NLTA Mission Statement

We dedicate ourselves to the professional excellence and personal well-being of teachers, through support, advocacy, educational leadership and the development and delivery of outstanding programs and services. 

Although the responsibility for professional learning for teachers rests with many educational agencies, it is one of the cornerstones of the Newfoundland and Labrador Teachers’ Association. While the NLTA is involved in professional learning at the regional, provincial and national level, some of the most effective professional learning activities are those that are planned and directed by Special Interest Councils.

The Special Interest Council structure of the Newfoundland and Labrador Teachers’ Association represents the many disciplines and interests of education and has been in operation since 1969. The councils contribute greatly to the professional learning of many teachers in our province. Their programs reflect the latest innovations and methodologies in teacher practices, and they serve as a vital link for teachers in a particular area of interest.

A. Purpose

Special Interest Councils are professional learning communities within the NLTA, dedicated to lifelong learning and the ongoing professional growth of members. For members who wish to contribute to their Association through the professional learning arm of the NLTA, Special Interest Councils:

1. provide opportunities for involvement and leadership at provincial and regional levels.
2. offer a professional learning program which focuses on teaching and learning, instructional leadership, communications and curriculum learning and implementation.
3. advocate on matters unique to the members of that council and issues having direct relevance to education.

B. General Administration

a) The overall operations of the Special Interest Councils shall be under the jurisdiction of the Professional Issues Committee. The Professional Issues Committee is a standing committee within the NLTA. Generally, the Administrative Officer of the NLTA who is assigned to the Professional Issues Committee will also work with Special Interest Councils.

The terms of reference of the Professional Issues Committee are as follows:

1. To make recommendations to the NLTA Provincial Executive Council regarding the formation or disbandment of Special Interest Councils.
2. To advise the NLTA Provincial Executive Council in regard to funding the operation of Special Interest Councils.
3. To control, under the direction of the NLTA Provincial Executive Council, the disbursement of all funds allocated for the operation of Special Interest Councils.
4. To assign resources as required in response to requests from Special Interest Councils.
5. To assist the officers of Special Interest Councils in organizing, managing and directing the business and affairs of their respective councils.
6. To make recommendations to the NLTA Provincial Executive Council with respect to the by-laws of Special Interest Councils.
7. To encourage Special Interest Councils to make representation to educational authorities that reflects NLTA policy and is vetted through the NLTA Provincial Executive Council or the President.
8. To consider resolutions submitted to the Biennial General Meeting or the NLTA Provincial Executive Council relative to Special Interest Councils and make recommendations thereon.
9. To ensure a smooth transition between Special Interest Council provincial executives by providing for appropriate training and consultation.

b) All by-laws of Special Interest Councils shall be submitted to the Professional Issues Committee for recommendation to the NLTA Provincial Executive Council.

C. Representation 

Special Interest Councils may promote and make recommendations for immediate action or policy change in one or more of the following ways:

1. Through the NLTA Provincial Executive Council to the Department of Education, school districts, the Newfoundland and Labrador School Boards Association, the Federation of School Councils and any other organization.
2. To any regular meeting of the NLTA Provincial Executive Council.
3. To Joint Council or the Biennial General Meeting.
4. To the Professional Issues Committee or the Curriculum Committee.

For further information on making submissions as referenced above, see Appendix A.

D. Membership in Councils

a) Membership in a council shall be open to all NLTA active members (NLESD & CSFP), subject to the membership requirements of the council(s) the member wishes to join and provided any applicable membership dues are paid to those councils.

b) Associate membership in a council may be open to any other person who is not an active NLTA member whose professional interest is in a council’s area of concentration.

c) Notwithstanding (a) and (b) above, any person who has written out of the Newfoundland and Labrador Teachers’ Association shall not be eligible for either active or associate membership within any Special Interest Council.

