| 1. |
SIGMA XI, THE SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH SOCIETY |
| 2. |
BYLAWS OF THE SOCIETY |
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| 3. |
BYLAW I. Activities of the Society.
Activities appropriate to the |
| 4. |
fulfillment of the object of the Society include: the election
to |
| 5. |
membership and associate membership in the Society of
students, |
| 6. |
faculty members, investigators in research institutions and
others |
| 7. |
who meet the requirements for membership set forth in Article
II, |
| 8. |
Section 3 A and B of the Constitution; the maintenance of |
| 9. |
companionship among the membership in various fields of
science |
| 10. |
through association with chapters; the holding of meetings for
the |
| 11. |
discussion of scientific subjects; the publication of American |
| 12. |
Scientist and other publications devoted to the
dissemination of |
| 13. |
scientific information, especially the results of research in
progress; |
| 14. |
and the encouragement of scientific research through other
means |
| 15. |
such as Grants-in-Aid of Research to individual investigators,
the |
| 16. |
presentation of awards for excellence in research and the |
| 17. |
maintenance of the lectureship programs. |
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| 18. |
BYLAW II. Membership in the Society |
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| 19. |
Section 1. Membership of Chapters. A. Chapters. The |
| 20. |
membership of a chapter, subject to the requirements of
Article IV, |
| 21. |
Section 1 of the Constitution, shall consist of the active Members and |
| 22. |
the active Associate Members who present satisfactory credentials |
| 23. |
showing election to membership in the Society, who request |
| 24. |
affiliation with the chapter and who are accepted by the chapter. |
| 25. |
They shall be recorded as such in the Headquarters of the Society. |
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| 26. |
B. Membership-at-Large. The membership-at-large,
subject to the |
| 27. |
requirements of Article IV, Section 1 of the Constitution,
shall |
| 28. |
consist of the active Members and the active Associate Members
|
| 29. |
who are not affiliated with any chapter. They shall be
recorded as |
| 30. |
such in the Headquarters of the Society. |
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| 31. |
Section 2. Criteria for Membership. A. General
Requirements. |
| 32. |
In the expanding field of science, enumeration of those
disciplines |
| 33. |
appropriate to membership in the Society is not possible as
the sole |
| 34. |
basis for defining the criteria for membership. For this
reason, |
| 35. |
nomination of an individual engaged in scientific research may
be |
| 36. |
made provided that the nominee is, by the quantitative
emphasis of |
| 37. |
the work combined with its synthesis and qualitative stature,
deemed |
| 38. |
eligible for nomination. |
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| 39. |
B. Noteworthy Achievement. Noteworthy achievement in research
|
| 40. |
specified for election or promotion to full membership, Article II, |
| 41. |
Section 3 A of the Constitution, must be evidenced by publications, |
| 42. |
patents, written reports or a thesis or dissertation. Membership in the |
| 43. |
Society is neither linked to the possession of any degree nor |
| 44. |
contingent upon belonging to some other organization. |
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| 45. |
C. Research Aptitude. Research aptitude specified for
election to |
| 46. |
associate membership, Article II, Section 3 B of the
Constitution, |
| 47. |
must be evidenced by independent investigation. Associate |
| 48. |
membership is offered to encourage young investigators with |
| 49. |
promise to continue careers in research. In making the nomination |
| 50. |
for such membership, both the nominator and the seconder attest to |
| 51. |
the nominee's potential for future promotion to Member. |
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Section 3. Nomination and Election and Initiation Procedures. |
| 53. |
A. Responsibility. The Committee designated by the Board will |
| 54. |
have responsibility to set policy regarding nomination, election, and |
| 55. |
initiation procedures. Changes in policy will be communicated to |
| 56. |
the chapters for a comment period of not less than 30 days. After the |
| 57. |
comment period the changes may be revised for a new comment |
| 58. |
period. Should fifteen (15) or more chapters object to a policy |
| 59. |
change in writing and objections cannot be resolved in a new |
| 60. |
comment period, the policy change will be held in abeyance until |
| 61. |
the next Assembly of Delegates where it will be presented for vote. |
| 62. |
Otherwise the policy change will be implemented upon the close of |
| 63. |
the comment period. |
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| 64. |
B. Honorary Members. Honorary Members shall be initiated into |
| 65. |
the Society by the President, or by a person designated by the |
| 66. |
President, at a suitable ceremony. |
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| 67. |
C. Pledge of the Society. Members-elect and Associate Members- |
| 68. |
elect shall be informed of the aims and objectives of the Society, and |
| 69. |
shall be required to assent, either orally or in writing to the president |
| 70. |
of the electing chapter or the president's deputy, or in writing to the |
| 71. |
Chair of the committee designated by the Board , to the following |
| 72. |
Pledge: "Do you hereby pledge yourself, in accordance with the |
| 73. |
purposes and objectives of Sigma Xi, The Scientific Research |
| 74. |
Society, to encourage original investigations in science, to foster |
| 75. |
companionship and cooperation among scientists, to maintain honor, |
| 76. |
integrity and honesty in all scientific activities, and to assume the |
| 77. |
other continuing responsibilities of membership?" Members-elect |
| 78. |
and Associate Members-elect who attend a regular initiation are |
| 79. |
expected to have read the culture, mission and vision statements of |
| 80. |
the Society, whereupon they are admitted to membership in the |
| 81. |
Society. |
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| 82. |
