Bylaws
ARTICLE I – NAME
This organization shall be called the Alabama Association of the Deaf, Incorporated. The Alabama Association of the Deaf shall be affiliated with the National Association of the Deaf.

ARTICLE II – OBJECTIVES
Section 1
The objectives of the Association shall be:
a) To promote the welfare of the deaf in educational measures, in employment and in any other field pertaining to or affecting the deaf of Alabama in their pursuit of economic security, social equality, and their just rights and privileges as citizens.
b) To promote leadership among the deaf.
c) To cooperate with any organizations, agencies, and educational program of and for the deaf people subject to the Executive Board’s approval.
d) To promote charitable, educational, cultural, and recreational activities.

ARTICLE III – MEMBERSHIP
Section 1
ACTIVE MEMBERS: any person, 18 years old and older, residing in Alabama may become an active member of the Association upon payment of membership dues.
Section 2
ASSOCIATE MEMBERS: Any person, 18 years and older, residing outside of Alabama may become an associate member of the Association upon payment of membership dues. They may attend the meetings, but they may not make motions, vote, or hold office.
Section 3
STUDENT MEMBERS: Any person enrolled in a secondary institution may become a student member of the Association upon payment of membership dues and provide official verification of student status. They may attend meetings, but may not make motions, vote or hold office.
Section 4
a) HONORARY LIFE MEMBERS: Honorary life membership may be conferred, by a majority vote of the members at the Conference, on an individual who has made significant contributions to the ideals and objectives of the Association.
b) Honorary life members shall not pay dues, may attend meetings, and participate as an active member in good standing. They shall have the privileges of the Association except that of holding office.

ARTICLE IV – ASSOCIATION OFFICERS
Section 1
a) The officers of the Association shall be President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, who shall be elected by ballot by the members assembled at the Conference and immediate Past President. If there is only one candidate for an office, he/she shall be elected by acclamation.
b) Regional Members at Large shall be elected by ballot by the members assembled at the Conference. The state of Alabama shall be divided into four (4) geographical regions, with each region to be determined by the Executive Board, and each region shall be represented by one (1) Regional Member at Large. Regional Members at Large shall be elected for four-year terms. In 2015 Regions 1 and 3 shall be elected for a two-year term and Regions 2 and 4 shall be elected for a four-year term. In 2017 and there on Regions 1 and 3 shall be elected for a four-year term.
Section 2
Newly-elected officers shall assume office immediately after adjournment of the current Conference and continue in office until their successors are qualified and elected. The immediate Past President shall serve for one (1) term.
Section 3
a) To be eligible for an elective office in the Association, a person must be Deaf and have been a member for the past two consecutive years preceding the present conference, and a current resident of Alabama for at least 2 years. Residency shall be determined by the Board’s Policy and Procedure Manual.
b) If a candidate cannot attend the Conference, he/she shall send a letter of intent for a specific office to the Secretary.
Section 4
a) Resignations shall be submitted in writing to the Association President.
b) Resignation of the Association President shall be submitted in writing to the Association Secretary.
c) A vacancy in the office of Association President shall be automatically filled by the Vice President.
d) A vacancy in any office, except the Association President, shall be filled by appointment of the Executive Board to serve until the Conference election.
e) Any office shall automatically become vacant thirty (30) days after the holder moves out of the state.
f) Resignation of the Association President disqualifies him/her from holding the position of Immediate Past President.

