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AEMB National Constitution (*.doc) AEMB National Constitution (*.pdf) |
Alpha Eta Mu Beta |
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ALPHA ETA MU BETA, INCORPORATED Constitution Preamble That
those in the profession of Biomedical Engineering who, by their attainments
in college or in practice, have manifested a deep interest and marked ability
in their chosen life work may be brought into a closer union so as to promote
an understanding of their profession, and to mark in an outstanding manner
those who, as students in Biomedical Engineering, have conferred honor on
their Alma Mater by distinguished scholarship, activities, leadership and
exemplary character and to aid those students to progress through association
with alumni who have attained prominence, we do hereby ordain and establish
the following Constitution. Article I NAME Section
1. Name This
organization shall be known as Alpha Eta Mu Beta Association, the National
Biomedical Engineering Honor Society.
Referred to hereinafter as the Society. Section
2. Symbol The
symbol shall be the early form of the Greek letters Alpha, Eta, Mu, and
Beta. Use of the symbols AEMB shall be
permitted. Article II MEMBERSHIP Section
1. Active Membership a. There shall be but one class of active
members. b. Active membership shall be open to those
undergraduate students duly registered in a Bioengineering or Biomedical
Engineering curriculum which has been accredited by the Accreditation Board
of Engineering and Technology (ABET), who are ranked as juniors or seniors by
their college and are in good and regular standing. All such curricula shall
be referred to herein as Biomedical Engineering. Biomedical Engineering
Technology programs are not considered comparable curricula. c. Only those juniors who have maintained an
average scholastic grade in the upper one-fifth and those seniors who have
maintained an average scholastic grade in the upper one-third of the
Biomedical Engineering class of which they are a member shall be eligible for
active membership. The scholastic
requirements of the individual chapters may be raised above those set forth
in this Constitution. In all cases,
candidates for membership shall have completed at least six semester credit
hours (or the equivalent) of Biomedical Engineering courses. d. Candidates for membership to AEMB, in
addition to having the required scholastic rank, must be of unimpeachable
character, have ability to make use of the knowledge and information
acquired, have capacity and willingness for hard work, and have a genial
nature and ability to work in harmony with all sorts of people. e. In the case of students whose eligibility
is in doubt because of irregular standing or curriculum, the matter shall be
referred to the National Executive Council for appropriate action. f. Membership in any other fraternity or
society shall not prevent a student from active membership in AEMB. g. Transfer students ranked as juniors or
seniors who have transferred from some other institution or school or from
some other department in the same school shall be eligible for active
membership provided they have maintained a scholastic grade average in the
upper one-fifth if a junior, or upper one-third if a senior, of the class
from which they transferred and provided they maintain this average for one
grade period after the transfer. In all cases, candidates for membership
shall have completed at least six semester credit hours (or the equivalent)
of Biomedical Engineering courses. h. Graduate students may be eligible for
active membership provided they are in regular standing or candidates for a
degree and have a written recommendation from the Head of the Department of
Biomedical Engineering or a member of the faculty to be designated by the
Department Head. Graduate student candidates shall have been graduated from a
school of recognized standing and shall possess substantially the same
scholastic and other qualifications as required for undergraduate membership. Section 2. Alumni
Membership a. Any graduate Biomedical Engineer from a
school now having a chapter of AEMB, who during his or her scholastic career
fulfilled the requirements for membership, may be eligible for alumni
membership providing that the degree was received during a period when the
school was accredited by the ABET. b. Any
active member, upon completion of his/her studies, shall become an alumni
member. c. A member having received a degree at one
institution and pursuing an advanced degree at a second institution may apply
to the AEMB chapter at the second institution to have his/her alumni
membership reverted to active membership, pursuant to that chapter's by-laws,
if so desired. Section 3. Faculty
Membership a. Faculty membership may be granted to a
faculty member of an ABET-accredited Department of Biomedical Engineering who
has made an outstanding contribution to education in the field of Biomedical
Engineering, upon review and approval of his/her credentials by the National
Executive Council. Active soliciting
of prospective faculty members by individual chapters may not be undertaken
prior to approval by the National Executive Council of such prospective
faculty members. b. The
purpose of the faculty membership is to provide a direct and manifest means
for faculty of the program in Biomedical Engineering to be
