As a 501(c)(3)non-profit organization, the GAIAI is governed by a Constitution and set of Bylaws and managed by an elected body of officers and a Board of Directors.
GEORGIA STATE DIVISION
INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION FOR IDENTIFICATION
CONSTITUTION
As adopted in 2002.
Article 1
General
1.01 Name. This organization shall be known as the Georgia State Division of the International Association for Identification.
1.02 Purposes. It shall be a nonprofit organization formed for the following purposes:
1.02.1 To bring together into an organized body those persons engaged in the profession of identification and scientific examination of physical evidence so that the profession may be standardized and effectively administered.
1.02.2 To encourage research and training in scientific crime detection.
1.02.3 To keep the membership informed on the latest techniques and discoveries in scientific crime detection.
1.02.4 To encourage the adoption of laws and regulations which will make more effective use of the knowledge of the membership in the fields of identification and scientific crime detection.
1.02.5 To upgrade the knowledge of the membership and thus inspire greater public confidence in the law enforcement profession.
1.02.6 To reduce crime by the dissemination of modern identification and scientific crime detection techniques to law enforcement officers.
1.02.7 To encourage greater cooperation on all levels of law enforcement.
Article 2
Membership
2.01 Membership Classifications. All persons who are members of, or who meet the eligibility requirements of the International Association for Identification are eligible for membership in the Georgia State Division of the International Association for Identification. The Georgia State Division of the International Association for Identification shall have the following membership classifications: Active Members, Life Active Members, Associate Members, Honorary Members, Life Honorary Members, and Corporate Members.
2.01.1 Active Membership. Active membership in the Georgia State Division shall consist of heads of Bureaus of Identification or Investigation (including persons under their supervision who are engaged in the science of identification), heads of Police Departments, Chiefs of Detectives and Sheriffs, provided however, that the foregoing persons are bona fide employees of, and who receive salaries from National, State, County, or municipal governments, or some subdivision thereof.
2.01.2 Life Active Membership. Life Active Membership in the Georgia State Division shall consist of members with 25 years of Active membership or a member who is honorably retired and on a fixed income with a minimum of 10 years membership in the Division and who are at least 55 years of age.
2.01.3 Associate Membership. Associate Membership in the Georgia State Division shall consist of reputable persons, wholly or partially engaged any of the various phases of the science of identification, and who are not qualified for Active Membership. They shall in all respects, be subject to the same rights and privileges as Active Members, except that they shall not be entitled to the office of Vice President or President.
2.01.4 Honorary Membership. Honorary Membership in the Georgia State Division shall consist of persons who have performed some particular service for the Division or who have in some way done some conspicuous thing for law enforcement. Such person or persons, upon motion of any member in good standing, may be elected by the Board of Directors or by the Division at the Annual Educational Seminar to Honorary Membership for one year and be excused from the payment of dues and assessments. They shall not be eligible to vote or hold office. The Board of Directors shall be empowered to grant Honorary Membership to any person residing in a non-adjacent State who would otherwise qualify for membership.
2.01.5 Corporate Membership. Corporate membership in the Georgia State Division shall consist of entities, which are wholly or partially engaged in the business of forensic identification. Membership may be granted to such entities as may be selected by the Board of Directors. Corporate members shall not be eligible to vote or hold office.
2.01.6 Life Honorary Membership. Life Honorary Membership in the Georgia State Division shall consist of persons who have performed some particular service for the Division or who have in some way done some conspicuous thing for law enforcement. Such person or persons, upon motion of any member in good standing, may be elected by the Board of Directors or by the Division at the Annual Educational Seminar to Life Honorary membership and be excused from the payment of dues and assessments. They shall not be eligible to vote or hold office.
2.02 Application for Membership. Applicants for membership in the Georgia State Division of the International Association for Identification shall submit an application for membership, which shall be designed by the Board of Directors.
Article 3
Officers
3.01 Elections. There shall be elected by a majority vote of the members the following officers: President, First Vice President, Second Vice President, Secretary-Treasurer, Official Editor, Sergeant-at-Arms, and Historian.
3.02 Membership Limitation. Except for the offices of Sergeant-at-Arms and Historian, only Active and Life Active members in good standing shall be eligible to become officers of the Division.
