Bylaws

ARTICLE I - NAME

SECTION 1

Chicano/Latino students from California State University hereby establish themselves into an Association and incorporate as a nonprofit Association with the State of California. This Association will here forth be known as the Chicano/Latino Graduation Association and agrees to conform to the rules and regulations set forth by the State of California.

ARTICLE II - PURPOSE

SECTION 1
The purpose of this Association is to promote a graduation commencement ceremony for Chicano/Latino students who have fulfilled the requirements toward receiving a Baccalaureate or Masters Degree from California State University, Sacramento. This Association acknowledges and promotes the cultural values and community support systems which constitute the support systems of Chicano/Latino students in their educational pursuits and academic achievements.

ARTICLE III - MEMBERSHIP

SECTION 1
Membership will be acknowledged and defined along two distinct levels of participation: Active Membership and General Membership. All members oft he Association will be governed by the By-laws of this Association. The following specific requirements for membership will constitute the only special requirements for membership.

1. A graduating senior receiving a baccalaureate or a student receiving a masters degree for the current year.
2. A graduating senior who will be graduating at mid year.
3. Any student wishing to participate and interested students who will be defined as a general memberof the association.
4. All Active Members must submit an initiation form and initiation fee (determined by majority vote of current members).

SECTION 2 
Only graduating students shall be defined as Active Members of the Association. All other students (i.e. volunteers, honorary members) shall constitute the General Membership in the Association.

SECTION 3
Other students interested in volunteering time qualify for Honorary Membership as a General Member. Honorary Membership is granted to those who volunteer 10 hours per semester to the Association. In exchange, the Honorary Member is rewarded through free entry to events, free entry to banquet dinner, and gains experience. Honorary Members have no right to vote.

ARTICLE IV - OFFICERS & ELECTIONS

SECTION 1
The following positions and charges will constitute the Executive Committee and the Leadership of the Chicano/Latino Graduation Association.

1. Chairperson - Chief overseer of all committees and operations.
2. Vice Chair - Works closely and is the overseer of the Fundraising Committee.
3. Treasurer - Overseer of all financial managing.
4. Secretary - Officer(s) responsible for keeping records of all meetings and events.
5. Program Committee Chair - Overseer of all program planning for the graduation ceremony.
6. Yearbook Committee Chair - Overseer of getting the Yearbook together for the graduates and family.
7. Publicity Committee Chair - Overseer of communications.
8. ASI Representative - Representative of Association at ASI business and reports all relevant information.
9. Sergeant at Arms - Special task member.
10. Community Relations - Correspondence person for the off campus community.

SECTION 2
The first meeting of the Association shall be called during the month of September or October and the election of officers shall be formally known by the end of the said months.  

SECTION 3
The election of officers shall take place in September or October. By the end of the second meeting of the Association, officers for the year involved will be elected. All officers shall serve from the time of election to the end of the academic year. In some case of resignation, that officer shall present a format Letter of Resignation to the Association. Elections for the vacant positions shall be held at the next meeting of the Association.

SECTION 4
Voting rights are established after attending 2 consecutive meetings or 75 % of total meetings.

ARTICLE V - DUTIES

SECTION 1
Each Chairperson shall pay attention to the nature of the past graduations and shall formally inform the new active participants and general members of the areas which shall require greater attention and coordination, however, the following charges shall constitute the areas of responsibility for each of the specified positions of the Executive Committee of the Association.

CHAIRPERSON

1. Shall schedule and preside over all meetings.
2. Shall maintain communication with all committees.
3. Shall be the liaison with the academic and lay community.
4. Shall be responsible for the smooth transition of all books from one year to the next.
5. Shall have an agenda for all meetings.

