ASSOCIATION FOR CAREER AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION OF NEBRASKA
BYLAWS
(Revised and Adopted by the Assembly of Delegates on June 11, 2025)

ARTICLE I
NAME AND FUNCTION OF BYLAWS

A. The name of this organization shall be the Association for Career and Technical Education of Nebraska.
B. These Bylaws shall be the governing policies for the organization.

 

ARTICLE II
PURPOSES

The purposes of ACTEN shall be those purposes set forth in the current Program of Work, as adopted by the Board of Directors and Assembly of Delegates each year; provided that such Purposes shall not be inconsistent with nor contradict the Purposes set forth in the Articles of Incorporation. In the event such purposes do conflict with the Articles of Incorporation, the purposes set forth in the Articles of Incorporation shall control.

ARTICLE III
MEMBERSHIP

Sec. 1: Membership in this association is open to all persons interested in career and technical education in the State of Nebraska. Membership classification shall be active, student, retired, and other categories as defined by the Association for Career and Technical Education.
A. Active membership shall be defined as persons actively employed in the teaching or administration of programs of career, technical, counseling, and practical arts education.
B. Student memberships are for students preparing for a career in counseling or teaching career, technical, and practical arts subjects.
C. Retired memberships are for individuals who have retired from active duty in career and technical education.
D. Other membership categories shall be those as defined in the Bylaws of the
Association for Career and Technical Education.
E. New members are persons actively employed in teaching or administration of programs of career, technical, counseling, and practical arts education who have just joined the Association for Career and Technical Education of
Revised and Adopted by the AOD on June 11, 2025
Nebraska and were not previously affiliated with the organization as an active member.

Sec. 2: Only active members shall have the right to hold office, act as delegates, or vote in a business meeting of the Association for Career and Technical Education of Nebraska.

Sec. 3: Dues shall be as follows:
A. Active membership dues shall be that amount necessary to cover an affiliated membership in the Association for Career and Technical Education, plus an amount per member to be retained by the Association for Career and Technical Education of Nebraska as recommended annually by the Board of Directors and approved by the Assembly of Delegates.
B. Retired membership dues shall be that amount necessary for membership in the Association for Career and Technical Education plus the dues per member to be retained by the ACTEN.
C. Membership shall begin with the receipt of dues by the ACTEN treasurer and terminate one year from that date.
D. Student membership shall be those enrolled in career, and technical education programs and approved as student members by the Association for Career and Technical Education.

ARTICLE IV
ELECTION OF OFFICERS AND DIVISION REPRESENTATIVES
(BOARD OF DIRECTORS)

Sec. 1: The officers of this association shall consist of the President, President-Elect, Secretary, Treasurer and Past-President. These officers and the Division Representatives representing the career and technical divisions shall constitute the voting members of the Board of Directors. The Career and Technical Divisions include:Administration
Agriculture Education
Business Education
Counseling and Career Development
Health Science Education
Family and Consumer Sciences Education
Engineering and Technology Education
New and Related Services
Postsecondary, Adult and Career Education
Trade and Industrial Education
Work-Based Learning
Revised and Adopted by the AOD on June 11, 2025

Sec. 2: All active members of ACTEN shall be eligible for any elective office of the Board of Directors.
No division may seek office of President-Elect for more than one consecutive term.

Sec. 3: The Board of Directors shall consist of members from each career and technical division as recognized by the Association for Career and Technical Education.
A. Any division of career and technical education having one to seventy-five members of ACTEN shall be represented by one Division Representative.
B. Any division of career and technical education having more than seventy-five members of ACTEN shall be represented by two Division Representatives.
C. Membership on the Board of Directors shall be determined on the basis of a division’s membership in the ACTEN at the end of the previous fiscal year.

Sec. 4: Officers
A. President – one year term.

Candidates for elected office and their terms of office shall be:

B. President-Elect – one year prior to assuming the duties of President.

C. Secretary – two years.

D. Treasurer – two years.

E. Division Representatives – three years.
Division Representatives shall be elected annually on a rotation basis. No two Division Representatives from the same division of career and technical education shall complete their terms in the same year. Each division shall elect, by vote from ACTEN members within their own division, their respective Division Representative. If 100% of the members in a division of ACTEN are also members of a separate or affiliated division association then the division representatives for that division may be elected or appointed as determined by that division association and submitted in writing to the ACTEN President prior to the delegate assembly.

Sec. 5: Election of persons for the elected offices shown in Section 4 shall be by mail or electronic ballot. The nominating committee shall prepare a ballot listing two (2) candidates for each office to be filled and provide a space under each office for write-ins except President-Elect.
Revised and Adopted by the AOD on June 11, 2025

Sec. 6: The election procedure shall be:
A. Candidates for elected offices shall be approved by the Board of Directors and announced sixty (60) days prior to the annual meeting.
B. Mail ballots or electronic ballots should be sent to ACTEN members forty-five (45) days prior to the annual meeting. Only ballots postmarked or received electronically at the ACTEN Office at least fifteen (15) days prior to the annual Assembly of Delegates meeting shall be considered as valid ballots.

