THE CONSTITUTION AND BYLAWS OF THE FBI NATIONAL ACADEMY ASSOCIATES

NEW MEXICO CHAPTER

(OCTOBER 2002) PREAMBLE

For God and Country, we, the FBI National Academy Associates, join together for the following purposes:

To uphold and defend the Constitution of our respective countries; to protect our country from any and all enemies, foreign and domestic; to promote training programs in the various duly constituted law enforcement agencies within our country, giving to the members thereof the benefit of our training received at the FBI National Academy; to cooperate with the Federal Bureau of Investigation in every way possible; to use and encourage the use of the facilities of the Bureau available to all law enforcement agencies; to perpetuate the memory of our Association with the members of our class, associates, and faculty, and to encourage attendance at all retraining sessions; to encourage and assist in the enlightenment and education of the general public; to cooperate with all duly constituted law enforcement agencies and officers, and the general public, in all matters of mutual interest, the detection and prevention of crime, and the apprehension of criminals; to strive for the highest degree of respect for law and order and the maintenance thereof; and

To these ends we pledge to always conduct ourselves in a manner that will lend strength, dignity, and credit to the profession of law enforcement.

ARTICLE I

Name of the Organization

The name of the organization shall be The New Mexico Chapter, FBI National Academy Associates.

ARTICLE II

Term of the Organization

The term of this association shall be perpetual.

ARTICLE III

Purposes

The purposes of this association shall be to uphold and defend the Constitution of the United States and the Constitution and laws of the State of New Mexico; to protect our country and its citizens from all enemies, foreign and domestic; to be always alert and ready to take the proper action against any person or persons who propose the overthrow of our government or who violate a law involving the person or property of any citizen; to provide for the membership continuing education, training, research, and professional development opportunities in law enforcement disciplines which will promote improved law enforcement cooperation, services, and standards of professional conduct; to provide leadership in law enforcement education, training, research, and cooperation which reflect the standards of excellence instilled in each graduate of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s National Academy; and to foster excellence in law enforcement throughout the world.

ARTICLE IV

Organization

The New Mexico Chapter of the FBI National Academy Associates is a non-profit organization incorporated under the auspices of the FBI National Academy Associates, Inc.

ARTICLE V

Section 1. Membership

Membership in the New Mexico Chapter shall consist of:

1. Those individuals who have satisfactorily completed the prescribed course of instruction at the FBI National Academy and who are actively engaged in law enforcement work of a type and nature which would qualify a candidate for admittance to the FBINA. Regularly retired graduates are eligible for continued membership. Membership shall be effective upon graduation from the FBINA and upon payment of dues to the association.

2. (a) Active and retired Special Agents of the FBI who have served as counselors for a National Academy session; active and retired Special Agents who have served as field office National Academy coordinators; and active and retired Special Agents who have been directly involved in the National Academy program as instructors, staff, or supervisors. Persons meeting these criteria shall be proposed for membership by the Executive Board and approved for membership by a two-thirds vote of active members present at a regular business meeting of the association

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(b) Active and retired Special Agents of the FBI who have been involved in and supported the National Academy program may be nominated for membership by any member of the chapter. After favorable recommendation by the Executive Board, and upon approval by a two-thirds vote of members present at a regular business meeting, the chapter must forward such nomination, along with supporting documentation of support, service, and/or involvement, to the National Executive Board for its review and approval.

3. Active and retired Special Agents may not hold any elective office.

4. There shall be no honorary, associate, or other type of membership except active membership.

Section 2. Dues

1. To be in good standing, a member must pay annual dues. The Officers shall set annual dues for the chapter, subject to approval by a two-thirds vote of the membership at a regular business meeting. Chapter dues must be paid in addition to the amount of dues assessed by the National Executive Board.

2. Dues shall be payable by calendar year, beginning the calendar year following graduation from the FBI National Academy. Said dues shall be due and payable on January 1 and shall be considered delinquent if not paid by April 1 each year.

