CONSTITUTION
of
The Crustacean Society
Preamble
The Crustacean Society was organized by scientists who
recognized a need for an organization and journal to satisfy the requirements of
crustacean biologists. In December, 1979, the Society was founded and an
Organizing Council was formed to establish a working framework. The official
publication of the Society, the Journal of Crustacean Biology, is
dedicated to all aspects of crustacean biology. This Constitution and the
establishment of the Journal are the results of the Council's activities.
Article 1: Name
The name of this Society shall be The Crustacean
Society.
Article 2: Purpose
The mission of The Crustacean Society is to
advance the study of all aspects of the biology of crustaceans by promoting the
exchange and dissemination of information throughout the world.
Article 3: Membership
Section
1: Membership. Membership in the Society is open to individuals or
institutions interested in crustaceans. Membership can be obtained upon written
application to the Treasurer of the Society with accompanying payment of dues.
Section
2: Types of Members. Member, Sustaining Member, Patron Member, Emeritus
Member, Institutional Member and Founding Member are recognized. Other classes
of membership may be created by action of the Board of Governors, hereafter
referred to as “The Board”. An institution or organization that is a member
is entitled to designate a representative who may cast a single vote in its
behalf.
Section
3: Rights of Membership. All members whose dues have been paid for the current
year shall be considered members in good standing and shall be entitled to
receive notices of the Society's activities, vote at meetings or by post or by
e-mail, receive the Society’s newsletter, subscribe to the Society’s journal
at special rates, and participate in all activities sponsored by the Society
within limits. Other privileges of membership, some category specific, may be
designated by the Board.
Section
4: Suspension and Reinstatement. Members whose dues have
not been paid within six (6) months of their renewal date shall not be held in
good standing and shall lose their rights of membership. Members not in good
standing may be reinstated upon application and payment of current dues.
Article 4: Dues
The class of membership shall determine the dues. The
amount and time period of dues shall be established on the recommendation of the
Board and approved by a two-thirds (2/3) majority of the Society members voting
on the issue at an annual meeting or by mail ballot. Dues can be changed at any
time on the recommendation of the Board with approval by two-thirds (2/3)
majority of the members voting on the proposed change at an annual meeting or by
ballot.
Article 5: Officers
Section 1: Officers. The elected officers of the Society shall be the (immediate) Past-President, President-Elect, Treasurer, Secretary, and Program Officer. An officer must be a member in good standing at the time of election and must remain in good standing throughout the term of office.
Section
2: Term of Officers. All officers shall be elected for a term of two (2)
years by a simple majority vote of the members voting in the election. The
Past-President, President, and President-Elect may not hold any one of their
three (3) sequential offices for a period greater than two (2) years, except
when the President-Elect succeeds to the office of President as stated in
Section 4. Other officers may hold the same office for an unlimited number of
terms. Newly elected officers shall assume the responsibilities of their office
on January 1 of the year following their election.
Section
3: Election of Officers. An election for the offices of Society President-Elect
and Society Program Officer shall be held in the last three months of odd
numbered years. Elections for the offices of Society Treasurer and Society
Secretary shall he held in the last three months of even numbered years.
Elections shall be by means of a postal or e-mail
ballot
published with the newsletter and made available to the membership at least
sixty (60) days before the election is concluded and ballots are counted. The
closing date for return of ballots to the officer in charge shall be on or about
November 1.
Section
4: Vacancies In Elected Offices. In the event of a vacancy
in the office of Past-President the office shall remain unfilled until the then
President's term expires. During this vacancy, all duties incumbent on the
Past-President shall become additional duties of the President-Elect. In the
event of a vacancy in the office of the President, the President-Elect shall
succeed to the office for the remainder of the departing President's term, after
which he or she shall serve his or her regular term as President. A new
President-Elect shall he chosen by special election within ninety (90) days of
the date the President-Elect succeeds to the President's office.
In
the event of a vacancy in the office of President-Elect, the President shall
solicit nominations and oversee a special election for a new President-Elect.
The election shall take place within 90 days of the vacancy and the result will
take immediate effect. In the event of a vacancy occurring in the last quarter
of the second year of the President-Elect’s term of office the position shall
remain vacant until elections are held. Other vacancies in offices, if they
arise, shall be filled by a presidential appointee, approved by the Board, until
the next regularly scheduled election for that office. In the event of
simultaneous vacancies in the offices of the President and President-Elect, the
Board of Governors will elect a Chairperson from its ranks, and this Chairperson
and the remaining Board Members shall assume responsibility of the Society and
may delegate authority until special elections can be held.
