BYLAWS OF THE LATINO DEAF AND HARD OF HEARING ASSOCIATION OF THE METROPOLITAN DC AREA, INC 
MARCH 8TH, 2006 

Amendments to the Bylaws since 2006 

Revisions approved by the LDHHAMDC Executive Board in February, 2006. 
  • On March 7th, 2006, the Bylaws were revised with the addition of Article VI, Section 6.5. 
  • On January 27th, 2007, the Bylaws were revised with the change of Article VI, section 6.3 and addition of Article XIII, Section 13.4.
  • On April 12th, 2008, the Bylaws were revised with the change of Article IV, section 4.1 and 4.2 and addition of Article IV, section 4.3, Article V, section 5.2.3. E, 5.2.3.C and Article VII, section 7.3, Article X, section 10.1.1 and 10.1.2. 



                                                                                                                                             As of April 12, 2008 LDHHAMDC Bylaws 



MISSION STATEMENT 

“The mission of Latino Deaf and Hard of Hearing Association of the Metropolitan DC Area, Inc. (LDHHAMDC) is to support the Latino Deaf community by providing services, education and advocacy that promote independence, opportunity, accessibility, and social network.” 

GOALS 

Goals of the Latino Deaf and Hard of Hearing Association of the Metropolitan DC Area are: 

  • To promote educational, cultural, economic and social opportunities for Latino Deaf and Hard of Hearing; 
  • To advocate for public policy necessary to achieve equity, justice, and parity for Latino Deaf and Hard of Hearing though research, advocacy and public education; 
  • To educate the mass media, educational institutions, and the general public on the issues and concerns faced by the Latino Deaf and Hard of Hearing community of Metropolitan DC area. 
  • To serve as a catalytic agent for positive change by providing leadership and/or establishing special projects, organizations, etc; designed to meet the special needs of the Latino Deaf and Hard of Hearing community within or outside of the US. 
  • To educate and provide support to Latino parents of deaf and hard of hearing children related to their educational needs, experiences, and opportunities. 

ARTICLE I – NAME 

  • Section 1.1 The name of this organization shall be the Latino Deaf and Hard of Hearing Association of the Metropolitan DC Area, Inc. 

LDHHAMDC 

ARTICLE II – AFFILIATION 

  • Section 2.1 LDHHAMDC shall be an Affiliate of the National Council of Hispano Deaf and Hard of Hearing wherein LDHHAMDC's rules, regulations, mission, and objectives are consistent with those of the NCHDHH 


NCHDHH

ARTICLE III–MEMBERSHIP 

  • Section 3.1 Regular Member. Such membership shall be conferred to individuals who are members in good standing with LDHHAMDC upon payment of annual dues. 

  • Section 3.2 Senior Citizen. Senior citizen membership status shall be conferred to individuals at the age of 55 and beyond, upon payment of annual dues. 

  • Section 3.3 Student Member. Student membership status shall be conferred to individuals enrolled full-time secondary or post secondary programs, upon payment of annual dues. 

ARTICLE IV – OFFICERS AND EXECUTIVE BOARD 

  • Section 4.1 Elected Officers of the LDHHAMDC shall be comprised of the following: President, Vice President, Secretary, and Treasurer to be elected every two (2) years in the month of September. 


  • Section 4.2 Term Limit: All officers shall be limited to two consecutive terms in office. 

  • Section 4.3 Swearing In: Elected Officers shall take place in November. 

  • Section 4.4 Qualifications: The president and vice president must be Latino deaf or hard of hearing. No student shall be eligible to serve on the LDHHAMDC as the president and vice president and must be a member for at least one year, and have six regular attendances at the meetings. 

ARTICLE V – EXECUTIVE BOARD MEMBERS 

  • Section 5.1 Executive Board. The Executive Board shall consist of: the (4) Officers, two (2) Members at large and (1) ex-officio. Fifty-one percent (51%) of the Executive Board must be Latino deaf or hard of hearing. 

Section 5.2 DUTIES OF THE EXECUTIVE BOARD: 

5.2.1 The President: 
  • A. The President shall preside at all Executive Board meetings and membership meetings; and shall enforce the provisions, objectives, and purposes thereof; 
  • B. The President shall appoint the standing committees and all other committees not otherwise provided for in the bylaws; 
  • C. The President shall have general supervisory power over the organization and direct the Secretary to call special meetings. 
  • D. The President shall prepare the agenda for all meetings. 
  • E. The President shall be ex-officio member of all committees. 

5.2.2 The Vice President: 
  • A. The Vice President shall serve in the absence of the President, and shall perform the duties of that office if a vacancy shall occur for the remainder of the term. 
  • B. Serve as the Chairperson of the all Committees as such; communicate on regular basis with each committee unless otherwise appointed by the President. 

5.2.3 The Secretary: 
  • A. The Secretary shall keep accurate records of the board meetings and all business transacted. 
  • B. The Secretary shall notify each member of the Executive Board at least fifteen days before the date of the meetings; and shall within seven days after the conclusion of each meeting, and send copies of said minutes to each board member. 
  • C. The Secretary shall be the custodian of correspondences, records, information, and materials of LDHHAMDC. 
  • D. The Secretary shall perform all duties incident to the office of the Secretary and such duties as may be assigned by the Executive Board. 
  • E. The Secretary shall distribute announcements of the general meetings, executive board meetings, and organizational events. 