D. Certificate of Membership. (i) Members and Associate |
| 83. |
Members. Upon admission to membership, each new Member or |
| 84. |
Associate Member shall receive a certificate of membership which |
| 85. |
shall be in a form approved by the Assembly of Delegates, bear the |
| 86. |
Seal of the Society, and be signed by the President of the Society, the |
| 87. |
Executive Director, and the president and secretary of the electing |
| 88. |
chapter or the Chair of the committee designated by the Board. Each |
| 89. |
new Member or Associate Member shall also receive the official |
| 90. |
emblem, or the authorization to secure such emblem. |
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(ii) Honorary Members. Honorary
Members shall receive a |
| 92. |
suitable certificate of membership approved by the Board of |
| 93. |
Directors, bearing the Seal of the Society, and signed by the |
| 94. |
President and the Executive Director. |
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| 95. |
Section 7. Changes in Membership Status. A. Active to Inactive |
| 96. |
Active members who fail to comply with the provisions of
Article |
| 97. |
IV, Section 1 of the Constitution shall be transferred to
inactive |
| 98. |
membership, and shall be recorded as such in the Headquarters of the |
| 99. |
Society. |
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| 100. |
B. Inactive to Active. An inactive
member may, at any time and at |
| 101. |
the member's discretion, be returned to active membership by |
| 102. |
complying with the provisions of Article IV, Section 1 of the |
| 103. |
Constitution, and by indicating to the Headquarters of the
Society the |
| 104. |
chapter, or the membership-at-large, with which the member
wishes |
| 105. |
to be affiliated. Such change shall be recorded appropriately
in the |
| 106. |
Headquarters of the Society. |
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| 107. |
C. Emeritus Status. Any active Member or Associate
Member |
| 108. |
who has paid annual dues for the immediately preceding 10
years |
| 109. |
and who has reached the age of 65, or who, at any age, has
paid |
| 110. |
annual dues for the immediately preceding 30 years, may upon |
| 111. |
retirement request emeritus status. This status permits
continued |
| 112. |
active association with the Society as provided for in Bylaw
IV, |
| 113. |
Section 1 A (iii). |
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| 114. |
BYLAW III. Organization of the Society |
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| 115. |
Section 1. Chapters. A. Chapters. (i) Location
and |
| 116. |
Requirements for a Chapter. A chapter may be
established by |
| 117. |
action of the Board of Directors, advised by a committee
designated |
| 118. |
by the Board , at any location where scientific research is
cultivated |
| 119. |
and promoted. Of considerable importance are evidences of
official |
| 120. |
commitments to the development and support of research by the |
| 121. |
institution in the immediate and long-range future. |
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| 122. |
Ordinarily locations approved for chapter status will be
single |
| 123. |
educational, governmental, or industrial institutions whose |
| 124. |
permanency is reasonably assured. In some instances chapters
may |
| 125. |
be approved at locations whose research strength and potential
is |
| 126. |
dependent upon the combined research organizations of two or
more |
| 127. |
institutions so situated physically that they can participate
together as |
| 128. |
companions in zealous research. |
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| 129. |
Before any petitioning group can be recommended for chapter
status, |
| 130. |
a committee designated by the Board shall ascertain by
inquiry, |
| 131. |
study, and visits, where appropriate, if the conditions at the
|
| 132. |
institution(s) involved are conducive to further scientific
research. |
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| 133. |
(ii) The Petition. A petition for
the granting of a charter for the |
| 134. |
establishment of a chapter shall be communicated to the
Executive |
| 135. |
Director, who, in turn, shall refer it to the committee
designated by |
| 136. |
the Board to determine the suitability of the petition. At
least 18 |
| 137. |
active members, of whom at least 9 must be full active
Members, |
| 138. |
must agree in the petition to become members of the chapter.
If the |
| 139. |
committee , by at least a three-fourths majority vote,
recommends |
| 140. |
approval of the Board of Directors, and it, in turn, approves
by a like |
| 141. |
vote, the Executive Director shall initiate the process of
installation |
| 142. |
of a new chapter. |
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|
| 143. |
(iii) Chapter Charter. Each charter for the
establishment of a new |
| 144. |
chapter shall be signed by the President and the Executive
Director, |
| 145. |
and shall be presented by the installing officer to the
petitioning |
| 146. |
group at a special installation ceremony arranged by the
petitioning |
| 147. |
group in consultation with the Executive Director. The form of
the |
| 148. |
charter is set forth in Bylaw III, Section 1 D (i) and (ii) ,
below. |
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|
| 149. |
(iv) Affiliation with a Chapter. A Member or Associate
Member, |
| 150. |
upon presenting satisfactory credentials showing election to |
| 151. |
membership in the Society, and complying with the provisions
of |
| 152. |
Article IV, Section 1 of the Constitution, is entitled to
appropriate |
| 153. |
membership in any chapter depending upon such relationship to
the |
| 154. |
institution(s) hosting the chapter as said institution(s) may
require. |
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| 155. |
(v) Revocation of a Chapter Charter. Any chapter not in
good |
| 156. |
standing (Bylaw III, 1C) will be placed on probation for a one
year |
| 157. |
period by the committee designated by the Board to oversee
chapter |
| 158. |
activities. If after one year on probation, a chapter has not
returned |
| 159. |
to good standing, the committee may initiate the necessary action for |
| 160. |
revocation of the chapter's charter as indicated below.
