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Constitution and Bylaws |
THE ORIGINAL CALL |
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The following is a copy of the original call for the first meeting, which was issued by Professor Samuel F. Clarke, of Williamstown, in March, 1883: A number of American workers in Biology, desiring to have established an association of American naturalists for business purposes, extend to you a cordial invitation to join in a movement looking toward that end. The intention is to have an annual meeting, for the purpose of discussing topics of common interest, for which, at present, no opportunity is afforded; as, for example, museum interests, in connection with which each museum director could indicate his plan of work, the special group of which he is making exhaustive collections so that work may not be uselessly duplicated in many places; methods of museum work; methods of exhibition, etc.; methods of laboratory work; laboratory techniques; new and valuable techniques in staining, mounting, cutting, and preserving of sections; systems of instructions of various departments in natural science; methods with small elective classes; with large college classes; the position which the observational sciences should hold in the college curriculum; the amount of natural science which should appear in college entrance examinations; the amount and character of such instruction in preparatory school, etc. It is further believed that such a society could materially influence for the better the cause of science in America; that it would have a very healthy general effect, and could exert a strong influence in many directions where at present it seems to very much needed. It is proposed to have the meeting, which will be preliminary to organization, and therefore of prime importance, at Springfield, Mass., in the Springfield High School Hall, Friday, April 10. The following gentlemen are interested in the enterprise, and nearly all of them will be among those present: [the names are J.M. Tyler, A. Hyatt, C.S. Minot, A.S. Packard, Jr., S.H. Scudder, H.N. Martin, W.T. Sedgwich, G. Macloskie, W. Libbey, H.F. Osborn, W.B. Scott, W.N. Rice, S.I. Smith, S.F. Clarke (Secretary)]. |
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| THE CONSTITUTION | |
| ARTICLE I: Names and Objects | |
| Section 1. | This association shall be known as the American Society of Naturalists. |
| Section 2. | The objectives of this Society shall be the advancement and diffusion of knowledge of organic evolution and other broad biological principles, so as to enhance the conceptual unification of the biological sciences. |
| Notwithstanding any other provision of these articles, the American Society of Naturalists is organized exclusively for scientific purposes as specified in section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954, and shall not carry on any activities not permitted to be carried on by an organization exempt from federal income tax under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954. | |
| No substantial part of the activities of the American Society of Naturalists shall carry on propaganda, or otherwise attempting to influence legislation (except as otherwise provided by the Internal Revenue Code 501(h), or participating in, or intervening in (including the publication and distribution of statements), any political campaign on behalf of any candidate for public office. | |
| Section 3. | In the event of dissolution, all remaining assets and property of the American Society of Naturalists shall after necessary expenses thereof be distributed to organizations of like character to be determined by the members of this society; such organizations must qualify under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954, as amended, or, the assets and property may be distributed to another organization to be used in such manner as in the judgment of a Justice of the Supreme Court of New York will best accomplish the general purposes for which this organization was formed. |
| ARTICLE II: Members | |
| Section 1. | Membership in the Society shall be open to persons who have interest in its purposes. |
| Section 2. | Each active, foreign, joint, and student member shall pay to the publisher of the journal annual dues considered due on January first of each year. |
| Section 3. | Honorary members may be elected by the executive committee by a majority vote of those voting at a meeting or by mail. The number of honorary members shall not exceed twelve. Active and foreign members who have retired from their professional posts shall become emeritus members upon application in writing to the secretary. Honorary and emeritus members are exempt from dues, but if emeriti want to receive the Society's journal they should pay the publisher of the journal the amount allocated for a subscription to the journal. |
| Section 4. | Students may be members for a period not to exceed six years. Student members receive the Society's journal and may vote. |
| Section 5. | Joint memberships. Upon application to the Secretary, two members may receive one copy of the Society's journal, but each will be entitled to a vote and both will be listed separately in the Records. |
| ARTICLE III: Officers | |
| Section 1. | The officers of the Society shall be a president, a vice-president, a secretary and a treasurer. These together with the president-elect and vice-president elect, the three most recent past presidents, and the most recent past secretary and past treasurer, shall constitute the executive committee of the Society. The editor(s) of the Society's journal shall be nonvoting members of the executive committee. |
| Section 2. | The president-elect and the vice-president elect shall be elected for a term of one year, the secretary and the treasurer for a term of three years. At the conclusion of their terms the president-elect and the vice-president-elect shall become, respectively, president and vice-president for a term of one year. The terms of all officers shall begin on the first of January following their election. Each president, secretary, and treasurer on retirement shall serve on the executive committee for three years. |
| Section 3. | The president-elect, vice-president elect, secretary and treasurer shall be elected by a ballot of the membership from a slate of at least two candidates for each office. The candidates shall be selected by the nominating committee. |