3.03 Term of Office. All of the officers listed in paragraph 3.01 shall be elected for a term of one year. The election shall be held at the Annual Educational Seminar.
3.04 One Office Limitation. No member shall be elected to more than one office during one year.
3.05 Vacancy Provision. In the event of a vacancy occurring among the elected officers, the President will appoint a member to serve in the office until the next Annual Educational Seminar.
Article 4
Voting Rights
4.01 Voting. Voting rights (suffrage) shall be granted to all Active, Life Active, and Associate Members.
Article 5
Board of Directors
5.01 Elected Directors. A Board of Directors comprised of five (5) members shall be elected at the Annual Training Seminar.
5.02 Appointed Directors. The immediate Past President shall be the Chairman of the Board of Directors and will have a vote. The International Association for Identification Regional Representative from the Georgia State Division will be a member of the Board of Directors and will have a vote.
5.03 Duties. The Board of Directors shall govern the affairs of the organization.
5.04 Voting. Decision of the Board of Directors shall be by majority vote of those present.
5.04.1 Quorum. For the purpose of voting and conducting business four or more members of the Board of Directors shall constitute a quorum.
5.04.2 In the event the Chairperson of the Board of Directors is absent, or is unable to assume his/her duties at a regularly scheduled training seminar, the most recent past President in attendance shall preside over the Board of Directors for the period of that seminar.
5.04.3 In the event that a sufficient number of members of the Board of Directors are not present at a regularly scheduled training seminar to form a quorum for conducting business, the Chairperson shall appoint from the attending past presidents a sufficient number of persons to form a quorum.
5.04.4 A Board of Directors constituted pursuant to the provisions of paragraphs 5.04.2 and 5.04.3 above will be empowered to conduct any and all business of the Georgia State Division during the period of such training seminar.
5.05 In the event of a vacancy in the Board of Directors, the President will appoint an eligible member to fill the vacancy until the next Annual Educational Seminar. In the event the Chairman of the Board of Directors vacates his/her office, the most recent past Chairman of the Board of Directors will assume that position.
Article 6
Committees
6.01 Appointments. The President shall appoint the following committees:
6.01.1 A Nominating Committee comprised of at least three members including the Chairperson of the Board of Directors, whose duties shall be to propose a slate of officers at the Annual Educational Seminar. The Chairperson of the Board of Directors shall serve as Chairperson of this committee and any other members shall be past presidents.
6.01.2 An Auditing Committee consisting of three members whose duties will include an audit of the financial records of the organization and the submission of a financial report at the Annual Educational Seminar.
6.01.3 A Membership Committee comprised of three members whose duties will be to solicit and screen applicants. One member of this committee will be the Regional Representative of the International Association for Identification for the Georgia State Division.
6.01.4 A Legislative Committee whose number of members will be determined by the President. The duties of this committee will be to keep informed of all pending legislation affecting law enforcement and to advise the President and Board of Directors of the possibilities of pending legislation. The committee shall also submit recommendations at the Annual Educational Seminar concerning pending or needed legislation.
6.01.5 A Resolutions Committee composed of not less than three or more than five members to draw up resolutions and pass upon resolutions submitted by the members for consideration and vote at the Annual Educational Seminar.
6.01.6 A Science and Practices Committee composed of a Chairperson and at least one representative from each of the disciplines represented within the Division.
6.01.7 A Georgia State Division Latent Print Certification Committee consisting of a Chairperson and two members who shall administer the certification examination and carry out such other duties as requested by the Latent Print Certification Board of the International Association for Identification and the President.
6.01.8 A Georgia State Division Crime Scene Certification Committee consisting of a Chairperson and two members who will administer the certification examination and carry out such other duties as requested by the Crime Scene Certification Board of the International Association for Identification and the President.
6.01.9 Submission to Editor. All subject material presented to the various committees should be presented to the Editor for inclusion in the newsletter so that all members will be aware of the matters under consideration.
Article 7
Changes in the Constitution
7.01 Procedure. Any changes in the Constitution shall be made by a majority vote of the membership at two consecutive Annual General Membership meetings. After the second majority vote of approval by the members of the Georgia State Division, any amendments or changes to the Georgia State Division Constitution shall be subject to the approval of the Board of Directors of the International Association for Identification, and shall not become effective unless, and until, such approval is obtained.