The charter of |
| 161. |
a chapter may be revoked by the Board of Directors,
by a three- |
| 162. |
fourths majority vote of those present at a meeting of the Board, |
| 163. |
provided the Board action was taken in response to a
three-fourths |
| 164. |
majority vote of the members of the committee present
at a meeting |
| 165. |
following a thorough investigation of the chapter concerned and the |
| 166. |
taking of all possible remedial steps to preclude the
necessity for |
| 167. |
such action by the committee. |
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|
| 168. |
B. Good Standing of Chapters. The Committee designated by the |
| 169. |
Board will have responsibility to set policy regarding good standing |
| 170. |
of chapters. Changes in policy will be communicated to the chapters |
| 171. |
for a comment period of not less than 30 days. After the comment |
| 172. |
period the changes may be revised for a new comment period. |
| 173. |
Should fifteen (15) or more chapters object to a policy change in |
| 174. |
writing and objections cannot be resolved in a new comment period, |
| 175. |
the policy change will be held in abeyance until the next Assembly |
| 176. |
of Delegates where it will be presented for vote. Otherwise the |
| 177. |
policy change will be implemented upon the close of the comment |
| 178. |
period. |
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C. (reserved) |
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D. The Charter. The charter issued to a chapter shall
contain two |
| 181. |
paragraphs, to wit: |
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| 182. |
(i) First Paragraph. The first
paragraph of the charter of a chapter |
| 183. |
shall be in the following form: |
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|
| 184. |
"Be it hereby known that a charter for the establishment
of a chapter |
| 185. |
of Sigma Xi, The Scientific Research Society at .........to be
known as |
| 186. |
the ........Chapter, is hereby granted to the following
persons as |
| 187. |
Charter Members and Charter Associate Members, conveying to |
| 188. |
them and to their duly elected successors all the privileges
and |
| 189. |
responsibilities conferred by the Constitution of the Society;
(list of |
| 190. |
names)" |
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|
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(ii) Second Paragraph. The second paragraph of the
charter of a |
| 192. |
chapter shall be in the following form: |
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|
| 193. |
"In witness whereof, the signatures of
the President and the |
| 194. |
Executive Director, together with the Seal of the Society, are
|
| 195. |
hereunto affixed on the ..........day of ..........in the
year......." |
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|
| 196. |
E. Geographic Regions. Chapters located in North
America are |
| 197. |
assigned to the geographic region in which they are located. |
| 198. |
Chapters located outside North America shall be assigned to a |
| 199. |
geographic region by the Board of Directors after consultation
with |
| 200. |
the chapter. A chapter having special ties to a chapter in
another |
| 201. |
region may ask to be reassigned, and the Board of Directors
shall act |
| 202. |
on such requests. Once each decade the Board of Directors
shall |
| 203. |
evaluate the distribution of members and chapters within the |
| 204. |
geographic regions and make appropriate changes to geographic |
| 205. |
boundaries. |
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|
| 206. |
F. Constituency Groups. Chapters located in the United
States and |
| 207. |
its territories are assigned by the Board of Directors to one
of four |
| 208. |
constituency groups of chapters from similar institutions.
Chapters |
| 209. |
located outside of the United States and its territories are
assigned to |
| 210. |
the Canadian/International constituency group. A chapter may
ask to |
| 211. |
be reassigned to a different constituency group, and the Board
of |
| 212. |
Directors shall act on such requests. |
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|
| 213. |
Section 2. The Assembly of Delegates. A. Duties of
the |
| 214. |
Assembly. The Assembly of Delegates shall meet annually in
|
| 215. |
General Session at which time the delegates shall consider and act |
| 216. |
upon business. Elections of officers will be carried out as described |
| 217. |
in Bylaw III 3. Elections of Directors, Associate Directors, and |
| 218. |
members of the Committee on Nominations will be carried out as |
| 219. |
described in Bylaw III 4. While in-person meetings are preferred, |
| 220. |
such Assemblies may be convened by any means that provide for |
| 221. |
discussion as needed to complete the business of the Assembly,
|
| 222. |
including electronic. |
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|
| 223. |
B. Caucuses. In addition to the General Sessions of the Assembly |
| 224. |
of Delegates attended by all delegates, the Annual Meeting shall |
| 225. |
provide time for caucuses of each geographic region and |
| 226. |
constituency group at which time the delegates may meet and |
| 227. |
conduct such discussions and business, including the election of a |
| 228. |
Director, a member of the Committee on Nominations, and members |
| 229. |
of the region or group nominating committees, as may be required. |
| 230. |
The appropriate Director shall preside over each caucus. Directors |
| 231. |
prepare agendas of matters to be discussed, which shall include |
| 232. |
matters of interest to science and to the Society as a whole, as well as |
| 233. |
matters specific to the interest of the geographic region or |
| 234. |
constituency group. The Director may act as spokesperson for the
|
| 235. |
geographic region or constituency group at General Sessions of the |
| 236. |
Assembly of Delegates. In years when the Assembly is not held in |
| 237. |
person, caucuses may be held by any means that provide for |
| 238. |
discussion as needed to complete the business of the caucus. |
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| 239. |
C. (reserved) |
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| 240. |
D. (reserved) |
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|
| 241. |
E. (reserved) |
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|
| 242. |
F. Agenda of the General Session of the Assembly of
Delegates. |
| 243. |
(i) Order of Business. The Preliminary Agenda of the
General |
| 244. |
Session of an Assembly of Delegates shall set forth the order
of |
| 245. |
business proposed by the President. The Preliminary Agenda
may be |
| 246. |
amended at the opening of the First Session of said
Assembly, and |
| 247. |
shall be adopted by a majority vote of the Assembly of Delegates. |
| |
|
| 248. |
(ii) Change in the Order of Business. The regular order
of |
| 249. |
business, having been adopted, may be suspended or modified by
a |
| 250. |
three-fourths majority vote of the Assembly of Delegates. |
| |
|
| 251. |
(iii) Rules of Order. Meetings of the Assembly of