E. The Council Executive

a) Membership on the provincial executive of any council is subject to:

1. active membership within the Newfoundland and Labrador Teachers’ Association; and
2. active involvement in the area of special interest represented by the council at the time of election.

b) The core executive shall comprise the positions of President, Vice-President, Secretary, Treasurer and Communications Officer.(See Appendix B)

c) Additional subject-based members of provincial executives may be from any region of the province.

d) The term of office for a provincial executive shall be two years.

e) Any provincial executive may stand for re-election for additional terms.

f) At the end of the first year of a council executive’s term of office, voting for a successor executive-elect should take place.

g) Whenever possible, the provincial Special Interest Council executives should rotate geographically to various regions around the province.

h) To recognize member involvement, upon request an engraved past President’s pin will be supplied to councils by the NLTA office for presentation upon completion of the term of office.

F. Programming 

a) Special Interest Councils will facilitate professional learning opportunities such as:

1. conferences
2. teleconferences
3. e-learning
4. symposia
5. focus groups
6. information sessions
7. webinars

b) As the need arises, Special Interest Councils, in accordance with II.B.a) vii, will respond to curriculum documents, make representation to government or other agencies on educational issues and designate representatives to curriculum learning/implementation committees. c) Special Interest Councils will:

1. regularly communicate with their membership, minimally twice per year, with support of the NLTA when required.
2. maintain up-to-date websites, with support from the NLTA.
3. affiliate with national and international counterpart organizations wherever possible.
4. support affiliates in their programming.
5. when requested by the Provincial Executive Council of the NLTA, prepare position papers, advocacy strategies and action plans on issues of professional concern.
6. provide advice to the NLTA in the formulation of policy and the conduct of Association affairs. In this regard, councils may make submissions to the NLTA Provincial Executive Council or any advisory committee of the NLTA.
7. design and deliver professional learning programs in close collaboration with school districts and the Department of Education.
8. coordinate dates for professional learning opportunities through the NLTA Programs and Services staff to ensure enhanced collaboration with other Councils and to avoid possible conflicts.
9. maintain ongoing communications and liaison with the Programs and Services staff of the NLTA.
10. Hold workshops and conferences in various parts of the province, where feasible, in an effort to have provincial applicability and meet the needs of teachers in various geographic areas.

G. Communications

a) The viability of Special Interest Councils depends on open communication and collaboration with, not only members, but other partners in the education system. To ensure viability, visibility and relevance, councils should:

1. liaise with educational partners during the planning and implementation of programs to encourage a collaborative effort meeting mutual needs.
2. advertise programs regularly through the NLTA Bulletin, websites and other forms of communication or discussion groups.
3. provide exact and pertinent information to their membership at least two months in advance when advertising conferences and annual or biennial general meetings.
4. in accordance with privacy of information legislation, maintain accurate contact information of all active and associate members and provide a subscription option for others who wish to subscribe to council communications.
5. expedite communications among councils by ensuring that presidents of other Special Interest Councils are automatically on the mailing list.
6. maintain accurate minutes of all meetings of the provincial Special Interest Council executive.
7. develop and maintain a website. A basic one-page information source will be maintained on the NLTA website for each Special Interest Council.

b) Special interest councils may be charged for the cost associated with design, print and mailing of any resource or promotional materials.

c) External Communications

The NLTA President is the official spokesperson for the NLTA. If they are not available, the Vice-President will take their place. With approval, the Executive Director or Communications Officer may make statements to the news media.

Prior approval is asked of teachers before referring them as resource persons for the media.

d) Publication Guidelines All publications of the Newfoundland and Labrador Teachers’ Association, whether published by the Association as a whole or by a sub-group of the Association, are subject to the following guidelines:

• All publications will be guided by a respect for truth, a concern for human dignity, and a commitment to the Code of Ethics of the teaching profession.
• Material which is demeaning, condescending, or that discriminates on the basis of age, race, religion or sexual orientation is unacceptable.
• Material printed in NLTA publications, posted on the NLTA website or in e-mail correspondence must be accurate and in good taste so as not to leave the Association and author open to libel. This principle applies equally to articles, photographs, illustrations, advertising, e-mail, social media and web pages.
• Opinion articles shall be clearly identified as such and shall carry the name of the author.
• Inclusion of any material of a political nature should be done with consideration of NLTA’s policy that this Association, as a body, will remain independent from specific political party affiliations while maintaining the right of members to participate in the democratic process.
• Copyright must be honoured. When reproducing any material, permission must be obtained from the person or organization holding copyright.