Article 8
Dissolution
8.01 Dissolution Clause. The motion to dissolve the Georgia State Division of the International Association for Identification must be made in writing. The motion must be published in the Division newsletter, or in a separate mailing, prior to the first Annual Summer General Membership Meeting that it is voted on. The motion must be passed by a majority vote at two consecutive Annual General Membership Meetings before it becomes effective.
8.02 Procedure for Liquidation of Assets Upon Dissolution. All physical assets will be sold at a sale open to the public, or donated to the International Association for Identification. After all the debts of the organization are paid, the remaining cash assets will either be used to carry out the lawful objectives for which this organization was formed, or donated to the International Association for Identification. The assets shall not inure to the benefit of any member, private individual, or any legal entity that is a profit-making entity.
GEORGIA STATE DIVISION
INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION FOR IDENTIFICATION
BYLAWS
As adopted in 2003
ARTICLE 1
General
1.01 The Division shall be organized as indicated on chart listed as Appendix 1.
1.02 Procedure The presiding officer of each seminar shall be guided by the manual of Robert’s Rules of Order in the conduct of all sessions.
1.03 Right to Speak All members in good standing are entitled to the floor at each seminar.
1.04 Complaints and Charges
1.04.1 Must be Written. No charge shall be brought against an officer or member unless made in writing and signed by the complainant.
1.04.2 Due Process Procedures. All charges or complaints shall be filed with the President and Secretary-Treasurer. The Accused shall be allowed thirty days in which to answer the charges or complaints. After this time, the Board of Directors will hold a trial and resolve the matter.
1.05 Logos There are two official logos for the Georgia State Division of the International Association for Identification.
1.05.1
1.05.2
1.05.3 Use.
1.05.3.1 Business Cards. All members in good standing of the Georgia State Division may use the official logos on their business cards.
1.05.3.2 Letters and Envelopes. All members in good standing of the Georgia State Division may use the official logos on letterhead and envelopes when conducting any activity related to either the Georgia State Division or the International Association for Identification. This authorization also includes professional papers.
1.05.3.3 Collectibles. The official logos may be placed on collectibles such as, but not limited to: mugs; pins; hats; and, shirts. This shall be done only in accordance with the guidelines established by the Board of Directors. These items may be sold and/or given to both members and non-members subject to the approval of the Board of Directors.
1.05.3.4 Publications. The official logos may be reproduced in any Georgia State Division publications, any International Association for Identification publications, and advertisements for either of these organizations.
1.05.3.5 Commercial Use Prohibited. The official logos shall not be used for commercial purposes, except at provided in subparagraphs 1.05.3.2 and 1.05.3.3 of these Bylaws, especially if the use of the logos could appear to imply that a product or service is endorsed by the Georgia State Division.
ARTICLE 2
Membership
2.01 Dues. Dues of the Georgia State Division of the International Association for Identification shall be $30.00 per year. Dues paid before September 1 will be applied to the current year’s dues. Dues paid on or after September 1 will be 7
applied to the next year’s membership.
2.02 Deadline and Suspension. The annual dues are payable January 1. Any member not paying his/her dues by March 31 is automatically suspended and will be so notified by the Secretary-Treasurer. Dues payable on January 1st and dues not paid by March 31 will result in suspension of membership.
2.03 Reinstatement. Any member suspended for non-payment of dues may be reinstated upon application to the Secretary-Treasurer and payment of the current year’s dues. Upon completion of five years of continuous membership, a member may be reinstated by paying back dues. A maximum of two years may be redeemed.
2.04 Conference Fees. Conference fees will be determined by the Board of Directors. Fees will become due and payable at the opening date of each conference. Prepaid fees may be returned to payee up to the date of the conference if, for any reason, person scheduled to attend cannot attend the conference. A ten dollar ($10.00) administrative cost will be deducted from the refund.
2.05 The Secretary-Treasurer of the Georgia State Division shall have his/her dues to the Georgia State Division and International Association for Identification paid each year by the Georgia State Division.
ARTICLE 3
Duties of the Officers
3.01 President. The President shall preside at all meetings of the organization and shall preserve order and decorum. He/she will carefully supervise the affairs of the organization and labor for its usefulness and efficiency. He/she will appoint all committees unless otherwise provided and will fill all vacancies among the officers caused by death, resignations, or other causes. The International Association for Identification Regional Representative from the Georgia State Division shall be recommended to the International Association for Identification by the President of the Georgia State Division.
