| |
NORTH AMERICAN BENTHOLOGICAL SOCIETY CONSTITUTION
Article 1. Name. The name of this organization shall be the North
American Benthological Society, abbreviated "NABS".
Article 2. Purpose. The purpose of the Society shall be to promote
further understanding of the benthic biological community, and its
relationship to aquatic ecosystems, by providing a medium for exchange of
appropriate information among the membership and with other professional
societies and groups interested in aquatic ecosystems.
Article 3. Activities. The Society shall be organized and operated
exclusively for scientific and educational
purposes, and shall not be organized or operated for profit. No part of
the net earnings of the Society shall or may under any circumstances
inure to the benefit of any individual. The Society shall not participate
in, or intervene in, any political campaign on behalf of any candidate
for public office.
Article 4. Membership. Membership shall be open to anyone interested in
the Society's purpose, regardless of
residence.
Article 5. Officers. The officers of the Society shall be a President, a
President-elect, a Secretary, and a Treasurer.
Any member of the Society shall be eligible to hold office. The President
and President-elect shall hold office for one year and shall be
ineligible for reelection. The President-elect shall automatically accede
to the office of President the year following his/her election. The
Secretary and Treasurer shall each hold office for a term of three years,
and their terms shall not be conterminous. The official terms of the
President, President-elect, Secretary, and Treasurer shall begin at the
close of the annual business meeting at which their election is
announced.
Article 6. Annual Meeting. There shall be at least one annual meeting
each year. The meeting shall not ordinarily be held in the same state or
province more than once every five years.
Article 7. Publications. The publications of the Society shall be the
Journal of the North American Benthological Society, the Bulletin of the
North American Benthological Society, Current and Selected Bibliographies
on Benthic Biology, and such other publications as the Society may
authorize.
Article 8. Dissolution. Upon dissolution of the Society, the officers
shall distribute the assets to one or more
organizations that meet the limitations prescribed in Article 3.
Article 9. Ratification and Amendments. The Constitution shall become
effective upon ratification by two-thirds of the members present at an
annual business meeting, and may be amended by a vote of two-thirds of
the members present at an annual business meeting, or in emergency by
two-thirds of the members responding to a mail ballot. Proposals for
amending the constitution shall be circulated in writing and/or posted on
the Society web page, to the members of the Society at least 30 days
before the next annual meeting or, in the case of an emergency vote,
before a mail ballot.
NORTH AMERICAN BENTHOLOGICAL SOCIETY BY-LAWS
Article 1. Membership. The following classes of membership shall be
recognized: regular members, student members,
and emeritus members. Student membership can be of unlimited duration but
requires proof of student status. Emeritus membership shall be granted to
individuals who are 65 years old or older, and who have been members of
the Society for at least 25 years. Emeritus membership requires no
further membership dues. Change of status of membership may be effected
at any time by the payment of appropriate dues. Application for
membership shall follow the instructions given in the most recent
Bulletin. An applicant will be considered a member only upon payment of
dues.
Article 2. Election of Officers. The President-elect, Secretary, and
Treasurer shall be elected by a majority vote
of members responding within 30 days to a ballot mailed in December, as
prescribed in Article 8A of the By-laws. The unexpired term of
President-elect, Secretary, or Treasurer, vacated because of
incapacitation, death, or resignation, shall be filled by a majority vote
of members responding within 30 days to a
special mail ballot. In emergency situations, interim appointments can be
made by the Executive Committee.
Article 3. Office of the President. The President shall be responsible
for the business of the Society, and the overall organization of the
annual meeting. He/She shall appoint a Program and a Local Arrangements
Chair for the annual meeting location that is designated during his/her
term, and will work closely with the committee appointed to organize the
meeting during his/her term. He/She shall appoint members to the
Executive Committee, designate its chair, and serve as an ex-officio
member of it. He/She shall appoint members to the Election and Place
Committee other than its chair, who will be the immediate Past President.