Delegates shall |
| 252. |
be conducted in accordance with the current edition of Robert's |
| 253. |
Rules of Order Newly Revised, except when in conflict with the |
| 254. |
Constitution or Bylaws, in which case the Constitution or Bylaws |
| 255. |
shall prevail. The President shall serve as the presiding officer of the |
| 256. |
Assembly, and the Executive Director as its secretary. The presiding |
| 257. |
officer may limit debate for the purpose of maintaining the time |
| 258. |
schedule of the Assembly. |
| |
|
| 259. |
(iv) Limitations on Resolutions. (a) No resolution,
except those |
| 260. |
reported by official committees or those hereinafter defined,
will be |
| 261. |
in order for consideration by an Assembly of Delegates unless |
| 262. |
having been presented first to the Committee designated by the
|
| 263. |
Board. All proposed resolutions of a substantive nature, including |
| 264. |
motions, to be eligible for passage at an Assembly of Delegates, must |
| 265. |
have been submitted 150 days prior to the convening of that |
| 266. |
Assembly of Delegates and circulated to the chapters 60 days in |
| 267. |
advance of the meeting. The Executive Director shall inform the |
| 268. |
chapters of the final date for submission of proposed resolutions, and |
| 269. |
invite the chapters to make their submissions through the Executive |
| 270. |
Director. (b) Motions and resolutions of a substantive nature offered |
| 271. |
by the Board of Directors, or motions and resolutions merely |
| 272. |
expressing the sense of the Assembly, such as commemorative |
| 273. |
resolutions, are exempt from this provision. (c) Proposals |
| 274. |
concerning resolutions of a substantive nature may be considered by |
| 275. |
the Assembly of Delegates for inclusion on the agenda of the next |
| 276. |
Assembly of Delegates, and a majority vote of the current Assembly |
| 277. |
of Delegates on such a proposal shall require that it be placed on the |
| 278. |
agenda of the next Assembly. |
| |
|
| 279. |
(v) Policy on Resolutions. The Committee designated by the Board |
| 280. |
will have responsibility to set policy regarding the handling of |
| 281. |
resolutions as submitted by chapters. Changes in policy will be |
| 282. |
communicated to the chapters for a comment period of not less than |
| 283. |
30 days. After the comment period the changes may be revised for |
| 284. |
a new comment period. Should fifteen (15) or more chapters object to |
| 285. |
a policy change in writing and objections cannot be resolved in a |
| 286. |
new comment period, the policy change will be held in abeyance |
| 287. |
until the next Assembly of Delegates where it will be presented for |
| 288. |
vote. Otherwise the policy change will be implemented upon the |
| 289. |
close of the comment period. |
| |
|
| 290. |
Section 3. Officers of the Society. A. Officers The officers of the |
| 291. |
Society consist of the President, Past-President, President-Elect, and |
| 292. |
the Treasurer. The Executive Director serving as Executive |
| 293. |
Secretary is also an Officer of the Society but without vote. |
| |
|
| 294. |
B. Election of Officers. (i) Nomination by the
Committee on |
| 295. |
Nominations. The Committee on Nominations shall present
to the |
| 296. |
chapters through the Executive Director, at least 60 days
prior to the |
| 297. |
convening of the Assembly of Delegates, a report which shall |
| 298. |
provide: (a) at least two nominees for President-elect; (b) at
least |
| 299. |
two nominees for Treasurer, when required; together with (c)
the |
| 300. |
normal biographical information such as would be available in |
| 301. |
standard publications and, in addition, data on past service
to the |
| 302. |
Society together with the assurance that the nominee will
serve if |
| 303. |
elected. To assist the Committee in its selection of nominees
for |
| 304. |
Treasurer, the President, in consultation with the
President-elect and |
| 305. |
the Chair of the Committee, shall appoint a search committee
of not |
| 306. |
less than three and not more than five persons, none of whom
may be |
| 307. |
an officer of the Society and not more than two of whom may
be |
| 308. |
members of the Committee on Nominations. The search committee |
| 309. |
shall be appointed not less than three months before the
Committee |
| 310. |
on Nominations meets to determine its nominees for Treasurer. |
| |
|
| 311. |
(ii) Additional Nominations.
Additional nominations for |
| 312. |
President-elect and for Treasurer may be made provided each |
| 313. |
nominee is supported by at least three chapters and further
provided |
| 314. |
that the chapters have been furnished by the proposers through
the |
| 315. |
Executive Director at least 21 days prior to the convening of
the |
| 316. |
Assembly of Delegates with the name of the nominee and the |
| 317. |
additional information required in (i) above. |
| |
|
| 318. |
C. (reserved) |
| |
|
| 319. |
D. Vacancies. (i) In One Office. In the case of
a vacancy in the |
| 320. |
office of President, the President-elect shall assume the
office and |
| 321. |
the duties of the President they succeed and also serve the
full |
| 322. |
presidential term of one year for which they were elected. In
the case |
| 323. |
of a vacancy in the office of President-elect, the most
recently retired |
| 324. |
president shall assume the duties, but not the office,
until the next |
| 325. |
Assembly of Delegates, at which time both a President and
a |
| 326. |
President-elect shall be elected. The newly elected President
shall, |
| 327. |
in the interim between election by the Assembly of Delegates
and the |
| 328. |
beginning of the elected term, serve as the
President-elect. In the |
| 329. |
case of a vacancy in the office of Immediate Past President,
the most |
| 330. |
recently retired President available shall assume the duties,
but not |
| 331. |
the office, for the remainder of the term. In the case of a vacancy in |
| 332. |
the office of Treasurer, the Executive Committee shall nominate and |
| 333. |
the Board of Directors shall approve a Treasurer to serve until the |
| 334. |
next Assembly of Delegates, at which time a successor shall be |
| 335. |
elected for the unexpired balance of the term of office. |
| |
|
| 336. |
(ii) President and President-elect. Both Vacant. If the
offices of |
| 337. |
both President and President-elect are simultaneously vacant,
the |
| 338. |
Immediate Past President, or the Executive Director or
Treasurer, |
| 339. |
shall convene the Board of Directors, which shall have the
authority |
| 340. |
to fill the office of President and to appoint an individual
to assume |
| 341. |
the duties, but not the office, of President-elect until the
next |
| 342. |
Assembly of Delegates, at which time both a President and a |
| 343. |
President-elect shall be elected. Those individuals elected
shall |
| 344. |
immediately assume office completing the unexpired terms of
their |
| 345. |
predecessors prior to serving the terms for which they were
elected. |
| |
|
| 346. |
Section 4. Board of Directors. A. Membership.
