New Orleans Association of Black Social Workers 

NABSW Code of Ethics
In America today, no Black person, except the selfish or irrational, can claim neutrality in the quest for Black liberation nor fail to consider the implications of the events taking place in our society.

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Given the necessity for committing ourselves to the struggle for freedom, we as Black Americans practicing in the field of social welfare set forth this statement of ideals and guiding principles.

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If a sense of community awareness is a precondition to humanitarian acts, then we as Black social workers must use our knowledge of the Black community, our commitments to its self-determination, and our helping skills for the benefit of Black people as we marshal our expertise to improve the quality of life of Black people.

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Our activities will be guided by our Black consciousness, our determination to protect the security of the Black community, and our commitment to serve as advocates to relieve the suffering of Black people by any means necessary.

Therefore, as Black social workers, we commit ourselves collectively to the interests of our Black brethren and, as individuals, subscribe to the following statements:

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• I regard as my primary obligation the welfare of the Black individual, Black family, and Black community, and will engage in action for improving social conditions.
   

• I give precedence to this mission over my personal interest.
   

• I adopt the concept of a Black extended family and embrace all Black people as my brothers and sisters, making no distinction between their destiny and my own.
   

• I hold myself responsible for the quality and extent of service I perform, and the quality and extent of service performed by the agency or organization in which I am employed, as it relates to the Black community.
   

• I accept the responsibility to protect the Black community against unethical and hypocritical practice by any individual or organization engaged in social welfare activities.
   

• I stand ready to supplement my paid or professional advocacy with voluntary service in the Black public interest.
   

• I will consciously use my skills and my whole being as an instrument for social change, with attention directed to the establishment of Black social institutions.
   

 

ARTICLE I

NAME
 
The name of the Association shall be the New Orleans Association of Black Social Workers, Incorporated.
 
ARTICLE II

PURPOSE
 
The purpose of the Association shall be:
 
A. To join Black Social Workers together for the general welfare of the African-American community.
 
B. To work to the end that all African-American and poor people will have available the full spectrum of welfare and social services.
 
C. To design and develop systems relevant to the needs of African-American people.
 
D. To help African-American and poor people overcome the effects of racism and poverty.
 
E. To advocate the cause of African-American and poor people and engage in social planning and social action, which will advance their welfare.
 
F. To achieve maximum realization of the African-American potential for a social, economic, and political power base.
 
G. To bring about a continuous evaluation of the performance of African-American social workers as it affects the Black community.
 
H. To maximize the quality and quantity of services available to the African-American community.
 
I. To join with other groups to achieve unity among African-American people.
 
ARTICLE III

SEAL
 
The Great Seal and Emblem shall be the same as the National Association of Black Social Workers: a shield with a scroll on one side representing experience, and on the other side a spear representing defense of the National Association’s philosophy, “by any means necessary.”
 
At the bottom of the shield shall be the word “HARAMBEE,” which means togetherness. The colors shall be red, black, and green.
 
ARTICLE IV

MEMBERSHIP
 
Any applicant of African descendancy who subscribes to and adheres to the Constitution and Bylaws of the Association may become a member. Such a person shall be engaged in Human Services, including social welfare, education, law, business, community services, or related fields.
 
To become a member, an applicant must be in good standing in the community.
 
Section 1. Termination of Individual Membership
 
A member may terminate his or her membership at any time by submitting his or her resignation in writing to the New Orleans Association of Black Social Workers.
 
Section 2. Sanctioning Authority
 
The Association, upon recommendation, may sanction any active member who violates this Constitution and Bylaws by action of the Executive Committee.
 
Section 3. Reinstatement of Individual Membership
 
A. Any former member may be reinstated by the payment of current dues, unless his or her membership has been terminated for a violation other than dues payment.
 
B. The Executive Committee, upon recommendation of the Membership Committee, shall decide exceptions.
 
ARTICLE V

DUES AND FINANCING
 
Section 1. Regular Membership and Student Dues
 
A. Regular membership dues are $100.00.
 
B. Student dues are $50.00.
 
Section 2. Voting Privileges
 
A. Annual dues for all members, as listed in Article V, Section 1, shall be payable each year on the date assigned by Nationals. A member who has not paid his or her annual dues after three months beyond his or her expiration date, usually the same day dues were paid the previous year, shall be considered “ipso facto” a financially inactive member and shall not vote on matters coming before the Association.
 
