The convention begins at 9:00 a.m. on Thursday and Friday at the Century Center.
1. We will be holding a vote at the convention for all of our association members. You will find a ballot on your seat as you enter the Opening Worship on Thursday morning. We ask everyone for your participation. The CEA Executive Board, after much discussion, feels our association would be better served if we change Article V, Section D of our CEA Constitution.
Article V, Section D currently reads:
The CEA membership shall vote on all Elect positions of the Executive Committee.
Change Article V, Section D to:
The Executive Committee members are responsible for presenting future members of the Executive Committee to the current CEA Board. Each name presented for the Executive Committee must receive a 2/3 approval vote by the entire CEA Board.
Rationale for Change – Appointment vs. Election:
1. CEA serves teachers in a five state area. The current election process favors candidates from larger schools in the West Michigan area. Appointing members to the Executive Committee will allow the Committee to better represent the members of CEA by including those from smaller schools and those from outside of West Michigan.
2. It is becoming increasingly more difficult to get CEA members to agree to have their name put up for an election. Individual contacts to fewer members will allow the Executive Committee to appoint members who are willing to serve in a leadership role.
3. Appointing members to the Executive Board will allow members to be sought who are passionate about Christian education and skilled in leadership.
4. Delegates have difficulty getting their staffs to turn in ballots for Executive Board positions.
2. Use the 2015 CEA Convention Planner online to plan your time at the 2015 CEA convention. Organizing your plan online will help us accommodate and adjust rooms that are getting too full.
3. On Friday morning, October 23, 2015 beginning at 7:00 a.m. we will be hosting a CEA 5K run along the St. Joseph River in South Bend. This will be a free non-chipped event. Please email Brenda VanderPloeg to sign up for this event.
4. 2015 CEA Convention will have a music reading session for band and a music reading session for choir. Please bring your instruments, your music stands and your voices.
5. Many of the 2015 CEA Convention sessions will qualify for Michigan SCECH credit. Use the online convention planner and search SCECH for a complete listing. Please note that the keynote and capstone lectures are included and can earn SCECH. Please listen for the beginning and ending code for each lecture. Please print off the SCECH Instructions and the SCECH Sign In/Sign Out sheet and bring them with you to the convention.
6. You can purchase books at a discount when you purchase them in the exhibit hall during the convention. Books can be purchased from “Bookbug” (replacing Pooh’s Corner), “Eerdmans”, “Arky’s Bookstore”, “Baker Book House”, and “United Art and Education.”