(formerly the Masschusetts Chapter)
(Informally approved March 2001 except as noted)
Article I
Membership
Section 1. Voting Member. Any person who has an interest in the objectives and the activities of the Chapter may join the Chapter as a voting member. Only voting members may be elected to Chapter officer positions and vote on official matters affecting the Chapter. If the Chapter assesses dues, all voting members shall be responsible for payment.
Section 2. Expulsion - Grounds for termination of membership in the Chapter. Membership shall terminate upon the occurrence of any of the following events: (1) Upon member's notice of such termination delivered to the President or Secretary of the Chapter, personally or by mail, (2) Upon a determination by the Executive Board of the Chapter that the member has engaged in conduct materially and seriously prejudicial to the interests or purpose of the Chapter.
Article II
Officers
There will be four elected officers: Four, Vice-President, Secretary, and Chief Financial Officer; and seven board-appointed Members At Large: Legal Represntative, Media Representative, NGO, Education, Government Representative, and Student Representative. The officers and the Chairperson of the Conservation Committee (see Article VI) shall constitute the Executive Board. Elections for officers will be held at the annual Business Meeting (see Article X). All officers must be voting members of the Chapter for their entire term.
Article III
Nominations, Elections and Appointments
Section 1. Nominations. Nominations should be solicited by the Nominating Committee or the Executive Board. All nominees must be voting members. Prior approval shall be obtained from said candidates. The nomination slate shall be submitted by the Secretary to the membership, at least 10 days prior to the Business Meeting.
Section 2. Balloting. Written ballots shall be received from the members by the Secretary and shall be counted by the Executive Board. The President shall appoint a replacement to count ballots for any member of the Executive Board who has been nominated. The candidate receiving the largest number of votes on the written ballots shall be declared elected at the Business Meeting.
Section 3. Vacancies. If the office of President is vacated for any reason, the Vice-President shall assume the duties of the President for the balance of the President's term. All other vacancies occurring during an officer's term shall be filled by appointment by the Executive Board.
Section 4. Special Elections. A special election may be held at any time during a period of dormancy (Article XII) to reactivate the Chapter.
Section 5. Appointments. The appointments of Members At Large shall be voted on by the active elected board every two years. Once appointed, Members At Large shall be members of the Executive Board.
Article IV
Duties and Terms of Officers
Section 1. President. The President is responsible for organizing and presiding over meetings, and will officially represent the Chapter on business of the Society. The elected position is a two-year term and begins in odd-numbered years.
Section 2. Vice-President. The Vice-President shall receive reports from committees, arrange meetings and other activities, and perform the duties of the President when the latter is absent. The Vice-President must be a member of the Society. The elected position is a two-year term and begins in even-numbered years.
Section 3. Secretary. The Secretary records minutes, administers correspondence between the Chapter and the Society, and maintains historical records and a roster of members. The Secretary must be a member of the Society. The elected position is a two-year term and begins in odd-numbered years.
Section 4. Chief Financial Officer (CFO). The CFO shall collect dues (if any), maintain accounts, and collect and distribute funds for Chapter activities. The CFO shall coordinate fund raising activities. The CFO must be a member of the Society. The elected position is a two-year term and begins in even-numbered years.
Section 5. Members At Large. Each of the six Members At Large shall be responsible for representing their appointed area of expertise in all Chapter meetings and activities. A Member At Large must be a member of the Society. The appointed position is a two-year term. Education, NGO, and Chief Legal Council positions will be appointed in odd-numbered years, while Media Representative, Government Representative, and Student Representatives will be appointed in even-numbered years.
Section 6. All outgoing Executive Board Members shall be invited to serve as advisory members. Outgoing Officers shall not have executive board voting rights and must be members of the society.
Article V
Committees
The Executive Board and the membership may at any time decide to form a committee to address a particular issue. Committees shall be chaired by a voting member. The chairperson shall be responsible for appointing the other members of the committee. Committees shall be made up of interested individuals of the Executive Board and the membership. Committees should address findings and queries to the Vice-President of the Executive Board. Committees for annual events should be formed at the Business Meeting. All committees shall, at any time, be accountable to the Executive Board.
Article VI
Standing Conservation Committee
This Committee shall keep Chapter members informed about current conservation issues on a local, regional, or global scale. The Committee will report at Chapter meetings. The Chapter Officers shall appoint a Conservation Committee Chairperson at the Organization Meeting (see Article X) who shall serve on the Executive Board (see Article II).
Article VII
Suggested Standing Committees
Section 1. Program. This committee shall assist the Vice-President in arranging the program schedule for the Chapter. The Schedule should include the Business and Organizational meetings and dates for invited speakers and field trips.
Section 2. Education. The Education committee shall act as an extension of the Chapter within the academic and local community. The Committee shall act as necessary to inform the public of local and global conservation issues and shall promote the study of conservation biology. The committee may also act as a forum in which solutions to local issues may be discussed and debated.
Section 3. Membership. This committee shall be responsible for encouraging membership in both the Chapter and the Society. The committee shall assist the Secretary in maintaining the list of the Chapter's membership and shall be responsible for any mailings to the membership.
