Committees
Section 1. Standing Committees – The Society shall have the following standing committees:
Section 1.1. Nominations Committee – The Board of Directors, by majority vote of its members, shall appoint the Chair and at least two other members to the Nominations Committee. The Chair and members of the Committee shall be members of the Society. The terms of the Chair and committee members shall be three years and shall be staggered so that only one of the three is replaced each year. The Nominations Committee shall make nominations for officers and councilors to the Board of Directors, giving strong consideration to a geographical, professional discipline, and constituency (academic, government, NGO/private sector) balance. The Nominations Committee shall complete a slate of nominees not later than eighty (80) days prior to the date on which the term of office begins for the officers and councilors (Article VI, Section 2). The list of nominations shall be mailed (by regular or electronic transmission) to the Society membership no later than seventy (70) days prior to the date on which the term of office begins. Additional nomination(s) may be made by a Society member by submitting the name(s) of the nominee(s) in writing, together with the signatures of a nominator and twenty-five seconders, who must also be members, to the Secretary no later than eighty (80) days prior to the date on which the term of office begins. Nominees by petition will be so noted on the ballot.
Section 1.2. Finance Committee – A Finance Committee shall include the Treasurer as Chair, the Past President (as Vice Chair) or the President in the second year of his/her term (as the Vice Chair), the Treasurer-Elect (when filled), and three current members of the Board of Directors as selected by the Chair and Vice Chair. The terms of those members shall be three years and shall be staggered so that only one of the three is replaced each year. The immediate past Treasurer (if not the current Treasurer) shall serve as a member of the Finance Committee for one year beyond his/her term(s) as Treasurer. The Finance Committee will oversee the capital expenditures of the Society, be consulted on the annual budget, and approve the annual financial reports to the Board of Directors prepared by the Treasurer as stipulated in Article V, Section 3.
Section 2. Other Committees – The Board of Directors may establish such other committees as may be deemed appropriate for the objectives of the Society.
Section 3. Creating and Abolishing Committees – Committees, either standing or temporary, may be created and abolished by the Board of Directors, except for the Nominations Committee (Article VIII, Section 1). The Board of Directors shall approve the charge for all committees, and in the case of temporary committees, shall specify the period of time that the Committee will exist.
Section 3.1 Appointing and Removing Members and Chairs – Unless stipulated otherwise in these Bylaws, the President, in consultation with the Board of Directors, shall appoint the Chair for each Committee. Committee Chairs may be removed from their appointment to a Committee by a vote of the majority of the Board of Directors. The Committee Chair in consultation with the President shall appoint, remove, or replace Committee members.
Section 3.2 Tenure – Unless stipulated otherwise in these Bylaws, the Committee Chair and all members of standing Committees shall be appointed for a period of three (3) years, after which they may be reappointed by the President in consultation with the Board of Directors for an additional three (3) year period. Temporary Committee chairs and members shall be appointed for a period of time specified by the Board of Directors.
Section 3.3 Size – The membership of any Committee shall not exceed fifteen (15) individuals, unless otherwise determined by the Board of Directors Unless stipulated otherwise in these Bylaws, there is no minimum number of committee members. However, Committees generally should strive for a minimum of three members.
Section 3.4. Ex-Officio Members – The President shall be an ex-officio member of all Committees in which membership is not otherwise stipulated by these Bylaws. Additional ex-officio members may be designated at the President’s discretion. Ex-officio members shall be entitled to all the rights and privileges of regular Committee members but shall not vote or be counted in determining the existence of a quorum.
Section 4. Manner of Acting – A Committee meeting may occur by participation of of the active membership in person, via email, telephone or video conference call, or other means of communication that allows all persons in the Committee to communicate with each other. If a decision or action of the Committee is agreed upon by voting of memberships; they shall bring it forth for review to the Executive Committee for approval and recommendations will be brought forth to the Board of Directors.
Section 5. Committee Reports – The Chair of each Committee shall submit reports to the Board of Directors in a manner specified by the Board of Directors. The Association Management Firm will assist with the collection of reports as needed and will maintain a record of said reports. Summaries of the reports may be presented to the Board of Directors and/or the membership at the annual meeting as agreed upon by the Board of Directors meeting. Section 6. Expenditures – Prior approval of the Board of Directors or Officers, as specified in Article VI, shall be required for any expenditure of Society funds by a Committee.