identified with and participate in the activities of AEMB. While there is no intent that a faculty
member should participate as an active member in the chapter, faculty need to
be fully aware of the ideals and objectives of the chapter and to render aid
and assistance to the chapter as needed. The traits expected of members of
AEMB -- scholarship, character, sociability, diligence, and widespread
interest -- are of prime consideration in faculty-student relationships. The affiliation of the faculty contribution
to the welfare of AEMB is encouraged. c. Qualifications for faculty membership are
as follows: (a) The
candidate shall hold rank above instructor in the program in Biomedical
Engineering. (b) The
candidate shall have at least three years of full-time teaching and/or
research experience as a faculty member in Biomedical Engineering program at
that particular university. (c) The
candidate shall be clearly identified with the Biomedical Engineering courses
and research of the department. (d) Faculty
memberships may be extended to outstanding faculty in Biomedical Engineering
programs which have no active student chapter of AEMB. The individual receiving the faculty
membership is required to attend the initiation on the campus of the
sponsoring chapter. (e) The
chapter membership should view every proposed faculty member as a chapter
advisor. d. Seven (7) copies of a biography of each
candidate and of qualification statements written by two (2) members of the
proposing chapter, indicating outstanding contributions, must be submitted to
the National Office six (6) weeks prior to the scheduled initiation date for
approval or disapproval by the National Executive Council. In no case may
a faculty member be initiated without specific written approval from the
National Executive Director. e. A candidate must receive at least
two-thirds affirmative votes of the total number of eligible votes in the
National Executive Council to be elected. f. Upon receipt of written approval from the
National Executive Director, the candidates for faculty membership are
processed in the same manner as active member candidates. g. The faculty member is initiated at the
next regularly scheduled initiation ceremony of the sponsoring chapter. Section 4. Eminent
Membership a. Induction
as an Eminent Member is reserved for those individuals who, by their
technical achievements and contributions to the field of Biomedical
Engineering, have shown themselves to be worthy of the honor, upon review and
approval by the National Executive Council. b. A
letter of recommendation, stating the qualifications and reasons why a person
should be given Eminent Member status, must be submitted to the National
Executive Council. c. A
candidate must receive at least two-thirds affirmative votes of the total
number of eligible votes in the National Executive Council to be elected. d. Upon
receipt of written approval from the National Executive Director, the
candidates for Eminent Membership will be inducted at the next National
Convention. Section 5. Election
of Members a. Election of members shall be conducted
either by secret or open ballot as the chapter sees fit at the time of
election. Elections shall be held as
soon after the date of determining the eligibility of the candidates as
possible. A three-quarter vote of all
active members present shall be required to elect a person to membership. b. All
candidates for membership shall be elected by an active chapter. They shall
be initiated, according to the prescribed ritual, either by the active
chapter or by a group of members to be designated by the National Executive
Director. Section 6. Eligibility
Questions Any
questions concerning the eligibility of students for active membership at a
particular school should be sent with a copy of the current chapter bylaws to
the National Vice-President for review and decision. The appeal of any
particular decision will rest solely with the National Executive Council. Section 7. Inactive
Members An
active member may become or may be declared an inactive member subject to
conditions set forth in each local chapter's bylaws. As such, these
conditions shall be approved by the National Executive Council. Each chapter
shall have a procedure whereby an inactive member may be reinstated as an
active member. Article III NATIONAL
SOCIETY ORGANIZATION Section
1. Chapters This
Society shall consist of such active chapters as have been, or shall be,
established in engineering schools having a Bioengineering or Biomedical
Engineering or comparable curriculum which has been accredited by ABET and of
such alumni chapters as have been or shall be established and recognized by
Alpha Eta Mu Beta, Incorporated. Section 2. Chapter
Names The active chapters shall be designated
by the name of the school at which they are located, and the alumni chapters
shall be designated by the name of the city in which they are located,
subject to the approval of the National Executive Council in each case. Section 3. General
Government The
Society shall be governed by the National Executive Council and the National
Convention as herein after provided. Section 4. The
National Executive Council a. The National Executive Council shall be
composed of the National President, President, Vice President, Executive
Director, Treasurer, and Secretary (the National President and Executive
Director cannot be a student member).
