Society constitution

Article I - Name

Section 1. The name of this organization shall be the Central New York Section of the Instrumentation, Systems, and Automation Society, Inc., hereafter referred to as the Section.

Section 2. This Section shall affiliate with the Instrumentation, Systems, and Automation Society, and shall be organized under its Constitution and By-Laws.

Article II - Objectives

Section 1. The objectives of the Section shall be those of the Society: to advance and reinforce the arts and sciences related to the theory, design, manufacture and use of instrumentation, computers and systems for measurement and control in the various sciences and technologies for the benefit of mankind.

Article III - Membership

Section 1. Membership in the Section shall be limited to the members of the Society.

Article IV - Qualification for membership

Section 1. Any person who is a member of the Society may become a voting member of the Section upon request; a Society member may be a voting member of only one Section.

Section 2. Any person interested in the objectives of the Society shall be eligible for election to membership in any grade for which eligibility requirements are fulfilled, in accordance with the conditions and procedures specified in the Society Constitution and By-Laws.

Article V - Dues

Section 1. The dues shall be as provided in the Society By-Laws.

Section 2. Any additional local dues to be assessed or refunds to be made shall be approved, after notification of ail members, by a 2/3 vote of the members casting a ballot at the meeting, providing the total vote is at least 1/3 of the total number of members in good standing.

Section 3. The member whose dues are unpaid three months after the due date shall be considered inactive. An inactive member shall have no vote in the Section matters. An inactive member shall be restored to active status immediately upon payment of his unpaid dues.

Section 4. Membership termination by transfer to another section may be made with the approval of the Section to which the member wishes to transfer.

Article VI - Duties of officers

Section 1. President: He shall be the executive head of the Section and shall preside at all regular and special Section meetings and Executive Board Meetings. He shall designate any special committees required to assist him in the conduct of the affairs of the Section. With the advice of the Vice-President he shall appoint all committee chairmen (both standing and special). He may call meetings of the Executive Board.

Section 2. Vice-President: He shall perform the duties of the President in the absence of the President. He shall supervise the operation of all committees under the direction of the President. He shall, upon the resignation of or the inability of the President to serve, become President of the Section.

Section 3. Secretary: He shall keep a record of the proceedings and memberships of the Section. He shall under the direction of the President, issue notices of the meetings. He shall keep the National Executive Director's Office informed of changes in Section officers, Delegate and Alternate Council Delegate, and normal meeting time and place.

Section 4. Treasurer: He shall keep complete records of all monies received and disbursed on behalf of the Section. He shall pay with Section funds all authorized bills of the Section. He shall report to the President, whenever requested, the financial condition of the Section. At the last meeting of each year, he shall present a financial report of the Section.

Section 5. Executive Board: Shall determine the specific policies of the Section, acting within the Constitution and By-Laws. They shall advise the President when requested on the appointment of committee chairmen. They shall advise the Council Delegate on District and Society problems where possible. They shall amend the By-Laws, keeping them in harmony with the Section Constitution and the Society Constitution and By-Laws.

Section 6. Council Delegate: Shall represent the Section in the Council of the general policies of the Society. He shall attend the Annual meeting of the Council of Society Delegates held each year at the time and place of the Annual Meeting of the Society. He shall attend all District Council Meetings as called by the District Vice President. He shall serve on the Society Nominating Committee if elected to it. He shall follow the instructions of the Executive Board as to the Section's preferences on matters on the published agenda of the District and Society Meetings when possible. When not instructed by the Board, he shall use his best judgment on any business to represent the best interests of the Section. He shall notify the Alternate Delegate of his inability to attend any District or Society Council Meetings.

Section 7. Alternate Council Delegate: In the absence of the Council Delegate he shall act as the Section Council Delegate at all District and Society meetings. If both the Council Delegate and the Alternate Council Delegate are unable to attend a District or Society meeting they shall advise the President who shall assure Section representation by appointing an Acting Delegate.

Article VII - Committees

Section 1. There shall be the following standing committees:

Program
Honors & Awards
Membership
Exhibit
Education
Directory
Newsletter
Standards & Practices

Section 2. All committee chairmen shall be appointed by the President in cooperation with the Vice-President.

