ACB Cleveland

Bylaws

American Council of the Blind,

Greater Cleveland Chapter

BYLAWS

Revised: March 30, 2021

I Membership

  1. Membership in the American Council of the Blind, Greater Cleveland Chapter is open to any person over the age of 18 interested in supporting the purpose of the Chapter and its State and National affiliates, regardless of religion, race, sex, age, or disability.
  2. Such persons who choose to become a member of ACB of Cleveland shall do so by paying dues to the treasurer.
  3. Sixty percent (60%) of the members shall be blind or visually impaired.

II Dues

Dues of $15 per year shall be paid at or before the January meeting.

III OFFICERS

  1. The Chapter’s power shall rest with four officers: President, Vice-President, Secretary, and Treasurer; all elected by the membership, plus the immediate past President. If the past President is unable to serve, the position shall remain vacant. The President and Vice-President shall be blind or visually impaired.
  2. Duties of the Officers:

1. The President is the Chief Executive Officer of the Chapter and shall preside at all officer and membership meetings. The President shall appoint standing and special committees, as needed, of the Chapter with the chairmen thereof to effect regular functioning and reporting of such committees. She/he shall see that regular elections are duly called, noticed, and held. The President shall be an ex-officio member of all committees.

2. Vice-President — If the President is unable to perform the duties of his/her office for any reason, the Vice-President shall occupy the position and perform their duties with the same authority as the President. The Vice-President shall perform such other duties as shall be prescribed by the officers.

3. Secretary — The Secretary shall keep and maintain minutes of all officer and membership meetings of the Chapter. He/she shall perform the duties and functions customarily performed by the Secretary of a Chapter together with such other duties as the officers may prescribe. All communications, to the fullest extent possible, shall be made available in accessible format.

4. Treasurer — The treasurer of this Chapter shall perform the duties customarily performed by this officer, including keeping of all financial records and collection and disbursement of funds according to directives issued by the President. Additionally, the Treasurer shall forward to the State Treasurer the annual dues and all member information contained in the current American Council of the Blind of Ohio membership form. The treasurer shall furnish a financial report at each membership meeting.

IV ELECTION of Officers

  1. Officers shall be elected for a two-year term.
  2. The president and treasurer shall be elected on even numbered years, and the vice president and secretary shall be elected on odd numbered years.
  3. Election of officers shall be held during the applicable November meeting.
  4. Newly elected officers shall begin their term at the January meeting.
  5. A nominating committee, consisting of at least three members, the majority of whom are not currently in office, will be appointed by the President during the September meeting.
    1. A slate of candidates shall be presented at the October meeting by the nominating committee for consideration by the membership.
    1. Candidates will be introduced at the October meeting and members may make nominations from the floor at the November meeting when elections are held.
  6. Eligibility: Any member in good standing and who has expressed willingness to serve is eligible to run for office.
  7. Whenever a vacancy occurs, the President shall appoint a member to complete the term.

V REMOVAL PROCEDURE

A. An officer of the Chapter shall be automatically removed if three officers determine that he/she is unable to serve the Chapter, or has missed three consecutive membership meetings, without authorization from the President.

B. The President shall notify the officer of her/his removal from the officer’s position. The notice of removal shall be in an accessible format.

C. The President shall affirm that she/he has provided such notice to the officer at the next membership meeting.

D. The members shall accept such affirmation as proof that the notice was given.

VI MEETINGS

ACB of Cleveland shall meet monthly unless otherwise agreed to by the members. Notice of meetings shall be provided to members in-person, by text, phone call, or via e-mail.

VII COMMITTEES

A. There shall be a Nominating Committee as specified above, and such other committees as the President deems necessary.

B. The President shall appoint a member to be the Chair of any committee and shall appoint additional individuals to be members of such committees.

C. The President is an ex-officio member of all committees.

VIII QUORUM

At any regularly scheduled and announced meeting, forty percent (40%) of the membership needs to be present or virtually in person to constitute a quorum.