AACT Constitution

ARTICLE I: NAME

This association shall be called the AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF CANDY TECHNOLOGISTS.

ARTICLE II: DEFINITION OF CANDY TECHNOLOGY

Candy technology is the application of science and engineering to the manufacturing, handling, and distribution of confectionery related products. A knowledge of candy technology will enable its possessor to better control and improve the entire industrial process including more efficient and economical selection of raw materials, improvement of old, and development of novel ingredients, equipment, and methods of processing resulting in the more efficient and economical development of products. Such knowledge will aid in providing more technical opportunities within the confectionery industry.

ARTICLE III: OBJECTIVES

The objectives of the Association shall be: to develop relationships, exchange ideas among its members; stimulate scientific investigations into technical opportunities dealing with the manufacture and distribution of candy; to encourage research in candy technology; to offer a platform for the discussion of these results; to plan, organize and administer projects for the advancement and application of science insofar as it is fundamental to a wider knowledge of candy and related industries and to encourage candy manufacturers to employ qualified candy technologists in the direction of manufacturing, selecting, procuring and, distributing operations.

ARTICLE IV: MEMBERSHIP

  1. Active member: An active member shall be a person in good standing within any aspect of the confectionery industry who has paid their dues within 6 months of expiration date.
  2. Retired member: A person who has been an active member cumulatively for at least ten years, who has attained the age of 60 years, and who has retired from candy and/or allied business, may be voted a retired member by action of the Council. A retiree member shall have all rights and privileges of active membership and pay a retiree rate as determined by council.
  3. Student Membership:  An individual who is actively pursuing accredited and relevant technical education in the candy industry may be considered for student membership. Individuals may only hold student membership no longer than one year after graduation.
  4. Applications for Membership: Persons desiring to become members of the Association shall make application in such form as shall be prescribed from time to time by the Council. The applicant must agree to abide by all the rules and regulations of the Association.
  5. Membership Dues: Annual dues, as determined by the Council, are payable to the Treasurer. The fiscal year for the Association shall determined by the Council.
  6. Discontinuance of Membership may be brought about by:
    1. resignation
    2. suspension where dues are expired
    3. expulsion by a vote of two-thirds of the Council
    4. death

ARTICLE V: OFFICERS AND COUNCIL

  1. The officers shall consist of a President, First Vice President, Second Vice President, Secretary, and Treasurer. All officers shall be elected by ballot from within the membership of the Association and inducted into office at the annual meeting for one year. Officers are eligible for re-election for a second term of one year, excluding the Secretary and Treasurer, which may be unlimited. The President, 1st and 2nd VP terms may be extended to 2 1-year terms in the case of an emergency as agreed upon by the Council. The duties of all officers shall be such as usually pertaining to their respective offices or may be delegated to them by the Council and the additional specific duties assigned in ARTICLE VII. The Secretary may appoint an Assistant Secretary to assist with the duties of the office.
  2. The council shall consist of the officers: a minimum of six elected Councilors at Large; the Chairperson of each regional section or a designated representative; and the retiring past President who shall continue as an active member of the Council for one year following the term as President. Four Councilors at Large shall be elected each year for a term of two years. The Facilities Director is an appointed Officer position with a term limit determined by the Council. The duties of office shall start at the closing of the annual meeting at which the results of balloting are announced.

ARTICLE VI: NOMINATION AND ELECTION OF OFFICERS AND COUNCILORS AT LARGE

  1. Officers and Councilors at Large shall be chosen by ballot from a list of nominees prepared by the Committee on Nominations, with due regard to the requirement that only one member of a business firm shall be eligible to serve as an officer or up to two members of a business firm shall be eligible to serve as a Councilor and/or Officer during the same elective years at time of election. The Committee shall nominate candidates for each of the offices from members actively engaged in a service related to the confectionery industry. The Committee shall also nominate four members as candidates for the office of Councilor at Large. The Chairperson of the Nominating Committee shall obtain each candidate’s acceptance of the nomination and then prepare the official election ballot. In addition to the names of the candidates prepared by the Nominating Committee, the official ballot shall contain blank spaces and the notation that a member may “write-in” and vote for any eligible member.
  2. The Secretary, or designated appointee, shall have the official ballot printed and send a copy to each member in good standing, where digital or in-person options are not available, not less than seven weeks prior to the annual meeting. Each member shall be requested to vote for one candidate for each office, and to vote for four candidates as Councilors at Large. The official ballot to be counted must be returned to the Secretary no later than four weeks from the date it was mailed.
  3. The official election ballot shall be signed or otherwise identified by the member voting. Each member shall be instructed to mark, and submit the ballot as instructed. Ballots not conforming to this procedure shall be invalid and rejected.
  4. The candidate receiving the largest number of votes for each office shall be declared elected.