Each National Executive Council member shall have one vote. b. Election
of the National Executive Council members shall be held during the fall of
even-numbered years. In those
even-numbered years in which a National Convention is held, the election will
take place at the Convention.
Otherwise, elections will be held by mail prior to October 31st of the
non-convention even year. If there is
a National Convention, the President will appoint a Nominating Committee that
will present a slate of candidates to the Convention, with installation of
the new National Executive Council being made just prior to the conclusion of
the Convention. If no Convention is held in the even-numbered year, the
President shall chair a Nominating Committee composed of the President and
the Advisory Board. Nominations will
be solicited from the active chapters by the Nominating Committee at least
two months prior to the mail election deadline of October 31st. Installation
of the National Executive Council, elected by mail, will be accomplished by
the outgoing President just prior to the conclusion of the first National
Executive Council meeting that follows the election. c. The
National President, President, Vice President, Executive Director, Secretary,
and Treasurer shall be elected by a plurality of the National Executive
Council and eligible chapter votes received.
Tie votes will be resolved by a plurality vote of the National
Executive Council. Any vacancy,
whether resulting from death, resignation, removal or other cause shall be
filled by an act of election by the remaining members of the National
Executive Council. d. The
National Executive Council shall empower the National Executive Director to
secure such assistance as the Council may consider necessary. e. The
National Executive Council shall have the following powers and duties in
addition to those heretofore set forth: (1) To uphold and enforce the Constitution of
the Society. (2) To charter new chapters of the Society in
accordance with Article V, Section 3, and Article VI, Section 2. (3) To expel any chapter in accordance with
Article VIII, Section 1, paragraph c. (4) To suspend any chapter until the next
National Convention. (5) To expend the monies of the treasury of
the National Society and to adopt, by a majority vote, a budget for the
Society. (6) To prescribe the duties of the National
Officer and to provide for the regulation and operation of the business of
the Society. (7) To invoke and carry out such discipline
as may be provided for in this Constitution. (8) To publish all literature, catalogs, and
official publications of the Society, issue all certificates of membership,
and keep all official documents and properties of the Society. (9) To perform any other acts of government
deemed necessary for the good of the Society. (10) To give consideration to recommendations of
the Advisory Board. (11) To consider expulsion of any active member
in accordance with Article VIII, Section 3. Section 5. National
Officers a. Names.
The National Officers of the Society shall be the members of the
National Executive Council. b. National President. The National President shall call and
preside at meetings of the advisory board, and act as a liaison between the
advisory board and the National Executive Council. c. President. The President shall call and preside at
meetings of the National Executive Council, shall preside at each National
Convention, and shall submit a report on the welfare of the Society at each
National Convention. The term of
office of the President shall be two years. d. Vice
President. The Vice President shall
assume all duties of the office of the President in the event of absence,
disability or death. (S)he shall
assist the President in all matters of the Society. The term of office of the Vice-President
shall be two years. e. Executive
Director. The Executive Director shall
act as the administrative officer of the Society. The term of office of the Executive
Director shall be six years. (S)he
shall: (1) Collect and have charge of all funds of the
Society. (2) Keep all minutes and records of each
National Convention and distribute copies to each chapter and Executive
Council member. (3) Keep all records of proceedings and actions
of the National Executive Council. (4) Make a report to the National Society at
the National Convention assembly. (5) Keep a written record of all information
concerning the founding, historical development, and operation of the
Society. (6) Perform such other duties as the National
Executive Council may direct. f. Secretary. The Secretary shall act as liaison between
the National Executive Council and the individual chapters. The term of office of the Secretary shall
be two years. (S)he shall: (1) Keep all minutes and records of each
National Convention and distribute copies to each chapter and National
Executive Council member. (2) Publish an annual report of the National
Executive Council activities. (3) Perform the duties usually pertaining to the
office. g. Treasurer. The Treasurer shall act as the financial
officer of the Society. The term of office of the Treasurer shall be two
years. (S)he shall: (1) Be responsible for the disbursement of the
funds of the Society. (2) Keep a written record of all such
transactions and submit a financial statement at each National Convention and
each National Executive Council Meeting. (3) Be the Financial Advisor to the National
Executive Council and perform other duties as the Council may direct. (4) Be empowered to invest the funds of Alpha
Eta Mu Beta under authorization of the National Executive Council. (5) Be responsible for submission of all
financial statements as required by state and/or federal agencies. h. Advisory
Board. The Advisory Board shall be
comprised of two industrial representatives, the National President, the
Executive Director, two student representatives (Student President and Vice
