Bylaws of the Division of Nuclear Chemistry and Technology (NUCL) of the American Chemical Society
Adopted March 26, 2006
BYLAW I
Name and Objects
1. The name of this organization shall be the Division of Nuclear Chemistry and Technology of the AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY, respectively referred to hereinafter as the "Division" and the "SOCIETY."
2. The objects of the Division shall be those of the SOCIETY as specifically applicable in the field of nuclear chemistry and its technology. Nuclear chemistry is meant to include studies of nuclear properties and reactions, of interactions between nuclear phenomena and chemical systems, and of chemical properties of radioactive elements.
3. Nothing in these bylaws shall be inconsistent with the Charter, Constitution, and Bylaws of the SOCIETY.
BYLAW II
Membership and Affiliation
1. Any member of the SOCIETY in good standing may become a Division member by submitting a written request to the Secretary of the Division and by payment of the established dues of the Division.
2. A Society Affiliate of the SOCIETY may become an Affiliate of the Division upon written application to the Secretary of the Division and payment of the dues specified for Society Affiliates. A Society Affiliate shall have all the privileges of membership in the Division except voting for or holding an elective position of the Division, voting on articles of incorporation and bylaws, or serving as a member of the Division Executive Committee or equivalent policy-making body.
3. A person who is not a member or a Society Affiliate of the SOCIETY may become a Division Affiliate upon written application to the Secretary of the Division and payment of the dues specified for Division Affiliates. A regularly matriculated student in chemical science may become a Division Affiliate upon written application to the Division Secretary and payment of any dues that have been levied for this class of Division Affiliates. A person must reaffirm full-time student status each year to retain this affiliation with the Division. A Division Affiliate shall have all the privileges of membership in the Division, as provided in the Division bylaws, except that of holding an elective position in the Division, voting on articles of incorporation and bylaws or serving as a member of the Division Executive Committee or equivalent policy-making body, or voting for Councilor(s) or Alternate Councilor(s) of the Division.
4. Division members may resign from the Division in good standing by submitting a written resignation to the Division Secretary during the year for which their dues are paid.
5. (A) A member of the Division who is in arrears in payment of dues for one (1) year shall be stricken from the rolls. *Effective January 4, 1996. Approved, as amended, by the Committee on Constitution and Bylaws, acting for the Council of the American Chemical Society.
5. (B) Divisions Affiliates and Society Affiliates of the Division shall retain affiliate status only so long as payment is made of Division dues.
6. Members of the AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY who have emeritus status and who have been Division members for at least five years shall be continued as members of the Division, if they so desire, without payment of dues.
BYLAW III
1. Officers
The officers of the Division shall be MEMBERS of the SOCIETY and shall consist of a Chair, a Chair-Elect, a Vice-Chair, a Secretary, a Treasurer, Councilors, and Alternate Councilors, all of whom shall be members of an Executive Committee, as provided for in these bylaws.. In the case of the Secretary and the Treasurer, the same person may hold these posts simultaneously.
2. Duties
2. (A) The duties of the Chair shall be to convene the Executive Committee at such times as are necessary to carry out the objectives of the Division, to preside over the meetings of the Executive Committee and to put into effect its decisions, to preside over general business meetings of the Division, to serve as chair of the Program Committee, and to appoint members of standing and special committees.
2. (B) The duties of the Chair-Elect shall be to serve as Co-Chair of the Program Committee, to assist the Chair in whatever way the Chair or the Executive Committee may determine, and to assume the Chair’s responsibilities in the event of the latter’s absence from a meeting or inability to carry out the duties of Chair.
2. (C) The duties of the Vice-Chair shall be to serve as Vice-Chair of the Program Committee, to assist the Chair and Chair-Elect in whatever way they or the Executive Committee may determine, and to assume the Chair-Elect’s responsibilities in the event of the latter’s absence from a meeting or inability to carry out the duties of Chair-Elect.
2. (D) The duties of the Secretary shall be to keep a record of the proceedings of the Division and of the Executive Committee; to maintain a list of members; to notify members of Division meetings, committee meetings, election ballots, dues assessments, and other appropriate business; to carry out all assignments and responsibilities of that office as stated in the Constitution and Bylaws of the SOCIETY; and to assume the duties of the Chair, Chair-Elect, and Vice-Chair in the event of their simultaneous absence from a meeting or inability to carry out their duties of office. The Councilors of the Division for the following year are to be certified by the Secretary to the Executive Director of the SOCIETY by December 1st each year. In the event a Councilor cannot attend a SOCIETY Council meeting, an Alternate Councilor must be certified by the Secretary to represent the Division.
2. (E) The duties of the Treasurer shall be to collect, save, and disburse all Division funds and dues subject to Executive Committee approval; to maintain financial records of the Division; and to present a written financial report at the Annual Meeting of the Division. The Division financial records are to be available for an audit whenever so ordered by the Executive Committee.
2. (F) The duties of the Councilors and Alternate Councilors shall be to represent the Division on the Council of the SOCIETY and to serve as members of the Executive Committee of the Division.
