By-Laws of the Alabama Chapter of the Society of Sexual, Affectional, Intersex, and Gender Expansive Identities (ALSAIGE)

ARTICLE 1

NAME AND MISSION

Section 1.

• The name of this association shall be the Alabama Chapter of the Society of Sexual, Affectional, Intersex, and Gender Expansive Identities (ALSAIGE).

Section 2.

• The mission of ALSAIGE is:

a) to promote greater awareness and understanding of sexual, affectional, intersex, and gender expansive identities and relevant issues among members of the counseling profession and related helping occupations.

b) to develop, implement and foster interest in charitable, scientific, and educational programs designed to further the human growth and development of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, two-spirit, gender-expansive, queer, questioning, agender, asexual, aromantic, intersex, pansexual, polysexual, pan/polygender (LGBTGEQIAP+; hereby abbreviated as LGBTQ+) clients and communities. The acronym of LGBTGEQIAP+ is meant to be representative, not encapsulating, of the full community. The “+” indicates the organization’s goal to be inclusive and of other related identities by being committed to ever-expanding, learning, and growing from our understandings of these identities.

c) to protect from harm LGBTQ+ individuals by language, stereotypes, myths, misinformation, threats of expulsion from social and institutional structures and other entities, and from beliefs contrary to their identity.

d) to provide educational programs and resources to raise the standard of practice for all counselors who serve LGBTQ+ clients and communities.

ARTICLE 2

MEMBERSHIP

Section 1.

• Membership is open to all members in good standing of the Alabama Counseling Association (ALCA).

Section 2.

• Persons desiring to become members of this division must select the division on the ALCA membership application and submit payment for the appropriate amount for division dues.

Section 3.

• A member may be dropped from membership for conduct that tends to injure the division or to affect adversely its reputation, or that is contrary to the Bylaws of the division, the state association, the national division or national association, and/or the code of ethics of the American Counseling Association (ACA).

Section 4.

• A member may be dropped for nonpayment of dues.

ARTICLE 3

DUES

Section 1.

• The Executive Board of ALSAIGE, in accordance with the ALCA bylaws, shall set Dues. For a list of the positions that compose the Executive Board, please consult Article 5, Section 1.

ARTICLE 4

MEETINGS OF THE MEMBERSHIP

Section 1.

• An annual meeting of the membership will be held during the fall conference of ALCA to conduct the general business of the division.

Section 2.

• The Executive Board may schedule other meetings of the membership by giving reasonable notice of time and place to the membership.

ARTICLE 5

OFFICERS AND DUTIES

Section 1.

• The officers of the division shall be composed of the President, President-Elect, Immediate Past President, Treasurer, Secretary, and Historian.

Section 2.

• All officers shall be elected at large by the members of the division, and shall serve one-year terms, with the exception of the Treasurer, in accordance with the bylaws of ALCA. The Treasurer shall serve a two- year term.

Section 3.

• The President of the division will appoint a member in good standing of the division to fill any vacancies that occur during their term of office.

Section 4.

• Duties

a) The President shall preside at all meetings of the division, and shall chair and preside at all meetings of the executive board. The President shall perform the duties customary to that office and such additional duties as directed by the executive board. The President is the voting member of the ALCA Executive Council. The President is a voting member of ALSAIGE.

b) The President-Elect shall perform all duties of the President in the absence or incapacity of the President. The President-Elect is responsible for activities associated with the ALCA annual conference, including program proposal submissions, social events, and other activities as designated by the Executive Board. If a committee or committees are formed to do these functions, the President-Elect shall chair such committee(s). The President-Elect is a voting member of ALSAIGE.

c) The Immediate Past President shall perform the duties of the President in the absence of both the President and President-Elect. The Immediate Past President shall chair the nominations and elections committee, as well as the strategic planning committee of the division. The Immediate Past President is a voting member of ALSAIGE.

d) The Secretary shall keep records of all general meetings of the division as well as all meetings of the Executive Board. The Secretary shall also serve as historian of the division, as well as maintain the historical records and archives of the division. The Secretary is a voting member of ALSAIGE.

e) The Treasurer shall represent the general membership in ensuring that the receipt and expenditures of funds are in accordance with the directives of the Executive Board and the division bylaws as well as in accordance with the policy and procedures of ALCA. The Treasurer is a voting member of ALSAIGE.

f) The Historian shall assist with the documentation and recording of events of ALSAIGE. The Secretary shall perform duties of the Historian in the absence or incapacity of the Historian. The Historian is a voting member of ALSAIGE.

ARTICLE 6

EXECUTIVE BOARD

Section 1.

