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Constitution

Constitution and Bylaws

The Constitution and Bylaws were adopted in October 1968 (amended January 1981, October 1987, October 1991, September 1993). Scroll through the document or click on highlighted (linked) articles for specific information.


Constitution

Article I. Name
Article II. Purpose
Article III. Bylaws
Article IV. General Prohibitions
Article V. Distribution on Dissolution
Article VI. Amendment of Bylaws


Bylaws

Article A. Officers and Board of Directors
Article B. Members
Article C. Meetings
Article D. Dues
Article E. Committees
Article F. Parliamentary Authority
Article G. Amendment of Bylaws
Article H. Awards
Special Rules of Orders


CONSTITUTION

Article I. Name

The name of this organization is Association of Earth Science Editors.

Article II. Purpose

The purpose of the Association of Earth Science Editors (hereinafter termed the Association) is to foster education and improved communication in the earth sciences by providing efficient means for cooperation among editors and promoting effective dissemination of earth science information. The mission of the Association is to enhance the communication of earth science information by fostering a network of individuals and organizations.

Article III. Bylaws

The Association shall establish Bylaws dealing with the organization and procedures to be followed.

Article IV. General Prohibitions

Notwithstanding any provision of this Constitution or by Bylaws which might be susceptible to a contrary interpretation:

1.    The Association shall be organized and operated exclusively for scientific and educational purposes;

2.    No part of the net earnings of the Association shall or may under any circumstances inure to the benefit of any private shareholder or individual;

3.    No substantial part of the activities of the Association shall consist of carrying on of propaganda, or otherwise attempting to influence legislation;

4.    The Association shall not participate in, or otherwise intervene in (including the publishing or distribution of statements) any political campaign on behalf of any candidate for public office;

5.    The Association shall not be operated for profit;

6.    The Association shall not:
a.    tend any part of its income or corpus, without the receipt of adequate security and a reasonable rate of interest to;
b.    pay any compensation, in excess of a reasonable allowance for salaries or other compensation for personal services actually rendered, to;

c.    make any part of its services available on a preferential basis to;

d.    make any purchase of securities or any other property for more than adequate consideration in money or money’s worth to; or

e.    engage in any other transaction which results in a substantial diversion of its income or corpus to

any officer, member of the Board of Directors, or substantial contributor to the Association.

The prohibitions contained in this Section 6 do not mean to imply that the Association may make such loans, payments, or sales to or purchase from anyone else, unless such authority be given or implied by other provisions of this Constitution or Bylaws.

Article V. Distribution on Dissolution

Upon dissolution of the Association, the Board of Directors shall distribute the assets and accrued income to one (1) or more organizations as determined by the Board of Directors, which organization or organizations generally meet the limitations prescribed in Sections 1 through 6 inclusive, of Article IV.

Article VI. Amendment of Constitution

1.    Amendments may be proposed by the Board of Directors or by petition to the Secretary by ten (10) or more members of the Association.

2.    An amendment shall become effective following an affirmative vote by a majority of the members who return valid ballots within four (4) weeks of the date they are distributed to the membership by the Secretary.


BYLAWS

Article A. Officers and Board of Directors

1.    The officers of the Association shall be President, Vice-President, Secretary, and Treasurer, except that at the discretion of the Board of Directors the offices of Secretary and Treasurer may be combined and these duties fulfilled by a single officer, the Secretary/Treasurer.

a.    The President shall preside at meetings of the Association and its Board of Directors; shall rule on questions of procedure that may arise; shall be Chairman of the Board of Directors; and may appoint committees at his/her discretion.

b.    The Vice-President shall fulfill the duties of the President when the latter is absent and shall succeed the President for the remainder of the unexpired term should that office become vacant during a term. The Vice-President is responsible for chairing (or finding another person to chair) the Program Committee for the annual meeting.

c.    The Secretary shall maintain the records of the Association and of the Board of Directors; call meetings of the Association and of its Board of Directors as provided for in the Bylaws; and shall perform in general the duties of Secretary.

d.    The Treasurer shall collect and disburse monies; and shall perform in general the duties of Treasurer.

e.    These officers, together with the most recent past-President and three (3) Directors-at-Large, elected by and from the membership, shall constitute the Board of Directors. Each Board member shall have one (1) vote. The Board of Directors shall be authorized to manage the affairs of the Association between meetings.

f.    If an officer (other than President) or Board member is unable to complete his/her term, these vacancies shall be filled by appointment by the Board of Directors until the next annual election, at which time the Association shall elect a member who is not an officer or a Director-at-Large to fill the office or to fill out the unexpired Board term. In the event the office of Vice-President is filled by such interim election, the Association shall elect both a President and a Vice-President at its next annual election.
2.    Terms of Office.

