Council of Citizens with Low Vision International

Constitution



ARTICLE I: NAME

The name of this organization shall be the Council of Citizens with Low Vision International, hereafter referred to as CCLVI. This organization shall be a non-profit membership organization and shall do all things necessary to qualify for tax exempt status pursuant to Internal Revenue Service rulings.


ARTICLE II: PURPOSE

CCLVI is an advocacy membership organization the purposes of which are:

  1. To establish the right of persons with low vision to make full use of their vision through all available aids, services and technology.


  2. To provide a mechanism through which low vision people can express their individual needs, interests and preferences.


  3. To educate the general public, professionals, and low vision people themselves as to the potentialities, capabilities, and needs of low vision people.


  4. To establish outreach programs to insure that all individuals with low vision have access to necessary services.


  5. To promote research to prevent blindness, improve maximum utilization of sight, and improve environmental conditions and access for low vision people.


  6. To support the development of and expansion of pre-service and in-service training programs to improve the quality and quantity of medical and rehabilitative low vision services.

ARTICLE III: MEMBERSHIP, VOTING, AND DUES

Members of CCLVI shall be: Any low vision person, family member or friend of a low vision person, or person who supports the purposes of CCLVI as listed in this Constitution and By-Laws is eligible to become a voting member of CCLVI. For purposes of this Constitution and By-Laws, CCLVI considers a person to be low vision if the best corrected vision in the better eye is not greater than 20/70 but is better than light perception or light projection or whose visual fields have a maximum diameter of no greater than 30 degrees.


  1. MEMBERSHIP


    2. The membership of this organization shall consist of: members at large, affiliate members, professional members.

    1. Members at large shall be individual voting members who are not members through an affiliated organization as defined in this Constitution and By-Laws.


    2. Affiliate members shall be voting members and shall consist of:


      1. Chapters chartered by or for the specific purpose of becoming an affiliate member of CCLVI;


      2. Formally or informally established pre-existing low-vision support groups, who meet the criteria set forth for affiliation in this Constitution and By-Laws, and who comply with provisions for affiliate as set forth herein.


    3. Life members shall enjoy all privileges of member at large status throughout their lifetimes.


    4. Professional members are low vision clinics, doctors, agencies, service organizations, service providers, and units of government who serve persons with low vision, but who do not meet the requirements of this Constitution and By- Laws for affiliation and who do not meet the requirements for, or desire, member-at-large status as set forth herein.



  2. AFFILIATION


    3. Any organization, a majority of whose members are persons with low vision, and which has at least ten (10) members in good standing in total, may apply for affiliation with CCLVI. Such application must be approved by a majority of the CCLVI Board of Directors. To remain in good standing, an affiliate must comply with these requirements at all times.


  3. VOTING


    1. Each voting member attending an annual CCLVI convention shall be entitled to one (1) vote. In addition, official delegates from affiliates shall be entitled to cast one (1) vote for each ten (10) members or major fraction thereof, providing that each affiliate may not cast more than twenty-five (25) votes.


    2. The right of an affiliate to vote shall be conditioned on the direct payment to the CCLVI Treasurer of individual dues. The Treasurer shall than maintain an alphabetical list of the names and addresses of voting members. Dues must reach the Treasurer by February 15th. Voting members to the CCLVI National Convention shall be defined as those members at large and affiliate members who meet the age criteria for membership as set forth by the American Council of the Blind.



  4. DUES


    1. Annual dues structure for individual members of CCLVI shall be:


      1. Fifteen Dollars, ($15.00) for members at large who join or renew membership with CCLVI directly.


      2. Ten Dollars, ($10.00) per Capita for members who join or renew membership with CCLVI as a member of a chapter.


    2. Dues for professional members shall be twenty-five dollars ($25.00) per year.


    3. The CCLVI Treasurer shall send out membership renewal notices to members at large. Affiliate members, and professional members at least thirty (30) days prior to the start of each membership year.


    4. The CCLVI membership year is February 1 through January 31.


    5. CCLVI life membership dues are one hundred fifty dollars ($150.00) per person.


    6. If a CCLVI life member is also a member of an affiliate, he or she may still be required to pay affiliate dues as set and determined by the local affiliate.



ARTICLE IV: OFFICERS

  1. Officers of CCLVI shall consist of: a President, a First Vice President, a Second Vice President, a Recording Secretary, and a Treasurer. Their terms of office shall be for two years effective July 1986 and each even numbered year henceforth.


  2. In addition to the officers, CCLVI shall have nine (9) Directors elected at the national CCLVI convention for terms of three (3) years, three (3) Directors to be elected each year.