B. If dues are paid after a member’s personal due date, the member must apply for reinstatement.
 
ARTICLE VI

FISCAL YEAR
 
The fiscal year of the New Orleans Association of Black Social Workers shall begin on the first day of January and end on the last day of December of each year.
 
ARTICLE VII

OFFICERS
 
Section 1. Officers
 
The officers of the New Orleans Association of Black Social Workers shall be:
 
A. PresidentB. Vice-PresidentC. Recording SecretaryD. TreasurerE. Financial SecretaryF. Corresponding SecretaryG. ParliamentarianH. Member-at-LargeI. Student-at-LargeJ. Chaplain
 
Section 2. Duties
 
A. President
 
The President shall be the official representative of the New Orleans Association of Black Social Workers. He or she shall be the presiding officer of the Executive Committee and General Membership and an ex-officio member of all committees.
 
The President shall be available for consultation in all major policies and shall appoint all persons whose selection is not otherwise specified in the Constitution and Bylaws.
 
B. Vice-President
 
The Vice-President shall be responsible for the functioning of all standing committees. He or she shall fulfill the duties of the President in case of absence or disability.
 
The Vice-President shall also serve as Chair of the Program Committee. The Vice-President shall be elected in accordance with the Constitution and shall serve on the Executive Committee of the Chapter.
 
C. Recording Secretary
 
The Recording Secretary shall be responsible for recording, distributing, and compiling all minutes of proceedings of the Association, the Executive Committee, and any duly called General Membership meeting.
 
The Recording Secretary shall be responsible for correspondence for the Association.
 
The Recording Secretary shall notify both the Executive Committee and General Membership of upcoming meetings via email, with a copy of the agendas, and shall record and provide the minutes of meetings via email.
 
The minutes shall also be read at General Meetings by the Recording Secretary.
 
The Recording Secretary shall be responsible for retrieving mail from the Post Office Box, updating the membership roster, and assisting the President and Vice-President with any additional tasks.
 
The Recording Secretary shall be a member of the Finance and Membership Committees. The Recording Secretary shall be elected in accordance with the Constitution and shall serve on the Executive Committee of the Chapter.
 
D. Treasurer
 
The Treasurer shall be responsible and accountable for the receipts, deposits, withdrawals, and disbursements of all funds of the Association, in conjunction with the President and Financial Secretary.
 
The Treasurer shall be elected in accordance with the Constitution and shall serve on the Executive Committee of the Chapter.
 
The specific duties of this office are:
 
Receive all funds from the Financial Secretary.
 
Deposit and disburse all funds.
 
Keep a written account of all financial transactions and procedures in conjunction with the Financial Secretary.
 
Countersign all checks with the President or Financial Secretary.
 
Compile a monthly report and a semi-annual summary with the Financial Secretary, containing an exact statement of income, disbursements, and current balance, and submit the same to the Recording Secretary.
 
Pay all authorized bills upon request.
 
Issue vouchers, attach them to canceled checks, and return them to the proper place in the checkbook.
 
Compile an annual financial report of income and disbursements and submit the same to each financial member.
 
Maintain a file of administrative materials to be passed on to the succeeding Treasurer.
 
E. Financial Secretary
 
The Financial Secretary shall be elected in accordance with the Constitution and shall serve on the Executive Committee of the Chapter.
 
The Financial Secretary shall be responsible for chairing the Finance Committee, as well as the duties specified below:
 
Receive and record all Association monies and forward the same to the Treasurer.
 
Issue receipts for all monies received.
 
Keep a record of all income and disbursements.
 
Compile a monthly report with the Treasurer containing an exact statement of income, disbursements, and current balance.
 
Maintain a card file of all financially active members and distribute it to the Membership Chairperson.
 
Countersign checks.
 
Compile an annual financial report of income and disbursements.
 
Serve as a member of the Finance Committee.
 
Serve as consultant to the Economic Development Committee on an as-needed basis.
 
