This organization shall be known as the North Carolina Division of the International Association for Identification (NCIAI); shall be a Regional Division of the parent body of the International Association for Identification (IAI); shall operate as a not for profit organization and is formed for the following reasons:

1. To associate persons in North Carolina who are actively engaged in the profession of forensic identification, investigation, and scientific examination of physical evidence in an organized body, so that the profession, in all its branches, may be standardized and effectively and scientifically practiced.

2. To encourage the enlargement and improvement of the science of forensic identification and crime detection.

3. To encourage research in scientific crime detection.

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

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

Membership of this Association shall consist of Active, Life Active, Sustaining Active, Associate, Life Associate, Sustaining Associate, Student, and Honorary members.  Application for membership shall conform to the provisions as set forth in the Bylaws.

The active membership of the Association shall consist of persons actively engaged as an examiner, analyst, practitioner or supervisor in the forensic sciences.  Active Members shall not lose their status because of retirement or change of position, so long as they remain in good standing, and they may hold office.  All Active Members shall be entitled to one (1) vote with respect to each matter presented to the membership of the NCIAI for a vote.

   All reputable persons, fully or partially engaged in any of the various phases of the forensic sciences, who are not qualified for Active Membership, are hereby eligible to become Associate Members.  They shall, in all respects, be subject to the same rules, fees, and charges and entitled to the same rights and privileges as Active Members, except that they shall not be entitled to election to the offices of Vice President or President.

Honorary Membership of this Association shall consist of persons who have performed some particular service for the Association, or who have in some way performed some meritorious act for law enforcement.  Such person or persons, upon motion of any member in good standing, may be elected by the Board of Directors or by the Association in conference to Honorary Membership for a period of one year, and shall be excused from the payment of dues and assessments.  They shall not be eligible to vote or hold office.

There is hereby adopted a system of Life and Sustaining Memberships which shall forever exempt a member from the payment of dues and assessments.  These memberships will be granted as follows:

1. Life Members
   1. Past Presidents
   2. Active and Associate Members who have paid their membership dues for the past consecutive twenty-five (25) years.

2. Sustatining Members
   1. Active or Associate Members of the Association who pays a one-time, non-refundable sum of money equal to twenty (20) times the yearly amount as established in Article II, Section 1 of the Bylaws.

Life and Sustaining members shall be eligible to vote and be entitled to all the regular privileges of an Active or Associate Member as summarized in Sections 2 and 3 above.

The original amounts paid for sustaining memberships shall be forever kept and maintained as and for a permanent life membership fund, separate from other Association accounts and investments.  The principal accumulated fund will be kept intact in perpetuity and only interest and dividends paid in cash on bank deposits or other investments shall be available for general Association use.

Only Active, Life Active, and Sustaining Active members may hold the offices of President or any of the Vice Presidents.  All other officers may be Active, Associates, Life Active, Sustaining Active, Life Associate, or Sustaining Associate Members.

All reputable persons who are attending a university, college, or community college taking courses in any of the various phases of the science of forensic identification and investigation who are not qualified for Active or Associate Membership are hereby eligible to become Student Members.  They shall not have a right to vote or hold office, but they shall be entitled to the floor of the Conference or other deliberative assemblies of said Conference.  They shall pay dues in the amount of one-half that imposed on Active and Associate members and must provide proof of enrollment in a university, college, or community college.

There are hereby created the following offices of the Association:

1. President

2. First Vice President

3. Second Vice President

4. Secretary

5. Treasurer

6. Editor

7. Sergeant-At-Arms

8. Historian

9. Board of Directors

All of the foregoing officers with the exception of the Board of Directors shall be elected at the annual Conference of the Association.  In the event of more than one conference being held in a calendar year, the officers shall be elected at the Spring Conference.

No member shall be a candidate for, nor elected to more than one office during the year, except the offices of Secretary, Treasurer, or Editor, for which a member may be a candidate for or elected to these three offices at the discretion of the Association.

