By-laws
General By-Laws of the Association for the Advancement of Scandinavian Studies in Canada / L’Association Pour L’Avancement des études Scandinaves au Canada
As Amended 31 May 2012
BY-LAW I
General By-Laws Relating to the Organization of the Association for the
Advancement of Scandinavian Studies in Canada / L’Association Pour
L’Advancement des études Scandinaves au Canada
Name
1. The name of the organization shall be Association for the Advancement of Scandinavian Studies in Canada / l’Association pour l’avancement des études scandinaves au Canada hereinafter referred to as the Association with the abbreviated title AASSC/AAAESC.
Aims
2. To encourage studies and promote research in Canada in all aspects of life in the Scandinavian societies.
3. To provide a multi-disciplinary forum for the presentation and discussion of papers on all matters relevant to Scandinavian studies.
4. To stimulate awareness of and interest in Scandinavian studies in Canada.
5. To collaborate with other bodies whose interests may be similar in the gathering and dissemination of information of interest in the area of Scandinavian studies.
6. To afford scholars throughout Canada with interests in Scandinavian studies the opportunity of meeting and discussion matters of mutual interest.
7. To issue such publications as the members might approve, either alone or in cooperation with other associations.
Membership
8. There shall be four categories of membership:
a) regular
b) student, retired, unemployed
c) institutional
d) honorary
9. The fees payable by members shall be determined from time to time by resolution of the Executive Committee subject to the approval of the membership at the next Annual Meeting. In case of non-payment of fees, the Executive Committee may take appropriate action.
10. Members who have paid their fees shall be considered members in good standing.
10a. Membership fees are due by January 1st of the membership year.
Organization
11. The Association shall have an Executive Committee, and Editorial Board, and an Annual Meeting.
12. The Officers of the Association shall be a President, a Vice-President, a Secretary, a Webmaster, the Editor of a newsbulletin or newsletter should there be one and if the Annual Meeting does not empower the Secretary to perform this function, and a Treasurer each to hold office for a term of two years and a Chair of the Editorial Board to hold office for a once renewable term of four years. Additionally, there shall be the Editor and Book Review Editor of the Scandinavian Canadian Studies Journal, both of whom shall hold office for a once renewable term of four years.
13. The officers shall be elected by a properly constituted Annual Meeting. The Past President shall be a member and act as chair of the Nominating Committee. Two additional members shall be elected at the Annual Meeting in the year prior to the July 1 on which the terms of office are to expire. The nominating committee shall propose a slate of candidates. Any member may propose candidates for consideration by the nominating committee. This slate shall be circulated to the membership before the next Annual Meeting where the names proposed by the nominating committee shall be voted on, additional nominations being acceptable from the floor.
14. Upon resignation, incapacity, or death of an officer of the Association, or a member of the Editorial Board, the Executive Committee shall appoint a successor to serve out the remainder of that individual’s term of office, except that the Vice President succeeds to the presidency.
Executive Committee
15. The Executive Committee shall consist of the elected officers, the immediate past president, and one member at large for every one hundred (100) members of the Association.
16. All regular members of the Association who are in good standing shall be eligible for election to the Executive Committee. The term of office for all members of the Executive Committee shall begin on July 1.
17. The quorum of the Executive Committee shall be at least half of its members.
18. The Executive Committee shall have the power and duty to:
a) recommend changes in the by-laws,
b) devise and present to the Annual Meeting any rules and regulations deemed necessary for the effective pursuit of the Association’s business; adoption by the Executive Committee of any rule or regulation shall have force and effect only until confirmed by the next Annual Meeting and in default of confirmation shall at and from that time cease to have force and effect.
c) determine a fee structure, subject to approval by the membership at the next Annual Meeting, and administer the funds received subject to a report to the Annual Meeting by the Treasurer,
d) call and prepare the Annual Meeting,
e) take whatever steps it deems appropriate to facilitate liaison with the various institutions and areas in which the membership is located,
f) plan the activities and administer the affairs of the Association between Annual Meetings. The Executive Committee may appoint standing or ad-hoc sub-committees for purposes it deems appropriate,
g) appoint the officers of the Association and members of the Editorial Board when vacancies occur, and
h) approve the publication budget.
