Approved by the Ohio Section Executive Committee on May 31, 2003
BYLAWS
of
THE OHIO SECTION
of the
AMERICAN PHYSICAL SOCIETY
PREAMBLE
In
the following text, "Society" shall signify the American Physical Society,
"Council" and "Executive Board" shall signify the Council and the Executive
Board of the Society, respectively; and "Executive Officer" shall signify
that Officer of the Society.
ARTICLE I - NAME
This Section of the American Physical Society shall be known as the Ohio Section.
ARTICLE
II - OBJECTIVE
The
objective of the Section shall be to advance and disseminate the knowledge
of physics, and to foster a community of physicists that promotes the awareness
of the science of physics in
ARTICLE
III - ENABLING CONSTITUTIONAL PROVISION
Article
IX of the Constitution of the Society, as said Article may be subsequently
revised or amended, is hereby incorporated in these Bylaws by reference.
ARTICLE
IV - MEMBERSHIP
Members
of the Society who have indicated, in accordance with procedures established
by Council, their desire to join the Section and who retain membership
from year to year by the payment of designated dues or by some other method
established by Council shall become members of the Section.
ARTICLE
V - EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
1.
Governance. The Section shall
be governed by an Executive Committee, which shall have general charge
of the affairs of the Section.
2.
Composition. The Executive Committee
shall consist of the Officers of the Section and up to four Members-at-Large
of which one shall be a student and one shall be a position for the outgoing
Chair, which may be occupied at his or her discretion.If
the outgoing Chair chooses to occupy this position, then he or she shall
function as both the fourth Member-at-Large and Past-Chair.
3.
Executive Committee Meetings. The Executive Committee shall meet
at least twice each year. At least one meeting shall be held during the
Regular Meeting of the Section. Any member of the Executive Committee unable
to attend a meeting may name a nonvoting alternate to represent him or
her, subject to the approval of the Chair. The Chair of the Section shall
preside over the Executive Committee meetings. A majority of the voting
members, including at least two Officers, shall constitute a quorum.
ARTICLE
VI - OFFICERS
AND DUTIES
1. Officers. The Officers of the Section shall be a Chair, a Chair-Elect, a Vice-Chair, a Secretary and a Treasurer.
2. Duties of the Chair. The Chair shall preside at all meetings of the Executive Committee and Business Sessions of the Section at which his or her attendance is possible. The Chair shall prepare the agenda of Executive Committee meetings and Business Sessions. The Chair shall be an ex officio member of all operating committees and shall be responsible for all appointed positions.
3. Duties of the Chair-Elect. The Chair-Elect shall act in place of the Chair if the latter is unable to perform his or her duties. The Chair-Elect shallbe responsible for providing guidance and consultation to the Local Organizing Committees regarding all issues in the design and organization of the Regular Meetings of the Section. The Chair-Elect shall also provide liaison between the Local Organizing Committees and the Executive Committee. The Chair-Elect shall perform such other functions as may be explicitly provided in the Bylaws
4. Duties of the Vice-Chair. The Vice-Chair shall act in place of the Chair-Elect if the latter is unable to perform his or her duties. The Vice-Chair shall be responsible for seeking out and identifying possible host institutions for future meetings. The Vice-Chair also shall assist the Chair-Elect in carrying out his or her duties. The Vice-Chair shall perform such other functions as may be explicitly provided in the Bylaws
5. Duties of the Secretary. The Secretary shall maintain the records of the Section including minutes of Executive Committee meetings and Business Sessions, Section activities, and membership lists. The Secretary shall notify the Executive Committee of matters requiring the decision of said Committee. The Secretary shall conduct all elections as specified in Article VII of these Bylaws. The Secretary shall prepare minutes of Executive Committee meetings and Business Sessions and shall submit these minutes to each member of the Executive Committee and to the Executive Officer within a time following the meetings and Sessions as set by the Chair.Following elections, such minutes are to include the results of the election and a roster of the current Executive Committee membership.
