BY-LAWS

INDIANA CHAPTER OF THE AMERICAN FISHERIES SOCIETY
Revised September 2010

SECTION I. NAME AND OBJECTIVES.

1. The name of this organization shall be the Indiana Chapter of the American Fisheries Society, hereinafter referred to as the Chapter and Society respectively.

2. The objectives of the Chapter shall be those of the Society as set forth in Article I of the Constitution. In addition, the Unit also has the following objectives:

A. To encourage the exchange of information by members of the Chapter.

3. All activities of this Chapter shall conform to the Society's Constitution, Rules, and Procedures.

SECTION II. MEMBERSHIP.

1. The membership of the Chapter shall be composed of those Society members in good standing and paying dues to the Chapter.

2. Members of the Student Subunits from Ball State University, Purdue University, and Manchester College in good standing are considered Chapter members.

SECTION III. MEETINGS AND VOTING.

1. The Chapter shall hold at least one meeting annually at a time and place designated by its Executive Committee. The President with approval of the Executive Committee may call special meetings.

2. A quorum is required for transaction of official business and shall be one-third of the Chapter membership.

3. Unless otherwise specified in these Bylaws or the Constitution of the Society, meetings are conducted according to the latest edition of Robert's Rules of Order.

4. Decisions at meetings are by simple majority of Active Members voting, except 2/3 majorities are required in special cases such as amending the Bylaws and suspending a Rule. Other less frequently used voting requirements are described in Robert's Rules of Order.

SECTION IV. OFFICERS.

1. The officers of the Chapter shall consist of a President, President-Elect, Vice-President, Past-President and a Secretary-Treasurer.

2. All officers must be members in good standing of the Society.

3. Officers shall be nominated by a nominating committee appointed by the President. Officers shall be elected by a majority of ballots cast and election methods shall be determined by the Executive Committee.

4. Terms of newly elected officers shall change at the Chapter meeting closest to the Society annual meeting.

5. The Secretary-Treasurer may hold office for a period longer than one year, but the term of the other officers shall be one year.

6. In the event of a vacated position, the Executive Committee shall appoint a qualified replacement to fill the unexpired term.

7. In the event of a cancellation of an annual meeting, the officers and the members of any committees shall continue to serve until the next scheduled meeting.

8. No elected officer or appointed committee member of the Chapter shall receive any salary or other compensation. Expenses may be defrayed from funds available to the Chapter when authorized by the Executive Committee.

SECTION V. DUTIES OF OFFICERS.

1. The President shall:

A. Preside at all meetings;

B. Serve as Chair of the Executive Committee;

C. Appoint all committees;

D. Coordinate the activities of the Chapter’s standing and special committees and serve as liaison between such committees and the Executive Committee;

E. Conduct official correspondence for the Chapter and present reports of Chapter activities at the annual meeting;

F. Represent the Chapter to the North Central Division and to the Society;

G. Make such appointments and perform other duties and functions as are authorized and necessary; and

H. Proceed to the office of Past-President at the end of the term.

2. The President-Elect shall:

A. Assume the duties of the President, if the President is absent or unable to act;

B. Serve on the Executive Committee; and

C. Advance to the office of President at the end of the term.

3. The Vice-President shall:

A. Assume the duties of the President-Elect, if the President-Elect is absent or unable to act;

B. Serve on the Executive Committee; and

C. Advance to the office of President-Elect at the end of the term.

4. The Secretary-Treasurer shall:

A. Keep the official records of the Chapter, collect and be custodian of any fees or assessments authorized by these bylaws or funds allotted to the Chapter by the Society;

B. Disburse funds only as authorized by either the membership or Executive Committee;

C. Submit, at the annual Chapter meeting, the year-end report for the previous fiscal year and a comparison of approved versus actual income and expenditures for the current fiscal year;

D. Annually update and distribute current copies of the Chapter Bylaws to the Society’s Executive Director and each member of the Chapter Executive Committee by September 1;

E. Serve on the Executive Committee; and

F. Conduct the election.

5. The immediate Past-President shall:

A. Serve on the Executive Committee; and

B. Assist the other officers as needed.

6. The Student Subunit Presidents shall:

A. Represent the interest of the Subunits to the Chapter Executive Committee and act as liaison between the Executive Committee and Subunits;

B. Work cooperatively with the Chapter’s Executive Committee to assist in Chapter function and Subunit participation;

C. Present reports of Subunit activities at Chapter meetings; and,

D. Not advance in the Executive Committee, but instead be replaced by a new Subunit President, upon election.

SECTION VI. EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE.

