Constitution and Bylaws
Tennessee Association Of FSA County Office Employees
TASCOE
CONSTITUTION
Amended: Feb. 2009
ARTICLE I – Name and Purpose
Section 1 This association shall be known as the Tennessee Association of FSA
County Office Employees. The office(s) of this association shall be located in the city of residence of the association’s President and/or Secretary-Treasurer, unless otherwise designated by the Board of Directors.
Section 2 The purpose of the association shall be to promote the welfare of FSA
County Office Employees.
ARTICLE II – Membership
Section 1 To be eligible for membership in this association a person must:
a) be classified as a regular county office employee in the State of Tennessee, or
b) be a retired regular county office employee in the State of Tennessee who was in good standing at the time of retirement or a Tennessee FSA State Office employee, or a State or County Committeeperson, or
c) be a person who shares a common interest in support of the State Association.
Section 2 A person who holds membership in the State Association will automatically be a member
or associate member of the National Association of FSA County Office Employees.
Section 3 Each individual member or associate member must show in good faith that he or she in
interested in the purpose of the association. He or she must not be a member of an organization of government employees who asserts the right to strike against the government of the United States; and during such time as he or she is a member of this association must not become a member of an organization of government employees who asserts the right to strike against the government of the United States. Any person who belongs to an organization which advocates the overthrow of our constitutional form of government shall not be allowed membership in this association. No officer or member of TASCOE shall use their office or membership for the purpose of this association.
ARTICLE III – Government
Section 1 The governing body of this association shall be vested in the Board of
Directors composed of two (2) directors from each of the TASCOE Districts. There shall be nine (9) TASCOE Districts composing of the following counties:
District 1: Carter, Cocke, Greene, Hawkins/Hancock, Jefferson, Johnson, Sullivan &
Washington/Unicoi
District 2: Bradley/Polk, Claiborne/Union, Hamblen/Grainger, Knox, McMinn/Meigs,
Monroe/Blount, Roane/Loudon & Sevier
District 3: Anderson/Campbell, Bledsoe, Cumberland, Fentress/Pickett, Hamilton,
Marion/Sequatchie, Morgan/Scott, Overton, Rhea & White/Van Buren
District 4: Cannon, Coffee/Grundy, DeKalb, Franklin, Jackson/Clay, Macon, Putnam,
Smith, Trousdale & Warren
District 5: Bedford/Moore, Giles, Hickman/Lewis/Perry, Lawrence/Wayne, Lincoln,
Marshall, Maury, Rutherford, Williamson & Wilson
District 6: Cheatham, Dickson, Humphreys, Montgomery, Robertson/Davidson,
Stewart/Houston, & Sumner
District 7: Fayette, Hardeman, Hardin, Henderson/Decatur, Madison &
McNairy/Chester
District 8: Benton, Carroll, Gibson, Henry, Lake, Obion & Weakley
District 9: Crockett, Dyer, Haywood, Lauderdale, Shelby & Tipton
Section 2 The officers of this association shall be a President, Vice-President and a Secretary
Treasurer, and shall be elected and serve as provided by the By-Laws.
ARTICLE IV – Amendments
Section 1 This constitution may be amended at any regular or special meeting of a Board of Directors
by a vote of two-thirds of the members present, provided however, that in the case of a special meeting a copy of the proposed amendment shall have been mailed to all directors not later than thirty days preceding the special meeting.
BY-LAWS
ARTICLE I – Dues
Section 1 The annual dues for membership in the association shall be .25 percent
(.0025) of the employee’s annual salary as of July 1st each year. Associate member dues will be $35.00. Dues are payable as follows:
a) Full payment on July 1st, or
b) Payroll Deduction: Deposits shall be received from the first NFC deposit in July:
a. Any member that elects payroll deduction shall claim the applicable membership percentage (Article I Section I) in the payroll system.
b. Any deposit(s) not received for the FY shall be paid by the member directly to the TASCOE Treasurer, to keep the dues current (Article I Section 2)
c) NASCOE and Area Dues – TASCOE will forward applicable national/area dues to NASCOE and Southeast Area on behalf of the member each year.