Maintain a file of administrative material to be passed on to the succeeding Financial Secretary.
 
F. Corresponding Secretary
 
The duties of the Corresponding Secretary shall include, but are not limited to, developing and replying to correspondence as directed by the Executive Committee of the Chapter.
 
The Corresponding Secretary may also be involved with general communication of the organization via social media and the Chapter website.
 
The Corresponding Secretary sends out all communications from the Chapter and may share what each committee is doing.
 
The Corresponding Secretary shall assure that there is an up-to-date list of members maintained in the Chapter office, as obtained from the Membership Committee Chairperson, and shall develop effective means of communication with members via the Chapter website or email.
 
The Corresponding Secretary shall be elected in accordance with the Constitution and shall serve on the Executive Committee of the Chapter.
 
G. Parliamentarian
 
The Parliamentarian shall be responsible for the duties of the Parliamentarian as stated in Robert’s Rules of Order. During meetings, the work of the Parliamentarian should be limited to giving advice to the Chair and, when requested, to any other member.
 
The Parliamentarian shall be elected in accordance with the Constitution and shall serve on the Executive Committee of the Chapter.
 
H. Member-at-Large
 
The Member-at-Large shall be responsible for gathering concerns of the Chapter’s members and bringing them back to the Executive Committee.
 
The Member-at-Large shall bring all addressed concerns back to the Chapter’s members.
 
The Member-at-Large acts as Chairperson of the Chapter’s Membership Committee, shall track and update the Chapter’s membership, and shall provide monthly reports regarding the Chapter’s membership.
 
The Member-at-Large shall be elected in accordance with the Constitution and shall serve on the Executive Committee of the Chapter.
 
I. Student-at-Large
 
The Student-at-Large shall keep up with current information from Nationals relating to scholarships, stipends, and related matters.
 
The Student-at-Large functions to recruit students, serves to filter information between chapters, and serves as a liaison between student chapters and the main Chapter.
 
The Student-at-Large shall also act as the liaison between the local Chapter and colleges and universities.
 
The Student-at-Large shall perform additional duties as assigned. The Student-at-Large shall be elected in accordance with the Constitution and shall serve on the Executive Committee of the Chapter.
 
J. Chaplain
 
The Chaplain shall offer prayer or spiritual awakening and lead the closing awakening when called upon to do so.
 
The Chaplain shall perform any other duties that may be assigned and shall serve on the Amenities Committee.
 
Section 3. Term of Office
 
The term of office for all elected officials shall be two years.
 
An officer shall serve no more than two consecutive terms.
 
Section 4. Provision for Vacancies
 
In case of vacancy due to death, disability, or resignation, the President shall be empowered to appoint a successor with the approval of the Executive Board Officers.
 
The person so appointed shall serve until the end of the unexpired term.
 
Section 5. Status of Officers Before Installation
 
The officers elected shall be “officer-elect” until installed at the Annual Membership Meeting in February.
 
ARTICLE VIII

THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
 
Section 1. Composition
 
The Executive Committee shall consist of the President, Vice-President, Recording Secretary, Financial Secretary, Corresponding Secretary, Treasurer, two Members-at-Large, one representing students, Chairpersons of Standing Committees, the immediate Past President for one year succeeding termination as President, and the President Emeritus.
 
Section 2. Duties of the Executive Committee
 
A. The Executive Committee shall meet at least once per month upon call by the President or an officer appointed by the President to serve in that capacity.
 
B. Plan the agenda for monthly membership meetings.
 
C. Approve expenditures for the Association.
 
D. Facilitate the implementation of goals and objectives approved by the membership.
 
E. Take primary responsibility for the organization and mobilization of the Association membership.
 
F. Be responsible for periodic evaluation of the Association.
 
G. Serve in lieu of membership between monthly meetings.
 
H. Three consecutive unexcused absences shall constitute grounds for removal from office.
 
Section 3. Quorum
 
A quorum shall consist of five members of the Executive Committee.
 
ARTICLE IX

MEETINGS: TIME, DATE, AND PLACE
 
Section 1. Meeting Schedule
 
The New Orleans Association of Black Social Workers General Membership shall meet in person quarterly and upon call by the President for special meetings in a place chosen by the Executive Committee.
 
