|
Mission
and Objectives of the Arkansas Audubon Society
The Arkansas
Audubon Society was founded in 1955 at Petit Jean State Park. Objectives
of the Society are
(1) to foster a greater knowledge of the natural history of Arkansas
through observation, investigation, education and publication, and
(2) to be a potent force in the conservation of all of the natural
resources of Arkansas.
The Society
is not affiliated with the National Audubon Society; individuals
or families must specifically join the Arkansas Audubon Society
to be members. The
Society publishes and distributes a newsletter to members in March,
June, September and December of each year. Membership classes range
from student to individual or family on up to life or patron memberships.
The Curator
of the Society keeps the official list of Arkansas bird records.
In cooperation with the Arkansas Bird Records Committee, the Curator
oversees the publishing of field lists and maintains records of
bird sightings, including a card file of reports, documentation
of rarities and photographic evidence. The Curator also regularly
publishes notable reports in the newsletter.
BY-LAWS
OF THE ARKANSAS AUDUBON SOCIETY, INC.
ARTICLE
I. NAME
This organization
shall be known as the Arkansas Audubon Society, Inc. The corporation
shall be referred to herein as the "Society".
ARTICLE
II. OBJECTIVES
1. To foster
a greater knowledge of the natural history of Arkansas through observation,
investigation, education and publication.
2. To actively promote the effective stewardship of the natural
resources of Arkansas.
ARTICLE
III. MEMBERSHIP
Section 1.
Active Membership shall consist of Adult members and Student members
who have a sincere interest in the objectives of the Society. Members
shall be classed as student, regular (individual or family), sustaining
(individual or family), contributing (individual or family), life
and patron, depending on the amount of dues paid. Student, regular,
sustaining and contributing shall be annual classes, and life and
patron shall be lifetime classes.
Section 2. Honorary Membership may be bestowed by a majority vote
of the Board of Directors upon persons who have made outstanding
contributions in the fields of nature or conservation.
ARTICLE
IV. DUES AND FINANCE
Section 1.
The Fiscal Year shall begin April 1, and end March 31 of the ensuing
year.
Section 2. (a) Annual Dues shall be set by the Society by a majority
vote of the members present and voting. Dues shall be on a calendar
year basis. Members whose dues are not paid by March 31 will have
their names removed from the mailing list. (b) Notification: Members
shall be notified and reminded in the winter newsletter of their
payment of dues. The Membership Chairman shall send a reminder of
delinquent dues to those members who have not paid their dues by
February 15.
Section 3. The Budget for the coming year shall be prepared by the
Finance Committee, and upon recommendation by the Board of Directors,
shall be presented for adoption at each Annual Meeting.
Section 4. An Audit of the treasurer's books shall be made after
the end of the fiscal year or as necessary by an auditor(s) appointed
by the president. The audit may be performed by a committee of members
of the Society or by a professional auditor.
ARTICLE
V. OFFICERS
Section 1.
Officers of the Society shall be a president, vice-president, secretary,
treasurer, editor and curator.
Section 2. Term of officers shall be for two years or until their
successors are installed.
Section 3. Vacancies in any office shall be filled for the unexpired
term by appointment by the president.
ARTICLE
VI. DUTIES OF OFFICERS
Section 1.
The President shall preside at all meetings of the Society and of
the Board of Directors; shall appoint all committee chairs; shall
be a member ex-officio of all committees except the nominating committee;
and shall supervise the work of the Society.
Section 2. The Vice-President shall perform the duties of the president
in the absence of that officer and shall serve as chair of the Convention
Committee.
Section 3. The Secretary shall keep in permanent form the minutes
of all meetings of the Society and the Board of Directors, providing
the president with copies of same; and shall handle correspondence
as directed by the president.
Section 4. The Treasurer shall be custodian of all funds of the
Society, and shall disburse funds in accordance with the budget
or upon order of the Board of Directors. The treasurer shall collect
membership dues and keep a serially numbered log of the membership.
Upon request from a member, the treasurer shall provide that member
with a numbered and dated certificate of membership. The treasurer
shall present an annual report to the Board of Directors and shall
deliver the books to the auditor(s) after the end of the fiscal
year but no later than June 10.
Section 5. The Editor shall be responsible for the publication and
distribution of Society publications.
Section 6. The Curator shall be responsible for compiling and preserving
all bird records including seasonal summaries and documentation
forms, and any other property of scientific value to the Society.
The curator shall serve as chair of the Bird Records Committee.
ARTICLE
VII. MEETING AND QUORUMS
Section 1.
State Meetings of the Society shall be held twice each year, one
meeting in the spring and one in the fall, unless otherwise ordered
by the Board of Directors.
Section 2. The Annual Meeting shall be held during the spring meeting
of the Society.
Section 3. Board of Directors meetings shall be held during the
state meetings of the Society, upon the request of the president
or upon request of three members. Board meetings are open to any
member of the Society who wishes to attend.