President), two Alpha Eta Mu Beta faculty advisors, and the two most recent
past presidents. Article IV NATIONAL
SOCIETY GOVERNMENT Section
1. Ultimate Authority a. The ultimate authority on affairs of the
Society shall rest with the various active chapters and members of the
National Executive Council with each having one vote. The active chapters may delegate authority
on matters not specifically herein provided for to the National Officers,
National Executive Council, or Committees and Conventions of the Society. b. All constitution changes may be handled
by mail vote of the eligible voters, through the Executive Director, with a
three-fourths affirmative vote of those eligible voters responding required
for constitution changes. Constitution
changes can be initiated by the National Executive Council, a majority of
delegates at a National Convention, or by petition from a minimum of three
(3) chapters. Section 2. National
Conventions a. Legislative Powers. A National Convention shall have control of
all matters pertaining to the governance of the Society. Between conventions,
legislative powers are delegated to the National Executive Council with
constitution changes requiring a vote of the chapters as indicated in Article
V, Section 1. b. How
Constituted. The National Convention
shall consist of the National Executive Council and one or more delegates
from each of the Active Chapters provided the chapters are in good standing
with the National Society. c. Delegates. Delegates to the National Convention shall
be elected or selected by the chapter which they represent. Each Active
Chapter is expected to send one official voting delegate to the National
Convention. Delegates from chapters
must be members of the Society and in good and active standing of the chapter
electing them. d. Votes. Each member of the National Executive
Council and each Active Chapter shall have one vote in all matters of
business. All matters of business
arising in the National Convention shall be decided by vote. A majority vote of those voting,
non-abstaining delegates shall be required for positive action on any motion. e. Quorum. A two-thirds representation of the active
chapters by the official voting delegates shall constitute a National
Convention. A quorum at sessions of
the National Convention shall consist of two-thirds of the number of official
voting delegates actually present at the Convention. f. Time
and Place. The National Convention
shall, in normal times, meet every four years, at such time and place as is
determined by action of the National Executive Council. In abnormal times when it is impractical
for the Convention to meet at its regular time, it may be postponed by the
National Executive Council until such time that the Council believes it is
practical to convene. g. Powers. In those years in which a National
Convention is held, the Convention shall: (1) Transact
all business pertaining to the Society except that which may be otherwise
delegated. (2) Be
the final court of appeal for all questions regarding the interpretation of
the Constitution and all matters of discipline that may be referred to it. (3) Elect the members of the National Executive
Council of the Society; their term of office shall be as provided for in
Article III, Section 4, of this Constitution. Article V CHAPTERS Section
1. Government Except
as herein provided, each chapter shall have full control of its individual
affairs. Prior to its establishment,
each proposed chapter shall be required to enact and submit for approval to
the National Executive Council, chapter bylaws and amendments thereto, for
guidance in all matters not herein fully set forth. Each subsequent amendment to these bylaws
must be submitted to the National Executive Council and approval must be
granted. Section 2. How
Constituted The
membership of an Active Chapter shall consist of all active members including
undergraduate, graduate, and transfer students who are in regular standing
with the college. Also, membership can
include alumni members of Alpha Eta Mu Beta in good standing who reside near
the college or university; however, the alumni may not vote or hold office. Section
3. Issuance of Charter Upon
approval by three-quarters of the National Executive Council of the petition
for a charter, and upon payment to the National Society (Alpha Eta Mu Beta
Association) of the initiation fees of members to be initiated, said
petitioning group is entitled to receive a charter at a formal ceremony and
is entitled to all of the privileges of an Active Chapter as provided for in
this Constitution. The petition for a
Charter must be signed by at least nine candidates who are qualified for
membership as herein set forth. The
names of the new initiates and any existing members deemed instrumental by
the chapter in the formation shall be included on the charter and are deemed
Founding Members of that chapter (existing members do not pay dues again). Section 4. Officers The
active officers of each chapter shall consist of a President, Vice President,
Secretary, and Treasurer. At the time
of their election, the officers of the chapters must be duly registered in a
Biomedical Engineering or comparable curriculum. Their term of office shall not exceed one
year. Each chapter shall have a
Faculty Advisor who is a member of the college faculty and of Alpha Eta Mu
Beta. Section 5. Duties
of Officers The duties of officers of an Active or
Provisional Chapter shall be those performed according to Robert's Rules of
Order and as set down by the bylaws for the Chapter. Section 6. Removal
of Officers Removal of officers shall be covered in
the local chapter Bylaws. Section 7. Meetings a. Each chapter shall hold a minimum of
four (4) meetings during each academic school year. For the purpose of this requirement, each
meeting must have a quorum present.
