BDPA Austin chapter bylaws

1. BY-LAWS
ARTICLE I - NAME
The name of this organization shall be the Black Data Processing Associates, Austin Chapter
(hereinafter referred to as the Association).
ARTICLE II - OBJECTIVE
The objective of the Association is to accumulate a pool of information technology (IT) knowledge and
business experience with the intention of utilizing these resources to strengthen the expertise of
minority members of the information technology community; offer this expertise to those minorities
evaluating information technology for future career/business potential; broaden the information
technology knowledge of the minority community as a whole; and participate in all activities directly
related thereto.
ARTICLE III - EXECUTIVE BOARD
1.1 Shall consist of the President, President-Elect, Recording Secretary, and Vice President of
Finance.
ARTICLE IV - MEMBERSHIP
SECTION 1 - FULL MEMBERSHIP
1.1 Shall be available to persons directly employed by or interested in the information processing
Industry, including, but not limited to; electronic data processing; electronic word processing
and data communications. A Full Member shall be eligible to Vote and hold any Office.
SECTION 2 - OTHER MEMBERSHIPS
3.1 Honorary membership shall be granted at the discretion of the Executive Committee. An
Honorary Member shall be entitled to attend all functions of the Association. An Honorary
Member shall have no voting privileges.
3.2 Student Membership shall be available to high school students and college students who are
majoring in electronic data processing or have expressed an intention to enter the data
processing profession.
A Student Member shall have no voting privileges.
SECTION 4 - DUES
4.1 Shall be paid by all Full and Student Members.
4.2 Shall be determined by the Executive Committee and approved by the voting membership.
4.3 Must be paid in one annual payment.
Delinquency of dues by one (1) month shall result in the loss of voting privileges. Delinquency
of dues by two months shall result in termination of membership.
4.4 Must be paid in full, to be eligible to run for office and to participate in the elections of Officers.

2. SECTION 5 - APPLICATIONS
5.1 Shall be made to the Membership Committee by submission of a completed official
application form and the appropriate amount of Dues.
5.2 Shall be accepted for Full and Student Memberships.
5.3 Shall not be accepted from former members who have been terminated as a result of conduct
deemed detrimental to the best interest of the Association.
5.4 Information provided on the application will not be made available without consent of the
Executive Committee.
SECTION 6 - TERMINATION
6.1 Shall occur due to membership expiration, or for conduct deemed by the Executive
Committee to be detrimental to the best interest of the Association.
ARTICLE V - NOMINATIONS AND ELECTIONS
SECTION 1 - ELIGIBILITY
1.1 All offices shall be restricted to full members.
1.2 All nominees for positions on the Executive Board must be Members of the Association for Six
(6) Months and Financially current through the Nominating, Elections and turnover processes.
(ARTICLE IV - SECTION 4.4)
SECTION 2 - NOMINATIONS
2.1 Shall be accepted by the Nominations and Elections Committee from Full Members who are
financially current. (ARTICLE IV - SECTION 4.4)
2.2 Shall be received in WRITING by the Nominations and Elections Committee no later than
September Business Meeting.
2.3 Shall be approved for, one office per nominee.
2.4 Shall be presented to the voting membership no later than the September Business Meeting.
SECTION 3 - ELECTIONS
3.1 Shall be conducted and supervised by the Nominations and Elections Committee.
3.2 Shall be held at the October General Meeting.
3.3 Shall be by ballot
3.4 Special provisions will be made for absentee ballot by the Nominations and Elections
Committee.
SECTION 4 - SPECIAL ELECTIONS
4.1 Shall be held in accordance with the requirements of Article V.
ARTICLE VI - OFFICERS
SECTION 1 - EXECUTIVE OFFICERS
1.1 Shall consist of the President, President-Elect, Recording Secretary, Vice President of
Finance, and Immediate Past President.
1.2 Shall be elected in accordance with the provisions of Article V.
SECTION 2 - TERM OF OFFICE
2.1 Shall be defined as one (1) year running concurrent with the fiscal year of the Association.

