Southern Appalachian Botanical Society
BY-LAWS

Article I - Membership and Dues

Section 1.  Each member shall pay dues in accordance with her/his category or membership by December 31st of each year.

Section 2.  The rates for dues in each category (Individual, Student, Sustaining, Family, Life, and Emeritus), on recommendation of the Council, shall be established by vote of the membership at the annual meeting.

Section 3.  Application for membership shall be accompanied by a payment covering the first year's dues.

Section 4.  Members with dues in arrears shall be permitted to continue in their membership for three months into the next year.  Those who fail to pay the dues in arrears plus current dues by the dues date of the second year, as stated on the dues notice, shall be dropped from the membership list.

Article II - Elections

Section 1.  Table 1 attached to these By-Laws shows comprehensively the terms for all elected offices.  The service years in the table shall be updated and distributed to Council by the Recording Secretary in the fourth year of her/his term and attached to any new printing of the By-Laws.

Section 2.

A)  Each year the Nominating Committee shall prepare a slate of at least two nominees for each office vacancy to be filled except for those of Treasurer, Membership Secretary, and Recording Secretary where only one nomination may be offered.  Members shall be encouraged to recommend to the Committee persons qualified to fill the vacant offices.  The Nominating Committee shall obtain the consent of the nominees, shall present the nominees to the Council for review at the fall Council meeting, and then shall make the final judgment on the nomination for each office.

B)  The report of the Nominating Committee, to include a ballot, shall be filed by December 15th with the Membership Secretary, who shall ensure the mailing of the ballots to the membership as soon as practicable thereafter.

C)  The ballots shall be received and counted by the Treasurer and presented to the Council prior to the annual meeting.  The Council will verify the vote count and return the ballots to the Secretary-Treasurer who shall retain them for one year.

D)  A majority vote will constitute election to office.  Where more the one person is elected to a position (eg., members-at-large of the Council), the two or more receiving the highest number of votes shall be declared elected.  In the event of a tie vote for any office, election to that office shall be decided my a majority vote of the members in attendance at the annual meeting.

Section 3.

A)  A President-elect shall be elected every other year and shall become President at the close of the next annual meeting (Table 1).

B)  The President shall serve the office for a term of two (2) years (Table 1).

C) The Past President shall remain in service to the club for one year following her/his term as President (Table 1).

D)  The Treasurer, Membership Secretary and Recording Secretary shall each be elected for a term of four (4) years (Table 1).

E)  A Member-at-Large for the Council shall be elected each year for a term of two (2) years (Table 1).

F)  A member of the Editorial Board shall be elected each year to a term of three (3) years (Table 1).

Section 4.  Should an officer other than that of President or President-elect become vacant during the year, the Council shall appoint a member to fill that office until the next election.

Section 5.  Officers and Editorial Board members shall assume the duties of their office at the close of the annual meeting in which they were elected.

Section 6.  Any officer or Editorial Board member may succeed her/himself for a maximum of three consecutive terms.

Article III - Duties of Officers

Section 1.  The President shall direct the activities of the Society and shall preside at the annual meeting, special meetings, and meetings of the Council.  Each year at the annual meeting, the incoming President or President entering the second year of her/his term shall appoint a member to the Nominating Committee and shall also call for any recommendations from the floor to be considered by that committee.  With the advice of the Council, he/she will appoint all standing committee members whose position is not determined by the By-Laws and may appoint ad hoc committees for special tasks.  The President shall assist, as required, in the coordination of the joint program of the Society with that of the Association of Southeastern Biologists.

Section 2.  The President-Elect shall discharge the duties of a second year President during her/his absence from any meeting.  In the event of death, resignation, or incapacity of the President in her/his second year of office, the President-Elect shall become President of the society for the remainder of the term and shall assume her/his regular two-year term of office.  With the death, resignation, or incapacity of the President-Elect, the Nominating Committee will prepare a slate of at least two nominees for the office.  Election of a replacement will occur in a timely fashion and in accordance with the procedures for regular elections.

Section 3.  The Past President shall discharge the duties of a first year President during her/his absence from any meeting.  In the event of death, resignation, or incapacity of the President in her/his first year of office, the Past President shall become President of the Society for the reminder of the term.  The Past president shall serve as the Chairman of the Nominating Committee, Chairman of the Planning Committee, and, as an advisor to the President during the first year of her/his term.