A. Initial Registration

a) Immediately upon assuming office, each council executive shall submit a completed Viability Profile and identify an Interim Executive.

b) At the end of the first year of a newly formed council executive’s term of office, voting for a successor executive-elect should take place.

B. Annual Registration and Reporting

a) By October 15 of each year, each SIC Executive shall submit a Viability Profile and the Annual Provincial Registration and Budget Request form to the Administrative Officer responsible for oversight of the Special Interest Councils of the NLTA.

b) A copy of the reports will be submitted to the Professional Issues Committee of the NLTA.

c) Each year, the Provincial Executive of any SIC will secure a Viability Profile and Annual Provincial Registration and Budget Request form from any affiliates.

d) Minutes shall be taken at all Executive meetings.

C. AGM/BGM Reporting

a) The outgoing executive shall submit a report to the council’s annual or biennial meeting of activity of the Provincial Council and applicable affiliates. This report shall contain:

1. A financial report and all financial and banking information/documents.
2. A summary of council activities over the term of office of the Executive, including minutes from Executive meetings.
3. Information on any ongoing projects or special projects in development as well as financial information pertaining to same.
4. An updated Viability Profile of the council.
5. An up-to-date membership list and contact information for same.

b) Audited Reports 

Within six weeks of the council’s annual or biennial meeting, the outgoing treasurer shall submit to the new executive, a complete statement of the council’s income and expenditure, signed by two Executive members, together with expenses applicable to that AGM or BGM.

1. Membership fees are optional.
2. The maximum annual fee for active membership shall be $100.
3. Membership fees shall be established, and may be changed, by resolution at a general meeting of a particular council.
4. Membership fees shall be levied only at the provincial level for any particular council; however, affiliates of councils may generate funds, but only in accordance with stated Association policy.

1. The project must be related to the overall objectives of a particular Special Interest Council’s terms of reference and must be for the improvement of education generally within a particular discipline.
2. The project must not be so narrow in scope that it loses general applicability to a wider audience within the Special Interest Council’s membership.
3. All funding sources must be disclosed. Upon completion of special project funding, a council may be asked to supply an audited financial statement.
4. The funding request must be made at least two months in advance of the anticipated project, except for extraordinary circumstances.
5. Upon completion of the project, a report must be filed with the responsible Administrative Officer of the NLTA.

1. A detailed description of the project, including how it follows the programming guidelines of the SIC and is applicable to the wider SIC membership.
2. A detailed budget which outlines all sources of funding and all anticipated expenditures and revenue.

A. A member of the NLTA Provincial Executive shall be assigned as the contact person for each Special Interest Council, preferably having a background or interest in the specific Special Interest Council area.

B. When the Executive contact person is not available for regular or Special Interest Council visitations requiring extensive in-school-day travel, the President, Vice-President or a staff person shall be assigned, upon request, to assist the council president.

C. All costs associated with an Executive member’s liaison role with their assigned Special Interest Council will be the responsibility of the NLTA President’s Office. Special Interest Councils will assume no financial responsibility for any costs accrued by the Executive liaison.

