Organization
Article 1. The Pacific Division of the American Association for the Advancement of Science is authorized and constituted by Article XII, Section 1(a) of the Bylaws of the Association and such other rules and regulations as may be adopted by the Board of Directors or the Council of the Association. Beyond such general control, the government of the Division shall be as set forth in these Bylaws.
Objectives
Article 2. The objectives of the Pacific Division of the American Association for the Advancement of Science are to further the work of scientists, to facilitate cooperation among them, to foster scientific freedom and responsibility, to improve the effectiveness of science in the promotion of human welfare, to increase public understanding and appreciation of the importance and promise of the methods of science in human progress, to foster science education, and to serve as a unifying and coordinating agency for scientific societies within the territory of the Division.
Territory
Article 3. As referred to in these Bylaws, the Pacific Coast shall include the states of California, Hawaii, Idaho, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, Washington, that portionof Montana west of the Continental Divide, and the provinces of Alberta and British Columbia.
Membership
Article 4. The membership of the Pacific Division, American Association for the Advancement of Science, shall consist of: (a) individuals living in the Pacific Coast region who are members of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, (b) other members of the Association who request to be considered members of the Division, and (c) affiliated societies.
Affiliated Societies
Article 5. It is the purpose of the Pacific Division, American Association for the Advancement of Science, to promote the interests of science through definite and formal cooperation with all scientific societies represented in the Pacific Coast region and whose credentials have been approved by the Executive Committee. Formal invitation to membership by affiliation shall be extended to societies by vote of the Council. Those societies which accept this invitation shall be known as Affiliated Societies of the Pacific Division.
Council
Article 6. The governing body of the Pacific Division, American Association for the Advancement of Science, shall be known as the Council. The Council shall consist of the members of the Executive Committee; two representatives from each affiliated society and active section; and six members-at-large, two to be elected annually by the Council for terms of three years from the members of the American Association for the Advancement of Science resident in the Pacific Coast region.
The President of the Division shall be the Chairperson of the Council. The Executive Director of the Division shall serve as the Secretary of the Council.
It shall be the duty of the Council: to consider and act upon matters, not otherwise defined and delegated by these Bylaws, which affect the welfare of affiliated societies collectively or in their relations to each other; to elect annually two members of the American Association for the Advancement of Science resident in the Pacific Coast region as members-at-large, to serve for terms of three years upon the Council of the Division; and to elect the officers of the Division and the other members of the Executive Committee. The Chairperson of the Council shall appoint a nominating committee consisting of three individual members of the Division, who shall at the annual meeting of the Council present a list of candidates for the two positions of members-at-large and for the anticipated vacancies on the Executive Committee, with the exception of the President Elect and the Executive Director, who shall be nominated by the Executive Committee. The Executive Director shall be an ex officio member of the nominating committee. In addition, to the nominations for officers made by the Executive Committee and the nominations for other members of the Executive Committee and members-at-large made by the nominating committee, nominations may be made from the floor of the Council. Election of officers and members of the Executive Committee shall be by ballot and a majority vote shall decide the election.
Regular meetings of the Council shall be open to members of the Division and shall be held annually in connection with the general meetings of the Division; other meetings may be held at the call of the Executive Committee or the President. The members of the Council present at a given meeting shall constitute a quorum, and all decisions shall be by a majority vote of the members of the Council present.
Executive Committee of the Council
Article 7. The Executive Committee of the Council shall consist of the President of the Division, who shall be Chairperson of the Committee, the President Elect of the Division, the Retiring President of the Division, the Executive Director of the Division, and seven other members.
The terms of office of the seven members of the Executive Committee who are not officers of the Division shall be five years. The term of office of a member of the Executive Committee shall terminate at the close of the annual meeting at which the successor is elected. A vacancy occurring before the expiration of the term of office of any member or officer shall be filled for the unexpired term by election by the Executive Committee.
Five members of the Executive Committee shall constitute a quorum. Unless otherwise specified, decisions of the Executive Committee shall be made by a majority vote of the members present.
It shall be the duty of the Executive Committee during each annual meeting of the Council to place in nomination for the office of President Elect the names of one or more members of the Division. The Executive Committee shall nominate to the Council one candidate for Executive Director of the Division whenever a vacancy exists or is about to occur. It shall also be the duty of the Executive Committee to overseee any sections which may be organized, and to take any necessary actions on sectional programs.
The Executive Committee shall have responsibility for all general business affecting the welfare of the Pacific Division that is not otherwise delegated by the Bylaws, including the organization of any meetings of the Division held in conjunction with its affiliated societies. It shall also be authorized to elect a member of the Executive Committee of the Pacific Division to serve as divisional representative on the Council of the American Association for the Advancement of Science for a three-year term. Should the representative be unable to fulfill the term, the President shall appoint an alternate from among the members of the Executive Committee to assume the responsibilities of the representative, either on an interim basis or for the remainder of the unexpired term.
Meetings of the Executive Committee shall be held ordinarily in January, June, and at such other times as may be ordered by the Chairperson.
Officers
Article 8. The officers of the Pacific Division, American Association for the Advancement of Science, shall consist of the President, President Elect, the Retiring President, and the Executive Director. The President Elect and the Executive Director shall be elected by the Council of the Pacific Division from among the members of the Association who are members of the Division upon nomination by the Executive Committee.