The President shall appoint a chair and members of the Finance Committee
and the Board of Trustees of the North American Benthological Society
Endowment Fund for Scientific Research and Education. As the terms of the
serving chairs of the following committees expire, the President shall
also appoint a chair for:: the Literature Review Committee, the Bulletin
of the North American Benthological Society Editorial Committee, the
Public Information and Publicity Committee, the Technical Issues
Committee, the Conservation and Environmental Issues Committee, the
Education and Diversity Committee, the Science and Policy Committee, the
Long Range Planning Committee, the International Profiles Committee, and
the Constitutional Revision Committee. He/she
shall appoint members to the Awards Selection subcommittees, including
the Award of Excellence and Distinguished Service Award Selection
Subcommittee, the Hynes Award for New
Investigators Selection Subcommittee, the
Environmental Stewardship Award Selection Subcommittee, and the Student
Awards Selection Subcommittee. He/She shall participate, along with the
President-elect and immediate Past President, on a special committee to
select the Journal of the North American Benthological Society Managing
Editor. He/She shall serve as an ex-officio member of the Board of
Trustees of the North American Benthological Society Endowment Fund for
Scientific Research and Education. He/She shall make other appointments
that he/she deems necessary, and establish special committees required
for the business of the Society.
Article 4. Office of President-Elect. The President-elect shall assist
the President and shall serve as an ex-officio
member of the Executive Committee and Finance Committee. He/She shall be
chair of the Awards Selection Committee, and shall participate, along
with the President and immediate Past President on a special committee to
select the Journal of the North American Benthological Society Managing
Editor. He/She shall assume the duties of President upon the death,
incapacitation, or resignation of the President, and this assumption of
duties as President shall not alter in any way his/her normal term as
President. During the one-year term of office, he/she shall make
preliminary plans for his/her term as President and for the annual
meeting at which he/she will preside. He/She
also will appoint, in consultation with the Graduate Resources Committee,
a student representative to the Executive Committee to serve during
his/her term as President.
Article 5. Office of Secretary. The Secretary shall be responsible for
keeping the minutes of annual business meetings and the Executive
Committee meetings, and the normal correspondence of the Society. He/She
shall oversee all authorized mail ballots, including the annual election
of officers as specified in Article 8A. The Secretary shall submit a
report of the Secretary's activities to the Society annually. All
historical records shall be kept in the possession of the Secretary. Upon
the death, incapacitation, or resignation of the Treasurer, he/she shall
assume the duties of the Treasurer until a new Treasurer is elected.
He/She shall serve as an ex-officio member of the Executive Committee.
Article 6. Office of Treasurer. The Treasurer shall keep the financial
records of the Society, and shall present a
financial report at each annual business meeting. This report shall be
distributed each year to all members of the Society. The Treasurer shall
be responsible for investing and disbursing monies of the North American
Benthological Society Endowment Fund for Scientific Research and
Education as directed by the Executive Committee, and for disbursing
funds necessary for the operation of the Society. Proposed expenditures
in excess of budget must be approved by the President. The Treasurer
shall not make expenditures in excess of funds except as directed by a
majority of the members of the Society at the annual business meeting.
The Treasurer shall obtain a surety bond for him/herself and the Local
Arrangements Committee Chair. The amount of each bond is to be determined
by the Finance Committee, and the premium of each bond is to be paid by
the Society. The Treasurer shall provide indemnification as prescribed in
Article 16 of the By-laws. Upon the death, incapacitation, or resignation
of the Secretary, he/she shall assume the duties of the Secretary until a
new Secretary is elected. He/She shall serve as an ex-officio member of
the Executive and Finance Committees, and of the Board of Trustees of the
North American Benthological Society Endowment Fund for Scientific
Research and Education. The financial records of the Society shall be
available for inspection at any time upon the request of an officer of
the Society, or at the annual meeting upon the request by a member of the
Society.
Article 7. Executive Committee. The Executive Committee shall consist of
the four officers, the immediate Past
President, the Managing Editor and Business Manager of the Journal of the
North American Benthological Society, the Chair of the Board of Trustees
of the North American Benthological Society Endowment Fund for Scientific
Research and Education, the Chair of the Finance Committee, and 13 active
members of the Society appointed by the President. Each President-elect
shall appoint four new members to the Executive Committee. The four
appointed members shall begin their terms at the same time as the
President-elect and shall serve a term of three years. The
President-elect shall also appoint a student member, in consultation with
the GRC, who shall serve a term of one year coincident with the
President's term. No appointed member shall serve consecutive terms.
