Indiana Microscopy Society

CONSTITUTION AND BY LAWS OF THE INDIANA MICROSCOPY SOCIETY

Article I

Names and Objects

Section 1 – This Society shall be known by the name of the Indiana Microscopy Society (INMS) and is denoted herein as “the Society”.

Section 2 – The Society activities will take place throughout the state.

Section 3 – The purpose of The Society shall be to increase and diffuse, for scientific and educational purposes only, the knowledge, science and practice of microscopy, imaging and compositional analysis, and associated techniques, and to foster communications among people who have an interest in those areas.

Article II

Membership

Section 1 – The Society shall consist of 6 classes of members, namely: Regular members, Charter members, Honorary members, Student Members, Emeritus members and Corporate members.

Section 2 – Regular members, Honorary members, Student Members, Emeritus members and Corporate members as shall be admitted to membership hereafter in accordance with the provisions of the Bylaws.

Article III

Executive Council

Section 1 –The affairs of the Society shall be in the charge of the Executive Council. The President, a President-Elect, the Past-President most recently retired from office, a Secretary, a Treasurer, a Web Site Coordinator, Liaison to Affiliated Societies, Biological and Physical Science Representatives, Student Representative, Program Coordinator and the Editor of the Newsletter for the Society shall constitute the Executive Council.

Section 2 – The Executive Council shall manage and control the activities of the Society. It shall establish, divide, subdivide or discontinue Sections and Committees of the Society, and it shall define their duties and privileges. It shall call all stated meetings of the Society; and fill, for the un-expired term any vacancy in the Executive Council as provided for in Section 4 of this article. For the purpose of doing business, five members of the Executive Council present and eligible to vote shall constitute a quorum.

Section 3 – The President shall serve for a term of two years and shall be chairman of the Executive Council during his/her term as President. Upon completion of his/her term of office, s/he shall be a member of the Executive Council as a Past President of the Society for a period not to exceed two consecutive years. Should the President be unable to serve his/her term the President Elect will immediately become the President and shall serve for the remainder of that term and shall then become President. Sections representatives and Committee Chairs shall serve in their respective positions for two years. All other Executive Council members shall serve for the term of two years and shall be eligible for reelection without limitation.

Section 4 – Any vacancy on the Executive Council shall be filled by a Regular member of the Society who will be appointed to the vacant position by the Executive Council.

Article IV

Resignations by Nonattendance

Section 1 – Any member of the Executive Council who shall fail to attend more than three consecutive meetings, without being excused, shall be deemed to have resigned therefrom.

Article V

Affiliated Societies

Section 1 – The Executive Council shall have the power to establish or discontinue affiliation of the Society with other scientific societies or associations organized for the study of any branch of science.

Article VI

Quorum

Section 1 – Those members present shall form a quorum at any meeting of the Society at which business is transacted.

Article VII

Amendments

Section 1 - This constitution may be amended by a vote of not less than two-thirds of the active members voting. The Secretary shall send a ballot and a copy of the proposed amendment as approved by the Executive Council for the balloting to close.

Article VIII

Existence

Section 1 – The Indiana Microscopy Society shall have perpetual existence.

BYLAWS

Article I

Elected Officers 

Section 1 - President. The President shall be the chief executive officer of the Society. It shall be his/her duty to preside at the business and special meetings of the Society and at the meetings of the Executive Council. S/he shall have the power to call meetings of the Executive Council and shall be a member of all standing Committees. S/he shall sign all certificates of election to membership, and shall be charged with conducting all Administrative Activities not otherwise provided for in the bylaws.

Section 2 - President-Elect. The President-Elect shall be invited to attend the meetings of all Committees of the Executive Council to which s/he has not been appointed as a member.

Section 3 - Past President. The Past President shall be invited to attend the meetings of all Committees of the Executive Council to which s/he has not been appointed as a member.

