PROCEDURE MANUAL

The Procedure Manual for the Southern Division of the American Fisheries Society is available in PDF format here.

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BYLAWS

The Southern Division BYLAWS are listed below.  You can also download the BYLAWS in PDF format here.
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BYLAWS OF THE SOUTHERN DIVISION OF THE AMERICAN FISHERIES SOCIETY
 (Amended June 2014)

SECTION I. Name and Objectives

Pursuant to the Constitution of the American Fisheries Society (hereinafter referred to as the Society) and the Bylaws of the Society, there has been established a Southern Division (hereinafter referred to as the Division) of the American Fisheries Society.

The purpose of the Division shall be those of the Society as set forth in the Constitution of the Society.

SECTION II. Membership

The membership of the Division shall be composed of those Society members in good standing residing in, or having an interest in the fishery resources and related technical information in Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, West Virginia, Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands, District of Columbia, and other Caribbean Islands. Members of the Society may elect to transfer into or out of the Division, according to the Society Bylaws, by notifying the Executive Director of the Society in writing.

SECTION III. Meetings

The Division shall meet annually at a time and place decided upon either by the membership present at the preceding annual meeting, or in default of such a decision by the membership, by the Executive Committee of the Division.

The Division may meet jointly with other organizations whenever it is expedient and advantageous to do so, in which case the meeting is to be officially recognized and clearly publicized as the annual meeting of the Division.

Special meetings may be called by the Division President with the advice and consent of the Executive Committee of the Division.

SECTION IV. Officers

In accordance with the Bylaws of the Society, the officers of the Division shall consist of a President, President-Elect, Vice President, Secretary-Treasurer, and Immediate Past-President. All nominees for officers shall be members of the Society in good standing and shall have attended an annual meeting in one of the three years preceding their nomination.

The officers shall be elected by ballot prior to the Division annual meeting, shall be installed at the conclusion of that meeting, and shall serve for one year except that the Secretary-Treasurer shall serve for two years. The officers will be ineligible for re-election to the same office within one year following the expiration of their terms. In case of a vacated position, the Executive Committee of the Division shall appoint a qualified replacement to fill an unexpired term.

In the event of a cancellation of the annual meeting, the officers and the members of any committee that have been appointed shall continue to serve until the next regularly scheduled meeting.

No elected officer or appointed committee member of the Division shall receive any salary or other compensation from the Society or Division for services rendered. Clerical and other necessary expenses may be defrayed from funds available to the Division when such disbursements have been authorized at an annual meeting or by the Executive Committee in the interim between meetings.

SECTION V. Duties of Officers

(a.) President. The President of the Division shall preside at all Division business meetings, serve as Chair of the Division Executive Committee, and represent the Division on the Governing Board of the Society (one of two representatives). The President shall appoint chairs of all Division Committees, and the Division representative to the Southeastern Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies. The President shall submit a report of the Division activities at the Society’s two Governing Board meetings. If unable to attend a Society Governing Board Meeting, the President may designate the Vice President, Secretary-Treasurer, or Immediate Past-President as an alternate by written notice to the Society’s Executive Director prior to the meeting. The President proceeds to the office of Immediate Past-President at the end of the term.

(b.) President-Elect. The President-Elect shall assume the duties of the President if the President is absent or unable to act, represent the Division on the Governing Board of the Society (one of two representatives), and conduct other duties assigned by the President. If unable to attend a meeting of the Society Governing Board, the President-Elect may designate the Vice President, Secretary-Treasurer, or Immediate Past-President as an alternate by written notice to the Society’s Executive Director prior to the meeting. The President-Elect proceeds to the office of President at the end of the term.

(c.) Vice President. The Vice President shall assume the duties of the President-Elect if the latter is absent or unable to act, shall chair a subcommittee of the Division’s Executive Committee for the purpose of overseeing the technical committees, and conduct other duties assigned by the President. The Vice President proceeds to the office of President-Elect at the end of the term.

(d.) Secretary-Treasurer. The Secretary-Treasurer shall keep the official records and archives of the Division, conduct its correspondence, collect and be custodian of any fees or assessments collected under the authority of these Bylaws plus any funds allotted to the Division by the Society, and disburse funds authorized by the Division membership or its Executive Committee. A financial report shall be submitted at the annual Division meeting. Duties requested by the Executive Director of the Society shall be performed and the minutes of the annual meeting shall be submitted to the Executive Director within 30 days following the meeting.

(e.) Immediate Past-President. The Immediate Past-President shall chair the Nominating Committee.

SECTION VI. Executive Committee

 The Executive Committee of the Division shall consist of the five duly elected officers, a student representative elected by students, and the President of each chapter within the Division. It is authorized to act for the Division between meetings and to perform other appropriate functions. A quorum for the Executive Committee shall consist of five members, two of whom shall be officers. Telecommunications may substitute for meetings for conduct of business. If unable to participate in a function of the Executive Committee, a chapter president may select an alternate to represent the chapter with full voting privileges, providing the substitution is presented in writing to the Secretary-Treasurer prior to convening the Executive Committee meeting.

SECTION VII. Division Committees

The President of the Division is authorized to appoint from members of the Division in good standing such committees as may be necessary for the conduct of the business of the Division. These committees shall include:

(a.) Audit Committee of three (3) which shall audit the accounts of the Secretary-Treasurer and report to the Division at the annual meeting.