  3. The officers of CCLVI, the Directors, and the Immediate Past President (ex-official) shall constitute the Board of Directors.


  4. No Officer of CCLVI shall be elected for more than two (2) consecutive terms to the same office except for Recording Secretary and Treasurer. No Director shall be elected for more than three (3) consecutive terms. All members of the Board of Directors except for the Recording Secretary and Treasurer shall be persons with low vision.


  5. No member of the Board of Directors shall receive compensation for services to CCLVI. He or She may be reimbursed for actual expenses incurred in the execution of his or her duties. No professional employee of CCLVI shall be elected to any office.


  6. Officers and Directors shall be elected by a majority vote cast at regular national CCLVI conventions.


  7. The President, with the concurrence of the Board of Directors, shall appoint any such committees which seem necessary for the functioning of the organization. All members, both voting and non-voting members, may serve on committees.


  8. In addition to the Board of Directors, there shall be an advisory committee of professional persons working in the area of low vision to be selected by the Board of Directors.



ARTICLE V: POWERS AND DUTIES

  1. Any voting member may make or second motions, or propose nominations. Any voting member may hold any office except as otherwise specified in this Constitution and By-Laws. All members may serve on committees. The Board of Directors may determine the time and place of its meetings except that the annual National CCLVI Convention shall be held in conjunction with national convention activities of the American Council of the Blind.


  2. Officers of CCLVI shall perform the usual function of officers as prescribed in the current edition of Roberts Rules of Order unless otherwise provided herein or by the Board of Directors.


    1. The Secretary, in edition to the usual duties of such office, shall furnish the CCLVI Newsletter Editor with a summary of all official actions taken at each annual National CCLVI Convention and meeting of the Board of Directors as soon as possible after the close of each meeting.


    2. The Treasurer, in addition to the usual duties of such office, shall send lists of new individual members to the respective nearest chapters and shall maintain chapter membership lists and assist with credentials reports to establish voting rights of chapters at the annual National CCLVI Convention. In addition to these duties, the Treasurer, shall furnish a financial report at each meeting of the Board of Directors and at each annual National CCLVI Convention. He or she shall collect all dues and shall maintain membership lists.


  3. The Board of Directors shall be the governing body of CCLVI between annual conventions, provided that it shall make no policy decisions, or take no actions in conflict with existing decisions or actions of the annual National CCLVI convention.


  4. The Nominating Committee shall consist of one person from each affiliate, the manner of selecting that person to be determined by the affiliate, and such other persons as the President, with the concurrence of the Board of Directors shall appoint.


  5. The Credentials Committee shall consist of three (3) CCLVI voting members, including at least one member of the Board of Directors, appointed by the President with the concurrence of the Board of Directors. Prior to the second session of an annual National CCLVI Convention, Each affiliate delegate or alternate shall provide to the Credentials Committee, in writing, the names of the official delegate and alternate, and the affiliate voting totals to be used at the convention.


  6. Any vacancy in the Board of Directors (Officers or Directors of CCLVI shall be filled by a majority vote of the Board of Directors then holding office. Officers or Directors thus elected shall hold their positions only until the next annual National CCLVI Convention, at which time, unexpired terms shall be filled by the membership.



ARTICLE VI: MEETINGS

A regular meeting of this organization shall be held once a year, to be known as the annual National CCLVI Convention. A majority of all votes certified and seated at the convention shall constitute a quorum to do business.


ARTICLE VII: PROCEDURE

In the absence of procedures contained herein, all procedures of CCLVI shall be governed by the most current edition of Roberts Rules of Order.


ARTICLE VIII: AMENDMENTS

This Constitution and By-Laws may be amended at any annual National CCLVI convention by a two thirds majority of those present and voting according to voting procedures contained herein, provided that proposed amendments shall be read from the floor of the Convention not later than 5:00 p.m. of the day prior to the time of final action, and provided further that the proposed amendments be presented in writing to the Chairperson of the Constitution and By-Laws Committee on or before the first day of the annual National CCLVI convention.


ARTICLE IX: AUTHORIZATION TO ESTABLISH BY-LAWS

Additional operating procedures may be established for governance of CCLVI through the adoption of By Laws. Any By Laws adopted for CCLVI must be recommended to the annual CCLVI convention by a majority vote of the CCLVI Board Of Directors. Before taking effect, such By Laws must then be ratified by a majority vote of the CCLVI annual National convention.


ARTICLE X: DISSOLUTION

In the event of the dissolution of CCLVI, all assets, real or personal, shall be distributed to such organizations, selected by the Board of Directors, as are qualified as tax exempt under Section 501 (c) (3) or the Internal Revenue Code or corresponding provisions of any future United States Revenue code.


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