Texas Educational Theatre Association Adjudicators' Organization
Operating Code and By-Laws
(Revised January 24, 2002)
OPERATING CODE
Article I: Name
This organization shall be known as the Texas Educational Theatre Association Adjudicators' Organization: henceforth referred to in this Operating Code as the TETAAO.
Article II: Purpose
The purpose of this organization shall be to provide a group of experienced, active and competent theatre adjudicators. This organization of theatre adjudicators will foster high standards of ethics, encourage the development of theatre in the schools and will work in cooperation with the University Interscholastic League (UIL), school administrators, theatre directors, and student participants.
Article III: Membership
The TETAAO shall be composed of Members and Officers as provided for in this Operating Code and By-Laws.
Article IV: Government
The government of the TETAAO shall be vested in its officers, Administrative Committee, and approved by the membership and the Texas Educational Theatre Association (TETA, INC.) Board of Directors as provided for in this Operating Code and By-laws.
Article V: Officers and Term of Office
Section 1. Officers of TETAAO shall be a Chair, a Chair-Elect, a Secretary/Historian, and an Immediate Past Chair who shall execute the duties as provided for in this Operating Code and By-Laws. Officers are elected for a two-year term, with the exception of Past Chair, and shall not succeed themselves. The UIL State Theatre Director shall serve a term commensurate with tenure in office.
Section 2. If an officer cannot fulfill the term of office, the President of TETA, the UIL State Theatre Director, and the highest-ranking officer of TETAAO shall jointly recommend a current TETAAO member to fulfill the vacant office. That recommendation shall be approved by a majority of the remaining members of the TETAAO Administrative Committee.
Article VI: Committees
Section 1. The Administrative Committee shall be composed of the Chair, Chair-Elect, Secretary and three Directors-At-Large elected to serve three overlapping terms. Members shall not succeed themselves. The UIL State Theatre Director shall serve as a member on this committee, and the immediate Past Chair of TETAAO shall serve for a term of one year. Vacancies, other than officers, shall be filled through appointment by the Administrative Committee with such appointments to complete the remainder of their terms.
Section 2. The Committee on Standards of Adjudication and Judging Practices shall consist of the Chair-Elect, the UIL State Theatre Director, six elected members, and four members appointed by the Administrative Committee to balance representation from the four UIL regions. Members shall serve a term of three years and shall not succeed themselves. Vacancies shall be filled as per Section 1 above.
Article VII: Elections
Section 1. The election of the Chair, Chair-elect, Secretary, Administrative Committee members (three), and Committee on Standards of Adjudication and Judging Practices (six), shall occur at a regular meeting of the TETAAO. Receiving a majority of the votes cast will constitute election.
Section 2. All elected committee members are elected for three-year alternating terms.
Section 3. Committee members may not succeed themselves.
Section 4. Any elected officer or committee member shall be subject to recall upon recommendation of the Administrative Committee and by two-thirds vote of quorum at a regular meeting.
Article VIII: Meetings
Section 1. Time and place for the regular meetings of the TETAAO shall be set by the Administrative Committee and are usually scheduled during the annual Texas Educational Theatre Association, Inc. Convention.
Section 2. Fifteen percent of the active membership shall constitute a quorum.
Section 3. Only active members are eligible to vote.
Article IX: Rules of Order
Unless otherwise specified in the Operating Code and By-Laws, business meetings of the TETAAO, the Administrative Committee, and Committee on Standards on Adjudication and Judging Practices shall be transacted in accordance with the current edition of Robert's Rules of Order.
Article X: Recommendations for Amendments to the Operating Code & By-Laws
Recommendations for amending the Operating Code & By-Laws may be made at a regular or called meeting by a two-thirds majority of votes cast. A quorum (15% of membership) must be present and a written copy of the proposed recommendation(s) must be submitted to the Administrative Committee prior to the meeting at which the vote will occur. The approved change(s) shall then be submitted to the TETA Board of Directors for final approval.
BY-LAWS
Article I: Membership
Section 1. Qualifications for Active Membership
A. Written application for membership must be received by the TETAAO Administrative Assistant. Each applicant shall be sent an application form to be completed and returned to the TETAAO Administrative Assistant. Upon acceptance of the application by the Committee on Standards of Adjudication and Judging Practices, the applicant shall attend a critic judging workshop.
B. Upon receiving written verification of the applicant's attendance at a critic judging workshop, the Chair of the Committee on Standards of Adjudication and Judging Practices will certify the applicant as a critic judge candidate. The critic judge candidate, to qualify for Active Member status, must fulfill all requirements as set forth by the Committee on Standards of Adjudication and Judging Practices. (See Article I, Sec. 3).
C. Active Member status shall be conferred upon those who have met the requirements prescribed in Article I, Section B, and who have been certified by the Committee on Standards of Adjudication and Judging Practices of the TETAAO.
Section 2. Qualification for Honorary Membership.
