BYLAWS OF THE ASSOCIATION
OF LATE-DEAFENED ADULTS, INC.
Article I Name
As incorporated under the laws of the State of Illinois, the name of this organization is the
Association of Late-Deafened Adults, Incorporated, referred to herein as either “ALDA” or the
“Association.”
Article II Definition of Late-Deafened Adult
Late-deafened adults became deaf post-lingually, that is, after they developed spoken language
skills. They cannot understand speech without visual clues and thus cannot rely on their hearing
as a means of receptive communication. Instead, late-deafened adults must depend primarily
on visual modes of receptive communication, such as cued speech, speechreading, sign
language, or text reading. Their deafness may have resulted from heredity, accident, illness,
medications, surgery, or unknown causes. Their hearing loss may have occurred suddenly or
developed progressively over a period of years. More importantly, regardless of the cause or
rapidity of their hearing loss, late-deafened adults share the common experience of being raised
in the hearing world and having become deaf rather than being born deaf.
Article III General Objectives
The general objectives of ALDA are as follows:
1) Education: Providing educational information to late-deafened adults, their families and
friends, service providers, rehabilitation counselors, government agencies, private
corporations, and members of the general public concerning the social, psychological,
familial, occupational, economic, and communication problems and coping strategies of
late-deafened adults.
2) Advocacy: Advocating on behalf of and representing the needs, desires, and interests of,
late-deafened adults in promoting public and private programs designed to alleviate the
problems of late-deafness and reintegrate late-deafened adults into all aspects of society,
and model effective self-advocacy skills.
3) Role Models: Providing positive role models for late-deafened adults who are striving to
cope with the problems of late-deafness and enhancing their personal images,
competence, and quality of life.
4) Support: Providing support for late-deafened adults and their families and friends
regarding coping with the problems arising from late-deafness and providing social
enrichment in their lives through activities in which they can meaningfully participate.
ARTICLE IV Specific Purposes
The specific purposes of ALDA are as follows:
1) To aid in the identification of late-deafened adults.
2) To engage in open communication with all concerned with the difficulties of late-deafness
to find a common basis of fellowship and understanding.
3) To bring together late-deafened adults in fellowship, empathy, and concern based upon
common experience.
4) To establish chapters or groups of the Association that will effectively enable it to serve
the welfare of late-deafened adults in communities with a manifest need.
5) To encourage general research into all aspects of late-deafness and promote research,
specifically into all aspects of assistive and adaptive technology for late-deafened adults.
6) To advocate for better access and services for late-deafened adults.
7) To promote an awareness and appreciation of the interests of late-deafened adults.
8) To cooperate with other organizations, agencies, and institutions on matters of mutual
concern.
9) To provide any other services that will further the purposes of the Association.
ARTICLE V Membership
1) Categories of Membership: Any person anywhere in the world, whether deafened or not,
who endorses the objectives of ALDA may apply for and be granted membership in ALDA.
The Board of Directors may establish specific categories of membership.
2) Conditions of Membership:
(a) Applications for all membership categories shall be submitted in writing to the
Secretary of the Association, or any person designated by the Board of Directors.
They will admit to membership all applicants who meet the requirements of the
membership category.
(b) The granting of original membership, the maintenance of membership in good
standing, and the renewal of membership shall be contingent upon the following:
(i) The active endorsement of ALDA’s general objectives, and
(ii) The timely payment of prescribed dues.
3) Dues: The amount of annual dues, if any, for each membership category and the date
upon which they will become due and payable will be determined by the Board of
Directors.
4) Rights of Membership:
(a) Only members of ALDA in good standing shall have the following rights:
(i) To serve as a member of the ALDA Board of Directors,
(ii) To serve as either a member or chair of any standing committee of ALDA,
(iii) To serve as chair of any ad hoc committees of ALDA,
(iv) To make motions, offer amendments to motions, vote at meetings of the
General Membership, or serve on any standing or ad hoc committee of ALDA,
and to vote in any postal or electronic vote of members in good standing,
(v) To sign a petition to amend the Bylaws of ALDA,
(vi) To sign a petition to form an ALDA Chapter or Group, and
(vii) To nominate a person for election to the ALDA Board of Directors.