Section
5: Removal from Office. Should an elected officer, for reasons of
incompetence or malfeasance, fail to fully or professionally discharge duties of
the office, the Board way vote by either of the means specified in Article 7,
Section 1 to issue a request for resignation. Should the officer not comply with
such a request after a reasonable period of time, the Board may act to remove
the officer by a three-fourths (3/4) majority mail poll of the full Board
membership. The resultant vacancy shall be filled as specified in Article 5,
Section 4.
Article 6: Board of Governors
Section 1. Board of Governors. The voting members of the Board shall consist of the (immediate) Past-President, President (Chair of the Board), President-Elect, Treasurer, Secretary, Program Officer, Journal Editor and five regional Governors, one each to represent North America, Europe, Asia, South America and the Indo-Pacific regions respectively. All members of the Board must be members of the Society in good standing at the time of their election and throughout their terms as Governors. The Board shall be the governing body of the Society. It is empowered to act on all matters pertaining to the Society except as otherwise provided for in this Constitution and Bylaws. It shall be responsible for matters of policy and procedure and shall have jurisdiction over finances and publications. After completion of the Past-President's term, all former Past-Presidents who remain members in good standing shall, if not holding an elected or appointed membership of the board, serve for life as ex officio (non-voting) members of the board.
Section
2: Journal Editor. The Journal Editor shall be appointed by and
responsible to the Board. The first Editor shall be appointed by a two-thirds
(2/3) majority of the Organizing Council. Succeeding Editors shall be nominated
and approved by action of the Board. The Editor serves at the discretion of the
Board and may, for appropriate reasons, be removed at any time by action of the
Board.
Section 3: Terms of Regional Governors. Regional Governors shall be elected for two (2) years by a simple majority vote of the members voting in the election. The Governor for the Asian Region and the Governor for the South American Region shall be elected in the odd-numbered years. The Governor for the North American Region, Governor for the European Region and Governor for the Indo-Pacific Region shall be elected in the even-numbered years. Newly elected Governors shall assume the responsibilities of their office on January 1 of the year following their election. Regional Governors may serve consecutive terms.
Section
4: Election of Regional Governors. Elections for Regional
Governors shall be conducted as specified for officers in Article 5, Section 3.
Section
5: Vacancies in Regional Governorships.
Vacancies that occur among the Board's Regional Governors shall be filled by a
presidential appointee, approved by the Board, until the next regularly
scheduled election for that governorship.
Section 6: Removal from a Governorship.
Procedures for removal of an elected Regional Governor from a governorship shall
be the same as specified for removal of officers in Article 5, Section 5. The
resultant vacancy shall be filled as specified in Article 6, Section 4 5.
Article 7: Meetings
Section 1: Board of Governors. The Board shall meet at least once a year prior to the annual meeting. The President may call additional meetings if conditions arise to warrant such meetings. Actions and approvals by the Board, except where otherwise specified in the Constitution or Bylaws, shall require a two-thirds (2/3) majority of the entire Board in a poll of the Board membership. Actions of the Board way be amended at any annual meeting of the Society by a two-thirds (2/3) majority of the voting members present. Actions of the Board may be amended at any annual meeting of the Society by a two-thirds (2/3) majority of the voting members present.
Section
2: Annual Meeting. The Society shall meet at least once a year.
Article 8: Publications
Publications of the Society shall be the Journal of
Crustacean Biology and any additional publications the Board may authorize.
Article 9: Limitation
The purposes of the Society are listed in Article 2 of
the Constitution. Lobbying, or any activities specifically designed to influence
legislation, support political groups, or advance popular, political, scientific
or religious causes are not among the objectives of the Society and neither the
Society nor any official group within the Society shall engage in such activity.
Article 10: General Prohibitions
Notwithstanding any provision of the Constitution or
Bylaws which might be susceptible to a contrary construction:
a. The Crustacean
Society shall be organized exclusively for scientific and educational. purposes;
b. The Crustacean
Society shall he operated exclusively for scientific and educational purposes;
c. No part of the net
earnings of The Crustacean Society shall or may under any circumstances inure to
the benefit of any private shareholder or individual;
d. No part of the
activities of The Crustacean Society shall consist of conducting propaganda,
supporting any outside causes or positions, or otherwise attempting to influence
legislation;
e. The Crustacean
Society shall not participate in, or intervene in political campaigns (including
the publishing or distributing of political statements) on behalf of any
candidate for public office;
f. The Crustacean
Society shall not be organized or operated for profit;
g. The Crustacean
Society shall not:
1. lend any part of its
income or corpus, without the receipt of adequate security and a reasonable rate
of interest, to;
2. pay any
compensation, in excess of a reasonable allowance for salaries or other
compensation for personal services actually rendered, to;
3. make any part of its
services available, or preferential bases, to;
4. make any purchase of
securities or any other property, for more than adequate consideration in money
or money's worth, from;
5. sell any securities
or other property, for less than adequate consideration in money or money's
worth, to; or
6. engage in any other
transactions which result in substantial diversions of its income or corpus to;
any officer, member of the Board, or substantial contributor to the Society. The
prohibitions contained in this subsection (g) do not imply that the Society may
make such loans, payments, sales or purchases to anyone else, unless such
authority be given or implied by other provisions of the Constitution or Bylaws.
