By-Laws of the Association of Contemporary African Linguistics

Article 1. Name and Object.

1. This Association shall be known as the Association of Contemporary African Linguistics.
2. Its object shall be the advancement of the scientific study of African languages and linguistics.

Article 2. Membership and Dues.

1. Any person may become a member by payment of dues. Only members may vote and hold office in the Association.
2. On or before January 31st of each year, each member shall pay to the Treasurer an annual fee as dues, in an amount fixed by the Executive Committee. A member who does not pay dues within the time prescribed shall forfeit the rights of membership (as hereinafter specified) while default continues; but these rights shall be restored on the payment of all arrears. A member whose dues are in arrears on August 31st of the second year shall be automatically dropped from the rolls of the Association.

Article 3. Officers and Committees.

1. The Officers shall be a President and a Vice President. The Vice President shall have the additional title of President-Elect.
2. The President shall serve for three years and shall take office at the close of the annual meeting in which a Vice President is elected. The President shall preside at meetings of the Association and of the Executive Committee, shall appoint such nonelective committees as may be required, and shall be empowered to make an interim appointment to fill a vacancy in any office until elections can be held. Upon expiration of his/her term, the Immediate Past President shall have the option, upon approval by the Executive Committee, to serve as an ex-officio member of the Executive Committee for 3 years, with vote.
3. The Vice President shall serve for three years. The Vice President shall perform the functions of the President in the latter’s absence and shall succeed to the presidency at the end of his or her term as Vice President.
4. The Executive Committee shall appoint one member of the Association to serve as Secretary and one member to serve as Treasurer. This appointment may be renewable. The responsibilities of the Secretary shall include keeping the records of the transactions and ensuring that the website is up-to-date. The responsibilities of the Treasurer are to act as the chief fiscal officer of the Association.
5. There shall be an Executive Committee, composed of the President, the Vice President, Immediate Past President (optionally), and three other members of the Association, one of the three being elected each year to serve for three years and to be ineligible for immediate reelection. The Secretary and Treasurer are ex-officio members of the Executive Committee, without vote. The Executive Committee shall have power to take any action that the Association itself could take, but all its acts must be reported to the Association at the next annual meeting. The Executive Committee is responsible for allocation of funds. A quorum of the Executive Committee shall consist of no fewer than four of its voting members. The Executive Committee shall meet at least once annually, at the time of the annual meeting of the Association, and may also meet at other times upon the call of the President. The Secretary and Treasurer may ask the Executive Committee to vote upon specific questions by e-mail. If four or more members of the Committee shall vote by e-mail for or against any measure thus submitted, that vote shall be decisive.
6. Each year, at least one person shall be nominated for the at-large position to be filled on the Executive Committee, and every third year, one person as Vice-President (President-elect).
7. A ballot shall be submitted to all members in good standing at the annual meeting. The ballot shall contain the nominees for the position to be filled on the Executive Committee, and in every third year for the position of Vice President. In order to be elected, a nominee for a given office must receive a majority of votes cast at the annual meeting.
8. The Executive Committee sitting ex officio or a subcommittee appointed by them annually shall constitute the Program Committee. The Program Committee shall have at least two members of the institution hosting the Annual Conference on African Linguistics for a given year. The Program Committee shall have responsibility for the scholarly content of the Association’s meetings and for recommending general policies on the form of the meetings to the Executive Committee for action

Article 4. Meetings.

1. There shall be an annual meeting of the Association, at such time and place as shall be determined by the Executive Committee. A quorum shall consist of those present at the meeting, as determined by the Secretary.
2. The Executive Committee may call special meetings of the Association.
3. Members in good standing may present papers at the annual meeting.
4. Titles and descriptions of papers to be presented at the annual meeting must be approved for presentation beforehand by the Program Committee.

Article 5. Activities.

1. The Association shall maintain a website to inform members about conferences and other events concerning African linguistics, and to allow for membership dues payment.
2. The Association will use membership dues to assist with expenses related to the Annual Meeting and to other activities related to African linguistics, based on fund availability, and as determined by the Executive Committee.
3. The Association may engage in other activities in furtherance of its goals, by action of the Executive Committee or through a motion adopted at a meeting of the Association.

Article 6. Ratification.

1. These Bylaws shall be considered in force and binding upon the Association after approval by a meeting of the Association called for that purpose.
2. Upon adoption of these Bylaws the aforesaid meeting of the Association shall elect a President, Vice President, Secretary and Treasurer. It shall also elect three members to the Executive Committee, one to serve one year, the second to serve one additional year, and the third to serve two additional years.

Article 7. Amendments.

1. Any proposed amendment to these Bylaws must be submitted in writing to the Secretary, signed by at least ten members of the Association in good standing. This will be submitted to the members at the time of the regular election of officers. An amendment must have the approval of two-thirds of the members voting.