|
Name
The name of this organization shall be the California Estuarine
Research Society.
Purpose
The purpose of this non-profit
organization is to improve education and research regarding
California's estuarine and coastal environments by providing a forum to
enhance communication among interested scientists, engineers, and
students.
Affiliation
CAERS shall be an Affiliate Society of the
Coastal and Estuarine
Research Federation (CERF) and shall be subject to the by-laws of
that organization. Membership in CAERS does not confer membership in
ERF or vice versa.
Membership
There shall be three categories of
membership in CAERS:
1. REGULAR members are persons whose professional
activities are consistent with the purpose of the organization.
2. STUDENT members are persons whose interests are
consistent with the purpose of the organization and who are currently
enrolled in a college or university as verified by a faculty member.
Student members shall have all rights and privileges of regular
members.
3. HONORARY members are persons whose outstanding
contributions in estuarine and coastal research have been recognized by
nomination of the Executive Committee and ratification by a two-thirds
majority of those regular members present and voting at a meeting.
Honorary members are elected for life and do not pay dues.
Dues
Dues of $10 (regular) or $7 (student) per
calendar year are payable by check in January to the
Secretary-Treasurer following the close of the annual accounting period
on December 31. New members may be accepted at any time subject to
payment of dues. Members in arrears for one year will be billed by the
Secretary-Treasurer. Members in arrears for more than one year will
dropped from the Society.
Meetings
Meetings shall be held annually or at the
discretion of the Executive Committee. The biennial meeting of the
Estuarine Research Federation shall constitute a meeting of CAERS.
Meetings shall be rotated among locations within California depending
on the geographic distribution and needs of members.
Communication
Under most circumstances the ordinary
business of the Society will be conducted through a Web page and by
email. The sole routine exception will be that dues must be paid by
check. There will be a Society email reflector that will be used for
routine announcements.
Attendance at Meetings
Attendance at business meetings shall be
limited to members in good standing, except that visitors may attend
with the approval of the Executive Committee or the President.
Officers and Terms
The Officers of the Society shall consist
of President, President-Elect, Past President, and Secretary-Treasurer,
who all shall serve for two years; and a Graduate Student
Representative with a 1-year term. All officers will serve without
compensation. Any vacant office may be filled for the remaining portion
of its term by the Executive Committee. Terms of the offices shall
coincide with the calendar year.
Duties of the Officers:
The President shall preside at all
meetings of the membership and of the Executive Committee and shall
appoint, with approval of the Executive Committee, committees to
perform Society functions and business as necessary. The President, or
a representative, shall serve as a member of the Governing Board of
ERF. The President shall maintain written records of the activities of
the Society and shall forward all such records to the incoming
President in a timely manner. The President shall involve the
President-Elect in the process of fulfilling these responsibilities and
obligations to the fullest extent possible. The President shall serve
as Past-President in the term immediately following the term as
President.
The President-Elect shall preside at all meetings
in the absence of the President. The President-Elect shall work with
the President in the process of fulfilling the routine responsibilities
and obligations of the office of President, including assisting with
the development and implementation of Society programs and events. The
President-Elect shall serve as President in the term immediately
following the term as President-Elect.
The Past President shall preside at all meetings
in the absence of the President and President-Elect, and shall advise
the President and President-Elect on the development and implementation
of Society programs and events as a conveyor of institutional memory.
The Secretary-treasurer shall collect, disburse,
and account for all moneys; issue notices and keep minutes of business
meetings; maintain an up-to-date list of the membership, and; maintain
and have available copies of the constitution and by-laws for the
membership. The Secretary-Treasurer shall maintain written records of
the finances and membership of the Society and shall forward all such
records to the incoming Secretary-Treasurer in a timely manner.
The Graduate Student Representative will be
responsible for representing student interests before the Society and
ensuring that student activities are adequately addressed.
Executive Committee
Membership
The Executive Committee shall consist of
the Officers of the Society, and Member(s)-at-Large; the latter
officers are appointed by the President and approved by the other
Officers, primarily to represent geographic areas not represented among
the Officers. There shall be no more than two Member(s)-at-Large
serving simultaneously.
Duties of the Executive
Committee
The Executive Committee shall be
responsible for initiating and formulating programs of activities,
approving temporary committees, and preparing a list of nominations of
incoming Officers.
Nominations of Officers
Members shall be nominated for the office
of President-Elect andSecretary-Treasurer by the general membership
during the annual meeting held in odd-numbered years, and until
November 1 of that year. Additional nomination may be made by the
Executive Committee during this time. Candidates for Graduate Student
Representative shall be nominated by a committee of graduate students
from various research institutions.
Election of Officers
Names of nominees and information
concerning their qualifications shallbe circulated by electronic mail
along with an electronic ballot, no later than November 30 of
odd-numbered years. Provision shall be made on the ballot for write-in
candidates. Deadline for receipt of the ballots shall be December 31.
Election shall be by majority of the returned ballots. In case of a
tie, the President shall cast the deciding vote. The Graduate Student
Representative shall be elected similarly except that only graduate
students are eligible to vote.
Amendments
Amendments to the Constitution and By-Laws
shall be submitted to the Executive Committee and circulated to all
members by electronic mail at least 4 weeks prior to balloting.
Adoption shall be by a two-thirds vote of the voting membership via
returned, electronically-mailed ballots.
Dissolution
In event of dissolution, any assets of
CAERS shall be distributed to a fund, foundation, or corporation
organized and operated for the purposes specified in Section 501(c) of
the Internal Revenue Code.
|