All 22 members shall be eligible to vote. The chair of the committee
shall be appointed by the President and shall preside at the Executive
Committee meeting. The Executive Committee shall make recommendations
concerning the policies and activities of the Society, and shall review
the Constitution and By-laws as needed and recommend changes to be acted
upon at the annual business meeting. The committee shall meet prior to
the annual business meeting to discuss any motions to be presented at the
annual business meeting, including any amendments to the Constitution and
By-laws.
Article 8. Standing Committees. The Society shall maintain the following
standing committees, whose chairs shall report
their committees' activities to the Society at the annual
business meeting.
A. Election and Place Committee. The Election and Place Committee shall
consist of the immediate Past President of the Society (who shall be
chair) and four other members of the Society to be appointed by the
incoming President. The four appointed members of the committee will
serve for one year. One of the four appointees shall be selected from
Past Presidents who have held office during the preceding five years. It
shall be the duty of the committee to notify the members of the Society
of vacancies in elected offices (President-elect, Secretary, and
Treasurer) and to solicit nominations for these offices. After reviewing
the nominations, the committee shall select two consenting nominees for
each office. The Secretary shall be responsible for insuring that ballots
and a biographical sketch containing the relevant qualifications of each
candidate reach the voting membership by December and shall allow one
month for their return to the chair of the Election and Place Committee,
the due date being stated on the ballot. The chair shall tabulate and
record the votes, and shall notify the candidates for office. In the
event of a tie, the selection shall be made by a majority vote of the
Executive Committee. The results of the election will be published in the
regular Spring Bulletin of the Society. Nominations for a special ballot
as prescribed in these By-laws, Article 2, will be determined by the
Committee. The Election and Place Committee shall also generate proposals
for the location of the Society's annual meeting. At least one
potential location for the annual meeting will be presented at least
three years in advance of the meeting. The Election and Place Committee
will recommend its choice of location at the annual Executive Committee
meeting, and the final location must be approved by a majority vote of
the Executive Committee.
B. Finance Committee. The Finance Committee shall consist of two members
appointed by the President, plus the Treasurer, President-elect, and
Business Manager of the Society's Journal as ex-officio members. The
two appointed committee members will serve for three-year terms, and one
of them shall be appointed chair by the President. The duties of the
committee shall be to: (1) prepare annual fiscal-year budgets for the
Society in cooperation with the Treasurer, (2) arrange an annual audit of
the Society's books by a Certified Public Accountant and report the
results to the President at the Society's annual business meeting,
(3) appoint a Business Manager for the Society's Journal in
cooperation with the Managing Editor of the Society's Journal, (4)
advise the President concerning significant errors or omissions in the
Treasurer's report, (5) assist the Treasurer in the investment of
such monies as may become available from the Society's operations and
other sources, and (6) be responsible for cooperating with the Treasurer
and Business Manager of the Society's
Journal in continually reviewing the Society's portfolio of income
and expenses. The chair shall serve as a member of the Executive
Committee and of the Board of Trustees of the North American
Benthological Society Endowment Fund for Scientific Research and
Education.
C. Board of Trustees of the North American Benthological Society
Endowment Fund for Scientific Research and Education (Board of Trustees
of the Endowment Fund). The Board of Trustees of the Endowment Fund shall
consist of a chair and four other members will each serve five-year
terms. The incoming president will appoint one member and will designate
the chair every year, and members shall be eligible for a maximum of two
five-year terms. It shall be the duty of the Board of Trustees of the
Endowment Fund to establish and maintain guidelines for the operation of
the Endowment Fund, to promote the Endowment Fund, and to advise the
Executive Committee in all matters pertaining to the operation of the
endowment Fund, including investment of monies and designation of
specific endowment funds. The President, the Treasurer, and the Chair of
the Finance Committee shall be ex-officio voting members of the Board of
Trustees of the Endowment Fund. The Chair of the Board of Trustees of the
Endowment Fund shall be an ex-officio member of the Executive Committee.