Section 4. Quorums are not necessary to conduct business at meetings
of the Society provided thirty days written notice has been given,
or of the Board of Directors provided three days notice has been
given.
Section 5. The Board of Directors may conduct business either in person at the spring and fall meetings
or by electronic means whenever necessary. Electronic shall include telephone, fax, e-mail and such
other electronic means as may be in common use in the future. Printed copies of electronic
communications shall be retained as part of the Society’s permanent records. [AS AMENDED
NOVEMBER 1, 2002.]
ARTICLE
VIII. BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Section 1.
Authority for the control of the property and the conduct of business
of the Society shall be vested in the Board of Directors.
Section 2. Number and Term: The Board of Directors shall be composed
of fourteen (14) members: the officers, the immediate-past president,
and the chairs of the Conservation Committee, the Education Committee,
the Finance Committee, the Membership Committee, the Publicity Committee,
the Edith and Henry Halberg Ecology Camp Committee and the Trust.
ARTICLE
IX. NOMINATING COMMITTEE AND ELECTIONS
Section 1.
Number and Appointment: A Nominating Committee of three members
shall be appointed by the Board of Directors at their fall Board
meeting preceding the election year. In case any member of this
committee is unable to serve, the committee itself shall fill the
vacancy.
Section 2. Responsibilities: At the Annual Meeting following their
appointment the committee shall present to the Board of Directors
nominations for officer elections.
Section 3. Elections: Officers shall be elected by a majority vote
of members present at the Annual Meeting. Nominations may be made
from the floor.
ARTICLE
X. BOARD COMMITTEES
Section 1.
Convention Committee shall be responsible for the arrangements for
the state meetings of the Society.
Section 2. Education Committee shall be composed of the chair and
one or more appointed members. The committee shall promote the objectives
of the Society through education, programs, and educational scholarship
awards. The committee shall also be responsible for the selection
of recipients of the Ruth Thomas Scholarship Award(s) and the Iola
Rea Scholarship Awards.
Section 3. Finance Committee shall be composed of three members:
the chair, the treasurer, and the vice-president. The duties of the Finance Chair shall be to Chair the Finance Committee and prepare the annual budget for the Society.
Further, the Finance Committee shall be responsible for managing investments of the Society. Management shall include
researching current interest rates and risk, and investing the available liquid assets of the Society with appropriate consent
and approval of the Board of Directors. These duties shall relate only to the general operation of the Society and not that
of the Ecology Camp nor the Trust. [AS AMENDED NOVEMBER 1, 2002.]
Section 4. Membership Committee shall be composed of the chair and
one or more appointed members. This committee shall be responsible
for maintaining a current list of members and for all promotional
activities to increase the membership.
Section 5. Publicity Committee shall be composed of the chair, the
chairs of the Education and Conservation Committees and the Editor.
This committee shall be responsible for public relations through
television, radio, and newspaper releases.
Section 6. Conservation Committee shall be composed of the chair
and members representing diverse regions of the state. This committee
shall promote the objectives of the Society by handling all matters
pertaining to effective environmental stewardship.
Section 7. Bird Records Committee shall be composed of the curator
and four members appointed by the curator and approved by the Board
of Directors. This committee shall maintain the official Arkansas
bird list and shall accept or reject any reports of unusual sightings
submitted to the curator.
ARTICLE
XI. ECOLOGY CAMP COMMITTEE
The Ecology Camp Committee
shall be composed of the chair or co-chairs and three or more appointed
members. The chair or co-chairs shall be approved by the Board of Directors of
the Society. This committee shall be responsible for all aspects of the Edith
and Henry Halberg AAS Ecology Camp, including fund raising, camper recruitment,
staff hiring and camp publicity. This committee will also select recipients of the Iola Rea Scholarship. The chair or co-chairs shall appoint members
of the committee and an Ecology Camp treasurer who shall be responsible for all
Ecology Camp finances. The chair or co-chairs shall submit an annual report and
a financial report to the Board of Directors at the fall meeting of the
Society. [AS AMENDED APRIL 29, 2005 & OCTOBER 28, 2006.]
ARTICLE
XII. AAS TRUST
The AAS Trust
shall consist of five trustees appointed by and serving at the pleasure
of the AAS Board of Directors plus the president of the Society,
an ex officio member. No other officer of the Society shall be eligible
to serve as a trustee. The Trust Agreement, made October 28, 1972
and amended May 5, 1973 shall govern the operation of the Trust.
The Trust shall submit an annual report and a financial report to
the Board of Directors at the fall meeting of the Society.
ARTICLE
XIII. PARLIAMENTARY AUTHORITY
The rules contained
in Robert's Rules of Order revised shall govern the proceedings
of the Society in all cases to which they apply and in which they
are not inconsistent with these By-Laws.
ARTICLE
XIV. AMENDMENTS
These
By-Laws may be amended at any meeting of the Society by a majority
vote of the members present and voting, provided the amendments
were submitted in writing at least one month in advance of the meeting.
[AS
AMENDED OCTOBER 29, 2006]
|
