Article I - Organization and Purposes
Section 1. The Arctic Division of the American Association for the Advancement of Science is authorized and constituted by Article XII, Section 1(c) of the Bylaws of the Association. The Division comprises members of the American Association for the Advancement of Science who reside in Alaska, the Yukon Territory Northwest Territories and Nunavut Territory of Canada.
Section 2. The Division shall be governed by the Bylaws of the Association and such other regulations as may be adopted by the Board of Directors or the Council of the Association.
Section 3. The purposes of the Division shall be to further the objectives of the Associaiton through meetings and conferences held in Alaska or the adjacent territories, and by such other means as the Executive Committee of the Division may adopt.
Article II - Officers
Section 1. The officers of the Arctic Division shall be a President, a President-Elect, an Executive Secretary and a Finance Officer. These officers shall be members of the Association and shall be elected or appointed in the manner, and for the terms of office as set forth below:
Section 2. (a) The President shall accede to office from that of President-Elect and shall serve for a term of one year.
(b) In the event of a vacancy in the office of the President, the President-Elect shall become President.
(c) The President shall preside over all general meetings of the Division and of the Executive Committee and shall perform the other duties usually assigned to the president of an organization.
The President shall chair the Arctic Science Conference to be held during the year in which he/she is president.
Section 3. (a) The President-Elect shall be elected in a general election of the Arctic Division as provided in Article V and shall serve for a term of one year. At the end of this term he/she shall become President.
(b) In the event of a vacancy in the office of President-Elect, the Executive Committee shall make a pro-tempore appointment.
(c) The duties of the President-Elect shall be those normally assigned to the vice-president of an organization, but specifically the preliminary planning of, and securing finances for, the Alaska Science Conference to be held in the year in which he/she will be President.
Section 4. (a) The Executive Secretary of the Division shall be appointed by the Executive Officer of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, with the consent of the Board of Directors. In making the appointment, the Executive Officer of the Associaiton will be advised by the President on behalf of the Executive Committee, Arctic Division.
(b) The term of office is unspecified but shall not normally extend beyond three years unless the appointment is renewed by the Executive Officer of the Association on the advice of the President, Arctic Division.
(c) In the event of a vacancy in the office of Executive Secretary, the Finance Officer shall serve until a successor is appointed.
(d) The duties of the Executive Secretary shall be as follows: (i) He/she shall be custodian of all permanent records and property of the Division [except as prescribed in Article II, Section 5(b)]. (ii) He/she shall call all business meetings of the Division and shall chair such meetings. (iii) He/she shall appoint the Finance Officer of the Division [Article II, Section 5(a)]. (iv) He/she shall present annually to the Executive Committee of the Division and to the Executive Officer of the Association, a copy of the certified audit prepared in accord with Article II, Section 5, and duly signed by the auditors and the Executive Secretary. (v) He/she shall conduct general elections in accord with Article V. (vi) He/she shall notify all members who are elected or appointed to offices or committees. Such notice shall be in writing and shall designate the term of office and outline the duties of the position. (vii) He/she shall notify all members of the dates and places of the annual Arctic Science Conference and such other meetings of the Division as may be called. (viii) He/she shall be responsible for the sale and handling of proceedings of the Arctic Science Conference. (ix) He/she shall represent the Division upon the Council of the Association. (x)He/she shall serve as liaison officer in all matters of business between the Association and the Division. (xi) He/she shall present annually to the Executive Officer of the Association a financial statement and written report of the activities of the Division for the past year and planned activities for the coming year.
Section 5. (a) The Finance Officer shall be recommended by the Executive Secretary of the Division and appointed with the approval of the Executive Committee. The term of office shall be unspecified and shall extend until the recommendation and approval of a successor.
(b) The duties of the Finance Officer shall be: (i) Take custody of all funds accruing to the Division and make disbursements on accounts payable, subject to the approval of the Executive Committee. (ii) Keep careful records of all funds entrusted to him/her and submit a certified audit of accounts at each annual meeting of the Division. Such audit may be performed by a committee of not less than three members of the Association or by a Certified Public Accountant. (iii) Assist the Executive Committee in preparing budgets for the cost of the Arctic Science Conference and such other costs as may be incurred by the Arctic Division.
Article III - Executive Committee
Section 1. The Executive Committee shall consist of seven members--the President, the President-Elect, the Executive Secretary, the Finance Officer, an elected member residing in Alaska north of latitude 63 degrees North, and elected members residing in Alaska south of latitude 63 degrees North, and an elected member residing in Northwest, Yukon or Nunavut Territories. The regionally elected members of the Executive Committee shall serve 1-year terms commencing October 1 and may succeed themselves. Terms of President-Elect and President also commence October 1.