D. Literature Review Committee. The chair of the Literature Review
Committee, selected by the President, shall appoint members to his/her
committee. It shall be the duty of this committee to prepare for
distribution to members of the Society a bibliography of current
literature. This bibliography should include articles on biology,
ecology, taxonomy, and other investigations of benthic organisms.
E. Journal of the North American Benthological Society (JNABS) Editorial
Committee. The JNABS Editorial Committee shall consist of the JNABS
Managing Editor (who shall be chair), the JNABS Associate Editors, and
the JNABS Business Manager. The JNABS Managing Editor shall be selected
by a special committee composed of the President, President-elect and
immediate Past President, and approved by the Executive Committee, for a
three-year term. He/She shall be responsible for the management and
editing of the Society's Journal, operating under policies
established by the Executive Committee. He/She shall submit an annual
report of the activities of the Society's Journal. He/She shall serve
as an ex-officio member of the Executive Committee. The JNABS Associate
Editors, appointed for three-year terms by the chair, shall advise the
JNABS Managing Editor on scientific and editorial matters pertaining to
the Society's Journal. The JNABS Business Manager, appointed for a
three-year term by the chair in conjunction with the Finance Committee,
shall work cooperatively with the JNABS Managing Editor and Treasurer to
manage the finances of the Society's Journal. He/She shall serve as
an ex-officio member of the Executive Committee and Finance Committee.
F. Bulletin of the North American Benthological Society (Bull. NABS)
Editorial Committee. The Bull. NABS Editorial Committee shall consist of
the Bull. NABS Editor, who shall be chair. He/She shall appoint other
members to his/her committee as needed. The Bull. NABS Editor shall be
appointed by the President for a three-year term. He/She shall be
responsible for the management and editing of the Society's Bulletin,
operating under policies established by the Executive Committee. He/She
shall submit an annual report of the activities and costs of the
Society's Bulletin.
G. Program Committee. The chair shall be selected by the President for
the term leading up to the annual meeting designated during that
president?s term, and shall appoint members to his/her committee. That committee will serve as a Special Committee
until the year of the meeting, and a Standing Committee during the
meeting year. Upon the chair's request, the
Program Chair of the previous annual meeting (or his/her designate) shall
assist the Program Committee in reviewing abstracts for the annual
meeting, including topics being considered for special symposia. The chair of the committee shall be responsible for
preparing the call for papers for the annual meeting, scheduling the
program, appointing chairs for each session, appointing the Student
Awards Coordinator to work with the Student Awards Chair of the Awards
Selection Committee, and preparing the abstracts and program for printing
and distribution. The program shall be distributed to the membership in
the Spring Bulletin, and by publication on the society website. The name
of the Program Chair will be published in the Society Bulletin for the
one-year period prior to the meeting.
H. Local Arrangements Committee. The Local Arrangements Committee shall
consist of the Local Arrangements Chair, appointees of the Chair, and two
consulting members representing the Local Arrangements Committee from the
previous annual meeting and a member of the Local Arrangements Committee
for the next annual meeting. The Chair and
consulting members will each serve three year terms. The chair shall be selected by the President for the term
leading up to the annual meeting designated during that president?s
term. The name of the Local Arrangements Chair
will be published in the Society Bulletin for the one-year period prior
to the meeting. The Local Arrangements Committee
will normally be associated with the agency, institution, or organization
hosting the annual meeting. The committee chair shall be responsible for
securing adequate facilities to properly host the annual meeting. His/Her
responsibilities will include reserving rooms for formal meetings and
social gatherings; securing the audio-visual equipment as required;
arranging catering, coffee breaks, luncheon facilities; providing
registration receipts; advising the membership on desirable lodging;
arranging field trips and transportation; and serving in whatever manner
is necessary to insure that all planned activities at the annual meeting
will function as smoothly as possible. He/She shall work closely with the
President, Program Chair, and Technical Issues Chair to achieve this
goal. The Local Arrangements Committee Chair shall be provided with a
surety bond, as prescribed in Article 6 of the By-laws.