Section 4. Nomination. This committee shall organize all nominations and present to the Executive Board a complete slate of nominees.
Section 5. Career Development. This committee shall provide a resource base of career opportunities for the membership. The committee shall provide a list of current and future jobs, internships and conferences for the Chapter.
Section 6. Resolutions and Public Advocacy. Should the membership decide to deliver Resolutions and Public Advocacy explaining the Chapter's view on a particular issue or controversy, such statements shall be prepared by this committee for review and action.
Section 7. Audit. The committee shall audit, independent of the Chief Financial Officer, the Chapter's financial records semi-annually. The committee shall report to the President.
Article VIII
Finances
The Chapter will be supported by annual dues, grants, contributions and fund-raising activities. Assessment and amount of Chapter dues (if any) is left to the discretion of the Chapter. Funds of the Chapter shall be under the supervision of the officers, and shall be handled by the Chief Financial Officer. The financial records shall be audited semi-annually by either the Audit Committee or the Executive Board and reported to the membership.
Article IX
Resolutions and Public Advocacy
The Chapter may make resolutions and engage in Public Advocacy subject to the conditions described below.
Section 1. Definitions.
A "Resolution" is any public statement that reflects the position or view of the Chapter.
"Public Advocacy" is any public activity by the Chapter in support of a Chapter Resolution.
Section 2. Conditions for Declaration of Resolutions and Public Advocacy.
Proposed Resolutions must be presented to the membership of the Chapter and approved by a majority of the voting members present and voting at a meeting. A voting member who is absent may file an absentee ballot. Proposed Resolutions must include the following: (i) a statement of relationship of the Resolution to the objectives of the Society, (ii) a statement of the need for the Resolution, (iii) scientific documentation concerning the circumstances of the Resolution, and (iv) a list of the proposed recipients of the Resolution.
Any Public Advocacy must be based on an approved Resolution. Proposed acts of advocacy must be presented to the membership of the Chapter and approved by a majority of voting members present and voting at a meeting. A voting member who is absent may file an absentee ballot.
Section 3. Disclaimer of Responsibility by Society for Chapter Activities.
The Massachusetts Chapter of the Society for Conservation Biology shall claim responsibility for all Resolutions and Public Advocacy enacted by its membership. All public documents or actions shall include the statement: Resolutions (or Advocacy) of the Massachusetts Chapter of the Society for Conservation Biology do not necessarily reflect the views of the Society for Conservation Biology.
Section 4. Reporting.
All Resolutions and supporting material and descriptions of acts of Public Advocacy by the Chapter shall be forwarded to the President of the Society with the Annual Report.
Article X
Meetings
Section 1. A Business Meeting shall be held each year. At this meeting, elections shall be held for those Executive Board officers beginning new terms. A quorum of 50% of membership or 10 members is required for the Business Meeting.
Section 2. An Organizational Meeting shall be held within the first month of the year. The frequency and time of general meetings will be decided by the membership at this time.
Section 3. Notice of meetings shall be posted at least one week in advance. At the beginning of each meeting any Chapter or Society business will be discussed prior to the scheduled program. A quorum of 50% of the membership or ten members is required for any meeting at which a vote is called. The business portion of any meeting will be run by the President. The Chapter's bylaws will be available at each meeting.
Article XI
Annual Report
Section 1. The Secretary shall file an annual report on the Chapter's activities with the President of the Society. The report will be filed on the Annual Report Form (see Form 1).
Article XII
Continuation/Dissolution
Section 1. If the membership fails to elect an Executive Board the Chapter shall be considered dormant. At that time the outgoing Executive Board shall forward the Chapter's charter, bylaws and remaining funds to the President of the Society. The Chapter may be reactivated at any time within a period of two years by holding a Special Election. The purpose of the Special Election is to vote for an Executive Board.
Section 2. If, at the end of two years, there is no interest in reconvening the Chapter, the Chapter's funds shall be permanently transferred to the Society.
Article XIII
Amendment to Bylaws
Section 1. Procedure. Proposals to modify the Chapter bylaws must be approved by a majority of the voting members present and voting at any scheduled meeting of the Chapter. A voting member who is absent may file an absentee ballot.
Section 2. Conformance. No amendment to these bylaws shall be enacted that results in a conflict with the bylaws of the Society. Proposed amendments to the Chapter bylaws must be approved by the Society's Board of Governors before becoming effective.
Section 3. Change of Name. Henceforth, the Massachusetts Chapter of the Society for Conservation Biology (MassSCB) shall be known as the New England Chapter of the Society for Conservation Biology (NESCB). (Effective September 12, 2002)
Section 4. Relationship to other chapters of the Society for Conservation Biology. Board members shall recognize that the NESCB does not constitute the exclusive Chapter of the Society for Conservation Biology within the New England region. Furthermore, in view of its mission to promote conservation biology throughout the New England region, Board members of the NESCB shall endeavor to support other Chapters of the SCB within the New England region. Support shall include assistance in establishing Chapters (such as University Chapters, State Chapters, or other sub-regional Chapters) wherever demand for such arises, as well as support for the activities of these Chapters. (Effective September 12, 2002)
Ratified for the Board of Governors by:
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President, Society for Conservation Biology
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Date