ARTICLE I: NAME

The name of this organization shall be the Texas Math and Science Coaches Association (TMSCA).

 

ARTICLE II: OBJECTIVES

Section 1: To enhance competition of a homogeneous kind throughout the state of Texas in University Interscholastic League (UIL) math and science contests through grade level and team competition in a standard contest form

Section 2: To increase interest and participation in the UIL sponsored math and science events

Section 3: To offer state level contests sponsored by TMSCA

Section 4: To enable Texas math and science sponsors to have a line of communications to the Legislative Council of the UIL and to the UIL state directors.

 

ARTICLE III: MEMBERSHIP

Section 1: Any accredited high school, junior high (middle school) or elementary school in the state of Texas is eligible to be members of TMSCA as long as they remain in good standing with UIL or other comparable associations. Schools must pay membership fees and follow the rules and regulations of the TMSCA Constitution to be eligible.

Section 2: Any reputable high school, junior high (middle school) or elementary school math or science sponsor in good standing with their respective institutions is eligible for membership. Individual sponsors will have high moral character in dealings with students, parents, and the community. Sponsors also must follow the rules and regulations of the Constitution to be eligible. Persons not working in the various school systems may join as associates.

Section 3: The fees for membership in TMSCA are set by the Executive Board.

Section 4: The membership year is July 1 to June 30.

 

ARTICLE IV: LEGISLATIVE BODY

Section 1: The management and control of TMSCA shall reside with the elected officials (President, President-Elect, Recording Secretary, Treasurer, High School Directors, Middle School Directors, and the Board of Regents). The above shall be referred to as the legislative body and shall be responsible for the TMSCA state level contests. The elected officials, excluding the Board of Regents, shall be referred to as the Executive Board.

Section 2: The Executive Board shall act as business managers for TMSCA.

Section 3: The Board of Regents shall act as consultants to the Executive Board.

A. The Board of Regents consists of twenty members, five from each UIL region. Each region will be represented by one regent from each of the following, or equivalent UIL classification, designations: (1) 1A-4A, (2) 5A-6A, (3) high school, (4) middle school and (5) one at large.

B. The regents will be elected by the voting membership in their respective regions in accordance with TMSCA classifications. Their term is two years. In odd-numbered years 1A-4A (or equivalent UIL classification), high school and middle school regents are elected. In even-numbered years, 5A-6A (or equivalent UIL classification) and at-large are elected.

Section 4: The elected officers shall be President, President-Elect, Recording Secretary and Treasurer. High School and Middle School Directors shall be elected for a staggered term of two years.

Section 5: The term of the President and President-Elect shall start July 1 and last for a period of one year. Term of office for Recording Secretary and Treasurer will start July 1 for a staggered term of two years. The Recording Secretary will be elected in even-numbered years and the Treasurer in odd-numbered years. The President-Elect will assume the duties of the President after the term as President-Elect ends. The officers shall be nominated and elected by the voting membership at large according to Article IV, Sections 6 and 7 of the TMSCA Constitution. The duties of the elected officers shall be determined by the Executive Board and will be stated in the TMSCA Bylaws.

Section 6: Nominations for the legislative body shall be made within the time period beginning the second Saturday in January and concluding the Saturday of the TMSCA Championship Meet. Nominations shall be forwarded to the Nomination-Election Committee. Nominees must be paid members for the current year and meet the requirements of Article III, Section2. Nominees must agree to be paid members of TMSCA throughout their term of office. Nominations for the Executive Board may be made by the general membership statewide. Nominations for the Board of Regents must be made for a particular region by a member of that region. The Nomination-Election Committee will insure that one person is not nominated to two positions by contacting the nominee for their preference. Nomination forms shall be made available to current members of TMSCA.

Section 7: The Recording Secretary is the chairperson of the Nomination-Election Committee. The chairperson will select committee members. The committee, utilizing the TMSCA office, will be responsible for issuing ballots to the voting membership within ten (10) days of the close of the nominations period unless all positions are unopposed. In the event that all positions are unopposed, the Nomination-Election Chairman shall declare the nominees elected. A school membership is entitled to one (1) vote; a school combination member- ship is entitled to two (2) votes - one per campus, and an individual coach membership is entitled to one vote. Ballots must be received in the TMSCA office by the date specified on the ballot. If no candidate receives more than fifty (50) percent of the votes for a particular office, then a runoff election will be held for the two candidates having the top percentages of the vote. In the event of a runoff, runoff ballots must be received by the TMSCA office within ten (10) days of issuance. The committee, utilizing the TMSCA office, will be in charge of informing the out-going President, the newly elected legislative body and the unsuccessful candidates of the election results. Complete and final results will be published in the next TMSCA newspaper. The newly elected legislative body members' terms shall begin July 1.

Section 8: If the office of the President becomes vacant, the President-elect shall assume the duties of the President and the Executive Board, upon recommendation of the Nomination-Election Committee, shall appoint a qualified member to carry out the duties of the President-elect for the remainder of the term. If a position other than President is vacated prior to the end of the term, the President, upon seeking recommendations of the Nominations-Election Committee shall appoint a qualified member to carry out the duties of the position for the remainder of the term.