I. Awards Selection Committee. The Awards Selection Committee shall be
chaired by the president-elect and shall consist of the (1) Award of
Excellence and Distinguished Service Award Selection Subcommittee, (2)
Hynes Award for New Investigators Selection Subcommittee, (3)
Environmental Stewardship Award Selection Subcommittee, and (4) Student Awards Selection Subcommittee. The duty of
these first three subcommittees shall be to select suitable recipients
for the North American Benthological Society Award of Excellence, the
North American Benthological Society Distinguished Service Award, the
Hynes Award for New Investigators, and the Environmental Stewardship
Award, from nominations submitted annually by Society members to the
subcommittee chair. Normally, recipients for the awards shall be chosen
annually. Selections shall require a majority vote by the subcommittee.
The duty of the Student Awards Selection Subcommittee shall be to select
suitable recipients for the Student Awards at each annual meeting.
¨The Award of Excellence and Distinguished Service Award Selection
Subcommittee shall consist of four immediate Past Presidents of the
Society and three members appointed by the President. The terms of the
Past Presidents shall be for four years immediately after leaving office.
At the start of his or her term, the current President shall appoint one
member who will serve a one-year term and one member who will serve a
two-year term, with the third member being the person who was appointed
to a two-year term in the previous year. The
two-year appointee shall serve as chair during the final year of his/her
term .
¨ The Hynes Award for New Investigators Selection Subcommittee shall
consist of five members appointed by NABS Presidents. At the beginning of his/her term, the current President
shall appoint one member who will serve a three-year term and one member
who will serve a two-year term. Each of the
appointees shall have been a regular (i.e. non-student) member of the
Society for at least five years. The three-year
appointee shall serve as chair during the final year of his/her
term.
¨ The Environmental Stewardship Award Selection Subcommittee shall
consist
of the immediate Past-President of NABS, and six members appointed
by the President from other committees. Two people will each be appointed for a two year term
from the Technical Issues Committee, the Science and Policy Committee and
the Conservation and Environmental Issues Committee, with one member
appointed by each committee each year. The Chair
shall be elected by the committee, and will have served at least one year
on the Committee.
¨ The Student Awards Selection Subcommittee shall consist of the Student
Awards Chair and the Student Awards Coordinator. The Student Awards Chair
shall be appointed by the President and shall ensure the efficient
year-to-year operation of the Student Awards program. The Student Awards
Coordinator shall be appointed for a one-year term by the Program
Committee Chair, subject to the approval of the Student Awards Chair, and
shall ensure the efficient operation of the Student Awards program at
each annual meeting. He/She shall select a sufficient number of
individuals to aid in fulfilling his/her duties.
J. Public Information and Publicity Committee. The Public Information and
Publicity Committee shall consist of a chair, to be appointed by the
President, the NABS Website Editor, and at least 3 additional members to
be appointed by the chair. The chair shall have been a member of the
committee during the year previous to his/her appointment. The committee
members shall serve three-year terms, with annual reappointment
thereafter. The committee?s responsibilities will include: (1) providing
summaries of the membership and meeting attendance, (2) providing
information and publicity about the Society and its annual meetings, (3)
overseeing the NABS website, (4) overseeing Society electronic discussion
groups, and (5) maintaining updated meeting guidelines for the annual
meeting.
K. Technical Issues Committee. It shall be the duty of the Technical Issues Committee to promote the exchange of information on applied benthology. At each annual meeting, the committee shall arrange for at least one Technical Information Workshop and a Taxonomy Fair. Committee members will also act as points of contact for members of the Society, agencies, and other scientific societies seeking expertise on applied aspects of benthic science. The committee chair, or co-chairs, shall be appointed by the President for a 3-year term. The chair(s) shall provide the President with recommendations for their successor(s) and shall appoint members to the committee as needed to accomplish the goals of the committee. The chair(s) shall also appoint two members to serve on the Environmental Stewardship Awards Committee.