(b) All members are entitled to receive any official publications that ALDA distributes.
The cost, if any, of such publications shall be determined by the Board of Directors.
Article VI Governance
1) Board of Directors: The Board of Directors shall be the governing body of ALDA and shall
have the right to exercise all powers it deems necessary for the governance and operation
of the Association, including but not limited to the establishment of an ALDA office, the
appointment of an Executive Director, the employment of other staff, the establishment of
policies and procedures for the administration of the business of the Association, and the
creation of all standing committees and other committees not established by these
Bylaws. The Board shall, collectively and as individuals, act in accordance with the Bylaws
of the Association and such policies and procedures as may from time to time be
established.
(a) Term: The annual term of the Board of Directors shall commence on January 1st of
the year following the election of its newest members and shall last until December
31st of that year. The outgoing Board continues to have authority and responsibility
for the Association during the transition period and is responsible for the orderliness
of the transition.
(b) Voting Directors: The Board of Directors shall consist of the President, Vice
President, Past President, Secretary, Treasurer, and four (4) Regional Directors. All
members of the Board of Directors shall be elected per Article XIII or appointed per
Article IX. The incumbent President shall automatically become Past-President in
the following term, if not re-elected. More than fifty percent (50%) of the voting
directors shall be late-deafened adults.
(c) Ex Officio (Non-Voting) Director: The Executive Director, if one has been appointed,
shall serve as an ex officio member of the Board and shall have no vote.
2) Officers: The Past President, President, Vice President, Secretary, and Treasurer shall be
the officers of the Association.
(a) Executive Committee: The Executive Committee of ALDA shall consist of the
officers of the Association. If one has been appointed, the Executive Director shall
serve as an ex officio member of the Executive Committee. The President may, at
his or her discretion, call the Executive Committee into session whenever the
President seeks urgent advice on how to proceed on an issue. The Executive
Committee has no power other than to act in an advisory capacity to the President.
The Executive Committee shall keep minutes of their meeting, and report to the
Board in a timely manner.
3) Duties of Officers and Regional Directors:
(a) President: The President shall serve as the chief executive officer of the
Association, Chair of the Board of Directors, and Chair of the Board’s Executive
Committee. The President shall preside at all meetings of the general membership,
exercise overall supervision of the affairs of ALDA, ensure the enforcement of these
Bylaws and the policies of the Association, and carry out all orders and resolutions
of the Board of Directors. In addition, the President shall appoint the chairs of all
Board-established committees and shall either appoint the committee’s members or
delegate the selection of committee members to the chair of the committee. The
President (or a designated person) shall act as liaison to any and all outside
organizations as required by the Board; and shall make an annual report to the
membership on behalf of the Board. Except as noted elsewhere in the Bylaws,
either the President or Secretary may sign, with the Secretary, any deeds,
mortgages, contracts, or other instruments that the Board has authorized to be
executed and shall perform all duties incident to the office of President.
(b) Vice President: The Vice President shall assist the President in the discharge of all
functions of that office. In the event of the President’s extended absence or
disability, the Vice President shall perform the duties of that office.
(c) Secretary: The Secretary is the custodian of both the Bylaws and the Policy and
Procedures Manual. As such, when any change is made to either document, the
Secretary shall update the document in question. The Secretary shall keep minutes
of all meetings of the Board of Directors, the Executive Committee, and the annual
general business meeting. The Secretary shall ensure that all notices and proposed
meeting agendas are duly given in accordance with these Bylaws, keep the
organization’s non-financial records, and maintain a list of the mailing addresses of
all ALDA members. The Secretary shall maintain files of all official correspondence
of ALDA, shall present a report to the general membership as directed by the Board,
shall serve on committees as assigned, and in general, shall perform all duties
incident to the office of Secretary.
