Kansas Association of the Deaf

By-Laws

Article I - Mission Statement

Article II - Membership

Article III - Dues and Assessments

Article IV - Executive Board

Article V - Officers

Article VI - Meetings

Article VII - Parlimentary Authority

Article VIII - Amendments

Article IX - Affiliations and Representation

Article X - Order of Business

ARTICLE I – MISSION STATEMENT

The Association is organized exclusively for charitable and educational purposes, with the right to receive contributions and to distribute them to organization, which qualify as exempt under section 501 (c) (3) of the Internal Revenue Code, or any corresponding provisions amending same. The specific purpose of the Association is for mutual assistance and encouragement of Deaf people and to secure moral, intellectual and social improvement of their education and vocational opportunities, to promote measures tending to better the condition and standing in society at large of Deaf persons; and for the strength and usefulness which union gives the Deaf persons of Kansas who have organized themselves into this Association to further the above purposes.

ARTICLE II – MEMBERSHIP

Section 1. The Association shall consist of active, associate, honorary and life members, dues shall be determined by conference resolution.

Section 2. The Association shall have affiliates/chapters across the state that shall be members of the Association. The Executive Board shall establish guidelines for the membership of the local affiliates/chapters.

Section 3. Each affiliate/chapter may send a representative to the Executive Board meeting and KAD Conference at its own expenses. The representative shall have NO voting rights at the Executive Board, shall participate on the Association committee, and shall report back to the affiliate/chapter.

Section 4. Any deaf or hard of hearing resident of Kansas may become an active member of the Association upon the payment of the annual dues. Any person deemed unsuitable by the Association or the Executive Board may be refused membership after due process hearing.

Section 5. The associate membership shall be composed of adult deaf residents of other states. They shall have all the rights and privileges of active members, but they shall not be eligible to hold office. Any interested hearing person may become associate member.

Section 6. The honorary membership of the Association may be conferred by a majority vote of the members present at a regular meeting of the Association upon a person who have taken an active interest of the deaf or assisted the Association in its work. They shall have all the rights of active members except the right to vote and to hold office. Honorary membership shall be for two years only. Honorary life membership maybe conferred, if the members desire so.

Section 7. The life membership shall consist of members, nominated by the Executive Board through the Secretary in the open meeting of the Association.

Section 8. New members may join the Association by registration at each conference, or at any other time by paying the dues to the Treasurer.

Section 9. Any Deaf or Hard of Hearing graduates of Kansas’s high schools during the last two years prior to the meeting of the Association shall be admitted free of charge to the membership of the Association. However, they shall pay annual fees as deemed by the Executive Board, if they desire to continue as members of the Association.

Section 10. It shall be the duty of the President to preside all meetings of the Association and of the Executive Board, to enforce the order and due observance of the Constitution and By-Laws, to appoint the following standing committees of three members each, consisting of a Resolution Committee, Auditing Committee, a Statistic and Registry Committee, a Law Committee, a Deaf Education Committee, and a Publicity of the President Emeritus automatically at the end of his/her term as the President. President Emeritus shall be a Kansas resident during his/her tenure. If the immediate past President become unavailable or unable to serve as President Emeritus, the preceding eligible past President may be appointed by the Executive Board to serve as President Emeritus. The Executive Board may assign specific duties for the President Emeritus as deemed necessary.

Section 11. It shall be the duty of State Pageant Director to lead and manage KAD\rquote s Miss Deaf Kansas Pageant program. State Pageant Director is authorized to conduct the fundraising activities and handle the Pageant financial transactions. State Pageant Director shall submit all required reports, including financial reports, to Executive Board regularly.

ARTICLE III – DUES AND ASSESSMENTS

Section 1. The Association shall have the power to set membership fee and to levy dues and assessments as may from time to time be deemed necessary.

Section 2. Each member shall pay into the treasury of the Association annual fees as decided by conference mandate.

ARTICLE IV– EXECUTIVE BOARD

Section1. The Executive Board shall consist of the President who shall be ex-officio chair, the Vice-President, the Secretary, the Treasurer, the President Emeritus, the State Pageant Director, the Membership Coordinator, the Youth Program Coordinator and the State Association Conference chairperson. The Executive Board may select one Appointed Board member as a voting member as needed. They shall begin management of the affairs of the Association one month after the following election. They shall have the power to use any available funds of the Association for purposes intended to promote the interests of the Association.

Section 2. The President shall have the authority to arrange a special meeting of the Executive Board when he deems it necessary or when requested to do by a majority of the Executive Board.

ARTICLE V– OFFICERS

Section 1. The officers of the Association shall consists of a President, a Vice-President, a Secretary, a Treasurer, the President Emeritus, and two voting Board Members elected by the Association.

Section 2. The officers shall be elected by ballot from among the members present at the meeting at which an election is held during the last business session of each conference. The two voting board members shall be elected a separate ballot. All officers shall be legal residents of Kansas. Nominee for the President must have served on the Executive Board for the previous two years. They shall assume the duties of their office one month after their election.

Section 3. Any resignation from office shall be made in writing to the President with statements of reasons thereof. Vacancies in office caused by resignation or otherwise shall be filled by the President with the approval of the Executive Board until the next conference. In the event of resignation of the President, or otherwise, the Vice-President shall serve such office until the next conference.

Section 4. It shall be the duty of the President to preside all meetings of the Association and of the Executive Board, to enforce the order and due observance of the Constitution and By-Laws, to appoint the following standing committees of three members each, consisting of a Resolution Committee, Auditing Committee, a Statistic and Registry Committee, a Law Committee, a Deaf Education Committee, and a Publicity Committee and other committees as deemed necessary, to sign all orders on the Treasurer and to see the reelected or newly elected Treasurer be bonded during his/her term.

