CONSTITUTION OF THE OKLAHOMA ASSOCIATION OF SKILLSUSA

ARTICLE I--NAME

Section 1. The official name of this organization shall be the Oklahoma Association of SkillsUSA and may be referred to as Oklahoma SkillsUSA.

Section 2. The colors, emblem, motto, and official dress shall be the same as those adopted by the national constitution.

ARTICLE II--PURPOSES

The purposes of this Association are:

• To unite in a common bond full-time students enrolled in classes with trade and industrial objectives.

• To provide leadership for the local chapter.

• To provide recognition and prestige through an association of local chapters.

• To develop leadership abilities through participation in educational, career and technical, civic, recreational, and social activities.

• To foster a deep respect for the DIGNITY OF WORK.

• To assist students in establishing realistic career and technical goals.

• To create enthusiasm for learning.

• To promote high standards in trade ethics, workmanship, scholarship, and safety.

• To develop the ability of students to plan together, organize, and carry out worthy activities and projects through the use of the democratic process.

• To foster a wholesome understanding of the functions of labor and management organizations and a recognition of their mutual interdependence.

• To create among students, faculty members, patrons of the school, and persons in industry a sincere interest in and esteem for trade and industrial education.

• To develop patriotism through a knowledge of our Nation's heritage and the practice of DEMOCRACY.

ARTICLE III--ORGANIZATION

Section 1. The Oklahoma Association of SkillsUSA is an Association of local chapters of the state of Oklahoma operating in accordance with a charter granted by National SkillsUSA. To be charted by the Oklahoma Association of SkillsUSA, a minimum membership of seven members is required.

Section 2. The administration of Oklahoma SkillsUSA shall be vested in the State Executive Council.

Section 3. Charters shall be issued to local charters by the Oklahoma Association of the SkillsUSA.

Section 4. A State Advisory Council composed of leaders from education, business, and labor shall be appointed by the State Supervisor of Trade and Industrial Education to provide counsel, advice, and assistance to the State Association in carrying out its functions. Equal representation shall be given to business and labor.

Section 5. The State Supervisor of Trade and Industrial Education shall assume the responsibility of State SkillsUSA Director and executive secretary-treasurer or appoint one of his/her associates to fulfill this duty. He/she shall be recognized as the State SkillsUSA director. He/she shall receipt and/or expend funds as approved by the Executive Council.

Section 6. The state association shall be divided into six districts. The district boundaries will be regulated by the Trade and Industrial Education staff of the Oklahoma Department of Career and Technology Education..

ARTICLE IV--MEMBERSHIP

Section 1. Membership of the Oklahoma Association of SkillsUSA shall consist of the total eligible members of the chartered local chapters. Members shall hold the same membership status as in their respective local clubs.

Section 2. All members of the state association must be members of the national organization to qualify for a charter.

Section 3. Each local chapter and state association shall be open for membership to all students regularly enrolled in classes with career and technical, trade and industrial or technical education objectives.

Section 4. Classes of membership which will be recognized by the Oklahoma Association of SkillsUSA are:

ACTIVE MEMBERSHIP: Full-time preparatory students, secondary and post-secondary, enrolled in courses offered in Trade and Industrial Education or Technical Education meeting the requirements of the state plan for career and technology education. PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIP: Persons associated with or participating in the professional development of SkillsUSA as approved by a state association. Such members shall include chapter advisors, teacher-educators, supervisors, and potential Trade and Industrial Education and Technical Education Educators. Professional members will pay dues as established by SkillsUSA, but members will be ineligible to serve as a national voting delegate, hold a national office, or otherwise represent his/her state association in National SkillsUSA.

ASSOCIATE MEMBERSHIP: Employers, training sponsors, advisory council members, and lay-persons associated with and contributing to the improvement and development of the organization and career and technical education. They are not eligible to hold office or vote.

HONORARY LIFE MEMBERSHIP: Individuals who have made significant contributions to the development of SkillsUSA and career and technical education whose membership has been approved by the National Executive Council upon the recommendation of a state association.

DIRECT MEMBERSHIP: Full-time preparatory students, secondary and post-secondary, enrolled in career and technical courses offered in Trade and Industrial Education or Technical Education meeting the requirements of the state plan for career and technology education. This classification will only be recognized if application cannot be made by a chartered local chapter. Direct members may not serve as district, state, or national officers or delegates.

ALUMNI MEMBERSHIP: Membership to the Oklahoma SkillsUSA Alumni Association is available for former active or professional members who are no longer eligible for membership in the secondary, post-secondary, or collegiate divisions of SkillsUSA.

Section 5. National SkillsUSA dues shall be variable with the directives of National SkillsUSA. When National SkillsUSA dues increase, State SkillsUSA dues shall increase by the same increment, with the exception of Alumni Membership.  All classes of membership shall pay dues with the exception of Honorary Life Membership. 

Section 6. A membership year shall be from September 1 through August 31, inclusive.

ARTICLE V--VOTING DELEGATES

Section 1. The SkillsUSA member shall exercise his/her franchise through voting delegates at state and national meetings.

Section 2. Each school shall select delegates who shall be considered voting delegates at the district and state leadership conferences.

Secondary: The number of delegates shall be two per chartered school plus one for each 50 active members above and beyond the first 50, plus one for 100 percent of the total possible membership as defined in Article IV, Section 3. Each school must have either its delegate or its alternate delegate vote at the state election.