Section 2 Any member who is in arrears one month in payment of dues shall be suspended from this
association and any member whose dues are in arrears for a period of three months shall automatically cease to be a member of such association. Such suspended member must reapply to the association for membership as provided in the Constitution and By-Laws.
ARTICLE II – Membership
Section 1 a) A person classified as regular employee of an FSA County Office in the State of
Tennessee and interested in the objectives and purpose of this association shall be eligible to become an active member thereof as prescribed in these By-Laws, or
b) A person classified as a retired FSA County Office employee in good standing at the time of retirement, or a Tennessee State Office employee, or a State or County Committeeperson, or any person interested in the objectives and purpose of this association shall be eligible to become an associate member, having no voting power.
Section 2 Upon payment of the prescribed dues, the applicant, after complying with
the above membership requirements shall be declared a member or associate member of the Tennessee Association of FSA County Office Employees and the National Association of FSA County Office Employees.
ATRICLE III – Meetings
Section 1 Semi-annual meetings of the Board of Directors shall be held on or about March and
September at such place as the Board of Directors shall designate. Such meetings shall be open to all members. A quorum shall constitute a majority of the membership of the Board of Directors. It shall be the duty of the President or the Acting President to determine whether or not a quorum is present at any regular or special meeting.
Section 2 Special meetings may be called by the President or by written petition of the majority of
the Board of Directors. The time and place of such meeting shall be at the discretion of the President or petitioning group.
Section 3 No proxies shall be voted or allowed in any regular or special meeting
called in the manner provided herein.
ARTICLE IV – Election of Officers and Directors
Section 1 The directors of TASCOE shall consist of the duly elected delegates from each TASCOE
District to be elected by association members in the respective district with at least one elected director being a regular employee other than a CED. Written notice of the election shall be given by the Secretary-Treasurer of the association on or about the first of July of each year.
a) Persons willing to serve as directors are required to submit their names to
the Secretary-Treasurer by July 1st each year.
b) If four names are not submitted, the current directors are required to develop/complete a list of eligible candidates who are willing to serve.
c) The election shall be by mail.
d) Each person voting must place their marked ballot inside an envelope with the county name and the employee signature on the outside of the envelope. This would allow each voting person’s eligibility to be determined and also their county.
e) Voted ballots shall be mailed to the Secretary-Treasurer for tabulation.
These Directors shall be responsible for the general management of the organization and shall elect the officers of the association. Two alternate directors in each district shall be elected at the same time to serve in case of absence of regular directors.
Section 2 The officers elected as provided in Section 1 of this article shall serve as officers on the
Board of Directors. Any elected officer currently serving as director or alternate director shall immediately cease to serve as director or alternate director upon acceptance of the officer position. No person serving as an officer is eligible to serve as a director or alternate director.
Section 3 The President, Vice-President, Secretary-Treasurer and Board of Directors shall serve
from September 1st through August 31st or until successors are elected. The out-going President shall serve in an advisory capacity (non-voting Executive Board Member) in a position titled “Past President” with full rights and privileges of the other officers for a period of one (1) year after his/her office is vacated provided, his or her eligibility as a member of the association is retained. The Past President will assist in completing any carryover responsibilities from his/her previous term.
Section 4 In the event of a vacancy in the office of President, for any reason, the Vice-President shall
assume, through succession, the office of President and will serve in this office for the remainder of the un-expired term. In the event of a vacancy in the office of Vice-President or Secretary-Treasurer, the Board of Directors shall appoint a qualified person to fill such vacancy for the remainder of the un-expired term.
ARTICLE V – Officers
Section 1 The President shall preside at all meetings, regular or special, of the association and at all
meetings of the Board of Directors and shall perform all such duties as may be necessary to and pertaining to the office. The President shall serve as voting delegate to all NASCOE functions and appoints delegates to serve in absence of designated delegates and alternates.
Section 2 The Vice-President shall perform the duties of the President during his/her absence and at
such times as the President, at their discretion, may deem necessary. The Vice-President shall serve as alternate voting delegate to all NASCOE functions in the absence of the President or Secretary-Treasurer.
