ALABAMA ASSOCIATED PRESS MANAGING EDITORS ASSOCIATION BYLAWS

ARTICLE I - Purposes and Powers.
1. To direct and evaluate the performance of The Associated Press in Alabama.
2. To advance the quality of journalism in Alabama through professional programs and special activities.

ARTICLE II - Office.
1. The office of the Alabama APME shall be the office of the Montgomery bureau of The Associated Press, RSA Tower, 201 Monroe Street, Suite 1940, Montgomery, AL 36104

ARTICLE III - Membership.
1. Any representative(s) of a newspaper receiving the Alabama report of The Associated Press is a member of the Alabama APME
association. Each newspaper is limited to one vote at association business meetings.
2. Guests may be invited to the annual meeting at the direction of the board of directors.
3. Retired association members will be welcome at the annual meeting.

ARTICLE IV - Meetings.
1. An annual meeting will be held at a site to be determined by the membership.
2. Special activities and resolutions will be presented by the board for consideration by the membership at the annual meeting.

ARTICLE V - Board of Directors - Duties.
1. The business and affairs of the Alabama APME between annual meetings shall be administered by the Board of Directors.
2. The Board of Directors shall be the official representative of the Alabama APME.
3. The Board of Directors shall meet at least twice between each annual meeting of the Alabama APME. The Board of Directors will meet at the call of the president or secretary. Any meeting of the Board of Directors is open to any member of the Alabama APME association.
4. All decisions by the Board of Directors shall require a majority vote of those present. A majority of the board shall constitute a quorum.

ARTICLE VI - Board of Directors - Membership.
1. The Board of Directors shall be composed of 10 members from newspapers in the Alabama APME, including the three officers of the association, six directors and the immediate past-president.
2. The board members shall be elected for one-year terms. The Alabama APME shall elect the board members at each annual meeting.
3. In the event of a board member departing before the end of a term, the remaining board members, on recommendations by member newspapers, shall elect a replacement for the remainder of the term.
4. a. At its annual meeting, the Alabama APME shall elect a president-elect, treasurer, and six officers.
a. The outgoing president-elect shall automatically become president. The Alabama AP News Editor in Montgomery shall serve as secretary (ex officio).
b. The president shall serve a one-year term. The president will preside over association activities and with the board of directors shall coordinate planning of the annual meeting. The president also will try to oversee one workshop.
c. The president-elect shall serve a one-year term and serve as chairman of the Workshops Committee of the Board. The president-elect will try to oversee one workshop, and shall organize a study of wire and photo performance of The AP, arrange pertinent news-related programs at board meetings, and read the list of contest winners at the awards program.
e. The treasurer shall be the custodian of the association's funds, asking the AP to provide reports on the Alabama APME's finances, and shall make arrangements for certificates to be printed for contest winners and for poster board displays of first-place selections to be put up at the awards convention.
f. The Atlanta AP chief of bureau shall be an ex officio member of the News Council.
5. a. The president-elect shall immediately become president if the presidency becomes vacant. The president-elect shall serve the remainder of the unexpired term and an additional one-year term. If both offices are vacant, the Board of Directors shall elect a new president to serve until the next annual meeting of the Alabama APME. The association then shall elect president and president-elect.
b. If the president-elect's office becomes vacant, the Board of Directors shall elect a successor to serve until the next annual meeting of the Alabama APME.
6. The president, the president-elect and three past presidents shall be the nominating committee. The nominating committee shall present nominees to the Alabama APME at each annual meeting for a president-elect, treasurer and new board members. The committee shall seek to maximize representation of all geographic areas and sizes of newspapers, and identify candidates who plan to be active in association programs.

ARTICLE VII - Board of Directors - Committees.
1. The board shall maintain a Workshops Committee, a Contest Committee, a News Council, and a Freedom of Information Committee and other committees deemed appropriate by the president. Membership on these committees is open to any member of the Alabama APME.
2. The Workshops Committee shall organize professional-oriented sessions to:
a. Promote high standards of journalism in Alabama.
b. Discuss cooperation among members and The Associated Press in improving the AP Alabama report.
3. The News Council will organize regular reviews of AP news and photo production in Alabama and promote membership cooperation.
4. The Contest Committee will organize judging of contests of out-of-state AP associations and review the Alabama APME contest
annually, making suggestions to the Board of Directors for improvements. The chairperson shall be named by the president.
5. The Freedom of Information Committee shall make an annual report to members on libel, open meetings and open records laws of Alabama. The chairperson shall be named by the president.

ARTICLE VIII - Amendments.
1. These bylaws may be amended only by a majority of the membership present at the annual business meeting, with each newspaper represented having one vote. Proposed amendments must be received in writing and made public by wire by the secretary-treasurer at least 30 days prior to the annual meeting and may be adopted by a majority of those voting.

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