The Association shall meet in February, May, August, and November.
 
The Association shall meet on the third Saturday of February, May, August, and November.
 
If the third Saturday proves to be unworkable, the general body will have the opportunity to vote on another date and time.
 
Section 2. Annual Meeting
 
The Association’s meeting scheduled in February shall be designated as the Annual Meeting.
 
This meeting shall be a Founder’s Day Celebration, and the Founder’s Award will be presented.
 
Other programmatic aspects of the Annual Meeting, such as installation of new officers, workshops, and format, shall be approved by the Executive Committee.
 
ARTICLE X

NOMINATING COMMITTEE
 
Section 1. Committee Composition
 
There shall be an Ad Hoc Nominating Committee composed of no fewer than three and no more than five persons, appointed by the President at the May meeting, to bring in a slate of officers to the Executive Committee for approval.
 
Nominations will also be accepted from the floor at the time the Nominating Committee makes its report at the August meeting.
 
Section 2. Appointment of Chairperson
 
The President shall appoint the Chairperson of the Nominating Committee.
 
Section 3. Number of Nominees
 
There shall be at least one nominee for each office.
 
Nominations will be accepted from the floor.
 
All nominees must have accepted the nomination before being placed on the slate.
 
Section 4. Elections
 
Election of officers and Members-at-Large of the Executive Committee shall be held at the regular November meeting.
 
Only persons certified by the Membership Committee and whose dues are paid within 10 days of the election shall be eligible to vote.
 
The Nominating Committee’s slate shall be mailed to all financially active members two weeks prior to the regular November meeting.
 
Additional nominations may be made from the floor following the report of the Nominating Committee.
 
The Nominating Committee shall formulate a written ballot composed of its slate and any nominations that may have been made from the floor at the January meeting.
 
Ballots shall be tabulated by at least two members of the Nominating Committee.
 
A simple plurality of the votes cast constitutes an election.
 
Results of the balloting will be announced at the August meeting, and written notifications will be sent to paid membership before the November election.
 
Officers and Members-at-Large of the Executive Committee, having been duly elected, shall take office at the February meeting for a term of two years, ending at the installation of new officers at the February Annual Meeting.
 
ARTICLE XI

STANDING COMMITTEES
 
There shall be eight Standing Committees of the Association:
 
MembershipFinanceProgramSocial ActionEconomic DevelopmentPublic RelationsEducationInternational Relations
 
The President of the Association shall appoint the Chairpersons of these committees.
 
All Standing Committees are to meet at least once a month. The President and Vice-President shall be notified of all meetings.
 
All meetings are open to the Association membership.
 
Section 1. Membership Committee
 
The Membership Committee shall be composed of a Chairperson, who shall be the Member-at-Large, and other Association members.
 
A. The Membership Committee shall be responsible for the following activities:
 
Building active membership through the recruitment and screening of all members and renewal of active members.
 
Certifying newly paid members and maintaining data on all members.
 
Certifying current memberships for all elections and call votes.
 
Advocating, securing benefits, bonuses, and advantages for paid members.
 
In conjunction with the President, being responsible for the logistics of membership meetings.
 
Maintaining an active and current membership roster of the Association with the National Association.
 
Initiating the installation procedure for new members and providing an orientation to the philosophy, purpose, goals, and practices of the Association.
 
With the approval of the Executive Committee, providing services to the membership that will function to facilitate the mission of the Association.
 
B. The Membership Committee shall meet once monthly at a place designated by the Chairperson.
 
C. The Membership Chairperson, who shall be the Member-at-Large, shall serve on the Executive Committee.
 
D. The Membership Committee shall maintain a file of administrative material to be passed on to the succeeding Membership Chairperson and Financial Secretary.
 
E. The Membership Committee shall coordinate and plan an annual recruitment event.
 
Section 1.1 Amenities Committee
 
The Amenities Committee shall be a subcommittee under the Membership Committee.
 
The Amenities Subcommittee shall be responsible for purchases for financial members as specified below:
 
Wedding gifts for marriage, not to exceed $25.00.
 
