Constitution & Bylaws

The CAPASUS Constitution

The name of the organization shall be the Chinese-American Academic and Professional Association in Southeastern United States, also to be known by the acronym of CAPASUS. Its Chinese name shall be:
The address of the organization shall be:

Chinese Culture Center
5377 New Peachtree Road
Atlanta, GA 30341
CAPASUS is a "not for profit" organization. All funds are derived from dues, donations, and contributions.
The objectives of CAPASUS are:
1. To provide opportunities for all members to exchange their academic, cultural, social, professional, and business knowledge and experiences.
2. To make academic, cultural, social, professional, and business contributions to the societies of the United States and the Republic of China.
An Annual Conference shall be held by CAPASUS to promote the objectives and to conduct organizational business. The organization shall consist of the Advisory Council, the Nominating Committee, the Membership Committee, and the offices of the President, Vice-President, Treasurer, Secretary, and State Representatives.
The Advisory Council shall consist of the current President, the Vice-President, and the three most recent active past Presidents. The Council shall provide overview and be an advocacy group to the organization. It shall also be responsible for reviewing the Treasurer's records within 30 days after the close of the Treasurer's term of office and shall report to CAPASUS at the next meeting.
The officers have the responsibility of performing all duties charged to them loyally and faithfully. The duties of the officers include:
1. The President shall be responsible for planning and organizing the Annual Conference and presiding over business meetings of CAPASUS. He/she shall devote his/her office wholly to achieving the objectives, including fund raising, of CAPASUS.
2. The Vice-President shall assume the duties of the President in his/her absence. He/she shall assist the President in fund raising and in carrying out social, cultural, and other activities.
3. The Treasurer shall be in charge of, be responsible for, and be accountable for all funds, securities, receipts, and disbursements of the CAPASUS account, and shall collect and deposit dues in the name of CAPASUS. He/she shall prepare an annual financial report, including a balance sheet and a financial statement of operation at the end of the year. He/she shall submit a budget for the coming year before the Annual Conference and present it for approval by the Advisory Council.
4. The Secretary shall be in charge of keeping the minutes of the meetings and editing and publishing the CAPASUS newsletter.
5. The State Representative shall coordinate State CAPASUS activities and assist the President in carrying out the objectives of CAPASUS.
The Nominating Committee shall consist of five (5) members, and shall be nominated by the Advisory Council. The Nominating Committee is to nominate candidates for the upcoming CAPASUS Vice-President.
The Membership Committee shall consist of five (5) members, and shall be nominated by the Advisory Council. The Membership Committee is to review and approve membership applications.
The membership shall consist of Chinese-Americans, who are or have been residents in the Southeastern United States, and have attained outstanding achievements or have made significant contributions in academic, cultural, social, professional, and/or business fields. All applicants must be recommended by two (2) current members, approved by the Membership Committee, and voted upon at the Annual Conference.
Meetings of the Advisory Council may be called at any time by the President or by a majority of the Council to discuss important CAPASUS affairs.
Term of CAPASUS officers:
1. The CAPASUS President shall serve one (1) year. At the end of one (1) year, the Vice-President shall become the President.
2. The Vice-President shall be elected at the Annual Conference by ballots. The Treasurer, Secretary, and Representative from each State shall be appointed by the President. All new officers shall assume their duties for one (1) year immediately upon the adjournment of the Annual Conference until the next Annual Conference is adjourned.
All officers may be impeached and disqualified for wrongdoings by two-thirds (2/3) of members who participate in the impeachment procedure. The quorum for impeachment shall be one-half (1/2) of the active members of CAPASUS.
Amendment(s) to the Constitution shall be endorsed by at least five (5) members in writing and be proposed to the Advisory Council for review. Thereafter, all proposed amendment(s) must be presented at the following Annual Conference for approval by at least two-thirds (2/3) of members attending the business meeting of the Annual Conference.