President
Article 9. The President Elect shall be elected during the annual meeting of the Council and shall serve from the close of that meeting to the close of the next annual meeting. At the close of hte one-year term as President Elect, he/she shall become President, and at the close of the one-year term of the President that person shall become Retiring President. In the event of a vacancy in the office of President, the President Elect shall become President. In the event of a vacancy in the office of President Elect, the Executive Committee shall make a pro tempore appointment until the office shall be filled by ballot of the Council. The President shall preside over the general sessions of the Division, the meetings of the Council, and the Executive Committee. At the annual meeting of the Division marking the close of his/her term of office, the President shall deliver an address on a subject of his/her choice. In the event the President is unable to give this address, the Executive Committee shall select a speaker for the occasion.
Retiring President
Article 10. In the absence of the President, the Retiring President shall preside at all meetings of the Executive Committee, at all general sessions of the Division, and at meetings of the Council.
Executive Director
Article 11. The Executive Director shall be elected for an initial term of three years but shall serve further at the pleasure of the Executive Committee until the duties of the office are assumed by an elected successor.
The Executive Director shall keep the records of the Division, of the Executive Committee, and of the Council, and shall receive the income of the Division. The Executive Director shall incur expenses only as authorized by the Executive Committee and shall pay out money in accordance with annual budgets approved by the Executive Committee or if otherwise specifically authorized by the Executive Committee. He/she shall present annually to the Executive Committee an account of the funds in his/her charge. The account shall be audited by an auditor approved by the Executive Committee. The Executive Director shall serve as ex officio member of all committees appointed by the President and shall perform such other duties as may be assigned by the Executive Committee or the Council.
The Executive Director of the Pacific Division annually shall present to the Board of Directors of the American Association for the Advancement of Science a statement of the activities of the Division for the past year and the planned activities of the Division for the coming year.
Meetings of the Division
Article 12. (a) The Division shall hold one annual general meeting for the presentation of technical and general programs and such special meetings as the Executive Committee may authorize.
A local committee shall be organized at the place where the annual meeting of the Division is to be held. This Committee may appoint such subcommittees as are necessary and shall make arrangements for the meeting in cooperation with the Executive Director of the Pacific Division.
Arrangement of Programs
Article 13. The Executive Committee shall arrange for all general sessions, public lectures, and general scientific programs of the Division, and any special programs that may be developed by the Executive Committee or President, and shall be responsible for the publicity of the Division.
The Executive Director may organize Sections to present programs that are not in conflict with the programs of affiliated societies.
It shall be the responsibility of the affiliated societies to organize their technical programs. Individual memberss of the Pacific Division who are not members of affiliated societies may present worthy papers in the proper programs and participate in the discussion of papers under the same regulations that govern participation by members of affiliated societies. The Executive Director shall have authority to schedule sessions of societies participating in the annual meetings to minimize conflict between programs of similar character which may be scheduled concurrently.
For the purposes of the technical programs at the annual meetings of the Division, the Executive Director may require that each paper listed in the official program of the Division be accompanied by an abstract of its contents, said abstract to be received at the office of the Pacific Division not less than two months in advance of the meeting.
Any affiliated society whose interest will be best served in any given year by holding its annual meeting at some other time or place than that selected for the general meeting of the Division may do so without prejudice.
Publications
Article 14. The Pacific Division shall publish a "Proceedings" of the general meeting, that shall contain the program, abstracts of papers presented, and other materials of importance to the Division and its affiliates and sections, such as selected papers from technical sessions and the presidential address. The Division shall also publish a "Newsletter" and symposia volumes which have as their objective the furthering of science, and any other material authorized by the Executive Committee.
Finance
Article 15. The Pacific Division shall receive for its expenses an allowance from the American Association for the Advancement of Science. Funds received from patrons* in the Pacific Coast region and from gifts, bequests, or other sources may be invested as trust funds by the Executive Director, as authorized by the Executive Committee, and the income therefrom shall be expended for the purposes of the Division as set forth in Article 2.
The Executive Committee shall have authority to maintan and administer special funds, such as local contributions for special purposes, monies appropriated by affiliated societies, and other funds not named herein.
The salary of the Executive Director of the Pacific Division shall be fixed by the Executive Committee and shall be paid from appropriations made by the Executive Committee. Appropriations for administrative and other expenses shall be made and expended as described in Article 11 (para. 2).
The Executive Director shall present annually to the Executive Committee of the Pacific Division and to the Board of Directors of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, an account of the Division's finances which shall have been audited by an auditor approved by the Executive Committee of the Pacific Division.
Termination of Membership
Article 16. An affiliated society in good standing may withdraw from membership by vote of its members and formally notifying the Council.
An affiliated society may be dropped from membership by a two-thirds vote of the Council after due notice of intent and upon formal notification of the society by the Executive Director of the Division that this action has been taken.
Changes in Bylaws
Article 17. No part of these Bylaws shall be changed without the concurrence of two-thirds of all the members of the Council of the Pacific Division present after notice given at a previous meeting of said Council, or by mail at least six weeks in advance of the meeting at which the proposed amendments are to be voted upon; all changes to become effective shall be approved by the Council of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.
Dissolution
Article 18. In the event of dissolution of the Division, any assets of the Division remaining thereafter shall be conveyed to the American Association for the Advancement of Science or, failing its existence, to an organization then existent dedicated to objectives similar to those of the Division and of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, so long as whichever organization is selected by the governing body of the Division at the time of dissolution shall be 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.
*Any person contributing to the Pacific Division, American Association for the Advancement of Scienc the sum of one thousand dollars, or more, shall be designated a patron.
[As amended by the Council of the Division at meetings held on June 14, 1976 at Missoula, Montana, June 14, 1977 at San Francisco, California, June 6, 1979 at Moscow, Idaho, and by mail ballot, February 10, 1983, and approved by the Council of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, February 23, 1977, February 16, 1978, January 7, 1980, and May 30, 1983.]