Any person whom the TETAAO wishes to honor or whose counsel is desired, and who by actions evidences abilities commensurate with the highest standards of TETAAO, may be designated as an Honorary member upon recommendation of the Committee on Standards of Adjudication and Judging Practices and approval of the administrative Committee. Honorary Members may assume Active Member status through compliance with Article I, Section 3, of the By-Laws, unless exceptions are approved by both committees.
Section 3. Active Membership.
A. Prerequisites for active membership are:
1. attend a critic judging workshop and a renewal workshop every five years;
2. have a four (4) year college/university or conservatory degree or certification in Theatre Arts;
3. agree to become familiar with the rules of the One-Act Play Contest (OAP) and all sections of the UIL Handbook for One-Act Play;
4. agree to serve as a single expert critic judge and abide by the "Guide for One-Act Play Contest Critic Judges" in the UIL Handbook for One-Act Play;
5. pay annual TETA and TETAAO dues as prescribed by the Administrative Committee and provide an updated educational profile on or before September 15 of each year;
6. attend a minimum of one regular or called meeting of TETAAO within each five year period; and
7. cooperate to the fullest extent with the Administrative Committee in all matters pertaining to the well being of TETAAO.
8. accept only six (6) official contests from Jan. 1 - May 1, unless additional contests are approved for just cause by the State Theatre Director. (This does not restrict the number of workshops, clinics or festivals in which the judge participates, but does include junior high/middle school contests.)
B. Judges may be an administrator and/or teacher in a Texas public school. They may not be involved in the production, direction, or critique of the one-act play entry from their school. Judges should use discretion by avoiding repeat judging in their immediate vicinity.
Section 4. Removal from Membership.
Any member may be removed from the accredited critic judge list due to failure to comply with the requirements as set forth in this Article or upon recommendation of the Administrative Committee when that committee sits as the Ethics Committee.
Article II: Dues and Fees
Section 1. Membership in TETA is required. Dues are payable prior to September 15 of each year. Institutional and organizational representatives are exempt from paying individual TETA dues. After the date of September 15, a late fee shall be assessed above or equal to the amount of the annual AO membership dues. After Nov. 15 judges shall re-certify at convention and pay the late fee.
Section 2. TETAAO dues shall be set by the Administrative Committee and reviewed annually.
Section 3. Registration fees for critic judging workshops other than at the annual TETA Convention shall be set by the Administrative Committee.
Article III: Officers and Duties
Section 1. Officers of the TETAAO shall be a Chair, a Chair-Elect, a Secretary, and an Immediate Past Chair who shall execute the duties prescribed herein. Officers shall hold office for a term of two years, with the exception of Immediate Past Chair, and they shall not succeed themselves.
Section 2. The Chair shall be the Chair of the Administrative Committee, preside at all meetings of the TETAAO and all meetings of the Administrative Committee. The Chair shall be responsible for distributing all minutes.
Section 3. The Chair shall have power to appoint any Committee, not provided for in this Operating Code and By-Laws, to assist in performing duties, and to serve on all other committees.
Section 4. The Chair-elect shall be the Chair of the Committee on Standards of Adjudication and Judging Practices and will chair the nominating committee. The Chair-elect shall automatically become Chair when that position is vacated.
Section 5. The Secretary shall serve as recorder for meetings of the TETAAO Administrative Committee and for general business meetings. The Secretary shall submit these minutes to the Chair for distribution to appropriate members. The Chair-Elect shall appoint an ad-hoc recording secretary as needed for the purpose of documenting the meeting of the Committee on Standards of Adjudication and Judging practices.
Section 6. TETA, Inc. shall be responsible for the following:
A. maintain membership records,
B. receive applications for membership, and submit necessary data to the Committee on Standards of Adjudication and Judging Practices,
C. on or before September 15 of each year, submit to the UIL State Theatre Director a roster of members, giving addresses, telephone numbers and educational profiles.
Article IV: Duties of Committees
Section 1. The Administrative Committee shall:
.A. set time and place of regular meetings,
B. approve a budget to be submitted to the TETA Board of Directors, and supervise all fiscal affairs, and
C. serve as the Ethics Committee which shall investigate alleged infractions of the Ethics Code, hold hearings on same, and make appropriate recommendations to the Committee on Standards of Adjudication and Judging Practices. (See Addendum.)
Section 2. The Committee on Standards of Adjudication and Judging Practices duties shall include:
A. implement criteria for membership,
B. serve as the nominating committee,
C. make recommendations for changes in policy, Operating Code, and Ethics Code,
D. review and have final authority on all recommendations of the Ethics Committee,
E. make recommendations concerning the process of adjudication certification, and
F. present members' recommendations for suspension of any member; the vote concerning such recommendations must be taken of the members at the meeting during which the charges and recommendations are made. A member charged with violations for which suspension is recommended must be notified by registered mail of charges and requested to appear before the Administrative Committee. At that time, the charges and recommendations are to be read. Members may then be suspended for one or more years. A suspension of three or more years shall require the member to repeat the entire eligibility process.
ADDENDUM