OUR MISSION

The mission of the Palm Beach School Counselor Association is to provide a collective voice for Palm Beach County school counselors in the promotion of their profession and the development of comprehensive school counseling programs.

Executive Board

Committee Chairs

Advocacy and Social Action

Lori Landes

Membership/Mentorship

Sandy West, Lori Landes

Breakfast 

Cher O'Bryant, Cheryl O'Bryant and Jessica Bayani (Co-Chairs)

 Victoria Berardesco, Dara Harris, Alyssa Maddox, Erin Sinsley, Sandra Milligan, Juanita Sanchez

Awards

Wenda Oscar, Maria Patino ( Chairs)

Nayda Odigie, Sherri Boyce, Hope Kleckley

Scholarship

Dahlia Lessne 

Outreach and Community Service

Jessica Bayani

Fundraising

Maria Patino, Wenda Oscar

Social Chair

Jenny O'Halloran

Association Bylaws

PALM BEACH SCHOOL COUNSELOR ASSOCIATION 

A CHAPTER ORGANIZATION OF FLORIDA SCHOOL COUNSELOR ASSOCIATION BYLAWS 

August 2023-2025; Revised April 12, 2023

Table of Contents 

ARTICLE I: Name and Mission 1 ARTICLE II: Membership 2 ARTICLE III: PBSCA Officers and Governing Board 2 ARTICLE IV: Operational Structure 4 ARTICLE V: Bylaws 5 ARTICLE VI: Procedures 5 ARTICLE VII: Scholarship 5 ARTICLE VIII: Awards 7

ARTICLE I: NAME AND MISSION 

ARTICLE I, SECTION 1. The name of this association shall be the Palm Beach School Counselor Association (PBSCA). PBSCA is organized in accordance with its Bylaws. 

ARTICLE I, SECTION 2. The mission of the PBSCA is to provide a collective voice for Palm Beach County school counselors in the promotion of their profession and the development of comprehensive school counseling programs. 

ARTICLE 1, SECTION 3. The purposes of the PBSCA are: 

I-3a. To promote and preserve sound comprehensive school counseling practices in the public, charter and private schools, institutions of higher learning, and community agencies of Palm Beach County. 

I-3b. To stimulate professional growth of its members. 

I-3c. To foster high standards of professional conduct. 

I-3d. To cooperate with administrators and community agencies. 

I-3e. To provide leadership and promote the implementation of services to stakeholders (parents and students). 

I-3f. To promote comprehensive school counseling programs in all schools guided by School District of Palm Beach County Student Development Plan, American School Counselor Association (ASCA) National Model, and Florida School Counselor Association 

Palm Beach School Counselor Association Bylaws, page 1

ARTICLE II: MEMBERSHIP 

ARTICLE II, SECTION 1. Membership in PBSCA is open to any person involved in the area of professional school counseling in Palm Beach County. 

ARTICLE II, SECTION 2. Membership Requirements. 

II-2a. Professional Members are school counseling professionals who hold certification in School Counseling and meet the requirements set forth in PBSCA policies that address membership. Professional Members are eligible to vote on all matters that come before the organization and hold elected office. 

II-2b. Retired Members are school counseling professionals or professional members in retirement who meet the requirements set forth in PBSCA policies that address membership. Retired members are eligible to vote on all matters that come before the organization and stand for and hold elected office. 

II-2c. Student Members are master’s degree or doctoral students who meet the requirements set forth in PBSCA policies that address membership. 

II-2d. Honorary membership may be bestowed upon any person immediately or a person who has rendered outstanding service in the area of human services or has made significant contributions to PBSCA or to human development (approved by an affirmation vote of two-thirds of the members of the Executive Board, as defined in Article III.) 

II-2e. A member may be dropped from the Association for any conduct that tends to injure the Association or to adversely affect its reputation, or that is contrary to the Bylaws and Code of Ethics of ASCA. A member may be dropped from membership for non-payment of dues. 

II-2f. PBSCA annual membership begins with the completion of the application as well as payment of dues during a school year and ends on the last day of the fiscal year. 

ARTICLE II, SECTION 3. Dues for the Association shall be recommended annually by the Executive Board, payable on an annual basis. 

ARTICLE II, SECTION 4. Non-discrimination. The Palm Beach School Counselor Association does not knowingly engage in or support activities that discriminate on any basis as addressed in ASCA’s Ethical Standards for School Counselors or ACA’s Code of Ethics. 

ARTICLE III: PBSCA OFFICERS AND EXECUTIVE BOARD 

ARTICLE III, SECTION 1. Officers and Terms of Office 

III-1a. Officers of the Executive Board shall be President, President-elect, 

Past-President, Secretary, and Treasurer.

