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Bylaws Mid-America Local Section of the AIHA CHAPTER BYLAWS ARTICLE I - NAME AND BOUNDARIES The name of this organization shall be the Mid-America Local Section, American Industrial Hygiene Association, hereafter referred to as the Local Section. The geographical boundaries of the Local Section are the State of Kansas, east of a line formed by the eastern limits of the counties of Washington, Clay, Dickinson, Marion, Butler, and Cowley; and the State of Missouri, west of U.S. Highway 63. The purpose of the Local Section of the American Industrial Hygiene Association shall be: 1. To promote the study, evaluation, and control of environmental stresses arising in, or from the work place or its products, in relation to the health or well-being of workers and the public. 2. To promote the profession through the encouragement of interest within, and cooperation with governmental, industrial, educational, and other professional bodies. 3. To increase the knowledge of occupational and environmental health through interchange and dissemination of information, and to bring together persons interested in the various phases of industrial and environmental health. ARTICLE III - MEMBERSHIP SECTION 1. Full Membership: Any member of the American Industrial Hygiene Association residing within the geographic boundaries of the Local Section may become a Full Member of the Local Section upon payment of the Local Section dues. Subject to the approval by the Executive Committee of the Local Section, any member of the American Industrial Hygiene Association living outside the geographic boundaries of the Local Section may become a Full Member of this Section by giving written notice to the Secretary of the Local Section and the Executive Director of the American Industrial Hygiene Association. SECTION 2. Associate Membership: Any person having a professional interest in industrial hygiene or a related discipline may become an Associate Member of the section, entitled to the privileges of membership in the Local Section, upon payment of the required dues and with the approval of two-thirds of the Executive Committee of the Local Section. Associate Members shall be entitled to subscribe to the AIHA Journal at a reduced price set by the national organization through the Treasurer of the Local Section for up to two (2) years. SECTION 3. Student Membership: Any person who is attending a college or university and engaged in the study of industrial hygiene or a related discipline may become a Student Member of the Local Section upon approval of the Executive Committee of the Local Section. Student Members are not assessed membership dues and have no vote in elections of Local Section officers or in referendums of any issues presented to the membership. SECTION 4. Emeritus Membership: Any Local Section member in good standing, who retires from the practice of industrial hygiene, may become an Emeritus Member with the approval of two-thirds of the Executive Committee of the Local Section. An Emeritus Member retains all privileges of membership in the Section but will not be assessed Local Section dues. SECTION 5. The Local Section may add additional classes of membership (e.g. Organizational) subject to the approval of the Board of Directors of the American Industrial Hygiene Association. SECTION 1. The officers of the Local Section shall consist of the President, President-Elect, Secretary, and Treasurer. Only American Industrial Hygiene Association national members in good standing may be elected as officers of the Local Section. No person shall serve as an officer in more than one local section of the American Industrial Hygiene Association at the same time. The President-Elect, Secretary, and Treasurer shall be elected annually by the members of the Local Section with the exception of Student Members, and shall serve until their successors are elected and installed. The President-Elect shall automatically accede to the Presidency on election and installation of his or her successor. SECTION 2. A vacancy in office caused by the death, resignation, or removal of an officer may be filled for the remainder of the unexpired term by the Executive Committee of the Local Section. If the vacancy occurs in the office of the President-Elect, the member appointed to fill the vacancy shall not automatically succeed the President. The Office of President for the following year shall be elected during the next election of the Local Section. SECTION 3. An officer may resign by oral tender at any meeting of the Executive Committee, or by giving written notice thereof to the Executive Committee. Such resignation shall take effect at the time of tender. Acceptance of such resignation shall not be necessary to make it effective. SECTION 4. An officer may be removed, with or without cause, at a meeting expressly called for that purpose by the majority of the Executive Committee. SECTION 5. The President-Elect, Secretary, and Treasurer shall be elected each year prior to April 1 to serve for one year. SECTION 6. The Nominating Committee shall consist of three (3) Full Members of the Local Section, two of whom are appointed by the President at least sixty (60) days prior to the election of Officers. The immediate Past-President shall serve as its Chairperson. The Nominating Committee shall nominate members in good standing for officers of the Local Section and shall deliver its nomination for each