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THE CHARTER OF
THE UNITED STATES COUNTRY BOARD
Article I
--- Name and Mission
Section
I: Name
The name of
the association shall be Association of Career Professionals International
- The United States Country Board (also known as the U.S. Country
Board).
Section
2: Mission
a. Association
of Career Professionals International is
dedicated to the global development of the career management profession
by working to support and enhance the image, credibility and legitimacy
of the profession and to provide guidelines, standards and structure
for each member to enhance his/her skills as a professional.
b.
The U.S. Country Board shall administer to the professional
needs of the chapters and general membership of the Association
of Career Professionals in the United States.
Only Individual
Professional Members of The Association of Career Professionals
in the United States may hold office and exercise voting privileges
on matters pertaining to the U.S. Country Board.
Article II
--- Organization
The organization
shall be comprised of the U.S. Country Board, and the Chapters
and General Membership in the United States.
It is accepted
that the U.S. Country Board, and the Chapters and General Membership
in the United States shall mirror the spirit and mission of our
association.
Article III
--- General Membership
The General
Membership shall be comprised of individual members as follows:
Section
1: Individual Membership
a. Professional
Member: Any
person whose professional activities include the delivery, marketing
or management of career services.
b. Retired
Member: Any former professional member, now retired.
c. Student
Member:
Any student enrolled in an undergraduate or graduate program for
half-time. (Application for Student Membership must be accompanied
by proof of current qualification enrollment.)
d. Supplier
Member: This membership is for a company or organization that
is an international and/or national supplier of products and/or
services to the career services industry.
Section
2: Alliance Organizations
Any established
professional organization whose professional interests are similar
to ACP International and wishes to associate itself with ACP International
may be granted Alliance status.
Section
3: Voting Rights
Only Individual
Professional Members of The Association of Career Professionals
in the United States may hold office and exercise voting privileges
on matters pertaining to the U.S. Country Board.
Section
4: Membership Process
a. Individual
Members
Any person
may make application according to procedures established by the
ACP International World Council, and become a member upon approval
and upon signing the ACP International pledge to abide by the
Standards for Ethical Practice.
b. Alliance
Organizations
Any professional
organization may petition the ACP International World Council
and become an Alliance Organization upon approval.
Section
5: Obligations
a.
In order to retain membership eligibility, individual members
must pay annual dues in a timely manner and abide by the ACP International
Standards for Ethical Practice.
b.
An individual member may be removed from the membership for conduct
that violates the ACP International Standards for Ethical Practice.
c.
An Alliance organization may have its relationship with ACP International
severed if it is determined that the organization condones conduct
that violates the ACP International Standards for Ethical Practice.
Section
7: Authority to establish collecting dues
The World
Council may establish and collect dues to pay for the operations
of the association.
Country Boards
and Local Chapters may not collect dues for the association. Both
Country Boards and Local Chapters may charge chapter sponsored
meeting and event fees.
Article IV
--- Members of the U.S. Country Board and Officers of the Association
Section
1: Members of the U.S. Country Board
a. Voting
members of the U.S. Country Board shall be composed of its elected
Officers of the Association (President, President-Elect, Secretary,
Treasurer), Presidents (or designated representative) from Chapters
chartered in the United States, and Chairpersons of Standing Committees
of the U.S. Country Board.
b.
The U.S. Country Board may invite ex-officio/nonvoting individuals
(which may include immediate past U.S. Country Board President;
Chairpersons of Ad Hoc Committees), to participate in Board proceedings.
Section
2: Officers of the Association
a. The
officers of the Association shall be the President, President-Elect,
Secretary and Treasurer.
b.
Officers of the Association may not serve in any elected official
post for any Chapter during their term of office.
Section
3: Terms of Members of the U.S. Country Board and Officers of
the Association
a.
Chapter Presidents, as Members of the U.S. Country Board, serve
at the discretion of their respective Chapters.
b.
The term of President of the Association shall be two years, commencing
on the first day of the operational year following election.
c.
The term of the President-Elect shall be two years. The terms
of the Secretary and the Treasurer shall be one year. The Secretary
and the Treasurer may serve up to 3 consecutive 1-year terms.
Terms of office shall commence on the first day of the operational
year following election.
d.
The terms of Chairpersons of Standing Committees of the U.S. Country
Board shall be one year, commencing on the first day of the operational
year following election.
e.
Chairpersons of Ad Hoc Committees shall serve at the discretion
of the U.S. Country Board.
Section
4: Election of Officers
a.
Members of the U.S. Country Board shall establish procedures to
nominate and elect the Officers of the Association and members
of the ACP International U.S. Country Board.
b.
In the event that the President is unable to complete his or her
term of office, the President-Elect shall complete the President's
term.
c.
In the event that any other officer is unable to complete his
or her term of office, the U.S. Country Board shall nominate and
elect as quickly as practical a replacement to complete the officer's
term.