(d) Treasurer: The Treasurer shall be the principal accounting and financial officer of
the Association. The Treasurer shall have custody of all ALDA funds and securities
and keep complete and accurate accounts of all receipts and disbursements. The
Treasurer shall deposit all monies and other valuable effects in the name and the
credit of ALDA in depositories specified by the Board of Directors. The Treasurer
shall distribute the funds of ALDA within limits prescribed by the annual budget of
ALDA. The Treasurer shall render to the President and Board an account of all
transactions and the financial condition of the Association at its regular meetings or
whenever the Board may require. The Treasurer shall present a report to the
general membership at the annual general business meeting, chair the Finance
Committee, serve on other committees as assigned, and perform all duties incident
to the office of Treasurer. The Treasurer shall be bonded in such a manner as is
satisfactory to the Board, conditioned upon the faithful performance of duties, and
for the restoration to the Association in the case of death, resignation, or removal
from office, all financial books, paper, vouchers, money, and other property of any
kind belonging to the Association but in the Treasurer’s possession or control.
Where bank, tax related, and insurance matters apply, the Treasurer, with the
majority of Executive Committee consent, is authorized to execute contracts and
documents in the role of Treasurer or, if needed, as “Acting Secretary”.
(e) Past President: Upon completing one’s term as President, they shall immediately
become the Past President and serve as an officer performing those duties and
functions delegated by the President. The Past President shall act as an advisory
counsel to the President upon request. The Past President shall chair the
Nominations Committee except when they have expressed the intention to run for
another position on the Board, in which case, the President shall appoint another
member of the Board to serve as Chair of the Nominations Committee.
(f) Regional Directors: Each Regional Director shall represent and be a resident of one
of four (4) regions and shall be elected by the members in good standing residing
within that region. Each Regional Director shall be responsible for communications
addressed to the Association by individuals residing within that region who are
seeking information and local resources, shall provide support and information to
groups, chapters, individuals, families, and professionals within their region, shall
establish linkages and networks with other organizations within their region, and
shall represent regional interests and concerns at Board meetings.
(g) Liaison: A liaison is a board member appointed by the President to facilitate
communication and cooperation and develop a close working relationship between
a committee and the Board of Directors. The liaison is responsible for promptly
informing the Board of progress made by the committee when the Committee Chair
cannot attend the Board meeting. No liaison is needed if a Board member is
chairing the committee.
Article VII Terms of Office, Tenure, and Re-election/Reappointment
1) Board of Directors:
(a) Terms of Office: Each director’s term of office is two years. The President, Vice
President, Regional Director 3, and Regional Director 4 are elected in even-
numbered years, while the Treasurer, Secretary, Regional Director 1, and Regional
Director 2 are elected in odd-numbered years. Any elected officer or regional
director may run for a different Board position even if that officer or director is mid-
term. If elected, the President, with approval of the Board of Directors will appoint a
member to take over the vacated position until the end of the regular term.
(b) Re-election and Tenure: The incumbent President, and Vice President, are eligible
for re-nomination to a second consecutive term in the same position and may
subsequently be nominated for other Board positions or may be nominated for
different Board positions after one term as Vice President, Secretary, or Treasurer,
respectively. There is no limit on consecutive terms for Secretary, Treasurer, and
Regional Directors. If the incumbent President is re-elected to a second term, the
Past President may retain his Board seat until the incumbent President steps down.
There shall be no other limit to the number of consecutive years that one person
may be elected to the Board.
2) Committee Members: All ad hoc committee members shall serve until the committee is
dissolved or until December 31st of the year of their appointment, whichever comes first.
The committee and its membership shall be renewable at the discretion of the subsequent
Board.