The Secretary shall keep the Council and Executive Officer of the Society informed of the activities and needs of the Section.
6. Duties of the Treasurer. The Treasurer shall have responsibility for all funds in the custody of or placed at the disposal of the Section and shall authorize disbursements from such funds for expenses in a manner that is consistent with the general policies of the Society and the Section. Financial records shall be kept on an annual basis consistent with the fiscal policies of the Society. The Treasurer shall present a financial report at each meeting of the Executive Committee and at the annual Business Session of the Section.
ARTICLE
VII - ELECTION AND TENURE OF THE OFFICERS
AND EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE MEMBERS
1.
Qualifications. Officers and
Members-at-Large of the Executive Committee must be members of the Section.
2. Ballot. The Vice-Chair, Secretary, Treasurer and three Members-at-Large of the Executive Committee, of which one is a student, shall be elected by electronic and/or paper ballot.
3.
Nomination and Election of the Vice-Chair, Secretary, Treasurer, and Members-at-Large
of the Executive Committee.
Each
year, the Nominating Committee shall nominate at least one candidate for
the office of Vice-Chair and one candidate for each open Member-at-Large
position of the Executive Committee. When the current Secretary or Treasurer
is in the final year of his or her term, the Nominating Committee shall
nominate at least one candidate for that office. The Nominating Committee
shall provide the Secretary with the list of candidates not later than
90 days before the Spring Regular Meeting of the Section, except under
extraordinary circumstances.
The
Secretary shall conduct the election. Members of the Section shall vote
for candidates proposed by the Nominating Committee, or for any other member
of the Section, by electronic and/or paper ballot, as the Executive Committee
shall designate. The ballots shall include spaces for write-in candidates.The
Secretary shall validate and communicate the results of the voting to the
Chair at least four weeks prior to the Spring
Regular Meeting of the Section.Election
shall be decided by a plurality of those voting. If there is a tie, the
Executive Committee shall decide the election, with the Chair voting only
in the case of a tie among the other Executive Committee members.Once
the election results are reported to the Chair and the Executive Committee
resolves any ties, the results shall be officially announced to the membership.
4.
Official Year. The official year shall extend from the close of
the Spring Regular Meeting of the Section of one calendar year to the close
of the Spring Regular Meeting of the succeeding calendar year.
5.
Vice-Chair, Chair-Elect, Chair and Past-Chair. The member elected
as Vice-Chair shall serve as Vice-Chair for one year, then as Chair-Elect
the next year, and as Chair the following year. At the end of the Chair’s
term of office, he or she shall become the fourth Member-at-Large as Past-Chair.
The Chair shall not be eligible for the office of Vice-Chair in the year
following his or her term of office. The Past-Chair shall not be eligible
for the office of Vice-Chair in the year following his or her term of office.
6.
Terms of Office. The terms of office for the Executive Committee
shall commence at the beginning of the official year following their election.
The term of office for each of the positions of Vice-Chair, Chair-Elect,
Chair and Past-Chair shall be one year. The Secretary and Treasurer shall
each serve terms of three years and may not serve more than two consecutive
terms. The terms of these two Officers shall be staggered by one year.The
term of office of the student Member-at-Large shall be two years and the
term of office of the two remaining elected Members-at-Large shall be three
years and these terms shall be staggered by one year. In the event of his
or her assumption of a post as an elected Officer of the Section, the tenure
of a Member-at-Large of the Executive Committee shall terminate, and the
unexpired portion of his or her term shall be filled as hereinafter provided
for a vacancy.
7.
Vacancies in Offices. If a vacancy occurs in the office of Chair,
the Chair-Elect shall succeed and complete the term and shall serve as
Chair in the following year. The Vice-Chair shall serve simultaneously
as Chair-Elect during the remainder of the term and shall continue to serve
as Chair-Elect in the following term.
If
a vacancy occurs in the office of Chair-Elect otherwise than through advancement
to Chair, the Vice-Chair shall become Chair-Elect. In this case, and if
the office of Vice-Chair becomes vacant for other reasons, the office of
Vice-Chair shall remain vacant for the remainder of the term. In the next
scheduled election, candidates for both Chair-Elect and Vice-Chair shall
be nominated.