D. Duties for NLTA Provincial Executive Contacts with Special Interest Councils:

1. To inform Special Interest Councils which Executive members are assigned as contacts for the year. This should be done as soon as possible after the August Executive meeting and should include a brief outline of the Executive’s role as Special Interest Council contact person.
2. Where feasible, and upon the approval of funds by the NLTA President, the Provincial Executive member will visit the assigned Special Interest Council at least once a year.
3. To serve Special Interest Councils by being a phone/e-mail contact for instant information, clearing up difficulties, giving general advice or interpreting Association policy. The Executive contact person should contact each of their assigned Special Interest Council presidents at least once per month.
4. To provide direct representation, re the interests and wishes of the Special Interest Council when requested by them, at Executive meetings.
5. To fill the role of special contact with delegate(s) from assigned Special Interest Council(s) at Convention by providing clarification, advice, etc.and by introducing them to colleagues.
6. To provide specific assistance, when requested, in the area of Special Interest Council planning for professional learning days.
7. To report on contacts/visits with assigned Special Interest Councils at all Executive meetings.

E. Duties for Special Interest Council Presidents:

1. The Special Interest Council president should ensure that the NLTA Executive contact is kept informed of Special Interest Council activities.
2. The Special Interest Council president should ensure that the interests and concerns of the Special Interest Council are conveyed to the NLTA Executive contact.

F. Other Visits:

1. Additional visits by the NLTA Provincial Executive contact person beyond the one official visit must be cleared with the President’s office. In all cases, funding for all visits must be approved in advance by the NLTA President.
2. Visits by persons other than the assigned NLTA Provincial Executive contact must be cleared with the President’s Office, which has the responsibility for Special Interest Council operations, and may be authorized only if funds are available.

The by-laws for each council shall have, at minimum, provisions for:

• Meetings
  • AGM/BGM
  • Executive
  • Other Meetings
• Quorum
  • Executive Meetings
  • General Meetings
• Rules of Order
• Amendment of By-Laws

Notwithstanding the required provisions above, the sample by-laws presented below are strongly recommended:

Name

The name of the council shall be: 

Affiliation

The council shall be operated under the auspices of the Newfoundland and Labrador Teachers’ Association as a Special Interest Council.National or international affiliation shall be with XXX.

Objectives

The objectives of this council shall be the improvement of professional practice by increasing members’ knowledge and understanding through professional learning programs, the communication of ideas and information and the general improvement of curriculum by recommendations through appropriate NLTA channels to the various educational agencies.

Membership

A. Active: Persons who are active members of the Newfoundland and Labrador Teachers’ Association as specified in NLTA By-Laws are eligible for active membership in this council. All such members shall be entitled to full privileges of council membership including the right to vote and to hold office.

B. Other categories of membership: Consistent with policies of the NLTA, other categories may be determined by this particular council. Such members may be persons who are not NLTA members; they may receive all the benefits and services of council membership except the right to vote and to hold office.

Executive

The mandatory officers of a Special Interest Council shall be: President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer (or Secretary-Treasurer) and Communications Officer.

All Officers shall be elected at the AGM/BGM of the council.

Vacancies

The Executive shall have the power to fill, through appointment, offices becoming vacant during a council’s year. This shall not apply to the office of President.

A member of the executive absenting themselves for two consecutive meetings without showing good cause shall be deemed to have resigned.

Duties of Officers

See Appendix B. 

Meetings

A. AGM/BGM

Each council shall hold an AGM/BGM during which the agenda shall provide for the following topics:

• Adoption of minutes from the preceding AGM/BGM and any special general meetings held in the interim.
• The President’s report of council activities over the term of office of the Executive.
• The Treasurer’s financial report, financial statement and budget.
• The receiving of reports of committees where applicable.
• Revisions to the fees for membership in the council for which the required notice of motion has been given, where applicable.
• Amendments of the constitution and by-laws for which the required notice of motion has been served, where applicable.
• The election of officers for the year ahead. Such election will be held early in the council’s BGM, enabling the outgoing and incoming Executive members to meet and facilitate the smooth transition of officers and record books.
• Presentation of all required documents as outlined in Section III C.

B. Executive

• The executive shall meet at regular intervals to conduct the affairs of the council between annual general meetings.
• Executive members of provincial special interest councils shall be reimbursed for any expenses at existing NLTA rates and in accordance with NLTA procedures.