office in writing to the Secretary for circulation to Local Section members with the notice of election. The notice of election and the list of candidates proposed by the Nominating Committee shall be sent to all Members in good standing not less than forty five (45) days prior to the election. In addition to nominations made by the Nominating Committee, nominations may be received from Members in good standing not less than thirty (30) days prior to the election SECTION 7. An election ballot containing the names of all candidates nominated in accordance with Section 5 and 6 of this Article will be notify to all Local Section members in good standing in accordance with procedures in Article X. SECTION 8. Election shall be by a simple majority of the Members voting. SECTION 9. The newly elected officers shall assume the duties of office at the end of the last scheduled meeting prior to the annual American Industrial Hygiene Conference and Exposition. SECTION 10. The results of elections shall be reported promptly to the Executive Director of the American Industrial Hygiene Association. SECTION 1. The Mid-America Local Section shall be governed by the Executive Committee except as otherwise herein expressly provided. SECTION 2. The Executive Committee shall consist of the four officers of the Local Section, and the immediate Past-President. The President of the Section shall serve as Chairperson of the Executive Committee. A simple majority of the members of the Executive Committee shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business. SECTION 3. The President shall preside at all meetings of the Local Section and of the Executive Committee and shall perform such other duties as may be directed by the Executive Committee. The President should keep in contact with developments in the field of industrial hygiene, guide the Local Section in the formulation of constructive activities and provide a constructive and energetic leadership in the activities of the Local Section. SECTION 4. The Local Section shall not publish or otherwise issue any public statement which utilizes any form of the name of the American Industrial Hygiene Association on a policy or technical issues, other than issues which primarily affect of the Local Section without prior consent of the Board of Directors of the American Industrial Hygiene Association. SECTION 5. No public statement on any matter, which purports to represent the opinion(s) of the Local Section, shall be issued or published unless that statement has been authorized by the Executive Committee as expressing the opinion of majority of the members of the Local Section. SECTION 6. The President shall appoint a Program Committee, Nominating Committee, and other committees as are deemed necessary and shall automatically become an ex-officio member of such committees. SECTION 7. The President-Elect shall serve as Chairperson of the Program Committee. He or She shall preside at the monthly meeting(s) in the absence of the President. SECTION 8. The Treasurer shall be the custodian of all monies of the Local Section, shall receive all monies due the Local Section and shall pay all authorized bills against the Local Section. The disbursement of all funds for the Local Section shall be made upon authorization of the Executive Committee. The Treasurer shall submit the accounts for audit and a written annual report at the last meeting of the Executive Committee, prior to the annual American Industrial Hygiene Conference and Exposition, and shall transmit to their successor in office, all funds and property of the Local Section. The Executive Committee shall submit an annual report to the Section in the next written correspondence to the membership. SECTION 9. The Secretary shall keep an accurate record of all transactions at all meetings of the Local Section and of the Executive Committee. The secretary shall carry on the correspondence of the Section and shall be custodian of the Local Section official records. The secretary shall keep an accurate list of the Local Section members and their status. The Secretary or a media contact appointed by the President shall be responsible for all publicity and public relations activities for the Local Section. SECTION 11. The immediate Past-President shall serve as an ex-officio member of the Executive Committee and serve as an advisor to the Local Section. ARTICLE VI - LOCAL SECTION COUNCILORS SECTION 1. The President and President-Elect shall serve as representatives of the Local Section on the Local Sections Council of the American Industrial Hygiene Association (AIHA) provided that they are not an officer or director of national AIHA, in which event, the Executive Committee shall appoint another Full Member of the Local Section as such representative. SECTION 2. The representative of the Local Section shall report at the Annual Meeting of the Local Sections Council on the activities of the Local Section and report back to the Local Section on the actions of the Local Sections Council. ARTICLE VII - MEMBERSHIP MEETINGS SECTION 1. The Local Section meetings shall be held at least 6 times per year. The time and place of each meeting shall be approved by the Executive Committee. SECTION 2. Special meetings may be called by the President at any time, with the approval of the Executive Committee or by petition to the President, signed by a minimum of twenty percent (20%) of Local Section Members in good standing. SECTION 3. Members in