Palm Beach School Counselor Association Bylaws, page 2

   III-1b. All officers of this Association shall be elected from among the active paid    

  membership of this Association and FSCA and shall serve a three-year term  

  (President/President Elect/Past-President). The President elect shall begin the same year    

that the incoming President begins their term. Upon the completion of the President’s term, the President-Elect shall be elevated to the office of President and a new President-Elect shall be elected. The total term for President/President-Elect/and Past-President shall be three years.  Their FSCA dues will be paid by the Association. Registration fee to the annual fall FSCA conference shall be paid by the Association. If the treasury has funds, a hospitality room should be paid through PBSCA funds to host guests and events at the annual FSCA Conference. 

III-1c. The President may appoint a parliamentarian when needed. 

III-1d. The President-elect shall automatically become President of the Association at the expiration of the President's term, or upon the death or resignation of the President and a new President-Elect shall be elected. 

III-1e. A President shall not be a candidate to succeed himself/herself in office. However, a President-elect succeeding to the office of President by reason of death or resignation of the President shall serve his/her full term as President, in addition to serving the unexpired term of the resigned or deceased President. 

ARTICLE III, SECTION 2. Nomination and Election of Officers. 

III-2a. There shall be established a Nomination Committee appointed by the President or or the Executive Board.

III-2b. The Nomination Committee or Executive Board shall conduct the election of officers. The Nomination Committee shall abide by the following procedures when conducting elections of new officers.

• Available positions will be advertised to active members for a period of 30 days.  

• Candidates who express interest in open positions shall be added to a ballot for a membership vote.

• If the candidate is unopposed among qualified candidates, the Executive Board shall have the authority to make an appointment or choose to leave the application period open longer.  

• If there is no interested candidate after the 30 days, the nomination period will remain open until the position is filled.  

• Qualifications for Executive Board positions require that candidates are certified school counselors with a minimum of 3 years experience, and are active members of the Association.  

• Elections will be held in the spring prior to the following school year to establish the Executive Board positions.  

• If there are changes needed during the school year, the Executive Board may fill these positions via interim appointments for the remainder of the school year.  

• Those interim officers can remain in those positions the following year if unopposed or will be added to the election ballot.  

Palm Beach School Counselor Association Bylaws, page 3

ARTICLE III, SECTION 3. Duties of Officers and Committee Chairs 

III-3a. The President shall be the chief elected officer of the Association and shall preside at all meetings of the Association; shall appoint the chairperson of all committees, draft the monthly agenda, submit accounting reports to FSCA or ASCA when asked except as otherwise specified in the By-laws and shall be an ex-officio member of all committees. 

III-3b. The President-Elect shall perform the duties of the President in the absence of or incapacity of the President; shall automatically become President of the Association at the expiration of the President's term. 

III-3c. The Past-President shall serve as a voting member of the Executive Board and Advisor to the President. 

III-3d. The Secretary shall record the minutes of the meetings and distribute them as directed. Maintain all correspondence and send thank-you notes to sponsors and speakers. Become the official record keeper of all PBSCA records and submit annual reports to FSCA and ASCA when requested by such. 

III-3e. The Treasurer shall be responsible for the collection of dues and expended funds as approved by the Executive Board. All funds shall be deposited in a bank acceptable to the Executive Board and convenient to the Treasurer for the payment of operating expenses. 

III-3f. The Committee Chairs shall be a liaison between the School District and the Association and to facilitate communication with membership. 

III-3g. The Classroom Teacher Association Representative (CTA) shall attend CTA meetings and be willing to serve on the CTA negotiations team when possible. 

III-3h. Officers of the Association shall serve as the Executive Board of this Association. The President, President-Elect, Treasurer, and Secretary shall serve as the Executive Board of the Association. 

ARTICLE III, SECTION 4. An elected officer or member of the Executive Board, who deems it necessary to resign from office, shall present his/her resignation in writing to the Executive Board. 

ARTICLE III, SECTION 5. An elected officer, committee chair, or member of the Executive Board may be removed from office, for cause, by a two-thirds majority vote by the Executive Board, provided that the member shall have been notified of the proposed expulsion. 

ARTICLE III, SECTION 6. The executive board reserves the right to appoint a committee chair. 

 Palm Beach School Counselor Association Bylaws, page 4

ARTICLE IV: OPERATIONAL STRUCTURE 

ARTICLE IV, SECTION 1. Standing Committees: The Association shall have the following standing committees, each of which shall perform such functions as may be prescribed by the Executive Board and the By-laws. 

IV-1a. Nominations Committee: The Nominations Committee shall coordinate nominations and elections of officers for the Executive Board. 

IV-1b. Public Relations/Social Media Committee: The Public Relations Committee shall prepare brochures, Newsletters, websites and any other items related to PBSCA to promote the Association and its purposes. 

IV-1c. Counselor’s Appreciation Breakfast Committee: The Principal/Counselor Breakfast Committee plans the annual breakfast, including site, entertainment, invitations, registration and the collection of monies. 