Article VIII - Finance

Section 1. Fiscal year shall be from August 1 to July 31.

Section 2. Section operating funds shall be placed in a checking account of a local financial institution.

Section 3. Bank withdrawals shall be by check signed by the Treasurer or the President. Reserve funds shall be placed in an interest bearing account or instrument at the discretion of the Executive Board.

Section 4. The Section shall use its funds only to accomplish the objectives and purposes specified in this Constitution and By-Laws and no part of its funds shall inure to or be distributed to the members of the Section. On dissolution of the Section, the net assets remaining after payment of all debts shall revert to the Society within ninety days of dissolution, to be used for charitable and educational purposes under Section 501(c)(3) of the U.S. Internal revenue Code as it now stands or as may be amended. This clause supercedes any previous clause regarding the dissolution of the Section.

Section 5. The Section is not organized for pecuniary profit, nor shall it have any power to issue certificates of stock or pay dividends, and no part of the net earnings or assets of the Section shall inure, upon dissolution or otherwise, to the private benefit of any individual. This clause supersedes any previous clause regarding inurement.

Article IX - Nominating and election procedures

Section 1. The Chairman of the Nominating Committee shall the most recent available Past Presidents.

Section 2. The Nominating Committee shall be comprised of the five (5) most recent available Past Presidents. If five (5) qualified members are not available then the Executive Board shall appoint members to fill out the Committee.

Section 3. Officers shall be elected annually at the last meeting of the fiscal year by a majority vote of the members present.

Section 4. The Nominating Committee shall present one nominee for each office at the third to last meeting of the fiscal year. Nominees shall be publicized by the Secretary for the last meeting. Other nominations may be made from the floor.

Section 5. Voting for each officer shall normally be by a show of hands. If five (5) or more of the members present so desire, voting shall be by written ballot of the members present.

Section 6. Officers shall take office on the first of July following the date of election and shall serve for one year until June 30 of the following year.

Section 7. Any office becoming vacant, with the exception of the President, shall be filled by appointment by the President with the consent of the Executive Board. Any appointed officer shall serve until a new officer is elected at the next Annual election.

Section 8. The President may not be elected to more than four (4) consecutive one (1) year terms.

Article X - Legislative and other prohibited activities

Section 1. Neither the Section nor its officers, nor members of the Section, individual or corporate, shall engage in any attempt to influence the course of legislation, whether federal, state or local, on behalf of, or as a representative of the Society in any nation or its subdivisions, by engaging in political activities, expenditures of funds, propaganda, or by participating in any course of similar conduct on behalf of or as representative of the Instrumentation, Systems and Automation Society. This clause supercedes any previous clause regarding prohibited political or legislative activities by the Section or its members on behalf of or representative of the ISA.

Section 2. Neither the Section nor any officer or member of the Section, acting on behalf the Section or on behalf of the Instrumentation, Systems and Automation Society:

a. Shall make loans of Section funds to any individual or corporation at less than the prevailing rate of interest or with inadequate security or collateral.

b. Shall pay excessive compensation for rendered services to any individual or corporation.

c. Shall sell or transfer securities owned by the Section to any individual or corporation for less than the prevailing market value at the time of such sale or transfer.

Article XI - MetingsS

Section 1. A quorum at any meeting shall consist of 10% of the enrolled members in good standing in the Section except where otherwise designed in the Constitution and By-Laws.

Article XII - Absentee voting

Section 1. At the direction of the Executive Board absentee ballots may be distributed with notices of meetings where voting by the Section membership shall occur.

Section 2. Any member responding as directed will have cast a vote as if in attendance at said meeting.

Section 3. The mailing of these ballots shall serve to satisfy any percentage quorum requirements.

Article XIII - Amendment of by-laws

Section 1. Amendments to the By-Laws shall be made by a 2/3 vote of the Executive Board.

Section 2. The By-Laws shall be kept in harmony with both the local Section Constitution and the Society Constitution and By-Laws.

Section 3. Any member of the Section may propose an amendment to the By-Laws.

Questions? Information? Email the Section President