5.2.4 The Treasurer: 
  • A. The Treasurer shall receive all money belonging to the organization. 
  • B. All disbursements in payment of authorized debts of the organization shall be made by check, signed by the Treasurer and countersigned by either the President or the Secretary within 20 days of receipt of the bill or voucher. 
  • C. The Treasurer shall deposit all money belonging to LDHHAMDC in established and recognized financial institutions as the Executive Board may determine; 
  • D. The Treasurer shall keep a file showing the names of the members, their addresses, and date of admittance; 
  • E. The Treasurer shall present and distribute financial status reports to members of the Executive Board. 
  • F. Ensure the completion of all income tax returns. 
  • G. The Treasurer shall have the treasury books audited by the Auditing Committee twice a year. 

5.2.5 The Members-at-Large: 
  • A. Those representatives will work on a project to project basis which will be specifically instructed by the President. Their role is also considered as a consultant to the board on all kinds of issues. 
  • B. The At Large Member shall elicit feedback from the members related to the improvement of the organization. 
  • C. The At Large Member shall work close with the committee, editor and chairperson. 

5.2.6 Ex-Officio 
  • A. The ex-officio member will be voted or appointed by the executive board. He/she has all the privileges, including the right to vote. 
  • B. The ex-officio member is not required to serve on other committees unless he/she volunteers. 

5.2.7 Auditing Committee: 
  • A. The auditing committee members will be appointed by the executive board to review the treasurer’s books, reports, and budget. 
  • B. The auditing committee members shall regularly attend the executive board and general meetings. 

ARTICLE VI –MEETINGS 

Section 6.1 Biennial Meetings. The LDHHAMDC shall meet at the biennial Metropolitan DC area conference sites during the even-numbered years. 

  • 6.1.1 Conference site. The Executive Board shall govern the site selection process. Such sites shall rotate among the established geographical regions. 

Section 6.2 Executive Board Meetings. Regular meetings of executive board shall be held every month at a location agreed upon. Meetings may be cancelled or rescheduled by a majority vote of all officers present at a given meeting. 

Section 6.3 General Meetings. Regular meetings shall be held every month at a location agreed upon. 

Section 6.4 Special Meeting. The President or any two officers of the LDHHAMDC, upon written or electronic note to executive board and/or members at least 24 hours in advance, shall call special meetings. 

Section 6.5 Electronic Approval. In lieu of a meeting in person, issues can be resolved through special discussions and/or voting via email. 

ARTICLE VII – COMMITTEES 

Section 7.1 Chairpersons of each committee shall be named by the Executive Board. Each Committee Chairperson shall select members of his/her committee. Committee membership is open to current LDHHAMDC members only. 

Section 7.2 Ad Hoc and Special Committees. The Executive Board may also form ad hoc or special committees as needed, with chair of each to be appointed by the President. 

Section 7.3 Chairpersons of each committee shall meet monthly prior to the general meetings. 


ARTICLE VIII – COMPENSATION AND EXPENSES 

Section 8.1 Compensation and Expenses. The Officers and members of the LDHHAMDC shall serve without compensation. 

  • 8.1.1 All expenses incurred by the officers and members of the LDHHAMDC to perform their duties shall be paid by LDHHAMDC as general obligations to the organization. Advanced approval is required. 

ARTICLE IX – DISSOLUTION OF EXECUTIVE BOARD (MEMBERS) 

Section 9.1 Dissolution. An executive board member who misses three (3) consecutive or four (4) out of six ( 6) Executive committee meetings forfeits board membership, pending petition to remain on his/her Board with valid reason for absences. The procedure for handling petitions is as follows: 

  • 9.1.1 The President, with consent of the Executive Board (member) can determine on-going or termination of board members. 

ARTICLE X – AMENDMENTS TO BYLAWS 

Section 10.1 Proposed Amendments. Proposed amendments to these bylaws shall be presented by the President of the Executive Board at least thirty (30) days before the next general meeting at which they will be considered. The President of the Executive Board shall read the proposed amendments at the meeting and present the committee’s recommendations regarding them. A two-thirds (2/3) vote of the members presented shall be necessary for ratification of each proposed amendment. 

  • 10.1.1 The bylaws will be shared at the general meeting. Feedback and comments from the general membership will be taken into consideration and discussed within the Executive Board. 

  • 10.1.2 After the Executive Board reviews recommendations from the general meeting, the board shall announce decisions at the next general meeting. 

ARTICLE XI – FINAL AUTHORITY 

Section 11.1 Final Authority. Except as otherwise provided in these bylaws, a majority vote of the Executive Board shall constitute the final authority as to any matters brought before the Latino Deaf and Hard of Hearing Association of the Metropolitan DC area. 

ARTICLE XII – CONFLICT OF INTEREST 

Section 12.1 Conflict of Interest. The Executive Board will develop a conflict of interest policy which shall be given to all officers and committee members. Basically, the policy will not permit family members to: have monetary interests in any project considered by the board; work in the direct line of supervision of a family member. 

ARTICLE XIII –MISCELLANEOUS 

Section 13.1 Robert’s Rules of Orders. Robert’s Rules of Orders, Revised, shall be parliamentary authority for the conduct of meetings when in conflict with these bylaws. 

Section 13.2 Quorums. Quorums for all (Executive) Board meetings shall be fifty-one percent (51%) of the members present. Based on attendance and experience the Board can change the percentage. 

Section 13.3 Electronic Website. The time and place for all meetings and conferences shall be determined by the LDHHAMDC Executive Board and shall be published on the official LDHHAMDC electronic website. 

Section 13.4 Membership Meetings. Ten (10) individual members in good standing presented shall constitute a quorum. 

As of April 12, 2008