Additional meetings may be held during the summer if the active
members attending summer school so desire. b. Special
meetings may be called at any time at the discretion of the President of the
chapter. c. A
quorum shall consist of at least fifty percent of the active membership of
the chapter. No member shall be
allowed to vote on any matter by proxy. Section 8. Annual
Report Each chapter is required to prepare an
Annual Report covering a one-year period beginning on June 1st of the
preceding year. This report is to be
submitted to the National Executive Director and must be post-marked by
midnight, June 15th. Non-compliance to
this section is subject to disciplinary action by the National Executive
Council as described in Article VIII. Required items for the Annual Report: (1) Complete financial statement. (2) National Office General Questionnaire. (3) A copy of the current chapter bylaws. (4) Records of all chapter events during the
interim period since the preceding report including minutes of meetings. (5) Record of all members inducted during the
interim period since the preceding report. (6) All unpaid initiation fees associated with
the induction of new members during the interim period since the preceding report. Article VI ALPHA
CHAPTER Section
1. Organization a. To
provide for membership of well-qualified students pursuing a degree in
Biomedical Engineering in an accredited (ABET) department in which no Active
Chapter of Alpha Eta Mu Beta is established, the Alpha Chapter of AEMB is
hereby established. b. A
Branch of Alpha Chapter may be established by unanimous vote of the National
Executive Council in a college having an accredited Biomedical Engineering
Department as heretofore defined and not having an Active Chapter of Alpha
Eta Mu Beta, upon the written consent of the Dean of Engineering and the Head
of the Department of Biomedical Engineering and upon submission of a petition
to the National Executive Director. The Branch shall seek active chapter
status when conditions permit. c. A
Branch of Alpha Chapter shall be known by the name of the school followed by
"Alpha Chapter" (Example: “X” University Branch, Alpha Chapter). d. No
formal chapter organization shall be established at any branch of Alpha
Chapter. The National Officers of the
Society shall be considered the officers of Alpha Chapter. Alpha Chapter shall not have a vote in the
National Convention. e. In
the event conditions at a school in which a Branch of Alpha Chapter has been
established become such that in the opinion of the National Executive Council
a chapter could be active therein, then the National Executive Council should
request that group to submit a petition for an Active Chapter as heretofore
provided. Section 2. Membership a. A candidate membership in the Alpha
Chapter shall conform to the academic qualifications set forth in Article II,
Section 1. (S)he shall be nominated by
a member of Alpha Eta Mu Beta and endorsed by the Head of the Department of
Biomedical Engineering of the school in which his/her Branch is located and
must receive the unanimous approval of the National Executive Council. b. Upon the establishment of an Active
Chapter at a school where a Branch of Alpha Chapter formerly existed, all
members who were initiated as members of that Branch of Alpha Chapter shall
be known as members of the newly established Active Chapter. Article VII EXPANSION Section
1. Movement for Expansion a. A
charter may be granted for the organization of an Active Chapter at any
school, college and university that offers a baccalaureate degree program in
Bioengineering or Biomedical Engineering, or its equivalent, which is
accredited by ABET in accordance with the rules herein set forth. Section 2. Petitions
for Active Chapters a. Petitions
for charters from college groups shall be submitted to the National Executive
Director. These petitions shall be
signed by at least nine persons qualified for membership as set forth in
Article II, the Department Head and the Dean. b. The
National Executive Council shall act upon these petitions within sixty days
of the receipt of the petition by the National Executive Director. c. No
fee shall be assessed for the charter of an Active Chapter. Section 3. Installation a. When
a charter for an Active Chapter is granted to the petitioning group, the
National Executive Director shall arrange the details of the installation. b. Any Active or Provisional Chapter may
request permission from the National Executive Director to install a new
chapter. Decisions as to the
installing chapter shall be determined by the National Executive Director. c. A minimum of three members from the
Active Chapter chosen to conduct the installation shall be required to be
present at an installation ceremony. Article VIII DISCIPLINARY
ACTION Section
1. Chapters a. Failure
to Submit the Annual Report. Failure to submit the annual report as described