3. Past National Presidents of the National Academy Associates shall be exempt from the payment of chapter dues.

4. The Chapter Secretary/Treasurer shall collect all dues.

5. Any member of the chapter who, for whatever reason, is unable to pay his or her local and national dues may submit in writing to the executive officers of the chapter, the reason for non-payment. The President shall convene the board to approve or deny a request for waiver or deferral of dues. Members may not have dues waived or deferred for more than two consecutive years.

Section 3. Voting

All members in good standing are eligible to vote. Any member whose dues are not paid in full at the time of a business meeting shall forfeit the right to vote. In the absence of a quorum at a business meeting, and at the discretion of the Executive Board, voting may be conducted by mail-in ballot or by proxy. Prior notice will be given before proxies or mail ballots are used.

Section 4. Suspension and Reinstatement of Membership

Any member of the association shall be suspended from membership:

1. Upon severance of a member’s full-time employment from duly constituted law enforcement, other than members resigned or retired in good standing.

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2. Upon participation in activity unworthy or inimical to the best interest of law enforcement, as evidenced by dismissal or requested resignation from any law enforcement agency based upon misfeasance or malfeasance, and confirmed by a majority vote of the membership present at any regular or special meeting.

3. Upon participation in activity unworthy or inimical to the best interest of the FBI National Academy or the Federal Bureau of Investigation, when so decided administratively by the Bureau.

4. Upon non-payment of required dues.

5. (a) Members who have not paid annual dues will receive a reminder via mail or chapter newsletter. Suspension of membership privileges for non-payment of dues will become effective on April 1 each year.

(b) A member who has been suspended because of non-payment will be reinstated upon payment of current year dues. Any member who fails to renew by June 1 will be charged, in addition to the overdue amount, a reinstatement fee equal to the amount of the previous year’s chapter dues.

ARTICLE VI

Section 1. Officers of the Association

The officers of the association shall be: President, Immediate Past President, First Vice President, Second Vice President, and Secretary/Treasurer.

Section 2. Vacancy in Office

1. In the event of a vacancy in the office of President, the First Vice President shall act as President Pro-Tem for the remainder of that term of office. Afterward he or she will revert to the office of First Vice President and will be eligible for election to the office of President.

2. In the event of a vacancy in the office of First Vice President, the current office holders below the vacated position will ascend in order of succession to fill the vacant offices. Subsequent nominations for eligible offices will resume at the next scheduled election.

3. In the event of a vacancy in the office of Second Vice President, the office shall remain vacant for the rest of the term, with subsequent nominations for Vice President offices resuming at the next scheduled election.

4. In the event of a vacancy in the office of Secretary/Treasurer, the President shall appoint a member to fill the vacancy until the next regular election.

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Section 3. Terms of Office

The President, Immediate Past President, First Vice President, and Second Vice President shall serve for a period of one year, commencing January 1 of the calendar year after the date of their election, or until such time as their successors have been duly elected. The Secretary/Treasurer shall serve for a period of four years commencing January 1 of the calendar year after the date of his or her election, or until such time as his or her successor has been duly elected.

ARTICLE VII

Election of Officers

1. The Officers of the Association shall be elected at a regular business meeting to be held prior to January 1 of each year. It shall be the duty of the Secretary/Treasurer to notify the membership by mail of the time, date, and place of the meeting.

2. A Nominating Committee appointed by the President shall submit nominations for office, and nominations will also be taken from the floor. The Second Vice President will serve as chair of the Nominating Committee.

3. The election for each office shall take place separately, and the candidate receiving a simple majority of all votes shall be declared elected.

ARTICLE VIII

Duties of Officers

Section 1. President

The President shall preside at all regular and special business meetings of the association. In conducting meetings, his or her decision will be final unless otherwise provided for by a two-thirds vote of the membership present at any business meeting. If, in the opinion of the President, an occasion or circumstance should arise to warrant a special meeting, he or she shall have the authority to call such a meeting and shall notify the membership of the date, time, location, and purpose of the meeting.

The President shall be Chair of the Executive Board.