3.02 First Vice President. The First Vice President shall act as the presiding officer of the organization during the absence or temporary disability of the President. The First Vice President shall automatically succeed to the office of the President in event of death, disability, resignation, or removal from office of the President. The First Vice President shall be responsible for other duties as assigned by the President.
3.03 Second Vice President. The Second Vice President shall act as the presiding officer of the organization during the absence or temporary disability of both the President and the First Vice President. The Second Vice President shall automatically succeed to the office of the First Vice President in the event that the First Vice President succeeds to the office of the President according to the provisions of paragraph 3.02. The Second Vice President shall be the Chairperson of the Science and Practices Committee. The Second Vice President shall be responsible for other duties as assigned by the President.
3.04 Secretary-Treasurer. The Secretary-Treasurer shall keep the records and minutes of the organization, receive all money due the organization and keep an accurate account of all receipts and disbursements. The Secretary-Treasurer shall spend funds of the organization for necessary supplies and postage. Any other expenditures must be approved by the Board of Directors. He/she shall submit a report of the financial condition of the organization at the Annual Training Seminar. The Secretary-Treasurer shall prepare a budget proposal and present such to the Board of Directors for approval at the Annual Training Seminar.
3.04.1 The Secretary-Treasurer shall keep an account (minutes) of the proceedings of each seminar in writing. The Secretary-Treasurer shall submit the same to the Division President and Chairman of the Board. One copy shall be forwarded to the Chief Operations Officer of the International Association for Identification.
3.04.2 The Secretary-Treasurer will maintain an inventory of all property purchased by the Division to include location.
3.04.3 The Secretary-Treasurer will keep a record of all items used for re-sale. A sales slip will be generated by the seller of such item, to be returned to the Secretary-Treasurer at each training seminar together with any monies collected.
3.05 Official Editor. The Official Editor shall receive, edit, publish, and distribute to the membership, a newsletter designed to inform the membership of the affairs of the organization. The newsletter publication dates shall be February 15, May 15, August 15 and November 15 of each year.
3.06 Sergeant-at-Arms. The Sergeant-at-Arms shall assist the President in preserving order at conferences and perform such other duties as the President may direct. The Sergeant-at-arms will maintain all flags, banners and property not issued to other entities and to ensure that such items are present at the Annual Training Seminar. The Sergeant-at-Arms will insure that the Division banner is present at all International Association for Identification conferences.
3.07 Historian. The Historian shall keep a record of the history of the organization including photographs, manuscripts, and publications.
ARTICLE 4
Board of Directors
4.01 Training The Board of Directors shall fix the date and location of at least two one-day educational seminars and one annual training seminar each calendar year. Times and locations of each seminar will be announced at least one year prior to each seminar.
4.02 The annual business meeting will convene at the annual training seminar on Wednesday promptly at 1:00 p.m.”
4.03 Agenda The Board of Directors shall prepare an agenda for each seminar to be available to all members prior to convening of such seminar.
4.04 Division Business The Board of Directors will control the affairs of the organization between training seminars.
4.05 Disputes The Board of Directors shall arbitrate disputes between members and/or officers of the organization. They shall verify suspensions made by the Secretary-Treasurer for nonpayment of dues. They shall act as a trial committee for any member under charges and their decision shall be final except upon appeal to the membership at an Annual Training Seminar.
4.06 Overruling Decisions Any decision of the Board of Directors may be overruled by a majority vote of the members at any training seminar.
4.07 Minutes One member of the Board of Directors shall be appointed Recording Secretary. The Recording Secretary shall keep an account (minutes) of the proceedings of each meeting in writing. The Recording Secretary shall submit same to the Division President and Chairman of the Board. One copy each shall be forwarded to the Chief Operations Officer of the International Association for Identification and the Secretary-Treasurer.
4.08 Polling In the event that action must be taken between training seminars, the Chairman shall poll members of the Board of Directors. Any action taken as a result of such poll shall be placed on the agenda of the next scheduled meeting and be entered into the minutes.
