Constitution of AAC-Dayton
(Asian American Council, Dayton, Ohio)
PREAMBLE
We, the representatives of Dayton area Asian American organizations, in order to work together more effectively in matters affecting the civil and human rights and well-being of our members and friends in the Greater Dayton community, hereby establish the Asian American Council of Dayton, Ohio.
ARTICLE I. ORGANIZATION NAME
Section 1. The name of this organization shall be the Asian American Council. The official abbreviation of this name shall be either AAC or
AAC-Dayton.
ARTICLE II. NATURE OF ORGANIZATION
Section 1. The AAC-Dayton shall be a non-profit, non-partisan, and non-sectarian organization.
Section 2. Guiding Principles. The AAC-Dayton shall respect the ideals
of justice and equal opportunity for all residents of the Greater Dayton area, without regard to race, ethnicity, cultural or religious background, national origin, age, sex, sexual orientation, or disability.
ARTICLE III. MISSION
Section 1. Civil and Human Rights. The AAC-Dayton will work to protect and advance the civil and human rights of Asian Americans and all others in the Greater Dayton area.
Section 2. Participation in Democratic Processes.
The AAC-Dayton will encourage all Asian Americans residing in the Dayton area to fully participate in the democratic processes of our community.
Section 3. Diversity. The AAC-Dayton will promote awareness and appreciation of the diversity of Asian American cultures, and their role in American society.
ARTICLE IV. ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE
Section 1. Membership. Each AAC-Dayton member must agree to abide by the AAC-Dayton Constitution and By-laws. AAC-Dayton shall have two types of members: Individual Members and Organizational Members.
- Individual Membership is attained by payment of annual Individual dues as established in accordance with AAC-Dayton By-laws.
- Organizational Membership is attained by appointment as a Sponsoring Organization’s representative. Each Sponsoring Organization shall appoint three such representatives to serve as members of the AAC-Dayton.
- Dual Membership. An Individual Member of AAC-Dayton may be a member of a Sponsoring Organization, but may not vote on a matter both as an Individual Member and separately as an Organizational Member of
AAC-Dayton.
Section 2. Sponsoring Organizations. A Sponsoring Organization shall be a non-profit Asian or Asian American organization in the Greater Dayton Area which
- supports the Constitution and By-laws of AAC-Dayton,
- has 20 or more members, and
- pays annual Organizational dues as established by the Executive Committee, in accordance with the AAC-Dayton By-laws.
Section 3. Relationship Between the AAC-Dayton and Sponsoring Organizations. Except for considerations of diversity of representation among officers or committee chairs, and as set forth in this Constitution, AAC-Dayton members shall have equal rights and privileges without regard to background or membership in any Sponsoring Organization.
ARTICLE V. EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
Section 1. Authority. Subject to Articles VII and VIII of this Constitution, and except as provided in the By-laws, the Executive Committee shall have authority to establish the policies and rules of the AAC-Dayton. Such authority includes the authority to interpret this Constitution and the By-laws, to create committees of the AAC-Dayton or subcommittees of the Executive Committee, and, subject to ratification at a General Meeting of the AAC-Dayton, to determine the annual dues to be paid by Individual Members and by Sponsoring Organizations.
Section 2. Sponsoring Organization Representatives.
Each Sponsoring Organization shall designate one of its three Organizational Members of AAC-Dayton to serve as its representative on the Executive Committee. Its other two Organizational Members shall serve as alternate or substitute representatives on the Executive Committee in the event of the absence of the designated Executive Committee member. A Sponsoring Organization may change its designation of Organizational Members, including its representative who serves as a member of the Executive Committee, from time to time.
Section 3. Individual Member Representatives.
The Executive Committee shall include Individual Members elected in accordance with the By-laws to represent the Individual Members of the AAC-Dayton. The number of such Individual Members to be included on the Executive Committee shall be determined by dividing the number of Organizational Members on the Executive Committee by 2, and then reducing the resulting number (quotient) at the next election until the total number of members on the executive committee is an odd number (not divisible by 2).
- Example (a): if there are 6 Sponsoring Organizations, the Executive Committee will have 6 organizational members. Dividing that number by 2 would result in 3 positions for Individual members on the Executive Committee, for a total of 9.