 

ARTICLE V: TMSCA SANCTIONED MEETS

Section 1: TMSCA will support the UIL-type competition in the events of Number Sense, Calculator, Applications, Science and Mathematics. (TMSCA will support any additional math or science contests once they become officially sanctioned by UIL.) The rules governing these contests will be those adopted by the UIL and found in the Constitution and Contest Rules for UIL. It will also be the duty of TMSCA to help mold contest curricula into an acceptable form for the associated members and their students in cooperation with the UIL state directors.

Section 2: The State Meet will be held the weekend before the first week of the UIL academic district meet. if possible.  The date for the Championship Meet will be determined by the Executive Board upon recommendations of the respective directors.

Section 3: The State Meet and the Championship Meet will be held at central locations as determined by the Executive Board upon the recommendations of the respective directors.

Section 4: The following meet guidelines will be used.

A. The meet must offer at least UIL math and science events.

B. All competition in these contests shall be by grade level and by school classification, 1A-6A ,or per current UIL classification.

C. State Meet and Championship Meet awards will be presented for grade level individual, team, and sweepstakes champions. State Meet and Championship Meet awards will be by conference as per current (or equivalent) UIL classification. Classifications may be combined.

D. Team trophies (i.e. best Number Sense Team, best Calculator Applications team, etc.) shall be awarded, and the following procedures must be followed.

i. State Meet: The team score shall be the sum of the four raw scores in Number Sense, Calculator Applications, Science and Mathematics, regardless of grade level but containing no more than three senior scores. All team scores shall be scaled in such a way that one point in one event is equal in value to one point in all other events. (For example: Science and Mathematics raw scores for team competition shall be multiplied by a 10/9 factor; Calculator raw scores shall be multiplied by 8/7.)

ii. Championship Meet: A team score shall be the sum of the top four raw scores in Number Sense, Calculator Applications, Science and Mathematics, regardless of grade level but containing no more than three eighth grade scores.

iii. Only positive scores shall be used. iv. If there are not four positive scores, then the sum of the three or less positive scores should be used. E. If sweepstakes awards (to overall team) are given, then the sweepstakes score will be the sum of the Number Sense, Calculator Applications, Science and Mathematics team scores. F. All tests administered and graded in these contests should follow the current UIL format as closely as possible. G. Middle school qualifiers may not split a team. Section 5: Meet directors are charged with the responsibility of seeing these rules are strictly observed.

 

ARTICLE VI: DISPUTES

Section 1: Should a school or sponsor wish to dispute the method of running a TMSCA-sanctioned meet, the school or sponsor must file the complaint in writing within one (1) week with the Recording Secretary.

Section 2: The Recording Secretary will try to resolve the problem within two (2) weeks of receiving the written complaint/dispute. If the dispute is not resolved, the Recording Secretary will inform the Executive Board of all pertinent facts asking for a decision as to what action should be taken. The Recording Secretary will then inform the school or sponsor filing the dispute and the school or sponsor to which the allegations are made of the board's decision within one (1) week of the decision. Section 3: In all cases, the decision of the Executive Board is final.

 

ARTICLE VII: ANNUAL MEETINGS

Section 1: Two general business meetings will be held. One prior to the State Meet and one prior to the Championship Meet to discuss amendments to the Constitution and other items pertinent to the running of the Association.

Section 2: The Executive Board will meet three times in one year, once in the summer (July/August), once in the winter (December/January), and in March prior to the State Meet. Section 3: All matters requiring a vote at the Executive Board Meetings will be considered passed or failed upon a majority decision of members in attendance.

 

ARTICLE VIII: DISSOLUTION OF TMSCA

Section 1: In the event TMSCA is to be dissolved as an organization, the total assets shall be donated to the University Interscholastic League (UIL) of Texas to be used for the enhancement of competitive math and science contests.

Section 2: These assets shall be distributed for one or more exempt purposes within the meaning of section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code (or corresponding section of any future tax code), or shall be distributed to the federal government, or to a state or local government for a public purpose. Any such assests not so disposed of shall be disposed by the Court of Common Pleas of the county in which the principle office of the Association is then located, exclusively for such purposes or to such organization or organizations, as said Court shall determine, which are organized and operated exclusively for such purposes.

 

ARTICLE IX: PARLIAMENTARY AUTHORITY

The TMSCA organization will utilize Roberts Rules of Order to cover any situations that may arise that are not covered in the TMSCA Constitution.

 

ARTICLE X: AMENDMENTS

Section 1: Amendments to the Constitution must be submitted by January 15 using the TMSCA "amendment form". The completed form shall be mailed to the newspaper editor.

Section 2: Amendments will be presented for discussion at the TMSCA annual business meetings.

Section 3: An amendment shall pass with a three-fourths majority of the total votes by members in attendance at the annual business meetings.

Section 4: Discussion on amendments will be limited to two (2) speakers for and two (2) speakers against the amendment with no more than two (2) minutes allowed for each speaker.

 

ARTICLE XI: TAX EXEMPT STATUS

Section 1: This organization is organized exclusively for charitable and educational purposes within the meaning of section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code.

Section 2: Notwithstanding any other provision of these articles, the association shall not carry on any other activities not permitted to be carried on (a) by an association exempt for Federal income tax under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 (or the corresponding provision of any future United State Internal Revenue law) or (b) by an association contributions to which are deductible under section 170(c)(2) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 (or corresponding provision of any future United States Internal Revenue law).