in Article V, Section 8, will result in the following action: (1) The chapter will be placed on probationary
status for the next year by the National Executive Director and the
Department Head will be notified by registered mail with copies to the
Chapter President and Faculty Advisor. (2) If, while on probation, the chapter fails
to meet the reporting requirement on both the delinquent and current reports,
they will be reported to the National Executive Council, and that body shall
have the power to determine if the chapter should be placed on inactive
status. Inactive chapters cannot initiate new members and cannot vote at the
National Convention. After a minimum
of one year of inactive status, a chapter wishing reactivation must submit a
petition to the National Executive Council. b. Failure to Send a Delegate to the
National Convention. Failure to send a delegate to the National Convention may result in the chapter being placed
on probationary status by the Executive Director. Failure to send a delegate to the National Convention while on probation may
result in the chapter being placed on inactive status by the National Executive Council. c. The
Expulsion of Chapters. Expulsion of a
chapter for failure to live up to the Constitution of the Society, for the
performance of some act that brings discredit upon the Society, or for any
other cause, shall be decided upon by the National Executive Council. Their decision shall be submitted to the
Active Chapters for ratification.
Approval by at least three-quarters of the chapters shall be required
to uphold the decision of the National Executive Council. Section 2. Inactive
Chapters Upon being placed on inactive status,
the chapter will immediately be stricken from the Society's Roll. Section
3. The Expulsion of
Members a. An active member may be expelled from
his/her chapter and the Society for failure to live up to the Constitution
and for the performance of some act that brings discredit upon the member or
the Society, or for any just cause as shall be ruled upon by the chapter
itself, except as set forth in Article VIII, Section 3.b. b. The
method of expulsion is by vote of four-fifths of the active membership of his
chapter upon charges presented and signed by four members of that Active Chapter
and after a thorough and impartial trial of the member concerned, except in
the following situation. Any case
involving an active member convicted by a student honor court or a school
administration shall be referred to the National Executive Council. Authority for expulsion, in the case of a
convicted honor violation, is vested solely in the National Executive
Council; and action taken shall follow the procedure set forth in Article
VIII, Section 3.c. c. In
the case where an active member is found guilty of an honor violation by a
student honor court or by a school administration, the faculty advisor of
that Chapter shall submit a complete report to the National Executive
Director for action by the National Executive Council. A notation of the violation shall be made
on the member's permanent record, subject to removal at the discretion of the
National Executive Council. In the
case of an extreme honor violation, the National Executive Council shall
expel the member. d. A
member so expelled has the right of appeal within thirty (30) days to the
National Executive Council. ARTICLE
IX NATIONAL
SOCIETY FUNDS Section
1. All initiation fees
and assessments shall be paid to the National Society by the Chapters. Section 2. Active,
Alumni, and Faculty Members pay initiation fees of $30 to the National
Society. Eminent Members pay no
initiation fees. (Checks or money
orders should be made out to Alpha Eta Mu Beta, Inc.) This fee shall cover the cost of
certificate of membership and the general expenses of the Society. Section 3. Each chapter shall be allowed to charge
the initiate whatever fee it shall deem necessary to cover the expenses of
the chapter as set forth in the bylaws of the chapter. Section 4. All money received by the National Society
shall be deposited in a federally insured bank approved by the National Executive Council. Section 5. Budget The proposed budget shall be submitted
annually by the Treasurer to the National Executive Council for
approval. The expenditure of all funds
shall be subject to the majority approval of the National Executive Council. ARTICLE
X AMENDMENTS Section
1. This
Constitution may be amended by an affirmative three-quarters vote of responding
eligible voters (Article IV, Section 2.d) at a National Convention or by mail
vote through the National Executive Director. Section 2. Amendments shall become effective
immediately upon notification to all chapters. Section 3. Any chapter or National Executive
Council member who fails to report their vote upon proposed amendments by the
due date specified on the ballot by the National Executive Director shall
forfeit their vote. October 2002
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