Section 3 The Secretary-Treasurer shall conduct the official correspondence of the association. He
or she shall keep an accurate records of regular and special business meetings. He/she shall keep an accurate record of all transactions of the association. He/she shall keep an accurate record of the meetings during the absence of the President or Vice-President. He/she shall collect dues from all members. He/she shall collect and disburse all monies subject to the approval of the Board of Directors. He/she shall give an accurate financial report of the association semi-annually. He/she shall perform such other duties as the association’s Board of Directors may prescribe. The Secretary-Treasurer shall serve as voting delegate to all NASCOE functions.
Section 4 The Board of Directors shall have control and management of all policies and finances of
the association.
Section 5 All disbursements of the association shall be made by checks signed by the Treasurer and
shall be subject to approval by the Board of Directors.
Section 6 The President shall give an annual report to the association
ARTICLE VI – Committees
Section 1 The Board of Directors shall decide upon the standing committees deemed necessary and
proper t fulfill the objectives and purposes of the association. Special committees may be appointed by the President.
Section 2 The committee chairperson, vice-chairperson and members shall be appointed by the
President. All appointments of the President shall be subject to the approval of the Board of Directors.
Section 3 The President shall be an ex-officio member of all committees.
ARTICLE VII – Procedure
Roberts’ Rules of Order shall govern the proceeding of all general, regular and special meetings of the association and its constituent parts except as provided in these By-Laws.
ARTICLE VIII – Powers of Delegation
Delegation of committees shall be appointed by the President, subject to the approval of the Board of Directors, to represent the association at any convention, meeting, assembly or legislative hearing as may be necessary. They shall have no authority by virtue of their appointment to obligate the association to any expense or to concur in any action contrary to the expressed policies of the association. The President or succeeding officer shall serve as Chairperson of such delegation, but in the event of his/her absence, he/she shall appoint a member to serve in his/her place.
ARTICLE IX – Affiliation with National Organization
The association of the State of Tennessee shall affiliate itself with the National Association.
ARTICLE X – Amendments
These By-Laws may be amended by a two-thirds vote of the Board of Directors at any regular or special meeting provided that the amendment proposed shall have been acted on according to the method set out in the Constitution for amendment to the Constitution.
TRAVEL POLICY Amended: Sept 2009
Officers/Board of Directors/Committee Chairs
President, Vice-President, Secretary-Treasure, Directors or Alternate Directors (representing the Director) and Committee-Chairpersons attending the Semi-Annual meeting (on or about March), any Special called meeting, Convention or Rally Planning meeting will be paid:
current FSA per diem rate,
50% of the current FSA mileage rate, and
one (1) night actual lodging expense.
NASCOE or Area Rally
President, Vice-President, and Secretary-Treasurer attending NASCOE Convention and Southeast Area Rally, shall be reimbursed expenses as follows:
current FSA per diem rate,
50% of the current FSA mileage rate, and
Actual lodging expense (number of nights under the guidance of the President)
In the event one of the afore mentioned officers is unable to attend NASCOE Convention, Southeast Area Rally, the President has the privilege to allow the Past President to serve as a substitute and receive the customary travel reimbursement. Furthermore, when Tennessee is hosting an Area Rally or National Convention, the President has discretion to approve customary travel for the Past President.
NASCOE Reimbursement
If for any reason a TASCOE member is reimbursed for travel cost by TASCOE, and NASCOE also furnishes that member reimbursement for any portion of the travel cost, the member shall refund to TASCOE the excessive funds received.
Legislative Conference Expense
TASCOE shall pay:
current FSA per diem rate,
50% of the current FSA mileage rate, and
Actual lodging expense
to persons selected by the President to attend the Legislative Conference organized by NASCOE within the annual spending limit established by the Board of Directors, and for the President to hold cost as low as possible.
PI&A
TASCOE will pay all expenses of any member winning the AREA and/or National Distinguished Service Award as follows:
current FSA per diem rate,
50% of the current FSA mileage rate, and
Actual lodging expense
provided they attend the Rally and/or National Convention.
Auctioneers
TASCOE shall pay one (1) night’s lodging expenses for FSA employee(s) ineligible for full membership, who are enlisted to serve as an “Auctioneer” at the convention/event that is held outside their local area.