The term of newly elected officers shall begin at 12:01 AM on the day following the conclusion of the Conference of the Association where the election has taken place.

There shall be a board of directors consisting of four (4) members and a chairperson (total of five).  The four members shall be elected at the annual Conference of the Association.  Two members shall be elected for a four year term and two members shall be elected for a two year term.  Thereafter, all members will be elected for a two year term at the expiration of the term.  In the event of more than one conference being held in a calendar year, the Board Members shall be elected at the Spring Conference. The chairperson shall be a voting member of the Board.

The immediate Past President of the Association shall serve as chairperson and the fifth member of the Board of Directors.  In the absence of the immediate Past President at the Conference Board Meeting(s), the most recent Past President in attendance shall preside.

In the event of a vacancy occurring on the Board of Directors between the annual Conferences, such vacancy shall be filled through an appointment by the President, and the newly appointed member of the Board shall hold office until regular elections at the next annual Conference.

All Past Presidents and officers of the Association may attend the Board Meetings.  However, while these persons may be heard, they shall have no vote unless they are the immediate Past President who is the chairperson or a currently elected member or the Board of Directors.

This committee shall consist of the chairperson of the Board of Directors, who shall serve as a voting chairperson of the committee and the Past Presidents in attendance who are in good standing who wish to serve.  All members of the Nominating Committee shall have the right to vote.  In the event that less than five (5) Past Presidents are in attendance, the President shall appoint a sufficient number of active members to bring the Committee up to five (5).  The Nominating Committee shall receive recommendations from any member in good standing who wishes to propose a candidate or candidates for election, and after considering names of the proposed candidates, shall make nomination.  Nothing herein shall be construed to preclude the nomination for office of any eligible member from the floor of the Conference.

This committee shall consist of three (3) Latent Print Examiners certified by the International Association for Identification.  One appointment will be made for one (1) year, one appointment will be made for two (2) years, and one appointment will be made for three (3) years.  Each year afterward, within thirty (30) days following the annual Conference, the President will appoint one (1) person to a three (3) year term.  The incoming President shall designate one of the three (3) Committee members to serve as chairperson of this Committee for the year.  In the event a vacancy occurs prior to the completion of a member’s term, the President shall appoint a Latent Print Examiner who is certified by the International Association for Identification to serve the remainder of the unexpired term.  This committee shall act independently and shall conduct the business of the International Latent Print Certification Program in accordance with the rules and guidelines as determined by the International Latent Print Certification Board.  This committee can use no substitutes, nor can subcommittees be appointed.

The Auditing Committee shall consist of three (3) members appointed by the President, whose duty shall be to audit and inspect the financial accounts of the Association prior to the annual Business Meeting, or at such other times as may be directed by the President of the Board of Directors.  The Committee shall report to the Association at each annual Spring Conference or at such other times as the President or Board of Directors may direct.

This committee shall consist of three (3) Crime Scene Technician / Analysts certified by the International Association for Identification.  One appointment will be made for one (1) year, one appointment will be made for two (2) years, and one appointment will be made for three (3) years.  Each year afterward, within thirty (30) days following the annual Conference, the President will appoint one (1) person to a three (3) year term.  The incoming President shall designate one of the three (3) Committee members to serve as chairperson of this Committee for the year.  In the event a vacancy occurs prior to the completion of a member’s term, the President shall appoint a Crime Scene Technician / Analyst who is certified by the International Association for Identification to serve the remainder of the unexpired term.  This committee shall act independently and shall conduct the business of the International Crime Scene Certification Program in accordance with the rules and guidelines as determined by the International Crime Scene Certification Board.  This committee can use no substitutes, nor can subcommittees be appointed.

The Membership Committee shall consist of three (3) members appointed by the President, whose duty shall be to solicit and screen applicants for the North Carolina Division of the International Association for Identification.

The President shall preside at all meetings of the Association and preserve order and decorum.  The President shall carefully supervise the affairs of the Association and labor for usefulness and efficiency.  The President shall fill by appointment all vacancies, including Committee chairpersons, caused by death, resignation, or other causes, except as otherwise delegated by the President.