Silver and Golden Anniversary gifts, not to exceed $25.00, if there is a celebration and an invitation is extended to the Chapter.
 
Gifts for a first born child, not to exceed $20.00; all others shall receive a congratulatory card.
 
Retirement gifts, not to exceed $30.00.
 
A gift, plant, fruit, or basket, not to exceed $25.00, for three days of hospital confinement or five days of home confinement per year, unless otherwise specified by the family.
 
A floral tribute to deceased members, not to exceed $35.00.
 
A plant, not to exceed $30.00 plus delivery charges, for deaths of a spouse, mother, father, parental figures, and children, unless otherwise specified by the family.
 
A gift for other memorable events or accomplishments approved by the Executive Board.
 
The Executive Committee shall take the amount of contribution under advisement.
 
Section 2. Finance Committee
 
A. The Finance Committee shall be composed of the Chairperson, the Financial Secretary, the Member-at-Large, and two members agreed upon by the Chairperson and the President.
 
B. The Financial Secretary shall chair the Finance Committee.
 
The Finance Committee shall:
 
Prepare an annual budget to be approved by the Executive Committee and adopted by the Membership.
 
Make recommendations to the Executive Committee on requests for expenditures and other financial transactions.
 
Recommend fundraising ventures for the Association.
 
Monitor the Treasurer and initiate an annual audit to be presented to the Executive Committee and Association for approval.
 
Monitor and evaluate the fiscal structure, procedures, and collections mechanism of all fundraising activities and recommend improvements to the Executive Committee.
 
Maintain a file of administrative material to be passed on to succeeding Chairpersons.
 
C. The Finance Committee shall meet monthly at a place designated by the Chairperson.
 
D. The Finance Chairperson shall serve on the Executive Committee.
 
Section 3. Program Committee
 
A. The Program Committee is the service delivery component of the organization.
 
It is primarily responsible for designing, planning, and recommending to the Executive Committee long-term service delivery models that address the problems and needs of the African-American community.
 
Upon approval by the Executive Committee, the Program Committee should be the primary source of program implementation and service delivery.
 
B. The Program Committee shall sponsor at least one committee-sponsored conference or workshop per year to address a major problem or issue affecting the African-American community.
 
The Executive Committee shall approve the subject, time, place, and other conference or workshop logistics before implementation.
 
C. The Program Committee shall be composed of a Chairperson appointed by the President and African-American community citizens in good standing who choose to participate.
 
D. The Program Committee Chairperson shall be a member of the Executive Committee.
 
E. The Committee shall meet at least once monthly.
 
F. The Committee shall maintain a file of administrative material to be passed on to the succeeding Chairperson.
 
Section 4. Social Action Committee
 
A. The Social Action Committee, composed of the Chairperson of the Social Action Committee and the Chairpersons of the Action Task Forces, shall function as the advocacy-action component of the Association.
 
The Committee shall address social issues that are pertinent to the African-American community or that violate the purpose of the Association as stated in Article II.
 
B. Task Force Chairpersons may be appointed by the President or by the Chairperson of the Social Action Committee with the approval and consent of both the President and the Social Action Chairperson.
 
C. The Social Action Committee, through its Task Force structure, is authorized to identify concerns, develop position statements, make recommendations to the Executive Committee for action, and carry out actions approved by the Executive Committee through the Task Force or in conjunction with the Social Action Committee.
 
The Task Force and individual officers are not authorized to represent the Association on issues without approval of the Executive Committee.
 
Actions carried out with approval of the Executive Committee include:
 
a. Investigating, collecting data, and analyzing issues.
 
b. Developing a position on issues and recommending organizational action. Recommendations must be presented to the Executive Committee for approval.
 
Actions that must be approved by the Executive Committee before being carried out include:
 
a. Advocating positions on behalf of the Black community.
 
b. Disseminating information to the Black community regarding positions taken by the Executive Committee.
 
c. Developing public forums pertaining to issues approved by the Executive Committee.
 
d. Forming action coalitions.
 
