VaHomeschoolers Bylaws & Constitution

ARTICLE I - Name

1. The name of this organization shall be the "The Organization of Virginia Homeschoolers", or VaHomeschoolers, a not for profit organization.

ARTICLE II - Purpose

The Organization of Virginia Homeschoolers is established for the following reasons:

1. To provide a statewide organization open to all individuals and families, to all local and regional homeschool associations, to homeschool oriented businesses and to other interested parties.
2. To provide an association that takes no position on religion, partisan politics and non-homeschooling issues and that requires no religious test as a condition for membership or service.
3. To protect from accidental or deliberate infringement by government parental rights to teach their own children.
4. To provide a forum which brings together homeschool families for sharing mutual homeschooling interests.
5. To promote home education as a viable educational option by supplying an accurate portrayal of homeschooling that includes positive representation of homeschooler's diversity of philosophies, theologies and methodologies.
6. To support its members in various ways including advising individuals and organizations on strategies for changing local and state homeschool policies and practices and to direct pursuit of such changes.
7. To represent homeschool interests to government at all levels including legislators, county officials, local and state school boards, departments of education and public education officials.
8. To represent homeschool interests to the public, including news media, civic organizations, and public education advocacy groups.
9. To provide news and information of value to home educators including that pertaining to conventions and other events, laws, policies, regulations and education resources employing a variety of media including a newsletter, special mailings, phone, e-mail, world wide web pages, correspondence, and addresses at workshops, seminars, local, regional, state, national and international gatherings.
10. To support home educators by providing referrals to local organizations, special interest and other groups related to home education.

ARTICLE III - Powers

1. In furtherance of the objectives described in article II, but not in limitation thereof, the Association shall have the power to collect and disseminate statistics and other information, to conduct investigations and to hold such property as is necessary to effectuate its purposes and to serve on national, state, regional and local committees where home education needs representation.

ARTICLE IV - Membership

1. Membership is open to individuals, families, local and other home education organizations, businesses and other interested parties.
2. No statement of faith is required.
3. Membership shall consist of those who have paid their annual dues.
4. Each member shall have one vote in such affairs of the Association that are put before the members for vote.
5. All members will receive the VaHomeschoolers newsletter, legislative updates, and other member mailings.
6. A subscription to the newsletter without membership is available.

ARTICLE V - Finances

1. The annual dues required for membership and newsletter subscription shall be determined by the Board of Directors.
2. The fiscal year of this Association shall coincide with that requiring reporting to the Secretary of the Commonwealth for lobbyist purposes.
3. A summary financial report shall be produced annually.
4. Full accounting shall be available to members on request.
5. Financial records and reports shall be audited by the finance committee.

ARTICLE VI - Board of Directors

1. Composition

   1. This organization shall be governed by a board of not less than five nor more than nine directors.
   2. Directors shall be members of VaHomeschoolers.
   3. Directors shall have homeschooled for at least one year.
   4. Directors shall be supportive of VaHomeschoolers' inclusive stance and shall support VaHomeschoolers' purposes.
   5. Directors are accountable to the members of VaHomeschoolers. Directors shall be residents of Virginia.
   6. Each director will accept members' questions, suggestions, observations, complaints and advice on any home education matter.

2. Elections

   1. Board of directors shall be elected by the membership by mail ballot.
   2. Elections shall be held bi-annually at minimum.
   3. Directors' terms shall be two years except when staggering terms.
   4. Directors may run for re-election.
   5. Vacancies between elections shall be filled by appointment by the current board.
   6. Notification of elections and vacancies shall be announced in the newsletter.
   7. Biographical information shall be submitted by interested candidates for publication in the newsletter prior to an election by the membership.

3. Powers

   1. The board of Directors shall direct and administer the business and policies of the Association, including but not limited to electing President, Vice-president, Secretary and Treasurer, appointment of lobbyists, editors and committee members, and assigning responsibilities and providing guidance there to.
   2. A majority of directors may cause any question be submitted to the general membership to be decided by vote.
   3. The board of directors shall confer with the members and shall formulate and establish the policies and positions of the Association.

4. Meetings

   1. Meetings of the Board of Directors shall be held at least quarterly and are open to all members.

5. Quorum

   1. A simple majority of the duly elected Board shall constitute a quorum thereof and a simple majority of the board members in attendance in all meetings shall in the presence of a quorum decide its action.
   2. The Board in absence of a quorum will adjourn until a later date, continue the meeting on another day, recess until a quorum is attained, or take other measures to assemble a quorum.

6. Parliamentary Procedure

   1. Meetings shall be conducted by Robert's Rule of Order.
   2. The order of business will be determined by the President for board meetings and Committee Chairs for committee meetings and shall include reading of previous meeting minutes, committee reports, unfinished business, new business, issues requested by board members and adjournment.

7. Removal of Directors, Committee Members and Staff

   1. Any director may be removed from his position on the Board for cause by unanimous consent of the other Directors.
   2. Any committee member or staff person may be removed from his position for cause by majority consent of the Board.

