CONSTITUTION & BYLAWS
OF THE
OKLAHOMA ACADEMY OF SCIENCE
Adopted by the membership of the Academy at the Annual Fall Technical Meeting,
November 13, 1999, at Oklahoma City University, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Amended Fall 2007.
Table of Contents
Articles
Bylaws
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CONSTITUTION
Article I- Name and Purposes
Section 1. The association shall be called the Oklahoma Academy of Science, hereinafter referred to as "the Academy."
Section 2. The purposes of the Academy shall be to stimulate scientific research; to promote fraternal relationship among those engaged in scientific work in Oklahoma; to diffuse among the citizens of the State a knowledge of the various disciplines of science; and to investigate and make known the material and educational resources of the State.
Article II — Membership
Section 1. The membership shall consist of individuals, institutions, and organizations interested in the purposes of the Academy.
Section 2. Members shall be classified as Professional, Graduate Student, Collegiate Student, Pre-Collegiate Student, Family, Life, Sustaining, or Honorary. Organizational or institutional members shall be classified as Library or Sustaining.
Section 3. Applicants shall become members only as prescribed in the Bylaws.
Section 4. A member shall be dropped from membership for nonpayment of dues or other just cause.
Article III - Sections
Section 1. Members of the Academy with a common interest in particular disciplines of science may be organized into groups to be known as Sections of the Academy as prescribed in the Bylaws.
Article IV — Officers
Section 1. The officers of the Academy shall be: President, President-Elect, Immediate-Past President, Recording Secretary, and Editor. Officers must be members of the Academy.
Section 2. The officers will constitute the Executive Committee of the Academy.
Section 3. The officers shall perform the duties prescribed in the Bylaws.
Section 4. The President-Elect shall also serve as Vice-President. The President-Elect may simultaneously hold any other office in the Academy except that of President.
Section 5. The President and Recording Secretary shall be elected by the membership as prescribed by the Bylaws.
Section 6. The Executive Secretary-Treasurer and Editor shall be appointed by the President with the consent of the Executive Council.
Section 7. All officers except the Executive Secretary-Treasurer and Editor shall hold office for two years or until their successors qualify.
Section 8. The Executive Secretary-Treasurer and Editor shall serve continuously at the discretion of the Executive Council.
Section 9. Vacancies in offices not filled by succession shall be filled for the remainder of that term by officers appointed by the President. The offices will be filled by officers duly elected at the next Fall Business Meeting. The President-Elect shall succeed the President in the event that the President cannot serve.
Section 10. Terms of office shall begin on January 1 of each year following an election.
Article V - Executive Council
Section 1. The Executive Council of the Academy shall consist of the President, President-Elect, Executive Secretary-Treasurer, Recording Secretary, the Chairs and Vice-Chairs of the Sections, the Editor, and the Immediate Past-President. Each shall be a voting member of the Council and must maintain membership in the Academy.
Section 2. Past-presidents of the Academy shall serve as ex-officio non-voting members during the third and fourth years following their term in office.
Section 3. The Executive Council shall transact any necessary business of the Academy not specifically provided for herein and shall act as an advisory body for matters pertaining to the general management of the Academy.
Section 4. The Executive Council shall meet on the evening prior to the Annual Technical Meeting. It may hold additional meetings upon the call of the President or a majority of the Executive Council. At any meeting of the Executive Council, five members are authorized to transact business provided that the Executive Secretary-Treasurer shall be present or in his place the Recording Secretary.
Article VI — Committees
Section 1. The standing committees of the Academy shall be the Archives, Awards, Nominating, and Program committees.
Section 2. Except for the Program (see Bylaws-Article VII, Section 1) and Nominating (see Bylaws-Article IV, Section 2) committees, committee members shall be appointed by the President with the approval of the Executive Committee of the Academy. To become a committee member, each person must be a member of the Academy and agree to serve.
Section 3. The duties of the committees shall be those usual for groups with such names and shall be called to the attention of each committee chair by the President. Their procedures will follow those prescribed in the Bylaws.
Section 4. The Officers shall form ad hoc committees when needed.
Article VII — Meetings
Section 1. The Academy shall hold at least two meetings each year: a field meeting in the spring or the fall, and a technical meeting. An All-Academy Business Meeting shall be held in conjunction with the technical meeting.
Section 2. The time and place of meetings of the Academy shall be fixed by the Executive Council and notice thereof shall be sent by the Executive Secretary-Treasurer to each member at least three weeks previous to the date of any meeting.
