Article I:  Name and Affiliations  

The name of the Association shall be the New Jersey State School Nurses Association (NJSSNA). Hereinafter known as the Association or NJSSNA. The Association is an affiliate of the New Jersey Education Association (NJEA) and the National Association of School Nurses Inc. (NASN). New Jersey County school nurses associations whose membership is comprised of professional registered nurses who are also professional school nurse members shall be eligible to become a county affiliate of the Association upon approval of the executive board of NJSSNA.

Article II:  Objectives

The objectives of the Association shall be: To operate as a professional school nursing/educational association on a non-profit basis, to maintain an organized center of professional cooperation, to facilitate and advocate for high standards in professional school nursing and school health services, and to encourage and deliver professional education, advancement, advocacy and leadership in school nursing.

Article III:  Membership

Section 1.  Regular: All members in this classification shall possess a license to practice as a registered professional nurse in the State of New Jersey and a current New Jersey School Nurse certificate. They must be currently employed as a school nurse, school nurse supervisor, or currently employed as an instructor of school nursing at a college or university.

Regular members shall have full privileges including voting, holding office and serving on committees. Annual dues shall be recommended by the Executive Board and voted upon by the regular membership.

Section 2.  Associate: Any registered professional nurse who is not eligible for Regular Membership shall be eligible for Associate Membership provided they are:

A.     Holders of a permanent New Jersey School Nurse certificate who are:

                        1.  Former regular members no longer eligible for regular membership

                        2.  Employed as a substitute school nurse

B.     Holders of a provisional certificate who are employed as school nurses

Associate members shall enjoy the privileges of the Association, may serve on committees, but shall not vote, nor hold office. Annual dues shall be 75% of the amount specified for Regular members.

Section 3.  Student: Nurses matriculated in a college or university program leading to a permanent New Jersey School Nurse Certificate who are not employed part or full time as school nurses shall be eligible for Student membership. Student members shall enjoy the privileges of the Association, but shall not vote, hold office, nor serve on committees. Annual dues shall be 50% of the amount specified for Regular members. 

Section 4.  Retired: Members, upon retirement, shall be eligible for Retired membership. Retired members shall enjoy the privileges of the Association, may serve as an ex officio member of the committees, but shall not vote, nor hold office. However, a retired member may be appointed chairperson of a committee by a two-thirds vote of the Executive Board.  A retired member appointed chairperson of a committee shall be a member of the Executive Board but shall not have any voting privileges. Annual dues shall be 50% of the amount specified for Regular members.

Section 6.  Members-at-Large: Those persons who hold a special interest or who are working with the Association and who do not fit into any other Association membership classification shall be eligible for membership, but may not vote, hold office, nor serve on any committees. Annual dues shall be 75% of the amount specified for Regular members.

Article IV:  Officers

 Section 1.  The officers of this Association shall be a President, President Elect, Recording Secretary, Corresponding Secretary and Treasurer. The President and Treasurer shall be bonded at the expense of the Association.

Section 2.   The President shall be the official representative of the Association, preside at all meetings and serve as ex officio member of all committees. The President or designee (appointed by the Executive Board) shall attend the NASN Annual Conference and General Membership meeting representing the Association and assisting the NASN Director as needed.

Section 3.  The President Elect shall, in the absence or disability of the President, perform the duties of the President. A vacancy in the office of president shall be filled by the President Elect who shall serve for the unexpired term of the President and the term of office as President to which he/she was elected.

Section 4. The Recording Secretary shall record and file the minutes and reports of all meetings and shall be the custodian of these records for their term of office.

Section 5.   The Corresponding Secretary shall be responsible for all official correspondence of the Association.

Section 6.  The Treasurer shall be the custodian of all funds for the Association, receive dues and revenue, deposit funds in a bank designated by the Executive Board, sign all checks together with the President, submit an annual budget, attend to all bills and submit an annual report from the auditor.

Article V:  Meetings

 Section 1.  Unless otherwise ordered by the Executive Board, regular meetings of the Executive Board shall be held monthly from September to June, inclusive.  Special meetings of the board may be called by the President and shall be called upon the request of three members of the Executive Board.  Eight (8) Executive Board members shall constitute a quorum.

Section 2.  General meetings of the Association shall be held twice a year. The Annual meeting will be held in May. The Executive Board shall determine the time and location of all meetings. Twenty-one (21) regular members of the Association shall constitute a quorum at general and annual meetings.

Section 3.  Election of officers, standing, and special committee reports and all appropriate business will be conducted at the annual meeting in May.

Section 4 The President, upon written request of ten (10) regular members, shall call special meetings.

Article VI:  Executive Board

 Section 1.  The governing body of the Association shall consist of Officers, Chairpersons or Co-Chairpersons of standing committees, and the National Association of School Nurses (NASN) Director. This shall be known as the Executive Board. The immediate past president shall be entitled to a seat on the Executive Board as long as he/she is a member of NJSSNA.