If
vacancies occur in the offices of the Chair and the Chair-Elect, the Vice-Chair
shall become Chair and shall complete the term. In this case, the Secretary
shall conduct a special election to fill the offices of Chair-Elect and
Vice-Chair. The members so elected shall continue to serve as Officers
in the normal succession order.
If
the most recent Chair does not serve as Past-Chair and the fourth Member-at-Large,
then this position shall remain vacant until the current Chair completes
his or her term of office.
Vacancies
in any other elected office shall be filled as determined by the Executive
Committee or left unfilled until such time as the vacancy can be filled
by regular election procedures.
ARTICLE VIII -
APPOINTED COMMITTEES AND POSITIONS
1. Nominating Committee.The Nominating Committee shall consist of three members appointed by the Chair to one-year terms, with not more than two members of the Executive Committee so appointed, and one member appointed by the Council for a one-year term.The Chair shall ascertain through the Executive Officer the identity of this member.The Nominating Committee shall prepare a slate of candidates for the positions of Vice-Chair, Secretary, Treasurer and Members-at-Large of the Executive Committee according to Article VII.3 of these Bylaws.The Nominating Committee shall perform such other duties as described in the Bylaws.The Chair shall oversee the work of the Nominating Committee.
2. Program Committee.The Program Committee provides advice to the chairs of the local organizing committee on the conduct of the Section meetings, liaison and oversight for future meetings, and a conduit to the Executive Committee pertaining to matters associated with Section meetings. The Program Committee shall consist of the Chair-Elect and Vice-Chair of the Section.
3. Honors and Awards Committee. The Honors and Awards Committee shall consist of three members of the Section appointed by the Chair to one-year terms and who are not currently members of the Executive Committee.At least two members of the Awards Committee shall have served as Officers of the Section. The same person may be reappointed to succeeding terms.
4. Ad Hoc Committees.The Chair shall appoint other ad hoc committees as necessary, which shall serve only during his or her term as Chair.
5. Term of Office of Appointed Committee Members.The terms of committee members recommended by an incoming Chair and appointed by a majority vote of the Executive Committee shall be one year commencing at the beginning of the year in which incoming Chair assumes office.
6.
Council Observer.The
Executive Committee shall appoint a past, non-student member of the Executive
Committee to serve as Council Observer for a term of three years, unless
interrupted by the election of a Society Councillor
representing the Sections. The same person may be reappointed to succeeding
terms. When a Society Councillor representing
the Sections is elected by the Ohio Section, as given in Article XIII
of these Bylaws, and is serving on Council, that
same person also shall be the Council Observer of the Section for the term
of office as Councillor plus the year prior
to that term as a non-voting Councillor.
The
Council Observer shall maintain awareness of the deliberations and activities
of Council and may attend the regular meetings of the Council at the discretion
of the Executive Committee. The Council Observer shall report to the Chair
and the Secretary regarding Council actions that affect the status and
operations of the Section. Reports shall be made to the entire Executive
Committee during their regularly scheduled meetings and at the annual Business
Session of the Section.When the Council
Observer is a Councillor of the Society,
he or she shall make similar reports regarding Council actions to all Sections
in a timely manner on any matters that affect the status and operations
of the Sections as well as issues deemed of interest to the Sections.
7.
Archivist.
The Executive Committee shall designate a qualified member of the Section
to serve in the permanent position of Archivist. The Archivist shall keep
the historical records of the Section and provide reports, documents, or
data as required by the occasion.
ARTICLE
IX - MEETINGS
1. Regular Meeting. Two meetings of the Section, to be known as the Fall Regular Meeting and the Spring Regular Meeting, shall be held annually at such time and place as shall be ordered by the Executive Committee, subject to approval by the Executive Board. Whenever it shall be feasible and not to the disadvantage of the members of the Section, the Executive Committee may order this or any other meeting to be held conjointly with a meeting of the Society or of another society, conference or group, so long as such joint meeting does not conflict importantly with the schedule of meetings of the Society as determined by the Executive Board.The registration fee for the Regular Meetings, when not held jointly with a meeting of the Society, shall be fixed after consultation with the Executive Officer.
