Constitution

MEMBERSHIP

There shall be the following categories of membership:
(1) Ordinary Membership is open to persons with at least an Honours degree in African Languages. Membership may, however, be conferred on someone who does not satisfy this requirement at the discretion of the Board of the Association or its Executive Committee.
(2) Honorary Membership may be conferred by the Board on persons who have made outstanding contributions to the field and the Association.
(3) Corporate Membership is open to all corporations. Membership fees shall be four times that of ordinary membership. In addition, each corporate member is entitled to three additional copies of all ALASA publications on request. All correspondence should be directed to a specific person representing the corporate membership. Only one vote shall be allowed per corporate membership.
(4) Life Membership will be available to any ordinary member of ALASA, subject to the payment of sixteen times the annual membership fee at any given time.

The Board shall determine the membership fees. Due payment of fees shall automatically entitle a member to receipt of the Journal and also receive other publications of the Association at a reduced cost where possible.

The Board may suspend the membership of any member for due cause, e.g. in the case of overdue fees.

Ordinary and Honorary as well as Corporate and Life Members may exercise their right to vote on any activities of the Association when personally present.

The Board

1) Control of the Association shall be vested in a Board which consists of:
Chairperson
Eight other elected members
Co-opted members
and which shall represent the fields of African linguistics and literature and shall be members of the Association.
(2) The Board shall get elected at a general meeting of the Association, and members shall hold office for two years.
(3) Retiring members shall be eligible for re-election, and at least half of the retiring members should be re-elected for continuity.
(4) The Chairperson is eligible for two successive terms of office but can again become available for election after another two times have elapsed.
(5) The quorum for a properly constituted Board meeting shall be 50% of the total number of Board members.
(6) The Board shall have the power to delegate its work to an Executive Committee appointed from among its members.
(7) The Board shall appoint a Vice-Chairperson, Secretary, Treasurer, Coordinating Editor and Editor, the Vice-Chairperson and Coordinator from among its members and the Secretary, Treasurer, Coordinating Editor and Editor either from among its members or from outside the Board.
(8) The Board shall have powers of co-option.
(9) The responsibilities of the Board shall be:
(a) To see that the aims of the Association are carried out.
(b) To take care of the financial affairs of the Association, including the opening of such Building Society or Bank accounts as shall be considered necessary, the keeping of proper books of account, the presentation of audited statements, etc.
(c) To determine the fees payable by the different categories of members.
(d) To supervise the publishing activities of the Association and, for that purpose, to appoint the Editorial Staff.
(e) To encourage the formation of branches of the Association.
(f) To arrange and assume responsibility for conferences and gatherings of any nature of the Association.
(g) To liaise and co-operate with other academic and professional bodies with language interests.
(h) To appoint any sub-committees which may be necessary for the carrying out of the work of the Association.
(i) To formulate any necessary regulations which will take immediate effect within the framework of this Constitution. Such laws shall be submitted to a general or special meeting of the Association (explicitly called for this purpose) for ratification and modification.
(10) Any complaint made against a member of the Board shall be investigated by the other members. As a result of such investigation, such other members deem it reasonable, so they may formulate a recommendation for consideration by a general meeting of the Association or convene a special session to place such advice before it. The panel shall have regard to such request and take resolutions concerning the complaint as it may be requisite.