The Board of |
| 347. |
Directors shall consist of the President, the President-elect,
the |
| 348. |
Immediate Past President, the Treasurer, the Executive
Director |
| 349. |
(without vote), a Director elected for each geographic region
by the |
| 350. |
chapters in the region, a Director elected for each
constituency group |
| 351. |
by the chapters in the group, and a Director elected by the |
| 352. |
membership-at-large. No Director may occupy more than one seat |
| 353. |
on the Board of Directors. |
| |
|
| 354. |
B. Election of Directors, Associate Directors, and members of |
| 355. |
the Committee on Nominations for Geographic Regions and for |
| 356. |
Constituencies. (i) Nomination and Voting. At the Annual |
| 357. |
Meeting one year prior to electing a Director, Associate Director, or |
| 358. |
member of the Committee on Nominations for a particular region or |
| 359. |
constituency, the caucus of each geographic region or constituency |
| 360. |
shall appoint a Nominating Committee. The Director shall be an ex |
| 361. |
officio member of the Nominating Committee. The Nominating |
| 362. |
Committee shall report to the chapters of its region or constituency, |
| 363. |
through the Executive Director, at least 60 days prior to the |
| 364. |
convening of the caucus , a slate of nominees from the region or |
| 365. |
constituency for each position up for election, together with the |
| 366. |
normal biographical data, information on the nominee's past service |
| 367. |
to the Society and the assurance that the nominee will serve if |
| 368. |
elected. Voting in the caucus shall be by ballot, and each |
| 369. |
chapter represented by a delegate at the caucus shall have one vote. |
| 370. |
The nominee receiving the largest number of votes shall be declared |
| 371. |
elected, except that if two, or more, nominees are tied for the largest |
| 372. |
number of votes, they shall enter a run-off election. A Director shall |
| 373. |
be limited to two full successive terms of office, but may be |
| 374. |
nominated again for a term commencing at least three years after |
| 375. |
termination of the previous term. The Associate Director shall assist |
| 376. |
the Director and, at the request of the Director, may attend in a non- |
| 377. |
voting capacity a meeting of the Board of Directors in place of the |
| 378. |
Director. The rotation of elections shall be set by the Board of |
| 379. |
Directors, in compliance with Bylaw III. |
| |
|
| 380. |
(ii) Vacancies. In the event of a vacancy in the office of Director, |
| 381. |
that vacancy shall be filled by the Associate Director. If there is no |
| 382. |
Associate Director, the Executive Committee shall nominate and the |
| 383. |
Board of Directors shall approve a Director to serve until the next |
| 384. |
Annual Meeting at which time a special election shall be held by the |
| 385. |
affected geographic region or constituency to fill the unexpired term, |
| 386. |
following the regular procedures. If a Director of a region or a |
| 387. |
constituency becomes a member of a different region or |
| 388. |
constituency, the Director may, with the concurrence of the chapters |
| 389. |
in the original region or constituency, continue to serve as a Director |
| 390. |
until the expiration of the Director's term. Concurrence of the region |
| 391. |
or constituency will be determined by ballot, which may be |
| 392. |
electronic. A quorum will be considered as 50% plus one of the |
| 393. |
chapters in that region or constituency. A 50% plus one or more |
| 394. |
approval will be required. |
| |
|
| 395. |
(iii) Notification. The name of the newly elected Director (if any), |
| 396. |
the members of the Committee on Nominations (if any), and the |
| 397. |
members of the Geographic Region or Constituency Nominating |
| 398. |
Committees shall be reported to the Executive Director by the |
| 399. |
presiding officer of each caucus. |
| |
|
| 400. |
(iv) Duties. The Director for a geographic region or constituency, in |
| 401. |
addition to the duties stated in the Constitution and in other sections |
| 402. |
of the Bylaws, shall work with, give advice to, and contribute to the |
| 403. |
health of chapters within the region or the constituency. |
| |
|
| 404. |
D. Election of the Director for the
Membership-at-Large. (i) |
| 405. |
Nominations and Voting. At least one year before the
election of a |
| 406. |
Director by the membership-at-large, the membership-at-large
shall |
| 407. |
elect a Nominating Committee consisting of 5 members-at-large. |
| 408. |
The Nominating Committee shall present to the
membership-at-large |
| 409. |
through the Executive Director at least 60 days prior to the
voting for |
| 410. |
Director, a report which will provide at least three nominees
from the |
| 411. |
membership-at-large together with the normal biographical |
| 412. |
information, data on the nominee's past service to the Society
and |
| 413. |
assurance that the nominee will serve if elected. The
Executive |
| 414. |
Director shall advise the membership-at-large of the nominees
for |
| 415. |
Director, and their biographical information, and provide the |
| 416. |
opportunity for each member-at-large to cast a ballot to elect
the |
| 417. |
Director within a 60 day period. The nominee receiving the
largest |
| 418. |
number of votes shall be declared elected. A Director shall be limited
|
| 419. |
to two full successive terms of office but may be
nominated again for |
| 420. |
a term commencing at least three years after
termination of the |
| 421. |
Director's previous term. The Board of Directors is
empowered to |
| 422. |
detail further procedures for the election of the
Nominating |
| 423. |
Committee and the Director. |
| |
|
| 424. |
(ii) Vacancies. In the event of a
vacancy in the office of Director |
| 425. |
from the membership-at-large, the Executive Committee shall |
| 426. |
nominate and the Board of Directors shall approve a Director to |
| 427. |
complete the unexpired term. |
| |
|
| 428. |
(iii) Notification. The name of the newly elected
Director and the |
| 429. |
members of the Nominating Committee shall be reported to the |
| 430. |
membership-at-large by the Executive Director. |
| |
|
| 431. |
(iv) Delegates. The Director from
the membership-at-large, and two |
| 432. |
members-at-large, appointed by the President on recommendation of |
| 433. |
the Director, shall be accredited as
delegates from the membership- |
| 434. |
at-large at each Assembly of Delegates. |
| |
|
| 435. |
E. Quorum of the Board of Directors. Eleven of the
Directors |
| 436. |
Officers with vote shall constitute a quorum of the Board of |
| 437. |
Directors. |
| |
|
| 438. |
F. Terms of Regional and Constituency Group Elected |
| 439. |
Positions. From time to time unanticipated events may require the |
| 440. |
alteration of the normal three year terms of office for Directors, |
| 441. |
Associate Directors, and members of the Committee on |
| 442. |
Nominations. The Board of Directors will make such adjustments |
| 443. |
to terms prior to the election for the affected term and announce |
| 444. |
such changes along with the announcement of the nominees as |
| 445. |
described in Bylaw III 4 B. |
| |
|
| 446. |
Section 5. The Executive Committee. A. Membership.