Section 2. The elected members of the Executive Committee will serve as a nominating committee for all general elections in accord with Article V.
Section 3. The Executive Committee shall have charge of all general business affecting the welfare of the Division that is not otherwise delegated in the Bylaws.
Section 4. The Executive Committee shall meet during the period of the Arctic Science Conference each year and at such other times as may be necessary and practical, on the request of the President or the Executive Secretary. Four members of the Executive Committee shall constitute a quorum. Unless otherwise specified, decisions of the Executive Committee shall be made by a majority of the members present. In the event that a quorum cannot be obtained at a meeting, a decision may be obtained by telephone ballot of at least five members of the Executive Committee.
Article IV - Conference Committee
Section 1. A Conference Committee will be appointed by the President to organize and conduct the annual Arctic Science Conference. The President shall be Chairperson of the Conference Committee. The Executive Secretary and the Finance Office shall be members ex officio.
Section 2. The membership of the Conference Committee will represent, so far as is practicable, those disciplines and interdisciplines appropriate to the theme of the conference and venue in Alaska or adjacent territories.
Section 3. The Chairperson of the Conference committee, viz. the President, shall be responsible for the editing and publication of the proceedings of the Arctic Science Conference.
Article V - Elections
Section 1. General elections to determine the President-Elect and the three regionally elected members of the Executive Committee shall be held annually and shall be by mail ballot.
Section 2. (a) Not later than March 1, the Nominating Committee shall prepare nominations for the office of President-Elect and for the regionally elected positions on the Executive Committee. The Nominating Committee shall submit two or more names in nomination for each of the regionally elected positions on the Executive Committee and at least one name in nomination for the office of President-Elect. During March, the Executive Secretary shall mail to the Division members the listing of names put in nomination by the Nominating Committee and will solicit additional nominations from the members. Valid nominations shall require either the endorsement of the Nominating Committee or three other members of the Division and an affirmation by the nominee that he/she is able to fulfill the duties of office in accord with Section 2(b) of this article [Section 2(b) pertains only to nominees for the office of President-Elect.] Endorsements for nominees to the Executive Committee can be made by any member of the Division regardless of location of residence.
(b) The President-Elect shall generally be nominated from among institutions, organizations, agencies and corporations having the capability to plan, organize and conduct the Arctic Science Conference, and having the requisite facilities and support.
(c) The Executive Secretary shall prepare a ballot and shall distribute it to the members of the Division not later than May. The Executive Secretary shall include instructions for the return of the ballot and shall inform the members that only those ballots which have reached him/her prior to a specified date shall be counted.
(d) The result of the election for President-Elect and members of the Executive Committee shall be announced during the Arctic Science Conference or prior to August 31.
Article VI - Meetings
Section 1.
The Arctic Division of the American Association for the Advancement of Science will sponsor at least one science meeting a year, to be known as the Arctic Science Conference. Other symposia, conferences or meetings for scientific or business purposes may be called by the President or the Executive Secretary as need arises.
Section 2. The Arctic Science Conference may be held at Fairbanks, Anchorage, Juneau, Whitehorse, or such other locales in Alaska or the adjacent territories of Western Canada as the Executive Committee may decide.
Section 3. The annual Arctic Science Conference will, when opportune, combine with a meeting of oneof the societies, institutions, unions or other organizations of scientists of the United States or of foreign counterparts of the Association concerned with the polar regions.
Article VII - Finance
Section 1. The Finance Officer shall be responsible for the deposit, disbursement, investment and management of all funds committed to the Division and for the accounting of such funds.
Section 2. In the event of dissolution of the Division, any assets of the Division remaining thereafter shall be transferred by the Finance Officer to the American Association for the Advancement of Science, or failing its existence, to such organization as may be dedicated to objectives similar to those of the Arctic Division of the Association, as determined by the Executive Committee of the Arctic Division, and provided that such organization is exempt under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954, as amended, or under such successor provision of the Code as may be in effect at the time of the Division's dissolution.
Article VIII - Amendments
Section 1. Proposals for the amendment of any portion of these Bylaws shall be submitted in writing to the Executive Committee through the Executive Secretary. The Executive Secretary shall determine whether the proposal is consistent with existing regulations of the Association and, if so, shall call for a written ballot of the Executive Committee. To proceed further, there shall be a favorable vote by at least five of the seven members. The proposed amendement shall then be announced in writing to all members of the Division and provision for a vote ratification shall be made in the next general election.
Section 2. An amendment shall be approved upon receiving a favorable vote by two-thirds of the ballots cast. It shall become effective only after it has been further approved by the Council of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.
[Revised February 2000.]