American
Association of Physical Anthropologists Constitution and
By-Laws
CONSTITUTION
ARTICLE
I
Name and Purpose
Section
1. Name. The name of this society is the American Association of
Physical Anthropologists.
Section
2. The purpose of the Association is the advancement of the
science of physical (biological) anthropology.
ARTICLE
II
Officers
Section 1. Officers. The officers of the Association
shall be a President, a Vice-President, and a Secretary-Treasurer.
There shall be four officers in their positions at any given time,
since the President-Elect and the Past President shall serve in alternate
years.
Section 2. Presidential Duties. The
President shall chair the annual business meeting and
the Executive Committee. He or she shall have powers and authorities usually
vested in the President of a learned society and shall perform such other
duties as the Executive Committee or membership may direct. He or she shall
have voting privileges within the Executive Committee.
Section 3. Duties of the
President-Elect. The President-Elect shall assist the President, and, in
the absence or disability of the President during the second year of the
President’s term, shall perform the duties of the President.
Section 4. Duties of the
Past-President. The Past-President shall assist the President, and,
in the absence or disability of the President during the first year of the
President’s term, shall perform the duties of the President.
Section 5. Vice-Presidential Duties. The
Vice-President shall assist the President in the performance of the
President’s duties, and shall also be responsible for planning the program
of the annual meeting.
Section 6. Secretary-Treasurer’s Duties. The Secretary-Treasurer shall keep financial accounts
of the Association, insure that its funds are collected, and disburse funds
under the direction of the Executive
Committee. Accounting for the financial status of the Association is part of that duty, including a
written report to the Association at the annual business meeting. The
Secretary-Treasurer shall ensure that minutes are taken during the annual business meeting and any Executive
Committee meetings, and that these are published
or otherwise made available to the Association. A current Association membership list, a copy of the current Constitution and
By-Laws, and a separate list of all successful
motions and resolutions shall be kept by the Secretary-Treasurer’s office. The Secretary-Treasurer shall also be responsible for
recording nominees for membership and presenting
nominees to the current membership for approval.
Section
7. All officers, Editors, and Associate Editors and other
Association officials must be regular members in good standing.
Section 8. Terms. The President and
Vice-President shall be elected for terms of two years each in alternate
years. The Secretary-Treasurer shall be elected for a term of four years.
ARTICLE III
Standing
Committees
Section
1a. Executive Committee Membership. The Executive Committee shall
consist of the four officers (President-Elect and Past-President
serve in alternate years and are not members of the Executive
Committee at the same time), four regular committee persons, the Editor of the
Association’s official journal, and the Editor of the Yearbook of Physical Anthropology. Editors of any other
publications sponsored by the Association may be added to the
Executive Committee by majority vote of regular members present and voting at
the annual business meeting. Any Executive Committee member holding multiple
memberships is entitled to only a single voting privilege.
Section
1b. Executive Committee Tenure. At least
one member of the Executive Committee, exclusive of the officers
of the Association specified in Section 1a preceding, shall be elected
annually to serve for three years. Editors serving on the Executive Committee
as a consequence of their Editorship will be removed from Committee
membership immediately should the publication or their editorial position
terminate.
Section
1c. Executive Committee Duties. The management of the affairs
of the Association in the interim between meetings is delegated to the
Executive Committee. Other Committee duties are specified in the Constitution
and By-Laws.
Section
2. Other Committees. The
following standing committees shall be constituted: Membership
and Credentials; Publications; Meetings; History and Honors; Student Affairs;
and Career Development. Each Committee shall have at least three members, one
of whom is designated by the President to chair the Committee. All members
are appointed for a three-year term by the President with advice and
consent of the Executive Committee. There shall also be a Nominating
Committee consisting of three persons. They shall be appointed
by the President with advice and consent of the Executive Committee for a one-year
term, beginning at least three months prior to the annual meeting. The
President is responsible for charging Committees with their duties and
receiving their reports. At the President’s discretion, Committee members may
be given staggered terms. All Committees are to keep detailed records of
their proceedings suitable for transmission to future committee members.
ARTICLE IV
Meetings
Section
1. The Association shall meet once a year, except when
special circumstances require otherwise, at a time and place to be
determined by the Executive Committee.
ARTICLE V
Membership
Section
1a. Regular
membership shall be open to professional anthropologists, advanced graduate
students showing evidence of professional capacity, professionals in cognate
sciences, and others who have demonstrated qualification by publication or
other professional activities.
Section
1b. Student
membership shall be open to bona fide graduate students for a maximum of six years.
Section
1c. Special membership shall be open to student members after
their six-year membership
has expired.
Section 2. Regular members, in good standing,
are entitled to subscribe to the official journal, to vote at the annual
meeting, and to all other privileges of the Association. Student
and special members are only entitled to subscribe to the official journal.