BY-LAWS

The Chinese-American Academic and Professional Association in Southeastern United States

ARTICLE I. GENERAL

SECTION I. MEMBERSHIP

All members of the Association shall be classified in one of the following categories:

A REGULAR MEMBER shall have the right to vote, to sponsor new members, to hold office, and to participate in all activities of the Association.
A NON-ACTIVE MEMBER is a regular member who has failed to pay the annual dues after three reminders. He/she shall not hold office, vote on any matters pertaining to the Association, nor enjoy the other privileges of a regular member. He/she may be reinstated upon application accompanied by the payment of the current year's dues and the nominal application fees. After being a non-active member for two (2) consecutive years, his/her membership shall be cancelled automatically.

SECTION II. ELECTIONS

Paragraph A. The election of the Vice President shall be conducted in the General Assembly of the Annual Meeting.

Paragraph B. The Secretary shall prepare a list of candidates who have been nominated by the Nomination Committee. Candidates may also be nominated from the General Assembly.

Paragraph C. The Secretary shall prepare and distribute a ballot to each of the regular members attending the Annual Meeting. At the termination of election, the Secretary shall collect the ballots and give them to the Tellers for counting. The Secretary shall destroy ballots after the installation of Vice President.

Paragraph D. For the balloting of Amendments to the Constitution, the Secretary shall prepare a letter ballot showing a printed statement of the proposed amendment(s) and mail a ballot to each regular member. The ballot shall specify the date of closure of voting. Upon receipt of the ballot, the Secretary shall check the name of the sender against the roster of members. At the termination of voting, the Secretary shall count the ballots and inform the members of the Advisory Council of the results.

SECTION III. DUTIES OF THE OFFICERS

Paragraph A. The duties of the officers are in addition to those stated in the Constitution.

Paragraph B. The President shall prepare an agenda for each meeting, which shall incorporate the following order of business:

Introductory Remarks
Roll Call
Secretary's Report
Treasurer's Report
Requested Reports of Committee Chairmen
Approval of Reports
Old Business
New Business
Adjournment

Paragraph C. The Vice President shall:

Perform all duties that may be delegated to him/her.
Succeed to the Presidency when the President is incapable of fulfilling his/her duties or is being impeached.

Paragraph D. The Secretary shall:

Be appointed by the President. He/she shall assist the President in conducting the daily business of the Association, maintaining approved records of the Association, and correcting the register of members of the Association.
Record the transactions of the Annual Meeting and prepare said record(s) for publication in the newsletter.
Record the transactions of all Advisory Council Meetings. Promptly after each meeting, he/she shall forward a copy of the Minutes to each member of said Council.
Receive all documents belonging to the Association, and shall file and store the said documents.

Paragraph E. The Treasurer shall:

Be appointed by the President. He/she shall assist the President in managing financial and accountable items of the Association.
Receive all monies payable to the Association including dues and donations, giving a receipt or acknowledgement thereof and cause the same to be deposited in the Association's account. He/she shall pay orders on the treasury upon receipt of a properly attested voucher from the Secretary.
Keep accurate records of all receipts and expenditures and shall prepare a complete report of all transactions of the preceding fiscal year for publication in the Newsletter.

ARTICLE II. FISCAL YEAR

The Fiscal Year of the Association shall begin July 1 and close June 30 of the following year.

SECTION I. DUES

Paragraph A. The annual dues shall be set by the Advisory Council and approved by the General Assembly in the Annual Meeting.

Paragraph B. The annual dues of all members are due by June 15 or during registration at the Annual Meeting.

Paragraph C. A member who fails to pay the annual dues after three (3) monthly reminders or after October 15 shall automatically be classified as a non-active member. He/she shall not enjoy the privileges of regular members before being reinstated.

SECTION II. DISBURSEMENT OF FUNDS

Paragraph A. Regular budget expenses of the Association shall be paid by the Treasurer upon receipt of a proper voucher from the Secretary. No officer or member of the Association shall incur any financial obligations in the name of the Association without the consent of the Advisory Council.