Article 11: Distribution on Dissolution
Article 12: Amendments
This Constitution may be amended by a two-thirds (2/3)
majority of those members voting at any annual meeting of the Society or in a
mail ballot. In either case notice of the proposed action will be sent to each
voting member of the Society by the Secretary at least sixty (60) days before
the date of the vote.
Article 13: Bylaws
The Society may enact Bylaws for interpretation and
implementation of this Constitution. Bylaws may be adopted, amended, or repealed
by a two-thirds (2/3) majority of those voting at any annual meeting of the
Society or in a mail ballot. In either case, notice of the proposed action shall
be sent to each voting member of the Society by the Secretary at least sixty
(60) days before the date of the vote.
Article 14: Divisions
At the discretion of the Board the Society may
establish separate Division(s) empowered to hold scientific meetings and to
elect officers to carry out divisional activities under the overall sponsorship
of the Society.
THE
CRUSTACEAN SOCIETY BYLAWS
Bylaw 1: Types of Membership
The following types of members are recognized for the
purpose of assessing dues:
a.
Member – a person paying the proscribed dues.
b.
Sustaining – members contributing a yearly amount as determined
by the membership. Sustaining Members shall be recognized in the Society's
journal.
c.
Patron – members contributing a yearly amount as determined by
the membership. Patron Members shall be recognized in the Society's journal.
d.
Emeritus – Honorary membership accorded to outstanding
scientists by action of the Board, with rights and privileges as defined in
Bylaw 2.
e.
Institutional – Institutions or organizations shall be
classified by the following categories accorded to individual members: Member,
Sustaining Member, or Patron Member on the payment of dues higher than those of
individual persons; such dues to be set as proscribed in Article 4.
f.
Founding – Members contributing $100 (U.S.) or more in dues in
1980 only.
Other classes of membership may be created by action of
the Board of Governors.
Bylaw 2: Emeritus Members
Emeritus status shall be awarded to outstanding
scientists in the field of crustacean biology. An individual may be accorded
Emeritus status by approval of the Board. Emeritus Members shall receive,
without cost, all rights to membership except the Society's journal. The journal
can be obtained by Emeritus Members at the current publisher's cost or a lesser
fee if approved by the Board.
Bylaw 3: Endowment Funds
The General Endowment Fund shall consist of
contributions by members to the Fund and other monies that may be collected by
the Society and allocated to the Fund by the Board. The Board may vote to use
money from the Fund for any activity directly related to the functioning of the
Society and not in violation of its Constitution and Bylaws. Additional special
purpose endowment funds may be established as needed. Special purpose funds may
be expended only for the designated purpose of those funds and shall not be used
for any activity that violates this Constitution or Bylaws.
Bylaw 4: Duties of officers
A.
Past-President.
The office of Past-President shall be filled by the immediate Past-President of
the Society. The Past-President shall serve as parliamentarian at meetings of
the Board and business meetings of the Society membership. The Past-President
shall also assume primary responsibility for promotion of the Society's journal
to institutional subscribers and for solicitation of appropriate book offerings
for the Society membership.
B.
President.
The President shall call and preside at meetings of the Society and the Board,
represent the Society's interests in external business affairs, and perform such
other functions as may be defined in the Constitution and Bylaws. Should the
office of President-Elect become vacant, the President shall temporarily assume
all duties of the President-Elect until an election can be conducted. The
President shall succeed to the office of Immediate Past-President upon the
expiration of the President's term.
C.
President-Elect. The President-Elect shall solicit nominations for
offices and governorships from the membership and present nominations to the
Board for consideration when they adopt a slate of candidates. The
President-Elect shall oversee all elections and other votes by the membership
and be responsible for tabulating and disseminating results for all elections
and votes on Bylaws and Amendments to the Constitution. The President-Elect
shall perform all duties incumbent upon the President during any period(s) when
the President is incapable of fulfilling those duties for the Society and shall
succeed the President to that office upon the expiration of the President's
term. Should the office of Past-President be vacant, the duties incumbent upon
the office of Past-President shall be additional duties of the President-Elect.
D.
Treasurer.
The Treasurer shall be in charge of funds, make necessary disbursements, direct
and oversee fund-raising activities, and keep the financial records of the
Society. The Treasurer shall present a statement of financial accounts, audited
by the Financial Committee, at the time of the annual business meeting.