Section 4 - Secretary. The Secretary shall keep the minutes of the meetings of the Society and the Executive Council; have access to all records of the Society and to its Corporate Seal, which s/he shall affix and attest as directed by the Executive Council; shall file all reports required by law and shall perform all other duties usual to the office. The Secretary shall notify members of the Executive Council of the dates of the meetings thereof; and shall lay before the Executive Council all matters requiring consideration by the Executive Council that have come to his/her attention. S/he shall make a report at each meeting. S/he shall perform such functions as keeping a corrected list of active members, notifying financially delinquent members of their status, and notifying members of election to office and appointment to committees.

Section 5 - Treasurer. The Treasurer shall collect and receive all moneys due to the Society and shall have custody of the funds of the Society. All moneys

received shall be deposited by him/her in the name of the Society in Federally insured banks or trust companies designated by the Executive Council. All funds shall be subject to the drafts of the Treasurer as authorized by the Executive Council for their discharge, and shall keep a full accounting of the Society's financial transactions.

The President, Treasurer and other elected officers shall have the power to sign checks, as authorized by the Executive Council. All checks require two signatures .

The Treasurer shall report to the Executive Council, at each regular meeting thereof, the financial condition of the Society. S/he shall submit to the Society, at the Spring meeting, a statement of the financial operations for the preceding fiscal year, and a balance sheet at the close of the fiscal year. Yearly audit of the Society's account will be made by June 30th, by an Auditing Committee appointed by the Executive Council prior to June 1.

Non-elected Officers

Section 6 - Editor of the Newsletter. The Editor shall make available to Active members of the Society at least one issue yearly of a Newsletter designated as the official vehicle of communication of the Society containing pertinent Society information, including minutes of previous meetings and the Treasurer's report.

Section 7 - Web Site Coordinator. The Web Site Coordinator shall maintain an Internet web site for the dissemination of information pertaining to the purpose, business, and of the Society.

Section 8 - Liaison One person shall serve as liaison the appropriate National Organization(s) to which the Society may be a member. This individual shall represent the views of the Society at national meetings or as requested by the National organization(s).

Section 9 - Representatives for the Biological and Physical Sciences. One member will be selected as a representative for the membership that performs biological microscopy and one member shall be selected as a representative for the membership that performs physical science microscopy.

Section 10 - Program Coordinator. A person will act to help coordinate the meetings of the society for the year. This includes helping to secure a location and making necessary arrangements for speakers and space for the meeting and its attendees. The Program Coordinator may select a Program Committee to help with the necessary tasks associated with organizing and running a meeting.

Section 11 - Non-elected Officer Selection. Non-elected officers will be selected from members that volunteer and are approved by the Executive Council.

Section 12 – Student Representative. One student will be selected as a representative for the student members.

Article II

Committees of the Executive Council

Section 1 - Standing Committees. The Standing Committees of the Executive Council shall be the Nominating Committee and a Program Committee and such other committees as the Executive Council may establish. The Executive Council at its first meeting of the Society year shall appoint the members of the Standing Committees who shall serve for one year, or until their successors are appointed.

Special Committees authorized by the Executive Council shall serve for such periods as shall be designated by the Executive Council, but all Special Committees shall automatically terminate on the first meeting of the Executive Council of each year, unless continued by Executive Council at said meeting.

Article III 

Procedure for Nominations and Elections for Elected Officers

Section 1 - Eligibility. Any Regular member of the Society is eligible for election to any office. The term of office shall be from July 1 to June 30 of the following year.

Section 2 - Nominations. Nominations shall be made by a Nominating Committee appointed by the Executive Council. The committee shall consist of at least four members. At least two candidates shall be presented for each office open for election or the Nominating Committee may, with the approval of the Executive Council, present a single name for each office. When this is done, however, space for write-in candidates will be provided.

Section 3 - Suggestions by the Members for Nomination. Suggestions for nominations of Officers of the Society may be sent in writing by any Active Member of the Society, addressed to the Secretary, with the name of the member offering such suggestion. To be considered, such suggestions must be received no later than April first of each election year.