ARTICLE VII - Officers

1. President

   1. The President shall preside at all meetings of the Association and have general supervision of its affairs.
   2. The president shall serve as chair of the Board.
   3. The president shall appoint with the approval of the Board all committees
   4. The president shall convene with approval of the board at least quarterly and when in his/her opinion the affairs of the association demand a meeting or when 2 or more board members or 10% of the membership request a meeting.

2. Vice-president

   1. The Vice-present shall have all the powers and perform the regular duties of the president during his/her absence.

3. Secretary

   1. The secretary shall keep and report board meeting minutes in writing.
   2. The secretary shall notify board members of up coming meetings.
   3. The secretary shall keep permanent record of the board actions and committee reports.
   4. The secretary shall conduct such communications and correspondence as determined by the Board.

4. Treasurer

   1. The treasurer shall receive all dues, contributions and other income and shall pay all bills of the organization.
   2. The treasurer shall make financial reports at meetings.
   3. The treasurer shall prepare other required financial reports on behalf of the organization including but not limited to the lobbyist disclosure reports.
   4. The treasurer shall submit annual organization financial statements.
   5. The treasurer shall work with the finance committee to propose operating budgets.

ARTICLE VIII - Committees

1. Composition

   1. The appointments of all committees and their chairpersons shall be made by the President with majority consent of the Board, which may re-define their duties from time to time.
   2. Committee members shall be members of VaHomeschoolers or members of a VaHomeschoolers member organization, shall be supportive of VaHomeschoolers' inclusive stance and shall support VaHomeschoolers' purposes.
   3. Such committee appointees shall serve for one year.
   4. Committees are accountable to the Board of Directors and shall report to the Board at each board meeting.
   5. All committees, with the guidance of the president, will set and monitor short term and long range goals.

2. Standing committees

   1. Membership Committee
      1. The membership committee shall work to maintain and increase membership for the association, and
      2. shall assess needs and interests of the membership and make recommendations to the board for improvement of member services.
   2. Education & Information Committee
      1. shall develop and maintain reference materials to educate and inform home educators and the general public.
   3. News Committee
      1. The news committee shall be chaired by the newsletter editor, member of the editorial staff or home page editor,
      2. shall publish and disseminate to members a bi-monthly newsletter with information about homeschool legislation, association activities, calendar and other news and views concerning home education, and
      3. shall maintain a VaHomeschoolers home page on the world wide web for introducing VaHomeschoolers and provision of basic information on home education and news.
   4. Governmental Affairs Committee
      1. The legislative and legal committee shall be chaired by a VaHomeschoolers lobbyist,
      2. shall recommend resolutions, bill drafts and issues requiring VaHomeschoolers' attention to the board of directors,
      3. shall represent VaHomeschoolers, homeschoolers, and home education in general in legislative affairs as directed by the board and
      4. shall maintain a library of current home school legislation and related materials to be available to the membership.
   5. Finance Committee
      1. The finance committee shall propose, develop and present programs for the solicitation of funds,
      2. shall develop VaHomeschoolers budgets with assistance of the treasurer and
      3. shall audit the records and reports of the treasurer.
   6. Public Representation Committee
      1. The public representation committee shall support positive media interaction,
      2. shall encourage an accurate, positive and diverse portrayal of homeschooling while discouraging divisive language,
      3. shall represent or identify others to represent home education when requested by the media and
      4. shall recruit a pool of seminar and workshop presenters.
   7. Events Committee
      1. The networking committee shall propose, develop and present forums, such as conventions or conferences, geography bees, camps, science fairs, etc., as opportunities for homeschoolers to meet and share information.
3. Other committees
   1. Other committees may be established when deemed advisable by the President.

ARTICLE IX - Newsletter and Home Page

The VaHomeschoolers Newsletter and Home Page content shall comply with the stated purpose of the Association. Editorial guidance for the Newsletter and Home Page shall be provided by the Board as appropriate. VaHomeschoolers may engage in newsletter exchanges with the consent of the Board. Member and subscription rates will be set by the Board. Reduction waivers for hardship may be granted with the consent of the Board, otherwise no free memberships or subscriptions may be granted.

ARTICLE X - Dissolution

1. Upon dissolution of VaHomeschoolers, the Directors shall, after making provision for the payment of all the liabilities of the Association, dispose of all the assets in such a manner as to benefit one or more homeschool organization. The choice of the organization(s) shall be left to the discretion of the Directors at the time of dissolution.

ARTICLE XI - Amendments

1. This constitution and bylaws may be amended by mail ballot by a majority affirmative vote of the voting membership..
2. The Board of Directors shall consider any amendment proposed by a member or director.
3. Any amendment recommended by two-thirds majority of the Board of Directors shall be presented to the general membership for vote
4. Proposed amendments shall be conveyed to the members in writing with ballot.
5. The Board of Directors may, by unanimous vote, make grammatical or punctuation changes that do not affect policy or meaning.