►► Motion: To Change the current job posting policy

”Change the current job posting policy to notify membership directly by e-mail of current job opportunity in addition to posting them on the website.” 

Passed June, 2008

►► Motion: To Reccomend a Change of the Name of the Teacher Education Interest Section

”Motion made, seconded and APPROVED unanimously: To recommend a change in the By-Laws to change the name of the Teacher Education Interest Section to the Teacher Education and Professional Development Interest Section in order to better represent the purpose of the Interest Section. .” 

Passed March, 2008

►► Motion: Advocacy as a Budget Item

”Advocacy has requested an allocation of money to hold an event. Because Advocacy is not an Interest Section it does not receive a budget. Interest Sections receive $400/year. Motion made, seconded, and APPROVED; Advocacy will receive an allocation of $200.” 

Passed December, 2007

►► Motion: Online Publication of the Newsletter

”John Nelson MOVED: that MD TESOL begin publishing the newsletter online, starting with the 2008-09 academic year. ” 

Passed December, 2007

►► Motion: from Myles Hoenig and Martha Hoff Regarding Printing Minutes

”The Secretary shall distribute minutes by electronic mail to the members, who may print out copies for their own use. The Secretary will not print copies for distribution, but will have at least one printed copy available at the subsequent meeting, in case the minutes need to be consulted during the meeting. The Secretary shall also email the minutes twice - first, when they are available and, second, one week before the next meeting. ” 

Passed September, 2007

►► Motion: Graduate Student Mini-conference for Spring 2008

”A motion was made and seconded that the board approve having the Graduate Student Liaison organize a graduate student mini-conference for Spring 2008.” 

Passed September, 2007

►► Motion: Funding for MD TESOL Professional Development Award 2007

”We will keep the constitutionally dictated percentages of interest to be used from the Award Fund Account.   However, if the funds generated do not equal $500, which we consider an appropriate amount for this award, then we will budget funds to cover the difference.”

 Constitutional Reference:

4. Disbursement 

Each year the President, Treasurer, and other Executive Board Members shall recommend the amount of funding for the Award from the established Award Fund Account. The minimum shall be the interest earned that year on a quarter of the current capital with the hope of allotting more. The award given each year may not exceed 50% of the total interest earned on the Award Fund Account for that year.  Fundraising projects may also be held to raise money for the Award Fund Account. 

Passed February, 2007

►► Motion: for Annual Financial Review

Improve the oversight of financial recordkeeping by instituting a procedure and policy of an annual (and/or semi-annual) review.

Rational for motion:

- The current treasurer of MD TESOL, who proposed this motion, suggested that instituting an semi-annual/ annual review would be an important precedent to establish for our organization.

Proposed by Mamiko Nakata, current treasure of MD TESOL

Passed January, 2007

►► Motion: Acknowledgement and Thanks

Motions about acknowledgments [official thanks from MD TESOL]: 

On behalf of Maryland Teachers of English to Speakers of other languages I would like to thank Steve Gershman, expert accountant and principal of the accounting firm of Katz, Abosch, Windesheim, Gershman & Freedman, P.A., for his generous donation of time and financial expertise to our organization.

 On behalf of Maryland Teachers of English to Speakers of other languages I would like to thank Jody Waltrup, associate and non-profit specialist at the accounting firm of Katz, Abosch, Windesheim, Gershman & Freedman, P.A., for her donation of time, research and financial expertise to our organization.

On behalf of Maryland Teachers of English to Speakers of other languages I would like to thank Richard Schreibstein, Esquire and his associate, Adam Zimmerman, Esquire, of the law firm of Schreibstein and Hirsch, LLC for their generous donation of time and legal expertise in preparing Maryland TESOL’s legal incorporation.  Such incorporation will assist in protecting present and future officers of our organization from potential liability issues.  

One of our main goals this year was to make sure that our financial and legal foundations were in proper order and to ensure a strong foundation of procedures that would carry us into the future.  With the help of these highly skilled, successful and generous individuals, we are accomplishing our goal.

►►Motion on 2007-2008 MD TESOL Fees:

The membership fees will remain the same:  $25 for regular member; $15 for student/volunteer members and $45 for institutions (which includes two memberships).

To cover the increasing cost of putting on a conference, the conference fees will be: