CONSTITUTION

Holocaust and Antisemitism Educators Association

Constitution (Approved May 2024)

Name

The name of this society is the Holocaust and Antisemitism Educators Association (HAEA).

Objectives

To support sound teaching and learning on the Holocaust and antisemitism, and the discrimination against Jews in Canada, by providing historically accurate teaching materials and lesson plans, and organizing opportunities for the professional development of teachers.
To support the development of historically accurate B.C. K-12 curriculum related to the Holocaust and antisemitism.
To raise awareness of and to challenge antisemitism in K-12 education.
To uphold and promote the working definition of antisemitism and illustrative examples developed by the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance.

Article 1: Membership

The membership/subscription year in the PSA shall be for 12 consecutive months from the date the application is processed by HAEA.
Member – Membership in the society shall be open to a person holding any form of BCTF membership (e.g. active, associate, student associate, honorary retiree) on payment of the appropriate society fee. Members may hold office, but only active BCTF members may serve as President or Vice-president.
All members of all categories permitted in the BCTF Members Guide shall pay the same “Member fee”, except as specified elsewhere in these bylaws.
Honorary-life membership may be conferred by the society. An honorary life member’s eligibility to vote and hold office for positions other than president, vice-president and representative to an outside agency will depend on the member’s current BCTF membership status. Honorary life members shall not pay membership fees.
Associate Member—An institution or person who does not hold any form of BCTF membership can become an Associate Member to the society upon payment of the “Associate Member” fee. An Associate Member shall not be entitled to vote or hold office or represent the society. (Updated June 2024 with name change)
Removal—Removal from the membership roll of any member (in any category) whose actions are against the best interest of the HAEA shall require at least two-thirds affirmative vote by the Executive Committee. Prior to action concerning removal, the member must be given an opportunity for a hearing before the Executive Committee. Any member who is removed from the membership role may appeal to an Annual General Meeting of members. The decision at any such Annual General Meeting shall be binding.

Article 2: Fees

Any changes to annual membership/subscription fees shall be established by resolution at each annual general meeting.

Article 3: Executive Committee

The majority of the Executive Committee (EC) must be active BCTF members.
The EC shall make policy, program, and operational recommendations on behalf of the association and carry out the business of the association between meetings.
The EC shall report annually to the membership on the finances and activities of the association.
The EC shall consist of elected table officers, the past-president, elected members-at-large and appointed members-at-large. Elected positions must reflect at least half the number of the EC members plus one.
Elected member-at-large positions may be deleted, amended or added in response to the EC’s needs.
The table officers shall consist of the president, vice-president, treasurer, secretary and past president. The elected table officers shall consist of the president, vice-president, treasurer, and secretary.
Table officers must be active members of the BCTF; an associate member cannot be elected as a table officer.
Members-at-large should include teachers who are representative of the membership.
To be elected to the offices of president, vice-president, secretary or treasurer, the member must have been a member-at-large on the EC for at least one year.
A vacancy in the elected officers shall be filled by Executive appointment; the person appointed to serve until the next annual election.
In the event of the President not being able to carry out their duties, the Vice-President shall assume the role of acting president. In the event that the Vice-President is not available, the Past-President shall assume the role of acting president.
A vacancy in an elected EC position shall be filled through an election at the AGM. All available elected positions will be posted on the HAEA website no later than two weeks prior to the AGM.
Elected Executive role qualifications will be updated for reference on the HAEA website before nominations are sought.
Nominations for candidates for elected positions shall be sought by electronic means in election years and through a call for nominations from the floor during the AGM.
In the case of a tie vote the successful candidate shall be determined by lot.

Article 4: Terms of office and duties

All members of the EC are eligible for re-election or for re-appointment.

The President will complete their designated duties and other duties as approved by the EC for a term of two years, with the option of renewal by election for a maximum of one year.

The Vice-President will complete their designated duties and other duties as approved by the EC for a term of two years, with the option of renewal by election for a maximum of one year.
The Secretary and Treasurer will complete their designated duties and other duties as approved by the EC for a term of three years.
The elected representatives will complete their designated duties and other duties as approved by the EC for a term of one year.
The terms of all positions shall commence on the second Monday following the AGM.

Article 5: Meetings

All meetings - General and Executive - are conducted according to the rules of order currently in use by BCTF, except when in conflict with this constitution.
The Annual General Meeting is held each year at a time and place designated by the Executive. The time and place are published for the information of the membership not less than one month before the scheduled meeting.
A Quorum at the Annual General Meeting will be the attending executive committee members and the members present as defined by Article one.
Other General Meetings of the Association are scheduled by the Executive and are publicized no less than two weeks in advance.
Extraordinary General Meetings are called on a written request directed to the Executive, signed by 20 members.
The Executive meets as frequently as the business of the Association requires, but not less than three times yearly. A quorum consists of at least three table officers.

Article 6: Voting

Election of Table officers shall occur at an Annual General Meeting
Election of Table officers shall be by secret ballot except in the case of acclamation.
Voting at all meetings with the exception as provided in Article 6-2 is by show of hands except when a ballot is demanded by one member present.
Voting at the Annual General Meeting is available to all active members as described in Article 1. All paid members of the conference at which the Annual General Meeting is held are deemed to be active members provided they meet requirements of Article 1.
Voting at executive meetings is by all table officers and other members as defined in Article 3.2.

Article 7: Chapters of the association

The Executive has the authority to recognize chapters of the association to be known as a local Holocaust and Antisemitism Educators Alliance, a regional Holocaust and Antisemitism Educators Alliance, and curriculum specialist groups, and to establish regulations governing the organization of such chapters.

Article 8: Representation to agencies outside the HAEA

Any business, properly the concern of the HAEA, is conducted through the officers and/or staff of the HAEA.

Article 9: Amendments

The constitution is filed through the Societies Act and made available online.
The constitution may be amended at an Annual General Meeting by a three-quarters majority vote of the members in attendance, provided that notice of such amendment has been submitted in writing at the beginning of the Annual General Meeting.