Richland Section ACS
Bylaws
Bylaws of The Richland Section
Bylaw I — Name
The name of this organization shall be the Richland Section (hereinafter referred to as "the Section") of the AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY (hereinafter referred to as "the SOCIETY").
Bylaw II — Objects
The objects of the Section shall be the encouragement and advancement of chemistry in the broadest manner possible, the increase and dissemination of chemical knowledge, the promotion of scientific interests and inquiry, the stimulation of professional interests, and the fostering of public welfare and education of its members.
Bylaw III — Territory
The territory of the Section shall be that assigned to it by the SOCIETY.
Bylaw IV — Members and Affiliates
Section 1. The rolls of the Section shall include those MEMBERS, ASSOCIATE MEMBERS, and National Affiliates of the SOCIETY residing within the territory of the Section, provided that any exceptions to this rule shall be made in conformity with the Constitution and Bylaws of the SOCIETY.
Section 2. The Section may have Local Section Affiliates as authorized in the Constitution and Bylaws of the SOCIETY.
Local Section Affiliates and National Affiliates shall have such rights and privileges as are accorded them by the Constitution and Bylaws of the SOCIETY. An ASSOCIATE MEMBER may not hold an elective position or serve as a Temporary Substitute Councilor. A National Affiliate or Local Section Affiliate may not vote for elective positions or on articles of incorporation and bylaws, nor may they hold an elective position.
Bylaw V — Organization
Section 1. The officers of the Section shall be a Chair, a Chair-Elect, a Secretary, and a Treasurer, all of whom shall be MEMBERS of the SOCIETY. The offices of Secretary and of Treasurer may be held by the same person. Each officer shall conduct, manage, and direct the business and affairs of the Section in accordance with the Constitution and Bylaws of the SOCIETY, and these bylaws.
Section 2. The Section shall have a Councilor(s) and an Alternate Councilor(s) as provided in the Constitution and Bylaws of the SOCIETY. Councilors and Alternate Councilors must be MEMBERS of the SOCIETY. Each Councilor(s) and Alternate Councilor(s) shall conduct, manage, and direct the business and affairs of the Section in accordance with the Constitution and Bylaws of the SOCIETY, and these bylaws.
Section 3. The Executive Committee shall consist of the officers of the Section, the immediate Past Chair, the Councilor(s), and the Alternate Councilor(s).
Section 4. CHAIR. The Chair shall preside at all meetings and is an ex officio member of all committees with voting privileges. The Chair shall appoint the chair of each standing committee and concur with the committee chairs on the selection of additional committee members. The Chair may call and arrange meetings at a minimum of one week's notice.
Section 5. CHAIR-ELECT. The Chair-Elect shall take over the duties of the Chair in the Chair's absence or incapacity to serve and shall serve as the Chair of the Program Committee.
Section 6. SECRETARY. The Secretary shall record and keep minutes of Section meetings; shall file such minutes and records of committee meetings as may be submitted; and shall be an ex officio member of the Membership Committee with voting privileges.
Section 7. TREASURER. The Treasurer shall receive all money due to the Section, and shall deposit it in a safe place; shall pay out money only in accordance with a budget or a direct appropriation voted on by the members of the Section; shall keep records of all money received, appropriated, or paid out; and shall have the Section's financial status audited by a member(s) of the Section not currently holding or seeking elected office on the Section's Executive Committee. The financial audit is to be conducted after closure of each Treasurer's term and the results of the audit are to be presented to the Executive Committee by the last day of April of following year.
Section 8. COUNCILOR(S). The Councilor(s) shall be the representative of the Richland Section to the SOCIETY. The Councilor(s) shall attend meetings of the Section just prior to meeting of the Council or the SOCIETY to inform the Section and its members on upcoming Council issues and actions. The Councilor(s) shall also attend meetings of the Section immediately following a Council meeting of the SOCIETY to debrief the Section and its members on Council actions and the voting record of the Councilor.
Section 9. ALTERNATE COUNCILOR(S). The Alternate Councilor(s) shall carry out the duties of the Councilor in the Councilor's absence or incapacity to serve.
Bylaw VI — Manner of Election and Terms of Office
Section 1. All officers, Councilor(s), and Alternate Councilor(s) shall be elected by the members of the Section by mail ballot before the last Tuesday of November, and will take office on January 1 following the election. A period of at least three weeks must be provided between the date of mailing of the ballots to members and the deadline for their return to the Secretary, or other designated officer of the Section.
Section 2. The officers of the Section shall hold office for one year, or until their successors qualify. Upon completion of the Chair's term of office, the Chair-Elect shall succeed to the office of Chair. Councilor(s) and Alternate Councilor(s) shall be elected for a term of three years beginning on January 1.
