Amendments Update
Isabella Ochoa, 2024-2025 NJCL Parliamentarian
NATIONAL NEWS · Fall 2025 · Torch: U.S.
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This year we had proposed four amendments to the NJCL Constitution and Bylaws.
The first was a constitutional amendment regarding the ACL membership requirements for Chapter sponsors. The amendment states that in order to sponsor a chapter of the JCL they must be at a certain membership level. The goal was to align the NJCL Constitution with the current policies in place so that information was consistent across platforms and documents.
The second was a constitutional amendment regarding the registered members of chapters. The amendment states that chapters must register the same members with both their State JCL and the NJCL. The goal of this amendment is to align with the current policies and streamline the membership processes.
The third was a Bylaw amendment regarding member dues. The amendment states that authority over member dues would be given over to the ACL and that when dues changes occur they will be communicated to the membership by March of the school year prior. The goal of this amendment was to allow the ACL to make the necessary financial decisions without having to wait for more than a year to alter the constitution. For the 2025-2026 school year the membership fee for all JCL members shall be $5.
The fourth was a Bylaws amendment regarding chapter dues. Similarly, the amendment states that authority over member dues would be given over to the ACL and that when dues changes occur they will be communicated to the membership by March of the school year prior. The goal of this amendment was to allow the ACL to make the necessary financial decisions without having to wait for more than a year to alter the constitution. For the 2025-2026 school year the annual chapter fee shall be waived if the chapter’s members pay the annual membership fee by December 1. The annual chapter fee shall be $20 after December 1 but before April 1. The annual chapter fee shall be $30 if the chapter pays the annual membership fee after April 1. am happy to report that this year all four amendments have passed. Thank you to all who attended the Amendments Committee meeting! You all had some amazing questions. Thank you to the rest JCL who participated in the voting fellowships and passed these amendments. We are so appreciative that you would trust the ACL with your dues as I know you do not take it lightly. As always if you have any ideas for new amendments, email [email protected] and [email protected]