(i) the |
| 447. |
Executive Committee shall consist of the President, Past-President, |
| 448. |
President-Elect, Treasurer, and two Directors selected as described in |
| 449. |
(i). The Executive Director shall also be a member, without vote. |
| 450. |
(i) Selection of Members. The Board of Directors shall, at a |
| 451. |
meeting held prior to 1 July of each year, designate in even- |
| 452. |
numbered years a Director elected by a constituency group and in |
| 453. |
odd-numbered years a Director elected by a geographic region to |
| 454. |
serve on the Executive Committee for the ensuing two years. In |
| 455. |
selecting the Director to serve, consideration shall be given to the |
| 456. |
availability of the individual to serve for two years and to attend |
| 457. |
meetings. |
| |
|
| 458. |
(ii) Selection of Alternates. If, in connection with the call of a |
| 459. |
meeting of the Executive Committee, it shall be determined
that an |
| 460. |
officer or designated member will be unable to attend the
meeting, it |
| 461. |
shall be the option of that individual to select, from among the other |
| 462. |
members of the Board of Directors, an alternate to attend in a non- |
| 463. |
voting capacity in the member's place. |
| |
|
| 464. |
B. Duties and Limitations. The Executive Committee of the |
| 465. |
Board of Directors shall have the following specific duties, subject, |
| 466. |
however, to the conditions, limitations and requirements set forth |
| 467. |
below. |
| |
|
| 468. |
(i) Responsibilities. The Executive Committee shall have the |
| 469. |
responsibility to act for the Board of Directors between meetings |
| 470. |
with respect to matters not excluded in subsection (vii) below: (a) |
| 471. |
when action is required and the exigencies of the situation will not |
| 472. |
permit a delay until the next meeting of the Board of Directors or |
| 473. |
until a ballot can be taken; or (b) when the degree of confidentiality |
| 474. |
is so great as to require consideration by a smaller group; or (c) |
| 475. |
when the Executive Director requires an advise-and-consent service. The |
| 476. |
Executive Committee shall also have the responsibility to assist the |
| 477. |
Board of Directors by (a) giving preliminary consideration to matters |
| 478. |
where an appropriate committee does not exist or when time does not |
| 479. |
allow referral to the appropriate committee, (b) meeting shortly |
| 480. |
before each meeting of the Board of Directors to aid in assisting the |
| 481. |
Board of Directors in achieving informed decisions in a short period |
| 482. |
of time, and (c) taking action on specific matters as requested by the |
| 483. |
Board of Directors. |
| |
|
| 484. |
(ii) Limitations. The Executive Committee shall not have the |
| 485. |
power to: (a) elect or remove officers, except to recommend removal |
| 486. |
of the Executive Director; (b) act in contravention of policies |
| 487. |
established by the Board of Directors; (c) authorize the sale or other |
| 488. |
disposition of all or any substantial portion of the assets of the |
| 489. |
Society; (d) act for the Board of Directors in granting and revoking |
| 490. |
charters for chapters or (e) create and authorize new policy. |
| |
|
| 491. |
(iii) Record of Actions. A record shall be kept of the formal actions |
| 492. |
of the Executive Committee, and a report thereon shall be made to |
| 493. |
the next meeting of the Board of Directors. |
| |
|
| 494. |
(vii) Quorum. Five members shall constitute a quorum of the |
| 495. |
Executive Committee. |
| |
|
| 496. |
Section 6. Committees of the Society. Unless otherwise specified |
| 497. |
in the Bylaws or in a resolution of the Board of Directors,
the |
| 498. |
membership of Committees of the Society will be by appointment
by |
| 499. |
the President, with the advice and consent of the
President-elect, |
| 500. |
upon recommendation of the Committee Chair. The President and |
| 501. |
the President-elect shall be members, ex officio, and
with the vote, of |
| 502. |
all committees except the Committees on Audit Review and |
| 503. |
Nominations. A Chair of a committee other than the Committee on |
| 504. |
Nominations, may also invite other individuals, as resource persons |
| 505. |
without vote, if in consultation with the Executive Director such |
| 506. |
participation is deemed necessary for the discharge of the |
| 507. |
Committee's mandate. |
| |
|
| 508. |
A. Committee on Finances. (a) Membership of the
Committee. |
| 509. |
The Committee on Finances shall consist of the Treasurer as Chair, |
| 510. |
together with the President, the President-elect and the Executive |
| 511. |
Director, ex officiis, and six members, three of whom shall not be |
| 512. |
Directors, nominated by the Treasurer and approved by the Board of |
| 513. |
Directors for three-year staggered terms. An elected member of the |
| 514. |
Committee shall be limited to two full successive terms but may be |
| 515. |
nominated again for a term commencing at least three years after |
| 516. |
termination of the previous term. (b) Duties. It shall be the duty of |
| 517. |
this Committee to advise the Board of Directors of the Society and of |
| 518. |
the Corporation regarding the raising and acquisition of capital |
| 519. |
funds; the investment of its endowments, funds and reserves; and the |
| 520. |
annual budgets for research, operations and capital equipment, |
| 521. |
including the physical plant, debits/net assets, and |
| 522. |
expenditure/income patterns. It shall review and modify the |
| 523. |
Executive Director's annual budget for the consideration of the |
| 524. |
Board of Directors, and a copy of the annual budget will be furnished |
| 525. |
to each chapter at least 60 days prior to the Assembly of Delegates. |
| |
|
| 526. |
B. Committee on Audit Review. The Committee on Audit |
| 527. |
Review shall consist of three members appointed by the Board of |
| 528. |
Directors at the Annual Meeting of the Board of Directors of the |
| 529. |
Corporation to serve between Annual Assemblies of Delegates for |
| 530. |
three-year staggered terms. Current officers or Directors are not |
