As amended through April 4, 2022

 

Article 1 - Name and Purposes

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Section 1.01 Name.  This organization shall be known as the Wisconsin Association for Identification, and is a Chartered Division of the International Association for Identification.

Section 1.02 Purposes.  It shall be a non-profit organization formed for the following purposes:

a.  To associate persons who are actively engaged in the profession of forensic identification, investigation and scientific crime detection in an organized body, so that the profession, in all of its branches may be standardized and effectively and scientifically practiced.

b.  To encourage the enlargement and improvement of the science of forensic identification and other branches of scientific crime detection.

c.  To encourage research work in scientific crime detection.

d.  To keep its members appraised of the latest techniques and discoveries in forensic identification and scientific crime detection.

e.  To continue to improve the high professional standards of law enforcement officials at all levels of government who have charge of crime scene units, and/or forensic laboratories.

f.  To employ the collective wisdom of the profession to advance the scientific techniques of forensic identification and scientific crime detection.

g. To inform legislative bodies of the importance of general laws making it mandatory to fingerprint every person who is arrested.

h.  To provide training, education, and the publication of information related to forensic identification and scientific crime detection.

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Article 2 - Membership

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Section 2.01 Categories.  Membership categories shall consist of: Active, Life Active, Associate, Affiliate, Honorary and Student.

Section 2.02 Qualifications and Applications.  The qualifications and application procedures shall conform with the provisions of the by-laws.

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Article 3 - Officers

 

Section 3.01 Officers.  The officers shall consist of: a President, a First Vice President, a Second Vice President, a Third Vice President, a Secretary, a Treasurer, a Communications Manager, a Sergeant-At-Arms, and a Historian.

Section 3.02 Election, Appointment, Removal, and Duties.  The election or appointment, succession, removal, and duties of all officers shall conform to the provisions of the by-laws.

 

Article 4 - Board of Directors

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Section 4.01 Voting Members.  The Board of Directors shall consist of fifteen (15) members and a chairperson, for a total sixteen (16) persons.

Section 4.02 Election, Appointment, Removal, and Duties.  The election or appointment, succession, removal, and duties of all the voting members and recording secretary of the Board of Directors shall conform to the provisions of the by-laws.

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Article 5 - Committees

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Section 5.01 Standing Committees and Subcommittees.  Standing committees and subcommittees shall be established in accordance with and conform to the provisions of the by-laws.

Section 5.02 Special Committees and Subcommittees.  The following individuals are authorized to create special committees and subcommittees: the President and the Chairperson of the Board of Directors.

Section 5.03 Dissolution of Special Committees and Subcommittees.  All special committees and subcommittees shall be automatically dissolved at the end of the term of office or term of appointment of the individual who created them unless they are dissolved sooner.

 

Article 6 - Logo

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Section 6.01 Official Logo.  This is the official logo of the Wisconsin Association for Identification.

 ©

Section 6.02 Use.  In addition to any use authorized by the Board of Directors, official publications, official correspondence, official documents or items in any form, only members in good standing of this Association may use the official logo.

 

Article 7 - Educational Seminars and General Membership Meeting

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Section 7.01 Annual Educational Seminar.  An Annual Educational Seminar shall be held in conformance with the provisions of the by-laws.

Section 7.02 Other Educational Seminars.  Other Educational Seminars may be conducted in conformance with the provisions of the by-laws.

Section 7.03 Annual General Membership Meeting.  An Annual General Membership Meeting shall be held at each Annual Educational Seminar in conformance with the provisions of the by-laws.

 

Article 8 - Code of Ethics, Standards of Professional Conduct and Members’ Bill of Rights

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Section 8.01 Adoption and/or Amendment of Code of Ethics, Standards of Professional Conduct and Members’ Bill of Rights.  The Wisconsin Association for Identification shall establish, maintain and publish with the Constitution and by-laws a Code of Ethics, a Standards of Professional Conduct and a Members’ Bill of Rights to which all the members must adhere. The Code of Ethics, any Standards of Professional Conduct and the Members’ Bill of Rights shall be adopted and/or amended only by a resolution passed by a majority vote at a general membership meeting. However, if the Board of Directors believes it is in the best interest of the Association, the Board of Directors may amend the Code of Ethics, any Standards of Professional Conduct and the Members’ Bill of Rights, subject to ratification by the members.