Section 4.  The Treasurer shall receive and deposit dues, income and monies donated to the Society, arrange for subscriptions to libraries, pay society bills in a timely fashion, forward membership information from dues and subscription payments to the Membership Secretary, keep records of all accounts, prepare financial reports for the annual meeting and for meetings of the Council, and prepare the society tax return.

Section 5.  The Recording Secretary shall record and arrange distribution of the minutes of the Council meetings, the annual meeting, and any special meetings and shall have the responsibility for mailing other documents and information as necessary.  The minutes for Council meetings shall be distributed to members of the Council, to other participants in the meeting, and to any member mentioned in the minutes.  Minutes of the annual meeting or any special meeting shall be mailed to the membership in the next issue of Chinquapin.  The recording secretary shall maintain up-to-date copies of the Constitution and bylaws.

Section 6.  The Membership Secretary shall keep the membership list up-to-date (with assistance of the Treasurer), serve as chair of the Membership Committee, serve as the primary agent for the Society communications and contractual relationships, insure the mailing of annual dues notices, financial reports and other documents to the membership, send back issues of the journal and newsletter to members and subscribers, coordinate the development and distribution of the society brochure and website, and retain copies of Society correspondence for inclusion in the Archives.

Article IV - Duties of Editorial Board

Section 1.  The Editorial Board shall serve as editor of the journal Castanea, shall set editorial policy, and issue directives to the Managing Editor.  By consensus of the Board, a member, one preferably with only a year of service remaining, shall be selected as Chairman.  The Chairman will oversee the production of each issues of Castanea, in concert with the other two members.

Section 2.  The Managing Editor, hired by the Council in consultation with the membership, shall administer the editorial office, act at corresponding secretary for the Editorial Board, carry out the directives of the Board, process manuscripts, and see to the production of each issue of the journal.

Article V - Council

Section 1.  The Council shall have the management and control of the Society and its property and affairs.  It shall direct the expenditure of the Society's funds.

Section 2.  A meeting of the Council shall be held in the fall of each year and again prior to the annual meeting.  The Chairs of Standing Committees and the Managing Editor may attend these meetings and participate in the actions taken by the Council.

Section 3.  The Council shall discuss recommendations and suggestions from committees and individual members and shall, where appropriate, bring these matters to the general membership for consideration.

Section 4.  Each year at its fall meeting, the Council shall appoint three members to an Auditing Committee and at the end of the term of office of the Treasurer shall retain an accountant from outside the membership to assist the function of the Auditing Committee.  In addition, the Council shall advise the President regarding appointments to standing committees.

Section 5.  The Council may establish special ad hoc committees as needed.  Members of committees so established shall be appointed by the President.

Article VI - Standing Committees

Section 1.  The following standing committees shall serve the Society:

A)        Elizabeth Ann Bartholomew Award Committee

B)        Endowment Committee

C)        Finance Committee

D)        Planning Committee

E)        Membership Committee

F)        Nominating Committee

G)        Outreach Committee

H)        Richard and Minnie Windler Award Committee

I)         Symposium Committee

J)         Earl Core Student Research Award Committee

K)        Public Interest Committee

Section 2.  The number of members and terms of office for each committee shall remain undesignated and left to the discretion of the office of the President unless otherwise specified.  The duties of the standing committees shall be as follows:

A)        The Elizabeth Ann Bartholomew Award Committee shall consist of three members appointed for terms of three years, with a member appointed annually and serving as Chairman in the third year of her/his term.  This award is presented to individuals who have distinguished themselves in professional and public service that advances our knowledge and appreciation of the world of plants and their scientific, cultural, and aesthetic values.  Each year the committee shall solicit nominations and select the recipient of the Elizabeth Ann Bartholomew Award.

B)        The Endowment Committee shall consist of a Chairman and four members appointed for terms of indefinite length.  The Committee shall devise and implement methods for increasing the endowment.

C)        The Finance Committee shall consist of the President-Elect, the Secretary-Treasurer, and two additional members one of whom shall be the appointed Chairman.  The committee shall advise the Council on all matters regarding financial policies, commitments, and investments of the organization.

D)        The Planning Committee shall consist of the most recently retired Editor, the President-Elect, and three most recent Past Presidents available, with the most recent one serving as Chairman.  The Committee shall review long-range planning issues as directed by the Council and general membership or as generated within the Committee itself.