VICE CHAIRPERSON

1. Shall oversee all fundraising activity.
2. Shall work closely with the Chair and with the rest of the committees of the Association.
3. Shall preside in the absence of the Chair

TREASURER

1. Shall keep a close account of all financial matters and will regularly provide the chair with such materials as may be called for by the chair.
   Shall be responsible for the bookkeeping of all financial transactions.
Shall be one of three (3) signers of all financial transactions of the Association. The Chairperson or Vice Chair shall be the other signers.
2. Shall be responsible for providing change at all events.

SECRETARY  

1. Shall take and keep minutes of all Association meetings and will work closely with the Chair
2. Shall establish contact and confirm the list of graduates for the given year.
3. Shall keep a list of all members and addresses.
4. Shall keep a current list of all members participation.

PROGRAM CHAIR

1. Shall be responsible for the planning of the years commencement program.
2. Shall be responsible for the development of said program, certificates, and awards to be given.
3. Shall develop a time line for the year outlining activities and program reporting dates for the benefit of the graduates and the general membership.

   Shall oversee the coordination of all volunteers and the nature of the Community input to the Commencement.

YEARBOOK CHAIR

1. Shall be responsible for organizing the Yearbook for the graduates and family members.
2. Shall be responsible for selling advertisements to include in the Yearbook.
3. Shall responsible for taking pictures at all events of the Association.
4. Shall be responsible for coordinating picture appointments for the members of the Association.

PUBLICITY CHIAR
1. Shall establish media and public communication channels.
2. Shall maintain the visibility of the Association.  
3. Shall establish and maintain financial endorsements from the Chicano/Latino Alumni and other community resources.

ARTICLE VI - AMENDMENTS/VOTING

SECTION 1
A proposal for amendments to the Association's by-laws be made during a regular business meeting only after said motion has been presented to the active membership. Vote shall be made abler the amendment has been presented and the active membership most likely effected by the proposed change has been notified. A majority vote shall be acknowledged. In case of a tie, the chairperson shall break the tie.

ARTICLE VII - MEETINGS

SECTION 1
There shall be a minimum number of two (1) meetings per month of the Executive Committee and of the Association during the Fall semester. Special meetings may be called by the Chair person of the Executive Committee with one week notice by either phone, letter, or personal contact.

ARTICLE VIII- FISCAL

SECTION 1
Fundraising project development by the various committee and interested students must be approved the Vice Chair. All such funds shall be noted and kept by the Treasurer for the prescribed purposes stated by this Association's goals and objectives.

SECTION 2
All disbursements shall require the signature of two (2) Executive Committee members: the Chairperson or Vice Chair, and the Treasurer, with the Treasurer signing first. These three (3) signatures shall be acknowledged and shall be the only three (3) signatures authorized for the duration of the year.

SECTION 3
All records of fundraising monies and expenditures shall be kept and monitored by the treasurer and at the end of the year shall be handed over to the Chair of the Association. The Treasurer to present a realistic budget of the graduation ceremony, the active members shall vote on maximum number of candidates that can participate in the graduation ceremony (Exceptions can be made with a majority vote of the active members). The Chair shall maintain control of the fiscal books and all other materials pertaining to the commencement until they can be passed on to the new chair.

SECTION 4
The Executive Committee shall be consulted and must approve any and all expenditure which will have a cost value of $75.00 dollars of more.

SECTION 5
All monies she'll be received by the Treasurer no later than a week before the graduation ceremony. In case of a bounced check (insufficient funds), that member of person shall be charged a $20.00 handling fee in addition to what is already owed to the Association. Per the first incident of insufficient funds that person will be required to make all payments in cash of money order.

SECTION 6
Any prospective candidate not meeting the set entrance deadline date voted on by the Association shall be assessed a late fee (voted on by the Association) for every two weeks he/she is past due on the said deadline date. The Association shall set a maximum amount any individual may have to pay to participate in the graduation ceremony.

ARTICLE IX - ADOPTION OF BY LAWS

SECTION 1
Subsequent to the State of California's acceptance of this Association as a Non-profit Association, all membership, election of officers, and future amendments shaft, be governed in accordance with the rules and regulation as are established by the State of California and those specified in this official Association document.