Bylaws

Northern Ohio Chapter of the American Society for
Information Science and Technology

(As approved by ASIS 10/93):

Articles:

Article I. Name

The name of this organization is the Northern Ohio Chapter of the American Society for Information Science (ASIS). It is also referred to as NORASIS.

Article II. Purpose

The purpose of the Chapter is to provide an organization for members of ASIS located within the Chapter area to participate in and carry forward the programs and purposes of ASIS. The Chapter shall promote the interests of the Society and its programs and shall make every reasonable effort to involve students of information science who are located within its boundaries. The Chapter elects its own officers and plans its programs to reflect the needs and interests of its local membership.

Article III. Membership

Section 1. All regular, retired, student and institutional members in good standing of ASIS whose mailing addresses are within the Chapter's geographic boundaries as established by the ASIS Board of Directors shall automatically be members of the chapter. No individual or organization may become a member of the Chapter except by becoming a member of ASIS.

Section 2. Student members and retired members shall have the same privileges and responsibilities as regular members.

Section 3. All members shall receive Chapter publications and official notices of Chapter meetings and programs.

Section 4. Regular members, retired members, student members, and one certified representative of each institutional member may vote on any questions submitted to the members of the Chapter at a meeting, or by mail, and may serve as officers of the Chapter.

Section 5. A Chapter member whose membership in ASIS has been terminated for any cause shall no longer be a Chapter member.

Article IV. Officers

Section 1. The officers of the chapter shall include a presiding officer to be known as the Chapter Chair, a Chair Elect, a Chapter Assembly Representative, an Alternate Chapter Assembly Representative, a Secretary, a Treasurer, and the immediate Past Chair. Other offices or committee chairs, such as Archivist or Newsletter Editor, may be created as determined necessary by the Executive Committee. The elected officers plus the committee chairs and designated representatives to other organizations constitute the Executive Committee (See Article VII, Section 1). An individual may hold more than one office at one time, except that the Chapter Assembly Representative and the Alternate Assembly Representation must be different individuals. Duties of each chapter officer are described in the NORASIS Officer job descriptions.

Section 2. The Chapter Chair sets goals in the beginning of the ASIS administrative year stating desired accomplishments that chapter officers and members will work for during the year. The Chapter Chair shall also review the NORASIS officer job descriptions to determine suitability for the coming year. The job descriptions may be revised, as determined necessary by the Executive Committee and the individual officer(s) who will carry out the office.

Section 3. The Chapter Chair is responsible for seeing that the annual financial report of the Chapter, prepared by the Chapter Treasurer, is filed with the Executive Director of ASIS within thirty days after the close of the ASIS fiscal year.

Section 4. The Chapter Chair shall preside over all meetings of the Executive Committee (See Article VII, Section 1) and the Chapter. The Chair shall appoint the Chairs and members of all committees, subject to the provisions of these Bylaws.

Section 5. The Chair-elect shall actively assist the Chair, shall preside at Executive Committee or Chapter meetings in the absence of the Chair, and shall be the Chair of the Program Committee. The Chair-elect shall automatically succeed to the office of the Chair upon completion of the term as Chair-elect, or upon the resignation or death of the Chair.

Section 6. The Chapter Chair, Chair-elect, and the Past Chair shall serve for one administrative year. Other officers shall serve for two administrative years. Terms of office shall coincide with the ASIS administrative year.

Section 7. The officers of the Chapter must be members. They shall be elected by a plurality vote of the members voting by mail ballot. The Report and recommendations of the Nominating Committee shall be distributed to all voting members prior to the Annual Chapter Business Meeting; additional nominations may be made from the floor at the Annual Business Meeting.

Section 8. In the event of the resignation or death of a Chapter officer other than the Chair, the Executive Committee shall appoint a member to serve until the end of the officer's regular term of office. The exception is that an appointee filling a vacancy in the position of the Chair- elect shall not accede to the chair as provided in Section 4, but shall be elected at the next regular election.

Article V. Meetings

Section 1. The Executive Committee shall provide for an Annual Business Meeting. The Annual Business Meeting shall be scheduled to allow elections to be completed at least six weeks prior to the ASIS Annual Meeting. However, Elections for new officers may be held months before the end of the administrative year so that new officers may plan for the new year. Written notice of the Annual Business Meeting shall be mailed to all members of the Chapter not fewer than 30 days before the date of the meeting. Special business meetings of the Chapter may be held at such times and places as the Executive Committee may determine, upon 15 days prior written notice to the members.

Section 2. At any annual or business meeting the presence of majority of members, or ten members, whichever is smaller, shall constitute a quorum.

Article VI. Finances

The Fiscal Year for the Chapter shall be in conformity with the Fiscal Year of ASIS.

Article VII. Committees

Section 1. The Executive Committee of the Chapter shall include the elected Chapter officers, the immediate Past Chair, and the chairs of any committees appointed by the Chapter Chair. The Executive Committee shall also include appointed representatives to other associations as determined by the Chair. The Executive Committee shall conduct and manage the affairs of the Chapter, subject to these Bylaws, and shall possess all powers necessary or incidental to that purpose, including the right to appropriate and expend funds.

Section 2. Committees of the Chapter may include a Program Committee, Membership Committee, Publication Committee, Education Committee, and Hospitality Committee, or other committees as the Executive Committee may determine.

Section 3. There shall be a Nominating Committee, consisting of a Chair and two Individual members of the Chapter, designated by the Chapter Chair. This committee shall present a list of nominees to the members of the Chapter, as provided in Article IV, Section 7. The Nominating Committee shall present to the Membership more than one candidate for each office if possible.

Article VIII. Dissolution

In the event of a dissolution of the Chapter, the assets of the Chapter shall, after satisfaction of all liabilities and obligations thereof, be paid in to the general treasury of ASIS.

Article IX. Other

For matters not covered under these Bylaws, the ASIS Bylaws will be followe.

Article X. Amendment

These Bylaws may be amended by an affirmativ vote of two-thirds of the members of the Chapter voting on the proposed amendment. Such amendment may be proposed by petition of a minimum of ten percent of the Chapter members, filed with the Chapter Chair, or by proposal of the Executive Committee of the Chapter or the ASIS Board of Directors. Such amendment shall be voted upon by mail ballot within sixty days after receipt by the Chapter Chair. The Chapter Secretary shall prepare and mail a copy of the proposed amendment together with a ballot to each voting member of the Chapter, setting forth a date not less than twenty or more than thirty days from the date of the mailing of the ballot, by which date all ballots which are returned shall be counted. No amendment to these Bylaws shall take effect unless and until it has been certified by the ASIS Board of Directors as being in harmony with the Charter, Constitution, and Bylaws of ASIS. If so certified, the amendment shall be effective as of the date of the next regularly scheduled meeting of the Executive Committee.