BYLAWS

OF THE

BATON ROUGE SECTION

OF THE

AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY

ARTICLE I - NAME

Section 1. This organization shall be known as the Baton Rouge Section of the American Chemical Society, Inc., and hereinafter referred to as "the Section;" provided, furthermore, that said American Chemical Society be hereinafter referred to as "the SOCIETY."

ARTICLE II - OBJECTS

Section 1. The objects of the Section shall be to encourage in the broadest and most liberal manner the advancement of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering in all the branches thereof; the promotion of research in chemical science and industry; the improvement of the qualifications and usefulness of chemists through high standards of professional ethics, education, and attainments; the increase and diffusion of chemical knowledge; and by its meetings, professional contacts, reports, papers, discussions, and publications to promote scientific interest and inquiry, thereby fostering public welfare and education, aiding the development of our country's industries, and adding to the material prosperity and happiness of our people.

Section 2. Consistent with the objectives appearing in Section 1 above, the Section may associate itself with the Baton Rouge Council of Engineering and Scientific Societies provided that the said organization shall have no jurisdiction other than in an advisory capacity, and that the Section shall not be committed by any action of the said organization which is in conflict with the Charter, Constitution, or Bylaws of the Section or of the AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY.

ARTICLE III - HEADQUARTERS

Section 1. The Section shall have its headquarters at Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

Section 2. The post office address of this Section shall be the Department of Chemistry, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

ARTICLE IV - TERRITORY

Section 1. The territory of the Section shall be that assigned to it by the Council of the SOCIETY.

ARTICLE V - MEMBERS AND AFFILIATES

Section 1. The rolls of the Section shall include those MEMBERS, ASSOCIATE MEMBERS and National Affiliates of the SOCIETY residing within the territory of the Section, provided that exceptions to this rule shall be made in conformity with the Constitution and Bylaws of the SOCIETY.

Section 2. The Section may have Local Section Affiliates in accordance with the provisions of the Constitution and Bylaws of the SOCIETY.

Section 3. MEMBERS, ASSOCIATE MEMBERS, National Affiliates and Local Section Affiliates shall have such rights and privileges as are accorded them by the Constitution and Bylaws of the SOCIETY.  National Affiliates and Local Section Affiliates may not vote for or hold an elective position of the Section, vote on articles of incorporation and bylaws of the Section, or serve as voting members of the Executive Committee.

ARTICLE VII - BOARD OF DIRECTORS AND OFFICERS

Section 1. The complete management and corporate powers of the Local Section shall be vested in a board of eight directors. The membership shall elect the following eight officers as the Board of Directors for the terms listed:

Chairman                                            1 year

Chairman-Elect                                   1 year

Secretary                                            1 year

Treasurer                                            1 year

Executive Committeeman                  3 years

Executive Committeeman                  3 years

Executive Committeeman                  3 years

Immediate Past Chairman                  1 year

At first meeting of the new Board of Directors, after January 1 they are required by the membership to elect themselves to the same offices to which the membership elected them. TheExecutive Committeemen shall be elected for 3-year terms and their terms shall be staggered so that one will be elected each year. Any member elected Chairman-Elect shall automatically be a member of the Board of Directors for 3 years as Chairman-Elect, Chairman, and Immediate Past Chairman. The above provisions will provide continuity as only four new members would normally be elected to the Board of Directors each year. Only MEMBERS shall be eligible to hold office. Officers shall assume duties on January 1. If the Chairman is unable to perform his duties in the case of absence, death, or disability, the Chairman-Elect shall assume the duties of the office.

Section 2. The number of Councilors designated by the SOCIETY, and a like number of Alternates shall be elected for a term of three years. The Alternates shall be ranked in accordance with the beginning dates of their current terms with the one having the earlier date being designated as the first Alternate. The initial terms of both Councilors and Alternates shall be set by the Board of Directors to produce rotation. The Councilors and Alternates shall assume duties on January 1.

