|
Water
Quality Section
of the
American Fisheries Society
BYLAWS
Section 1.
The name of this organization is the Water Quality Section of
the American Fisheries Society as provided for by the bylaws of
the Society as amended.
Section 2.
General objectives of the Section are those of the American
Fisheries Society described in Article I of the constitution of
the Society. Specific objectives are:
(a)
maintain an association of persons involved in the protection
of watersheds,
water quality,
and aquatic habitat and the abatement of water pollution and
habitat and watershed deterioration;
(b)
encourage improved professional and technical standards in
the investigation, abatement, and regulation of water pollution,
aquatic habitat, and watershed problems; and
(c)
objectively focus attention on watershed, aquatic habitat,
and water quality concerns, and improve methods for solving
relevant issues
by conducting workshops and projects, collecting and assembling
information for publication, and distributing results to Society
members and the public.
Section 3.
These stated objectives shall be pursued by:
(a)
organizing and sponsoring special symposia on watershed,
aquatic habitat, and water quality issues;
(b)
disseminating proceedings, notes, or abstracts from
conferences and workshops on watershed, aquatic habitat, and
water quality topics to members of the Section, interested
Society members, and the public;
(c)
promoting development and use of standardized procedures and
techniques for investigating and regulating water quality,
aquatic habitat, and watershed problems;
and
(d)
providing technical expertise on watershed, aquatic habitat,
and water quality concerns to the Society, other organizations,
and the public.
Section 4.
Membership in the Section is open to all members, in good
standing, of the American Fisheries Society. Each Section
member is entitled to one vote on all matters requiring approval
of the membership.
Section 5.
Officers of the Section are President, President-Elect,
Past-President, and Secretary-Treasurer. Officers must be
members in good standing of the Section and the Parent Society.
Section 6.
All officers are elected, as provided in Section 8, for a two
year term and shall serve without salary or other compensation.
Section 7.
No member shall hold the office of President or President-Elect
for more than two (2) consecutive years. The
Secretary-Treasurer can be elected for consecutive terms.
Section 8.
Candidates for office are nominated by the Nominating Committee
(Section 14). Mail, FAX, or email balloting will be conducted
and completed by July 15 of every odd numbered year. Officers
are elected by a majority of the ballots returned by July 15.
Ballots shall be mailed to members at least 21 days prior to
July 15.
Section 9.
In the event of a vacated position, the Section’s Officers shall
appoint a qualified replacement to complete the unexpired term.
Section 10.
President: The President presides at meetings of the
Section, appoints all committees, and serves as an ex officio
member thereof except as limited herein. The President
represents the
Section to the Parent Society and performs such duties as are
authorized and necessary.
Section 11.
President-Elect: The President-Elect performs the duties
of President in his or her absence. The President-Elect works
closely with the President to ensure continuation of Section
activities upon being installed as President.
Section 12.
Secretary-Treasurer: The Secretary-Treasurer maintains
current lists of membership and their addresses, receives
all dues, pays all bills, keeps an itemized account of all
receipts and disbursements, and prepares an annual report to the
membership and the Parent Society as requested.
Section 13.
The officers may meet whenever the President and a majority of
officers can meet and conduct Section business. Business and
voting of officers may be conducted in meetings, or by mail,
FAX, email, or telephone. The officers shall:
(a)
determine policies and conduct business consistent with the
objectives of the Section;
(b)
authorize disbursement of available section funds for
specific Clerical tasks, and other necessary expenses essential
to attain said objectives;
(c)
review appropriate resolutions for Parent Society action.
Section 14.
Standing Committees: The President shall appoint Section
members in good standing to the following Standing Committees.
(a)
Elections Committee: The Election Committee shall
consist of the President-Elect and the President. The
President-Elect nominates
a slate of Section officers for election. Nominations are
submitted to the membership, with the consent of the nominees,
in the spring Newsletter every odd numbered year. Willing
petition candidates supported by at least 10 Section members in
good standing will be listed as candidates if submitted to the
Chairman by February 1. The President is responsible for
preparing and tabulating all mail, FAX, and email ballots and
reporting the results to the membership and Parent Society. The
Newsletter Editor shall mail, FAX, or email the ballots.
(b)
Publications Committee: The Publications Committee
shall consist of a Chairman and members at large to prepare,
edit, and arrange for distribution of a Newsletter that meets
the objectives of the Section as set forth in Section 2 above.
The newsletter editor shall Chair the Publications Committee.
(c)
Finance and Audit Committee: The Finance and Audit
Committee shall consist of the Chairman, who is the
Secretary-Treasurer of the Section, the President-Elect, and a
member at large. The Finance and Audit Committee shall conduct
an annual evaluation of the financial records maintained by the
Secretary-Treasurer and prepare an annual budget and an annual
financial report, to be submitted for approval at the Section’s
annual business meeting.
Section 15.
The Section holds its annual business meeting during the meeting
of the Parent Society. A quorum consists of at least ten (10)
members. In the event a quorum is not present, proposed
resolutions and ballots will be mailed, emailed, or FAXed to the
membership at least 15 days prior to the specified ballot return
date.
Section 16.
The President prepares the agenda for full Section meetings.
Section meetings are open to the public and any publications or
proceedings resulting from such meetings shall be made available
to Section members.
Section 17.
In addition to Section meetings, participation of Section
members in various conferences, workshops, and technical
sessions, not specifically organized by the Section, is
encouraged and should serve as a means through which Section
objectives are attained. Technical advancements, research
information on water quality, watershed, and habitat problems,
and other items of wide interest can be briefly and
appropriately reported to the membership in the Newsletter.
Section 18.
All proposed projects and major publications shall first be
approved by the Section’s officers.
Section 19.
Approved projects and major publications together with their
approved budgets, shall be submitted to the Executive Director
of the Parent Society for the review and approval of the
Governing Board of the Society.
Section 20.
Approved projects and major publications shall be financed with
funds obtained from the Parent Society, assessment of Section
members upon a two-thirds majority vote, fund-raising efforts,
or from Parent Society-approved solicitation of gifts or
foundation grants.
Section 21.
Membership fees of at least $5.00 shall be payable annually and
shall become due on December 31 and delinquent thereafter. The
section can amend the dues by a two-thirds vote of those present
at the annual business meeting.
Section 22.
Amendments to the Bylaws of the Section may be brought to a vote
of the membership by a petition signed by not less than ten (10)
members in good standing. Proposed amendments shall be
circulated with the Newsletter or in a separate mailing to all
members in good standing together with an announcement of the
time and place scheduled for a vote to approve the amendments.
Section 23.
Amendments are adopted when two-thirds of the members present at
an official meeting of the Section, vote favorably on the
proposal. Such amendments shall not become effective until
approved by the Parent Society in accordance with the provisions
of Article IV (4) of the Bylaws of the Society.
As
part of the American Fisheries Society, the Water Quality
Section is a Non-Profit Organization duly registered with the
Internal Revenue Service. |
|
