Chapter 1: General Provisions

Article 1: Name and Abbreviation

The name of this organization shall be the Atlanta Taiwanese Chamber of Commerce 亞特蘭大台灣商會  (hereinafter referred to as “the Chamber”). Its English translation shall be (Atlanta Taiwanese Chamber of Commerce), and its abbreviation shall be (ATCC).

Article 2: Purpose and Nature

The Chamber is a non-religious, non-political, non-profit organization dedicated to promoting business and commerce. The Chamber’s members are individuals from Taiwan representing a wide range of industries, including importers, exporters, lawyers, doctors, insurance professionals, accountants, real estate agents, travel agents, freight forwarders, bankers, and others. They share a common goal of fostering friendship and mutual respect, promoting business development, and uniting business people from both Taiwan and North America.

Chapter 2: Mission

Article 3: Primary Mission

The primary mission of the Chamber is to serve its members.

Article 4: Scope of Services

The Chamber’s services include:

• Helping members start and grow their businesses
• Providing trade opportunities
• Promoting trade relations between Taiwan and other countries
• Hosting seminars and inviting experts to speak to help members stay informed about important market, financial, legal, insurance, and tax issues
• Organizing forums to help members learn about business conditions and opportunities in various markets

Chapter 3: Member Benefits

Article 5: Member Benefits

Chamber members enjoy the following benefits:

• Access to business information from Taiwan and North America
• Access to business news through publications and the Chamber’s website
• Opportunities to network with other business people through Chamber events
• Startup counseling and professional development and new immigrant employment consulting
• Discounts and special offers during their membership period
• Opportunities to exchange trade leads
• Participation in various activities for member benefits

Chapter 4: Membership

Article 7: Board of Directors

The Board of Directors is the Chamber’s highest governing body and is composed of directors and advisors.

• The Chamber’s President is the ex officio Chairman of the Board.
• In addition to the President, there shall be sixteen directors. Director candidates must be nominated in writing by two Chamber members and approved by the Board’s Election Committee. They shall be elected by a majority vote of the members present at the annual membership meeting. Directors serve two-year terms and may be re-elected. Vacancies on the Board shall be filled at the next membership meeting.
• Advisors are former Presidents of the Chamber. Advisors must maintain their membership dues and attend at least two Board meetings (including the annual meeting) each year to maintain their eligibility. If a former President has not participated in Chamber affairs for a long period of time and loses their advisor status, they may apply to have their status reinstated by paying any outstanding dues. Advisors have the same rights and obligations as directors.
• With the exception of the President, no one on the Board of Directors may speak to the media or the public on behalf of the Chamber. They may only speak in their individual capacity.

Article 8: President

The Chamber shall have one President, who shall be succeeded by the previous Vice President. The term of office shall be one year.

• The President represents the Chamber externally and oversees its internal affairs. The President is the ex officio Chairman of the Board of Directors.
• The President must obtain the approval of the Board of Directors before making public statements of a political nature.
• The President may establish working groups as needed for work purposes.
• If the President is unable to perform his or her duties, the Vice President shall act as President.
• During his or her tenure as President, the President shall not hold other positions in other organizations unless approved by the Board of Directors.

Article 9: Vice President

To be eligible to run for Vice President, a candidate must be a member of the Chamber’s Board of Directors.

• To be elected Vice President, a candidate must receive more than half of the votes of the quorum of the Chamber’s Board of Directors.
• Assist the President in handling all matters.
• If the Vice President is unable to perform his or her duties, the Board of Directors may elect a replacement from among the current members of the Board by a majority vote of the Board members present.

Article 10: Secretary General and Treasurer

The Chamber shall have one Secretary General and one Treasurer, appointed by the President from among the Chamber’s members, to assist the President in handling routine affairs and report to the President.

• The Chamber’s Secretary General and Treasurer may attend Board meetings and answer questions from the Board about the operation of the Chamber’s affairs.
• The term of office of the Chamber’s Secretary General and Treasurer shall be the same as that of the President.