Section . Prior to October 1 in each year, a nominating committee comprising not less than three members, not officers of the Section for the current year, shall be appointed by the Chairman to provide nominees for those elective positions in which a vacancy will occur as follows: not less than two (2) each for the offices of Chairman-Elect, Councilor and Alternate Councilor, and at least one (1) each for all other positions. The nominations for officers shall be presented at the regular October meeting. Additional nominations may be made from the floor. The election results will be announced at the regular November meeting of the Section.

Section . The annual election of Board of Directors, Councilors, and Alternate Councilors shall take place by mail prior to the November meeting of the Section. The Chairman shall appoint a Tally Committee Chairman at the time that the Nominating Committee is appointed. The Chairman shall appoint at least two other members who are not officers to the Tally Committee. The Tally Committee Chairman shall transmit ballots listing the nominees to all members of the Section. At least 25 percent of the members of the Section must return their election ballots for the election to be considered valid.  A person must receive at least a plurality of the returned votes to enable him to be elected. The Tally Committee shall make a full report of its returns at the next regular meeting. Tie votes shall be resolved by vote during the November meeting, of the members attending that meeting.

 

Section 5. The Board of Directors of the Section shall fill any vacancy in its body and any vacant office, other than that of Councilor or Alternate Councilor, by the appointment of any member of the Section qualified to hold office for the unexpired term. Vacancies in the positions of Councilor and Alternate Councilor shall be filled by the Board of Directors by interim appointment for the period up to the next annual election, at which time the Section shall choose a member to fill out the unexpired term, if any.

Section . Failure to elect directors annually shall not dissolve this incorporated Local Section nor impair its corporate existence or management. The directors in office at the end of the year shall remain in office until their successors shall be duly elected and installed.

ARTICLE VII - DUTIES OF OFFICERS

 

Section 1. The duties of the several officers shall be such as usually pertain to their offices together with those required by the Constitution and Bylaws of the SOCIETY and such other duties as may be given them from time to time by the Board of Directors.

 

Section . The Treasurer shall be bonded in a suitable manner at the discretion of the Board of Directors.

 

Section . The Treasurer shall receive and deposit all funds paid to the Section in the name of the Section, and he shall disburse funds of the Section as directed by the Board of Directors.

 

Section 4. The Secretary and Treasurer, in cooperation with the Executive Committee, shall write and transmit the Section's annual report of its operation, including an itemized statement of receipts, expenditures, and investment of funds to the Council Policy Committee through the Executive Director of the SOCIETY. This report is to cover the Section's activities and business from January 1 through December 31 of the preceding year.

 

ARTICLE VIII - COMMITTEES AND THEIR DUTIES

 

Section 1. The officers and Board of Directors shall form as many committees as are needed to carry out the functions and objectives of the Section. The chairmen of permanent committees as defined by the Board of Directors, the Councilors, Alternate Councilors, and the Board of Directors, shall compose an Executive Committee with the Chairman of the Board being Chairman of the Executive Committee. Members of this committee other than the

Board of Directors shall act in an advisory capacity and have powers given them by the Board of Directors.

 

Section 2. There shall be a Nominating Committee as provided for in Article VI, Section 4.

 

Section 3. All committees not otherwise provided for in these bylaws shall be appointed from time to time by the Chairman of the Board of Directors.

ARTICLE X MEETINGS

 

Section 1. So far as possible, the Section shall meet regularly upon due notice on the third Thursday of each month, except June, July and August, at such times and places as may be designated by the Board of Directors.  Should arrangements for speakers before the Section so justify, regular meetings of the Section shall be called by the Board of Directors on other days of the month than the third Thursday with time and place to be designated by the

 

Section 2. The Section shall have special meetings upon the request of a majority of the Board of Directors or upon request of 7% of the members of the Section. The calls for special meetings shall recite the exact nature of the business intended to be transacted and no other business shall transpire at such meetings.

