SDFCA   Constitution

Adopted September, 1981
Preamble
Believing that forensic activities are a vital compliment to academic education of students and that coaching forensics is an honorable profession, it shall be the policy of this association to promote forensics as an activity and coaching as a profession in South Dakota.

Article I - Name
The name of this association shall be the South Dakota Forensics Coaches' Association

Article II - Purpose
It shall be the purpose of this association to promote the interests of forensics and other public speaking activities in South Dakota high schools, colleges, and universities. It shall be the specific purpose of this association to administer the following: the South Dakota Forensic Coaches' Hall of Fame; the South Dakota Forensics Association Coach of the Year; the D.C. Reutter Championship Debate Awards; the Harold M. Jordan Individual Speaking Awards; and monitor the collection of all tournament and contest records, current and past, for the on-going history of speech activities in South Dakota.

Article III - Membership
Anyone who is or has been a coach of speech activities in a South Dakota high school, college or university or any adult interested in the perpetuation of speech activities in South Dakota may become a member of this association by paying into annual membership dues. The annual dues shall be paid to the secretary-treasurer by December 31st of each year. Annual dues shall be determined by action of the elected officers.

Article IV - Officers
The elected officers of the association shall be a president, a vice-president, and a secretary-treasurer.
A. Duties of the President
1. Preside over the meetings of the association and the officers
2. Execute all provisions of this constitution and all operations executed under the authority of the constitution.
3. Represent the SDFCA at appropriate functions.
4. Make the final selection of all committee chairpersons and appoint committee members after consultation with the committee chairpersons.
5. Coordinate the functions of this association with the South Dakota High School Activities Association, the South Dakota district of the National Forensics League, the Karl E. Mundt Foundation, the Speech Communication Association of South Dakota, and any other leagues or organizations related to issues pertinent to this association.
6. Organize any association banquets or similar functions.
7. Be the association's chief public-relations officer and be a liason between the assocation and the media.
8. Execute all other duties usually attributed to the office of the President.

B. Duties of the Vice-President
1. Act as president in the absence of the president
2. Become president with the president resigns or is permanently unable to serve
3. Serve as a voting ex-officio member of all committees and subcommittees.
4. Execute all other duties usually attributed to the office of Vice-President

C. Duties of the Secretary-Treasurer
1. Keep the minutes of association meetings and officer meetings
2. Collect and keep the minutes of association Committee and Subcommittee meetings.
3. Collect the annual dues
4. Pay association expenses.
5. Maintain the offical membership list of the association.
6. Disperse communication between the officers and the membership
7. Execute all other duties usually attributed to the office of secretary-treasurer.

Article V - Election of Officers
A. Regular Elections
Regular elections shall be held at the annual SDFCA business meeting on even-numbered years. Elections will be held for the office of president, vice-president, and secretary-treasurer. All current members of the association in attendance at the meeting will be eligible to vote. Election shall be determined by a majority of those voting.

B. Special Elections
A special election may be held at the annual business meeting in odd-numbered years when a vacancy in an office exists.

C. Terms of Office
Officers elected in regular elections shall serve a two year term commencing January 1st of the following year. Officers elected in special elections shall take office immediately and serve only the term of their predecessor.

Article VI - Committees
A. Standing Committees
A committee term is for two years with approximately half of each committee's membership appointed on odd-numbered years and half of each committee's membership apointed on even-numbered years.
1. Professional Committee
This committee shall seek methods to improve the professional standing of forensics coaches and public knowledge of forensic coaching.