| 531. |
eligible to serve on the Committee on Audit Review. The senior |
| 532. |
member shall serve as Chair. It shall be the duty of this committee |
| 533. |
to: (a) discuss with the auditors the scope and results of their |
| 534. |
examinations, (b) establish and maintain an open line of |
| 535. |
communication between the Board of Directors and the auditors, (c) |
| 536. |
assure itself that the accounting procedures and financial controls of |
| 537. |
the Society and of the Corporation adequately safeguard the assets of |
| 538. |
the Society and of the Corporation and ensure the reliability of its |
| 539. |
financial records and (d) ascertain that the official auditors do |
| 540. |
contribute to Sigma Xi any and all of the affirmative comments and |
| 541. |
suggestions which can be helpful in improving the overall operations |
| 542. |
of the Society. |
| |
|
| 543. |
C. Committee on Nominations. (a) The Committee on |
| 544. |
Nominations shall consist of one member elected by each
geographic |
| 545. |
region, one member elected by each constituency group, one member |
| 546. |
elected by the membership-at-large, and the three most recently |
| 547. |
retired and available presidents of the Society. The
Chair shall be |
| 548. |
selected by the Committee from among its membership, but shall |
| 549. |
not be drawn from the retired presidents. No
Director may serve on the |
| 550. |
Committee. The elected members of the Committee shall be elected |
| 551. |
to three-year rotating terms. An elected
member of the Committee |
| 552. |
shall be limited to one three year term but may nominated again
be |
| 553. |
for a term commencing at least three years
after termination of the |
| 554. |
previous term. It shall be the duty of this Committee to present |
| 555. |
nominations to the Assembly of Delegates the officers to be
for |
| 556. |
elected as required by Bylaw III, Section 3
B (i), which nominations |
| 557. |
may not include individuals currently
serving on the Committee. All |
| 558. |
nominations by this Committee shall reach Executive Director in
the |
| 559. |
sufficient time to be included in the
call of the Assembly of |
| 560. |
Delegates as required in Article III, Section 2 B
of the Constitution. |
| 561. |
Procedures of this Committee shall conform to
those established by |
| 562. |
the Executive Committee, and copies thereof
shall be furnished to |
| 563. |
each member of the Committee immediately after election or |
| 564. |
designation. The term of this Committee shall
commence upon the |
| 565. |
adjournment of the Assembly of Delegates and
terminate upon the |
| 566. |
adjournment of the succeeding Assembly of Delegates. |
| |
|
| 567. |
D. Other Committees of the Society. Committees for the |
| 568. |
operations and activities of the Society may be established
and |
| 569. |
disestablished by the Board of Directors from time to time.
The |
| 570. |
Board of Directors shall define the duties and
responsibilities of a |
| 571. |
committee, the number of members to serve on the committee,
and |
| 572. |
the duration of the committee. |
| |
|
| 573. |
E. Terms of Chairs and Members of Committees. Terms of |
| 574. |
chairs and members of all committees of the Society, unless provided |
| 575. |
for in a specific Bylaw or Board Resolution, shall be for three-year |
| 576. |
periods. |
| |
|
| 577. |
F. Reports of Committees. Reports and recommendations
of |
| 578. |
committees made to the Board of Directors of the Society shall
also |
| 579. |
be considered made to the Board of Directors of the
Corporation |
| 580. |
whenever and wherever deemed necessary. |
| |
|
| 581. |
Section 7. Meetings. A. Notice.
Notice shall be interpreted to be: |
| 582. |
(a) 15 days for meetings of the Board of Directors, and (b)
five days |
| 583. |
for meetings of the Executive Committee and any committee of
the |
| 584. |
Society. |
| |
|
| 585. |
B. Manner of Giving Notice. Notice shall be given by
mail, |
| 586. |
telephone, telegraph, electronically or personally. Meetings
may be |
| 587. |
held by any means, including electronic means, which allows for |
| 588. |
discussion necessary to carry out business as is permitted by law. |
| 589. |
Notice may be waived either before or after a meeting by any person |
| 590. |
entitled thereto. |
| |
|
| 591. |
Section 8. Meetings of Substantial Importance or Emergency. |
| 592. |
Meetings of the Sigma Xi Board of Directors may be held by |
| 593. |
telephone conference or other appropriate means, as is permitted by |
| 594. |
law, with such notice as the officer calling the meeting deems |
| 595. |
appropriate. An electronic poll is acceptable to request Board |
| 596. |
approval regarding urgent issues requiring a timely response or |
| 597. |
action. |
| |
|
| 598. |
Section 9. The Executive Director. The Executive
Director shall |
| 599. |
be the custodian of the Seal of the Society and of the
Archives of the |
| 600. |
Society, and shall plan and direct the affairs of the Society
in |
| 601. |
accordance with the input of the Executive Committee subject to the |
| 602. |
consent and policies established by the Board of Directors. Unless |
| 603. |
the Board of Directors shall make other arrangements, the Executive |
| 604. |
Director shall serve as the publisher of the publications of the |
| 605. |
Society. |
| |
|
| 606. |
Section 10. (reserved) |
| |
|
| 607. |
BYLAW IV. Dues and Expenses of the Society |
| |
|
| 608. |
Section 1. Dues and Fees. A. Annual Dues. (i) How
Set. Dues |
| 609. |
for the active membership, except for Life Members, shall be
set |
| 610. |
annually by a plurality vote of the Assembly of Delegates upon
the |
| 611. |
recommendation of the Board of Directors at a rate consonant
with |
| 612. |
the policies relative to dues and financial administration set
by the |
| 613. |
Assembly of Delegates. |
| |
|
| 614. |
(ii) Reduced Dues. Members and Associate Members who
are |
| 615. |
eligible may request one or other of the
following reductions, but not |
| 616. |
both. (a) Same household. In cases where two members of the
same |
| 617. |
household are active in the Society and only one copy of American |
| 618. |
