Constitution of the LSMSA Alumni Association

1. Statement of Purpose

The purpose of this constitution is to establish, create and otherwise provide for an organization which shall assist and support students and faculty of LSMSA in every academic pursuit and through which the bond of friendship between alumni, students, faculty, and staff can be strengthened.

2. Creation

There is hereby created the LSMSA Alumni Association, hereafter referred to as the "Association," which shall be comprised of the alumni and former faculty and administrative and residential life staff of the Louisiana School as hereafter provided.

3. Membership; Application; Dues

3.1 Types of Membership

There shall be three types of members of the Association as follows:

An "Alumni Member" shall be a person who has graduated from the Louisiana School.
An "Associate Member" shall be a person who completed at least one full year of classes at the school and who voluntarily resigned from the school in good standing.
A "Faculty Member" shall be a person who was employed by the school in the faculty, administrative, or residential life staff.

3.2 Gaining Membership

Any person who is eligible for membership as provided above may apply for such membership by submitting a written request to the Corresponding Secretary of the Association.

3.3 Dues

Dues shall be determined by the Executive Committee of the Association. Initial dues shall be submitted together with the application for membership. Dues thereafter shall be submitted to the Corresponding Secretary of the Association. The amount of dues shall be determined by the Executive Committee of the Association.

3.4 Failure to Pay Dues

Any Alumni, Associate, or Faculty Member who fails to pay dues for two (2) consecutive years shall become an inactive member and shall forfeit all rights and privileges of membership in the Association. Such persons may become active members by resuming payment of dues.

4. Executive Committee; Creation; Officers; Qualifications; Elections; Terms; Voting

4.1 Creation

There is hereby created the Executive Committee of the Association which shall conduct the administrative business and functions of the Association and shall establish policies of the Association.

4.2 Composition

The executive Committee shall consist of eight members as follows:

A President who shall be the executive office of the Association and who shall preside over all meetings, execute the policies established by the Executive Committee, and preside over the elections of other officers. The President may appoint committees to perform such tasks as he deems necessary and appropriate.
A Vice-President who shall assume the duties of the President in his absence and who shall assume the office of the President in case of a vacancy in that office due to resignation, impeachment, or death. In such case, the Vice-President shall serve for the remainder of the President's term in office. The Vice-President shall assist the President in the performance of his duties and shall be responsible for ensuring the Area Chapters of the Association operate within the parameters established herein and reporting the activities of such chapters to the Executive Committee.
A Corresponding Secretary who shall be responsible for collection of dues and shall keep an updated list of all members both active and inactive. The Corresponding Secretary shall organize and distribute a quarterly newsletter to all active members.
A Recording Secretary who shall take the minutes of all general and Executive Committee meetings. Minutes shall be submitted to the Executive Committee for subsequent approval.
A Treasurer who shall be responsible for the finances of the Association. The Treasurer shall maintain a current record of all accounts and financial transactions of the Association and the Ex- ecutive Committee and shall submit quarterly report to all active members of the association. The Treasurer shall pay all obliga- tions of the Association and the Executive Committee, provided that the Treasurer shall disburse no funds from any Association or Executive Committee account except at the specific direction of the Executive Committee. All disbursements by the Treasurer shall be cosigned by the President. The Treasurer shall annually submit to the Executive Committee a proposed budget for ex- penditures of Association and Executive Committee funds and a written summary and plan for investment of such funds for the following year.
A Natchitoches Liaison who shall be responsible for informing the Association members of all major events occurring at the Louisiana School. The Natchitoches Liaison shall submit to the Corresponding Secretary a quarterly report of such events, and such report shall be included in the quarterly newsletter. The Liaison shall be the official contact between the Louisiana School and the Association.
The Immediate past President of the Association shall also serve as a member of the Executive Committee and shall have the same rights and privileges as other members.
The director of the Louisiana School shall serve as an ex-officio member of the Executive Committee and shall have the right to vote on all issues before said committee.

4.3 Eligibility

No person who is not an active Alumni Member of the Association shall be eligible to serve on the Executive Committee except the director of the Louisiana School. Be it further provided that the Natchitoches Liaison shall reside not more than seventy-five miles from Natchitoches or shall be a student enrolled at Northwestern State University.

4.4 Election

The officers provided for in Section 4.2 herein shall be elected as follows:

Elections shall be held in each odd-numbered year.
Nominations shall be submitted during a business meeting of the Association during the Homecoming or Alumni Weekend. Nom- inations may be made by any active, Alumni member of the As- sociation present at the meeting.
Said members shall reduce the number of nominees for each office to not more than two, such reduction to be accomplished while the nominees are not present.
The nominees remaining after such ballot shall comprise the offi- cial ballot for the election of officers for that year.
Such ballot shall be submitted by mail to all Active Alumni Mem- bers.
Each Area Chapter shall conduct a general election not later than the last day of February next following the submission of such ballot to determine the slate of officers, and the results of such elections shall be tabulated by the Chapter Representatives of each chapter who shall transmit such results in sealed envelopes to the President of the Association. Such sealed results must be postmarked not later than March 1. Any such results postmarked after that date shall be void.
The President shall open such sealed results in the presence of not fewer than three (3) members of the Executive committee, and they shall jointly tabulate the final results. Such final results shall be announced in the next quarterly newsletter.
The new officers shall assume office on the first of June in the year in which they were elected. Incumbent officers shall continue in office until until their successors assume office.

4.5 Terms in Office

Members of the Executive Committee shall serve a term of two years and may succeed themselves. However, no such member shall serve more than two consecutive terms in one office.

4.6 Meetings

Official meetings of the Executive Committee shall take place as follows:

Each member of the Executive Committee shall have one vote on any motion before said committee.
The director of the Louisiana School may give his proxy in writing to any other member of the Executive Committee who shall execute such proxy in accordance with the direction of the director.
The President may vote on any motion before the Executive Committee, provided that such officer shall vote in the case of a tie. However, the President may cast only one vote on any motion.
Five (5) members of the Executive Committee must be present to transact any business of the Executive Committee.

5. Area Chapters

5.1 Size

Any group of Active members may seek to establish an Area Chapter, provided that such group shall consist of not fewer than ten (10) such members.

5.2 Application

Such application shall be submitted to the Executive Committee which shall determine whether such chapter should be created and which shall determine the geographical boundaries of such Area Chapters.

5.3 Function

Such Chapters shall be responsible for collecting absentee ballots, main- taining a list of active and inactive members in their geographical areas, and performing such tasks and business as may be directed by the As- sociation to further the purpose of the Association as stated herein.

5.4 Officers

The Active members of each Area Chapter shall elect not fewer than three (3) of their members to serve as Area Representatives. Area Representatives shall preside over meetings and shall conduct the ad- ministrative and other business of their respective Area Chapters.

6. Amendments

All amendments to this constitution must be approved by two-thirds (2/3) of the active Alumni of the Association attending a meeting or vot- ing in absence for the purpose of considering amendments. No amend- ment shall be considered at such meetings unless they have first been proposed to the full membership of the Association not less than ninety (90) days in advance of such meeting. Any Active member may submit an absentee vote on any amendment, and such absentee vote shall have the same force as a vote case by a member present at the meeting.