 

Section 3. A quorum for regular and special meetings of the Section shall consist of 7% of the members of the Section. In the absence of a quorum, regular and special meetings may adjourn to a date to be decided by the Chairman of the Section.

 

Section 4. The Board of Directors shall meet upon due notice at such times and places as may suit its convenience, upon call of the Chairman or upon request of a majority of its members. The order of business shall be such as the committee provides from time to time.

 

Section 5. A quorum for the Board of Directors meeting shall consist of a majority of the members of the Board. In the absence of a quorum the meeting shall adjourn to a date to be decided by the Chairman of the Section.

 

Section 6. At regular meetings of the Section, the order of business shall be as follows:

a. Reports of Officers

b. Reports of committees

c. Miscellaneous business

d. Reading of papers

e. Adjournment

 

Section 7. The regular order of business at a regular meeting may be suspended by a majority vote of the members present.

 

Section . The parliamentary procedure for all Section meetings, not specifically provided in these bylaws, shall be subject to "Robert's Rules of Order."

ARTICLE X - DUES, FUNDS, DONATIONS AND BEQUESTS

Section 1. All members, except MEMBERS in emeritus status of the SOCIETY, and National Affiliates may annually be assessed such voluntary local dues as the Section may determine.

Section 2. The incorporated Local Section reserves the right to levy voluntary annual dues on National Affiliates and all members except MEMBERS in emeritus status by the vote of two-thirds of the members and National Affiliates at a regular meeting provided that written notice of such an assessment was mailed to each member and National Affiliate five days before the regular meeting.

Section 3. The raising and collecting of funds other than dues may be provided by suitable resolution adopted at any regular meeting of the Section by a majority vote of the members and National Affiliates present, subject to the provisions of the Bylaws of the SOCIETY and providing that written notice be given 5 days prior to the meeting.

 

Section . Donations or bequests of funds or property may be accepted by suitable resolution adopted at a regular or special meeting of the Section by a majority of the members and National Affiliates present, subject to the provisions of the Bylaws of the SOCIETY.

ARTICLE XI DISSOLUTION

 

Section 1. Upon the dissolution of the Section and the discharge of its debts and the settlement of its affairs, any funds and property of the Section remaining thereafter shall be conveyed to such organization then existent, within or without the territory of the Local Section, as is indicated to the perpetuation of objects similar to those of the AMERICAN CHEMICAL

SOCIETY, or to the AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY, so long as whichever organization is selected by the governing body of the Local Section at the time of dissolution shall be exempt under Section 501(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  dissolution.

ARTICLE  - AMENDMENTS TO BYLAWS

 

Section 1. These bylaws may be amended in the following manner:

 

a.      The proposed amendment shall be first submitted in writing to the Board of Directors

for examination at least two weeks before the meeting at which it is presented to the membership.

 

b.  Proposed amendments to the bylaws shall be presented in written form at a regular meeting for the membership to take and study. Written notice announcing amendment presentation shall be mailed to each member at least 5 days prior to the regular meeting at which it is presented. Voting on the proposed amendment shall be conducted at the next regular meeting. At least three-fourths of the membership present shall be required to approve the amendment. At least a quorum of the members (Article IX, Section 3) must be present at this regular meeting to make the vote legal. Written notice announcing the voting on the proposed amendment shall be mailed to each member at least 5 days prior to the regular meeting at which the vote is conducted.

 

Section . These bylaws may also be amended by action of the Board of Directors when such amendment becomes necessary to conform to changes in the Constitution and Bylaws of the SOCIETY. A notice of such action by the Board of Directors shall be given in writing to members of the Section, and the amendment shall become effective upon approval by the Council of the SOCIETY unless a later date is specified.

ARTICLE - EFFECTIVE DATE OF THESE BYLAWS

Section 1. These bylaws shall become effective at the time of their adoption and shall supersede all previous bylaws prior to adoption.

Section 2.  Amendment to these bylaws shall become effective upon approval by the Council unless a later date is specified.