3) Appointees: All appointees to other voluntary positions within ALDA shall serve until the
task has been concluded, or until December 31st of the year they were appointed,
whichever comes first, and all such appointments shall be renewable at the discretion of
the subsequent Board.
Article VIII Termination and Reinstatement of Membership and Removal from the Board
of Directors
1) Termination of Membership: Any member of ALDA may have their membership
terminated by the Board of Directors for cause, that is, for conduct detrimental to ALDA.
2) Reinstatement of Membership: Upon written request signed by the former member and
filed with the Secretary, the Board of Directors may vote to reinstate a former member
upon such terms as the Board may deem appropriate.
3) Removal from the Board of Directors: Any member of the Board of Directors, including
officers, may be removed from their position by the other members of the Board for not
complying with these Bylaws or the policies of the Association, or for conduct detrimental
to ALDA.
4) Notice Requirement: Any action to either terminate a person’s membership in ALDA or
remove a person from the Board may be taken only after notice has been given to the
person of the reasons for possible termination or removal, and an opportunity provided to
that person for a hearing before the Board.
5) Special Majority Requirement: Any action to either terminate or reinstate a member or
remove a director from the Board must be approved by a two-thirds (2/3) vote of the entire
Board’s voting members.
Article IX Vacancies
1) President: When the position of President becomes vacant through resignation or other
means, the Vice President shall become President for the remainder of the President’s
term.
2) Vice President: When the position of Vice President becomes vacant, the position shall be
filled for the remainder of the term by appointment by the President, with the approval of
the Board by a vote held in person or using electronic media.
3) Past President: If the position of Past President becomes vacant through resignation or
other means, the position shall remain vacant. The President shall assign the duties of the
office without voting rights to an earlier Past President or shall assume them.
4) Other Directors: If any other director position becomes vacant through resignation or other
means, it shall be filled for the remainder of the originally elected term by appointment by
the President, with the approval of the Board by a vote held in person or using electronic
media. Directors appointed to replace Regional Directors who resign (or assume other
Board positions subsequent to other resignations) before commencing the second year of
their Regional Director terms shall serve only the remainder of the term.
5) Committee Members and Appointees: Vacancies and voluntary positions on any
committees that arise due to resignations, or the creation of new positions shall be made
by appointment of the President.
Article X Committees
1) Standing Committees: Standing committees are permanent, with the Chair appointed by
the President. The Chair (or a designated liaison) reports directly to the Board and
periodically to the membership, as needed, via the ALDA Newsletter. Each standing
committee has a Scope of Work mutually agreed upon by the Board and the Committee
and is included in the Policy and Procedures Manual. The following are current Standing
Committees:
(a) Finance Committee: The Finance Committee shall be responsible for fundraising,
developing, and supervising all fiscal record-keeping systems, and ensuring that all
required financial reports of ALDA are completed correctly and filed on time.
(b) Nominations Committee: A Nominations Committee shall be formed each year and
shall consist of three (3) or more members, at least two (2) of whom shall be
members of the Board of Directors. The Past President shall chair the Nominations
Committee. The Nominations Committee of ALDA shall choose nominees for all
positions on the Board of Directors to be filled in any year and verify qualifications of
any nominees submitted by the membership.
(c) Communications Committee: The Communications Committee oversees all aspects
of ALDA communications and outreach. The Chair of the Committee reports to and
works directly with the Board to formulate communications strategy. The Committee
is then tasked with enacting the plan decided upon by the Board. The Chair
communicates regularly with other ALDA committees who need to announce
material in a timely manner to the membership or the general public. The
Communications Committee has jurisdiction over what will be communicated on all
social media platforms. It also is tasked with creating, managing, and sharing
content with the webmaster on the ALDA website. It is responsible for eblasts to
target audiences. It has jurisdiction over the Newsletter to ensure consistent, timely,
and smooth distribution of its quarterly dissemination. The Newsletter editor is
appointed by the Communications Chair and reports directly to the Committee.
