Association of

Laboratory Managers

Introduction

ALMA Constitution & ByLaws adopted originally in 1984; submitted with the ALMA Articles of Incorporation documentation June 15, 1984.

This Edition of the Constitution & ByLaws includes constitution and bylaw changes voted upon in 1991, 1999, 2001, and in 2007.

ALMA Constitution

Article I. Purpose.

The purpose of the Association of Laboratory Managers (ALMA), a not-for-profit corporation, is to enhance the management of analytical services and instrumentation laboratories.

Article II. Membership.

Membership in the association shall be open to all persons committed to the purposes of the society. Membership categories, fees, dues, and term of membership shall be established by the Board of Directors of the Association.

Article III. Officers.

The officers of the Association shall be President, President-Elect, Past-President, Secretary, Treasurer, and Bulletin Editor all of whom shall be members of the Association at the time of their election. The term of office shall be for one year, commencing January 1 of the calendar year following election, except that the Treasurer and Bulletin editor shall be elected in alternating years to a two-year term. The President-Elect succeeds to the office of President at the end of the term as President-Elect. The President succeeds to the office of Past-President at the end of the term as President.

The President shall preside at all meetings of the Association and of the Board of Directors. In the absence of the President, the President-Elect shall preside. In the absence of both of these officers, the Secretary shall preside. The President shall appoint committees from the membership as needed to assist the elected officers in the business of the Association.

The Secretary shall keep a record of the proceedings of all meetings of the association and of the Board of Directors and shall file all reports required by law except for the Internal Revenue return. The Secretary shall, under the direction of the President, issue notices to the members of the Association and to the Board of Directors and perform all other duties usual to this office.

The Treasurer shall have charge of all funds belonging to the Association. The Treasurer shall insure that all moneys expended are properly within the budgets set by and according to the policies of the Board of Directors of the Association. A contingency fund shall be placed in a financial institution(s) available for withdrawal by the Treasurer or the President. The remaining moneys entrusted to the Treasurer shall be placed in a checking account in such a way that either the Treasurer or President may withdraw the entire amount without process of law. The Treasurer, with the help of the President and President-Elect, shall prepare a proposed budget for operating expenses of the Association by March 1 and shall submit it to the Board of Directors for approval not later than the spring meeting of the Board of Directors. Expenditures shall not exceed the amount provided in the authorized budget except with the approval of the Board of Directors. At the end of each fiscal year, the Treasurer shall assemble an integrated financial report which shall be presented to the Board of Directors no later than its next meeting. The Treasurer shall insure that all Association funds shall be expended according to policies of the Board of Directors.

The Bulletin Editor shall assemble and edit a journal for publication which includes reports of events at the annual meetings of the Association, meetings of the Board of Directors and announcements and programs for future meetings.

In the event that the President-Elect, Secretary, Treasurer, or Bulletin Editor resigns or is otherwise unable to fulfill the term of office, the Board of Directors may appoint a member of the association to complete the term of the office.

There shall be a Board of Directors comprised of the following members: Co-Founders, President, President-Elect, Immediate Past President, Secretary, Treasurer, Bulletin Editor, Managing the Modern Laboratory Editor, Chairs of Active Committees, and others elected by the Board to serve two-year terms. All officers shall have two votes and chairs of committees one vote each in proceedings of the Board of Directors. The Board of Directors shall be a committee to conduct all affairs of the Association not otherwise specifically provided for in the Constitution. A quorum shall consist of a voting majority of the Board but must include two officers.

No salary shall be paid by the Association to any officer of the Association.

Article IV. Meetings.

Meetings shall be held with the membership for the purpose of conducting business and/or presenting programs on timely topics. The number of meetings, the times, dates and places of such meetings, shall be determined by the Board of Directors of the Association. One such meeting each year shall be designated by the Board of Directors as the Annual Meeting of the Association. Special meetings may be called by the President or an authorized representative. For the transaction of business at such special meetings, a quorum shall consist of 10 members in good standing.

Article V. Elections.

The President-Elect, Secretary, Treasurer, and Bulletin Editor shall be elected by a majority vote of members present and voting at the Annual Meeting of the Association. Nomination for election may be made either by a nominating committee or by nomination and second from the floor. All nominations must be for persons who have agreed to serve in office if elected.

Article VI. Disposition of Assets.

Upon the dissolution of ALMA, the funds or assets of the Association remaining after discharging all just debts of the Association or its officers in the name of the Association shall be distributed without encumbrances to scientific or educational organizations which would then qualify under the provisions of Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code and its regulations or as those regulations may hereafter be amended.

Article VII. Amendments.

Amendments to this constitution may originate from the Board of Directors or by petition from the membership presented to the Secretary and signed by not less than five members in good standing. The proposed amendments shall be published for the information of the membership and voted upon at the next Annual Meeting. A majority of 2/3 shall be required to accept the amendment.

Article VIII. Rules of Order.

On all questions of order not covered by this Constitution and Bylaws, Robert’s Rules of Order shall be considered as authoritative.

Bylaws To The Constitution

Article I. Committees.

All appointments to committees will be announced by the President to the Board of Directors immediately following appointment. Each chairman will, upon request, report to the Board of Directors on the activities of the committee. Unless specifically appointed to a shorter term, all committee terms are for the calendar year.

Ad Hoc committees are appointed by the President as need arises to meet the special, transient needs of the Association.

Article II. Fiscal Year.

The fiscal year of the Association begins on July 1.

Article III. Membership Classes and Dues.

Membership dues and registration fees for the Annual Meeting are determined by the Board of Directors as part of their approval of the annual budget.

Article IV. Executive Director.

The Board of Directors may employ an Executive Director for the purpose of running the day-to-day operations of the Association and may empower him to act as necessary in the name of the Association. The Board of directors may provide an operating budget, funding, and financial guidelines for the Executive Director.

Article V. Amendments.

Amendments to the bylaws may originate from the Board of Directors or by petition from the membership presented to the Secretary and signed by not less than five members in good standing. The proposed amendments shall be published for the information of the membership and voted upon at the next Annual Meeting. A majority of one half shall be required to accept the amendment.

Article VI. Nomination of ALMA Officers.

It will be the responsibility of the ALMA Advisory Board to develop a slate of ALMA Officer candidates at the Spring Board Meeting. This slate will be published in the ALMA Bulletin, along with appropriate biographical data, in order that the officers may be elected by the general membership at the Annual ALMA Meeting. The aforementioned Advisory Board is comprised of past ALMA Presidents and chaired by the immediate Past-President.