Section 3. In the event of a vacancy in the office of Chair, the Chair-Elect shall assume the added duties of the Chair for the unexpired term. If a vacancy shall occur in the office of Secretary or Treasurer, the Chair may make an interim appointment to fill those offices, with the appointment expiring at the end of the elected term for those offices. A vacancy in the office of Councilor or Alternate Councilor shall be filled by the Executive Committee from among the MEMBERS by interim appointment for the period up to the next annual election, at which time the Section shall elect a MEMBER to complete the unexpired term, if any, for those offices. In the event the office of Chair-Elect is filled by such interim appointment, the Section shall elect both a Chair and a Chair-Elect at its annual election.
Section 4. The Nominating Committee shall nominate one or more MEMBERS for each elective position for which a vacancy will occur and shall make a report at a regular meeting of the Section. The Chair and Chair-Elect may not be renominated for consecutive terms, while the incumbent of any other elective position may be renominated. After the report of the Committee, nominations may be received from the floor or by petition. Only nominees who have agreed to serve if elected may be named on the ballot.
Section 5. The Secretary, or other designated officer of the Section, shall prepare an election ballot on which shall appear the names, in order chosen by lot, of all candidates nominated and found willing to serve for the offices of Chair-Elect, Secretary, Treasurer, Councilor, and Alternate Councilor.
Section 6. The Chair shall appoint as Tellers two or more MEMBERS who are neither candidates for office, nor members of the Executive Committee.
Section 7. The Secretary, or other designated officer of the Section, shall compare the hand-inscribed name on the mailing envelope containing returned ballots with the official list of members of the Section for all ballots received by the deadline. Ballot envelopes not hand-inscribed by an eligible voter shall be marked VOID. The Secretary shall transmit all envelopes to the Tellers.
Section 8. The Tellers shall open all envelopes verified as valid, shall count the ballots, and shall tally the votes. The Tellers shall count the ballots thus received using the list of MEMBERS and ASSOCIATE MEMBERS provided by the Secretary to verify eligibility of those voting. Any ballot envelope not appropriately validated shall be rejected. The Tellers shall declare the member with the greatest number of votes elected to office. The vote tally, including the number of rejected ballots and the number of invalidated envelopes, shall be reported to the Executive Committee. All ballot envelopes marked VOID and all ballots shall be returned to the Secretary.
Section 9. In the case of a tie vote for any office, the final selection shall be made by a majority vote of the Executive Committee. Any member who wishes may personally verify the count in the presence of the Tellers.
Section 10. The Chairman shall inform all candidates of the election results and shall arrange for transmitting this information to all members and affiliates of the Section.
Section 11. The Secretary shall retain all mailing envelopes and all ballots for at least 90 days after either the announcement of the results to the membership or until any disputes have been resolved, whichever is later.
Bylaw VII — Duties of Officers and Executive Committee
Section 1. The duties of the officers shall be those customarily performed by such officers, together with those responsibilities prescribed by the Constitution and Bylaws of the SOCIETY and by these bylaws and such other duties as may be assigned by the Executive Committee.
Section 2. The Chair of the Section shall serve as Chair of the Executive Committee and shall appoint members and/or affiliates to all committees authorized in these bylaws or by the Executive Committee.
Section 3. The Executive Committee shall be the governing body of the Section, and, as such, shall have full power to conduct, manage, and direct the business and affairs of the Section in accordance with the Constitution and Bylaws of the SOCIETY and these bylaws.
Section 4. The Executive Committee shall draw up an annual budget, and shall submit it to the membership, by inclusion in the Section newsletter, for approval by the members by no later than the last day of March. The published budget must be mailed to the members three weeks prior to approval at a meeting and must include a final audited copy of the financial report for the previous year.
Section 5. The Executive Committee may revise budget expenditures for an approved budget with a majority vote of the Executive Committee members such that the overall sum of the revised amounts for a particular year are twenty-five percent or less of the projected budget income for that year. Budget revisions beyond the twenty-five percent level must be submitted to the membership for approval of the revision(s) at the next regular meeting. The revision(s) must be published in the Section newsletter three weeks prior to to approval at a meeting.
Section 6. Money shall only be spent as authorized in a membership-approved budget, or an appropriation approved by a majority of the Executive Committee, which conforms to the criteria of Sections 4 and 5 of this Bylaw.
Section 7. The Chair of the Section is responsible for preparing an annual report of Local Section Activities as prescribed by the SOCIETY.
Bylaw VIII — Standing Committees
Section 1. The standing committees listed in this bylaw are permanent committees of the Executive Committee. Other committees may be organized from time to time, but shall expire and cease operations on December 31 of each year.
Section 2. The standing committees are not to be fixed in the number of members, but shall consist of the chair of the committee, the Chair of the Section, and such members as are needed. The Chair of the Section appoints the committee chairs and concurs with the committee chairs on the selection of additional members. These appointments shall expire on December 31 of each year.
Section 3. Program Committee. The Program Committee shall arrange the regular programs and may, with the concurrence of the Chair of the Section, schedule special meetings and programs. The Chair-Elect shall serve as the chair of the Program Committee.