The President shall not succeed him/herself in office except when serving the unexpired term of his/her predecessor.

The President shall be a non-voting member of the Board of Directors.

The President, with the approval of the Board of Directors, may seek to defray expenses incurred in the furtherance of the goals of the Association.

The President or Presidential Designee shall, with the approval of the Board of Directors, determine the dates, locations, program content and schedule of the Educational Conference(s) and ensure that all related administrative matters are handled in a timely manner.

The President has the power of calling a Special Meeting at any time in the event of emergency or in the interest of the whole organization.  The President may likewise call a Director’s meeting.

The First Vice President, or in the temporary absence or disability of the First Vice President, the Second Vice President, shall act as presiding officer of the Association during the temporary absence or disability of the President.  The First Vice President shall automatically succeed to the office of the President in the event of the death, disability, resignation, or removal from office of the President and shall serve the unexpired term thereof.  In the event of death, disability, resignation, or removal from office of both the President and the First Vice President, the Second Vice President shall serve the unexpired term thereof.

All Vice Presidents may attend Board Meetings and may have a voice at these meetings, but may not vote.

The Secretary shall keep records and minutes of the Association.  The Secretary or Treasurer shall receive all monies due the Association and keep a just and accurate account between the association and its members.

The Secretary shall be the Secretary of the Board of Directors, but shall not have a vote in their deliberations.  The Secretary shall not be an elected member of the Board of Directors.  The Secretary shall perform other such duties as may be assigned to the office of Secretary by the President or Board of Directors.

The Secretary or Treasurer shall receive all applications for membership, including the name of the applicant, address, department, or affiliation and occupation.  The Secretary or Treasurer shall receive all fees associated with the new membership applications and shall deposit these fees into the account of the NCIAI.

The Secretary or Treasurer shall send all applications for membership to the chairperson of the Membership Committee.

Deleted November 11, 2006

The Treasurer shall draw all warrants and checks for the expenses of the Association.  In the event of death, disability, resignation, or removal of the Treasurer, the President shall be authorized to sign any warrant or check for the Association.

The Treasurer shall furnish such bonds for faithful performance of the duties of that office as the Board of Directors may require.  The premium of said bonds shall be paid by the Association.

Expenses entailed in carrying on the business of the Association, by the Secretary or Treasurer must be approved by the Board of Directors unless the sum is under $100.00, in which event the approval of the Board of Directors is not necessary.  This section would not apply to conference expenses.

The immediate Past President shall be the retiring President who shall hold said title for a period of one year or until the next succeeding annual election, during which time he shall serve as Chairman of the Board of Directors until succeeded by the next retiring President of the Association.

The Editor shall receive all articles and items of interest to the Association, edit them when necessary, and prepare them for inclusion in the Association’s publication, “The Specialist”, which is the designated official publication of the Association and which shall be published on a schedule determined by the Board of Directors.  An issue of “The Specialist” shall be published preceding the dates of the educational conference(s) by a minimum of thirty (30) days.  The Editor shall secure such other beneficial publicity for the Association as may be possible, and perform such other duties as may be designated by the President or Board of Directors.  Expenses incurred by that office, in conjunction with its duties, shall be paid by the Treasurer upon the presentation of statements.  In the event of a vacancy in the office of Treasurer, the President shall make payment from the Association’s account.

The Editor shall receive from the chairman of the membership committee the names, addresses, and department or affiliation of new members of the Association and promptly publish them in “The Specialist”.

The Sergeant-At-Arms shall have command of the outer door of the Conference Hall and shall prevent unauthorized entry as determined by the President or Board of Directors.  The Sergeant-At-Arms shall assist the President in preserving order and shall perform such other duties as the President may direct.

The Sergeant-At-Arms shall determine the voting eligibility of delegates at the annual Conference and provide necessary ballots.