The President shall appoint members of all committees not otherwise provided for. The President shall serve as an ex-officio member of all committees, but is not required to attend all committee meetings.

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Section 2. Immediate Past President

The Immediate Past President shall perform all duties for the good of the organization that are required of him/her by the President. The Immediate Past President shall be a member of the Executive Board and shall serve as Chair of the Audit Committee. The Immediate Past President shall perform all duties required of him or her by this constitution.

Section 3. First Vice President

The First Vice President shall perform all duties for the good of the organization that are required of him/her by the President. The First Vice President shall be a member of the Executive Board and shall serve as Chair of the Retraining Site Selection Committee. The First Vice President shall perform all duties required of him or her by this constitution.

Section 4. Second Vice President

The Second Vice President shall perform all duties for the good of the organization that are required of him/her by the President. The Second Vice President shall be a member of the Executive Board and shall serve as Chair of the Nominating Committee. The Second Vice President shall perform all duties required of him or her by this constitution.

Section 5. Secretary/Treasurer

The Secretary/Treasurer shall collect all dues, keep a ledger, and make an accounting of all funds at each regular business meeting. The Secretary/Treasurer shall have the authority to invest and disburse such monies as required in keeping with policies established by the Executive Board.

The Secretary/Treasurer shall deposit and maintain all chapter funds in an approved and insured financial institution.

The Secretary/Treasurer shall keep a copy of paid bills on any and all monies expended.

The Secretary/Treasurer shall keep the minutes of all business meetings of the association and the minutes of meetings of the Executive Board.

The Secretary/Treasurer shall maintain membership and other required records of the association. The Bylaws and Constitution shall be kept for safekeeping in an approved location.

The Secretary/Treasurer shall cause an audit of the association funds to be performed prior to the first business meeting of each year. This audit shall cover the preceding calendar year, and a report of the audit shall be made at the first business meeting.

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Section 6. Executive Board

The Executive Board shall consist of all officers as set forth in Article VI, Section 1 of this constitution. The President shall also appoint an advisory member who is retired from active law enforcement service. The Executive Board shall perform all other duties required of it by this constitution and the bylaws, and it shall meet from time to time as needed to conduct chapter business, or otherwise at the call of the President.

A majority of the members of the Executive Board shall constitute a quorum.

ARTICLE IX

Meetings

Section 1. Regular Meetings

A minimum of two regular business meetings shall be held each year, and they shall be known as the spring and fall meetings. All officers shall be elected at the fall meeting.

The active members present at any regular business meeting shall constitute a quorum. Election of officers and amendment of bylaws will require at least 20% of the membership to be in attendance, or mail balloting and proxy voting may be used.

The order of business shall be as follows:

Calling of the meeting to order
Reading of minutes of the previous meeting
Treasurer’s Report
Bills and communications
Report of committees
Nomination and election of officers (Fall)
Old Business
New Business
Discharge of committees
Site selection for next meeting
Adjournment

Section 2. Special Meetings

Special meetings of the association may be called as provided in Article VIII, Section 1 of this Constitution. Only those items set forth in the President’s call for special business meeting, or matters relating directly thereto, shall be acted upon at any special meeting. At the next regular business meeting after any special meeting, the President shall make a full report of all transactions of the special meeting.

The active members present at a special meeting shall constitute a quorum, so long as at least 20% of the membership is in attendance.

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ARTICLE X

Amendments to the Constitution

This Constitution may be amended by the affirmative vote of two-thirds of members present at any regular or special business meeting of the association, provided that the proposed amendment, which may be filed with the Secretary/Treasurer by one or more members, shall have been submitted in writing at least sixty (60) days before the meeting in which it will be offered for vote. The Secretary/Treasurer shall reproduce the proposed amendment and notify the membership thereof by mail at least thirty (30) days before such meeting. The Executive Board shall, before the meeting, study and consider the proposed amendment and shall reports its recommendations thereon to the membership before any vote shall be taken.

ADOPTED OCTOBER, 2002