By-Laws

Article I. Name
The name of the association shall be the "Dartmouth Association of Latino Alumni" (hereafter referred to as "DALA").

Article II. Purpose
The purpose of DALA shall be to engage the diverse voices of its membership in dialog that drives the improvement of the Dartmouth Latino experience for both alumni and students through the development of a strong and enduring club structure that fosters community among Latino and Latin American alumni by creating a forum inspiring social, cultural, intellectual, and educational development in order to further the interest, welfare, and educational purposes of Dartmouth College (the "College"), for so long as DALA is in existence and the College remains organized exclusively for charitable, educational or scientific purposes within the meaning of Sections 501(c)(3) and 170 (b)(1)(A) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended.

Article III. Membership
Section A. Eligibility. Membership of DALA shall be comprised of Latino and Latin American Alumni of the College (viz., persons of Latin American descent who were matriculants of or who have earned a degree from the College or its associated schools) and other individuals who have worked with the Latino community at the College and beyond, as elected by the Executive Board of DALA.

Section B. Good Standing. Members of DALA are in good standing upon payment of dues in accordance with Article X, Section A.

Article IV. Association Year
The year of the Association shall span from the last Friday of September (hereafter referred to as "National Hispanic Month") of one year to the last Friday of National Hispanic Month of the following year.

Article V. Officers and Duties
Section A. Officers. The officers of DALA shall be the President, Vice President, Secretary, and Treasurer, and they shall constitute the Executive Board.

Section B. President. The President shall be the primary spokesperson for DALA and shall coordinate the activities of the Executive Board, the Executive Committee (as defined in Article VI, Section A), and the membership. The president shall preside over all formal meetings of DALA, appoint committee chairs, and create ad hoc committees as necessary with the approval of the Executive Board. The President shall be responsible for communicating with regional coordinators and maintaining awareness of planned regional activities.

Section C. Vice President. In the absence of the President, the Vice President shall assume his/her duties. In addition, the Vice President shall serve as the liaison to students and the administration. In particular, the Vice President shall oversee activities involving the Admissions office, the Latino advisor, and the LaLACS department.

Section D. Treasurer. The Treasurer shall keep and maintain an account of the financial transactions of DALA and be prepared to report the activities of the account at all Executive Board and membership meetings. The Treasurer shall be responsible for collecting and recording dues and any revenues for DALA. In addition, The Treasurer shall be ultimately responsible for any and all fundraising activities of DALA.

Section E. Secretary. The Secretary shall record the minutes of each Executive Board, Executive Committee, and membership meeting and be prepared to present a copy of those minutes for review within two weeks of each meeting. Minutes shall be sufficiently publicized to the membership only. The Secretary shall also give notice of all meetings. The Secretary shall maintain an accurate list of all members and update contact information as necessary. In addition, the Secretary shall certify the presence of a quorum at any meeting, receive and tabulate votes, announce the results of all votes (excluding elections), and certify the validity of proxies. The Secretary shall be responsible for maintaining all correspondence addressed to DALA and shall inform the Executive Board regarding significant correspondence from any party.

Article VI. Executive Committee
Section A. Committee. The Executive Committee shall administer the affairs of DALA.

Section B. Members. The members of the Executive Committee shall consist of:
1 The officers of DALA (i.e. the Executive Board);
2 The regional coordinators;
3 The student liaison;
4 The fundraising chair;
5 The student support chair;
6 The social chair; and
7 The communications chair.

Section C. Regional Coordinators. The regional coordinators shall create a structural plan parallel to that of the national structure and submit the proposed plan to the Executive Board for approval prior to implementation. The regional coordinators shall oversee the organization of activities and events in the region they represent, including the recruitment of members. Regional coordinators shall keep the President abreast of all activities.