(d) Membership Committee: The Membership Committee is responsible for overseeing
a sustainable strategy for membership management, retention, and recruitment. It
also protects and secures the membership database. Any Board member, Chapter
Leader, or committee chair who wishes database information may obtain it from the
Committee. However, the Board as a whole has the authority to override a decision
by the Committee in any individual instance. Those who do obtain database
information as described must themselves secure the information. The Committee
helps Regional Directors with membership outreach and coordinates any
membership drive with the input of the Regional Directors, as needed. It
collaborates with the Communications Committee on any information to the
members or the public on membership issues. It works with the other ALDA
committees on any membership issue which the other committees need to address
(e.g., ALDAcon registration, Nominations Committee, and voting.) The membership
Chair reports directly to the Board in a timely manner.
(e) Advocacy Committee: The Advocacy Committee implements the objectives of
Articles II, III and IV of the Bylaws. At the direction of the Board, the Committee
advocates for appropriate legislation at the federal, state and local levels, comments
on proposed regulations and seeks to educate both ALDA’s members and the
general public about the need for and benefit of visual modes of communication.
The Committee seeks to promote effective self-advocacy by ensuring that ALDA’s
members are aware of their legal rights and aware of possible solutions to the
problems they confront. When necessary, ALDA will participate in court actions on
behalf of its members, often in concert with other organizations.
(f) Bylaws Committee: The Bylaws Committee reviews issues as directed by the Board,
regarding changes to the Bylaws or the Policy and Procedure Manual. The Bylaws
Committee recommends appropriate wording for both documents and sends them
to the Board for approval and consideration.
2) Ad-Hoc Committees: The Board of Directors may create other committees, task forces,
and advisory councils necessary or desirable for accomplishing any of ALDA’s general
objectives or specific purposes. The Board shall approve terms of reference for such
committees. The President appoints the Chair, and the Chair (or a designated liaison)
reports regularly to the Board until it has submitted a final report. Ad-hoc committee
members shall serve until the committee is dissolved or Dec. 31st of the year of
appointment, whichever comes first. The committee shall be renewable at the discretion of
the new incoming Board.
Article XI Meetings
1) Meetings of the General Membership:
(a) Annual General Business Meeting: At a place, date, and time designated by the
Board of Directors, there shall be an annual general business meeting and an
annual convention of the members of ALDA, which shall include a program
designed to further the purposes of the Association. The Board may determine, for
financial or other reasons, that a convention shall not be held during a particular
year or years. If there is no convention in a given year, the annual business meeting
will be held at a time and place as determined by the Board and may be conducted
online if the Board so designates.
(b) Special Business Meetings: From time to time, the Board of Directors may, if
needed, call special business meetings of the general membership by an affirmative
vote of two-thirds (2/3) of the voting members of the entire Board. The Board shall
determine the quorum place, date, time, and size for special business meetings.
(c) Notice Requirement: All members shall receive at least thirty (30) days’ advance
notice of the place, date, and time of the annual general business meeting and any
special business meetings of the general membership. For special business
meetings, this notice must include a statement of the purpose of the meeting. This
notice requirement can be satisfied by telephone, a special mailed or emailed
notification, text messaging, posting on the ALDA website, or printing the
information in an ALDA publication distributed to the general membership.
(d) Quorum Requirement: A quorum for the annual general business meeting shall
consist of at least ten percent (10%) of those current members of ALDA registered
for the annual convention.
(e) The minutes of the Annual General Business Membership Meeting and any Special
General Membership Meeting must be read and approved by a majority of the
voting members present at the following Annual Business Membership meeting.
2) Meetings of the Board of Directors:
(a) Regularly Scheduled Meetings: There shall be at least two regularly scheduled
meetings of the Board of Directors each year, one of which shall always be held in
conjunction with the annual convention of the general membership (unless no
convention is scheduled that year). Board meetings not held at an annual
convention may be conducted electronically or online if the Board so designates.