Section
5: Nominating Committee
a. The
President of the Association shall appoint the Chair of the Nominating
Committee and at least two members to serve on this committee.
b.
The Nominating Committee shall establish Procedures for election
of Officers of the Association and Chairpersons of Standing Committees.
c.
The Nominating Committee shall submit to the U.S. Country Board
the list of nominees for Officers of the Association and Chairpersons
of Standing Committees.
d.
Such ballot shall contain space for any write-in votes for each
position.
The election
of Officers shall occur by July 1st of each year.
Section
6: Ex-Officio Members of the U.S. Country Board
Recognizing
their unique contribution to the association, the President of
the U.S. Country Board may invite the Immediate Past President
and Ad Hoc Committee Chairs to participate as voting members of
the U.S. Country Board.
Article V
--- Responsibilities of the U.S. Country Board and Officers of the
Association
Section
1: Responsibilities of the U.S. Country Board
a.
The U.S. Country Board shall establish policy and formulate guidelines
to carry on the business of the Association in accordance with
its mission.
b.
The U.S. Country Board may establish those Committees needed to
assist in the operation of the Association.
c. The
U.S. Country Board may recommend the granting and revocation of
Chapter Charters in the United States to the World Council.
d.
Elected Officers of the Association and voting members of the
U.S. Country Board, shall have one vote. A majority of voting
members shall constitute a quorum.
Section
2: Responsibilities of the Officers of the Association
a. The
President
1.
The President shall be the Chief Executive Officer of the Association
and preside at all meetings of the U.S. Country Board.
2.
The President shall be the United States delegate to the World
Council of the Association of Career Professionals International.
3.
The President shall direct all committees of the U.S. Country
Board.
4.
The President shall sign and execute the Charter of the U.S.
Country Board.
b. The
President-Elect
1.
In the absence of the President, the President-Elect shall preside
at any meeting of the U.S. Country Board.
2.
The President-Elect shall be prepared to assume the responsibility
of President and assume such other duties as may be assigned
by the President or the U.S. Country Board.
c. The
Secretary
1.
The Secretary shall be responsible for the administration of
the U.S. Country Board.
2.
The Secretary shall record the proceedings of U.S. Country Board
meetings.
3.
The Secretary shall be responsible for archival of the Charter
of the U.S. Country Board.
4.
The Secretary shall publish (including posting on the official
website), and distribute to the U.S. Country Board the Charter
of the U.S. Country Board.
d. The
Treasurer shall be responsible for the fiscal matters of the
Association.
Article VI
--- Business Affairs of the Association
Section
1: Fiscal/Operational Year
Fiscal
Year
The fiscal
year for ACP International shall be the calendar year. (January
1st through December 31st)
Operational
Year
The operational
year for the ACP International shall be July 1st through June
30th.
Section
2: Annual Operating Budget and Appropriation of Funds
a.
The U.S. Country
Board shall adopt an annual budget.
b.
No appropriation of funds shall be made except pursuant to the
authority of the U.S. Country Board.
c.
The Treasurer shall annually prepare a budget for the U.S. Country
Board.
The Treasurer
shall submit the proposed budget to the Officers of the Association
and members of the U.S. Country Board three months prior to
the start of the fiscal year. During the course of the fiscal
year, the Officers of the Association may amend the current
year's budget to meet changing fiscal conditions.
Section
3: Annual Meeting
The U.S. Country
Board shall conduct an Annual Meeting to coincide with the Annual
Conference of the Membership of the Association of Career Professionals
International. Such meeting shall be conducted at a place fixed
by the World Council and at a time fixed by the U.S. Country Board.
Section
4: Control and Management
All property
of the U.S. Country Board shall be subject to the control and
management of the U.S. Country Board. Any accumulation or disposal
of real property must be approved by the U.S. Country Board, and
upon dissolution of the U.S. Country Board.
Article VII
--- Indemnification
The U.S. Country
Board shall arrange indemnity coverage for Officers of the Association
and Members of the U.S. Country Board for the defense of civil
or criminal actions or proceedings arising out of the conduct
of the Association's affairs in a manner and to the extent permitted
by law.
Article VIII
-- Rules of Order
Robert's
Rules of Order, Newly Revised, 1993 Edition, as amended, shall
govern the proceedings of all constituent bodies of ACP International,
except where otherwise specified in this Charter, or by action
of the U.S. Country Board.
Article IX
--- Nondiscrimination
There shall
be no discrimination against any individual on the basis of ethnic
group, gender, religion, creed, sex/sexual orientation, age and/or
physically challenged conditions.
Article X
--- Amendments to the Charter
Any professional
member may present amendments to this Charter, in writing, to
the U.S. Country Board. To become part of the Charter, a two-thirds
vote of the U.S. Country Board and a majority of the chartered
chapters in the United States must pass the amendment.
Article XI
--- Ratification of the Charter
This Charter
shall be considered in effect when adopted by the current U.S.
Country Board and ratified by a majority of voting members.
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