ALDA Policy:  ALDA Chapters and Groups
General Policy:
It is the policy of ALDA to encourage the establishment and maintenance of ALDA Chapters and Groups in various locales around the country in order to pursue the general objectives of ALDA and provide support services to people who are late-deafened.  ALDA Chapters and Groups may be a lot alike, except that ALDA Groups have a less formal structure than ALDA Chapters and are not required to have any face-to-face meetings.  They may conduct their affairs entirely online.  Below are the current requirements for ALDA Chapters and Groups.
Policy Details:
	Chapter	Group
1. Number of names required on Petition requesting Chapter/Group approval	4	3
2. All persons named on the Chapter/Group Requesting Petition must be 18 years of age or older	Yes	Yes
3. All persons named on the Chapter/Group Requesting Petition must be paid-up members of ALDA, Inc.	Yes	Yes
4. Requesting Petition must include names, addresses, phone numbers, and email addresses of all officers/petitioners	Yes	Yes (a)
5. Requesting Petition must include a brief summary of past group activities	Yes	Yes
6. Must pursue one or more ALDA objectives	Yes	Yes
7. Must accept ALDA Chapter Bylaws	Yes	No (b)
8. Must abide by all policies adopted by ALDA, Inc concerning Chapters/Groups	Yes	Yes
9. Must elect a Board of Directors consisting of five (5) people	Yes	No (c)
10. Must elect a president, vice president. secretary and treasurer	Yes	No (d)
11. Minimum number of members	5	3
12. Must hold regular membership “meetings” (minimum of 2 per year)	Yes (e)	Yes (f)
13. Must hold an annual business meeting	Yes	No
14  Must send out regular “mailings” to all members (minimum of 2 per year)	Yes (g)	Yes (g)
15. Must maintain an outreach program to identify and recruit new members	Yes	Yes
16. Must have their own EIN in order to come under the ALDA, Inc. tax-exempt umbrella	Yes	Yes
17. Must submit an ALDA Chapter/Group Renewal Form every two years	Yes	Yes
18. Must not name anyone on their Chapter/Group Charter Petition or Renewal Form who is at the same time	Yes	Yes
already named on either the Charter Petition or Renewal Form of another Chapter/Group
Notes:
(a) ALDA Groups are not required to have any “officers”
(b) ALDA Groups are not required to have any Bylaws
(c) ALDA Groups are not required to have a Board of Directors
(d) ALDA Groups are required to only have a “Leader”
(e) “Meetings” include educational field trips, house parties, captioned movies or plays, dinners at restaurants, etc.
(f) ALDA Groups may have only online meetings (no face-to-face meetings are required)
(g) “Mailings” may include mail sent via the United States Postal Service (USPS), email, or newsletters
Latest Revision: 9/22/2018