Section 4. Membership Committee. The Membership Committee shall endeavor to maintain and increase the membership of the Section.
Section 5. Nominations/Awards Committee. The Immediate Past Chair of the Section will serve as the chair of the Nominations/Awards Committee. The committee shall provide the name(s) of a candidate(s) for each office whenever an election is to be held, and provide a list of nominees for various local section awards. The committee shall obtain acceptances from the candidate(s). The committee shall receive acceptances from such other candidates as may choose to run.
Section 6. Bylaws Committee. The Bylaws Committee shall review the bylaws at least annually and propose such amendments as are considered necessary to increase the effectiveness of the Section in carrying out its objectives. The committee shall review proposed amendments and advise the Section on the desirability of such amendments.
Section 7. Public Relations Committee. The Public Relations Committee shall keep the members and the public informed about the activities of the Section.
Bylaw IX — Meetings
Section 1. The Section shall hold regular meetings at places and times designated by the Executive Committee.
Section 2. The Section may hold special meetings at the call of the Executive Committee or at the written request of fifteen members of the Section. The notices of special meetings shall state the exact nature of the business to be considered and no other business shall be transacted at such meetings.
Section 3. Due notice of all meetings shall be sent to each member and affiliate of the Section. A quorum for transaction of business at a Section meeting shall consist of at least ten members of the Section. No business shall be transacted in the absence of a quorum.
Section 4. The Executive Committee shall meet upon due notice to its members at the call of the Chair or at the request of a majority of the members of the Committee. In the absence of a quorum, which shall be a majority of the members of the Executive Committee, called meetings of the Executive Committee shall adjourn to a later date.
Bylaw X — Finances
Section 1. All members and assigned National Affiliates of the Section may be requested to pay voluntarily such annual Local Section dues as may be set by the Executive Committee.
Section 2. The annual dues of Local Section Affiliates shall be set by the Executive Committee in accordance with the Constitution and Bylaws of the SOCIETY. Failure to pay such dues for the current year shall terminate the affiliation. At the discretion of the Executive Committee, Student Affiliates of the SOCIETY may be enrolled as Local Section Affiliates without the payment of Section dues.
Bylaw XI — Amendments
Section 1. A proposed amendment to these bylaws must first be submitted in writing to the Bylaws Committee. The Bylaws Committee must draft the proposed amendment in a form that conforms to the Constitution and Bylaws of the SOCIETY. If changes are approved by the Executive Committee, the Secretary shall furnish all members of the Section with copies of the proposed amendment at the time when notice of the next meeting of the Section is given by publication in the Section newsletter.
Section 2. Following announcement of the proposed amendment at a meeting of the Section and provided that due notice of the impending vote is given, the amendment will be adopted at the subsequent meeting of the Section if it receives an affirmative vote by two-thirds (2/3) of the members present.
Alternatively, or in the absence of a quorum at the meeting during which the vote is scheduled, a mail ballot may be used provided that both the current language and the amended language of the affected bylaw(s), together with an explanation of the change(s), have been published or accompany the ballots. A deadline date, at least 3 weeks after mailing of the ballots, shall be specified for return of the ballots to the Secretary or other designated officer of the Section. The amendment is adopted by an affirmative vote of two-thirds (2/3) of the valid ballots returned.
Section 3. If a proposed amendment is not approved by a majority of the Executive Committee, it may, nevertheless, be brought to the members for a vote in an alternative manner. To bring about such a vote, a petition supporting the amendment, which has been signed by at least 25 members or ten percent of the membership of the Section, whichever is larger, must be presented to the Executive Committee. The procedure subsequently followed for general announcement of the amendment and balloting shall be identical to that used for an amendment approved by the Executive Committee.
Section 4. Amendments to these bylaws, after adoption by the Section, shall become effective upon approval by the Committee on Constitution and Bylaws, acting for the Council of the SOCIETY, unless a later date is specified in the amendment.
Bylaw XII — Tri-Cities Technical Council Membership
Section 1. The Section may join the Tri-Cities Technical Council. Membership in the Council is subject to the annual review and approval of the Executive Committee and is contingent upon the Tri-Cities Technical Council meeting the requirements set forth in the Constitution and Bylaws of the SOCIETY.
Section 2. The Local Section representatives to the Tri-Cities Technical Council shall be appointed by the Chair of the Section on a yearly basis.
Bylaw XIII — Dissolution of the Local Section
Upon the dissolution of the Local Section, any assets of the Section remaining thereafter shall be conveyed to such organization then existent, within or without the territory of the Local Section, dedicated to the perpetuation of objects similar to those of the AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY, or to the AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY, so long as whichever organization is selected by the governing body of the Local Section at the time of dissolution shall be exempt under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954 as amended or under such successor provision of the Code as may be in effect at the time of the Section's dissolution.
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