(b.) Awards Committee of four (4) shall review and recommend to the President candidates who, by their noteworthy and longstanding contributions to fisheries, aquatic sciences, and the Division, shall be considered worthy of the Division’s recognition for Outstanding Achievement, candidates who, by their outstanding contributions of time and energy for special projects or activities in the service of the Division, shall be considered worthy of the Division’s recognition for Distinguished Service, candidates who, by their communication of noteworthy contributions to fisheries and aquatic science research and management shall be recognized by the John F. Dequine Award for the best paper, and Division chapters and student sub-units who, through service to their members, communities and the profession shall be recognized as the Outstanding Chapter and Outstanding Student-Subunit, respectively, at the annual meeting.

(c.) Ballot Committee of three (3), not to include Division officers and members of the Nominating Committee, which shall receive and tally ballots for Division officers and report at the next annual meeting.

(d.) Nominating Committee of five (5), including the Division Immediate Past-president, shall recommend a slate of candidates for specific offices of the Division, including a Division representative to serve on the Society Nominating Committee.

(e.) Resolutions Committee of five (5) which shall draft and recommend to the Division for consideration at its annual meeting such resolutions considered prudent and necessary in the furtherance of the purposes and objectives of the Division. The chair will also serve on the Resolutions Committee of the Society. The retiring chair shall be responsible for ensuring appropriate and prompt distribution of resolutions following their adoption by the Division.

(f.) Student Affairs Committee composed of individuals expressing an interest and willingness to promote student involvement in all activities of the Division and identify concerns of students related to Society structure, function, and activities.

(g.) Technical Committees of the Division shall provide a forum for the resolution of important professional issues within the Division. Each committee will elect a Chair, subject to approval by the Division President.

(h.) Such Special Committees as are deemed necessary to carry out the work of the Division.

The Division committees shall not duplicate or conflict with the functions of the Standing Committees of the Society, although they may submit recommendations to such Standing Committees. The term of office for members of the divisional committees shall end upon the discharge of their appointed duties or at the next annual meeting of the Division, whichever comes first.

SECTION VIII. Voting and Quorum

 Decisions at a meeting of the Division shall be in accordance with the Constitution of the Society. A quorum at the annual meeting of the membership for the transaction of official business of the Division shall be fifty (50) members in good standing. Business and voting may be conducted via mail or electronic media if approved by the Executive Committee. Unless otherwise specified in these Bylaws or the Constitution of the Society, business shall be conducted according to the latest edition of Robert’s Rules of Order. Decisions at meetings are by simple majority of Active Members voting, except 2/3 majorities are required in special cases such as amending the Bylaws and suspending a Rule. Other less frequently used voting requirements are described in Robert’s Rules of Order.

Section IX. Dues and Fees

The Executive Committee of the Division may levy special assessments, such as registration fees for attendance at annual meetings. Collection shall be made by the Secretary-Treasurer or an appointed representative.

SECTION X. Bylaws, Rules and Procedures

The Bylaws are the defining document for the Unit and take precedence over all other rules and procedures of the Unit. The Bylaws cannot be suspended and cannot be changed without prior notice to members. The Bylaws of the Division may be amended at the annual meeting by approval of 2/3 of the members present and voting, but all amendments must be reviewed by the Division’s Executive Committee and provided to the membership at least 30 days prior for consideration by the membership. In accordance with the Society Constitution, an adopted amendment shall be reviewed by the Society’s Constitutional Consultant for conformity with the Constitution, Rules and Procedures of the Society. The Constitutional Consultant presents the adopted amendment to the Society Governing Board for approval. Any change shall take effect when written notice of approval has been received from the Society’s Executive Director.

Rules are the next highest level of documentation of Unit operations. They are generally established to facilitate the conduct of Unit business, and to describe duties and responsibilities of officers and committees. They may be suspended or amended as follows. The Rules may be suspended during an Executive Committee meeting until the next annual or special Unit meeting by a 2/3 majority of the Executive Committee. The Rules may be suspended for the duration of a meeting by a 2/3 majority of Active Members voting at an annual or special Division meeting. The Rules may be amended by a simple majority of Active Members voting at an annual or special Unit meeting.

Procedures are the lowest level of documentation of Division operations. They are generally established to provide continuity in the conduct of Division business. The Procedures may be suspended or amended by a simple majority vote of the Executive Committee.

STANDING RULES:

The following rules are established to assist in conducting the business of the Division.

The processes for amending or suspending Rules are specified in the Bylaws of the Division.

Order of Business

The agenda at the annual meeting of the Division shall include, but shall not necessarily be limited to, the following with all reports provided to the Secretary-Treasurer in written form. In the event that time limits presentations at the business meeting, each item shall be presented at the Executive Committee meeting.

1. Call to order by the President.

2. Determination of a quorum.

3. President’s address

4. Introduction of noteworthy guests and visitors.

5. Reports of the Secretary-Treasurer.

6. Reports of the Chapters.

7. Reports of Division committees.

8. Report of the Resolutions Committee.

9. Report of the Nominating Committee.

10. Report of the Ballot Committee.

11. Presentation of Awards

12. Other old business.

13. Installation of newly-elected officers.

14. New business.

15. Adjournment.

Resolutions

(a.) General resolutions (those that place the views of the Division on record on matters of broad concern): in order to be eligible for consideration must be received by the Resolutions Committee no later than October 1, and must be printed in the Division newsletter before the annual meeting.

(b.) Internal resolutions (those that concern the Division itself) will be eligible for consideration up to and at the business meeting.

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