Advances
Advances may be made for any type reimbursable TASCOE expense. No second advance will be made if one is already outstanding except in extenuating circumstances.
Emergency Situations
In the event expenses are necessary for travel for any person for the benefit of TASCOE/NASCOE, which is not authorized above, the President may authorize such travel expense. Any authorization granted by the President is subject to review by the Board of Directors.
Board of Directors’ Review
The Board of Directors will periodically review these policies. The Board of Directors is empowered with authority to further restrict any policy above if necessary to promote the welfare of TASCOE or to ensure expenditures do not jeopardize the operation of TASCOE.
Submitting Expense Request
All reimbursement requests shall be submitted to the TASCOE Secretary-Treasurer with receipts.
OTHER EXPENDITURES
Added: 4-23-2004
NAFEC/NACS TASCOE shall pay the annual membership fee for all TASCOE Officers to join NAFEC and NACS from general funds in a show of support for these organizations.
SEA Rally TASCOE shall donate $250 to the state association hosting the SEA Rally.
TASCOE SCHOLARSHIP POLICY
Amended: 9-17-00
9-24-04
Purpose
To assist TASCOE members in providing advanced education for their eligible dependents.
Application
Applicants must complete the NASCOE Scholarship Application.
Award Limitations
The TASCOE Scholarship Committee shall make recommendations to the TASCOE Board of Directors for approval.
Full Membership Scholarship(s) - $500
Recommend the number of scholarships for award yearly, as determined by the number of eligible applications and funds available. Scholarships may be provided to an eligible applicant only once and is limited to $500.
Associate Member Scholarship - $250
Recommend only one scholarship for award yearly, subject to the availability of funds. Associate scholarship may be provided to an eligible applicant only once and is limited to $250.
Eligibility
Full Membership Eligibility - $500 Scholarship
The applicant must be a TASCOE member, member’s spouse, member’s legal dependent. The TASCOE member must be a permanent County Office employee with 5 consecutive years of paid membership or membership since becoming a permanent FSA employee. The applicant must be either a high school senior or a full-time college student; up to the Bachelor Degree level. Full-time is defined as a minimum of 12 credit hours. A minimum of a “C” average (using the 4.0 system) in both their junior and senior years of high school or as a college student is required.
Associate Membership Eligibility -- $250 Scholarship
The applicant must be a TASCOE Associate Member’s child or legal dependent. The TASCOE Associate member must be a full-time FSA employee (ineligible for full TASCOE membership) with 5 consecutive years of membership. The applicant must be either a high school senior or a full-time college student; up to the Bachelor Degree level. Full-time is defined as a minimum of 12 credit hours. A minimum of a “C” average (using the 4.0 system) in both their junior and senior years of high school or as a college student is required.
Use of Award
The award must be used to defray expenses incidental to the student’s attendance at a four-year college, university, community college, or commercial or trade school which is accredited by the Department of Education of that State. The awardee must satisfactorily complete at least one semester of schooling or return the money!
Evaluation Criteria
All sources of information concerning each applicant will be considered such as school records, employment, work experience, and reference letters. All applicants will be evaluated on the basis of:
1. Ability: this shall include both mental and physical factors which might take into effect the applicant’s ability to benefit by further education. This will be judged by available school and health records and any other information which may reflect on the student’s ability.
2. Incentive Assistance: all pertinent information relative to the student’s desire to continue his/her education and to the other financial resources available to meet the student’s desire will be considered.
3. Other Personal Characteristics: any other personal characteristics such as initiative, industry, persistence, leadership ability, personal and social adjustment which might affect student success will be considered.
Submission of Application
All applications must be forwarded to the TASCOE Scholarship Chairperson no later than January 30th.
Selection Procedure
The TASCOE Scholarship Committee will us the NASCOE score sheet to make selections. The Chairperson will coordinate the review process and will tabulate scores and report final recommendations.
Time of Selection
The TASCOE Scholarship Committee Chairperson will make recommendations to the TASCOE Board of Directors at the March (spring) Directors’ Meeting.
Presentation of Awards
The TASCOE President and Convention Chairperson shall make arrangements for presentation of award(s) at the annual convention
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