ALA Fellow Process

ALA Fellow Process

American Livebearer Association Fellow Process

The American Livebearer Association has a class of membership referred to as Fellow of the American Livebearer Association Membership.

 

This membership class is an awarded form of membership to those members of the Association that, through their contributions of past efforts, have been recognized by the Association. The membership class is conferred by vote of the BOD to an individual for outstanding contributions to the American Livebearer Association, is non-transferable, and is relieved of dues payment, but receives all entitlements of General Membership.

As an aid to the Board of Directors, a process has been established for the consideration, nomination, selection, and conferral of an ALA Fellow.

1.0 Fellow Description

Fellow of the American Livebearer Association Membership in the society is:

  1. conferred by vote of the BOD to an individual for outstanding contributions to the American Livebearer Association.
  2. is non-transferable.
  3. Relieved of dues payment, but receives all annual entitlements of General Membership, including one of each ballot issued, six issues of LIVEBEARERS and issues of THE LIVEBEARER TRADER, and may hold office, whether elected or appointed.
  4. Additionally, an ALA fellow is given all of the respect and accommodations that an ALA Fellow is entitled, including:
  1. Recognition of selection and conferral as an ALA Fellow will be made at a subsequent ALA Convention. .
  2. A plaque and certificate bestowed at that event.
  3. With a written yearly request, a Fellow may request to receive the monthly BOD letters distributed by the Chairman. .
  4. As a Fellow, an opinion with regard to a policy decision, organization change or management action may be submitted to the current ALA Chairman, and shall be distributed to the BOD for consideration. .
  5. An ALA Fellow may also submit recommendations, concerns and reflections to the BOD letter distribution list following each BOD letter. .
  6. The Fellow designation is a life appointment with these exceptions:
    1. The Fellow submits in writing to the Fellowship chair and the current ALA chairman that they no longer wish to continue as an ALA Fellow.
    2. Conditions set forth in the bylaws, Article III, Sections 6.


2.0 Criteria and Considerations for ALA Fellow

The following are guidelines and principles that a nominee should embody:

  1. Must have demonstrated a commitment to the ALA over a substantial (but unspecified) period of time; having accepted and completed duties that have contributed to the operation and success of the ALA.
  2. Must be a respected member of the Association, having demonstrated the friendship, collaboration, consideration and positive traits that contribute constructively to the operation of the ALA.
  3. Must be nominated, considered and selected within the process outlined in this document. .
  4. Must be considered and selected by a quorum of the current Fellow Committee; where a quorum is a total of more than half of the eligible Committee members. .

3.0 ALA Fellow Committee

An ALA Fellow Committee shall be one of the standing ALA committees.

3.1 Committee Makeup

  1. The committee shall consist of a Chairman who is:
    1. Responsible for all administration and operation of the Committee in line with the processes outlined in this procedure and is appointed annually.
    2. A non-voting member of the Committee unless they are a Fellow or a previous or current Chairman.
  2. Additional membership is automatic for.
    1. All current Fellows.
    2. All current and previous Chairmen of the American Livebearer Association.
  3. The committee is responsible for the due process of nomination, consideration, and selection of Fellow candidates based upon the guidelines set forth in this process within the timeframes defined.
  4. Those participating in the current Fellow selection process for each particular year will be agreed upon by February 1st, and confirmed by the Fellow chairman to the current ALA chairman, the BOD, and other qualified members of the election process.
  5. Other than the Chairman of the Committee, all members serving on the Committee do so of their own free will, and may decline to participate in any given years process for any reason.

3.2 Voting Members

  1. Voting members of the Committee are:
    1. Current Fellows;
    2. previous ALA Chairmen, and.
    3. the current ALA Chairman.
  2. Only one vote per person is to be counted, irrespective of whether they are both a Fellow and a previous or current ALA Chairman.