ARTICLE VII: DUTIES OF THE COUNCIL

  1. The Council shall determine the policies of the Association and direct the affairs of the Association. The Council shall fix the dates and places of annual meetings, establish rules and order of business, shall fill any vacancy among the Officers or among the Councilors at Large, for the unexpired terms. The Council shall establish standards of requirements for membership.
  2. The Council shall review the constitution and regional by-laws at a minimum of every ten (10) years or more often as deemed necessary by the Council.
  3. The Council shall administer the finances of the Association, and may negotiate agreements with individuals, institutions, or other societies. The Council shall fix the amount of annual dues and assessments. It shall fix the amount of Bond pertaining to any Officer or Councilor under the Bond.
  4. The Council may authorize the President, Secretary, Treasurer, or Facilities Director(s) to enter into contracts and approve expenditures for goods, investments, and services necessary for the operation of the Association. The Facilities Director(s) shall be appointed by the President, subject to confirmation by the Council, and shall serve as a member of the Council; however, the appointment shall not require a vote of the general membership.
  5. Specific additional duties of the President, First Vice President and Second Vice President shall be as hereinafter itemized:
    1. President: The President shall preside at all meetings of the National AACT and the National Council of the AACT; shall represent the AACT to other associations, and be an ex officio member of all committees of the National AACT and the National Council of the AACT; shall attempt to attend at least one meeting during his/her tenure of each local section (travel assistance may be subsidized by the organization if agreed by the Council and only as the budget allows) ; shall supervise the affairs of the AACT between meetings, see that directives of the National Council of the AACT are carried out by the appropriate officials.
    2. First Vice President: The First Vice President shall preside at all appropriate meetings in the absence of the President; shall be Chairperson of the Permanent Program Committee of the AACT.
    3. Second Vice President: The Second Vice President’s major concern other that the normal duties pertaining to this office shall be the promotion of National AACT membership.

ARTICLE VIII: COMMITTEES

  1. Committee on Nominations: The President shall appoint a Committee on Nominations of at least three members.
  2. Committee on Arrangements: The President shall be empowered, when the need arises, to appoint a Committee on Arrangements for the annual meeting.
  3. Audit Committee: The President shall appoint an Audit Committee of at least two National AACT Council members to determine the auditing practices to insure the finances of the organization are appropriately managed.  The committee will audit the Association’s books and present an audit report at the regular annual meeting of the National AACT; audit should take place at the direction of the Council.
  4. The President shall be empowered by the Council to appoint such additional committees as are necessary for the best interest of the Association.
  5. The President shall appoint a chairperson of the Stroud Jordan Award Committee, whose task it shall be to find a suitable candidate to receive the award each year.

ARTICLE IX: QUORUMS

  1. Ten members shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business.
  2. Six members shall constitute a quorum at any meeting of the Council. When at the discretion of the President, the Council shall transact business by mail, email, phone conference, or virtual meeting. A reply or attendance of three-fourths of the Council shall constitute a quorum, provided that a period of 10 days shall be allowed for participation by the Council.

ARTICLE X: MEETINGS

  1. Annual Meeting: Once each calendar year there shall be a meeting of the Association for the presentation of papers and the transaction of business. This meeting shall be known as the annual meeting; the Council shall decide the time and place of the annual meeting.
  2. The President, First Vice President and the Secretary shall be authorized to call special meetings at convenient times and places for the Association or for groups of members with common problems and interests, or with other groups having similar interests.
  3. The use of trade and company names shall not be used outside of provided speaker guidelines determined by the council.
  4. The order of business for annual and special meetings shall be determined by the President acting for the Council; and these rules shall not conflict with the provisions of this Constitution.
  5. Robert’s Rules of Order shall govern deliberations of this Association.

ARTICLE XI: REGIONAL SECTIONS

  1. The Council is empowered to grant authority in the form of a charter, to organizations of members of the Association residing in the same geographical district for the establishment of a Regional Section of the Association when such organization of members shall petition the Council for authority to designate itself a Regional Section of the Association and the Council shall have ascertained that the conditions prescribed in this Article for such authorization have been met, and further that the petitioning organization of members will agree to conduct its affairs in the manner hereinafter set forth.
  2. The region in which members may form sections shall be defined as any reasonable geographic region in which ten or more members of the Association reside.
  3. New regional sections are granted probationary status until the petitioning organization of members shall have held at least two stated meetings during the preceding year and, provided further that at least one of the regional officers of the member petition organization shall have been members of the Association in good standing for a minimum of one year.
  4. When any Regional Section shall cease to function as a section of the Association for a period of more than one year, or if it shall hold less than three meetings per year, or if its membership shall be less than ten members of the Association for one year, the Council may terminate the charter of such Regional Section.
  5. The Council may grant a charter from the Association if the conditions in this Article of the Constitution have been met, and if the members of the petitioning organization signify by their signatures that they agree to adopt and abide by the Regional Section By-Laws appearing herein.
  6. If a regional section that has ceased to function has funds available, they shall be transferred to the National Section and identified for current or future Regional Section support efforts.

ARTICLE XII: AMENDMENTS

Amendments to the Constitution, including the Regional Section By-Laws contained herein, must be approved by the Council and then submitted via mail or email to all voting members for ratification. Votes thereon shall be returned to the Secretary or Treasurer within thirty days of the date of communication to be counted. If the proposed amendment receives three-fourths majority approval of those voting, it shall be considered carried.