ARTICLE V – DUTIES OF OFFICERS
Section 1 – PRESIDENT
a) It shall be the duty of the President to preside over all meetings of the Association and of the Executive Board; to see that the rules of the Association are enforced under the bylaws; to appoint such committees as may be necessary for carrying out the business of the Association; and to perform other duties usually assigned to this office.
b) In the event that the President is unable to attend any function other than the AAD where the presence of an AAD representative would benefit the AAD, the order of the ranks of the officers should be considered to represent the President. If any of the officers should be unable to attend, the President shall be empowered to appoint one.
c) A cumulative sum up to one thousand dollars ($1,000.00) shall be allowed to the President for expenses between Conferences in order to carry out his/her duties as President or his/her representative. The Executive Board shall have the authority to grant any amount above $1,000.00.
d) The President will appoint one (1) legislative liaison. The duties and responsibilities can be found in the Board’s Policy and Procedure Manual.
Section 2 – VICE PRESIDENT
a) It shall be the duty of the Vice President to assume the duties of President in case of President’s absence or inability to serve and to perform such other duties as may be required.
b) Vice President shall be chairman of the Law Committee and the Resolution Committee.
c) Vice President shall be responsible for the Board’s Policy and Procedures Manual and supervise its update from time to time.
Section 3 – SECRETARY
a) It shall be the duty of the Secretary to keep a record of the proceedings of the Association and its various meetings; to prepare the same for publication as may be ordered by the Association; to keep a complete list of the officers and members with their addresses; and to give ample notice to each member of a coming meeting of the Association. He/she shall have charge of all papers and correspondence of the Association except what properly belongs to other officers.
Section 4 – TREASURER
a) It shall be the duty of the Treasurer to receive all monies belonging to the Association, to keep an accurate account, verified by vouchers, of all its receipts and expenditures and submit an audited report form two members approve by the Executive Board to the Association at its regular meetings. He/she shall pay no bills unless authorized by the President of the Association. He/she shall submit financial reports to be published on the AAD official page.
b) Checks must be signed by the Treasurer and signed by one of the two members appointed by the President with approval of the Executive Board.
c) The fiscal year of the Alabama Association of the Deaf shall be from January 1st to December 31st. The Treasurer’s books must be audited in January of each year and also before each Conference. The financial statement must be filed with the Internal Revenue Service on or before May 1st of each year.
d) Unless otherwise specified in the Bylaws all funds of the Association shall be placed in the General Fund in a savings bank or other investment options approved by the Board.
ARTICLE VI – EXECUTIVE BOARD
Section 1
The Executive Board shall be composed of the Association President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, four Regional Members at Large, Immediate Past President, ALRID Representative, and one Legislative Liaison.
Section 2
The Executive Board shall have general management of the affairs of the Association as expressed by resolution or otherwise.
Section 3
The Executive Board shall have power by a majority of those present to vote to suspend any member from the privileges of the Association, or to suspend any officer from the discharge of his/her duties for good and sufficient reasons. However, such suspended member or officer shall have the right to appeal to the Association at the next regular meeting following the suspension.
Section 4
The President shall call a meeting of the Executive Board when petitioned to do so by three (3) members of the Board.
Section 5
The Secretary of the Association shall notify each member of the Executive Board two (2) weeks in advance of the meeting specifying time and place of any forthcoming meeting of the Board except at Conference time.

ARTICLE VII – CONFERENCE
Section 1
Meetings of the Association shall be at least biennially.
Section 2
a) Proposed sites for the next biennial Conference(s) will be selected by a majority vote of those present at the current Conference. If a location is not determined then the Board shall have the authority and responsibility to decide.
b) Conference shall be hosted by the Executive Board. The President shall appoint a conference Chairperson and committee to assist the Executive Board.
Section 3
a) The Executive Board shall have power to call a special meeting of the Association whenever thirty (30) or more of the active members have a petition for such a meeting in writing, or whenever it deems such a meeting necessary.
b) Twenty (20) of the active members of the Association in good standing present at any Conference shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business.

ARTICLE VIII – DELEGATE TO THE NAD CONFERENCE
Section 1
The AAD President shall automatically be a delegate to the Conference. The other delegate(s) to the Conference shall be chosen by a ballot vote of the Executive Board at its meeting. The other delegate(s) shall be from the Executive Board. Alternate(s) shall be members in good standing of the AAD for at least the immediate past two (2) years.
Section 2
It shall be the duty of the association delegate(s) to attend all business meetings and submit reports of such meetings for publication on the AAD official page sixty (60) days after such Conference and a brief report to the next AAD Conference.
Section 3
The Association shall pay the determined amount(s) to the elected delegate(s) for expenses to be incurred at any Conference. The amount shall be determined by the Executive Board just prior to the election of the delegate(s).

ARTICLE IX – AMENDMENTS
Section 1
Amendments to the bylaws of the Association may be made at any of its regular meetings by two-thirds (2/3) of the active members in attendance. Such proposed amendments shall be submitted to the Vice-President, who shall cause proposed amendments to be published and distributed to the membership at the Conference.

ARTICLE X – DISSOLUTION
Section 1
In the event this Association should be dissolved, then all assets of the Association after payment of all liabilities will be distributed to the Alabama Institute for the Deaf and Blind at Talladega, Alabama, to be used for providing scholarships for the Deaf. In the event that the Alabama Institute for the Deaf and Blind is not in existence, the assets will be distributed to another institution of the Deaf, of which shall be exempt from Federal Income Tax as an organization described in Section 501(c) (3) of the Internal Revenue code and to which a contribution would be deductible under section 170.
Section 2
The corpus of the fund will not be invaded at any time, but only the income may be used.

Revisions:
June 1993 at the AAD Convention in Birmingham, AL
June 1995 at the AAD Convention in Mobile, AL
June 1997 at the AAD Convention in Montgomery, AL
June 2005 at the AAD Convention in Auburn, AL
March 17, 2012 at the AAD Mini-Conference in Talladega, AL
June 9, 2015 at the AAD Conference in Florence, AL
April 9, 2016 at the AAD Mini-Conference in Talladega, AL
June 9, 2017 at the AAD Conference in Mobile, AL