Article I: Name and Object
Section 1:
The name of this society shall be the Society for the Study of American Women Writers, (hereafter "the Society").
Section 2:
The mission of the Society shall be the promotion of the study of American women writers through the encouragement of research, teaching, publication, and the strengthening of relations among persons and institutions in this country and abroad devoted to such studies, and the broadening of knowledge among the general public about American women writers. The Society is committed to diversity in the study of American women writers--racial, ethnic, gender, class, sexual orientation, region, and era--as well as of scholars participating in the Society.
Article II: Officers
Section 1:
The elected officers shall be the President; Vice President, Organizational Matters; and Vice President, Publications. The appointed officers shall be Vice President, Membership and Finances and Vice President, Development. At all times an editor of Legacy shall be an officer or appointed to the Advisory Board of the Society.
Section 2:
The President shall be elected by a majority of the members and shall serve a three-year term. The President shall preside at meetings of the Society and of the Advisory Board. It shall be the President's duty to formulate policies and projects for presentation to the Board and to fulfill the chartered obligations and purposes of the Society. In filling this and any other Association responsibility, the President may call upon other officers, members of the Executive Council, and such ad hoc committees as the President may wish to appoint, for assistance.
Section 3:
The Vice President, Organizational Matters and Vice President, Publications shall be elected by a majority of the voting members and each shall be elected for a three-year term. The Vice President, Organizational Matters, shall assist the President at meetings of the Society and of the Advisory Board and in formulating policies and projects for presentation to the Board and to fulfill the chartered obligations of the Society. The Vice President, Publications, shall assist the president at meetings of the Society and of the Advisory Board and shall be responsible for the production and distribution of the biannual newsletter, shall maintain the Society website, and shall, with the advice of the Officers and Advisory Board, oversee any publications projects that the Society undertakes.
Section 4:
The Vice President, Membership and Finances shall be appointed by a majority vote of the Executive Committee and shall serve a three-year term. The Vice President, Membership and Finances shall maintain the membership of the Society; provide reports on finances to the President, Advisory Board, Press, and others as required; shall maintain the Society's funds and distribute those funds as required for routine expenses, conference costs, and other expenses as approved by the President and/or the Advisory Board. The Vice President, Development, shall advise the Executive Committee on new, long-term projects for the Society and shall be appointed by the President, with the advice of the Advisory Board, for a three-year term in the first instance, with the option for renewal for a second three-year term.
Section 5:
The editors of Legacy shall insure that Legacy fulfills its stated aim to aid in giving a sense of direction to studies in American women's texts and contexts.
Article III: Advisory Board and Executive Committee
Section 1:
There shall be an Advisory Board, constituted as follows:
The Society Officers, as detailed in Article 2; the immediate past President, who shall serve a one-year term; The Editors of Legacy, for the terms of their editorships; at least two but no more than four graduate student members, appointed by the President and serving a three-year term; at least twelve additional members appointed by the President and serving staggered three-year terms.
Section 2:
The Advisory Board shall conduct the business, set fiscal policy, and oversee the general interests of the Society. The Advisory Board shall fix the amount of dues and the date upon which any change of dues becomes effective. It may appoint such committees as it deems necessary. It shall call a meeting of the Society at a time and place it deems appropriate, in consultation with the President. The Advisory Board shall hold at least one business meeting annually, at a time and place to be determined by the Advisory Board for the appointment of members to committees, for the approval of the budget, for the consideration of reports and recommendations from the officers and committees, for the discussion of policies and of instructions that should be given to the appointed officers, and for the transaction of other such business as may come before it. It shall report on its deliberations and actions through the newsletter of the Society or on the Society’s website.
Section 3:
To transact the necessary business in the interim between the annual business meetings of the Advisory Board, there shall be an Executive Committee constituted as follows:
The President, who acts as Chair of the Executive Committee;
The four Vice Presidents;
The immediate past president, who shall ex officio serve a one-year term.
The Executive Committee in the conduct of the Society's business shall, as necessary, solicit the general direction of the Advisory Board.
Article IV: Members
Section 1:
Membership in the Society shall be open to:
Any person interested in the study of American women writers, upon payment of one year's dues;
Any cultural or educational non-profit organization interested in the study of American women writers, upon the payment of one year's institutional dues; and
Any honorary members of the society. Honorary members shall be elected by an affirmative vote of two-thirds of the voting members of the Advisory Board and be exempt from the payment of dues.
Section 2:
Any member whose dues are six months in arrears shall be dropped from the rolls. Members who are so dropped may be reinstated at any time by the payment in advance of one year's dues.
Section 3:
Only individual members in good standing shall have the right to vote or hold office in the Society.
Article V: Affiliated Societies
Section 1:
Any society committed to the study of American women writers may be admitted to the status of Affiliated Society by an affirmative vote of two-thirds of the voting members of the Advisory Board.
Section 2:
Each Affiliated Society shall receive one free copy of each newsletter, to be sent to the President or designated officer of the Affiliated Society. Affiliated Societies will also be encouraged to participate in the Society's conferences, as outlined in Article VII, Section 4, of the Bylaws.
Section 3:
A Society's affiliation with the association may be terminated for sufficient reason by a vote of two-thirds of the voting members of the Committee or by request of the Affiliated Society.
Article VI: Various
Section 1:
The Advisory Board shall adopt bylaws consistent with the provisions of the Constitution, upon any matter of concern to the Society.
Section 2:
The Advisory Board shall adopt such regulations and rules as may be necessary to give full force and effect to the Constitution and Bylaws and to determine their procedures.
Section 3:
Amendments to this document may be proposed by the Executive Committee or by petitions carrying the signature of at least twenty-five members of the Society in good standing. Such proposed amendments shall be submitted in writing to the President of the Society at least thirty days prior to any meeting of the Advisory Board. At this meeting, the amendments shall be submitted to a vote, a favorable vote of two-thirds of the voting members of the Advisory Board being required for approval. Proxy votes shall be handled in the manner specified in the Bylaws, Article III, Section 5. Amendments approved by the Advisory Board shall be submitted to the members of the Society by a mail ballot within three months of the Advisory Board's approval, or at the time of the publication of the next newsletter, whichever comes later. Ratification shall require a favorable vote of the majority of the members voting.
Article VI: Dissolution
Section 1:
The Society may be dissolved upon recommendation of a two-thirds vote of the Executive Council and approval by mail ballot of two-thirds of the Association's members who vote on the question of dissolution. At least one month must be allowed for return of all ballots.
Section 2:
Upon termination and dissolution of this association the President, along with the Vice President, Membership and Finances, shall carry out all tasks necessary to concluding the business of the Association, including, but not limited to, placement of Society records and papers in a professionally maintained archive and notification to the general membership of the Association's dissolution.
Section 3:
In the event of dissolution, all assets remaining after liabilities have been met shall be disposed of in accordance with the provisions of section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue code of 1954 or the corresponding provision of any future United States Internal Revenue law.
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