1. The Executive Committee of the Chapter shall consist of elected officers, and other members as appointed by the President. Those with voting privileges shall be the President, President-Elect, Vice-President, Past President and Secretary-Treasurer.

2. The Executive Committee is authorized to act on behalf of the Chapter between annual meetings.

3. A quorum is required for transaction of official business at an Executive Committee meeting. A quorum for an Executive Committee meeting shall consist of three of the five members. Executive Committee members can appoint a proxy.

4. Each member of the Executive Committee shall have one vote on Executive Committee decisions. In the event of a tie, the President’s vote shall be the deciding vote.

SECTION VII. UNIT COMMITTEES.

1. Committees and Chairs of committees, except as listed in Sections V and VI of these Bylaws, shall be appointed and charged by the President. Except for Standing Committees, these Chapter committees shall cease to function upon the discharge of the duties for which they were appointed or with the end of the term of the appointing officer.

2. Standing Committees help the President and the Executive Committee conduct the Chapter’s affairs, and the chairs should report their committees' activities, findings, and recommendations at annual Chapter meetings and interim meetings of the Executive Committee.

3. The Chapter has established the following Standing Committees:

A. The Program Committee is responsible for the program and presentation of papers at the Chapter meetings. The President-Elect shall chair this committee.

B. The Membership Committee is responsible for maintaining and increasing the membership of the Chapter. The Vice-President shall chair this committee.

C. The Nominating Committee is responsible for naming a slate of candidates for Chapter officers. The immediate Past President shall chair this committee.

D. The Communications Committee is responsible for publishing the Chapter newsletter and maintaining the Chapter Website. This committee shall be co-chaired, with one chair responsible for the newsletter and the other chair responsible for the website.

E. The Awards Committee is responsible for soliciting, judging, and presenting the Chapters’ awards to qualified candidates.

SECTION VIII. DUES AND FEES.

1. The Executive Committee shall establish annual dues subject to approval of the members voting at the annual meeting.

2. The Executive Committee may assess registration fees for annual or special meetings.

SECTION IX. BYLAWS, RULES AND PROCEDURES.

1. The Bylaws are the defining document for the Chapter and take precedence over all other rules and procedures of the Chapter. The Bylaws cannot be suspended and cannot be changed without prior notice to members.

A. The Bylaws may be amended by a 2/3 majority of Active Members choosing to vote, provided that the proposed amendment(s) are circulated in writing or electronically to the membership at least 30 days prior to voting.

B. In accordance with the Society Constitution, an adopted amendment shall be reviewed by the Society’s Constitutional Consultant for conformity with the Constitution, Rules and Procedures of the Society. The Constitutional Consultant presents the adopted amendment to the Society Governing Board for approval.

C. Amendments take effect when the Chapter receives written notice of their approval by the Governing Board from the Executive Director.

2. Rules are the next highest level of documentation of Chapter operations. They are generally established to facilitate the conduct of Chapter business, and to describe duties and responsibilities of officers and committees. They may be suspended or amended as follows.

A. The Rules may be suspended during an Executive Committee meeting until the next annual or special Chapter meeting by a 2/3 majority of the Executive Committee.

B. The Rules may be suspended for the duration of a meeting by a 2/3 majority of Active Members voting at an annual or special Chapter meeting.

C. The Rules may be amended by a simple majority of Active Members voting at an annual or special Chapter meeting.

3. Procedures in the Operational Handbook are the lowest level of documentation of Chapter operations. They are generally established to provide continuity in the conduct of Chapter business. The Procedures may be suspended or amended by a simple majority vote of the Executive Committee.