3.3 Committee chairman’s Responsibilities

  1. The Committee Chairman is responsible for the solicitation and collection of recommendations for Fellow nominees.
  2. Conducting all communication and voting requirements within the specified timeframes with other members of the committee.
    1. Soliciting voting from all members.
    2. Tabulating votes.
    3. Reporting to the committee the voting results.
    4. Conducting re-votes as necessary.
    5. Providing communication to the Committee members as necessary.
  3. Consolidating all recommendations/resumes into an appropriate voting format by February 7th of each year. .
  4. Communicating to the ALA the annual results of the selection(s) by the Fellow Committee prior to the annual Convention.
  5. Responsible for any plaques, certificates, or other items appropriate to new Fellow acknowledgement by the appropriate timeframe.
  6. Retention of all records, resumes, and communications as appropriate to the committee until appropriately archived.


4.0 The Fellow process

4.1 Nomination Process

  1. A Fellow nomination and the required resume must be submitted to the Fellow chairman by January 31st.
  2. A nominations may be submitted by:
    1.  a current or previous ALA chairman.
    2. a current Fellow.
  3. All resumes become the responsibility of the Fellow chairman and will be retained by the Fellow Chairman in the event any non-chosen candidate is re-nominated in following years.
  4. The Fellow Chairman accepts all nominations and consolidates Fellow submissions prior to submittal to the Fellow Committee members.

4.2 Consideration Process

  1. Consideration of a candidate to become a Fellow must begin with a nomination from one of the following sources:
    1. A Current Fellow.
    2. A previous or current ALA Chairman.
  2. The person nominating a particular candidate is responsible for a resume of the candidate reaching the current chairman and Fellow chairman for that individual to be included in the deliberation process. .
  3. Nomination and resume must be received by January 31st to be considered for appointment at that year’s convention.  .
  4. The selection of a nominee must be based solely on merit, if an agreed upon candidate is not available during any particular year, there will not be an appointment for that year.
  5. A fellowship cannot be given as a result of a promise, quid pro quo, compensation, or consideration for an action, contribution or philanthropy to the organization.

4.3 Selection Process

  1. By February 7th, a voting packet of the names and any other materials (resume, comments by the person nominating the candidate, etc.) of all Fellow nominees will be sent to each of the current Fellow Committee (current/previous ALA Chairmen and current Fellows.
    1. this is to be completed by the Fellow chairman, or
    2. in the event that the Fellow Chairman cannot complete this task, current ALA Chairman will fulfill this task.
  1. A current Fellow Committee member has 5 (five) days from receipt of a Fellow voting packet to submit a comment on any nominee to be taken into consideration by the electing group.
  1. A yes or no vote on each Fellow candidate is due 8 (eight) days after the original Fellow packet is sent [postmarked or date/time stamped if an email delivery].

4.4 Selection process

  1. Votes submitted by the current Fellow Committee member must be sent to the Fellow Chairman and each current Fellow Committee member. .
  2. The Fellow Chairman tabulates the vote received.
    1. Each current Fellow Committee member is entitled to vote on each candidate under consideration.
    2. No ballot shall be valid if received (if electronic) or postmarked (if mailed) more than 7 (seven) days after the ballot was postmarked/time-stamped to the current Fellow Committee.
  3. Nominee names that receive the highest number of yes votes by a majority of the current Fellow Committee members are forwarded to the ALA Chairman by March 1st.  .
  4. A majority vote by the quorum of the current Fellow Committee is required for a nominee to be recommended by the current Fellow Committee to the current ALA Chairman.

4.5 Conferral process

  1. The ALA Chairman submits the selected ALA Fellow nominee names to the 5 BOD members for vote in the March BOD letter.
  2. The BOD voting response to the ALA Chairman by each BOD member must be received by the ALA Chairman by the 25th of March.
    1. A majority vote by the Board of Directors on a Fellow selectee or selectees is required to confer that membership class upon an individual in accordance with the normal voting procedures of the American Livebearer Association.
    2. No external communication by the Fellows committee chairman, BOD or ALA Chairman regarding Fellow conferral is allowed.
  3. If no majority vote is received for a nominee, that nominee is not conferred with the Fellow membership for that year.
  4. The ALA Chairman communicates either BOD conferral or non-conferral status of a candidate to the Fellow Chairman prior to April 1st.