E)        The Membership Committee shall consist of the membership Secretary, as chair, and the state representatives he/she selects.  Membership distribution shall determine which states should have official representatives for the organization.  The Chairman shall coordinate the efforts of the representatives in the enlistment of new members and new subscribers to Castanea and in promoting the activities of the Society.

F)        The Nominating Committee shall consist of the Past President, the outgoing member of the Editorial Board, and one additional member.  The Past president shall serve as Chairman.  The committee shall prepare nominations for each office vacancy for the ensuing term.  One or more nominees shall be designated for the offices of Secretary-Treasurer and Recording Secretary, and two or more nominees shall be offered for each one of the other office vacancies.

G)        The Outreach Committee shall consist of a Chairman and three members appointed for indefinite terms.  The committee shall establish and maintain contacts with nonprofessional botanists and devise programs to promote the activities of the Society in schools, garden clubs, and in other groups with potential interest in botany.

H)        The Richard and Minnie Windler Award Committee shall consist of three members appointed by the President for three-year terms, with a member appointed annually and serving as Chairman in the third year of her/his term.  Preference shall be given to past Castanea editors.  One or more non-voting members may be appointed to the committee to serve in an advisory capacity.  The recipient(s) of the Richard and Minnie Windler Award shall be the author(s) of the best systematic botany paper published the preceding year in Castanea.  The committee shall select the recipient(s) and present the award at the annual meeting.

I)        The Symposium Committee shall consist of a chair and two members.  The chair shall be selected biannually by Council at its Spring meeting and shall be for a term of at least two years.  The committee shall select and present to Council potential symposium topics and speakers for approval at the fall meeting.  Symposia do not need to be proposed every year.

J)        The Earl Core Student Award Committee shall consist of three members selected by the president, each serving a three year term and staggered such that one new member is selected each year.  The recipients of the award shall be selected from students who submit a research proposal.  Both the student and their research advisor shall be members of the society.  The committee shall select the recipient(s) and present a monetary award at the annual meeting.

K)      The Public Interest Committee shall consist of the President, the Past-President, the President-elect, and two members appointed by Council to the Committee for three-year terms.  The Committee will respond to environmental issues and provide leadership and council to the public concerning these issues.  The Committee may choose to respond in two ways, either in a direct statement to the public to address a particular issue, or by seeking a vote of the membership on an appropriate resolution to address a particular issue. 

Article VII - Audit

Section 1.  The fiscal year of the society is January 1 through December 31.

Section 2.  Each year prior to the mailing of the financial report to the membership, the Auditing Committee (see Article V, Section 4) shall audit the financial records of the Treasurer from the previous fiscal year

Section 3.  At the close of the term of office of the Treasurer, an accountant retained by the Council shall assist the Auditing Committee with a financial review of the financial records over the pervious four years.

Article VIII - Archives

Section 1.  The Recording Secretary shall maintain correspondence with the persons who maintain the Archives at West Virginia University, Morgantown.

Section 2.  Each year the Recording Secretary shall forward to the Archives the minutes of the Council meetings and of the annual meeting, financial reports obtained from the Secretary-Treasurer, and other historical documents designated for the Archives by the Council.

Article IX - Amendments

Section 1.  These By-Laws may be amended by a simple majority of those members voting by mail, provided notice of the proposed amendment(s) has been sent to all members of the Society at least thirty (30) days in advance of the deadline for receipt of ballots by the Membership Secretary or a designee approved by the Council and provided the amendment has been proposed by the Council or by a committee authorized by the Society at an annual meeting.

Section 2.  Amendments to these By-Laws shall take effect as soon as adopted by vote of the membership.

Section 3.  At the annual meeting or by mail throughout the year, members may submit proposed amendments for consideration by the Council.

Approved, as amended, and adopted by the membership: 16 April 1999; amended 15 October 2001; amended 15 June 2002, amended 15 April 2005; amended 31 March 2006.

TABLE 1:  Tenure for selected officers on SABS Council, years 2000-2009.  The President will start as President-elect during the first year (1), will be president during year two and three (2,3), then serve as Past-president during the fourth year (4).  The Recording Secretary, Membership Secretary and Treasurer serve four-year terms (1,2,3,4) while the editors serve three years (1,2,3), and Members-at-Large serve two years (1,2).

President-elect (1),  President (2,3),  Past-president (4)

Recording Secretary

Membership Secretary

Treasurer

Editors for Castanea

Members-at-Large to Council

This table revised as required in Article II, Section 1: April 2006

This page last updated: 29 September 2007