C. Other Meetings

• The executive may call other meetings from time to time that it deems appropriate.
• The provincial executive of the council shall be required to call an extraordinary general meeting upon the receipt of a written petition signed by the majority of council members (50% plus 1). Thirty days notice must be given for such a meeting.

Fees

Membership fees shall be established and may be changed by resolution at an annual general meeting of this council, provided such fees fall within the range of $5 to $100. This is applicable for active and other types of membership.

Quorum

• For executive meetings, three of the officers shall constitute a quorum.
• For general meetings, the number of members present shall constitute a quorum provided 30 days notice has been given for the meeting.

Nominating Committee

A nominating committee appointed by the Executive shall attempt to nominate at least one person for each elective position. At the AGM/BGM, nominations from the floor will be accepted.

Rules of Order

All meetings of the council, either of a provincial or affiliate nature, shall be governed by “Advice on the Conduct of Meetings,” published by the Canadian Teachers’ Federation, supplemented by “Robert’s Rules of Order.”

Amendment of By-Laws

The by-laws may be amended by a majority vote of two-thirds of the voting members present, provided that notice of such amendments shall be submitted at least 30 days prior to the general meeting or to a special meeting called for this purpose. All amendments shall be subject to the approval of the NLTA Professional Issues Committee.

Affiliates

In accordance with Association policy, Special Interest Councils may establish affiliates wherever possible. (See Section VII).

Annual Reporting

Councils shall submit annual reports as indicated in Section III C and complete Viability Profile and Annual Provincial Registration and Budget forms.

Submission of Resolutions

Resolutions may originate:

• In any affiliate of the council
• In any meeting of the general membership
• In any executive meeting
• From any individual member of the council

All resolutions shall be submitted to the executive of the council for consideration and actioning, following which relevant resolutions may be submitted to the Provincial Executive of the NLTA for its consideration.

Dissolution

In the event that the council or an affiliate of the council ceases to be active, namely, that the council or an affiliate thereof fails to form an executive or meet viability requirements, the assets of the council or the affiliate shall be disposed of at the discretion of the NLTA.

In accordance with Association policy, Special Interest Councils may establish affiliates wherever possible, to a maximum of ten. Such affiliates may be formed either on a regional or subject-area basis.

A. General Guidelines for the Establishment and Operation of Affiliates

1. A group of teachers may request the establishment of an affiliate by contacting the provincial executive of a Special Interest Council.
2. Affiliate councils should be considered in light of geographic conditions, the number of teachers in the area, educational needs of the region and the ability of the provincial council to sustain an affiliate.
3. Affiliate councils function under the direction of the particular council of which they are a part.
4. Core funding for affiliates will be provided by the provincial Special Interest Council. Budgets for affiliates must be submitted to the provincial council and grants will then be allocated on the basis of affiliate need and the provincial council’s ability to pay.
5. Affiliate councils shall maintain accurate and complete financial records, based upon accepted accounting procedures, and shall report such information to the provincial council executive on an annual basis using the Annual Provincial Registration and Budget Request form.
6. When hosting a provincial conference or forum on behalf of the provincial Special Interest Council, the affiliate conference committee must complete a financial report according to accepted accounting practices which must be submitted to the provincial treasurer within 30 days of the conference or forum.
7. In order to maintain status, affiliate councils must submit an annual report of affiliate activities, a viability profile and a membership list.
8. Whenever an affiliate dissolves, the affiliate executive must close out all bank accounts and forward any remaining funds to the appropriate provincial Special Interest Council.