| Section 4. | The officers named in Section 1 shall discharge the duties usually assigned to these respective officers. |
| Section 5. | Vacancies in the executive committee, occurring by death, resignation or otherwise, may be filled by appointment by the executive committee; officers so appointed shall hold office only until the next election. However, in case of vacancy of the president, the president-elect shall become president for the remainder of the unexpired term as well as the following term. In case of vacancy of both the president and the president-elect, the vice-president, vice-president-elect, secretary, and treasurer shall become acting president, in that order, until the next election when a new president and a new president-elect shall be elected. Nomination for vacancies shall be made by the most recent nominating committee, if no new one had been appointed by the president prior to the vacancy. |
| ARTICLE IV: Meetings | |
| Section 1. | There shall be an annual meeting at a time and place designated by the executive committee. |
| Section 2. | Special business and/or scientific meetings may be called at any time by a vote of the Society or of the executive committee, but there should be at least 30 days notice of such meetings. |
| Section 3. | At the annual meeting there shall be a business meeting of the Society, and a meeting of the executive committee, together with such other meetings or scientific sessions as may be arranged by the executive committee. |
| Section 4. | Any matter that can properly be submitted to the annual business meeting may also be submitted to a ballot of the members by a majority vote of the executive committee, or of the members attending a business meeting, or by petition of at least twenty members of the Society. |
| Section 5. | Fifteen members shall constitute a quorum of the Society, and three voting members a quorum of the executive committee. |
| ARTICLE V: Accounts | |
| A professional accounting firm shall be appointed by the president with advice of the executive committee to perform an annual review of the accounts of the treasurer using Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP), and to submit a report of the annual review to the executive committee prior to the next annual meeting. The reporting year shall end on December thirty-first. | |
| ARTICLE VI: Affiliated Societies | |
| The Society may affiliate with other scientific organizations. | |
| ARTICLE VII: By-Laws | |
| Section 1. | By-laws recommended by the executive committee or by at least twenty members may be adopted by a majority vote either at a business meeting or by ballot. |
| Section 2. | By-laws may be repealed, upon recommendation of the executive committee or of at least twenty members, by majority vote either as a business meeting or by ballot. |
| ARTICLE VIII: Amendments | |
| This constitution may be amended only by ballot. Amendments may be proposed by the executive committee, or by a majority vote at a business meeting, or by petition by at least twenty members of the Society. Adoption of an amendment shall require affirmative votes by at least one-fifth of the members and two-thirds of those voting. | |
| BYLAWS | |
| 1. The annual meeting and the agenda for the business meeting shall be arranged by the secretary in consultation with the president and the vice-president. At each annual meeting there shall be a scientific meeting with a program arranged by the vice-president in consultation with the president and the secretary. | |
| 2. Each president shall appoint a nominating committee of three members, including a chairman, to select two candidates for each office to be filled. The president and the secretary shall be ex-officio members of the committee. | |
| 3. Active, student, joint, and foreign members shall each pay dues to be determined by the executive committee. | |
| 4. The American Naturalist is the official journal of the Society. The executive committee shall from time to time as necessary negotiate agreements with the publisher of the American Naturalist. If no satisfactory agreement can be made, the executive committee may propose terminating the designation of The American Naturalist as the official journal, and submit the question of termination to a binding ballot of the membership. | |
| 5. The executive committee shall be empowered to negotiate with the publisher the appointment of the editor(s) for The American Naturalist, to serve for a five-year term. The executive committee in consultation with the editor(s) shall appoint an editorial board to advise the editor(s) in matters of policy. Each member of the editorial board shall serve for a term of three years. | |
| 6. The treasurer shall transmit annually to the publisher of The American Naturalist, an amount to be negotiated with the publisher by the executive committee for each active member, foreign member, honorary member, and for the emeritus members who have elected to continue to receive the journal, as subscription to the current volume of The American Naturalist. | |
| 7. The Records of the Society shall be published once every three years. The Records shall contain the constitution and the by-laws of the Society and a full list of the members of the Society. | |
| 8. The Society shall reimburse the members of the executive committee, the President-elect, and the editor for expenses incurred in attending the annual meeting. | |
| 9. No part of the net earnings of the Society shall inure to the benefit of any member or officer of the organization, or any private individual, except as reasonable compensation for services rendered, and no member or officers of the Society or private individual, except as reasonable compensation for services rendered, and no member or officer of the Society or any private individuals shall be entitled to share in the distribution of any of the assets on dissolution of the Society. | |
| Revised and adopted by vote of the membership, June 1994 | |
OFFICIAL PUBLICATIONS
OF THE SOCIETY |
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Records |
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| Volume I | Parts 1-12 | 1884-1895 |
| Volume II | Parts 1-11 | 1896-1911 |
| Volume III | Parts 1-6 | 1912-1931 |
| Volume IV | Parts 1-6 | 1932-1949 |
| Volume V | Parts 1-6 | 1950-1967 |
| Volume VI | Parts 1-4 | 1968-1981 |
| New Series | Number 1 | 1983 |
| New Series | Number 2 | 1986 |
| New Series | Number 3 | 1989 |
| New Series | Number 4 | 1992 |
| New Series | Number 5 | 1995 |