good standing shall be notified by electronic mail (preferred) or postal mail of all meetings where Local Section business will be conducted at least 15 days in advance of the date set for the meeting. SECTION 4. A quorum for a meeting where Local Section business will be conducted shall consist of twenty percent (20%) of members in good standing. SECTION 1. The annual dues year shall be from September 1 of the current year to August 31 of the following year. The triennial dues year shall be from September 1 of the current year to August 31 of the third year. SECTION 2. The annual and/or triennial dues shall be as set by the Executive Committee of the Local Section and approved by the membership in accordance with the procedure set forth in Article X. SECTION 3. New members choosing to pay their dues either annually or triennially shall pay the full amount regardless of the time of the year that they join. SECTION 4. Annual dues for the Local Section shall be payable on the first day of September of each year. Triennial dues for the Local Section shall be payable on the first day of September of the third year. Any member whose dues are unpaid on January 1 of the year due is not in good standing, and shall have no other privileges of membership in the Local Section. Privileges of membership could include, but is not limited to, membership voting authority in elections or other matters of importance, access to the Local Section web site, access to membership directories, or access to local employment listings. If the dues of any member are not paid within one (1) year of the date due, their membership in the Local Section shall be terminated subject to reinstatement as provided in Section 5 of this Article. SECTION 5. Any member terminated for nonpayment of dues may be reinstated at any time before the next Annual Meeting of the year following termination by payment of dues in arrears together with the dues for the current year. SECTION 1. The Executive Committee of the Local Section shall consist of the officers of the Local Section and the immediate Past President. The Executive Committee shall be responsible for governance and management of the Local Section and approval of new members. The President shall serve as Chairperson of the Executive Committee. The presence of a majority of the Executive Committee is necessary to constitute a quorum for a meeting. The act of the majority present at the meeting at which a quorum exists is the act of the Executive Committee. Each member of the Executive Committee shall be entitled to one (1) vote. Meetings of the Executive Committee may be called at the discretion of the President on notice of not less than five (5) days. SECTION 2. The Program Committee shall consist of not less than three (3) members of the Local Section. The President-Elect shall serve as its Chairperson. The Program Committee shall convene within fourteen (14) days after the election of officers to begin devising a tentative program for the coming year. The Program Committee shall present a tentative program for the coming year to the Executive Committee for their approval at the last meeting prior to the Annual American Industrial Hygiene Conference and Exposition. On approval of the Executive Committee, the Program Committee will implement the program, and provide the Secretary with information on the program to be circulated to the Members of the Local Section. SECTION 3. The President shall appoint other committees as are deemed desirable for the effective action of the Local Section. SECTION 4. The President shall appoint a Nominating Committee in accordance with Article IV, Section 6 of these Bylaws. SECTION 1. Officers shall be elected by electronic ballot (preferred) and/or postal mail ballot of the voting members of the Local Section distributed not less than twenty (20) days prior to the election. The ballots shall specify a deadline for return. Ballots postmarked, and/or in the case of electronic ballots received, on or before the day of election will be counted. The President shall promptly report the results of the election to the Executive Director of the American Industrial Hygiene Association. SECTION 2. The Executive Committee, at any time, may conduct by electronic ballot (preferred) and/or postal mail ballot, a referendum of the membership of the Local Section in connection with an issue it may consider or an action to be taken. Except as provided in Article XI, a plurality of the ballots cast in an election of any officer, a referendum on any issue, or on action(s) to be taken shall be effective to constitute the election of a person as an officer of the Local Section and as a decision or act of the Local Section with respect to any issue to be considered or any action to be taken. SECTION 3. In the event of a tie vote in any ballot, the tie shall be resolved by majority vote of the Executive Committee. SECTION 1. These Bylaws may be amended or new Bylaws adopted by a two-thirds vote of the members of the Local Section who respond to a ballot conducted in accordance with the provisions of Article X. SECTION 2. Such amended or new Bylaws shall become effective upon approval by the Board of Directors of the American Industrial Hygiene Association. Bylaws approved and implemented April 4, 2003 by a vote of the Mid-America Local Section Membership and by the Executive Board of the American Industrial Hygiene Association. |
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