B. Responsibilities of Special Interest Councils with Respect to Their Affiliates

The Special Interest Councils of the NLTA must communicate with their affiliates on a continuing basis. To help effect this liaison with the affiliate councils, the following directions are suggested. Provincial councils should:

1. Develop a means for systematically communicating with their Affiliates. This can be through a telephone call after a provincial council executive meeting, an exchange of minutes after meetings are conducted or a letter or email from the provincial council president that provides a synopsis of the main items discussed at SIC executive meetings. The communications officer of the provincial council executive should be directly responsible for seeing that affiliate presidents are informed of provincial council activities.
2. Inform affiliate presidents as to how their budgets are approved and allocated. Affiliate councils are provided a budget by the provincial Special Interest Council for the operation of each council. Some affiliate councils may need more than this amount to implement their programs, others may need less. It is desirable to fund the operation of councils on submitted programs; therefore, affiliates must submit an Annual Provincial Registration and Budget Request form.
3. Institute a reporting system for affiliates to keep the Special Interest Council executive informed. The provincial council may request copies of minutes of meetings or written monthly reports on activities or both. A regional round-up conference call may be sufficient. Provincial executives should be informed as to what their affiliate councils are doing. By October 15 of each year, each affiliate must submit a Viability Profile.
4. Provide a calendar of events to keep the affiliates apprised of the program activities of the provincial Special Interest Council. Affiliate executives should not be left guessing as to the activities engaged in by its provincial Special Interest Council. There may be occasions when the affiliates are able to support and broaden the work of the provincial executives.
5. Provide training for affiliate executives. The affiliate presidents should be knowledgeable of the NLTA’s policies for Special Interest Councils. Such training could follow the guidelines and procedures contained in this handbook.

C. Affiliate Council Responsibilities to Special Interest Council Executives

Two-way communication is critical. Affiliate councils function under the direction of the provincial council of which they are a part. As such, affiliates must:

1. Provide contact information of affiliate executive members to the provincial Special Interest Council as soon as possible after the executive has been formed and, annually, complete a Viability Profile.
2. Design an annual program of activities. The program should indicate how the affiliate is intending to inservice its membership and what its goals and objectives are for the year.
3. Complete an Annual Provincial Registration and Budget Request form.
4. Ensure effective communication by:

1. Ensuring minutes of meetings are regularly sent to the provincial council.
2. Providing information on professional learning activities for teachers and other activities of a professional nature to the provincial council well in advance of the activity.
3. Ensuring evaluation reports of professional learning activities are provided to the provincial council.
4. Ensuring copies of communications are sent to the provincial council.
5. Ensuring copies of all education projects, reports, submissions, etc.are sent to the provincial council.

1. To make representation to the Department of Education, school districts, the Newfoundland and Labrador School Boards Association, the Federation of School Councils and any other organization, forward recommendations to the NLTA Provincial Executive contact using the form received prior to each Executive meeting.
2. To make representation on any matter to a regular meeting of the NLTA Provincial Executive Council, the SIC President may forward recommendations to the Provincial Executive contact using the form received prior to each Executive meeting.
3. To make representation to Joint Council, forward recommendations to your NLTA Provincial Executive contact. To make representation to the Biennial General Meeting, recommendation should be made by the Special Interest Council itself.
4. To make representation to the Professional Issues Committee or the Curriculum Committee, forward recommendations to the NLTA Staff Officer assigned to work with SICs.

The officers of a Special Interest Council shall be: President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer (or Secretary-Treasurer) and Communications Officer.

All Officers shall be elected at the AGM/BGM of the council.

Duties of Officers:

A. President: The purpose of the president is to direct the Special Interest Council to best serve its members. The president shall:

1. Facilitate in setting a vision and strategic direction for the Special Interest Council.
2. Oversee Special Interest Council operations.
3. By mid-September, set meeting dates and structure for the current year.
4. Chair executive and program meetings.
5. Before an executive meeting, work with the Secretary to review the previous minutes, set the agenda and send both to members at least seven days in advance.
6. Act as spokesperson for the Special Interest Council, liaising with other provincial and national councils throughout the year and at the NLTA Biennial General Meeting.
7. With the Vice President, review and recommend changes to executive roles.
8. With other executive members, complete the Special Interest Council annual Viability Profile before October 15.
9. With other executive members, compile the Annual Provincial Registration and Budget Request by October 15, and applicable applications for special projects.

B. Vice President: The purpose of the Vice President is to assist the President in planning and operations. The Vice President shall:

1. Assist the President in overall planning and operations.
2. Fill in for the President when needed.
3. Participate in planning and chairing at least one program meeting.
4. With the President, review and recommend changes to executive roles.

