CONSTITUTION OF THE 
TEXAS ASSOCIATION OF BIOLOGY TEACHERS

ARTICLE I:  NAME

The name of this organization shall be “The Texas Association of Biology Teachers”, hereinafter referred to as the Association.

The purposes of the Association are exclusively scientific, educational, literary, charitable, and no other, and in furtherance of only these purposes the particular business and objects of said Association shall be (a) To facilitate the dissemination of biological knowledge; (b) To encourage scientific thinking and the utilization of the methods of science through the teaching of biology; (c) To make available to the biology teachers of the state of Texas information concerning the selection, organization, and presentation of biological materials; (d) To stress the interrelationships of biology to other sciences and to other educational experiences; (e) To plan, organize, and administer projects for the advancement and utilization of knowledge in biological science education; (f) In cooperation with other societies, to work for the improvement of the professional qualifications of those teaching the biological sciences; (g) To foster, encourage and conduct research in the field of biological education providing that research shall not otherwise engage in activities which in themselves are not in furtherance of one or more exempt purposes, except as same do not represent a substantial part of its activities.

ARTICLE III:  MEMBERSHIP

Any person, sympathetic to the purposes of the Association, without regard to sex, race, color, creed or nationality, is eligible for membership.

The Board of Directors, hereinafter known as the Board, as defined in the Bylaws, shall be the legal representative of the Association, and, as such, shall have, hold, and administer all the property, funds, and affairs of the Association in trust for its uses, in conformity with the Constitution and Bylaws, and with any amendments thereunto appertaining to its business.

The officers of the Association shall be a President, a Vice-President and a Secretary/Treasurer.

The Association may from time to time enact appropriate Bylaws not inconsistent with this constitution.

The Association is not organized for profit and no part of its net earnings may inure to the benefit of any Director, Officer, member, or employee of the Association, except that reasonable compensation may be paid for services rendered to and for the Association in connection with one or more of its purposes.  No Director, Officer, member, employee of the Association, nor any private individual shall be entitled to share in the distribution of any of the assets of the Association upon its dissolution.  Notwithstanding any other provision of these Articles, the Association shall not conduct or carry on any activities not permitted to be carried on by an organization exempt under Section 501 (c) (3) of the Internal Revenue Code and its regulations as they now exist or as they hereafter may be amended.  No substantial part of the activities of the Association shall be the carrying on of propaganda, or otherwise attempting to influence legislation, and the Association shall not participate in, or intervene in (including the publishing or distribution of any statements) any political campaign on behalf of any candidate for public office.

Amendments shall be made only upon a resolution by the Board and shall become effective upon adoption by at least two-thirds favorable votes cast by eligible members present and voting at a general meeting.  A decision may also be made to conduct a vote by mail, and if this decision is made, the amendment shall become effective upon adoption by at least two-thirds favorable votes cast by all eligible voting members of the Association.

Upon dissolution of the Association, the Board shall distribute the assets and accrued income to one or more organizations as determined by the Board, whose organization or organizations shall meet the limitations prescribed in Article VII of this Constitution.