D. The Social Action Committee shall meet at least once monthly.
 
E. Social Action Task Forces are Ad Hoc Committees mobilized to address specific categories of concerns.
 
Each Task Force shall be composed of Association members and community citizens concerned about the issue. There is no limit to the size of the Task Force.
 
The Task Force shall be both proactive, creating response by the system, and reactive, responding to actions taken by the system, in a manner specified by the Bylaws.
 
The Task Force should exist as long as the problem prevails and remains relevant.
 
F. The Chairperson of the Social Action Committee represents the individual Task Forces on the Executive Committee.
 
G. The Committee shall maintain a file of administrative material to be passed on to the succeeding Chairperson.
 
Section 5. Economic Development Committee
 
A. The purpose of the Economic Development Committee is to develop a framework of self-help, self-determination, and self-sufficiency.
 
In addition to fundraising activities, the major charge of this Committee is to develop a means for the Association to own, manage, and operate a profit-producing business.
 
The means shall be developed to redirect the profits of the Association’s business ventures toward the fiscal structure of the Association.
 
B. The areas of concern for this Committee shall be twofold: raising money for and through the Association and developing profit programs.
 
These two basic goals will be developed through either a plurality of paid membership or the Executive Committee.
 
C. The Committee shall be composed of a Chairperson appointed by the President, Association members, and other African-American citizens who adhere to the general philosophy of the Association and this Committee.
 
The President or his or her designee shall serve as an ex-officio member of this Committee.
 
D. The Economic Development Committee shall meet monthly and on call at the discretion of the Chairperson.
 
E. All fundraising profit ventures are to be approved by the Executive Committee.
 
F. The Committee shall maintain a file of administrative material to be passed on to the succeeding Chairperson.
 
Section 6. Public Relations Committee
 
A. The Public Relations Committee shall be composed of a Chairperson appointed by the President, active paid members of the Association, and other African-American citizens of the community who abide by the dictates of the Constitution and Bylaws.
 
B. The Public Relations Committee shall meet at least monthly.
 
C. With the approval of the Executive Committee, the Public Relations Committee shall function as follows:
 
Interpret the organization’s philosophy, objectives, policies, and practices to the public.
 
Assess the attitudes of the public toward the organization and its programs.
 
Correct misconceptions and answer criticism of the organization’s policies and practices.
 
Conduct ongoing identification of specific sectors of the community who shall be informed of the organization’s purpose and objectives.
 
Increase membership of the organization via various public relations efforts in coordination with the Membership Committee.
 
Publish a quarterly newsletter, which is to be approved by the Executive Committee before distribution.
 
Develop a public relations pamphlet for the organization that gives a brief history and outlines the philosophy, goals, objectives, and past accomplishments.
 
Maintain a file of administrative material to be passed on to the succeeding Chairperson.
 
Section 7. Education Committee
 
The Education Committee, also known as EDCO, is composed of a Chairperson and as many members as are interested.
 
The primary function of EDCO is to review educational offerings for Social Work CEU worthiness.
 
The authority to approve such offerings has been granted by the Louisiana Board of Social Work Examiners and is termed a Social Work CEU Approval Organization. This distinction is made for five years.
 
It is also the responsibility of EDCO to offer workshops totaling no less than 20 CEUs per year, of which no less than 10 shall be clinical information and 3 shall be of an ethical nature.
 
The Committee shall meet at least once per month.
 
Section 8. International Relations Committee
 
The International Relations Committee shall be responsible for establishing ties and relations with Black people throughout the world.
 
It will recommend to the Steering Committee such actions, programs, and steps it deems necessary to bring about a stronger bond of cooperation and unity with embassies, social justice missions, trade missions, and educational missions of African, Caribbean, and South American countries with sizable Black populations.
 
All efforts will be designed in keeping with the Association’s Code of Ethics.
 
Each committee shall submit to the President or the President’s designee a monthly statement for publication regarding its contribution to furthering the NOABSW mission through its roles and duties as a committee.
 
ARTICLE XII

AMENDMENTS
 
Amendments may be made to this Constitution and Bylaws provided these stipulations are met:
 
A. Proposed amendments shall be submitted to the membership in writing by the Executive Committee 30 days before a vote.
 
B. Two-thirds of the membership present shall vote favorably.