The Historian shall search for, collect, and have custody of all items of historical interest to the Association.  The Historian shall identify and mark each item, acknowledge the donor of each, and maintain an inventory of all materials on hand, and shall advise the membership of new acquisitions and other pertinent matters on an annual basis.

The Board of Directors shall act as an advisory committee to the President, who shall be an ex-officio member thereof.

The Board of Directors shall approve the dates, locations, program content, and schedule of the Educational Conference(s) and insure that this information is furnished to each member a minimum of thirty (30) days prior to the Conference.

The Board of Directors, in cooperation with the President, shall manage the affairs of the Association during the recess.

The Board of Directors shall have the power to try any member or officer of the Association upon any charge affecting his honor or conduct unbecoming a member or an officer, provided the charge is made in writing and signed by the person making said charge.  The Board of Directors shall have the power, after a hearing upon said charge and provided that the accused is found guilty by a majority vote, to expel, suspend, remove from office, censure, or admonish such member or officer.

Any written charge or charges against any member of office shall first be placed in the hands of the President, who shall, within ten days, lay the matter before the Board of Directors for consideration.  The Chairperson of the Board of Directors shall thereupon send a copy of said charge or charges to the accused by registered mail, and the accused shall have thirty (30) days in which to answer in writing such charge or charges.  Failure to answer such charge or charges within the time prescribed shall be deemed a confession of the truth of said charge or charges and the Board of Directors may act thereupon accordingly.

After due consideration of the evidence at hand, the Board of Directors shall, within a reasonable time, not to exceed sixty (60) days, arrive at a decision and notify all persons concerned in writing of said decision.

In the event the judgment of the Board of Directors is adverse to the accused, the accused shall have the right to appeal the decision of said Board to the membership of the Association at the next Conference, and the finding and order of the Board of Directors shall become final unless the Board is overruled by a vote of two-thirds (2/3) of the members present and voting.

All elections shall be by ballot at the annual Spring Conference and the majority of all votes cast shall be necessary to elect any candidate.

If more than two candidates are nominated for the same office, the two (2) nominees receiving the highest number of votes cast on the first ballot will be candidates for election.

Educational Conferences will be held by the Association on a schedule determined by the Board of Directors.  Educational Conferences will be held at least once annually, except when the organization may co-sponsor the annual educational conference of the parent body of the International Association for Identification (IAI) or another IAI chartered division.  In the event of co-sponsorship of the annual educational conference of the parent body of the International Association for Identification (IAI) or another IAI chartered division, a business meeting of the NCIAI will be held during that conference and officers will be elected.

All members are entitled to the floor of the Conference or other deliberative assemblies of said Conference or the Board of Directors.

The Secretary shall be responsible for the keeping of a full and accurate account of the proceedings of the Conference.

The presiding officer of all Conferences shall be guided by the Manual of Roberts Rules of Order (revised), and the order of proceedings shall be as follows or as determined by the President of the Association and approved by the Board of Directors:

1. Calling the meeting to order by the President

2. Invocation.

3. Addresses of Welcome.

4. Response to the Addresses of Welcome.

5. Tribute to Deceased Members.

6. Reading of Presidential Address.

7. Appointment of Committees.

8. Presentation of Addresses and Papers.

9. Unfinished Business.

10. Reports of Secretary and Treasurer.

11. Reports of Committees.

12. Other Reports.

13. New Business.

14. Election of Officers (Annual Spring Conference)

15. Adjournment.

The emblem of this Association shall be used only by members of this Association in good standing.

Any motion to change the Constitution of this Association must first be approved by the parent body of the International Association for Identification and then be approved by majority vote at a Conference, and if so approved, must go over to the next Conference for final passage and adoption by a majority vote.

In the event that this Association should be dissolved or otherwise terminated, the assets and income thereof shall not insure to the benefit of any member or private individual, but shall become assets and income of the parent association of the IAI, to be used for the purpose of carrying out the objectives for which this organization was formed consistent with Section 501 (c) of the Internal Revenue Service Code.