Section 5. The Vice-President shall perform duties of the President when the (latter) President is absent or unable to act. The Vice-President shall serve as chairperson of the Law Committee and to select an editor for the Association newsletter, subject to the approval of the Executive Board. Vice-President shall also act as a Parliamentary of the meeting. The duty of such (office) committee shall be to secure and release information designed to advance the interest of the Association and to select the editor for the Association newsletter, subject to the approval of the Executive Board.

Section 6. It shall be the duty of the Secretary to record the minutes of all meetings of the Association and of the Executive Board, keep a list of all members and officers, giving full names and post office addresses and to keep charge of all books and papers pertaining to the Association, except those belonging to the Treasurer. It shall be the duty of the Secretary to compile and print reports and minutes of meetings mail and to the Board Members within three (3) months after the close of the conference and to the members at least three months before the conference.

Section 7.1. It shall be the duty of the Treasurer to receive all money belonging to the Association from all the Executive Board and to the Association at every meeting. Treasurer shall pay no bills unless Treasurer is authorized by the President to so.

Section 7.2. Treasurer shall serve the Finance Committee, consisted of five members, along with other two members from Executive Board and two members at large. Finance Committee shall be responsible to review and recommend financial budget and other operating functions for the Association. Finance Committee shall be responsible to reconcile the check statements and all financial reports as deemed necessary. Finance Committee shall audit finances of the Association at least four (4) times a year and submit reports to Executive Board. Final Financial Reports of the Association shall be audited annually by the Finance Committee. Treasurer shall file any reports as required by Internal Revenue Code or any applicable statutes and regulations.

Section 8. The departing President, unless relieved by the Association, shall become the President Emeritus automatically at the end of his/her term as the President. President Emeritus shall be a Kansas resident during his/her tenure. If the immediate past President become unavailable or unable to serve as President Emeritus, the preceding eligible past President may be appointed by the Executive Board to serve as President Emeritus. The Executive Board may assign specific duties for the President Emeritus as deemed necessary.

Section 9. It shall be the duty of State Pageant Director to lead and manage KAD’s Miss Deaf Kansas Pageant program. State Pageant Director is authorized to conduct the fundraising activities and handle the Pageant financial transactions. State Pageant Director shall submit all required reports, including financial reports, to Executive Board regularly.

As elected, the Membership Coordinator shall manage the Association’s memberships’ data of information, to check the expiration dates and to remind of membership renewals with new members’ cards. The Membership Coordinator shall be member of the Finance Committee and the Publicity Committee.

Section 11. As elected, the Youth Program Coordinator shall manage the Association’s youth program such as Youth Leadership Camp (YLC), Close-Up Program, Jr Kansas Association of the Deaf (Jr. KAD), Jr. National Association of the Deaf (Jr. NAD) and any others relating to the youths. The Youth Program Coordinator shall be a member of the Miss Deaf Kansas Pageant Committee.

Section 12. As needed, the Appointed Board Member shall be appointed by the Executive Board as a voting member of the Board.

ARTICLE VI– MEETINGS

Section 1. The Association shall meet in conference each odd numbered year at such time and place as may be determined upon by the Executive Board.

Section 2. The location of the next conference shall be determined by majority votes of the members of the Association attending the conference and announced by the Executive Board within three months following each conference. With the approval of the Executive Board, the local committee shall determine the date within six months following each conference.

Section 3. The President shall appoint a local committee at least sixteen (16) months prior to the conference. Subject to the approval of the Executive Board, the committee shall have the power to make all arrangements except for the official program, which shall be prepared by the President (with the approval of the Executive Board).

Section 4. A majority of active and associate members registered at the beginning of every business meetings shall constitute a quorum for transaction of all business.

Section 5. The President shall issue an official call to conference at least six (6) months prior to the state conference.

ARTICLE VII– PARLIAMENTARY AUTHORITY

Robert’s Rule of Order, Revised shall be authority on all questions of parliamentary law not covered in this Constitution and By-Laws. (RROR, Edition #10)

ARTICLE VIII– AMENDMENTS

Amendments to the Articles of Incorporation may be altered, amended or abrogated by a three-fourth of all registered members present at Conference and By-Laws of the Association may be altered, amended or abrogated by a two-third of all the registered members present. Proposed amendments shall be submitted in writing to the law committee 30 days before conference date. The law committee shall have the authority to accept or reject a proposed amendment after reviewing said proposal.

ARTICLE IX– AFFILIATIONS AND REPRESENTATION

Section 1. The Association with a statewide representation shall be known as a cooperating member of the National Association of the Deaf. It shall cooperate and remit a fee to be determined at the National Conferences. The affiliation and representation are determined according to the National Association of the Deaf By-Laws.

Section 2. KAD delegates or representatives to the NAD Conference, Region II Conference, and any other NAD-related conference/workshops shall be two (2) or more from the Board of the Association with the President first in order, Vice President second in order, Secretary third in order followed by other member of the Executive Board.

ARTICLE X– ORDER OF BUSINESS

The following shall be the official order of business at all meetings of the Association.

Call to order
Invocation
President’s Address
Reading of Minutes
Communications
Reports of Officers
Reports of Standing Committee
a. Resolution Committee
b. Statistic and Registry Committee
c. Law Committee
d. Finance Committee
e. Deaf Education Committee
Reports of Special Committee
Unfinished Business
New Business
Bidding for Next KAD Conference
Nomination and Elections
Swearing in new Officers
Adjournment Sine Die!

Revised as of January 15 2010