ARTICLE VI
Dues
Section
1. There shall be annual dues of an amount fixed by the
Association at an annual meeting. Such dues shall include an amount for the
conduct of the Association’s business plus the cost of any official publication to which the member
is entitled.
ARTICLE VII
Amendment
Section
1. Any change in the Constitution or By-Laws of the
Association must be proposed in writing by at least five regular
members. Such proposal shall be referred to the Executive Committee and
shall be discussed at the next annual business meeting. If approved
there, the Amendment will be distributed to the membership at the next annual
business meeting. If approved there, the amendment will be distributed to the
membership in the minutes of the annual meeting. At the following
annual business meeting, it will be submitted for final approval.
A two-thirds vote of the regular members present and voting shall
be sufficient for adoption.
ARTICLE VIII
Publications
Section
1. The official journal of the Association is the American Journal of Physical Anthropology. The Executive Committee
with the approval of a majority of the regular members present and
voting at the annual meeting may establish additional publications.
Section
2. Editor. At proper intervals, the Executive Committee shall
nominate the Editor of its official journal to serve for a term of six years.
Nominations and terms for editors of other serial publications sponsored by
the Association shall be made by the Executive Committee.
Section
3. Editorial Board. The Editor of the official journal shall nominate
for the Executive Committee’s approval an editorial board of at
least eight Associate Editors, of whom at least two shall be
nominated annually to serve for four years. Nominations and terms
for Associate Editors of other serial publications sponsored by the Association
shall be made by the Editor and shall be submitted to the Executive Committee
for its approval.
Section
4. Yearbook of Physical
Anthropology Editor’s Term. At proper intervals, the Executive
Committee shall nominate the Editor of the Yearbook of Physical Anthropology to serve for a term of
six years. During this term, five annual volumes of the Yearbook will be published. The
appointment of a new Yearbook
Editor should be made approximately two years before the first
volume of the Yearbook
under
his/her Editorship. The Editor in office will
remain in office as Editor until the last volume under his/her Editorship is published.
ARTICLE IX
Dissolution
Section
1. Procedure. In the event of dissolution of the organization, all
remaining assets will be distributed only to organizations which
qualify for exemption under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code to
be used for scientific or educational purposes.
BY-LAWS
CHAPTER I
Nomination and Election
of Officers
Section
1. Nominating Committee. Regular nominations for office shall be made by
the Nominating Committee.
Section 2. Nominating Procedure. The Nominating Committee shall name candidates for each office for which a term will expire at
the next annual meeting. Before the end of the year preceding that meeting, the
Nominating Committee shall provide each regular member of the Association with
a ballot for voting on these candidates. Additional nominations for any office may be made in mail and by writing
over the signatures of at least twenty (20) regular members to the chair of the Nominating Committee no later than
the first business day in October of the year preceding. For each office to be
vacated, the names of at least two candidates,
including all candidates validly nominated by mail, shall be placed on the ballot. Ballots must be returned to the Nominating
Committee chair no later than the last day
of February preceding the annual meeting.
Section 3. Election. The Chair
of the Nominations Committee shall count the ballots and inform
the Election Committee of the election results in advance of the annual
Executive Committee meeting, to allow newly elected candidates to
attend that meeting. However, the election results shall become final only when
the ballots have been counted at the Executive Committee meeting
and the results have been announced at the annual meeting of the
Association. Only a plurality is needed for election.
Section
4. Terms. All terms of office shall commence with the close of the
annual business meeting at which the election takes place.
CHAPTER II
Nomination and Election of
Members
Section
1. Proposal. Candidates for regular membership shall be proposed in
writing. Student
members must be so certified by any two
professors. The names of the candidates must
be submitted to the Secretary-Treasurer of the Association together with a
statement of their qualifications. Special membership is open to any student
member requesting this status.
Section 2. Consideration. It shall be one of the
duties of the Membership and Credentials Committee to consider all candidates duly
proposed. Those approved shall be recommended
for election by the Association at the business meeting.
Section 3. Election. At the annual
business meeting the Secretary-Treasurer shall present the list of
candidates for membership approved by the Membership and Credentials
Committee. In the absence of objection from the floor to any name presented,
the Secretary-Treasurer shall be instructed to cast a unanimous ballot for
the list submitted. Any name challenged from the floor may be
withdrawn upon proper motion for further consideration, provided the
reason for the objection is stated. If the motion to withdraw a name is
lost, the candidate shall be voted upon separately. A three-fourth vote of the regular
members present and voting shall be necessary for election.
Section 1. Business
Meeting. One session of the annual meeting shall be devoted to the
business affairs of the Association, including election of officers and
regular members, reports of officers, committees and delegates, the
finances of the Association and such other business as may properly be
brought before it.
Section
2. Quorum. Forty
regular members in good standing shall constitute a quorum at the annual
business meeting.