Scientist is requested, a reduction equal to one-half
of the annual |
| 619. |
dues of that member not receiving copies of American
Scientist is |
| 620. |
made in the combined annual dues, provided that both renewal |
| 621. |
notices are paid and returned together. (b) Full-time
students. |
| 622. |
Members or Associate Members who are full-time degree-seeking |
| 623. |
students at an institution of higher education may request
reduced |
| 624. |
dues as established according to Bylaw IV 1 A (i). |
| |
|
| 625. |
(iii) Emeritus Members. The annual dues of each
emeritus |
| 626. |
member shall be equal to one-half of the current dues for the
active |
| 627. |
membership established according to Bylaw IV 1 A (i), and it
may |
| 628. |
be paid either by the individual or by the chapter with which
the |
| 629. |
member is affiliated on the member's behalf. |
| |
|
| 630. |
B. Life Membership Fee. The amount of the fee for life |
| 631. |
membership shall be set from time to time by a plurality vote
of the |
| 632. |
Assembly of Delegates upon recommendation of the Board of Directors. |
| |
|
| 633. |
C. Initial and Promotion Fees. (i) How Set. The
amount of the |
| 634. |
initial fee for newly elected members, and the amount of the |
| 635. |
promotion fee for promotion to full membership, shall be |
| 636. |
recommended by the Board of Directors and approved by a
plurality |
| 637. |
vote of the Assembly of Delegates. Initiates, and Associate |
| 638. |
Members seeking promotion who are not
active, shall also be |
| 639. |
required to pay one year's annual dues as a condition of
election or |
| 640. |
promotion. |
| |
|
| 641. |
(ii) Reduction of Initial Fees. Any chapter may elect
to reduce the |
| 642. |
initial fees by an amount equal to the local support
allocation with |
| 643. |
the provision that no local support for that individual will
be paid to |
| 644. |
the chapter with which that initiate is active during the
first fiscal |
| 645. |
year following election. Any chapter electing to have reduced
initial |
| 646. |
fees must do so for all such fees in that fiscal year. |
| |
|
| 647. |
D. Assessments. If and when necessary for capital
expenses, an |
| 648. |
assessment may be levied on all active members in such amount
and |
| 649. |
payable on such terms as may be recommended by the Board of |
| 650. |
Directors and authorized by a plurality
vote of the Assembly of |
| 651. |
Delegates. |
| |
|
| 652. |
E. Local Chapter Dues. Local chapter dues, if assessed,
shall be |
| 653. |
set in an amount and by procedures provided for in the bylaws
of the |
| 654. |
chapter. The chapter shall have the option of collecting them directly |
| 655. |
or requesting the Treasurer of the Society to collect
them. |
| |
|
| 656. |
Section 2. Expenses. A. Proper Expenses. The
proper expenses |
| 657. |
of the Society shall include, but are not limited to, the
following: |
| 658. |
operations of the Headquarters of the Society; publication of |
| 659. |
American Scientist; the Lectureships Program;
Grants-in-Aid of |
| 660. |
Research; authorized travel expenses of the staff, officers,
members |
| 661. |
of the Board of Directors and members of committees in
accordance |
| 662. |
with regulations approved by the Board of Directors;
subvention of |
| 663. |
travel for delegates attending an Assembly of Delegates in |
| 664. |
accordance with regulations approved by the Assembly of
Delegates |
| 665. |
and local support allocations. |
| |
|
| 666. |
B. Local Support. The sum allocated from annual dues by
a |
| 667. |
plurality vote of the Assembly of Delegates for local support
of the |
| 668. |
chapters shall be forwarded by the Executive Director to the |
| 669. |
treasurers of the chapters, except that local support shall be
withheld |
| 670. |
from any chapter not currently in good standing as defined in
Bylaw |
| 671. |
III, Section 1 B. |
| |
|
| 672. |
BYLAW V. Seal and Insignia of the Society |
| |
|
| 673. |
Section 1. The Seal of the Society. The Seal of the
Society shall |
| 674. |
show a wreath of laurel, typifying the honorary character of |
| 675. |
membership in the Society, arranged as an oval and enclosing
the |
| 676. |
words "Sigma Xi, The Scientific
Research Society" at the top, and |
| 677. |
the motto, in Greek, at the bottom. These words shall form an
inner |
| 678. |
oval, concentric with the first, punctuated with ten stars,
and |
| 679. |
enclosing a field illuminated by a Grecian lamp to represent
the |
| 680. |
Lamp of Research. Above the lamp, in the field of
illumination, |
| 681. |
shall be placed the monogram of the Society and the date,
1886, |
| 682. |
when it was founded. |
| |
|
| 683. |
Section 2. Official Insignia. The official insignia
shall be: |
| |
|
| 684. |
A. The Key. A gold watch-chain pendant, charm or pin
consisting |
| 685. |
of a four-piece monogram style of insignia in the shape of a
key |
| 686. |
described as follows: the base is a large, brightly polished
Greek |
| 687. |
letter X (Xi) scrolled out to shape
and superimposed thereon a Greek |
| 688. |
letter S (Sigma). Affixed to the
top of the base letter is a decorative |
| 689. |
post and ring, and at the base, a standard decorative key end.
On the |
| 690. |
reverse side of the key may be engraved the name of the
chapter in |
| 691. |
which the Member or Associate Member was initiated together
with |
| 692. |
the date of initiation and initiate's name. |
| |
|
| 693. |
B. The Ring. A gold insignia ring bearing the monogram
of the |
| 694. |
Society together with a wreath of laurel, appropriately
mounted. |
| |
|
| 695. |
Section 3. Procurement. The various
insignia shall be obtained |
| 696. |
only through the Office of the Executive Director, who shall
arrange |
| 697. |
to have authorized orders filled by an official jeweler, the
latter |
| 698. |
appointed by the Executive Director with the approval of the
Board |
| 699. |
of Directors. |
| |
|
| 700. |
Section 4. Colors. The colors of the Society shall be
electric blue |
| 701. |
and white. |
| |
|
| 702. |
Section 5. Stationery. The official stationery of the
Society shall |
| 703. |
bear the monogram described in Article V of the Constitution. |