Section 3. At any Business Meeting of the Academy, those members present and in good standing shall constitute a quorum.
Article VIII- Publications
Section 1. The Academy shall issue such publications as will best carry out its purposes.
Section 2. Publications of the Academy shall be sent to members and made available to nonmembers under conditions prescribed in the Bylaws.
Article IX — Affiliation
Section 1. The Executive Council may approve affiliation of the Academy with any other organization.
Section 2. Affiliation under this Article shall involve only a friendly, mutually helpful relationship between the Academy and the affiliate and shall imply no loss of independence by the Academy or the affiliate.
Article X — Finances
Section 1. All members except Life and Honorary Members shall pay annual dues as prescribed in the Bylaws.
Section 2. The fiscal year of the Academy shall be from January 1 to December 31 inclusive.
Section 3. In the event of the dissolution of the Academy, or in the event it shall cease to carry out the purposes herein set forth, all the assets of the corporation shall go and be conveyed to the National Associations of Academies of Science, a nonprofit corporation incorporated under the laws of the District of Columbia, if it is in existence at the time of the dissolution of the Academy. If it is not existing at such time, then the assets shall go and be conveyed to such nonprofit corporation, association, or organization as may be selected by a majority vote of the Executive Council of the Academy so that the assets of the Academy shall be used for and devoted to scientific purposes including research and the dissemination of scientific knowledge. In no event shall any of the assets of the Academy upon dissolution go or be distributed to Academy members for refund either of dues paid or of money donated by such members or for any other purposes, it being the intent that assets owned by the Academy upon dissolution be devoted to the carrying on of scientific knowledge.
Article XI — Resolutions
Section 1. Except as provided in Section 2 of this Article, a resolution to be considered for adoption by the Academy at a business meeting must first be submitted in writing to the Executive Council by one or more members of the Academy and have received the approval of that body.
Section 2. Resolutions expressing appreciation for special services tendered to the Academy may be introduced from the floor at any business meeting.
Article XII - Amendments to the Constitution
Section 1. Any proposal for amendment shall be submitted in writing to the Executive Secretary-Treasurer over the signatures of at least ten members of the Academy in good standing.
Section 2. Except as provided in Section 3 of this Article, the Executive Secretary-Treasurer shall mail a copy of the proposed amendment to each member of the Academy in good standing not less than 30 days nor more than 90 days before the next technical meeting. Three-fourths of such members present at the Business Meeting must approve the proposed amendment to effect its adoption.
Section 3. If the Executive Council decides that an emergency exists, the Executive Secretary-Treasurer shall mail first-class a copy of the proposed amendment and a ballot to each member of the Academy in good standing within 10 days of the Council's decision. Ten days after the date of mailing the Executive Council or its authorized representatives shall count the ballots. If at least 10 per cent of the current members shall have voted and if three-fourths of the ballots returned have been cast in favor of the proposed amendment, the Council shall declare the amendment in effect.
Article XIII — Bylaws
Section 1. The Academy shall make such Bylaws not in conflict with this Constitution as may be necessary for the proper government of the Academy.
Section 2. Any proposal for amendment of these Bylaws shall be submitted in writing to the Executive Secretary-Treasurer over the signatures of at least five members of the Academy in good standing.
Section 3. Except as provided in Section 4 of this Article, a proposal for amendment received by the Executive Secretary-Treasurer at least ten days before the Fall Business Meeting shall be considered at such Meeting. A proposal for amendment received fewer than ten days before such Meeting shall be considered at such Meeting a year later, or as provided in Section 4 of this Article. A two-thirds affirmative vote of the members in good standing present at such Meeting shall be required for adoption.
Section 4. If the Executive Council decides that an emergency exists, the Executive Secretary-Treasurer shall mail first-class a copy of the proposed amendment and a ballot to each member of the Academy in good standing at such time as the Executive Council may direct. Ten days after the date of the mailing, the Executive Council or its authorized representatives shall count the ballots. If at least 10 per cent of the current members shall have voted and if at least two-thirds of the ballots returned have been cast in favor of the proposed amendment, the Council shall declare the amendment in effect.
BYLAWS
Article I - (No Bylaws)
Article II — Membership
Section 1. Any person interested in any field of science who shall have paid the first year's membership dues shall be admitted to membership in the Academy.
