Fisheries, Wildlife and Conservation Biology Club
Bylaws are rules and guidance for the internal affairs of an organization. The Fisheries, Wildlife and Conservation Biology Club has been a student chapter of The Minnesota Chapter of the Wildlife Society since 1973. We are searching for the original bylaws describing this relationship and plan to post them when they are found.
The University of Minnesota St. Paul Student Subunit of the Minnesota Chapter of the American Fisheries Society was established in 2005. The intent of creating a student subunit with the MN AFS was to facilitate cooperation that would mutually benefit both organizations. The following bylaws describe club activities and interactions with the Minnesota Chapter of the American Fisheries Society (MN AFS). Mark Hove, November 8, 2005
Bylaws of the
UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA SAINT PAUL STUDENT SUBUNIT OF THE
MINNESOTA CHAPTER OF THE AMERICAN FISHERIES SOCIETY OF THE
NORTH CENTRAL DIVISION OF THE AMERICAN FISHERIES SOCIETY OF THE
AMERICAN FISHERIES SOCIETY
SECTION I. NAME AND OBJECTIVES.
1. The name of this organization shall be the UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA SAINT PAUL STUDENT SUBUNIT, MINNESOTA CHAPTER OF THE AMERICAN FISHERIES SOCIETY, of the American Fisheries Society, hereinafter referred to as the Unit.
2. The objectives of the Unit shall be those of the American Fisheries Society as set forth in Article I of the Constitution, and encourage the exchange of information by members of the Society residing within the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities Campus.
3. All activities of this Unit shall conform to the American Fisheries Society's Constitution, Rules, and Procedures.
SECTION II. MEMBERSHIP.
1. The membership of the Unit shall be composed of those American Fisheries Society members in good standing and paying dues (to be set annually by the Executive Committee) to the Unit.
SECTION III. MEETINGS AND VOTING.
1. The Unit shall hold at least one meeting annually at a time and place designated by its Executive Committee. Special meetings may be called by the President with approval of the Executive Committee.
2. A quorum is required for transaction of official business and shall be one-third of the Unit 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 Unit shall consist of, a President, a Vice-President, Past-President and a Secretary-Treasurer.
2. All officers must be members in good standing of the American Fisheries Society.
3. Officers shall be nominated by a nominating committee appointed by the President. Officers shall be elected by a majority of ballots casts and election methods shall be determined by the Executive Committee.
4. Terms of newly elected officers shall change at the Unit’s annual election meeting.
5. The Unit Officers shall serve for a period of one year in each office, and shall be ineligible for re-election for a period of one year after the expiration of their term.
6. In the event of a vacated position, the Executive Committee shall appoint a qualified replacement to fill the unexpired term.
7. No elected officer or appointed committee member of the Unit shall receive any salary or other compensation. Expenses may be defrayed from funds available to the Unit 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 Unit’s standing and technical committees and serve as liaison between such committees and the Executive Committee;
E. Conduct official correspondence for the Unit, and the President, or an appointed representative (more familiar with fisheries-related activities), will present reports of Unit activities at the Minnesota Chapter of the American Fisheries Society Executive Committee and Annual meetings, and work cooperatively with the Chapter's Executive Committee to assist in Chapter function and Subunit participation;
F. Make such appointments and perform other duties and functions as are authorized and necessary; and,
G. Proceed to the office of Past-President at the end of the term.
2. The Vice-President shall:
A. Assume the duties of the President, if the President is absent or unable to act; and
B. Serve on the Executive Committee.
3. The Secretary-Treasurer shall:
A. Keep the official records of the Unit, collect and be custodian of any fees or assessments authorized by these bylaws or funds allotted to the Unit by the American Fisheries Society;
B. Disburse funds only as authorized by either the membership or Executive Committee;
C. Submit, at the annual Unit 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 Unit Bylaws to the American Fisheries Society's Executive Director and each member of the Unit Executive Committee by September 1;
E. Serve on the Executive Committee;
F. Conduct the election.
3. The immediate Past-President shall:
A. Serve on the Executive Committee;
B. Serve as the chair of the Nominating Committee; and,
C. Assist the other officers as needed.
SECTION VI. EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE.
1. The Executive Committee of the Unit shall consist of elected officers, and other members as appointed by the President. Those with voting privileges shall be the President, Vice-President, Past President and Secretary-Treasurer.
2. The Executive Committee is authorized to act on behalf of the Unit between 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 four 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.
5. Executive Committee meetings are called by the President.
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 Unit 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 Unit’s affairs, and the chairs should report their committees' activities, findings, and recommendations at annual Unit meetings and interim meetings of the Executive Committee.
3. The Unit has established the following Standing Committees:
A. Environmental Education Outreach Program - promote awareness and educate the public about natural resource issues important to Minnesota.
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 and other meetings.
SECTION IX. BYLAWS, RULES AND PROCEDURES.
1. The Bylaws are the defining document for the Unit and take precedence over all other rules and procedures of the Unit. 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 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 American Fisheries Society Governing Board for approval.
C. Amendments take effect when the Unit receives written notice of their approval by the Governing Board from the Executive Director.
2. Rules are the next highest level of documentation of Unit operations. They are generally established to facilitate the conduct of Unit 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 Unit 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 Unit meeting.
C. The Rules may be amended by a simple majority of Active Members voting at an annual or special Unit meeting.
3. Procedures are the lowest level of documentation of Unit operations. They are generally established to provide continuity in the conduct of Unit business. The Procedures may be suspended or amended by a simple majority vote of the Executive Committee.
Last modified on March 20, 2006
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