committee (NC), comprised of at least two members, will be named by the (Executive Committee as needed. The President or his appointee from the officers will serve on the NC ex officio.

V. Meetings and Quorum:

The Chapter shall meet at least once a year. A quorum will consist of at least ten members of the organization.

VI. Changes in the Constitution:

The Constitution of the Chapter shall be amended with two-thirds vote of the members by mail in secret signed ballot to give proxy to the officers in official Executive Session as soon as possible within one month after the Annual Meeting to make the changes or not as the results dictate and to notify the membership again by mail. All proposals must be submitted to the Executive Committee at least one month prior to the meeting and must be in writing. A copy of the proposed changes will be provided to all members prior to the Annual Meeting. The possible changes will be discussed in the Annual Meeting.

VII. By-Laws:

1) All chapter officers shall serve without pay. Necessary expenditures incurred by the officers may be authorized by the Executive Committee. A record of the financial position of the organization will be made available at the time of the annual meeting.

2) A minimum of at least ten members must be maintained in order for the chapter to remain in effect.

3) Teachers may become associate members by joining the Utah German Teachers Association, an affiliate of the Utah Chapter, and by paying dues set and approved by the Utah Chapter Officers, that is, the Executive Committee.

4) The offices of President and Vice President will be alternately held by school personnel and college personnel so that each set of officers represent both college and schools. The Executive Secretary will be a college person involved in teacher development and supervising student teachers. The regular tenure of the office of President, Vice President and Secretary is two years, and the Executive Secretary three to five years. The Vice President is to be President-elect and assume the presidency at the next scheduled election if at all possible; it is possible for the Vice President to have a total tenure of four years (two as V.P. and two as President). The Nominating Committee will publicize the President-elect concept in the election proceedings each election year-which might be every other year.

5) The administration of the chapter shall be in the hands of the Executive Committee, comprised of the officers provided and one or two members at large to be appointed by the Executive Committee, usually the candidates for office who were defeated in the election are appointed as Members at Large of the Executive Committee.

6) The duties of the Nominating Committee shall be to take recommendations from the Executive Committee and from members of the organization as to possible officers as well as determining likely candidates on their own. The NC will consult likely candidates as to their availability for office and the recommended tenure. The NC will receive a vita from each of the Vitae and Goal Statements on them and will mail them to the official members or distribute them to the official members (dues paying members-including the associate members and the emeriti. The ballots will be collected at the meeting or will be mailed to the NC by a specific deadline within two weeks time. The NC will count ballots and publicize the results by mail to the official membership within one week after the mail-in deadline.

7) General duties of the officers:

a) The President will be in charge of articulation with colleges and schools (high school, junior high school, and elementary school), the membership will drive, the annual, meeting, immersion programs, alliance programs, and workshops especially with the Goethe Institute. He or she will champion the cause of the school or college, whichever he or she represents.

b) The Vice President will be in charge of testing programs, the audit committee, teacher-of-the-year nominations, the newsletter, the yearly calendar, and surveys of school activities. He or she will champion of school or college, whichever he or she represents. The Vice President is assumed to be the President-elect unless unforseen circumstances force a resignation.

c) The Secretary will take minutes, write the historical record, help with the newsletter, and send in the minutes for the annual meeting to the AATG national headquarters. He or she will report on each of these tasks.

d) The Executive Secretary will provide continuity over the years by orienting the officers, keeping them on top of their duties, and as Treasurer, making sure that all dusbursements of finds of one hundred dollars or more are discussed and made by the Executive Committee. Any disbursement under one hundred dollars must be approved by the President or his or her proxy and the Executive Secretary. Minutes of the transaction shall be kept. The records of the financial standing shall be audited by a special committee chaired by the Vice President in connection with the Annual Meeting and reported in the Annual Meeting.

e) Additional duties of each officer, including members at large, will be determined by the Executive Committee in an executive session each year.

8) Meetings:

a) The Chapter shall meet at least once a year in conjunction with the annual meeting of the Utah Foreign Language Association. Both college and school matters must be planned and carried out. The Executive Committee has the responsibility for the agenda of this meeting. Each member of the Executive Committee has the duties and responsibilities as spelled out in the By-Laws. An annual college-oriented second meeting is highly recommended.

b) The Executive Committee shall meet six more times each year and may meet with the Executive Committee of the Utah Foreign Language Association in their monthly meetings for all or some of the executive sessions of the Utah Chapter of the AATG. At least one of the Executive Committee of the Utah Chapter of the AATG os to be in attendance in the monthly meetings of the UFLA.

9) Committees

Committees will be organized under the direction of the Executive Committee (which of course consists of the elected officers plus the immediate past Chapter President, and perhaps one or two members-at-large). Committees will include 1)the nomination committee, 2)the testing committee, 3)the awards committee, 4)the committee for German in the elementary schools (FLES), 5)the placement (jobs) committee, 6)the membership committee, 7)the committee for planning chapter meetings, 8)the audit (finance) committee, and other committees. Membership on committees rotates to involve larger numbers of members.

10) Changes in the By-Laws

Changes will require the same preperation and conditions as changes in the Constitution. The voting will be conducted by ballot and mail to give all the membership the opportunity to respond. A simple plurality (51%) will effect changes in the By-Laws.

Chapter Officers

Constitution and Bylaws

Current Members

German Programs in Utah

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