L. Education and Diversity Committee. The Education and Diversity
Committee (EDC) shall consist of at least eight members. The Chairperson,
to be appointed by the President for a three-year term, shall appoint
three members that will serve three-year terms working cooperatively to
arrange sessions on education normally to be held at each annual
meeting. Because of the mutual interests of this
committee with our graduate student members, two members from the
Graduate Resources Committee shall be appointed to this committee. Two
members will be appointed by the chair of the EDC to assist the committee
in developing outreach activities that target under-represented groups to
help promote a greater diversity among the membership in the
society. The chair may appoint additional
members to the committee as needed. It shall be
the duty of this committee to (1) provide opportunities to share ideas
and information that enhance the teaching and educational interests of
the society and (2) monitor and promote diversity among our membership.
M. Conservation and Environmental Issues Committee. The Conservation and Environmental Issues Committee chair (or co-chairs) shall be appointed by the President for a two year term. The committee shall consist of NABS members who agree to be responsible for tasks related to the major activities of the committee. The chair or co-chairs shall annually update the list of active committee members and communicate that list to the President. It shall be the duty of this committee to (1) promote interaction between the Society and freshwater conservation organizations, (2) play a proactive role in making scientific information available as a conservation decision-making tool, (3) maintain a conservation resource database of Society members willing to provide their expertise in specific areas relative to conservation issues, (4) operate as an open forum to Society members on conservation and environmental issues, and (5) perform other functions requested by the Executive Committee regarding conservation and environmental issues.
N. Graduate Resources Committee. The Graduate
Resources Committee (GRC) shall have a Chairperson unanimously elected
from the GRC and approved by the President-elect, and an Executive
Committee (EC) representative who shall usually be the immediate past
chair and is appointed by the President-elect.
An upper cabinet shall be composed of six individuals: two administrators (Chairperson and EC Representative) and
four standing subcommittee chairpersons (Endowment Festivities, Workshop,
Publicity, and Mentoring Community Development).
Additional membership in the GRC shall be unlimited. The GRC Chairperson, Chairperson-elect, EC representative,
and standing subcommittee chairpersons shall have the ability to
unanimously appoint other student members to subcommittees. If the past-Chair is not able to serve as the GRC nominee
to the EC, the NABS President will select the EC Representative in
consultation with the GRC Chair. The GRC
membership will include a member from the university hosting the upcoming
meeting who will serve as a liaison with the NABS Local Arrangement
Committee. It shall be the duty of this
committee to (1) provide representation for NABS student body within
other NABS committees; (2) facilitate cooperation and interaction among
student members of NABS; (3) raise funds for the NABS Endowment to the
benefit of NABS students; and (4) generate new ways to accommodate NABS
students? inputs and needs.
O. Science and Policy Committee. The Science and Policy Committee (SPC)
shall consist of a chair (or co-chairs) appointed by the President for a
two-year term, and up to ten additional members appointed by the chair
(or co-chairs). Members will serve for two years and, together with the
chair (or co-chairs), will assist the NABS in (1) developing and
strengthening links between NABS and policy makers; (2) helping formulate
and influencing scientifically sound aquatic policy in North America; (3)
promoting proactive aquatic scientific research and management; (4)
supporting performance standards, methods comparisons, and standard
methods in biomonitoring and bioassessment in coordination with the
Technical Issues Committee; (5) supporting ambient biological criteria in
ecological assessments of the continent's waters; and (6) performing
additional science and policy functions requested by the Executive
Committee or President.
P. Constitutional Revision Committee. The Constitutional Revision Committee shall consist
of a chair (or co-chairs) appointed by the President for a three year
term, and additional members appointed by the chair (or co-chairs) as
needed. Committee members will be responsible for making revisions to the
society?s constitution and/or by-laws as directed by the Executive
Committee and for periodically reviewing the constitution and by-laws at
the direction of the Executive Committee. The
Constitutional Revision Committee will submit a report of the committee?s
activities to the Society annually, and, as specified in Article 17, will
ensure that proposed changes are published in the Society Bulletin or
Website at least 30 days in advance of the annual meeting during which
they will be voted on by the membership. The
Committee will also ensure that the current Constitution and By-laws will
be published in the Bulletin at least annually, and will be maintained on
the website.
