General Provisions
A – This document shall be known as the Constitution of the BEPA.
B – All persons who, at the time this Constitution is adopted, hold offices under any previous Constitution, which offices are continued by this Constitution, shall continue to hold the same offices according to the former tenure thereof.
C – No action or proceeding commenced before this constitution takes effect, and no right accrued, is affected by the provisions of this Constitution, but all provisions thereafter taken herein shall conform to the provisions of this Constitution.
D – Unless the context otherwise requires, the General Provisions hereinafter set forth shall govern the construction of this Constitution and By-Laws established by the Board of Directors.
E – Writing shall include any form of recorded message capable of comprehension by ordinary visual means. Whenever any notice, report, statement or record is required by this Constitution or the By-Laws of this Association, it shall be made in writing in the English language. The mailing of any notice, report or record by first class mail shall be sufficient compliance with any requirement of this Constitution or except as established by Board policy in accordance with Articles VII and IX of this constitution.
F – Whenever any reference is made to any portion of this Constitution, such reference shall apply to all amendments and additions thereto now or hereafter made.
G – The present tense includes the past and future tense; and the future, the present. The singular includes the plural and the plural the singular. The masculine gender includes the feminine and neuter. “Shall” is mandatory and “may” is permissive.
H – “Accredited school” shall mean any school of polygraph or forensic psychophysiology as accredited by the BEPA
I – “Association” shall mean the BEPA or any successor thereto.
J – “Board” shall mean the Board of Directors of the Association.
K – “By-Laws” shall mean any set of rules or other writings established by the Board of Directors for the purpose of the administration of the affairs of the Association. The Board of Directors shall establish and maintain By-Laws. The By-Laws shall include, but are not limited to, a Code of Ethics and a set of Standards of Practice.
L – “Director” shall mean any natural person elected to hold office under the provisions of this Constitution.
M – “Elective Year” shall mean the period between meetings of the General Membership held for the purpose of electing Directors and Officers of this Association.
N – “Meeting” shall mean any meeting of the General Membership of this Association, any meeting of the Board of Directors of this Association or any meeting of any committee authorised by this Constitution or convened at the direction of the President or the Board of Directors.
O – “Member” shall mean any natural person, partnership or division as defined and or limited by the Constitution or By-Laws of this Association.
P – “Officer” shall mean any natural person elected to one of the following offices: President, Vice-Presidents (Private, Government and Law Enforcement), Secretary and Treasurer.
Q – “Person” shall mean a human being as opposed to a partnership or division.
R – “Polygraph” may mean “forensic psychophysiology” when used in detection of deception.
S – “Voting Member” shall mean any member of the Association as defined or limited by the By-Laws.
T – BEPA “Year” shall mean the calendar year beginning on January 1 at 0001 hours and ending on December 31 at 2400 hours of any year. The affairs of this Association shall operate on the basis of a calendar year. A fiscal year may be utilized for financial accounting.
U – In the event this Constitution, or any part thereof, or any additions or amendments made subsequently thereto, or the application thereof to any person or circumstance, be found in conflict with any law, federal or state, such conflict shall be resolved in favor of the law; provided, that if the provisions of law be less than the requirements of this Constitution, such conflict shall be resolved in favor of this Constitution.