a.    The President and Vice-President shall each serve for a term of one (1) year; the Vice-President shall automatically succeed to the Presidency at the end of his/her term. After completing his/her term of office, the President shall serve one (1) year as an ex-officio member of the Board of Directors.

b.    The Secretary and Treasurer shall each be elected every three (3) years for a term of three (3) years. Each may be elected to succeed himself/herself for one (1) additional term.

c.    The three (3) Directors-at-Large shall each serve three (3) years on staggered terms and one (1) shall be elected annually. Each may be elected to succeed himself/herself, for the one (1) additional term.

d.    No member of the Board of Directors may serve more than six (6) successive years. This is a limitation not on total years of service, but on succession.

e.    No individual, with the exception of the Secretary/Treasurer, may hold two (2) separate offices concurrently.

f.    Elected officers shall assume their duties and responsibilities following each annual meeting.

3.    Election of Officers and Directors:

a.    The President shall appoint three (3) members of the Association to serve as the Nominating Committee that, at least four (4) months before each annual meeting, shall present a slate of at least one (1) candidate for each office to be filled. This slate shall be published in the Blueline and distributed to the entire membership at least three (3) months before the annual meeting. Each Nominating Committee shall be dissolved automatically following its report at the annual meeting.

b.    A member of the Association may also be nominated for office on the petition of at least ten percent (10%) of the dues-paid members submitted to the President at least two (2) months before the annual meeting together with a written assent of the candidate to serve if elected. Names thus nominated shall be placed on the ballot.

c.    The Nominating Committee shall obtain the assent of each nominee to serve if elected.

d.    In proposing nominees, the Nominating Committee shall seek to maintain insofar as feasible a diversity of representation on the Board of Directors to reflect the diverse membership of the Association.

e.    The slate of nominees shall be prepared in ballot form and circulated to the entire membership by the Secretary at least six (6) weeks before the annual meeting. To be valid, the marked ballots must be received by the Secretary at least two (2) weeks before the annual meeting. The Secretary, in consultation with the President, shall appoint a Tellers Committee to count the ballots and present the election results at the annual meeting. The Secretary will serve as chair of the Tellers Committee.

Article B. Members

1.    Classes of Membership—There shall be three (3) classes of membership in the Association.

a.    Regular Membership—Regular membership is open to any individual who is interested in the goals of the Association (as defined in Article II). Regular membership is open to individuals only and is not transferable.

b.    Student Membership—Student membership is open to any student enrolled in a post-secondary institution. Student membership entitles the student to receive the Association’s quarterly newsletter and directory and to vote in general elections.

c.    Subscription Membership—This class is open to any organization interested in the goals of the Association. Organizations holding subscription memberships receive the quarterly newsletter Blueline. An organization holding a subscription membership may designate one person as its representative in the Association, but this person is not listed in the annual Directory of Members and does not hold office or vote on ballot issues.

2.    Individuals with special talents, interests, or experience appropriate to the agenda may be invited by any member of the Board of Directors to attend meetings of the Association as observers or participants.

3.    Termination of Membership—The Board of Directors shall be authorized to terminate membership of individuals for nonpayment of dues or for other valid reasons. The Association shall exercise final decision in the event of appeal.

Article C. Meetings

1.    The Association shall hold an annual meeting each calendar year at a time and place designated by the Board of Directors, except when this is impractical due to war or to other national emergency.

2.    Special meetings may be called at any time as provided hereinafter.

3.    The members present shall constitute a quorum for carrying on Association business.

4.    The Board of Directors shall hold at least one (1) meeting at the time of the annual meeting. Additional meetings may be called by the Chairman of the Board or by a majority of the Board of Directors.

5.    Annual Meetings—The membership shall be informed of the time and place no later than two (2) months prior to the opening of the meeting.

6.    Special Meetings—Special meetings may be called at any time by the vote of a majority of the Board of Directors following at least four (4) weeks notification to the membership. At the determination of the Board of Directors, a meeting may be considered to be either a physical gathering of individuals or communication among individuals by telephone or through electronic means.

Article D. Dues

1.    The Board of Directors shall be authorized to establish dues. Dues shall be the same for both regular and subscription members. Dues for student members shall be fifty percent (50%) of the regular and subscription member dues.

2.    Dues for any given year shall be payable by January 1 of that year. On or about March 1, a final notice shall be sent by the Treasurer to any member who is in arrears. Any member still in arrears on May 1 shall forfeit all membership privileges, including the right to vote on ballot issues, to receive the Blueline and membership directory, and to receive the discount rate for conference registration. A member in arrears for one (1) year shall be notified by the Treasurer and dropped from the membership roll. Once dropped, a member may rejoin the Association without paying back dues. Years of active membership will be calculated to include past membership when dues were paid and any future membership in which dues are paid.

3.    The dues of any member who has been a member for at least 15 years and is retired from professional employment shall be waived upon the member’s written notice of eligibility to the Treasurer.