E. Secretary. The Secretary shall keep the Society calendar
of events, advise officers of deadlines, record minutes for all Board and Annual
meetings, issue notices for meetings of the Board and the Society, conduct the
correspondence of the Society and Board, be responsible for mailing ballots, and
present a written yearly summary of the Society's activities to the Membership.
The Secretary shall compile and edit the Society newsletter, or shall supervise
this activity if it is delegated by the Secretary to a newsletter editor.
F.
Program Officer. The Program Officer shall be responsible for
arranging and/or coordinating all symposia, workshops, conferences and similar
activities in which the Society takes part.
Bylaw 5: Duties of Journal Editor
The Editor shall guide activities of the Editorial
Committee in accord with directions from the Board, report to the Board on
progress and cost of publications, and advise the Board on all policy decisions
related to publications. The Editor shall recommend Associate Editors and their
terms of service to the Board for approval.
Bylaw 6: Duties of Regional Governors
Regional Governors shall serve to represent the best
interests of membership in all activities of the Board. In addition they shall
serve to actively recruit and maintain Society membership and subscriptions to
the Society journal in their respective regions.
Bylaw 7: Committees
The Society shall maintain standing Financial and
Editorial Committees. Responsibilities, in addition to these specified below,
may be delegated to these committees by the President. Additional standing or ad
hoc committees may be created by the President or the Board. Appointed committee
members shall hold their position for one year and may serve an unlimited number
of terms.
a. Financial
Committee. The Financial Committee shall consist of Treasurer, who shall
serve as Chair, and two members appointed by the Treasurer and approved by a
majority vote of the Board. The Financial Committee shall prepare the annual
budget for submission to the Board, audit all financial statements and shall
advise the Board in all financial matters affecting the Society.
b. Editorial Committee.
The Editorial Committee shall consist of the Editor, who shall serve as Chair,
and Associate Editors deemed necessary by the Editor (maximum of twelve) and
approved by the Board. The Editorial Committee shall be responsible for
management of the Society journal and all other scholarly publications of the
Society.
C.
Awards Committee. An Awards Committee of the Program Officer and four
(4) other members of the Society shall be appointed by the Society President to
evaluate student presentations for special recognition by the Society, and to
periodically nominate a distinguished crustacean biologist to be recognized for
a lifetime contribution to the field. Nominations
by the committee or its nominees, and the substance of all awards to be
presented, shall be reported to the Board within two (2) weeks of an award being
made and published in the next issues of the Society newsletter and journal.
Bylaw 8: Nominations
Nominating activities of the Board shall be directed by
the President-Elect who shall solicit potential nominees from the membership.
Members may, as individuals or by group-petition, submit the names of nominees
to the President-Elect. The President-Elect will contact nominees, certify their
willingness to run for election, and recommend a pool of qualified nominees to
the Board. The Board shall approve a slate of recommended candidates for next
election with at least one nominee listed for each open office or governorship.
In addition to names of candidates on the official ballot spaces will be
provided for write-in candidates. All nominees and candidates must be members in
good standing.
Bylaw 9: Divisions
A Division may be organized within the Society in any
area of specialization or geographical region by not less than 25 members of the
Society, upon written request to, and approval by, the Board. Divisional
officers shall consist of a Chairperson, a Secretary-Treasurer (or a Secretary
and a Treasurer), and a Program Officer. A Division of the Society shall be
entitled to formulate its own bylaws but such bylaws shall not conflict with the
Constitution and bylaws of the Society. A Division shall not collect dues on
behalf of the Society but may collect registration fees for meetings. Expenses
of the Division shall paid from the treasury of the Society within limits of the
amount allotted for this purpose in the annual budget of the Society and from
funds received from special projects. No officer or member of a Division shall
have authority to incur any expense in the name of the Society, except as above
specified.
Bylaw 10: Disbanding of the Organizing Council
Members of the Organizing Council who are not elected
to an Office or to a governorship may, if they desire, serve as voting members
of the Board of Governors for a period not exceeding two (2) years beyond
formation of the Board of Governors. Members of the Council elected as Officers
or Governors shall serve terms as described in the Constitution.
Constitution and Bylaws of 1981, as amended by the
Board of Governors on 29 December 1984, 27 December 1991, December 1995, and 31
May 2003 and approved by members.
Published in the Journal of Crustacean Biology
1(2): 293–297, 1981; revised version published in Ecdysiast 5(2),
August 1986; changes published in JCB 12(2): 331, May 1992; and changes
published in Ecdysiast 15(1), May 1996 and Ecdysiast 22(1), April
2003.
Gary C. B. Poore, President, 3 June 2003