3. The Executive Committee
3. (A) The Executive Committee shall be comprised of the administrative officers described in these bylaws, two elected Members-at-Large, and the Immediate Past Chair. Subdivision chairs, if any, may serve as non-voting ex officio members of the Executive Committee.
3. (B) The Executive Committee is responsible for setting the policy, directing the affairs, and
arranging the meetings of the Division, subject to the action of the membership at business meetings or by mail ballots. The Executive Committee shall handle all affairs of the Division except amendments of bylaws, elections of officers, and other affairs specified in these bylaws. The Executive Committee is entrusted with any properties and assets that are owned by the Division.
3. (C) The Executive Committee shall be convened one or more times a year by the Chair
following appropriate notification by the Secretary of the time and place of such meetings.
3. (D) The Chair shall convene the Executive Committee whenever requested by three or more of its members.
3. (E) All actions of the Executive Committee shall be governed by a simple majority of its voting members present. If the same person is serving as Secretary and Treasurer, that person shall have only one vote in the Executive Committee.
3. (F) A quorum of at least four of its members shall be necessary for the Executive Committee to conduct business. If at least three members do not agree to any action, the dissenting members may call for a poll of the complete Committee, and a majority of the ballots received within a specified period not to exceed two weeks shall be necessary to support such action.
4. Terms of Office
4. (A) The Chair, Chair-Elect, and Vice-Chair shall serve in their respective offices for one year, at the end of which time the Chair-Elect and Vice-Chair shall automatically succeed to the positions of Chair and Chair-Elect, respectively, while the Chair shall retire to serve on the Executive Committee for one year as the Immediate Past Chair.
4. (B) The Secretary and the Treasurer shall hold their offices for simultaneous periods of three years.
4. (C) The Councilors, the Alternate Councilors, and the two Members-at-Large of the Executive Committee shall serve for three years and are eligible for reelection, the terms of office to be staggered to the maximum extent possible.
4. (D) The Executive Committee shall fill by appointment for the remaining term of service any vacancy in office, other than that of Councilor and Alternate Councilor, which may arise for reasons other than the normal retirement of the incumbent. Vacancies in the positions of Councilor and Alternate Councilor shall be filled by the Executive Committee by interim appointment for the period up to the next annual election, at which time the Division shall choose a MEMBER to fill out the unexpired term, if any.
4. (E) All terms of service of elected officers of the Division shall be based on a calendar year commencing January 1st.
5. Elections
5. (A) All officers and positions on the Executive Committee shall be filled by elections conducted by secret ballot sent by the Secretary to the Division members and Division Affiliates at least three weeks before the date specified for the return of the ballot to the Secretary for official counting. Division Affiliates may vote for all officers and positions on the Executive Committee except for Councilor and Alternate Councilor.
5. (B) Election to any office shall be by simple plurality, with the Chair voting only when necessary to break a tie.
5. (C) An annual election of officers is to be held in the summer of each year so that all ballots will be tabulated before the next meeting of the SOCIETY.
5. (D) A special election or ballot for any purpose may be conducted any time it is authorized at a Division business meeting or by the Executive Committee.
5. (E) A Nominating Committee of no more than three persons including the Immediate-Past-Chair shall be appointed by the Chair in the spring of each year to place on the ballot a slate of at least two candidates for each open office in any election. The committee shall obtain the consent of the nominees, and shall report to the Chair by June 15. The same person may be nominated for Secretary and Treasurer if the Executive Committee approves.
5. (F) The slate of candidates chosen by the Nominating Committee shall be communicated to the Division members and Division Affiliates at least one month prior to the distribution of the ballots. Additional nominations for any office shall appear on the ballot if supported by a written petition from twenty or more members of the Division. The petition must be received by the Secretary by July 15.
BYLAW IV
Meetings
1. An annual business meeting of the Division shall be held at a national meeting of the SOCIETY. Division business requiring a vote of the membership shall be conducted only at this meeting, except as provided elsewhere in these bylaws.
2. Special business meetings of the Division may be called by the Executive Committee, provided notice is given to the membership by mail or through the official organ of the SOCIETY at least two months in advance. If business is to be conducted at such a meeting, the notice of the meeting shall
state the exact nature of the business to be considered, and no other business shall be transacted at such special meetings.
3. A quorum at a Division meeting shall consist of ten members.
4. Technical program meetings are to be authorized by the Executive Committee and arranged by the Program Committee. The Division shall hold at least one technical session annually; however, this requirement may be modified by the Executive Committee in accordance with the Bylaws of the SOCIETY.
5. Fees for registration at any Division meetings shall be determined by the Executive
Committee subject to the Bylaws of the SOCIETY.
BYLAW V
Dues
1. Members of the Division shall pay annual dues in an amount determined by the Executive Committee.
2. Society Affiliates of the Division shall pay annual dues in an amount determined by the Executive Committee. Failure to pay such dues before January 1 of that year shall terminate the affiliation with the Division.
