Bylaws

Article I – Name

‌Section 1. Name

This organization shall be known as the Greater Washington Asian Deaf Association (GWADA), hereafter referred to as the Association.

‌Article II - Purposes and Mission

‌Section 1. Purpose

The Association is a non-profit organization, organized exclusively for educational purposes, as defined in section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. No activities shall be made with any political party or any candidate of political office. All contributions are tax-deductible.

‌Section 2. Mission

The mission of the Association shall:

Be a resource for education, social justice, civil advocacy, human rights of Asian/Pacific Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing persons and their families;
Promote educational programs, workshops, and seminars for Asian Deaf/Hard-of- Hearing infants/children, their hearing parents, new Asian immigrants, and helping professionals who work with them.
Conduct and facilitate leadership/assertiveness training programs and self-esteem seminars for Asian Deaf/Hard-of-Hearing adults and their family members;
Educate the general public with the Asian cultural heritage as well as Asian Deaf culture;
To serve as an information clearinghouse on information about Asian Deaf/Hard-of- Hearing people;
Enhance recognition and achievements of Asian Deaf/Hard-of-Hearing people, promoting ethnic/cultural identity and pride;
Award scholarships and stipends to outstanding Asian Deaf or Hard-of-Hearing students.
Promote efficient fund-raising activities to accomplish the mission mentioned above.

The Association is officially affiliated as a chapter organization with the National Asian Deaf Congress.

‌Section 3. Distribution Upon Dissolution

In the event that this Association is dissolved, after payment of all debts and liabilities, any remaining assets shall be distributed to the National Asian Deaf Congress, educational, human services or advocacy organization dedicated to the well-being of Asian Deaf and Hard of Hearing people and their families in the United States.

‌Article III - Membership

‌Section 1 Eligibility for Membership

Any individual interested in accomplishing and furthering this Association’s purposes may become a member upon application and timely payment of dues.

‌Section 2. Membership Classification

Membership Classifications are as follows:

Individual/Family Membership
- Individual will grant a single voting right, while family membership will grant two voting rights, Both membership fees will be determined by the Board.
Student Membership
- Must provide current active student ID and an active email address ending with .edu for a discounted membership fee. Once the student status expires, they have the option to continue membership as an individual/family membership or terminate their membership.

‌Section 3. Membership Benefits

Members of the Association will be given the following benefits:

Reduced admission price for the events
Ability to make motions
Ability to vote in meetings
To participate in committee
Run for a position within the organization after six months of active membership

‌Section 4. Dues

All annual membership dues shall be determined by a majority, or more than half, vote at a General Meeting after the Board’s endorsement.

‌Section 5. Prohibition of Discrimination

Any member shall not be discriminated against by the Association in a matter of membership on the basis of age, color, creed, disability, ethnicity/race, hearing status, national origin, religion, or sexual orientation.

‌Section 6. Non-Voting Membership

Non-profit/for-profit organizations can become members/affiliates of the organization. While a representative from the said organization can participate and make announcements for the organization, they will not be given the benefits mentioned in Article 3, Section 3.

‌Article IV - Meetings

‌Section 1. General Meetings

The general meeting shall be held at least three (3) times a calendar year at a convenient location and time designated by the Board. A quorum shall consist of at least 20% of the current members of the Association.

‌Section 2. Board Meetings

A meeting of the Board may be called by the President or a majority of the Board. The Board meeting shall be open to members and invited guests. Only Board members and officers can cast votes at the meeting.

‌Section 3. Special Meetings

A special or emergency meeting may be called by the President or the majority of the Board at the request of not less than ten (10) percent of all members of the Association.

‌Section 4. Parliamentary Authority

Except where otherwise provided by the Bylaws of the Association, the most recent edition of Robert’s Rules of Orders Newly Revised shall be followed.

‌Article V - The Board Members, Officers, and Committees

‌Section 1. Definition of the Board

Board Members, consisting of three active members of the Association, are charged with responsibilities to adopt sound, ethical, and legal governance and financial management policies, as well as by making sure the Association has adequate resources to advance its mission.

Officers, comprising the executive branch of the Association, shall include the President, the Vice-President, the Secretary, and the Treasurer. Both the President and the Vice-President must be Asian Deaf or Hard-of-Hearing individuals. The authenticity of the Asian identities of candidates will be determined by members and officers during officer elections.

The Board members and Officers will have authority in leading the organization and be known as the ‘Board.’ The following are supportive roles for the organization, which include Past- President and Committees.

