A teacher, being a member of The Manitoba Teachers' Society Executive Committee or of the Executive Committee of any branch thereof, or any special committee of the Society, or being appointed an official representative or delegate of the Society or any branch thereof, and being authorized by the Executive Committee of the Society to attend a meeting of the committee of which he/she is a member, or to act as a representative or delegate, shall be excused from school duties for either purpose or both purposes on not more than a total of five (5) teaching days in any one school year providing that the cost be assumed by the Society at the rate of the teacher's salary per day.