Section 2. Any student may become a Student Member upon submission of an endorsed application and the payment of required dues. Endorsement as a student shall be made by an individual who knows the applicant to be a student.
Section 3. Spouses shall be designated as Family Members upon payment of dues.
Section 4. Any individual whose service to the Academy has been unusually important may be nominated for election as an Honorary Member. The nomination shall be submitted in writing over the signatures of five members of the Academy. Honorary Members shall be approved by the majority of the Executive Council and will have all the privileges of membership.
Section 5. Any Professional member who shall pay to the Academy within a period of one year the sum of $500.00 shall be designated a Life Member. No further annual dues shall be paid.
Section 6. Upon retirement because of age or disability, any person who has been a member of the Academy for a minimum of 20 years may request to the Executive Secretary-Treasurer to pay membership dues at one-half the annual rate.
Section 7. Any library shall be accorded membership upon written request to the Executive Secretary-Treasurer and payment of dues. Such Library members shall have all privileges of membership except that of holding office. Libraries may order additional copies of current publications of the Academy at cost plus 10 per cent on back copies as available at prices fixed according to the Bylaw Article VIII, Section 8.
Section 8. Any individual may become a Sustaining Member by payment of annual dues for this class of membership. Any institution or organization may become a Sustaining Member by payment of annual dues for this class of membership. A Sustaining Member may appoint one representative who shall have full privileges of membership in the Academy.
Article III- Sections
Section 1. Each individual Member of the Academy may designate annually the Section or Sections (up to three) in which the Member wishes to be classified.
Section 2. Any petition to organize a new Section of the Academy shall be addressed to the Executive Council over the signatures of at least 25 members who agree to participate in and support the program of the new Section. If the Executive Council approves the petition, it shall be submitted to the Academy membership at the next Fall Business Meeting for vote.
Section 3. Besides Sections established according to Article III, Section 1, of the Constitution and Section 2 of this Article, there shall be an Oklahoma Collegiate Academy Section for Student Members in colleges and universities, and an Oklahoma Junior Academy of Science for Student Members in high schools.
Section 4. Except for Sections named in Section 3 of this Article, Sections shall elect at least a Chair and a Vice-Chair as prescribed in Bylaw Article IV, Section 3, and may establish other procedural or policy guidelines for the purpose of regulating their activities. Sections may thus establish internal governing groups by rules not in conflict with the Constitution and Bylaws of the Academy. Guidelines for such actions shall be submitted to the Executive Council for approval.
Section 5. Any section that has a program needing financial support shall submit a detailed budget to the Executive Secretary-Treasurer for presentation to the Executive Council for action. If the budget is approved, expenditure of funds shall follow an appropriate and accountable system sanctioned by the Executive Council.
Section 6. A Section shall be dissolved when it has not met for two consecutive years or when it has had fewer than ten members in good standing for three consecutive) years. Reinstatement shall require the procedure described in Section 2 of this Article. One year after such Section has been notified of dissolution, if no reinstatement action has been initiated any funds accumulated by such Section shall revert to the Academy general fund.
Article IV - Officers
Section 1. The officers shall perform the duties devolving upon such officers in similar organizations and such other duties as delegated by the Executive Council or herein prescribed.
Section 2. The Executive Secretary-Treasurer shall conduct necessary correspondence and business between the Academy and other societies. He shall be the official representative of the Academy on the Council of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and the first representative to the Academy Conference. He shall advise other officers on established policies of the Academy. He shall act as business manager for Academy publications. As such, in consultation with the Editor, he shall obtain bids for printing, execute contracts therefore, determine printing costs to be collected from authors as prescribed in Article VIII, Section 3, and bill authors for such costs.
Section 3. The Recording Secretary shall prepare minutes of each business meeting of the Academy and of each meeting of the Executive Council.
Section 4. The procedure for nominating members for the office of President and Recording Secretary shall encompass the following steps. The Nominating Committee shall provide a brief biographical sketch of each nominee in writing to the Executive Secretary-Treasurer before August 1 of each nomination year. Any ten members of the Academy in good standing may submit to the Executive Secretary-Treasurer prior to September 1 of each nomination year, nominations for either of the two offices in the Academy along with a brief biographical sketch. Each nominee proposed by either the Nominating Committee or the ten-member nominators shall have consented to serve if elected. The sketches and a ballot shall be reproduced by the Executive Secretary-Treasurer and mailed with the newsletter to each member of the Academy in good standing at least four weeks prior to the Fall Business Meeting. The completed ballot should be returned to the Executive Secretary-Treasurer. The envelopes containing the ballots will be opened and counted under supervision of the Nominating Committee. The election of these officers shall be by a majority of the vote of the ballots cast. Only ballots received prior to the day of the Fall Academy Business Meeting are valid.