Sec. 7: The President-Elect shall be installed as President at the annual meeting and shall assume the duties at the beginning of the fiscal year. Other newly elected officers shall also take office at the start of the fiscal year.

Sec. 8: In the event that the office of President is declared vacant during the interval, the President-Elect will assume the position of President for the remaining portion of that interval and shall retain the office of President for the ensuing year. Other offices which shall become vacant during any interval shall be filled for the remaining portion of that interval by action of the Board of Directors. In the event of a vacancy in the office of President-Elect, the Board of Directors, pursuant to majority vote, will appoint an eligible member of the Association to fill such vacancy and occupy the position of such office.

 

ARTICLE V
DUTIES OF OFFICERS AND DIVISION REPRESENTATIVES (BOARD OF DIRECTORS)

Sec. 1: The President shall be the chief executive officer of the ACTEN and shall exercise general supervision over the interest and welfare of the organization. The President shall be chairperson of the Assembly of Delegates and Board of Directors. The President shall:
A. Be responsible for implementing and directing the Program of Work Committee.
B. Appoint chairpersons to committees from the Board of Directors.
C. Instruct committee chairpersons about their assignments, assist them in carrying out their tasks, and check with the committee during the year to make certain that progress is being made.
D. Serve as ACTEN delegate to the ACTE Assembly of Delegates.
E. Participate or appoint a representative to participate in Region V activities.
F. Meet with newly elected members of the Board of Directors to acquaint them with their responsibilities.
Revised and Adopted by the AOD on June 11, 2025
G. Serve as Co-chair of the annual Nebraska Career Education Conference
(NCE) Planning Committee.
H. Act as an ex-officio member of all committees except nominating.
I. Collect committee reports and keep on file.
J. Attend one yearly function of each division or send a representative. The representative may be the Past-President, President-Elect, Secretary or Treasurer.

Sec. 2: The President-Elect shall:
A. Be chairperson of Program of Work Committee.
B. Assume the duties of the President when the President is absent.
C. Serve as a member of the Bylaws Committee.
D. Serve as ACTEN delegate to the ACTE Assembly of Delegates.
E. Assist the President in carrying out the Program of Work.
F. Serve as Co-chair of the annual Nebraska Career Education Conference
(NCE) Planning Committee.

Sec. 3: The Past-President shall:
A. Assist and guide the President and President-Elect in carrying out their duties.
B. Act as consultant to the Program of Work Committee.
C. Select and obtain appropriate plaque for the outgoing ACTEN President.
D. Serve as chairperson for the Nominating and Awards Committee.
E. Serve as consultant to the Legislative Committee.
F. Serve as Co-chair of the annual Nebraska Career Education Conference (NCE) Planning Committee.

Sec. 4. The Secretary shall:
A. Be responsible for the minutes of all business meetings.
B. Keep all minutes and committee reports on file.
Revised and Adopted by the AOD on June 11, 2025
C. Send out minutes of every meeting within fifteen (15) days following the meeting and notice of upcoming meeting to the Board of Directors and state affiliate organization presidents at least ten (10) days in advance of the upcoming meeting.
D. Keep records and handle correspondence of all ACTEN business.
E. Serve as an ACTEN representative to an ACTE function.

Sec. 5. The Treasurer shall:
A. Manage the oversight of dues.
B. Provide a list of members to the Board of Directors.
C. Serve as financial custodian of all ACTEN funds and prepare an annual financial report.
D. Serve as an ACTEN representative to an ACTE function.

Sec. 6: Webmaster

A. The Webmaster shall:
(a) Maintain the ACTEN website by posting new information, remove
outdated information and suggest changes that will keep the site fresh and interesting for our members.
(b) Attend ACTEN Board meetings as an ex officio member, when
possible.

Sec. 7: The Division Representative shall:
A. Attend Board of Directors meetings and Assembly of Delegates as voting delegates for the Board of Directors. Division Representatives will be required to resign their position after two unexcused board meeting absences per year. An excused absence can be granted prior to the meeting by the ACTEN President.
B. Provide leadership and promote membership in their respective divisions.
C. Serve as chairpersons and assist in carrying out the responsibilities of the various committees.
D. Communicate information to their divisions concerning ACTEN matters.
E. Appoint and notify members of their respective divisions to serve as delegates to the annual Assembly of Delegates.
Revised and Adopted by the AOD on June 11, 2025
F. Appoint a voting representative in the event the elected Division Representative cannot attend a Board of Directors meeting.
G. Have a responsibility to secure applicants, from their division, for ACTEN/ACTE awards.