Post-Secondary: The number of delegates shall be two per chartered school plus one for each 50 active members above and beyond the first 50, plus one for 100 percent of the total possible membership as defined in Article IV, Section 3. Each school must have either its delegate or its alternate delegate vote at the state election.

Section 3. The number of national voting delegates shall be variable with the directives of the national constitution.

Section 4. Voting delegates for national conference shall include newly elected secondary and post-secondary state officers, except those who are contest participants and/or national officer candidates. The state SkillsUSA director will appoint all other delegates and alternates.

ARTICLE VI--OFFICERS

Section 1. At the annual state meeting, the secondary delegates of the Oklahoma Association of SkillsUSA shall elect a secondary state officer team consisting of the seven candidates with the highest votes.  The respective delegates will also elect two secondary and two post secondary national officer candidates. The seven members elected to the State Officer Team will be interviewed during the first officer training session following the state conference to determine President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, Parliamentarian, Reporter, Sergeant-at-Arms. The State SkillsUSA Director and the State Officer Advisor will conduct the interview. The State Officer Team, State SkillsUSA Director and the State Officer Advisor will determine the specific offices. If the national officer candidates are not elected to a national officer, he/she will not become part of the state officer, but will remain available for replacement, in case an officer resigns his or her office.

Section 2. At the fall regional leadership conferences, the post-secondary delegates of the Oklahoma Association of SkillsUSA shall elect the following officers: two representatives from the Western Region and two representatives from the Eastern Region. A national officer candidate shall be elected at the annual state meeting. If the national officer candidate is not elected to a national office, he/she shall become the officer-at-large.

Section 3. The Oklahoma Association of SkillsUSA shall elect annually one member to each of the state offices. Each school is allowed two candidates for district; one candidate for state secondary officer candidate, one candidate for secondary national officer candidate, and one candidate for post-secondary national officer candidate.

Section 4. Officers shall serve for a term of one year. The state officers shall serve one year in an active capacity and the following year in an advisory capacity.

Section 5. Any person elected to a national, state, or district office must resign any lesser office except the unit office.

Section 6. Upon resignation or removal of any secondary state officer prior to May 15:

**The Office will go to the next runner-up.

**If the next runner-up is not available, the office will be filled as if it were after May 15.

After May 15:

**Any state officer, except the president or vice president, will be designated by the local school of that state officer.

If the president resigns or is removed from office after May 15:

**He/she will be replaced by the vice-president.

**The office of vice president shall then be filled by the sergeant-at-arms.

**The sergeant-at-arms shall be filled by the original president's local school.

If the vice president resigns or is removed from office after May 15:

**He/she will be replaced by the sergeant-at-arms.

**The office of sergeant-at-arms shall be filled by the original vice president's local school.

If the national officer candidate/chaplain resigns after May 15, that office will not be filled.

Section 7. Upon resignation or removal of any post-secondary state representative within 30 calendar days of election:

**The office will be filled with the next runner-up.

**If the next runner-up is not available, the office will be filled by the representative's school.

After 30 calendar days:

**The office will be filled by the representative's school.

If the national officer candidate resigns or is removed from office before May 15:

**The office will be filled by the next runner-up available.

**If a runner-up is not available, the office will not be filled.

If the national officer candidate/officer-at-large resigns after May 15, that office will not be filled.

ARTICLE VII--MEETINGS

Section 1. The Oklahoma SkillsUSA State Conference shall be held each spring, and this conference shall serve as the official annual state meeting of the Oklahoma Association of SkillsUSA.

Section 2. The State Executive Council shall be empowered to call special meetings.

Section 3. A state leadership training conference shall be held each summer.

Section 4. District leadership conferences will be held each fall as planned by each individual district.

Section 5. Post-secondary regional leadership conferences will be held each fall as planned by each region.

ARTICLE VIII--EXECUTIVE COUNCIL

Section 1. The Executive Council shall be made up of all state officers and their local advisors, district presidents and their local advisors, four post-secondary representatives (two from the Western Region and two from the Eastern Region) and their local advisors, any Oklahoma SkillsUSA national officers and their local advisors, district advisors, state officer advisors, a representative of the Alumni state officers, a member of the State Advisory Council, State SkillsUSA Director, and staff members of the Oklahoma Department of Career and Technology Education, Trade and Industrial Education Division.

Section 2. A total of 20 members of the Executive Council will constitute a quorum for conducting business.

Section 3. A minimum of three meetings shall be held annually. Additional meetings may be called by the State SkillsUSA Director.

ARTICLE IX-AUDIT

Section 1. The accounts of the state SkillsUSA financial officer shall be audited each year by the Finance division of the Oklahoma Department of Career and Technology Education..

Section 2. The results of the audit will be reported to the SkillsUSA Executive Council by the State SkillsUSA Director.

ARTICLE X--PARLIAMENTARY AUTHORITY

Section 1. In all meetings, "Robert's Rules of Order, Revised" shall serve as standard procedure.

Section 2. Such rules, regulations, and bylaws as are deemed necessary for the proper conduct of this organization shall be adopted.

Section 3. No rules, regulations, or bylaws shall be adopted which are contrary to this constitution.

ARTICLE XI--AMENDMENTS

Section 1. This constitution may be amended at any annual meeting by a two-thirds vote of the delegates present, provided that the proposed amendment in writing has been submitted and approved by the Executive Council. Once approved by the Executive Council, a written copy of the proposed changes will be sent to all local chapters at least six weeks prior to the annual meeting.

Revised and Adopted 4-9-2001