Section 3. Executive
Committee. The Executive Committee shall meet regularly just prior
to the annual meeting of the Association and at such other times as the
business of the Association may require. The session of the Executive
Committee just prior to the annual meeting shall be called its regular meeting.
Section 4. Agenda. At its regular meeting the Executive Committee
shall determine the agenda for the annual business meeting.
Section 5. Proposals. Any
item of business to be brought before the membership for a vote at
the business meeting may be
excluded from the agenda unless it has been sent to the President
at least four weeks prior to the date of the meeting. It shall be the
President’s responsibility to see that copies of such proposals
appearing on the agenda are made available to the membership by
the beginning of the annual meeting.
Section 6. Meeting
Conduct. The annual business meeting and Executive Committee meetings
shall be conducted according to parliamentary procedure. The Chair may appoint a
parliamentarian to advise on meeting conduct.
Dues
Section 1. Amount. The annual dues of the
Association shall be amounts set by a majority
of regular members present and voting, plus the amount of the annual subscription rate to the official journal and other
publications.
Section
2. Spouses. In cases where husband and wife are both members of the
Association, only one subscription to the official journal and
other publications shall be required.
Section 3. Retirement. After
25 years in good standing, regular members reaching the age of
65, upon written request, may be relieved of payment of the administrative dues
component without impairment of standing.
Section 4. Voting Privilege. Only
regular members whose dues have been paid for a given year are
considered in good standing for that year and entitled to vote in the annual
business meeting. It shall be the duty of the Secretary-Treasurer to ensure
proper compliance with this provision. Student and special members do
not have voting privileges.
Section
5. Delinquents. A member in arrears of dues after six months
shall be dropped automatically from the mailing list.
Section 6. Reinstatement. A member dropped from
the rolls for nonpayment of dues may be restored to membership by payment of
current dues plus all delinquent dues for periods during
which the official journal was received.
Section 7. Membership
Categories. It shall be the responsibility of the Executive Committee
to determine special categories of membership not covered by these By-Laws, and
to determine the appropriate level of dues of these categories.
Publications
Section 1. Editor. At the
expiration of an Editor’s term, the Executive Committee shall
nominate the Editor of any official publication of the Association. This
nomination shall be presented to the annual business meeting of the
Association for its action.
Vacancies
Section 1. In the
event of a vacancy in the office of the President during the first year in
office, the Past-President shall reassume the office for the remainder of the
year. In the event of a vacancy in the office of the President during
the second year in office, the President-Elect shall become President.
Section 2. The
Executive Committee shall appoint a regular member in good standing to fill
any vacancy among the Vice-President, Secretary-Treasurer, and Executive
Committee. Such appointment shall hold until the next annual
meeting when any unexpired term shall be filled by regular nomination
and election procedure.
Section 3. In the case of vacancy among the Editor and
Associate Editors of an official publication, the Executive
Committee shall be empowered to designate a regular member on good standing for
the unexpired term of the place left vacant, subject to the approval of the
Association at its next annual meeting.
CHAPTER VII
Conflict of Interest
No part of the net earnings of
the Association shall inure to the benefit of, or be distributable
to its members, officers, or other private persons, except that the Association
shall be authorized and empowered to pay reasonable compensation for services
rendered and to make payments and distributions in furtherance of
the purposes set forth in the Constitution. Actual expenses incurred by
Executive Committee members while conducting the affairs of the
Association may be paid by the Secretary-Treasurer, provided that such
expenses are authorized in advance by the Executive Committee.
No substantial part of the
activities of the Association shall be the carrying on of propaganda,
or otherwise attempting to influence legislation, and the Association shall not
participate in or intervene in any political campaign on behalf of any
candidate for public office. Notwithstanding any other provision of these
articles, the Association shall not carry on any other activities not permitted
to be carried on (a) by an entity exempt from federal income
tax under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954 (or the
corresponding provision of any future United States Internal Revenue
Law) or (b) by an entity, contributions to which are deductible under
170(c)(2) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954 (or the corresponding
provision of any future United States Internal Revenue Law).
CHAPTER VIII
Indemnification
The members of the Executive
Committee and members of other committees shall not be held personally
liable for the obligations of the Association, and shall not be liable in damages
to the Association for injury which may result from the fulfillment of their
duties when they discharge the duties of their position in good
faith and with that degree of diligence, care and skill which ordinarily prudent
persons would exercise under similar circumstances in like positions.
Note: Amendments to Section 2 of
Article III of the AAPA Constitution, as well as the consolidation
of Sections 1 and 2 of Article VII of the AAPA Constitution, were approved at the 2000
Business Meeting of the AAPA. The changes have been incorporated in the Constitution
as shown above. Please refer to the December 1999 issue (AJPA 110:493–497) for its
older version.
Click here to obtain a formatted PDF version of the AAPA Constitution and By Laws