Past-President, serving an advisory role of the Association, shall be given to the immediate past president of the organization. The past-president is given voting rights, making motions in Board meetings, and training responsibilities for incoming Board/Officers. The duration of the role is one year, and the past-president will become an active member of the Association afterwards. Should the President be re-elected for the second term, the President will be responsible for the new Board and Officers.

Committees, which will serve various purposes to support the Association, shall include several standing committees: Events, Public Relations, and Ad-Hoc. They are established by the Board as needed.

‌Section 2. Duties of the Board Members

Each board members are given responsibilities to:

Monitor the activities and programs of the Association,
Ensure that the Bylaws are complied with,
Review the Bylaws and ensure that it is appropriately up to date,
Have the authority to manage the business affairs of this organization,
May take any urgent action if consent is obtained from the majority of the Board.

Section 3. Duties of the Officers

The President shall have principal administrative supervision of the affairs of the Association as chief executive officer (CEO), chair board meetings and general meetings, keep the Board members informed, appoint standing/ad hoc committees, and perform such other duties assigned to them by the Board.

The Vice-President shall be a deputy administrator, assisting the President. In the absence of the President or the request of the President, the Vice-President shall in general perform the powers and duties of the President. They shall be assigned to a chairperson of the By-laws Committee and be the ex-officio (non-voting privilege) member of each Association committee.

The Secretary shall keep the minutes of both general meeting and board meeting and have charge of such books, documents and papers as the Board determines as well as all correspondences requested by the President.

The Treasurer shall have custody of financial documents of the Association. They shall keep full, accurate accounts of receipts and disbursements in the books, be responsible for depositing all funds into the Association’s bank accounts, and render financial reports whenever requested by the Board.

‌Section 4. Eligibility of the Board and Officers

Active members in good standing shall be eligible for a board member or officer position after six (6) months of active membership;
Nomination and election shall be held at the final general meeting;
The term of trustees and officers shall be for two (2) years or until successors are chosen. Trustees and officers may be re-elected for the same position but no more than two consecutive terms.

‌Section 5. Resignation and Termination

Resignations shall be submitted in writing to the President 30 days in advance. A board member and an officer may be removed by the vote of two-thirds of the members at the general meeting for failure to perform their duties or immoral conduct.

‌Section 6. Vacancy

A vacancy on the Board and/or Officers may be filled by the President with the majority approval from the Association for the unexpired portion of the term.

‌Article VI - Conflict of Interest

‌Section 1. Prohibition against Sharing in Association Earnings

Absolutely no member or person connected with the Association or any other private individual shall receive at any time any of the net earnings or profits from the operation of the Association; however, this shall not prevent the payment to any such person of such reasonable compensation for services rendered to or for the Association in effecting any of its purposes. No such person(s) shall be entitled to share in the distribution of any of the assets upon the dissolution of the Association.

‌Section 2. Financial Transparency

If requested by an officer or a board member, then an independent Auditor, appointed by the President, shall examine all financial accounts to ensure that they are in order.

‌Article VII - Publications

‌Section 1. The Newsletter

The GWADA newsletter shall be the official publication of the Association and be published at least twice a year. Printed or electronic mails of the Association shall be used for this purpose.

‌Section 2. The Website

The GWADA website, www.gwada-dc.org, shall be the official website of the Association and be maintained by the Public Relations committee.

‌Article VIII - Amendments

‌Section 1. Bylaw Amendment Procedure

Through the Bylaws Committee, at least seven (7) members, or the majority vote of the Board may propose amendments to the Bylaws. Amendment proposals shall take effect immediately after the general meeting if passed by at least two-thirds votes of the members’ presence and voting. Notice of proposals must have been given at least thirty (30) days prior to the event. The proposed amendments shall be voted on in the next general meeting. These amended by-laws shall be implemented and go into effect immediately at the end of the general meeting following ratification.

‌Article IX - Addendum

‌Section 1. Oath of the Board

The following Oath of Board shall be administered to incoming Board members and Officers by departing Board members.

“I, _________________________, pledge to perform to the best of my ability to the duties of the board to which I have been elected.”

DECLARATION

The foregoing bylaws of the Greater Washington Asian Deaf Association are hereby adopted and approved as of the date below written and shall be in practice immediately as provided.

Approved by a majority vote of the Board members and members of the Greater Washington Asian Deaf Association (GWADA) on the 25th of August, 2021.