Section D. Student Liaison. The student liaison shall be a current student at the College and shall not have voting privileges within DALA. The liaison shall serve as the key student contact for DALA at the College. The liaison shall convey to the membership any issues or concerns of students and update the membership on events that affect Latino students. The student liaison shall be elected by popular vote from among his/her peers, comprised of members from all Latino/Latin American affiliated student groups at The College. Any student who is a member of one or more of these groups shall be eligible to cast only one vote for student liaison.

Section E. Fundraising Chair. The fundraising chair shall be appointed by the Executive Board as the head of the standing committee called Fundraising. The main charge of the committee shall be to establish and maintain a scholarship for Latino students at the College. In addition, the fundraising committee shall raise money for reunions and annual meetings. The fundraising chair shall communicate activities and submit all monies to the Treasurer. The chair of the fundraising committee is required to serve one term; however, he/she may serve an indefinite number of years with the approval of the Executive Board.

Section F. Student Support Chair. The student support chair shall be appointed by the Executive Board as the head of the standing committee called Student Support. The student support committee shall provide assistance to current students at the College in the form of mentorship and employment/internship opportunities. The student support chair shall be in direct contact with the Vice President. The chair of the student support committee is required to serve one term; however, he/she may serve an indefinite number of years with the approval of the Executive Board.

Section G. Social Chair. The social chair shall be appointed by the Executive Board as the head of the standing committee called Social. The purpose of the social committee is to plan events for DALA, including reunions, educational events, and community service activities. The social chair shall ensure that the membership is notified of events in a timely manner. The chair of the social committee is required to serve one term; however, he/she may serve an indefinite number of years with the approval of the Executive Board.

Section H. Communications Chair. The communications chair shall be appointed by the Executive Board as the head of the standing committee called Communications. The communications committee shall be responsible for monitoring the listserv and for updating the website, including the periodic creation of a newsletter. The communications chair shall work closely with the Secretary to ensure information is not repeated or overlooked. The chair of the communications committee is required to serve one term; however, he/she may serve an indefinite number of years with the approval of the Executive Board.

Article VII. Nominations and Elections
Section A. Election Cycle. The annual election cycle shall take place during the three-month period preceding the end of the Association Year as defined in Article IV, and shall be sufficiently publicized to all members.

Section B. Nomination Committee. The Executive Board shall appoint a Nomination Committee prior to start of the election cycle. The Committee shall identify existing vacancies, solicit nominations for those offices, assemble a slate of candidates with biographies, coordinate the election with DALA membership, and post the results of the election. All Nomination Committee members agree not to stand for election to any other positions during their tenure and will be ineligible for self-nomination. Upon request, the Nomination Committee shall advise the following year’s Nomination Committee of various aspects of the nominating and election process.

Section B. Nominations. Nominations for candidacy shall be submitted to the Nomination Committee electronically or by mail no later than one month prior to the election.

Section C. Suffrage. All members in good standing, as defined by Article III, Section B, shall be eligible to vote.

Section D. Eligibility to Hold Office. All members of DALA who are in good standing as described in Article III, Section B shall be eligible to hold office. No member shall hold more than one position, either elected or appointed; no member shall stand for election to more than one office in a given year; and elected officers shall not stand for nomination or election during a year in which they are currently serving.

Section E. Election of Officers. The Nomination Committee shall declare the start and end of the voting process. Voting shall take place over a two-week period within the election cycle. The Nomination Committee shall coordinate the submission of ballots and votes shall be sent electronically or by mail provided confidentiality is maintained.

Section F. Terms. In the inaugural year, officers shall be elected to an interim one-year term.

In succeeding years, the election of officers shall be staggered to ensure leadership continuity. Officers shall be grouped in pairs as follows: President and Treasurer, and Vice President and Secretary. The second year’s elections shall result in the following term lengths, the President and Treasurer shall serve a two-year term while the Vice President and Secretary shall serve a one-year term. This shall establish a staggered cycle of election for the pairs. Hereafter each elected officer shall serve a two-year term. Officers may not serve more than two consecutive terms.