Section 2.  The Executive Board shall transact all business of the Association between regular meetings and shall perform other duties as specified in the By Laws.

Section 3.  Absence without cause from three consecutive meetings shall constitute a resignation. The President in consultation with the Executive Board shall fill such vacancies until the next election.

Article VII: Committees

Section 1.  Standing committees shall be known as Convention, County Liaison, Education, Job Placement, Legislation, Membership, Newsletter, Public Relations, Standards and Practices and National Association of School Nurses Director.

Each committee shall consist of a chairperson or co-chair people from the Regular or Retired membership category and committee member(s) from the Regular, Retired or Associate membership categories. Special committees may be created as needed by the Association.

Standing Committees will function as follows:

a.                   Convention: Shall be responsible for planning program and housing arrangements for NJEA Annual Convention.

b.                   County Liaison: Shall identify and communicate with county presidents and representatives.

c.                     Education: Shall be responsible for planning professional development workshops, seminars, General and Annual Membership Meeting programs. This chair shall issue professional development hours for programs conducted or co-sponsored by the Association.

d.                   Job Placement: Shall be responsible for maintaining a statewide list of available certified school nurses seeking employment and statewide list of job openings brought to the attention of the Association.

e.                   Legislation: Shall study the need for legislative action as it pertains to the Association, present appropriate proposals, and promote response as indicated by the membership.

f.                     Membership: Shall be responsible for processing applications, compiling a membership list, preparing mailing labels and keeping the list current via computer applications.

g.                   National Association of School Nurses Director: shall function as a liaison between NJSSNA and NASN and report back to the Executive Board.

h.                   Newsletter: Shall be responsible for publishing the newsletter and other notices as required by the Association.

i.                      Public Relations: Shall be responsible for representing the Association at the NJEA convention and any other special events as per the direction of the Executive Board.

j.                     Standards and Practices: Shall be responsible for the process necessary to elucidate and communicate for standards of professional school nursing practice at the state, local or institutional level.

Section 2.  Special Committees

a. The Parliamentarian shall act as a consultant in regard to advising the president and other officers, committees and members on parliamentary procedures and shall be a Regular member of the Association, appointed by the President to serve at all meetings of the Executive Board and all General Membership Meetings. The Parliamentarian shall be a non-voting member of the Executive Board.

b. A Nominating Committee Chairperson shall be appointed by the President prior to the November meeting. The Chair shall recruit a committee of a minimum of three (3) and maximum of five (5) persons representing a geographically diverse sampling of the membership. This committee shall present a slate of candidates at the Executive Board meeting in February and at the General meeting in March. The slate of candidates shall be sent to the membership with the notice of the May meeting.

c. A professional Auditor shall be retained as designated by the Executive Board to audit the books of the Association annually. The fiscal year of the Association shall end May 31st.

Article VIII:  Elections

 Section 1.  All officers and committee chairpersons or co-chairpersons, are elected to office by a majority of the members voting.

Section 2.  The following persons shall be elected every odd year: President, President Elect, Recording Secretary and three (3) committee chairpersons: Education, Job Placement and Membership.

The following persons shall be elected every even year: Corresponding Secretary, Treasurer, and four (4) committee chairpersons: County Liaison, Newsletter, Public Relations, and Standards and Practices.

One Convention and one Legislative co-chairperson shall be elected every year.

Section 3.  In the event of a resignation of an officer or Committee Chairperson or co-chairperson, the President, in consultation with the Executive Board, shall appoint a successor until the next election.

Section 4.  Officers will be elected for a term of two years. The President and President Elect shall not succeed themselves. The Recording Secretary and Corresponding Secretary may succeed themselves for one additional term. The Treasurer may remain in office for no longer than three consecutive terms. All chairpersons or co-chairpersons will be elected for a term of two years and may succeed themselves for one additional term.

Section 5.  The NASN Director shall be elected every four years and will have served as a member of the Executive Board within the past four years.

Article IX:  Executive Director

An Executive Director shall be a member employed by the Association as recommended by the Executive Board. The Executive Director shall advise and assist the Executive Board, and the Membership to execute the programs of the Association. The Executive Director shall have the right to be present and to be heard, but not to vote at all meetings.

Article X: Parliamentary Authority

The rules contained in the current edition of Robert's Rules of Order Newly Revised shall govern the Association in all cases to which they are applicable and in which they are not inconsistent with these bylaws and any special rules of order the Association may adopt.

Article XI:  Amendments

These By Laws shall be amended at any general or annual meeting of the Association by two-thirds of the vote cast provided notice of the amendment had been submitted at a previous general or annual membership meeting of said Association.

Article XII:  Dissolution

In the event of dissolution of NJSSNA all assets, less liabilities, shall be donated to NASN or other appropriate nursing organization as determined by action of the Executive Board.

Revised: 6.20.03

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