Section 5. Nominations for section offices of Chair and Vice-Chair shall be made from the floor at the business meetings of the Academy Sections during the technical meeting. Each nominee shall have consented to serve if elected. The election of these officers shall be by majority vote in the business meetings. The Vice-Chair shall assist the Chair in the performance of the required duties and will assume the position of Chair the next year.
Section 6. The Editor shall receive and acknowledge receipt of all papers proposed for publication. With the advice of reviewers and/or Assistant Editors, the Editor shall decide upon the action to be taken on each paper submitted and shall notify the authors of such decisions. The Editor shall fix format and style of the PROCEEDINGS and the ANNALS and with the help of the Associate, Copy, and Production editors, shall prepare the accepted manuscripts for publication. He shall promote coverage of articles published in the PROCEEDINGS and the ANNALS by submission of them to the appropriate indexing and abstracting services. The Editor shall assist the Executive Secretary-Treasurer in dealing with the printer and with authors and perform any other duties specified herein.
Section 7. The Chair and Vice-Chair of the Oklahoma Collegiate Academy of Science Section and the Chair of the Oklahoma Junior Academy of Science Section shall be selected by the following process. After agreeing to serve, they may be nominated in writing to the Executive Secretary-Treasurer by any Academy member in good standing. These Chairs shall be elected from among the nominees by the Executive Council. They may serve as long as they meet the expectations of the Executive Council and are willing to do so. The programs and performance of duties of these Chairs shall be reviewed annually by the Executive Council.
Section 8. Any officer or Section Chair of the Academy may be asked to resign that position if the Executive Council receives a petition signed by 25 members in good standing requesting a vote of "no confidence." The Council shall review the request and vote on it by secret ballot. A two-thirds vote of "no confidence" by the Executive Council shall require a formal request for resignation and/or removal of the officer or Chair from the position involved.
Article V - (No Bylaws)
Article VI — Committees
Section 1. The composition of the Archives Committee shall consist of three or more current members of the Academy appointed by the President. The purpose of the committee is to ensure preservation of the Academy’s records.
Section 2. The composition of the Awards Committee shall consist of three or more current members of the Academy appointed by the President. The purpose of the committee is to evaluate the nomination materials submitted for individuals and organizations nominated to receive awards of merit established by the Executive Council.
Section 3. The composition of the Nominating Committee shall consist of the Immediate Past-President and two preceding Past-Presidents, if in residence in Oklahoma. The purpose of the committee is to nominate individuals for the offices of President and Recording Secretary. The Immediate Past-President shall act as Chair.
Section 4. The composition of the Program Committee shall consist of the individuals designated in Article VII, Sections 1 and 6. The purpose of the committee is to develop a program for each meeting of the Academy.
Article VII — Meeting Programs
Section 1. The Program Committee for the Technical and Business Meetings shall consist of the Executive Secretary-Treasurer as Chair, the Chairs of the Sections, and such other persons as may be appointed by the President. The Committee shall arrange the programs for these meetings.
Section 2. The Program Committee for the Technical Meeting shall provide a separate meeting session on any special subject whenever enough papers are submitted to make such a program successful. The Chair of any Section planning a separate session is authorized, upon consultation with the Executive Secretary-Treasurer, to appoint a presiding officer to take charge of the session.
Section 3. The time allotted for presentation of a paper shall be determined by the Chair of the Section.
Section 4. The order of business at the Fall Business Meeting shall be: (1) call to order, (2) distribution and reading of the minutes of the previous year’s Business Meeting, (3) reports of officers, (4) committee reports, (5) election of officers, (6) unfinished business, (7) new business, (8) adjournment.
Section 5. Individual Sections or groups of Sections may be authorized by the Executive Council to hold separate meetings to be arranged and managed by the Chairs of the Sections concerned.
Section 6. The Program Committee for spring field meetings shall consist of the Executive Secretary-Treasurer and the Chair of the Biological Sciences Section. The Program Committee for fall field meetings shall consist of the Executive Secretary—Treasurer and the Chair of the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Section.
