The bylaws of a local association are the rules by which the organization agrees to conduct itself. The document establishes rights and responsibilities for the members and states how the association will organize itself. The local bylaws must be in conformance with the IEA-NEA bylaws and the NEA Constitution and Bylaws.
Many locals adopted bylaws many years ago and have not updated them as their organization has changed. To help locals adopt or amend their bylaws to keep them in conformance with the state and national bylaws and to meet the needs of a modern organization, the IEA Elections Committee and the Bylaws and Resolutions Committee have drafted these Model Bylaws.
You must follow the procedures contained in your existing bylaws and/or constitution and bylaws to amend those documents. We urge you to form a committee to analyze your bylaws and propose necessary amendments or the adoption of completely new bylaws. We recommend that instead of separate constitution and bylaws you adopt a single document called the bylaws.
Each local’s bylaws may differ because of unique history and structures. We have suggested some options in these Model Bylaws. However, we may not have anticipated all local differences and you may need to have special provisions to meet your local needs. You should work with your local UniServ Director in making these changes. You may also want to consult Robert’s Rules of Order, Newly Revised, 10th Edition Sections 2 and 56 for additional guidance.