Paragraph B. All disbursements of the Association's funds shall be made by check signed by the Treasurer and must be substantiated by a properly executed warrant or voucher from the Secretary.

Paragraph C. Expenses of the Association over a minimum of two hundred dollars ($200.00) and those not specifically spelled out and provided for in the budget, must be approved by the Advisory Council before payment.

ARTICLE III. EXECUTIVE

ECTION I. ADVISORY COUNCIL

Paragraph A. The Advisory Council shall consist of the President, Vice President, and three (3) most recent active past presidents.

Paragraph B. The Advisory Council shall review the Treasurer's records within thirty (30) days after the expiration of his/her term, and the review report shall be presented at the next Annual Meeting.

SECTION II. COMMITTEES

Paragraph A. Each committee shall have a chairman. All appointments shall be for a period of one (1) year, unless otherwise specified, beginning July 1. If a vacancy occurs in the office of chairman, the President shall appoint a successor. At the discretion of the President, and with approval of the Advisory Council, any of the below committees may be increased in number:

The Membership Committee shall consist of five (5) members, nominated by the Advisory Council. It shall promote the enlistment of new regular members, update the membership roster, and send reminders of annual dues to members.
The Nomination Committee shall consist of five (5) members, nominated by the Advisory Council. This committee shall nominate candidates for the Vice President to be elected at the Annual Meeting.
The Program Committee shall consist of six (6) members, each serving a term of two (2) years, with three (3) being appointed each year by the President. This committee shall prepare programs for the Annual Meeting, select speakers, and assist the Newsletter Editor in preparing the proceedings.
The Budget Committee shall consist of four (4) members, each serving a term of two (2) years with two (2) being appointed each year by the President. The chairman of the committee shall be the Treasurer. This committee shall prepare a budget for the operation of the Association. This budget shall be presented for approval by the Advisory Council.
The Publicity Committee shall consist of two (2) members, each serving a term of two (2) years, with one (1) being appointed each year. The Vice President shall be the committee chairman. This committee shall assist the Secretary in making known the activities and objectives of the Association through the appropriate channels and shall assist the President in fund raising for the Association.
The Tellers Committee shall consist of three (3) members appointed by the President at the Annual Conference. The committee shall tally the votes cast in the election of the Vice President and on any proposed amendment to the Constitution, By-laws, or any resolution voted upon by the eligible members. It shall report the results to the Secretary of the Association.

Paragraph B. At the discretion of the President, a meeting of those committee chairmen so designated shall be held jointly with the President for planning and discussing the committee activities and assignments. The time and place shall be decided by the President.

Paragraph C. Each committee chairman shall submit to the Secretary a written report of committee activities and recommendations two (2) months prior to the Annual Meeting.

SECTION III. PUBLICATIONS

The President shall appoint a Newsletter Editor. The Editor shall:

Be responsible for the publication of newsletters on an irregular basis.
Publish the Association旧 news, items of interest to the membership, personal notes concerning members, and Association business.
Be the Editor-in-Chief of the proceedings of the Annual Meeting. He/she shall appoint or invite assistant editors for assistance in publication of said proceedings.

SECTION IV. GENERAL PROVISIONS

Paragraph A. The Advisory Council shall be empowered to establish committees for the purpose of promoting service for the members, recognition of the Association, enhancement of public relations, and fulfilling the obligations of the officers.

Paragraph B. The President, after prior approval of the Advisory Council, shall be empowered to establish affiliation with other technical and special interest groups for the purpose outlined in the Constitution. Agreements of affiliation shall be approved by the Advisory Council and ratified by a two-thirds (2/3) majority of votes cast by the General Assembly in the Annual Meeting.

SECTION V. AMENDMENTS

Amendments to the Constitution and By-laws shall be studied by the Constitution and By-laws Committee established at the discretion of the President and with approval of the Advisory Council. The exception being cases pertaining to dues which the Advisory Council shall study and recommend, place on the agenda of the Annual Meeting, and must be adopted by a two-thirds (2/3) majority of the votes cast by the General Assembly.