Bylaws of the Aquatic Ecology Section

 

Article 1. NAME. The official name of the Section shall be “The Aquatic Ecology Section of the Ecological Society of America.”Article 2. PURPOSE. The purpose of this Section shall be to advance, coordinate, and assist research and dissemination of theoretical and applied knowledge in all branches of aquatic ecology and to act as a liaison agency between investigators, societies, or any groups interested in this discipline and other scientific fields.

Article 3. ORGANIZATION. The Aquatic Ecology Section shall be a subdivision of the Ecological Society of America and shall be governed by the Constitution and Bylaws of that Society.

Article 4. MEMBERS. Any member of the Ecological Society of America may become a member of the Aquatic Ecology Section. Notice in writing to the Secretary of the Section plus payment of current dues shall be the only other requirements for membership.

Article 5. OFFICERS. The officers of the Aquatic Ecology Section shall be a Chairperson, Vice-Chairperson, Secretary, and Past-Chairperson. Officers shall be elected by majority vote of the membership. Balloting shall be conducted by mail ballot and results announced at the annual meeting.

Article 6. CHAIRPERSON. The Chairperson shall preside at the business meeting of the Section, shall appoint such committees as deemed necessary for specific tasks, shall help coordinate the program with the Program Officer, and shall promote the interests of the Section. The Chairperson shall serve for a term of two years.

Article 7. VICE-CHAIRPERSON. The Vice-Chairperson shall serve as Program Officer of the Section and shall work closely with the Program Officer of the parent Society and representatives of any other aquatic-oriented societies in developing participation of the Section in suitable professional meetings. The Vice-Chairperson shall serve a term of two years and shall assume the duties of the Chairperson whenever that person is unable to act.

Article 8. SECRETARY. The Secretary shall keep the records, accounts, and files of the Section, keep the minutes of the annual meeting, and shall perform such other duties as may from time to time be assigned. The Secretary shall serve for a term of two years.

Article 9. EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE. In intervals between annual meetings, an Executive Committee composed of the Chairperson, Vice-Chairperson, Secretary, and Past-Chairperson of the Section may act for the Section.

Article 10. NEWSLETTER EDITOR AND POLICY. The newsletter shall be called the Aquatic Ecology Newsletter. It shall be prepared 3 times per year and be devoted to informal communication between people interested in aquatic ecology. As the occasion or need arises, a Newsletter Editor can be appointed by the Chairperson to perform the task of publishing the Section?s newsletter. This individual may perform this task as long as he or she desires and is able to continue. The Editor shall be responsible for preparation and mailing of the newsletter.

Article 11. COUNCIL REPRESENTATIVE TO THE ECOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA. The Section’s representative to the Ecological Society of America Council shall be in accordance with the Constitution and Bylaws of the parent Society. In case of conflict, an alternate officer of the Section may be the representative.

Article 12. FINANCES. The necessary expenses of the Section shall be paid from the treasury of the Society, but in any one year the total expenses of the Section shall not exceed the amount allocated for this purpose in the annual budget of the Society plus additional funds from contributions from members or non-members of the Society for Section expenses. No officer or member of the Section shall have authority to incur any expense in the name of the Society, except as above specified.

Article 13. MEETINGS. A business meeting of the Section shall be held at least once a year. Ordinarily, this meeting shall be held concurrently with the regular annual meeting of the Ecological Society of America, but if such a concurrent meeting is not feasible, then the Executive Committee of the Section shall decide when and where the business meeting will be held. This or any other Section meeting may be held at other times and places on call of the Chairperson or on written request by ten members of the Section. Notice shall be sent to each member of the Section sixty days in advance of any such meeting. A quorum of fifteen members must be present at the meetings of this Section when legislative action is taken.

Article 14. PUBLICATIONS. The annual report of the Section and its official notices shall be eligible for publication in the Bulletin of the Ecological Society of America.

Article 15. AMENDMENTS. These Bylaws may be amended by two-thirds vote of the membership, provided that notice has been given to all members sixty days in advance.