Article E. Committees

1.    Types of Committees—Committees of the Association shall be of two types, Standing Committees and Special Committees. Standing Committees shall be concerned with continuing activities of the Association and shall be permanent. Special Committees shall be established to perform specific work assignments and shall normally be dissolved when such work assignments have been completed. A Special Committee may be dissolved by the President at any time with the concurrence of the Board of Directors. The Nominating Committee shall be appointed and shall function as defined in Article A.3.

2.    Composition of Committees—Standing Committees shall be appointed by the President with concurrence of the Board of Directors. The President may invite to membership on Special Committees individuals with special qualifications who are not members of the Association. The President of the Association shall be a member ex officio of all committees except the Nominating Committee.

3.    Terms of Membership—Appointments to membership shall be for one (1) year, and no member may serve more than four (4) consecutive terms on the same committee.

Article F. Parliamentary Authority

The rules contained in the current edition of Robert’s Rules of Order Newly Revised shall govern the Association in all cases to which they are applicable and consistent with these bylaws and any special rules of order the Association may adopt.

Article G. Amendment of Bylaws

1.    Amendments may be proposed by the Board of Directors or by petition to the Secretary by ten (10) or more members of the Association.

2.    An amendment shall become effective following an affirmative vote by a majority of the members who return valid ballots within four (4) weeks of the date they are distributed to the membership by the Secretary.

Article H. Awards

1.    The President shall appoint an Awards Committee, composed of six (6) AESE members in good standing and representing diverse areas of interest of the membership. Committee members shall be appointed for a one (1)-year term, and no member may serve more than three (3) consecutive terms.

2.    The Awards Committee shall solicit and receive nominations for all awards of the Association. The Committee shall call for nominations for each award via the Blueline, allowing members at least three (3) months to make nominations and supply supporting documents. The Committee may obtain objective third-party comments regarding each nominee, maintaining the anonymity of nominators and reviewers. The Committee chairman shall forward the Committee’s report to the AESE Board of Directors no later than one (1) month before the annual meeting. The report must include names of all nominees, supporting materials, third-party reviews, and comments by Committee members. All materials shall be kept in confidence. For each award, the Committee’s report shall take the form of “No Award” or “Recommended Awardee(s).” Recommendations are not limited to one (1) awardee per award per year. A simple majority vote of the members of the Committee is required for nomination, and a simple majority vote of the Board is required for presentation of any award.

3.    The Association’s highest award shall be the AESE Award for Outstanding Editorial or Publishing Contributions. This award shall recognize outstanding contributions and achievements in editing or publishing that stimulate new or greatly improved accomplishments in teaching, research, and applications in earth science. Editorial and publishing contributions can include writing, editing, publishing, and editorial management. Singular contributions, such as an outstanding book or other isolated editorial achievements, are not, in general, enough to qualify an individual for the award. Rather, continuous contributions and achievements that have spanned a substantial time are generally expected. Special care in the selections shall serve to strengthen the award’s prestige. Both AESE members and nonmembers may qualify for the award. The Board shall specify the time, location, and nature of the award’s presentation, and the President shall arrange for the presentation.

4.    The AESE Award for Outstanding Publication shall be given to recognize a recently published outstanding earth science publication that demonstrates outstanding editing, design, illustration, writing, effectiveness of production cost, and overall effectiveness in achieving its publication goal. Books may be judged separately from maps or posters and electronic products. The committee may adjust their recommendations for Outstanding Publication(s) as necessary to cover different products submitted for that year.

5.    The AESE Broken Blue Pencil Award was given in recognition of editorial mistakes, faux pas, and other inadvertencies beyond the ordinary. This award was not given not in derision but in recognition of the humanity of us all and because without humor we may fall victim of the greater error: taking ourselves too seriously. Nominations are no longer actively solicited nor accepted for this award.



Article I. Special Rules of Order

1.    An Auditing Committee of at least two (2) persons with at least one of these being an Association member shall be appointed by the Board of Directors to conduct an informal review of the Treasurer’s accounts within the first three (3) months of each calendar year.
The Board of Directors shall arrange for a formal, paid audit of the Treasurer’s accounts to be performed every three (3) years or when a new Treasurer is elected. This paid audit takes the place of the informal review by the Association Auditing Committee and will be done before the Annual Meeting at which a new Treasurer takes office.

2.    The Board shall authorize sufficient (estimated) funds in advance for the Treasurer to manage to financial affairs of the Association during the period of a formal, paid audit.

3.    Ballots that must be mailed will include a return mailing envelope and a ballot envelope. In order for a vote to qualify and be counted, the ballot envelope must be signed where indicated. Signatures must not appear on the ballot. Electronic ballots must contain an electronic signature that will be checked against a master list by the Tellers Committee.


Page last update 9/27/05




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