19. Members of the Executive Committee, including members of any and all sub-committees, shall receive no remuneration for carrying out their duties, and may be compensated by the Association only for expenses incurred in fulfillment of Association duties.
20. The Editor and Book Review Editor of the Scandinavian Canadian Studies Journal will assemble an Editorial Board consisting of eight members appropriate to the mandate of the journal.
21. The Editorial Board shall be responsible for editorial policy for all publications issued by the Association, except a Newsbulletin or Newsletter should there be one. The decision to issue any and all publications must be taken by the Annual Meeting upon the recommendation of the Executive Committee. The Chair shall serve as editor of any journal published by the Association, and shall administer the publications budget.
22. The Editorial Board may appoint associate, assistant, book review or other such editors as deemed necessary.
23. No member of the Editorial Board shall receive any remuneration for carrying out his/her duties, nor shall any full or part-time salaried staff be employed except by the decision of the Annual Meeting. This provision shall not prevent the Chair of the Editorial Board from hiring casual part-time help when provided by the publications budget.
Meetings
24. The President shall call a meeting of the Executive Committee prior to the annual general meeting (Annual Meeting) and may call such other meetings of the Executive Committee as he/she deems necessary.
25. The Annual Meeting shall be held at the time and place of the annual Congress of the Humanities and Social Sciences meetings.
26. The quorum for the Annual Meeting shall be fifteen regular members in good standing. Each member in good standing present at the Annual Meeting shall be entitled to one vote. There shall be no proxy votes. Institutional members shall not have a vote at the Annual Meeting.
27. The Annual Meeting shall review any and all rules and regulations adopted by the Executive Committee. Failure of the Annual Meeting to confirm by at least a majority of the regular members present shall deprive such rules and regulations of all force and effect.
28. The Annual Meeting, or the Executive Committee, by a simple majority vote, or the membership at large through a notice of question submitted to the President and Secretary signed by at least thirty (30) regular members in good standing, may designate any specific question or issue as very important. In such case, the powers over this question or issue vested in the Annual Meeting or the Executive Committee shall be deemed to have been transferred to the whole membership and a decision is to be reached only by mail ballot. A simple majority of those members voting in such a ballot shall decide. The Secretary of the Association must deliver the ballots to the mails within thirty days of receipt of the notice of question.
Signing Authority
29. Documents, cheques or any other instruments in writing requiring the signature of the Association shall be signed by those to whom the Executive Committee has granted such authority.
Amendments
30. The By-Laws of the Association may be repealed, revised, added to or amended only by a properly constituted Annual Meeting or special meeting called for that purpose or by a mail ballot of the membership. A two-thirds majority of those voting shall decide in each case.
Financial Statement
31. The Treasurer shall secure from a Chartered Accountant or other person acceptable to the Executive Committee a statement of expenditures and receipts, and of the cash position of the Association, and shall present it to the Annual Meeting for approval.
Winding Up
32. It is the unalterable provision of this by-law that members of this Association shall have no interest in the property and asset of the Association, and that upon dissolution or winding up of the Association, any funds and assets of the Association remaining after the satisfaction of its debts and liabilities, shall be distributed to that recognized charitable organization whose objects most closely accord with those of this Association, as determined by its members at dissolution.
BY-LAW II
Respecting the Borrowing of Money by the Association
The officers of the Association shall not borrow moneys or sign any promissory notes or other negotiable paper on behalf of the Association nor shall any other member of the Association, unless expressly authorized to do so by a majority of the regular members in good standing.
BY-LAW III
The Association shall carry on its operations without purpose of gain for its members and any profits or other accretions to the Association shall be used in promoting its objectives.