Non-members
of the Society shall pay a registration-fee surcharge, in addition to the
registration fee, to be set each year in consultation with the Executive
Officer.
2.
Annual Business Session. At
least once each year the Section shall hold a Business Session that shall
be a session of the Regular Meeting. This shall be normally held during
the Spring Regular Meeting. This Business Session shall be devoted exclusively
to the reports of Officers and committees, election results and the transaction
of business affairs. No scientific program of the Section shall be presented
simultaneously with the Business Session. The Secretary, in consultation
with the Chair, shall notify the Section members of the agenda for the
Business Session no later than three weeks prior to the Regular Meeting
in which the Business Session is scheduled. A quorum for the transaction
of business shall be three percent of the membership of the Section. A
majority vote of those Section members present at a Business Session shall
be sufficient for approval of actions.
3. Other Meetings. Meetings of the Section, other than the Regular Meetings, may be initiated by the Executive Committee or by petition of twenty percent of the members of the Section, subject to approval by the Executive Board. Special conferences may be sponsored in whole or in part by the Section, subject to the rules and regulations specified in the Society Constitution and Bylaws.
4.
Papers at Meetings. Programs of meetings of the Section may include
both invited and contributed papers. When a meeting of the Section is held
in conjunction with a meeting of the Society, the rules of the Society
shall apply to submitted papers. Otherwise, the Executive Committee shall
prescribe the subject and character of the meeting, which may include limitations
on the subject matter of submitted papers. The Secretary, in consultation
with the Program Committee and the Executive Officer, shall announce the
deadline date for receipt of titles and abstracts and the method by which
they should be submitted. The presentation time for a paper at a meeting
shall be determined by the Program Committee, except as otherwise directed
by the Executive Committee. These allotments of time shall be consistent
with the Constitution and Bylaws of the Society and with regulations set
by the Council.
ARTICLE
X - DUES
The
Council shall establish the dues for maintenance of membership in the Section.
ARTICLE
XI - OFFICIAL ANNOUNCEMENTS
Official
announcements shall be made in the APS News and in such other publications
as the Executive Committee may direct.
ARTICLE
XII - PROCEDURE OF AMENDMENT OF BYLAWS
Proposal
of an Amendment to these Bylaws may be made by the Council, by the Executive
Committee, or by a petition to the Chair signed by not fewer than ten percent
of the members of the Section.The
petition shall be of
electronic and/or paper form, as the Executive Committee shall designate. If
the proposed Amendment originates within the Section, the Council must
approve it before further action can be taken.
Following
Council approval, copies of the proposed Amendment shall be distributed
to all members of the Section, who then shall vote on the proposed Amendment
by electronic ballot and/or by paper ballot, as the Executive Committee
shall designate.
Adoption
of the Amendment shall require a two-thirds vote by those voting.
ARTICLE
XIII - COUNCILLOR REPRESENTING THE SECTIONS
Article
IX of the Constitution of the Society provides for the Section to elect
a Councillor representing the Sections when
the Section’s turn in a rotation occurs.The
nomination of candidates and the election shall proceed in a manner similar
to that for the Vice-Chair of the Section as given in Article VII.3 of
these Bylaws with the requirement that the candidates be past non-student
members of the Executive Committee. This election shall occur one year
prior to that year in which this turn in the rotation occurs as determined
by the Council
ARTICLE
XIV - DEFINITIONS
In these Bylaws "Society" shall signify the American Physical Society; "Council" and "Executive Board" shall signify the Council and the Executive Board of the Society, respectively; "Executive Officer" shall signify the Executive Officer of the Society, and “electronic ballot” or “electronic form” shall signify the use of email, web or on-line methods, or a combination of these media.