ALOA Institutional Locksmiths
Chapter Formation & Operations Handbook
ALOA Institutional Locksmiths
Chapter Formation & Operations Handbook
© 2015 ALOA SPAI. All rights reserved. No part* of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or by any information storage or retrieval system without written permission from the owner.
* Forms to be submitted by Chapters are exempt and may be reproduced by Chapters.
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Section 1 - Introduction
The bylaws of the ALOA Security Professionals Association International (ALOA SPAI) provide for the establishment of chapters in any country, state, city and/or geographical area. ALOA Institutional Locksmith (AIL), being a division of ALOA SPAI, is permitted to promote and maintain a similar program.
The purpose of an AIL chapter is to bring the association to its member; to make the association more visible and better able to serve its membership. Without local chapters - which a member can more personally identify with - the association can seem to be a detached and impersonal entity.
For many AIL members, the chapter is the association. The impression a member, prospective member or guest perceives at the local chapter level will be their impression of the association.
If a chapter is operated in a professional manner, members, prospective members, guests and the community will view the chapter and the AIL more favorably.
Although it does take a considerable commitment of time and hard work, forming a Chapter is an extremely rewarding experience.
It is expected that chapters operate as a mini-association. Each chapter should have:
Ñ A Board of Director tasked with the daily operation of the chapter
Ñ Regularly scheduled general membership meetings to discuss the affairs of the chapter, AIL and ALOA SPAI, coupled with an informative educational program.
The AIL Mission Statement
The ALOA Institutional Locksmiths, a division of ALOA SPAI, is dedicated to increasing and enhancing the technical skills of its members through education and certification. By partnering with locksmith, security and door hardware industry companies and organizations, we strive to provide a safe and secure environment for our employers, co-workers and patrons utilizing technical expertise and professionalism.
Definitions
In this handbook, the national office of ALOA SPAI shall be referred to as “the Association.” The AIL shall be referred to as "the Division." The local chapter shall be referred to as “the Chapter.”
AIL Chapter Formation and Operations Handbook
Section 2 - Chapter Formation Procedures
Association-Chapter Relationship
Under the By-laws of AIL there are provisions that allow and encourage the formation of chapters of the Division as stated below:
CHAPTERS
The Division may recognize chapters pursuant to policies adopted by the Board of Directors, and shall operate in accordance with any regulations as may be set forth.
Chapters chartered by the AIL shall exercise all the rights and privileges delegated to said chapter within the geographical area specifically defined for said chapter. No other chapter may exercise any rights in the geographical area of another chapter without the written approval of the AIL.
Chapters chartered by the AIL must conform to all the requirements of the bylaws and policy, and adhere to all the provisions of the Chapter Leadership and Operations Handbook. The handbook is available from the AIL Headquarters. Access is provided to all chapter officers upon approval of the charter by the Board of Directors.
Those interested in forming a chapter should contact the AIL president.
Working with the AIL President
The AIL President is a chapter's reporting link to both the ALOA SPAI headquarters, the Chapter Liaison and the Board of Directors. The AIL president is responsible for providing guidance in forming chapters, and assistance where needed in chapter growth. The AIL President will assist in determining realistic boundaries and will obtain promotional materials from the headquarters to help attract new members.
The President will provide the necessary administrative support including: documents and procedures for forming a chapter, developing programs for the chapters, updating chapter contacts and maintaining the chapter database.
Petitioning for Chapter Status
The petitioners must submit a Chapter Charter petition, as well as the other information listed below.
1. Selecting an Appropriate Name: Select a name descriptive of the area yet recognizable by individuals from outside the area. Name such as Central Montana or Northern Idaho are descriptive and recognizable. Names with vague origins are not recommended, and may be rejected by AIL.
2. Establishing Boundaries: Please consult with the AIL President and HQ Chapter Liaison. Few problems are encountered when chapters are located more than 75-miles apart. In areas where one or more chapters already exist, care must be taken to establish boundaries that will not infringe upon another chapter’s chartered area. To preclude any problems, a map of the proposed boundaries must be presented to the AIL president for review. In some instances the AIL President may suggest the formation of a new chapter without the permission from other affected chapters if the formation of the new chapter is warranted.
3. Postal Codes: (This is a requirement for US areas only.) The petition must include an inclusive listing of the first three digits of the zip/postal codes for the area to be chartered. This is necessary as Headquarters uses the postal codes to determine chapter assignments for new members and for transfer requests.
4. Petitioners: A minimum of twelve (12) AIL members in good standing who are located within the boundaries of the proposed chapter must sign the charter petition. A member in good standing is defined as an individual who has been accepted as a member of AIL, has paid dues in full for the current year and has no other sanctions levied against the member by ALOA SPAI or any of its divisions.
5. The Charter Petition Documentation: Submit the completed Chapter Charter Petition with the following required documents:
1. AIL Chapter Charter Petition
2. AIL Chapter Charter Petition Signature list
3. A proposed boundary map
4. List of ZIP Codes within the boundary area
5. Copies of letters of approval from adjacent chapters & affiliates, if any
These documents should be submitted to the AIL president for review. Once endorsements have been obtained from the AIL president and Chapter Liaison, the petition will be submitted to the AIL Board of Directors for approval. The AIL Board of Directors shall review the petition within 90 days, and inform the perspective chapter members.
After Approval
Once you receive approval from the AIL Board of Directors, the next step you'll need to take is to get incorporated within the state where you will operate.
In most cases, you'll be able to incorporate as a not-for-profit organization. This can often be done online using an online legal service. But if you're unsure of how to properly proceed, it may be best to contact a lawyer who will be able to submit the proper paperwork to the appropriate government agencies.