Article VIII — Publications
Section 1. The Academy shall publish annually an official journal titled the PROCEEDINGS OF THE OKLAHOMA ACADEMY OF SCIENCE. In addition to the PROCEEDINGS, publications called ANNALS OF THE OKLAHOMA ACADEMY OF SCIENCE, OKLAHOMA ACADEMY OF SCIENCE NEWSLETTER, and TRANSACTIONS OF THE OKLAHOMA JUNIOR ACADEMY OF SCIENCE are authorized. The Executive Council shall determine the frequency and method of dissemination of the latter three publications.
Section 2. The principal function of the PROCEEDINGS shall be to publish original contributions to science. Papers to be acceptable for publication shall not have been published elsewhere, except by special permission of the Executive Council.
Section 3. Presidential addresses and other special contributions shall be published free of charge upon authorization of the Executive Council acting in consultation with the Editor. Members in good standing shall be charged only for printing costs in excess of a standard allowance set annually by the Executive Committee. Papers submitted by others may be published provided that the authors pay in advance the total estimated cost of publication.
Section 4. All papers to be published in the PROCEEDINGS shall be approved by the Editor.
Section 5. The ANNALS OF THE OKLAHOMA ACADEMY OF SCIENCE shall provide a means to publish scientific papers considered too long by the Editor for publication in the PROCEEDINGS. Papers may be accepted for publication in the ANNALS subject to approval by the Editor and availability of funds as judged by the Executive Council.
Section 6. The OKLAHOMA ACADEMY OF SCIENCE NEWSLETTER shall be prepared by a Newsletter Editor selected by the Executive Council from its own membership. It shall be the purpose of the NEWSLETTER to keep the membership informed about Academy business and programs.
Section 7. Each member in good standing shall receive one copy of each issue of the PROCEEDINGS and of the NEWSLETTER. Each Academy member in good standing shall be entitled to, upon request, one copy of all other publications of the Academy with the exception of Family Members, in which case each Family Membership is entitled to one copy of all publications of the Academy.
Section 8. The sale price for copies of any publication of the Academy shall be set by the Executive Secretary-Treasurer.
Section 9. Requests for exchange of publications shall be referred to one of the libraries that regularly engage in exchange.
Section 10. The TRANSACTIONS OF THE OKLAHOMA JUNIOR ACADEMY OF SCIENCE shall provide a means to publish papers and/or abstracts reporting research of members of the Oklahoma Junior Academy of Science. TRANSACTIONS OF THE JUNIOR ACADEMY OF SCIENCE shall be edited by a committee composed of the Chair of the Junior Academy of Science and two members of the Oklahoma Academy of Science in good standing who shall be appointed by the President of the Academy.
Section 11. The officers shall appoint with consent of the Executive Council an Editor for the OAS homepage on the internet who shall be responsible for developing and maintaining it.
Article IX - (No Bylaws)
Article X — Finances
Section 1. Membership dues per year for Professional Members shall be $30, for Student Members $20, for Library Members $40, for Family Membership $35, and for Sustaining Members a minimum of $100 per year. The financial obligation for Life Membership is described in Article II, Section 5 of these By-Laws.
Section 2. Annual dues shall be paid on or before January 1 of each year. A member who has not paid such dues by May 1 shall be declared delinquent and not in good standing but shall be restored to good standing immediately upon payment of dues for one year then current. A member delinquent in dues for one year and having been duly notified thereof shall cease to be a member. A former member may be reinstated with continuous tenure and full privileges by paying the dues in arrears. Alternatively, such delinquent member may join as a new member as provided in Article II, Section 1, of the Bylaws.
Section 3. Bills against the Academy for expenditures approved by the Executive Council shall be paid by the Executive Secretary-Treasurer. The Executive Secretary-Treasurer is not personally Liable, however, if Academy monies are not available.
Section 4. The Executive Secretary-Treasurer shall be bonded for the amount equal to or in excess of the maximum amount of money expected to be on hand at any time during his term of office.
Section 5. The Executive Council shall annually employ a qualified accountant to audit the financial records of the Executive Secretary-Treasurer at the end of the fiscal year and whenever the office shall be unexpectedly vacated, and prepare a report acceptable to the Internal Revenue Service. A brief financial summary shall be published annually in the Proceeding.
Article XI - (No Bylaws)
Article XII - (No Bylaws)
Article XIII - (No Bylaws)