Q. The Long Range Planning Committee: The Long Range Planning Committee
shall consist of a chair (or co-chairs) appointed by the President for a
two-year term, and up to ten additional members appointed by the chair
(or co-chairs). Members will serve for two years
and together with the chair (or co-chairs) will assist the NABS in
drafting a new long-range strategic plan every 5 years. The strategic plan will be modified and approved by the
Executive Committee. In years intervening the
drafting of strategic plans, committee members will help facilitate
implementation of plans and ideas put forth in the strategic plan. This committee will also comment on potential long
range activities for the society proposed by the Executive Committee or
President and will perform additional long range planning functions
requested by the Executive Committee or President.
R. The International Profiles Committee (IPC) shall consist of a chair
(or co-chairs) appointed by the President for a two-year term, and up to
ten additional members appointed by the chair (or co-chairs). Membership will focus on an international representation
with the majority members being outside North America. Members will serve for two years and together with the
chair (or co-chairs) will assist the NABS in assessing the current and
future level of international participation and to provide
recommendations on how NABS international membership could be better
served. Specifically, the IPC will focus on
issues regarding (1) increasing and improving international NABS
membership, (2) fostering increased awareness of NABS to similar
international scientific societies, and (3) advancing readership and
publication in JNABS by international researchers. The IPC will work closely with the NABS Education and
Diversity Committee and the JNABS Editorial Committee, and will answer
directly to the President of NABS.
Article 9. Special Committees. Special committees, including study
committees, may be appointed by the President or
the Executive Committee. Special committees will normally have a life of
one year and will be dissolved at the time of the annual business
meeting. Chairs of special committees will be appointed by the President.
Article 10. Publications. The publications of the Society shall be the
Journal of the North American Benthological Society, the Bulletin of the
North American Benthological Society, and Current and Selected
Bibliographies on Benthic Biology, which may be printed in one or more
issues throughout the year. Other publications may be issued from
time-to-time, subject to approval by the Executive Committee, and must be
consistent with the Society's ability to finance such publications.
Article 11. Awards. The following awards may be presented, normally at
each annual meeting: (1) North American
Benthological Society Award of Excellence - to a single recipient for
outstanding contributions to benthic science. The scope of the award
shall reflect the broad interests and expertise exhibited in the Society,
but the award shall not be limited to members of the Society. The
recipient shall be chosen from nominations submitted annually to the
Award of Excellence and Distinguished Service Award Selection
Subcommittee. (2) North American Benthological Society Distinguished
Service Award - to a Society member who has made a genuine and lasting
contribution to the betterment of the Society. The recipient shall be
chosen from nominations submitted annually to the Award of Excellence and
Distinguished Service Award Selection Subcommittee. (3) Hynes Award for New Investigators, to a benthic
scientist who was senior author of an outstanding primary publication in
benthic science that has appeared in print during the last 3 years. The recipient must have received a terminal
post-graduate degree within the last 5 years, and cannot currently be
enrolled in a degree program. The recipient
shall be chosen from nominations submitted annually to the Hynes Award
for New Investigators Selection Subcommittee. (4) The NABS Environmental
Stewardship award shall be given to a NABS member or non-member who has
worked successfully to translate scientific knowledge into the social
arena. This may occur in the policy arena via
regulatory reform that requires or enables consideration of biological
conditions, (e.g., biological assessment and biological criteria), in the
research arena via ecosystem rehabilitation or aquatic conservation, or
in the educational arena via public outreach in science education.
Successful candidates for this award must have demonstrated exceptional
service in activities that implemented conservation or rehabilitation of
aquatic ecosystems; developed a strategy to conserve, rehabilitate or
ecologically manage aquatic ecosystems; or advanced our science as the
basis for making informed decisions regarding management of aquatic
resources (5) Student
Awards - to student members of the Society for the best presentations on
methods, basic research and applied research at the annual meeting of the
Society. Recipients shall be chosen by the
Student Awards Selection Subcommittee.