Section 4 - Preparation of Ballot and Method of Balloting. (a). The Executive Council shall submit its list of nominations to the Secretary in due time each election year for inclusion in the Official Ballot. (b). The Official Ballot shall bear the names of the candidates for the Offices of the Society, and with a blank space for "write-in" if the voter so desires. (c). The Official Ballot shall be mailed by the Secretary to each Active member in good standing and, to be valid, must be returned to and received by the Secretary not later than the date specified on the ballot. A plurality of the votes cast shall constitute election.

Article IV

Eligibility for Membership

Section 1 - Charter Members. Persons present at the convening of the first meeting and who joined at that time shall be known as Charter Members.

Section 2 - Honorary Members. Any person who has made outstanding contributions to science may be elected to Honorary Lifetime Membership by the unanimous vote of the Councilors present at the Executive Council meeting at which the name is presented. Honorary Members shall be exempted from payment of dues and are not voting members.

Section 3 - Regular Members. Persons of scientific training, having been at any time engaged in or have an interest in the field of microscopy, microanalysis, or in the advancement of science, shall be eligible for Active Membership.

Section 4 - Corporate Members. Any corporation or association sharing an interest in microscopy and upon making a yearly monetary contribution set by the Executive Council to the Society shall, upon election by the Executive Council, be entitled to the designation of Corporate Member and shall be exempt from payment of individual dues for a maximum of three memberships.

Section 5 - Student Member. Any student, graduate or undergraduate, that performs microscopy and is interested in furthering their knowledge in their selected field of microscopy.

Section 6 - Emeritus Member. Any member achieving emeritus or retired status professionally may petition for emeritus membership to the Executive Council through the President in the form of a letter which entitles them to full rights and privileges due regular members but no dues are required.

Section 7 - Active members shall be Members in good standing in the Society.

Article V

Annual Dues

Section 1 - Dues. Each Charter and Regular Member shall pay such dues as the Executive Council shall determine, with the approval of the Society, and such annual dues shall be payable in advance on the first day of July for that academic year.

Section 2 - Members in Arrears. Any member whose dues for the year shall remain unpaid on December thirty first of each year shall be deemed not in good standing. Once arrears dues are paid, s/he shall be eligible for reinstatement of their membership.

Section 3 - Renewal of Membership. Any Active Member who shall resign while in good standing may be restored by vote of the Executive Council to Active Membership.

Article VI

Meetings

Section 1 - Scientific Meetings. The Society shall hold at least one meeting a year at a time agreed upon by the Executive Council. A business meeting shall be chaired by the President at each of the meetings. Special meetings may be called by the President.

Section 2 - Executive Council. The newly elected President shall contact and/or assemble the Executive Council and the previous Treasurer and Secretary to discuss the transition of officers and to discuss other business matters pertaining to the Society.

Article VII

Official Year

Section 1 - The official year of the Society shall be from July first through the following June 30th.

Article VIII

Standing Rules

Section 1 - The Executive Council may establish standing rules to meet special or temporary situations and may suspend any of their own standing rules for the same purpose.

Article IX

Amendments

Section 1 - These Bylaws may be suspended or amended upon the recommendation of the Executive Council and by a majority vote of the Active Members present at the meeting held not less than 30 days and no more than 90 days after a copy of such amendment has been circulated to the full membership.

Section 2 - A committee may be appointed to revise bylaws and requires either by a majority vote at a meeting of the society or by a majority vote of the Executive Council. The procedure for action on amendments in Section 1 should then be followed.

Article XI

Parliamentary Authority

Section 1 - The rules contained in Robert's Rules of Order, current revised edition, shall govern the actions of the Indiana Microscopy Society in all cases to which they are applicable and in which they are not inconsistent with the Constitution and the Bylaws of the Society.