Upon receiving your Articles of Incorporation, AIL Headquarters will send the perspective chapter any remaining documentation that may require completion. At that time, the AIL president will contact the chapter to establish a date for the organizational meeting.
There, an ALOA SPAI or AIL official will conduct the initial election and installation for chapter officers, and present the chapter charter and other items. Invitations to this meeting will be issued to all the AIL members within the chartered area. For the purpose of the organizational meeting, a majority of the original chapter petitioners shall constitute a quorum for the meeting.
Membership & Transfers
The original signers of the petition will automatically be assigned membership into the new chapter. Other individuals who are currently a member of another chapter that wish to join the new chapter must submit a written request to AIL Headquarters.
To facilitate the process during the first few months of your chapter's existence, A "Request to Transfer" form will be included in your Chapter Formation & Operations Handbook. Any future transfer petitions should be submitted with each month's chapter activity report.
Classes of Chapter Membership
All members of your chapter will fall into one of two classes of membership: Full AIL members, and chapter-only members.
Ñ Premium AIL Members - These members enjoy all available benefits and services offered by AIL and ALOA SPAI. Annual dues are paid to AIL, as well as any that may be assessed locally by your chapter. These members are afforded full voting privileges on AIL as well as ALOA SPAI matters, and have the choice of receiving Keynotes by mail or email.
Ñ Basic AIL Members - Members receive Keynotes and other AIL and ALOA SPAI correspondence via email only. Basic Members only have voting rights at the chapter level. Annual dues are paid to AIL at a discounted rate, as well as any that may be assessed locally by your chapter.
Ñ Chapter-Only Members - These members are members of your chapter only. They won't receive any of the services offered to AIL or ALOA SPAI members. They will pay any chapter dues directly to your chapter. Chapter-Only members only have voting rights at the chapter level.
Electing Officers and Directors
Your chapter will require three (3) officers to operate your chapter, and must be Premium AIL Members: Chairman, Secretary, and Treasurer.
No person shall hold more than one officer position at a time.
You may also elect other officers such as vice-president or sergeant-at-arms as the need arises.
It is up to each chapter to determine the number of directors that will help guide your chapter. Director positions may include: newsletter editor, committee chairmen, parliamentarian, webmaster, etc. It is possible that an officer may also have the responsibilities of a certain type of director (newsletter, etc.) if another responsible person cannot be found to assume these duties.
Although there is not a firm number of officers and directors needed to operate a chapter, it is best to have a Board of Directors that number between five and nine members. This amount may change as the total number of members of the chapter increases.
The term of each position shall be two years. It is recommended that the terms of the officers be staggered. This helps prevent a complete turnover of all officers at the same time and ensures a level of continuity from year to year. To accomplish this, the first term of office of either the president or other officers would have to be one year, while the others would be two years.
Officer Duties
Chairman
Ñ Perform all duties incidental to his office and suggest such actions as may be deemed possible to increase the value and esteem of the chapter and AIL
Ñ Chair all meetings of the chapter, and set the time and date of all meetings
Ñ Attend other industry related functions in your region
Ñ Vigorously pursue all available opportunities to recruit new members to the chapter, and the board
Ñ Act as the reporting link to the AIL president by ensuring that all reports are sent to the division in a timely manner.
Secretary
Ñ Responsible for the conduct of the chapter’s official correspondences and meetings records, the preservation of its books and records
Ñ Concisely record and maintain the minutes of all Board and General Membership meetings using the guide found in Appendix F
Ñ Present a copy of the previous meeting minutes to the board prior to the next meeting for review
Ñ Publish and mail all chapter correspondences.
Treasurer
Ñ Manage all incoming and outgoing chapter fiscal transactions in an account in the name of the chapter
Ñ Keep regular accounts of all receipts and disbursements. These records shall be available for inspection by all chapter officers and members in good standing, and any authorized ALOA SPAI or AIL representative
Financial Matters
Each chapter will be responsible for its own financial affairs. Under no circumstances will there be any connection between AIL and chapter funds. The chapter fiscal year shall coincide with that of AIL.
Cash Basis System of Accounting
Most chapters can adequately operate using the simplest form of accounting – the Cash-Basis System. Under the cash-basis system all income is recorded upon receipt of payment and assigned to that period and all expenses are recorded in the period when the disbursement actually occurs. A simple ledger showing all chapter income and disbursements should be sufficient enough to reflect all of the chapter's financial transactions.
While other forms of accounting exist, using the Cash-Basis System should adequately serve the bookkeeping needs of most chapters.
Annual Audit
Some form of an annual audit is necessary. Accuracy of records should be verified by a chapter audit committee, or independent bookkeeper or accountant. This annual audit should be reported to the chapter membership and entered into the chapter minutes.
BYLAWS
Your chapter will need to have bylaws in place, usually as a part of the incorporation process. Your chapter may also have a policy manual or other regulations document that may be needed to help manage the affairs of the chapter. Just keep in mind that no regulation may be created that supersedes that of AIL or ALOA SPAI.
A copy of the chapter bylaws will be sent to AIL at the headquarters for review.
Division-Chapter Communication
The AIL communicates with the chapters and the membership though many methods:
Ñ The ALOA SPAI monthly magazine, Keynotes
Ñ The website: aloa.org
Ñ Direct mailings using both traditional mail and e-mail.
In turn, your chapter is required to send various reports to the AIL at certain times throughout the year as directed by the AIL president, ALOA executive director or chapter liaison. Depending on the type, reports may be monthly, quarterly and annually.
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AIL Chapter Formation and Operations Handbook
Section 3 - Managing Your Chapter
Building Interest in Your New Chapter
Running a chapter isn’t all about following rules and regulations. Now it’s time to get down to the business of actually having educational meetings.