- Example (b): If there are 7 Sponsoring Organizations, the Executive Committee would have 7 Organizational Members. Dividing 7 by 2 yields 3-1/2; since adding 3 to 7 would cause the Executive Committee to have 10 members, an even number, which is prohibited, the result is instead 2 positions for Individual Members on the Executive Committee, for a total of 9.
- Example (c): If there are 5 sponsoring organizations, the executive committee would have a total of 7 members, including 2 Individual Members.
- Example (d): If there are 8 sponsoring organizations, there would be a total of 11 members, including 3 Individual members.
Section 4. Election of Individual Members. To be eligible to vote in an election of Individual Members to serve on the Executive Committee, a person must have been an Individual Member of AAC-Dayton for at least 30 days preceding the election, or be a member of the Executive Committee at the time of the election. The term of office of an Individual Member on the Executive Board shall expire at the conclusion at the next AAC-Dayton Annual Meeting. The time and manner of the annual election of Individual Members to the Executive Committee shall be prescribed in the AAC-Dayton By-laws.
Section 5. Diversity among Individual Members. In recognition of the importance of diversity of representation to the missions of AAC-Dayton, no more than two Individual Members shall be elected to the Executive Committee who are members of the same Asian-American national or ethnic group.
Section 6. Dual Representation Prohibited. A person may not serve dual roles simultaneously on the Executive Committee, as both a representative of Individual members of AAC-Dayton and a representative of a Sponsoring Organization.
Section 7. Additional Sponsoring Organizations.
Once this Constitution is adopted, additional Sponsoring Organizations may join AAC-Dayton by (a) compliance with the requirements for Sponsoring Organizations and (b) agreement by a majority of the Executive Committee. An additional Sponsoring Organization may, upon joining the AAC-Dayton, immediately appoint its Organizational Members and designate one of them to serve on the Executive Committee. However, this change in the size of the Executive Committee shall not affect the number of representatives of Individual Members who serve on the Executive Committee until the next election of Individual Members to the Executive Committee in accordance with the By-laws.
ARTICLE VI. AAC-DAYTON OFFICERS
Section 1. Elected Officers. The elected officers of AAC-Dayton shall be the President, Vice-President, Secretary, and Treasurer. Each of these officers shall be elected annually by the Executive Committee from among its members. The time and manner of election shall be prescribed in the AAC-Dayton By-laws.
Section 2. Appointed Officers. Any other Officers of AAC-Dayton, such as the chairpersons of any committees or subcommittees, shall be appointed by the President, subject to approval by a majority of the Executive Committee, in accordance with the AAC-Dayton By-laws.
ARTICLE VII. INITIATIVE AND REFERENDUM
Section 1. Initiative. An Initiative may propose that a resolution, policy, or action be taken or adopted by AAC-Dayton in the absence of action by the Executive Committee. The Initiative procedure may be invoked by either 2 Sponsoring Organizations or a group of at least one-third of the Individual Members of AAC-Dayton. The Initiative shall be adopted if it receives a two-thirds majority vote of the members of AAC-Dayton. Such vote may be accomplished through the mail, or by email, or at a general meeting, as prescribed in the By-laws.
Section 2. Referendum. A Referendum may propose that a resolution, policy or action taken or adopted by the Executive Committee be cancelled or overturned. The Referendum procedure may be invoked by either 2 Sponsoring Organizations or a group of at least one-third of the Individual Members of AAC-Dayton. The Referendum shall be adopted if it receives a two-thirds majority vote of the members of AAC-Dayton. Such vote may be accomplished through the mail, or by email, or at a general meeting, as prescribed in the By-laws.
ARTICLE VIII. AMENDMENTS
Section 1. Amending the Constitution. The Constitution of the AAC-Dayton may be amended by a three-fourths majority of voting members present at the AAC-Dayton Annual Meeting, in accordance with procedures set forth in the By-laws.
Section 2. Amending the By-laws. The By-laws of the AAC-Dayton may be amended by a two-thirds majority of voting members present at the AAC-Dayton Annual Meeting, in accordance with procedures set forth in the By-laws.
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