CONSTITUTION AND BY-LAWS
Alabama Extension Specialists Association

Article I
Name

This organization shall be known as the Alabama Extension Specialists Association.

Article II
Purposes

  1. To promote cooperation and understanding among Cooperative Extension Specialists.

  2. To provide opportunities for and to promote professional improvement.

  3. To provide opportunities for the exchange of ideas and information.

  4. To provide a channel of communication to express common needs and goals that promote and improve Cooperative Extension programs.

  5. To provide a mechanism for maintaining and improving relationships with other organizations.

  6. To perform any other service for the benefit of its members that may be mutually agreeable.

  7. To foster and promote understanding of and appreciation for the heritage and mission of the Cooperative Extension System.

Article III
Membership

  1. Active membership shall be voluntary and available to all specialists and Extension faculty in the Alabama Cooperative Extension System at Alabama A&M University and Auburn University and specialists in the Cooperative Extension Program at Tuskegee University on state, district, or area assignments who have no administrative responsibility.

  2. Emeritus membership (both annual and lifetime) shall be available to all academic employees defined in Article III-1 who retired before July 1, 1980, or who were active members at the time of their retirement. Emeritus membership shall also be available to anyone who had Extension responsibility at any time during his or her career with the Extension System. Emeritus members shall have all privileges of active members except holding office and voting in business matters of the Association.

Article IV
Dues

  1. At each annual meeting, the Board of Directors shall recommend the dues structure for the ensuing year. The membership may ratify or modify the recommendation by approval of two-thirds of the voting members present. Upon failure to ratify the Board's recommendation or a modification thereof, the current dues structure will continue through the ensuing year.

  2. Dues for Emeritus members shall be (a) annual - half the annual dues for active members and (b) lifetime - three times the annual dues for active members.

  3. Annual dues shall be due and payable July 1 and shall be non-refundable.

  4. Dues for the first-year membership of newly eligible employees shall be reduced to 50 percent after the first half of the fiscal year.

  5. Upon payment of 100 percent of the current dues during the fourth quarter of the fiscal year, a newly eligible member immediately becomes a voting member of the Association for the remainder of the current fourth quarter plus all of the ensuing year.

Article V
Meetings

  1. The annual meeting of the Association shall be held at such time and place as designated by the President with the approval of the Board of Directors.

  2. Announcement of annual meetings shall be given in writing at least 30 days in advance. Such announcement shall state the objectives, time, and place of the meeting.

  3. Meetings may be called by the President with the approval of the Board of Directors at such times and places as are thought advisable. Meetings will also be called by the President upon written request of at least 20 percent of the active members. Meeting requests shall state the objective of the meeting. Written notice shall be given to the membership 10 days prior to any meeting.

  4. Twenty-five percent of the active membership shall constitute a quorum at any meeting of the Association which has been announced as specified in Article V.


Article VI
Officers and Directors

  1. The officers of this Association shall consist of the president, president-elect, secretary-treasurer, and immediate past president.

  2. The Executive Committee shall consist of the officers.

  3. The Board of Directors shall consist of the officers and one elected member representing each of the following groups (if there are at least four active members or 50 percent of eligible membership, whichever is fewer, from that group).

    a. ANR e. Communications
    b. Human Sciences(HS) f. Off-campus
    c. CRD g. Two at-large
    d. 4-H h. Alabama A&M University


Article VII
Election of Officers and Directors

  1. The President shall appoint a nominating committee, representing each group indicated in Article VI-3, at least 20 days prior to the annual meeting to present nominations for officers and directors. Additional nominations may be made from the floor.

  2. Officers shall be elected at the annual meeting and shall serve one year.

  3. The President-elect shall automatically become the President.

  4. Directors shall be elected at the annual meeting and shall serve two years. Half the directors shall be elected each year.

  5. Vacancies on the Board shall be filled by the Board with the recommendation of the respective specialist group.


Article VIII
Duties of Officers and Directors

  1. The President shall preside at all meetings of the Association and shall perform all duties usually incumbent upon this office.

  2. The President-elect shall assist the President in any work of the Association and shall preside in the absence of the President.

  3. The Secretary-Treasure shall keep minutes of all meetings and shall collect dues and pay bills approved by the Executive Committee.

  4. The Past President shall assist the other officers as needed.

  5. The Board of Directors shall have the responsibility of conducting all affairs of the Association between official membership meetings except as otherwise stated in the Constitution and By-Laws. Directors shall keep members that they represent informed of Board actions.


Article IX
Finances

  1. The business year for the Association shall be July 1 to June 30 of each year.

  2. The Board of Directors shall approve an operating budget for the Association by August 31 of each year.

  3. The Treasurer is empowered to pay all budgeted expenses without the approval of the Board of Directors. All non-budgeted expenses and expenses exceeding budgeted amounts must be approved by the Board prior to payment.

  4. The Treasurer shall prepare a financial report to be included at the annual business meeting.

  5. Prior to the end of each business year, the President shall appoint an Auditing Committee. The committee shall consist of two Association members who are not members of the Board of Directors. The committee shall review all financial records of the Association and make a written report to the general membership at the annual meeting of the Association.

Article X
Agenda

The agenda at all meetings shall be the responsibility of the Board of Directors or Executive Committee, as appropriate. The order of business shall be the responsibility of the presiding officer.

Article XI
Amendments

Amendments may be made to the Constitution and By-Laws by approval of two-thirds of the voting members present at a called meeting of the Association provided such proposed change has been submitted to the membership at least 30 days prior to the meeting.