C. Secretary: The purpose of the Secretary is to handle correspondence and to attend, record, distribute and archive minutes of all special interest council meetings. The Secretary shall:

1. Work with the president to draft an agenda for each executive meeting.
2. At the meeting, take minutes.
3. Within two weeks after the meeting, submit minutes to the President for comment and review. Upon approval, email minutes to the Special Interest Council executive.
4. Revise minutes based on input from the Special Interest Council executive.
5. Present the final version for approval at the next executive meeting.
6. Keep copies of all agendas, minutes, other documents and important correspondence to transfer to incoming executive.
7. Draft applicable letters, memos, reports, etc.at the direction of the President and/or Vice President.

D. Treasurer – The purpose of the Treasurer is to ensure the financial health of the Special Interest Council. The treasurer shall:

1. Before the end of the school year, prepare the annual budget in line with directives from the executive and NLTA funding.
2. Ensure that programs are run on at least a break-even basis.
3. If needed, request additional funds to subsidize other Special Interest Council activity or projects.
4. Recommend pricing for all programs, including PL sessions, AGM/BGM, etc.
5. Set up and maintain the Special Interest Council bank account.
6. Deposit funds and pay expenses in a complete and timely manner.
7. Consider and comment on all recommendations for use of funds.
8. Monitor funds allotment from the NLTA.
9. Prepare and submit all relevant documents required for the Annual Provincial Registration and Budget Request as well as any requested/required audits or reports.
10. Keep copies of all financial reports to transfer to incoming executives.

E. Communications Officer: The purpose of the Communications Officer is to facilitate communication with, and among, members about Special Interest Council activities and issues. The Communications Officer shall:

1. With the other executive members, determine the policy for advertising (if applicable).
2. Request and receive submissions for council communications.
3. Consult with the Communications Officer at the NLTA regarding publication and distribution of communications as required.
4. Liaise with the NLTA Webmaster to maintain an up-to-date website, including information about upcoming or past events.

The executive shall have the power to fill through appointment any offices becoming vacant during a council’s year. This shall not apply to the office of President.

A member of the executive absenting themselves for two consecutive meetings without showing good cause shall be deemed to have resigned.

The Barnes Award, named in honour of Dr. Arthur Barnes, the first Minister of Education in the province who, in 1928, initiated a number of teacher conferences to promote excellence in education, was established in 1987 to recognize outstanding professional development services provided by teachers at the Special Interest Council level.

a) Nomination Procedure

1. Nominations must come from provincial Special Interest Councils or branches and are open to any member of the Newfoundland and Labrador Teachers’ Association who is active in the Special Interest Council structure of the Association and to any retired teacher within two years of retirement from teaching who was active in the Special Interest Council structure.
2. Nominations are to be completed and submitted online on the approved nomination form. Nomination forms are available on the NLTA website and include all necessary guidelines and regulations governing the award.
3. All nominations must be received by the Association by January 31.
4. Unsuccessful nominees in any year will be automatically re-nominated for the two subsequent years following the original nomination, subject to the limit of two years following retirement for nominations of retired teachers.

b) Selection Committee

The recommendation for the Barnes Award recipient will be made to the NLTA Provincial Executive by the Professional Issues Committee.

c) Presentation

1. A maximum number of one award will be presented each year.
2. Each recipient will be presented with a ring and a plaque.
3. The President of the Association shall announce the recipient(s) at least two weeks prior to Convention and, in a non-Convention year, at a convenient time following the Executive meeting at which the award recipient is approved.
4. The recipient will be notified by the President, by telephone and letter. A copy of the letter will be forwarded to the recipient’s Director of Education and school principal.
5. Announcements, containing information on the recipient and the award, will appear in The Bulletin as well as all NLTA social media channels. Award recipients will also be announced through targeted online advertising on media websites. 
6. All nominees for the award will be sent a letter of recognition by the President.