Other regularly scheduled meetings shall be held at such time and place as directed
by the President, subject to the approval of a majority of the Board.
(b) Special Meetings: Special meetings of the Board may be called by the President as
needed, subject to the approval of a majority of the Board’s voting members.
(c) Notice Requirement: Advance notice of the place (virtual or in person), date, and
time of regular and special meetings of the Board shall be provided to all directors at
least ten (10) days prior to such meetings. Every effort should be made to secure
communication access services as soon as the need for a meeting is known. For
special meetings of the Board this notice must include a statement of the basic
purpose of the meetings. Business conducted at the special meeting must be limited
to the stated purpose. This notice requirement can be satisfied by telephone, text
message, or email.
(d) Quorum Requirement: A simple majority of the voting Board members shall
constitute a quorum at all regular and special meetings of the Board of Directors.
(e) The minutes of all meetings (regular and special) of the Board of Directors must be
read and approved by a majority of the Board Members at the following regular
Board of Directors meeting.
3) Meetings of the Executive Committee:
(a) Meetings: The President shall call and set the time and place of Executive
Committee meetings as deemed necessary.
(b) Quorum Requirement: For all meetings of the Executive Committee, a simple
majority of the Executive Committee members shall constitute a quorum.
Article XII Nominations for the Board of Directors
1) Sources of Nominations: Nomination of candidates to serve on the ALDA Board of
Directors can be made by the Nominations Committee or by any member of ALDA in good
standing.
(a) The Nominations Committee: The Nominations Committee shall generate at least
one qualified candidate for each vacant position. The chair shall ensure that the
committee adheres to established policies of the Board.
(b) Nominations from the General Membership: In addition to members nominated by
the Nominations Committee, a member in good standing wishing to be nominated or
to nominate another member in good standing may do so, per the Association’s
policy. Nominations for Regional Directors not made by the Nominations Committee
shall originate only from members in good standing residing in the nominee’s region.
2) Eligibility for Nomination: To be nominated for a position on the Board of Directors, a
person must be a member of ALDA in good standing and be willing to attend the annual
general business meeting and the regularly scheduled Board meetings each year. In
addition, the person must be willing to participate actively in the business of the Board,
including the acceptance of committee assignments. No person shall stand for election to
more than one position in the same election. A member who resigns or is removed from
office pursuant to Article VIII shall not be eligible to be nominated or run in the next regular
election immediately following their resignation or removal but may run in subsequent
elections if they meet other eligibility requirements.
Article XIII Elections
1) Principle of Voting: Any member in good standing, regardless of membership category,
shall be entitled to vote for only one candidate per vacant position on the Board of
Directors. Members may vote for fewer candidates than vacancies, but a ballot shall be
considered spoiled if marked in favor of more than one candidate per vacant position. For
the position of Regional Director, members in good standing may only vote for a nominee
seeking to represent the region in which the member resides.
2) Method of Election: Elections shall be held between the day after the annual general
business meeting and December 31st. Ballots indicating the nominees for the various
positions will be sent to all current members of ALDA.
3) Campaigning: Each candidate, regardless of the source of their nomination, shall be
entitled to have a statement published and provided in the election materials package.
This statement and any other activities related to seeking a position on the ALDA Board
shall comply with the Association’s policy.
4) Counting of Ballots: The votes shall be counted by at least one member of the Board who
is not a candidate, and one disinterested person, per the Association’s policy.
ARTICLE XIV Conduct of Business
1) Rules of Order: All business shall be conducted according to the current edition of
Robert’s Rules of Order In any matters not covered by these Bylaws.
2) Voting:
(a) Annual General Business Meeting: During an annual general business meeting at
which a quorum exists, votes may be cast in person on any question not affecting
the Bylaws of the Association or the election of the Board of Directors. The current
members of ALDA present may, by a majority vote, order the submission of any
question to all ALDA members by either mail or electronic ballot.