3. SECTION 3 - RESPONSIBILITIES OF OFFICERS
3.1 The President
A. Shall serve as the official spokesperson of the Association.
B. Shall preside over all meetings of the General Membership and Executive Committee.
C. Shall have responsibility of the Publicity, Membership, Program, Corporate Relations, and
other committees, with the exception of the committees reporting to the President-Elect.
D. Shall be responsible for seeing that the decisions of the general membership are carried
out.
E. Shall be an ex officio member of all committees.
F. Shall have the power to appoint specific committees with the approval of the Executive
Board.
G. Shall have the power to remove Committee Chairpersons with the approval of the
Executive Board.
3.2 The President-Elect
A. Shall serve as President in the absence of the President.
B. Shall fulfill the duties of Vice President of Finance in absence of Vice President of
Finance..
C. Shall have responsibility of the Education and Finance Committees.
D. Shall participate in all major fund raising activities.
E. Shall in the absence of the Recording Secretary declare when a quorum has been
reached.
F. Shall read significant correspondence of the Association at all meetings as directed by the
President or the Executive Committee.
3.3 The Recording Secretary
A. Shall have the responsibility to maintain and report accurate minutes of all Business
B. Shall be responsible for determining when a quorum has been reached at all General
meetings.
C. Shall keep an official file of all correspondence and documents of the Association.
D. Shall sign official documents of the Association when requested by the President.
E. Shall maintain a list of all officers and members of the Association.
F. Shall conduct correspondence as directed by the President or the Executive Committee.
G. Shall within the first seven (7) days of each month send a written report of the minutes or
the summary of the preceding month's Business Meeting (refer to ARTICLE VII –
SECTION 5) - to all Members on record.
H. Shall be responsible for all US Postal or Electronic mail (hereinafter referred to as Mail)
3.4 The Vice President of Finance
A. Shall have the responsibility of maintaining complete financial records of all moneys
received and disbursed by the Association in accordance with ARTICLE VIII SECTION 3.
B. Shall issue periodic financial reports in accordance with the provisions of ARTICLE VIII -
Section 2.
C. Shall determine which members of the Association are financially current.
D. Shall actively oversee the collection of fees and dues.
E. Shall be a member of the FINANCE Committee
F. Shall be responsible for the annual audit in accordance with Article VIII SECTION 6.
3.5 The Immediate Past President
A. Shall serve as an Advisor to the President.
B. Shall have no voting rights.

4. SECTION 4 - VACANCIES IN THE OFFICE OF:
4.1 The Presidency shall be filled by succession by the President-Elect.
4.2 The President-Elect shall be filled by special election.
4.3 All elected offices with more than half of the term remaining, shall be filled by a special
election.
4.4 All elected offices except President-Elect with less than half the term remaining shall be filled by
Presidential appointment with the approval of the Executive Committee.

5. SECTION 5 - RECALL OF OFFICERS
5.1 Shall be initiated by the presentation of a recall petition containing specific charges and the
signatures of one-third of the financial members. Said petition shall be presented at a
business meeting.
5.2 Shall occur when two-thirds of the voting membership has approved the recall petition.
5.3 Any Elected officer missing three (3) consecutive Business Meetings, (refer to ARTICLE VII -
SECTION 5) shall be subject recall.
5.4 Any Committee Chairperson missing three (3) Business Meetings, in their term of office shall
be removed.
SECTION 6 - APPOINTED POSITIONS
6.1 Shall consist of the Parliamentarian and Sergeant-at-Arms, and the chairpersons of Ad-hoc
Committees.
6.2 Shall be appointed by the President for a term that shall not exceed that of the appointing
President.
ARTICLE VII - MEETINGS
SECTION 1 - QUORUM
1.1 Shall consist of two-fifths of the voting membership.
1.2 Shall be binding once declared.
1.3 Shall be declared by the Recording Secretary.
1.4 Shall in the absence of the Recording Secretary, be declared by the President-Elect,
President, or the President's delegate, respectively.
SECTION 2 - VOTING
2.1 Shall be limited to Financial Members in accordance with Article IV.
2.2 Shall not be accepted by proxy.
SECTION 3 - GENERAL MEMBERSHIP MEETING
3.1 Shall be held at least ten (10) times during the fiscal year at a time and place determined by
the Executive Committee.
3.2 Shall be official when a quorum is declared.
SECTION 4 - EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE MEETING
4.1 Shall be held at least ten (10) times during the fiscal year at a time and place determined by
the President.
4.2 Shall be official when a majority of the Executive Committee Membership is present.
SECTION 5 - BUSINESS MEETINGS
5.1 Shall consist of: Executive Committee, General Membership, Business or Committee Meeting
ARTICLE VIII - FISCAL AND FINANCIAL POLICIES
SECTION 1 - FISCAL YEAR
1.1 Shall begin January 1st of each year and end December 31st of the same year.