Below are the subcommittees: 

IV-1c1. Scholarship committee: The Scholarship Committee shall coordinate and distribute the scholarship information and the application. They shall screen and recommend recipients to the Executive Board for approval and arrange payment of scholarship awards. See ARTICLE VII 

IV-1c2. Awards Committee: The Awards Committee shall collect nominations and vote on      awards to be approved by the Executive Board. See ARTICLE VIII 

IV-1d. Advocacy/Legislative Committee: The Legislative Committee shall be responsible for planning any activities which will increase the member’s awareness of the legislative process. The Legislative Committee shall also identify any local issues and make recommendations for inclusion in the State Association's platform. 

IV-1e. Community Service & Outreach Committee (CSOC): The Community Service & Outreach Committee (CSOC) shall be responsible for creating, initiating and coordinating community outreach programs throughout the district. The Community Service & Outreach Committee will foster programming in which PBSCA members engage members of the public in a manner that focuses on advancing the counseling profession and enhancing community involvement through volunteer work. 

IV-1f. The Membership and Mentorship Committee: The Membership and Mentorship Committee shall be responsible for promoting membership in PBSCA to school counselors in Palm Beach County and provide mentorship to new school counselors or counselors in need of support in implementing a comprehensive school counseling program. 

IV-1g. The Fundraising Committee: The Fundraising Committee supports PBSCA’s vision and mission through effective committee activities designed to fundraise for the chapter. Funds acquired through fundraising are for the direct benefit of the association. The committee shall communicate with the executive board regarding fundraising efforts for the association. 

IV-1h. Other committees: Other committees may be appointed by the President as needed. 

 Palm Beach School Counselor Association Bylaws, page 5

ARTICLE V: BYLAWS 

ARTICLE VI, SECTION 1. The Bylaws consistent with this Association shall be adopted with a majority vote of the members actually voting. 

ARTICLE VI, SECTION 2. Proposals to amend the Bylaws may be initiated by the Executive Board or any member of the Association. Such proposals must be submitted to the Secretary in writing for distribution to all the members of the Executive Board and a vote will be taken on the proposed amendments.

ARTICLE VI: PROCEDURES 

ARTICLE VI, SECTION 1. Shared decision making process shall govern all proceedings with the President acting as the chairperson. 

ARTICLE VII: SCHOLARSHIP

ARTICLE VII, SECTION 1: The name of this scholarship is Palm Beach School Counselor Association (PBSCA) Christie Ragsdale Legacy Scholarship fund, hereafter referred to as the “Scholarship Fund”. 

ARTICLE VII, SECTION 2: Scholarship Fund exists to offer scholarships to the high school senior children of PBSCA members in good standing. 

ARTICLE VII, SECTION 3: The Scholarship Fund shall use its funds to accomplish the purpose specified in Article 2. No part of such funds shall be beneficial or distributed to an Officer or an Executive Board Member. 

ARTICLE VII, SECTION 4: The Scholarship Fund committee shall consist of a minimum of three (3) members, all of whom must be active PBSCA members. 

ARTICLE VII, SECTION 5: The Board shall direct and control the business management and affairs of the Scholarship Fund. They shall have the authority to approve or deny any requests for scholarships and to recommend dispensing of funds. 

ARTICLE VII, SECTION 6: The funds of the Scholarship Fund shall be obtained primarily from membership dues, Principal-School Counselor Appreciation ticket sales, donations, contributions from family members, friends, corporations and the general public. All funds received must be unconditional. 

ARTICLE VII, SECTION 7: The committee shall meet monthly, or at a date designated by the committee, to select recipients for scholarships. 

ARTICLE VII, SECTION 8: The Scholarship Committee shall: 

VII-8a Ensure that all applications are properly screened

VII-8b Announce the successful applicants’ names, scholarship values, and college or institution they will attend at the time and place appointed for such announcement. 

Palm Beach School Counselor Association Bylaws, page 6

VII-8c Be responsible for receiving completed applications. 

VII-8d Coordinate with the Treasurer account for the care, safekeeping and accounting of all funds and property of the Scholarship Fund, which come into his/her possession. 

VII-8e Coordinate with the Treasurer to draw checks in the approved amount(s). 

VII-8f Review each application and prepare recommendations prior to the scheduled meeting. They will vote on the selection of qualified recipients. 

VII-8g Coordinate the notification and awarding of recipients. 

ARTICLE VII, SECTION 9: 

VII-9a Each year in December, the Treasurer shall make a recommendation to the executive board on a total amount to award in scholarships for that fiscal year based on the financial health of the organization. That total amount shall be divided equally among candidates who submit a completed scholarship application. Scholarship amounts will be determined by the number of complete applications received and the total amount of money as voted on by the executive board. If the amount awarded to each individual applicant will be less than $400, the PBSCA Executive Board will approach the District College Fair Fund to see if they can augment the award amount for all recipients. 

