The Organization

Our Mission

The Alabama School Counselor Association (ALSCA) encourages and promotes excellence in Alabama’s school counseling programs as they support student success. Our goal is to improve student academic, career, and foundational wellness development through professional learning, advocacy, collaboration, and leadership.

Organizational Structure

ALSCA provides support and networking for school counselors in Alabama. ALSCA is one of the largest affiliates of the Alabama Counseling Association (ALCA) and a division of the American School Counselor Association (ASCA).

ALSCA is led by a nine-member Board of Directors who work alongside the Executive Director, Coordinators, and Liaisons. The governing structure provides a system for the membership to be heard at the local, state, and national level.

Bylaws + Operating Policies

ALSCA Bylaws

NOTE: The ALSCA Policies and Procedures Handbook was replaced by ALSCA’s Operating Policies in November 2023.

* To preserve the original history document of the organization, the below section has not been altered.

The Alabama School Counselor Association (ALSCA) Policies and Procedures Handbook was prepared by the Bylaws Committee with input from the ALSCA Governing Board and the general membership. The chair of this committee was Thelma Robinson. Members were James Clay, Frances Manning, Sandy Magnusom, and Jane Smith. The information provided in this handbook is designed to provide continuity and strength, to assist ALSCA officers, committee chairs, and the membership to: 

● Use the information to learn about ALSCA, its history, purposes, and organizational structure,
● Understand the procedures and policies of the state and national parent organizations: Alabama Counseling Association (ALCA) and the American School Counselor Association (ASCA), and 
● Become knowledgeable, effective, and oriented regarding the responsibilities of officers and chairpersons. 

It is the goal of the Bylaws Committee that this handbook will strengthen our ALSCA leadership team. According to Article X, Section 1 of the ALSCA Bylaws, the Association’s Policies and Procedures Handbook shall be reviewed annually by the Bylaws Committee, which will recommend revisions as necessary to the Governing Board for approval.

History of ALSCA

The Alabama School Counselor Association (ALSCA) received its charter from the American School Counselor Association (ASCA) during the national convention of the American Personnel and Guidance Association (APGA) in New Orleans in 1970. It was the second division of the Alabama Personnel and Guidance Association (ALPGA) to receive a national charter.

The state constitution for ALSCA was adopted the previous year (1969) at the ALPGA meeting during AEA. In order to receive a state charter, a slate of officers had to be submitted. Therefore, Dr. John Seymour, ALPGA President and Mrs. Reba Clark, President- Elect appointed the following officers for the interim year until elections could be held in March at the regular meeting: President, Mary H. McKinnon, Director of Guidance Jefferson County Schools, Mary Moon, Counselor, Mountain Brook High School; Treasurer, Herman Griffin, former Counselor Athens High School; Parliamentarian, Bob Griffin, Assistant Professor, The University of Alabama.

The officers were charged with contacting the prospective members of ALPGA and setting up temporary committees to carry out the necessary business of the organization until the membership could officially elect officers. Plans were made to hold an ALSCA meeting during the Fall Workshop in Mobile, and the membership fee was set at $1.00.

Bylaws state that the purposes of ALCSA were:

• To foster a close personal and professional relationship among school counselors and with counselors in other settings;
• To improve the standards of counseling and guidance services for students kindergarten through postsecondary schools;
• To assume an active role in helping others understand and improve such services;
• To develop a close working relationship with state and local school administrators, educational associations, and state agencies;
• To advance the profession of counseling in order to maximize the educational/academic, occupational, and person/social growth of each individual;
• To publish educational and professional materials

Traditionally ALSCA met with AEA and ALPGA (Now ALCA) representatives until 1975. From 1975 until 1980, no spring meetings were held, although the membership met during Fall Workshop each year. In 1980, a Spring Workshop was initiated for ALSCA members only. By 1983, The Spring Workshop was a joint venture with one or more districts participating with ALSCA in presenting programs for members.

ALSCA is a state division of ASCA and an affiliate of ALCA. A member must join ALCA to be a member of ALSCA. The governing structure provides a system for the membership to be heard at all levels; members receive benefits that only a large national organization can provide. ALSCA continues to work in conjunction with ALCA to bring content sessions of interest to its members at the ALCA Annual Conference.

* To preserve the original history document of the organization, the above section has not been altered.

ALSCA encourages all of its members to present current and relevant issues to their colleagues at the ALSCA Critical Issues Conference and the ALCA Annual Conference as well as at other ALSCA-sponsored professional development events and events sponsored by other groups aligned with our mission. ALSCA is represented on the ALCA Executive Council and sends two voting delegates to the ASCA Business Meeting, held annually in conjunction with Elevate and the ASCA Annual Conference.

ALSCA’s membership has grown from 132 members at its inception to approximately 800 – 1,000 members today. It is one of the largest ALCA affiliates/divisions.

ALCA Chapter Regions