ACMNE - Bylaws
Northeast Region Alliance For Community Media Policies
ARTICLE 1 - RECOGNITION OF REQUIREMENTS
The Northeast Region hereby recognizes that it has an obligation to operate in accordance with the ACM Bylaws. These bylaws state that:
" Each Region must:
1. Prepare and submit budgets and conduct its financial affairs in a manner and form prescribed by the National Board.
2. Ensure that no person shall serve as its Region Chair unless that person shall be an individual Member of the Corporation.
3. Ensure that no person shall serve on its Directive body unless that person shall be an individual Member or the representative of an organizational Member of the Corporation.
4. Ensure that no individual is discriminated against with regard to Membership, services, access to information or any activity of the Corporation because of color, creed, national origin, sex, age, sexual orientation, religious belief, physical challenges, developmental challenges, political belief, economic status, or for any other reason contrary to law. The Region Board shall be committed to promoting access for all persons.
5. Ensure that no Member of the Region be deprived of the right to participate in regional decision-making or to representation on matters of interest or effect to the Region.
6. Ensure that no individual or organizational Member of the Corporation,residing or working within that Region, be deprived of the right to vote in any election to select the Members of the Directive body of the Region.
7. Take no action which would cause the tax exempt status of the Corporation to be placed in jeopardy. "
ARTICLE 2 -THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Section A: Establishment and Composition of the Board
1. The Northeast Region shall be governed by a Board of Directors representative of and responsible to the ACM Members from the Northeast Region. This entity shall hereafter be referred to as the "Region Board."
2. The Region Board shall consist of eight At-large Members plus one Chair elected for two-year terms by the individual ACM Members and representatives of ACM organizational Members residing or working in the seven states comprising the Northeast Region. Their terms shall be staggered so that four At-large Members shall ordinarily be elected each year.
3. The Region Board shall add one additional seat for each ACM Chapter whose primary service area falls within the seven states comprising the Northeast Region. This seat may be filled by anyone whom the Chapter chooses as their representative.
4. The Region Board may additionally appoint up to two voting Members for the purpose of providing the Board with special expertise, promoting strategic alliances with other organizations, or insuring greater diversity. Such appointments shall be for one-year terms, renewable for up to six years.
Section B: Vacancies
1. Vacancies in any At-Large position shall be filled by the Region Board. The remaining term of the position shall be added to the seats to be filled at the next annual election.
2. Vacancies in any Chapter representative seat shall be filled by the Chapter.
Section C: Removal from Office
1. There are three types of Board Members: Elected, Appointed, and Chapter Representative, each of which may be removed from office before the end of his/her term according to the following:
a. A Chapter may remove and replace its representative according to its own established policies and procedures.
b. Appointed Region Board Members may be removed from office by affirmative vote of Majority of the Members of the Region Board.
c. Any Region Board Member may be removed from office for gross misconduct or misappropriation of funds. This action shall require a Majority vote of the Members of the Board.
Section D: Qualifications
1. The Region Chair must be an individual Member of the ACM during their term of office. Likewise, no other person shall serve on the Region Board unless that person is an individual Member of the ACM.
2. Any Member who runs for a seat on the Region Board shall, prior to election and during their term of office, publicly disclose all current involvement with a telecommunications entity in which financial compensation is involved.
3. No voting Member of the Region Board may serve as a paid staff Member of the ACM.
4. No person, whether elected at-large, appointed, or designated as a Chapter representative, shall serve on the Region Board for more than six consecutive years. And no person, having served on the Region Board for six consecutive years, shall be allowed to serve on the Region Board again until two years have elapsed since their last term ended.
Section E: Board Procedures
1. All Region Board Members elected at-large assume office at the first Region Board meeting after the ACM's National Conference. For the purposes of continuity, both out-going and in-coming Region Board Members are encourage to attend and participate in this meeting.
2. The Region Board shall meet at least five times per year, three of those meetings being in person, face-to-face.
3. All Region Board Members shall receive by mail or electronic means notice of every Region Board meeting, including the proposed agenda and minutes from the previous meeting, at least one week in advance of the meeting.