2. Award's Committees
a. Student Awards Committee
(1) D.C. Reutter Awards for Championship Debate
Following the debate season, this committee shall be responsible for soliciting nominations from each South Dakota high school that competed in debate during the year. After the nominations have been tabulated, the top nominees shall be resubmitted for a final ballot to only those schools that nominated. The four students who receive the highest vote totals shall be the recipients of the award. The final selection shall be completed two weeks prior to presentation of the awards, and the president of the SDFCA shall be notified that the assignment has been completed.
(2) Harold M. Jordan Awards for Individual Speaking
Following the extemp, interp, Lincoln-Douglas, and oratory season, this committee shall be responsible for soliciting nominations from each South Dakota High School Activities Association. After the nominations have been tabulated, the top nominees shall be resubmitted for a final ballot to only those schools that nominated. 
The four students who receive the highest vote totals shall be recipients of the award. The final selection shall be completed by two weeks prior to presentation of the awards, and the president of the SDFCA shall be notified that the assignment has been completed. (In the event that one student is selected for both the D.C. Reutter Award and the Harold Jordan Award, the student shall receive the award for which he/she received the higher rankings.)

b. Coach of the Year Committee
Following the forensics season, this committee shall be responsible for soliciting nominations from each SDFCA member. After the nominations have been tabulated, the top nominees shall be resubmitted to each SDFCA member for a final ballot. The coach who receives the highest vote total shall be the recipient of the award. The final selection shall be completed two weeks prior to the presentation, and the president of the SDFCA shall be notified that the assignment has been completed.

c. Community Service Award Committee
In January, this committee shall be responsible for soliciting nominations from each SDFCA member. After the nominations have been tabulated, the committee shall meet for the purpose of making a final selection. The final selection shall be completed by two weeks prior to presentation of the awards, and the president of the SDFCA shall be notified that the assignment has been completed.

d. Hall of Fame Committees
(1) Research Committees
This committee shall be responsbile for nominating and assembling data on nominees for the Hall of Fame selection committee. Nominees shall be determined by polling living Hall of Fame members and by researching the forensics history of South Dakota. The committee shall yearly provide new nominees for the selection committee by January 1.
(2) Selection Committee
This committee shall survey the data of all nominees and select up to two new inductees yearly. All living members of the SDFCA Hall of Fame shall be ex-officio voting members of this committee. The final selection shall be completed two weeks prior to the presentation, and the president of the SDFCA shall be notified that the assignment has been completed.

3. Archives Committee
This committee shall yearly administer the collection of complete data on all forensics tournaments and contests held in South Dakota, and research and collect historical data on the same. The assembled information shall be submitted to the Karl E. Mundt Library for appropriate cataloguing and maintenance.

4. Activities Committee
This committee shall organize and administer forensic events of agreed importance that are not administered by any other organization, association, or league in South Dakota

5. Budget Committee
This committee shall consist of the elected officers plus any other SDFCA members that the officers wish to add to the committee. Each year this committee will submit to the membership at the annual business meeting a printed breakdown of anticipated expenses, by defined categories, plus a printed projection of income.

6. Nominations Committee
This committee shall be responsible for advancing candidates for either regular or special SDFCA officer elections. The nominees for office shall be determined by one day prior to the elections, and the president of the SDFCA shall be notified that the assignment has been completed.

B. Special Committees
The president of the SDFCA is empowered to appoint special committees to help serve the needs of the association.

Article VII - Annual Business Meeting
An annual business meeting shall be held in the fall of each year. Arrangements for the annual meeting, in relation to other meetings and convention schedules, shall be the responsibility of the officers. The agenda for the business meeting shall also be established by the officers. On voting matters, each SDFCA member shall be entitled to one vote.

Article VIII - Amendments
This constitution may be amended only at the annual business meeting. Proposed amendments must be sent to the secretary-treasurer at least fifteen days before a schedule meeting of the association. Proposed amendments will be made available to all SDFCA members before the annual business meeting. Proposed amendments may be ratified at the annual business meeting. An amendment to this constitution must be ratified by a two-thirds vote of the SDFCA members present at the annual business meeting.

Article IX - Rules of Order
The most recent revision of Robert's Rules of Order shall be the authority of the association in matters of parliamentary procedure not covered in this constitution.