Section G. Resignation and Vacancies. An officer may resign with written submission of resignation to the Executive Board. In the event of resignation or other vacancy, the vacant office shall be filled by special election called by the Nomination Committee. Resignation shall become effective once a replacement has been seated or three months have passed. Officers elected to the Executive Board as a result of a vacancy shall serve for the duration of the position’s unexpired term.

Section H. Removal from Office. Failure to meet responsibilities as set forth in the Constitution shall present sufficient grounds for removal from office. Any member of DALA bringing charges against a member of the Executive Board for the purpose of removal from office shall submit charges in writing to the Executive Committee for deliberation. The Executive Committee shall present the charges to the accused and create an opportunity for defense before rendering a final decision. Officers of DALA may be removed from office with a two-thirds vote of the Executive Committee.

Article VIII. Meetings
Section A. Annual Meeting. Meetings of the membership shall take place once a year during National Hispanic Month. To allow for the greatest participation possible, this meeting shall take place at The College biannually; and during intermittent years, it shall be held in selected regions where DALA membership has been established. During the Annual Meeting held at The College, the membership shall designate by plurality vote the regional location of the next Annual Meeting.

Section B. General Body Quorum. The presence of two thirds of the membership in good standing as defined in Article III, Section B, shall constitute quorum.

Section C. Executive Committee Meetings. The Executive Committee, as defined by Article V, Section B, shall meet twice during the association year. One of these meetings shall occur during the Annual Meeting. The second meeting shall take place during the third quarter of the association year.

Section D. Executive Committee Quorum. The presence of two-thirds of the Executive Committee at any Executive Committee meeting shall constitute quorum.

Section E. Executive Board Meetings. The Executive Board, as defined by Article V, Section A, shall meet twice in addition to the Annual and Executive Committee meetings. The additional two meetings shall take place during the second and fourth quarters of the Association Year.

Section F. Executive Board Quorum. The presence of three members of the Executive Board at any Executive Board Meeting shall constitute quorum.

Section G. Meeting Guidelines. Meetings may take place in person, by conference call, or electronically, with the exception of the Annual Meeting. Members of the Executive Committee may call additional meetings as necessary. Notice for any ad hoc meetings must be given in writing at least seven days in advance.

Article IX. Finance
Section A. Dues. Dues shall be levied upon membership each year. All who have paid dues shall be considered members in good standing. The amount of dues for the upcoming year shall be announced by the Executive Board at the Annual Meeting.

Section B. Private Inurement. No part of the net earnings of DALA shall inure to the benefit of or be distributable to any DALA member, officer, or any other private individual. All of the assets and net earnings of DALA shall be used to further its educational and charitable purposes.

Article X. Political Activity
No substantial part of the activities of DALA shall include propagandizing or otherwise attempting to influence government legislation. DALA shall not participate or intervene in any political campaign on behalf of any candidate for public office.

Article XI. Amendments
The Constitution may be amended by affirmative vote of two thirds of the General Body of DALA in Good Standing. Amendments shall be made at the annual meeting; however, a special vote may be called at any other time for the purpose of amending the Constitution. Written notice of any proposed amendment shall be sent to DALA members at least four weeks prior to the annual meeting or special vote.

Article XII. Dissolution
DALA shall be deemed dissolved at such time as there is no activity or if the number of DALA members becomes so few as to render it impractical to continue the organization’s existence or if Dartmouth College no longer chooses to honor its commitment to educating Latino students. This event shall be recognized by unanimous vote of all DALA members in good standing during a special election called by the Executive Board. Upon dissolution or termination, all of the property and assets of DALA shall, after the payment of any lawful debts, be distributed to La Alianza Latina or to the Latino and Latin-American and Caribbean Studies Center at Dartmouth College for one or more exempt purposes within the meaning of section 501 (c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. If neither La Alianza Latina nor the Latino and Latin-American and Caribbean Studies Center at Dartmouth are in existence at the time of DALA’s dissolution, the assets and property of the Association are to be used by the College to provide scholarships for Latino students.