4. Region Board meetings shall be chaired by the Chair, or by Vice-Chair in the Chair's absence or incapacitation. The Region Board will operate according to Robert's Rules of Order, or by any other mechanism unanimously approved by all Board Members.
5. For the purpose of any meeting, a Quorum shall be one-half plus one of the full Membership of the Region Board. No action of the Region Board shall be valid unless Majority of those participating in the vote approve.
6. The Region Board may authorize the Executive Committee to act in its behalf between Region Board meetings. All actions of the Executive Committee shall be reported to the Region Board at its next meeting.
ARTICLE 3 - OFFICERS
1. With the exception of the Region Chair who is elected by the Members, the officers of the Region Board shall be nominated by the Board, from among its Members at the first Board meeting following the Annual Meeting, with the current Secretary casting one ballot to elect the slate of officers as nominated. (passed 10/18/98) The same person shall not hold more than one of the following positions: Chair, Vice-Chair, Secretary, Treasurer. Any vacancies shall be filled for the unexpired term by ordinary resolution of the Board.
2. A member can be voted out of the board.
3. The Region Chair is elected by the regional Membership and serves a two-year term. The responsibilities of the Region Chair include, but are not limited to:
a. Chairing meetings of the Board, Executive Committee, and the Annual Member Meeting.
4. b. Ensuring that all regional activities adhere to the spirit and intent of the Alliance's goals and policies. The Region Vice-Chair is elected for a one-year term by the Northeast Region Board from among its Members. The responsibilities of the Vice-Chair include, but are not limited to:
a. Supporting the Chair and aiding in the preparation of all regional meetings.
b. Maintaining contact with all Committee Chairs and Chapter officers.
5. c. Serving as Chair in his/her absence or incapacitation. The Region Secretary is elected by the Northeast Region Board from its Members for a one-year term. The responsibilities of the Secretary include, but are not limited to:
a. Recording and disseminating in a timely fashion the minutes of the Board, Executive, and Annual Member Meetings.
b. Safeguarding the archive of minutes and other official records of the Northeast Region Board.
6. c. Filing an annual report to the National Office for inclusion in the Alliance for Community Media's Annual Report, and preparing and disseminating an annual summary of Board action to all Members in the Northeast Region. The Region Treasurer is elected for a one-year term by the Northeast Board from among its Members. The responsibilities of the Treasurer include, but are not limited to:
a. Working closely with the Region Chair and the Alliance for Community Media staff in maintaining a working knowledge of all fiscal matters of the Region.
b. Keeping the Northeast Region Board informed about the financial position of the region, and making an annual financial report to Members.
c. Maintaining accurate regional ledgers and checking account.
ARTICLE 4 - COMMITTEES
1. The Region Board shall have the following permanent committee: The Executive Committee.
2. The Region Board may from time to time establish such other Ad Hoc Committees as are deemed necessary and proper for the execution of Region business. At this time, these Committees consist of Conference Planning, Video Festival, Public Policy, Information Services, and Organizational Development.
3. The Chair of each Ad Hoc Committee is elected by the Region Board from among its own Members. The Chair is then responsible for appointing other Members of the Committee. The composition of each Committee shall not be proscribed by the Board and, in fact, Committee Chairs are encouraged to involve as many Members or others as they like in conducting Committee business. But no Committee shall exceed the powers that have been delegated to it by the Board.
ARTICLE 5 - REGION BOARD ELECTIONS
The Northeast Region will elect their leadership between February 1 and May 31 every year by mail ballot. All Region Board Members elected at-large assume office at the ACM's National Conference. The Chair and At-large Members of the Region Board shall be elected in the following manner:
1. The Chair shall appoint a Member or staff person who is not a candidate for election, hereafter known as the "Election Official", to conduct the election.
2. A call for nominations describing the positions and election process, a nomination form, and a list of who to contact for more information shall be mailed to all ACM Members from the Northeast Region at least 30 days prior to the close of nominations.