VII-9b Dispersal of scholarship funds requires proof of enrollment at a post-secondary college or university. 

ARTICLE VII, SECTION 10: 

VII-10a Completed application forms, together with all required enclosures, must be received no later than the 3rd Friday in January. 

VII-10b It is the applicant’s responsibility to ensure the timely submission of completed applications. 

VII-10c Incomplete or partial packets will not be accepted. 

VII-10d The application for scholarship must be completed in its entirety and shall include all required enclosures. Among these must be: 

1. A completed application that has student signature, parent signature and school counselor signature. 

2. A separate written statement discussing education/career plans. . 

3. A separate written statement that describes activities, leadership experience & roles, work-related experience and community service, awards, athletic or academic achievements. 

4. One (1) letter of recommendation from a school based professional. 5. An official high school transcript. 

6. Applicants will be scored by a rubric. 

Palm Beach School Counselor Association Bylaws, page 7

ARTICLE VIII: AWARDS: 

ARTICLE VIII, SECTION 1. Awards will be administered in a manner consistent with the Florida School Counseling Association’s awards program. 

ARTICLE VIII, SECTION 2. Award Categories. 

VIII-2a. School Counselor. The purpose of the three awards is to recognize an elementary, middle/junior high, and high school counselor for implementation of an exemplary comprehensive school counseling program. In addition to the recognition given to the recipient of the award, positive public attention is focused on school counseling and thus provides an opportunity to educate others about school counseling programs. 1. Eligibility for Consideration: 

a) The nominee must be currently employed as a full time school counselor and have completed three consecutive years of service as a school counselor at the level (i.e. elementary, middle, high school) of nomination. 

  b) The nominee must be a PBSCA member by November 1.  

 c) The nominee must hold a Master's Degree and be certified as a counselor by the State             of Florida. 

  d) The nominee must not be a previous recipient of the award within the last (3)   years. 

2. Criteria for Recognition: 

a) The nominee must show evidence of advocating for a comprehensive school counseling program, have been responsible for innovations in school counseling programs, for providing leadership in the further development of existing school counseling services, for demonstrating leadership in professional counseling associations, and for performing outstanding service to the school and/or community. 

b) The activities or accomplishments recognized must have taken place within five years prior to this school year. 

VIII-2b. New School Counselor. The purpose of this award is to recognize a school counselor in his/her first three years as a certified school counselor for implementation of an exemplary comprehensive school counseling program. In addition to the recognition given to the recipient of the award, positive public attention is focused on school counseling and thus provides an opportunity to educate others about school counseling programs. 

1. Eligibility for Consideration: 

a) The nominee must be currently employed as a full time school counselor in his/her first three years of service 

b) The nominee must be a PBSCA member. 

c) The nominee must hold a Master's Degree and be certified as a school counselor by the state of Florida 

Palm Beach School Counselor Association Bylaws, page 8

2. Criteria for Recognition: 

a) The nominee must have been responsible for innovations in comprehensive school counseling programs, or providing leadership in the further development of existing services, for demonstrating leadership in professional counseling associations, and/or for performing outstanding service to the school and/or community. 

VIII-2c. School Administrator. The purpose of this award is to recognize an administrator in the local district who has promoted and supported a comprehensive school counseling program (Elementary, Middle School and High School). 1. Eligibility for Consideration: 

a) Nominee must be a school-based administrator who has consistently made a significant contribution to the improvement of the comprehensive school counseling program and/or has supported existing programs in the school setting. 

b) Nominees must be currently employed as a full-time school based administrator and have completed at least three years of service. The nominee's primary responsibility must be in working with, supporting, and improving the comprehensive school counseling program(s) within a school. 

c) Nominee does not need to be a member of PBSCA.

2. Criteria for Recognition:

 a) Supporting existing and/or newly developing comprehensive school counseling program(s) within the school. 

   b) Assisting school based counselors with their profession and implementation of their   professional standards. 

   c) Recognizing the importance of the comprehensive school counseling program within the school. 

VIII-2d. Advocate. The purpose of the Advocate Award is to recognize a person or organization whose advocacy of comprehensive school counseling services in a school setting has an impact for counselors on a local, state or national level. 

1. Eligibility for Consideration: 

a) Nominee may be a school counselor, school board member, parent, teacher, community leader or organization who has consistently made a significant contribution to the improvement of a comprehensive school counseling program in the school setting. 

2. Criteria for Recognition: 

a) Exemplary support of a comprehensive school counseling program. b) Outstanding promotion of a comprehensive school counseling program. c) Implementation of a new/additional comprehensive school counseling program. d) Improvement of an existing comprehensive school counseling program.

Palm Beach School Counselor Association Bylaws, page 9