Southern Interscholastic Press Association ( SIPA - A Scholastic Media Organization)
Constitution

ARTICLE I -- NAME

The name of this organization shall be the Southern Interscholastic Press Association (SIPA – a Scholastic Media Organization) and shall be referred to in this Constitution and By-Laws as SIPA.

ARTICLE II - PURPOSE

SIPA is a non-profit organization of public and independent/private schools, including middle and junior high schools, whose purpose is to encourage a high degree of professionalism in scholastic journalism/mass communication. This purpose is achieved through an educational program of workshops, conferences, contests, travel and conventions focusing on the broad range of journalistic endeavors. SIPA is sponsored by and maintained at the College of Mass Communications and Information Studies at the University of South Carolina in Columbia.

ARTICLE III - MEMBERSHIP

Section 1. Membership in SIPA shall be open to schools, accredited by the respective state education departments, which offer a range of journalism programs including newspaper, yearbook, literary magazine, newsmagazine, radio and television broadcasting.

Section 2. Membership shall be registered in the name of the individual medium. Schools must register each medium for which they seek membership in SIPA.

Section 3. Membership shall be maintained by payment of annual dues set by the Executive Committee.

Section 4. A lifetime membership, dues from which go into the SIPA Endowment Fund, is available to advisers. Lifetime memberships are made in the name of advisers and may be transferred, should an adviser move from one institution to another.

ARTICLE IV - OFFICERS AND COMMITTEES

Section 1. Student officers shall be elected at each annual convention to serve a term of one year. Student officers shall be a president, vice president and member-at-large, shall be rising seniors from different schools, and shall be elected by a plurality of votes cast by the student representatives in attendance at the annual convention. The student officers shall serve as members of the Executive Committee, along with their advisers.

Section 2. Adult officers include the SIPA director/treasurer, who shall be the Dean of the College of Mass Communications and Information Studies or an appointed representative, a chairperson, vice chairman and secretary.

Section 3. The Advisory Council shall be made up of the elected adult officers of the Advisory Council, the immediate past chairperson, the director and the state representatives elected by the advisers in attendance at the annual convention.

Section 4. The Nominating Committee shall be appointed by the SIPA director to present a slate of nominees to the Advisory Council for action.

Section 5. The Executive Committee shall be made up of the elected officers of the Advisory Council; the immediate past chairman; the student president, vice president and member-at-large and their advisers; and the SIPA director. The director may appoint members at large to the Executive Committee.

Section 6. The Executive Committee is empowered to conduct business as is necessary between annual meetings.

Section 7. The SIPA director, chairperson or president may appoint other committees with the approval of the Executive Committee.

ARTICLE V - VOTING, OFFICE TERMS

Section 1. The Advisory Council shall elect the chairperson, vice-chairperson and secretary. These officers shall be elected to serve one two-year term and may succeed themselves one time.

Section 2. The Advisory Council shall be elected by a plurality of votes in a meeting of the advisers present at the annual convention. Council members shall be elected from a slate of nominees presented to the advisers by a nominating committee. Members shall be elected to serve a two-year term. Members may succeed themselves only one time before rotating off the Council for at least one year.

ARTICLE VI - MEETINGS

Section 1. SIPA shall hold an annual convention at the University of South Carolina College of Mass Communications and Information Studies or other suitable location. The director, with the approval of the Executive Committee shall set the convention dates and location.

Section 2. The Executive Committee shall meet at the annual convention and each fall, at a place determined by the director, to conduct business of the organization. The chairperson or director may call additional meetings as needed with the date and location at the discretion of the director.

Section 3. The Advisory Council shall meet during the annual convention.

Section 4. Advisers shall meet together during the annual convention.

ARTICLE VII - RULES

The rules contained in Robert's Rules of Order, Revised, shall govern the association in all cases in which they are applicable, and in which they are not inconsistent with the Constitution and By-Laws of the Association.

ARTICLE VIII - AMENDMENTS

The Constitution may be amended or revised at the annual convention upon two-months' previous notice of the proposed changes. A two-thirds’ vote of those in attendance at the convention is required for the changes to become effective. The By-Laws may be amended by a simple majority of the representatives present.

ARTICLE IX - RATIFICATION

This SIPA Constitution and By-Laws, ratified at the 1974 annual convention, may be amended as cited in Article VIII.

Adopted, February 28. 1974
Amended, April 8, 1976
Amended, March 7, 1986
Revised, September 6, 1997
Revised, March 2, 2001

Editorial changes, March 1, 2004

Southern Interscholastic Press Association
By-Laws

NUMBER I - FISCAL

Section 1. The fiscal year of SIPA shall be from July 1 - June 30.

Section 2. The director and Executive Committee shall determine the annual membership dues.

Section 3. All convention registration fees and expenses shall be borne by the delegates and advisers. The convention registration fee shall be set annually by the director and Executive Committee.

NUMBER II - OFFICERS and COMMITTEE DUTIES

Section 1. Student Officers
a. The president shall preside at the business sessions of the annual convention serve as a member of the Executive Committee, and serve as a liaison between students and the Advisory Council.
b. The vice president shall preside in the absence of the president and serve in the same liaison capacity as the president.

Section 2. Adult Officers
a. The director shall coordinate all activities of the association and report to and confer with the Executive Committee in matters requiring its approval.
b. The chairperson shall plan with the Advisory Council and Executive Committee and assist and consult with the director on all matters pertaining to the total program of SIPA. The chairperson shall preside at all meetings of the Council or Committee.
c. The vice chairperson shall serve in the capacity of the chairperson in the event the chairperson is unable to fulfill the duties of the office and otherwise assist in promoting the activities of SIPA.
d. The secretary shall carry out assignments from the chairperson and director, attend and take minutes at the Executive Committee and Advisory Council/adviser meetings, and dispatch such correspondence as is necessary.
e. The treasurer/director shall handle the fiscal activities of SIPA.

Section 3. Committees
a. The Advisory Council shall discuss activities and problems of the Association and annual convention to offer suggestions/assistance to the Executive Committee. The Council shall elect the chairperson, vice chairperson and secretary.
b. The Executive Committee shall plan the annual conventions, set guidelines for judging of activities, and act upon matters brought to the attention of the committee by the Council.

ARTICLES OF ASSOCIATION
Adopted February 5, 1990

a. The purposes for which the SIPA is organized are exclusively charitable, scientific, literary and educational within the meaning of section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 or the corresponding provision of any future United States law.
b. Notwithstanding any other provision of these articles, this organization shall not carry on any activities not permitted to be carried on by an organization exempt from Federal income tax under section 501(c)((3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 or the corresponding provision of any future United States Internal Revenue law.
c. In the event of dissolution, the residual assets of the organization will be turned over to one or more organizations, which themselves are exempt as organizations described in sections 501(c)(3) and 170(c)(2) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 or corresponding sections of any prior or future Internal Revenue Code, or to the Federal, state or local government for exclusive public purpose.