Association of Women Soil Scientists Constitution and Bylaws

ARTICLE 1. Name.

The name of this organization shall be Association of Women Soil Scientists, hereafter referred to as AWSS.

ARTICLE 2. Territory and Headquarters of AWSS.

Section 1. The territory shall be national and international in scope.

Section 2. The headquarters of AWSS shall be the address designated by the secretary/treasurer unless otherwise designated by the executive committee.

ARTICLE 3. Goals.

The goals of AWSS are:

1. To establish and maintain high standards for professional women soil scientists;
2. To promote and enhance communication among professional soil scientists;
3. To promote a dialogue of soil information and to encourage an interchange with other technical and scientific communities;
4. To promote better understanding of the role of soil scientists;
5. To provide assistance and encouragement for women in non-traditional fields and for women seeking employment in the field of soil science.

ARTICLE 4. Membership.

Membership in AWSS is available to those who are interested and support the goals of AWSS. Neither membership nor participation in AWSS activities shall be subject to limitations due to graduate level college degree status (e.g., M.S. or Ph.D.).

ARTICLE 5. Structure of AWSS.

Section 5a. Officers, Terms of Office, and Duties.

Subsection 5a1. The officers of AWSS will be the executive committee chair, the executive committee chair-elect, the executive committee past-chair and the secretary/treasurer.

Subsection 5a2. Terms of office for chair, chair-elect, and past-chair shall be 2 years beginning January 1 of even numbered years. Terms for the secretary/treasurer shall be 3 years. If during the term of office the chair should become unable to serve, the most recent past-chair available shall assume the office of chair for as long as is necessary, up to the remainder of that term. The person would then automatically become past-chair when the chair-elect becomes chair. If the chair-elect should become unable to serve the term of office at any time before actually becoming chair, the executive committee shall designate a chair-elect to serve for as long as necessary up to the remainder of the term. If the person originally elected resumes the office of chair-elect before the end of the term, that person shall automatically succeed to executive committee chair in the normal manner. If the alternate designated by the executive committee serves until the end of the term, that person shall succeed to executive committee chair in the normal manner. If the secretary/treasurer should become unable to serve, the executive committee chair shall appoint a person to fulfill the current term.

Subsection 5a3. Duties of the executive committee chair shall be to preside at all meetings of the members and the executive committee or to delegate this authority to another executive committee member if they cannot be present, to supervise the affairs of AWSS, and to provide leadership in the promotion of the goals of AWSS. The executive committee chair shall make all committee appointments except as noted below and appoint yearly 3 at-large executive committee members to serve as liaison to 1) Soil Science Society of America (SSSA), 2) Soil and Water Conservation Society (SWCS), and 3) private sector professional organizations.

Subsection 5a4. Duties of the executive committee chair-elect shall be to serve as executive editor of the AWSS Newsletter, to chair the Newsletter Committee, and to be responsible for the development and distribution of the AWSS Newsletter quarterly.

Subsection 5a5. Duties of the executive committee past-chair shall be to act as consultant to the Executive Committee and to chair the Nominations Committee. The past-chair shall present nominees for election as secretary/treasurer for even years and for chair-elect for odd years. Nominees will be presented and voted upon in the fall newsletter.

Subsection 5a6. Duties of the secretary/treasurer shall be to keep the minutes of all member meetings and of the Executive Committee, to issue a financial statement annually, to be responsible for all funds, to collect and tally mail ballots, to chair the Membership Committee, and to appoint the chair of the T-Shirt (promotions) Committee.

Subsection 5a7. Duties of the at-large members shall be to promote the goals of AWSS within the respective professional associations and to keep the executive committee informed of the needs of the respective professional society for AWSS services.

Section 5b. Executive committee: Makeup and Duties.

Subsection 5b1. The executive committee is the governing body of AWSS. The voting members of the executive committee shall be the executive committee chair, the executive committee chair-elect, the executive committee past-chair, the secretary/treasurer and 3 at-large members, appointed by the chair to act as liaison to 1) Soil Science Society of America (SSSA), 2) Soil and Water Conservation Society (SWCS) and 3) private sector professional organizations. Additional executive committee members may be added at the discretion of the executive committee chair to serve a one-year term. The additional members shall not have voting privileges. There is no maximum number of members on the executive committee. The executive committee shall use Roberts Rules of Order as a guide for conducting meetings.

Subsection 5b2. Duties of the Executive Committee are to promote the goals of AWSS across all sectors of the soil science community and to assist in the arrangement of one or more member meetings each year.

Subsection 5b3. Executive committee chair-elect and the secretary/treasurer shall be elected BY majority vote of returned mail ballots posted in the AWSS Newsletter.

ARTICLE 6. Dues.

Section 1. Membership dues will be established by the executive committee with the advice of the secretary/treasurer.

Section 2. Membership dues shall be received on or before the first business day following January 1 of each year. Dues are payable in US funds drawn on a US bank. Members in arrears on March 1 of the current year shall be dropped from membership rolls. Reinstatement of membership for the current year will occur upon payment of dues.

ARTICLE 7. Code of Ethics.

Section 1. The privilege ofprofessional practice imposes obligations of morality, responsibility , and knowledge.

Section 2. Each AWSS member agrees to be guided by the highest standards of ethics, personal honor, and professional conduct.

ARTICLE 8. Amendments.

Section 1. Amendments to this Constitution and By-Laws may be made by majority vote of AWSS members by mail ballot provided notice of all proposed changes have been mailed to all members at least 30 days prior to the closing date for the mail ballots.

Section 2. Amendments thereto shall be declared as being in effect upon receiving a majority of votes cast by the membership voting.