Article 12. Endowment Funds. The North American Benthological Society
Endowment Fund for Scientific Research and
Education (Endowment Fund) shall promote various aspects of benthic biology exclusively for scientific and educational
purposes. Endowment funds shall be managed by the Board of Trustees of
the Endowment Fund in consultation with the Executive Committee. The
accounts of the Endowment Fund shall be managed by the Treasurer of the
Society who shall keep all Endowment Fund monies in trust accounts in an
institution insured by the United States Government. The accounts shall
be audited at the close of each fiscal year. The auditor's report and
an interim financial statement shall be presented to the Society at the
Annual Meeting. Only the income from investment of endowment funds shall
be available for use. The Executive Committee, in consultation with the
Board of Trustees of the Endowment Fund, shall have the power to receive
grants, gifts, contributions, and other sums of like nature; and to
receive and hold, sell, and resell property (real, personal, or mixed),
without limitations to its value, under the
provisions of this By-Law. Contributions and other sums of like nature,
as specified in the preceding sentence, that
are received for specific purposes shall be administered in accordance
with the wishes of their donors if compatible with the purposes and
activities of the Society. Awards, prizes, and recurring special programs
shall, in general, be supported by specific endowments. The Executive
Committee, in consultation with the Board of Trustees of the Endowment
Fund, shall establish specific endowment funds. Contributions and other
sums of like nature, as specified previously in this paragraph, that are
received with no special designation normally shall be placed in the
General Endowment Fund.
The Board of Trustees of the Endowment Fund shall review the Endowment
Fund and its specific component endowment funds at five-year intervals
after initiation. If the Board of Trustees of the Endowment Fund
recommends termination of a specific endowment fund, such a
recommendation shall be presented to the Executive Committee for review.
A majority vote by the Executive Committee to terminate a specific
endowment fund can be taken as a recommendation to the membership of the
Society. Termination of a specific endowment fund can be effected by a
two-thirds approval of the voting membership. Funds from terminated
specific endowment funds shall be transferred to another specific
endowment fund or the General Endowment Fund by the Executive Committee
in consultation with the Board of Trustees of the Endowment Fund.
Article 13. Dues. An applicant will be considered a member only upon
payment of dues. Annual dues depend upon class
of membership. The due date for dues payment for any year will be January
1 of that year. Dues notices will be sent out approximately six months
prior to the due date. A former member may be reinstated upon application
for membership and payment of dues for the current year. New and former
member dues received after October 1 will normally be credited to the
next year. The annual dues shall be established by the members of the
Society. Changes in the annual dues may be made by a majority of the
members present at the annual business meeting.
Article 14. Fiscal Year. The fiscal year for the Society shall be the
calendar year.
Article 15. Annual Meeting. There shall be at least one annual meeting,
preferably in the spring, which shall include
an executive and business meeting. Five percent of the membership of the
Society shall constitute a quorum at the business meeting. The President
shall preside at the business meeting, which shall be conducted in
accordance with Robert's Rules of Order. The Executive Committee
Chair and the standing committee chairs shall report their
committees' activities to the membership at the annual business
meeting. Each person attending the annual meeting shall pay a
registration fee of such amount as determined by the Local Arrangements
and Executive Committees.
Article 16. Indemnification. The Society shall indemnify any person who
shall be an officer or committee member of the
Society against legal expenses and liabilities reasonably incurred or
imposed while serving as an officer or committee member.
Article 17. Ratification and Amendments. The By-laws shall become
effective upon ratification by two-thirds of the
members present at the annual business meeting, and may be amended by a
vote of two-thirds of the members present at the annual business meeting,
or in emergency by two-thirds of the members responding to a mail ballot.
Proposed amendments to the Constitution or By-laws shall be presented to
the Executive Committee for review at least 30 days prior to the
publication of changes in the Bulletin or on the web. Copies of proposed
amendments will be distributed to the membership and published on the
website at least 30 days before the annual meeting or, in the case of an
emergency, the mail ballot.
Article 18. Incorporation. The North American Benthological Society shall
be incorporated as a non-profit organization in
the State of Illinois, January 3, 1967.
Article 19. Registered Agent. The Registered Agent shall maintain a
permanent Society address in the state of
incorporation. He/She shall maintain the Society as an incorporated,
non-profit organization. He/She shall be responsible for duties of
incorporation and provide guidance to the membership regarding
incorporation. He/She shall be appointed by the Executive Committee and
his/her term of office shall be continuous until revoked by the
Committee.
|
|