3. An individual shall be deemed a candidate for election if they return a completed nomination form to the address indicated by the Election Official by the deadline stated. The nomination form shall require the following information: Name and address of the candidate; Disclosure of any income received by any telecommunications entity within the past year and of any financial interest held in any any telecommuni- cations entity; An optional statement of interest and qualifications not to exceed 200 words.
4. Any candidate who violates any provision governing elections shall be subject to disqualification by the Election Official. A disqualified candidate may appeal to the Region Board.
5. Within 21 days after the close of nominations, the Election Official shall mail first-class to every Member of record from the Region one ballot which includes the names of all At-large candidates, their financial disclosures, and the first 200 words of their candidates' statements, retyped into a common format. The ballots shall be numbered consecutively. Included with the ballots will be instructions for the return of the ballots to the Election Official and the date by which ballots must be received, which date shall be not less than 35 days nor more than 49 days after the close of nominations.
6. Each voting Member may vote for as many candidates as there are positions available.
7. Those candidates who receive the largest number of votes shall be elected so long as positions remain unfilled. If there are both one-year and two-year terms available for election, those candidates who receive the largest number of votes shall be assigned to the two-year terms so long as they are available. Board Members elected At-large in this fashion (with the exception of the Chair) may subsequently swap one and two-year terms by mutual consent and a Majority vote of the Board
8. In the case of a tie vote for the last available position, the Election Official shall certify such names to the Chair who shall in turn promptly notify the Region Board. The responsibility of breaking the tie shall be that of the current Region Board, whose decision shall be decided by a Majority vote. Whenever practicable, the Region Board shall hold interviews with each candidate prior to voting to break the tie.
9. Within 60 days from the close of nominations, the Election Official shall count the ballots, determine the winning candidates, and certify their names in writing to the Chair. The Chair shall promptly notify all candidates of the outcome of the election and shall cause the results to be published to the Members at the earliest convenient time.
10. The Election Official shall safeguard all ballots and maintain them for inspection by any Member for a period of two years from the deadline for returning ballots.
11. Any violation of these procedures on a Member's ballot shall invalidate the entire ballot. If two ballots are received, both bearing an identical serial number, both such ballots shall be invalidated.
12. If a candidate disputes the election results, she/he must notify both the Region Chair and the Region Secretary within two weeks of the election results being published. The Region Chair, and if necessary The Region Board, will work with the parties involved to resolve the dispute. Any decision reached by the Region Board shall be final.
ARTICLE 6 - NORTHEAST REGION REPRESENTATIVE TO THE NATIONAL BOARD
At its first meeting following the Annual Region Election, the Members of the Region Board shall designate one person as its voting representative on the ACM National Board. (passed 10/18/98) If the National Representative cannot attend the National Meeting, the Chair or the Chair's appointee may go in his/her place. (passed 10/18/98)
ARTICLE 7 - ANNUAL REGION MEMBERSHIP MEETINGS
1. The Region Board shall hold at least one Annual Region Membership Meeting, typically in conjunction with its Spring and/or Fall Event. The purpose of these meetings is to provide the opportunity for all Alliance Members from the Northeast Region to have an impact on the future of the organization and to encourage Members to become active participants in regional activities. During the Region Membership Meetings, Members are invited to offer guidance to the Northeast Region Board and/or its various Committees in setting priorities and goals and in making sure that the Members' views can be accurately represented at the Organization's Annual Business Meeting held in conjunction with the National Conference.
2. The Chair of the Region Board, or the Vice-Chair in the absence or incapacitation of the Chair, shall preside at the Annual Region Membership Meetings. Such meetings will operate according to Robert's Rules of Order, or by any other mechanism unanimously approved by all Members present.
ARTICLE 8 - RECORDS
The Region Board shall keep correct and complete books and records of account, and shall also keep minutes of the proceedings of the Annual Meeting, the Region Board Meetings, and the Executive Committee meetings. The Region Board shall also keep a record of the names and addresses of all ACM Members from the Northeast Region. All records required under this section shall be made available upon request to ACM Members and to the ACM National Board and staff in accordance with state and federal law.
ARTICLE 9 - FINANCE POLICIES
ARTICLE 10 - AMENDMENTS TO THESE POLICIES