Article 11: Working Committees

• Public Relations Committee: Responsible for liaising with domestic and international business organizations, organizing and hosting visiting delegations.
• Information Committee: Responsible for media relations and disseminating online information.
• Community Service Committee: Responsible for community service and outreach to the local community and the Taiwanese diaspora.
• Membership Committee: Responsible for recruiting new members, welcoming and introducing new members and new directors to the Chamber’s operations and activities.

Article 12: Disciplinary Committee

The Disciplinary Committee shall consist of five members elected by the Board of Directors for a one-year term, renewable.

• The Disciplinary Committee shall be responsible for handling any matters that damage the Chamber’s reputation, finances, or operations. Upon receipt of a complaint from a member, the Board of Directors shall refer the matter to the Disciplinary Committee for investigation and recommendation of disciplinary action. The Board of Directors shall then approve and implement the disciplinary action.
• The most severe disciplinary action may be suspension of membership and removal from office.

Article 13: Election Committee

The Election Committee shall consist of five members. The President, Vice President, and Secretary General shall be ex officio members. The other two members shall be elected from among the members of the Board of Directors.

• The Election Committee shall be responsible for reviewing the qualifications of director candidates nominated by Chamber members. Approved candidates shall be submitted by the Election Committee to the annual membership meeting for election by the Chamber’s members.

Article 14: Removal

The removal of the President, Vice President, directors, and advisors shall be effective upon a two-thirds vote of the quorum of the Board of Directors.

Chapter 5: Meetings

Article 15: Membership Meeting

The Membership Meeting shall be held in June or July of each year to hear reports on the work of the organization, to amend the Articles of Association, and to hand over the presidency to the new president on the same day.

The quorum for the Membership Meeting shall be one-half of the total number of qualified members.

Article 16: Board of Directors Meeting

The Board of Directors shall meet regularly four times a year. If necessary, the President may call a special meeting of the Board of Directors. The President shall notify the members of the time and place of the meeting two weeks in advance.

The quorum for a Board of Directors meeting shall be one-half of the total number of Board members.

Unless there is a special reason, the following procedures shall be followed at Board of Directors meetings:

A. Roll call, sign-in, and verification of proxies

B. Approval of the minutes of the previous Board of Directors meeting

C. President’s report

D. Discussion of matters brought before the meeting by the Secretary. If a member wishes to speak at the meeting, they must raise their hand and wait for the Secretary’s approval before speaking. If a member wishes to speak again after speaking, they must wait until all other members who wish to speak have spoken and have been approved by the Secretary. No member, except the Secretary, may interrupt the speech of another member.

E. Motion to adjourn

The minutes of the meeting shall be submitted to the President and Secretary for review and correction within one week of the conclusion of the meeting.

Any Board member may request to review the minutes of the previous Board meeting from the Secretary within two weeks of the next Board meeting. In addition, a copy of the minutes of the previous meeting will be available for members to review at the Board meeting.

Any matter to be decided by vote shall be decided by secret ballot.

Chapter 6: Location

Article 17: Location

The organization’s legal address may be designated by the Board of Directors or the office address of the President of each term shall be the ex officio address of the organization.

Chapter 7: Funding

Article 18: Membership Dues

Initiation fee: The individual initiation fee is two hundred fifty US dollars, payable upon joining. The initiation fee is non-refundable if the member is unable to continue participating for any reason.

Annual dues: The annual membership dues are two hundred fifty US dollars, payable at the annual membership meeting each year.

Any changes to the initiation fee and annual dues must be approved by a two-thirds vote of the Membership Meeting.

Chapter 8: General Provisions

Article 19: Co-sponsored Events

The organization shall not co-sponsor events with other non-governmental organizations unless approved by the Board of Directors.

Article 20: Participation in North American and World General Assembly Events

Registration for North American and World General Assembly events shall be in accordance with the rules of the North American and World General Assembly.

Article 21: Amendment of the Articles of Association

Any amendment to these Articles of Association must be proposed in writing by one-sixth of the directors and approved by two-thirds of the members present at a Board of Directors meeting. The amendment shall then be submitted to the Membership Meeting for a vote.