Section 8.02 Effective Date.  Once adopted and/or amended, the Code of Ethics, the Standards of Professional Conduct and the Members’ Bill of Rights shall become effective immediately upon publication in an official Wisconsin Association for Identification publication that is distributed to the members.

Section 8.03 Violations.  A violation of the Code of Ethics and/or the Standards of Professional Conduct may be considered as adequate cause for censure, expulsion, suspension or revocation of membership in conformance with the provisions of the by-laws. 

 

Article 9 - Interpretation of Constitution and Certificate of Incorporation

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Section 9.01 Broad Interpretation.  The provisions of this Constitution and the Certificate of Incorporation shall be interpreted as broadly as lawfully possible to carry out the lawful purposes for which the Wisconsin Association for Identification was formed.

Section 9.02 Limitations on Broad Interpretation.  Due to the ambiguous nature of any written language, it may be possible to have more than one interpretation of any given provision of the Certificate of Incorporation and the Constitution. At all times the provisions of both of these documents shall be construed in a manner that is in accordance with the laws of the State of Wisconsin and with the provisions of the United States Internal Revenue Service Regulations (IRS Code) for a non-profit professional organization.

Section 9.03 Conflict.  If there is any conflict between the provisions of this Constitution and the Certificate of Incorporation, the Certificate of Incorporation shall govern.

Section 9.04 Effect of Unenforceable or Invalid Provision.  Should any of the provisions or portions of this Constitution be held unenforceable or invalid for any reason, the remaining provisions and portions of this Constitution shall be unaffected by such holding. 

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Article 10 - Amendments

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Section 10.01 Required Vote.  Except as otherwise provided herein or by law, this Constitution shall not be amended or repealed without a majority vote at two (2) consecutive Annual General Membership Meetings.

Section 10.02 Publication.  At least one (1) day prior to each of the two (2) consecutive Annual General Membership meetings in which any Amendment or Amendments to this Constitution will be voted on, the Chairperson or Secretary of the Resolution and Legislative Committee shall post each proposed Amendment to this Constitution in the form of a written resolution at the site of the General Membership Meeting. Also, at least thirty (30) days prior to the Second General Membership Meeting in which any Amendment or Amendments to this Constitution will be voted on, each proposed Amendment to this Constitution in the form of a resolution shall be published in total in an official Wisconsin Association for Identification publication that is normally sent to all the members in good standing.

Section 10.03 Effective Date.  An Amendment to this Constitution shall become effective immediately only upon being passed at two (2) consecutive Annual General Membership Meetings, approval by the International Association for Identification as required by the terms of our Division Charter, and compliance with the legal requirements imposed by the laws of the State of Wisconsin. 

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Article 11 - Prohibition Against Sharing Profits and Assets, and Dissolution

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Section 11.01 General Prohibition.  No member of the Board of Directors, Officer, employee, or other person connected with the Association, or any other private individual, shall receive at any time any of the net earnings or pecuniary profit from the operations of the Wisconsin Association for Identification. However, this provision shall not prevent the payment to any such person a reasonable compensation for services rendered, expenses incurred to or for the Association, as shall be fixed by a resolution passed by the Board of Directors.

Section 11.02 Dissolution.  The Wisconsin Association for Identification may be dissolved upon a vote of a simple majority at two (2) consecutive Annual General Membership Meetings. However, if no general membership meetings are scheduled at any time within the subsequent two (2) years, the Association may be dissolved by a simple majority vote of the remaining Officers and members of the Board of Directors. Prior to a vote on dissolution, a written notice shall be published in some form at least sixty (60) days before the vote is taken. The written notice shall be considered to have been published effective on the date that the written notice is mailed to all members in good standing at their last known mailing address.

Section 11.03 Distribution of Assets After Dissolution. First, all the lawful expenses, to include operating expenses, of the Wisconsin Association for Identification are to be paid. Next, as stated in an approved resolution to dissolve the Association, the remaining assets and income shall not inure to the benefit of any member or private individual, but shall be used, until they are exhausted, for the purpose of carrying out the objectives for which this organization was formed.