(b) Amendments to the Bylaws of the Association and Elections to the Board of
Directors: All votes of the general membership pertaining to amendments to the
Bylaws and elections to the Board of Directors shall be conducted either by mail
ballot or electronically, or some combination of the two (2). Ballots will be
disseminated in a manner that minimizes costs to ALDA and ensures confidentiality,
an opportunity to vote by all members in good standing, and the counting of ballots
only from members in good standing.
(c) Board and Committees: Given potential geographic distance problems, and given
the necessity for the Board and its committees to conduct business in a timely
manner, the Board of Directors, the Executive Committee, and all other committees
of ALDA may choose to conduct their business, including but not limited to making
and debating motions and voting, in person, over the phone, by postal mail, or
through any electronic means, such as fax, via computer network, text messaging
and email, as long as each Board and committee member has equal access to such
means of conducting business. In no circumstances will voting by proxy be allowed.
ARTICLE XV Compensation
Neither directors, officers, committee members, nor appointees shall receive any salary for their
services. However, by resolution of the Board of Directors, a fixed sum and/or expenses of
attendance may be allowed for each regular or special meeting of the Board and/or Executive
Committee attended. The Treasurer’s report at the next annual business meeting must include
full disclosure of all monetary sums paid to all directors and officers throughout the year.
ARTICLE XVI Chapters/Groups
1) Formation of Chapters: The ALDA Board of Directors may grant a charter to form an
ALDA Chapter to any group of five (5) or more current members of ALDA who either
reside within a specific geographical area or maintain communications via an electronic
network and petition the Board for a chapter charter.
2) Rules Governing Chapters: All ALDA Chapters must adopt the Bylaws provided by ALDA
as their chapter Bylaws or submit their intended Bylaws to the Board for approval. In
addition, the ALDA Board of Directors is empowered to promulgate policies governing
how ALDA Chapters may be formed or terminated, the naming of such chapters, or any
other policies pertaining to ALDA Chapters that it deems necessary for effective
organizational administration and operation.
3) Dissolution of Chapters: The ALDA Board of Directors may revoke the charter of any
ALDA Chapter that fails to comply with the ALDA Board’s policies governing chapters.
Before revoking the charter of any chapter, the ALDA Board shall give that chapter timely
notice of the Board’s reasons for the impending revocation action and grant the chapter
an opportunity for a hearing before the Board. Any motion to revoke a chapter charter
must be approved by an affirmative vote of two-thirds (2/3) of the voting members of the
entire ALDA Board of Directors.
4) Groups: ALDA Inc. may grant approval to form an ALDA Group to any 3 or more current
members who reside within a common geographic region or maintain communications
electronically and petition the Board for a Group Charter.
ARTICLE XVII Fiscal Year
The fiscal year of the Association shall be the calendar year, January 1st to December 31st.
ARTICLE XVIII Ratification and Amendments
1) Ratification: These Bylaws shall be ratified by the affirmative vote of a simple majority of
the voting members of the entire ALDA Board of Directors.
2) Proposals for Amendments: Amendments to the Bylaws may be proposed at any time by:
(a) A motion that is passed by the ALDA, Inc. Board of Directors,
(b) A petition signed by one-tenth (1/10) of the members in good standing of ALDA,
(c) A motion passed by a simple majority of the votes cast at an annual general
business meeting, or
(d) A proposal from an ALDA Chapter endorsed by either a majority vote of its Board or
a majority vote of its members,
(e) A recommendation from the Bylaws Committee.
3) Approval of Amendments: Proposed amendments to these Bylaws shall be approved and
ordered implemented by an affirmative vote of two-thirds (2/3) of the ballots returned from
either an electronic or postal vote of members in good standing. There shall be a
minimum of fifteen (15) days and a maximum of thirty (30) days allowed between issuing
of ballots and closing of votes.
Revised 7/1/ 2016; 9/4/2018, 3/1/2022, 3/18/2024