• The officers of the division shall form the Executive Board. The Executive Board must hold at least one meeting annually. This meeting may be virtual, as needed. All actions of the Executive Board must be approved by a majority of its members, which shall serve as a quorum. Simple majority of the Executive Board will serve sufficient for the quorum. Proxy vote may be assigned to any active member prior to the meeting of ALSAIGE. At times other than the general membership meeting of the division, the Executive Board will make all decisions for the membership.

Section 2.

• The board shall:

  • establish policies to govern the affairs of ALSAIGE

  • act on reports of the committees of the division

  • serve as the decision-making body

  • establish a strategic plan for the division

  • establish policies and procedures to carry on the educational mission of the division

Section 3.

• In an emergency situation, as determined by the President, an electronic Executive Board meeting (through a conference call, computer chat, or other acceptable distance platform) may be held, so long as four (4) of the elected members of the Executive Board can participate.

ARTICLE 7

COMMITTEES

Section 1.

• The standing committees of the division shall include:

  • Nominations and Elections: This committee will conduct the nomination process to present a slate of candidates to the general membership for election. Consideration will be given to geographic region as well as diversity in selecting the slate of candidates. The committee will conduct the election of candidates and announce the results. No member of the committee may be a candidate for an elective office. The committee will also review and recommend procedures for carrying out the annual election of officers.

  • Strategic Planning: This committee will initially develop a three-year plan to obtain the goals of the division. Each year thereafter, the Strategic Planning Committee shall review the plan and make modifications to ensure the plan remains current. The Strategic Planning Committee is always a three-year projection. This committee shall monitor the implementation of their plan and report the results to the ALSAIGE Executive Board.

  • Media Management (Website/Newsletters/Brochures/Press Releases): This committee will work to make ALSAIGE membership, ALCA, and the general public aware of the activities of the division. Of prime importance will be the establishment and maintenance of the division website. The chair of this committee will be selected on a volunteer basis.

  • Membership: This committee will promote interest in the division among all eligible persons in this State, as well as be responsible for membership activities of the division. This committee will also serve as a means for the membership to gather information and resources regarding LGBTQ+ interests and activities in the State. The goal of this committee shall be to have at least one member from each chapter of ALCA.

  • Bylaws/Policy & Procedures: This committee will supply the membership with accurate copies of the bylaws and shall propose amendments to them when deemed appropriate. The chair shall serve as Parliamentarian of the division. At such time as the Executive Board establishes policies and procedures for the division, the Bylaws Committee will annually review to ensure accuracy as well as conformity to the bylaws.

  • Educational Tools/Resources: This committee will serve as a clearinghouse of information and resources for the division to be used by members of ALCA in dealing with the LGBTQ+ population in this state. This clearinghouse shall include bibliography, journals, and a speaker's bureau.

  • Awards and Resolutions: This committee will serve to recognize the accomplishments and achievements of the division within ALCA, as well as the accomplishments and achievements of individual members.

Section 2.

• Unless otherwise stated in the bylaws, the President of the division will appoint chairs of the standing committees, who will serve one-year terms. Should the President fail to appoint a chair for a standing committee, then those duties become the responsibility of the executive board.

Section 3.

• Each standing committee shall submit an annual written summary of activities to the executive board prior to the end of the appointment.

Section 4.

• The President, with approval of the executive board shall appoint special committees or task forces with temporary assignments to accomplish a project or task outside of the scope of the standing committees. At the conclusion of the term, project or task, the committee chair will make a report to the President of accomplishments and activities of the committee or task force. The President will then report the activities to the Executive Board.

ARTICLE 8

BUSINESS AFFAIRS OF THE DIVISION

Section 1.

• The fiscal and governance year of the division shall be May 1 - April 30, or the same as established by ALCA.

Section 2.

• The executive board shall adopt an annual budget.

Section 3.

• No member shall have any severable or transferable interest in the property of the division. All property of the division shall be subject to the control and management of the executive board.

Section 4.

• In the event of dissolution of the division of ALSAIGE, all interests, property, and funds are given to the national division of SAIGE or its successor organization.

Section 5.

• Through membership and participation in the division activities, members do acknowledge the good intentions of the division and its officers and agents and do agree to hold harmless the division and its officers and agents unless such actions are caused by the gross negligence or willful misconduct of the division, its officers or agents.

ARTICLE 9

NONDISCRIMINATION

There shall be no discrimination against any individual on the basis of ethnic group, color, creed, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, and/or disability.

ARTICLE 10

RULES OF ORDER

Robert's Rules of Order, Newly revised, and from time to time amended shall serve as the guide for the proceedings of the meetings of the division, except where otherwise specified in these bylaws.

ARTICLE 11

AMENDMENTS

These bylaws may be amended at any regular meeting of the division membership provided the proposed amendment has been sent to the bylaws committee for review and distributed to the membership at least fifteen (15) days prior to the meeting.