4.09 Conference Coordinator The Board of Directors will appoint a Conference Coordinator for each scheduled conference. Such Conference Coordinator will be responsible to the Board of Directors for the overall operation, scheduling and such reports as may be required by the Board of Directors. The Conference Coordinator will be empowered to enter into such contracts as necessary to insure efficient execution of the conference. An after action report will be prepared by the Conference Coordinator within ninety days after the completion of each conference and be submitted in writing to the Board of Directors.
4.10 Guide for Conference Administration. The Board of Directors shall publish a “Guide for Conference Administration”. This guide shall contain, but not be limited to the following:
4.10.1 Conference site selection.
4.10.2 Appointment of conference coordinator.
4.10.3 Duties of conference coordinator.
4.10.4 Educational requirements.
4.10.5 Target dates. (Expressed in days prior to conference)
4.10.6 Advertisement of conference to include attendance application
4.11 The Board of Directors shall select from a list of qualified nominees a recipient of the “Arthur L. Hutchins Award”. This award shall be presented annually at the Annual Training Seminar to the active member who in the opinion and judgment of the Board of Directors has demonstrated conspicuously dedicated service to the identification field. Nominations are to be submitted in writing to the Secretary-Treasurer prior to each Annual Training Seminar. The Secretary-Treasurer will be responsible for disseminating all nominations to the Board of Directors at least forty-five days prior to the Annual Educational Seminar. The recipient of the award will receive a plaque from the Division presented to him/her at the Annual Educational Seminar.
ARTICLE 5
Voting
5.01 Elections Election of officers shall take place during the business meeting at the Annual Training Seminar.
5.01.1 Elections shall be by secret ballot.
5.01.2 A majority of all votes cast shall be necessary to elect any officer or director. Absentee ballots will be opened after the ballots are voted and collected and all votes will be counted at that time.
5.01.3 An absentee ballot with the name of each candidate selected by the nominating committee for each elected office will be mailed to each member in good standing prior to the Annual Training Seminar. The ballot will be returned to the Secretary-Treasurer in a sealed envelope marked “Absentee Ballot” to be received no later than the opening date of the Annual Training Seminar.
ARTICLE 6
Committees
6.01 The Sciences and Practices Committee shall be empowered to add to its membership any suitable person, provided this addition is approved by the Board of Directors or vote of the membership at the Annual Training Seminar.
6.02 Submission to Editor. All subject material presented to the various committees should be presented to the Editor for inclusion in the newsletter so that all members will be aware of the matters under consideration by the various committees.
ARTICLE 7
Changes in the By-Laws
7.01 Must be Written. All proposed amendments to the Constitution and the Bylaws must be made in writing.
7.01.1 Format. The written proposal shall contain a statement as to the purpose of the proposed amendment and the suggested wording for the proposed amendment.
7.01.2 Procedure. All proposed amendments shall first be reviewed by the Resolutions Committee. The Resolutions shall next be submitted to the Board of Directors for approval and returned to the Resolutions Committee. The recommendations approved by the Board of Directors shall be published in the newsletter before the General Membership Meeting held during the Annual Training Seminar and/or read to the members at this General Membership Meeting. These recommendations shall be discussed at the General Membership Meeting. The recommendations may be changed as a result of the discussions before it is voted on for the first time.
7.02 Submission Deadline. All proposed amendments must be presented to the Resolutions Committee at least 10 days before the opening of the Annual Training Seminar.
ARTICLE 8
Dissolution
Not used
ARTICLE 9
Communications
9.01 All official communications between the Georgia State Division and the parent organization shall be in writing. Except for routine communications by the Secretary-Treasurer, all communications shall be routed through either the Georgia Division President or Chairperson of the Board as appropriate.
ARTICLE 10
Reports
10.01 Activities Each committee or sub-committee chairperson shall prepare a written report of activities since the preceding seminar. Sub-committee chairpersons shall deliver the report to the committee chairperson not later than 20 days prior to the next scheduled seminar. The committee chairperson will prepare a consolidated report to be presented at each seminar. In the absence of the chairperson the report may be presented by a committee member appointed by the chairperson. A written report will be delivered to the President prior to the opening of the seminar.
10.02 Standard Operating Procedures Each officer, board and standing committee shall develop a “Standard Operating Procedure” detailing the mission of such entity and standard procedures used in carrying out the provisions of such mission. This report shall be in writing and on file with the President and Secretary-Treasurer.