3. The annual dues of Division Affiliates shall be determined by the Executive Committee in accordance with the Constitution and Bylaws of the SOCIETY. Annual dues of Division Affiliates who are full-time students in a chemical science may be different from the dues of other Division Affiliates and shall be determined by the Executive Committee. Failure to pay such dues in advance shall terminate the affiliation of a Division Affiliate with the Division.
BYLAW VI
Committees
1. In addition to the Executive Committee and the Nominating Committee, as provided for in these bylaws, there shall be a Program Committee of at least three members, with one being the Chair serving as Program Committee Chair and the second being the Vice-Chair serving as the Program Committee Co-Chair. The Program Committee is responsible for planning and carrying out the scientific programming at the National Meetings.
2. Special committees may be appointed at any time by the Chair with the approval of the Executive Committee. Upon recommendation of the Executive Committee, standing committees of the Division may be authorized or dissolved by a simple majority of the membership voting at a business meeting. The Chair shall appoint the members of such standing committees with the approval of the Executive Committee.
3. Service on all committees except the Executive Committee and standing committees shall be
for no more than one year unless extended at the end of that time by the Executive Committee. However, a special committee which has been charged with responsibility for an event or completion of a task more than one year in the future may be requested to continue its service until that event has occurred. The term of appointment on a special committee shall be for three years. The terms of members of such special committees shall be overlapping with one-third of such terms expiring at the end of each calendar year.
BYLAW VII
Subdivisions
1. The Division may organize within itself a Subdivision in any specialized area of the general field of nuclear chemistry and technology. Each such Subdivision shall operate in conformity with the bylaws of, and shall be responsible to, the Division. Membership or affiliation in the Division shall be a requirement for participation in a Subdivision. Members and affiliates of the Division may join the Subdivision by request to the Secretary-Treasurer of the Subdivision.
2. A Subdivision shall be formed or discontinued only after an affirmative vote has been taken at a Division business meeting or by ballot. Steps to initiate a Subdivision may be taken by action of the Executive Committee, or by petition of at least twenty members of the Division to the Executive Committee. The scope of the activities of a Subdivision shall be defined and monitored by the Executive Committee of the Division.
3. Upon establishment of a Subdivision, the Executive Committee of the Division shall appoint a Chair, Chair-Elect, and Secretary-Treasurer, who are MEMBERS of the SOCIETY and the Division, and who will be members in the Subdivision, and who shall serve for the organizational year or until the next regular election of the Division. Thereafter, the Chair-Elect of the Subdivision shall succeed to the office of Chair of the Subdivision and the members of the Subdivision shall nominate and elect the remaining officers, who must be willing to serve in these positions. The officers, who shall be MEMBERS of the SOCIETY, shall be elected in accordance with election procedures for Division officers and their terms shall coincide with those of their counterparts at the Division level. The Chair of the Subdivision shall be a non-voting ex officio member of the Executive Committee of the Division and may appoint such committees as may be necessary to conduct the activities of the Subdivision. The Secretary-Treasurer of the Subdivision shall maintain a list of members and affiliates of the Subdivision and shall submit, periodically or as directed by the Executive Committee of the Division, an itemized statement of receipts and expenses to the Executive Committee of the Division.
4. Upon proper authorization and verification of such expenses by the Subdivision officers, the
expenses of the Subdivision shall be subject to approval by the Executive Committee of the Division when it is necessary to pay all or part of them from Divisional funds. Approved expenses are to be paid to the Subdivision. Funds earned or collected by the Subdivision, and expenditure thereof, shall be under the control of the Subdivision.
BYLAW VIII
Presentation of Papers
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1. The Executive Committee shall be responsible for the selection of papers to be presented at meetings of the Division. It may delegate this authority to an officer or a committee created
for this purpose.
2. The rules for papers presented before meetings of the SOCIETY as outlined in the Bylaws and Regulations of the SOCIETY shall govern the Division.
BYLAW IX
Amendments
1. A proposed amendment to these bylaws must first be submitted in writing to the Executive Committee. If it is approved by the Executive Committee, the Secretary shall furnish all members of the Division with copies of the proposed amendment at least eight weeks before the next business meeting of the Division at a national meeting of the SOCIETY. At the meeting of the Division after notice of the proposed amendment(s) is given, the amendment(s) will be adopted if it receives an affirmative vote by two-thirds of the members present. Alternatively, a ballot may be taken by a distributed to all Division members. Two-thirds of the valid ballots received must be affirmative for adoption. Any proposed amendment(s) not approved by the Executive Committee within 60 days from the time it is submitted thereto may be brought to a vote of the membership in the aforementioned manner by a petition signed by not less than fifteen percent (15%) of the members of the Division.
2. An amendment to these bylaws, after adoption by the Division, shall become effective upon
approval by the Committee on Constitution and Bylaws, acting for the Council of the SOCIETY, unless a later date is specified in the amendment.
BYLAW X
Dissolution
Upon the dissolution of this Division any of its assets remaining thereafter shall be conveyed to organizations dedicated to objects similar to those of the Division and the AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY, or to the AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY, so long as the organizations so selected by the governing body of the Division at the time 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.