6. SECTION 2 - FINANCIAL REPORTS
2.1 Shall be presented by the Vice President of Finance at each meeting of the Executive
Committee.
2.2 Shall be presented by the Vice President of Finance in collaboration with the Finance
Committee Chairperson on a quarterly basis to the general membership.
SECTION 3 - DISBURSEMENTS AND FINANCIAL COMMITMENTS
3.1 Exceeding $100.00 must be approved by the majority of the Executive Board if not in
accordance with a previously approved budget.
3.2 Exceeding $500.00 must be approved by a majority of the voting members presented at a
scheduled General Membership Meeting if not in accordance with a previously approved
budget.
3.3 Must be issued by check with the signatures of two (2) of the following officers: President,
President-Elect or Vice President of Finance.
SECTION 4 - FUND RAISING EVENTS and APPROVAL
4.1 All FUND RAISING EVENTS must be sent to the Finance Committee for preliminary approval.
4.2 All FUND RAISING EVENTS must be presented to the Executive Committee by the Finance
Committee spokesperson for final approval.
4.3 An Ad-hoc Committee or PROJECT LEADER shall be appointed for each FUND RAISING
EVENT and report to the Finance Committee Chairperson.
SECTION 5 - LOANS
5.1 No Loans shall be granted by the Association.
5.2 No Officer of the Association shall enter into a Loan to be received on behalf of the
Association without the authorization of two-thirds of the Members.
SECTION 6 - ANNUAL AUDIT of CHAPTER’S FINANCIAL REPORTS
6.1 Shall occur by the May general membership meeting for the previous fiscal year's
financial reports.
6.2 Shall be forwarded to the National BDPA Vice President of Finance by June 30th of each
year.
ARTICLE IX - COMMITTEES
SECTION 1 - EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
1.1 Shall consist of the Present and Immediate Past President, President-Elect, Recording
Secretary,, Vice President of Finance, and, Chairpersons of all standing
Committees.
1.2 Shall provide direction and control of the association.
1.3 Shall propose and establish written procedural policy for the operation of the Association.
1.4 Shall evaluate any issues unresolved at the general membership meeting.
1.5 Shall report its recommendations in writing at the General Membership Meeting.
1.6 Shall have its written recommendations accepted as the policy of the Association, unless
overridden by a majority of
the voting membership.

7. SECTION 2 - STANDING COMMITTEES
2.1 Shall consist of:
a. Communications Committee
b. Corporate Relations Committee
c. Education Committee
d. Finance Committee
e. Membership Committee
f. Program Committee
g. Publicity Committee
h. Other Committees deemed necessary by the Executive Board.
2.2 Shall have their chairpersons appointed by the President with the approval of the Executive
Board.
2.3 Shall have written reports prepared by the Chairpersons to be presented at all Executive
Committee meetings.
2.4 Failure to provide written reports at three (3) consecutive Executive Meetings, shall constitute
an act of neglect and removal as a Chairperson.
SECTION 3 - AD-HOC COMMITTEES
3.1 Shall be established as deemed necessary by the President or a majority of the Executive
Committee.
3.2 Shall have their chairperson appointed by the President in accordance with ARTICLE VI-
SECTION 6.2.
ARTICLE X - AMENDMENT OF BY-LAWS
SECTION 1 - PROPOSALS FOR AMENDMENT
1.1 Shall be presented in writing at the August General membership meeting.
1.2 Shall be approved as an agenda item by majority of the voting membership present at an
official General membership meeting.
1.3 Shall be included on the published agenda of the forthcoming October General membership
meeting.
1.4 Shall be adopted as an amendment to the BY-LAWS by a two-thirds majority of the voting
membership. Voting can take place at a General membership meeting or by mail
ballot.
1.5 Any bylaws amendment properly adopted by the BDPA Dallas Chapter shall not become
binding and effective until such amendment has been approved by the Board of Directors of
the National Black Data Processing Associates.
ARTICLE XI - AFFILIATIONS
This local chapter is affiliated with and governed by National Black Data Processing Associates and
hereby accepts all tenants included in the constitution and bylaws of the National.
This local chapter hereby acknowledges that all provisions herein are intended to be in conformance
with the provisions of the constitution and bylaws of the National Black Data Processing Associates’
constitution and bylaws shall govern.
ARTICLE XII - PARLIAMENTARY
The rules contained in the current edition of Robert's Rules of Order shall govern the Association
and all cases to which they are not inconsistent with these Bylaws and any special rules of order the
Association