ARTICLE VI
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Sec. 1: The elected officers and Division Representatives shall constitute the voting members of the Board of Directors. Designated ex-officio members shall serve on the Board of Directors as non-voting members, and shall include, but not be limited to, a representative of the Nebraska Department of Education as designated by said department and any Nebraskan who is a member of the ACTE Board of Directors
Sec. 2: The duties of the Board of Directors shall be:
A. To look after the general welfare of Career and Technical Education within the state.
B. To give special emphasis to educating the public with respect to the value and need of such education.
C. To assume the authority to conduct business and take necessary action between meetings of the ACTEN Assembly of Delegates.
D. To have voting privileges at the ACTEN Assembly of Delegates representing the ACTEN and not their respective divisions.

 

ARTICLE VII
COMMITTEES

The committees shall consist of active ACTEN members. The chair of each committee shall be a Board of Directors member who will prepare a summary report for each meeting and a yearly report on activities of each committee for the ACTEN Assembly of Delegates, to be given to the new Chairperson, the President-Elect, and the Secretary.
Sec. 1: Audit
A.
The Audit Committee shall annually audit the financial records of the Association and submit a written report to the Assembly of Delegates.
Revised and Adopted by the AOD on June 11, 2025
Sec. 2: Budget
A. The Budget Committee shall assess the operational needs of the Association and submit a proposed budget for the ensuing year to the Assembly of Delegates.
Sec. 3: Legislation and Resolutions
A. The Legislative and Resolutions Committee shall maintain the state and national level legislative networks in each career and technical division for:
(1) Informing legislators of needs and accomplishments of career and technical education.
(2) Establishing and maintaining a good relationship with legislators.
B. Monitor state and national legislation and notify appropriate network members when action is required. Follow through to see that action is taken.
C. Keep members informed of all legislation, state and national, which would affect career and technical education.
D. Contact representatives of each ACTEN division and standing committees for resolutions vital to ACTEN.
E. Solicit resolutions prior to the annual Assembly of Delegates.
F. Upon recommendations of the Board of Directors, present resolutions to the Assembly of Delegates for action.
Sec. 4: Membership
A. The Membership Committee shall consist of a representative from each career and technical education division, and they shall solicit membership from their respective division.
Sec. 5: Nominating and Awards
This committee shall be chaired by the Past-President. It shall consist of one representative from the members of each division. It shall:
A. Serve in an advisory capacity to the President.
B.
Select candidates for elected offices and report to the Board of Directors.
C.
Be responsible for selecting suitable recipients for each ACTEN award to be presented at a time decided by the Board of Directors.
D.
Serve as member of the awards judging panel.
Revised and Adopted by the AOD on June 11, 2025
Sec. 6: Program of Work
A. The Program of Work Committee shall consist of the chairpersons from each standing committee. It shall develop specific goals, activities on how to reach them, and provisions for evaluation. The Program of Work shall be based on a strategic plan developed by the ACTEN Board of Directors. The Program of Work shall be submitted to the Board of Directors at least sixty (60) days before being submitted to the Assembly of Delegates for final approval.
Sec. 7: Public Relations
A. The Public Relations Committee shall arrange ways and means of advocating for career and technical education to the public and to leaders in education.
Sec. 8: Bylaws
A. The Bylaws Committee shall receive proposed Bylaws changes from ACTEN members sixty (60) days prior to the Assembly of Delegates and shall evaluate the Bylaws for any proposed changes.

ARTICLE VIII
MEETINGS

Sec. 1: The annual meeting of the Assembly of Delegates shall be held each year at such time and place as the Board of Directors may select.
Sec. 2: Each career and technical education division shall be represented in the
Assembly of Delegates by one delegate for each ten active members or major part thereof, based on the division membership of the preceding fiscal year. Divisions with less than fifteen (15) active members shall be entitled to two delegates.
Sec. 3: All business shall be transacted by the Assembly of Delegates members
present at the annual meeting or at any special meeting officially called by the Board of Directors. A minimum of fifty-one (51) percent of those active members registered at the Assembly of Delegates constitute a quorum.
Sec. 4: All board meetings shall be open and all interested parties privileged to
attend, but voting shall be limited to officers of their voting representatives.
Revised and Adopted by the AOD on June 11, 2025

 

ARTICLE IX
FISCAL YEAR

The fiscal year of this organization shall be October 1 to September 30.

 

ARTICLE X
AMENDMENTS

Sec. 1: The Bylaws may be amended by a two-thirds (2/3) majority of the votes cast
by the Assembly of Delegates. Proposed changes must be submitted in
writing to the Board of Directors at least sixty (60) days prior to the Assembly of Delegates. ACTEN members shall be notified of proposed changes at least thirty (30) days prior to the Assembly of Delegates. Adopted amendments shall become effective following the Assembly of Delegates.

ARTICLE XI
PARLIAMENTARY AUTHORITY

Sec. 1: Robert’s Rules of Order, Newly Revised will govern any provision not
covered by the Bylaws of the Association for Career and Technical Education of Nebraska.