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Constitution and ByLaws of the American Society of Plant Biologists
Article I Name and Legal
Identity The name of this
organization is the American Society of Plant Biologists (ASPB), formerly the
American Society of Plant Physiologists, hereafter referred to as the Society.
The Society was incorporated in the District of Columbia, United States of
America on June 14, 1932. Article II
Purposes The purposes of this
organization are to encourage and to promote the growth and development of plant
biology as a pure and applied science of the life processes of plants, to
publish the results of meritorious research in plant biology, and to promote the
general welfare and good fellowship of plant biologists and related scientists.
The Society shall remain a scientific organization without the object of
financial gain. Article III
Membership 1. Membership is open to plant
biologists and other scientists of all nations and to any other person or
organization in sympathy with the purposes of the Society.
2. The Society consists of
its individual members and supporting organizations. Individual membership
includes members, life members, emeritus members, corresponding members,
postdoctoral associate members, and student members. Organizations or
individuals who wish to support the Society, but not to participate as active
voting members, may do so as patron or sustaining members.
3. Members join the Society
by application, subject to review by the executive committee and payment of
dues. Life members contribute to an endowment fund, or the Society makes the
contribution as an award, which
thereafter pays the annual dues for the life member. Emeritus membership (dues
free) is awarded, upon application, to retired persons who have reached age
sixty-five and who have been Society members continuously for twenty years or
more. Corresponding memberships are honorary awards, conferred by election on
distinguished foreign plant biologists. Postdoctoral associate memberships are
open to persons who have received their doctorates and are employed as postdoctoral
associates; this membership category is limited to the four years immediately
following receipt of the doctoral degree. Student memberships are open to students
actively pursuing degrees in plant biology or a related science. Patrons make
single, unrestricted contributions to the Society; sustaining members make annual
contributions. The specific requirements, including the amount of dues, for
membership in the several classifications and the entitlements of membership
shall be published by the headquarters office in the annual directory of members.
4. All individual members have
the following rights: to vote in all elections except those restricted to sections
of the Society; to be nominated for and to be elected to any office or committee;
to be appointed to and to serve on committees; to serve as an official representative
of the Society. The right to serve the Society is restricted to members and
employees, and is subject to such qualifications or requirements as may be established
for an office or committee by the executive committee. 5. No member of the Society
shall be entitled to any distributive share of its assets, and in the event the
Society is dissolved, the assets remaining after payment of its just debts shall
be given and distributed only to one or more of the following, selected by
majority vote of the members of the Society: (a) a state, territory, or
possession of the United States, or any political subdivision of any of the
foregoing, or the United States, or the District of Columbia, but only if the
distribution is made for exclusively public purposes; or, (b) a corporation, community
chest, fund, or foundation meeting the conditions prescribed at the time of such
distribution by Section 501 (c) (3)
of the United States Internal Revenue Code of 1954, or any statutory enactment
amending or replacing that section. Article IV
Sections of the
Society 1. Geographical,
disciplinary, or affinity group sections of the Society may be formed upon
petition by at least three percent of the Society members. After approval of the
petition by the executive committee, the section may organize under probationary
status for three years, after which the executive committee will approve or
disapprove permanent status, or extend the probationary status for an additional
three years. If a section fails to be approved for permanent status after the
second probation, it shall be disbanded. 2. Sections of the Society
have full autonomy in their organization and activities, provided that these do
not conflict with the provisions of this Constitution and Bylaws. Publications
of the sections (print, film, or electronic), which can be construed as
publications of the Society as a whole, must be approved by the publications
committee. 3. Any section which fails to
maintain a minimum number of active members of the Society equal to one percent
of the total Society membership shall have its representation on the executive
committee terminated. Article V
Annual and Other
Meetings 1. At least one meeting of the Society is
to be held annually at a time and place arranged by the executive director in
consultation with the program committee and approved by the executive committee.
2. Other meetings of the
Society may be held as required with the approval of the executive
committee. Article VI
Officers 1. The officers of the
Society are president, president-elect, secretary, and treasurer. The
president-elect serves as vice president. 2. Terms of office begin
October 1 each year. The president and president-elect serve for one year, after
which the president becomes immediate past president and the president-elect
advances to the office of president.
No person may serve as president more than once. The secretary is elected
for a term of two years and is eligible for re-election. The treasurer is
appointed for a term of three years by the president with the approval of the
executive committee and is eligible for reappointment. The treasurer and other
officers, appointees, or employees entrusted with funds of the Society shall be
bonded by the Society as directed by the executive committee. Article VII
Election of Officers 1. A call for nominations for
the offices of president-elect and member of the executive committee shall be
sent to all individual members each January, and for secretary on alternate
years. The call shall be sent from Society headquarters with the approval of
the president-elect, who shall be the responsible officer in the nomination
and election processes of the Society. A member may nominate only one person
for each office. To be valid, nominations must be received by the headquarters
office within forty days of mailing the call for nominations. For each position
the member receiving the highest number of nominations, and agreeing to run
and then to serve if elected, is to appear on the ballot. A person nominated
for more than one office shall appear on the ballot only for the highest position,
in the order: president-elect, secretary, executive committee member. The nominations
committee shall provide one additional nomination for each position, the nominee
agreeing to run and serve if elected. Thus, two nominees are provided for each
office to be filled, one from the membership at large, and one from the nominations
committee. There shall be no indication of the source of the nominations. 2. The ballot shall be
prepared by direction of the president-elect with assistance of headquarters
office personnel. With the exception of the secretary, a person already holding
an office by election or interim appointment may not be declared nominated for
that same position. A person with an unexpired term on the executive committee
may be nominated or appointed to a second position which also confers membership
on the executive committee, but must resign one of the two positions if elected
or appointed. 3. The ballots shall be
mailed to the members in sufficient time to conclude the election at least four
weeks prior to the annual meeting. At the close of the election the ballots will
be opened, counted, and certified by the president-elect and two other members
of the Society appointed by the president. The names of those elected will be
promptly transmitted to the president, who shall announce them no later than the
annual meeting. 4. Tie votes in either the
nomination or election are to be resolved by a random selection procedure
conducted by the president-elect. 5. In case of death or
disability of a secretary, treasurer, or elected executive committee member, the
office shall be filled ad interim by the executive committee. In
the case of a vacant presidency, the president-elect shall assume the office and
serve in it through the succeeding term. A vacancy in the office of
president-elect must be filled by election. Article VIII Standing
Committees 1. There shall be thirteen
standing committees: an executive committee, a program committee, a board of
trustees, a publications committee, an education committee, a nominations committee,
a constitution and bylaws committee, a women in plant biology committee, a committee
on public affairs, a board of directors of the ASPB education foundation, a
minority affairs committee, a membership committee, and an international
committee. The executive director is a non-voting member of all of standing
committees except the nominations committee.
2. The executive committee
shall consist of the following ex-officio members: the president, who chairs
the committee; the immediate past-president; the president-elect; the secretary;
the treasurer; the chair of the board of trustees; the chair of the women in
plant biology committee; the chair of the publications committee; the chair
of the minority affairs committee; the chair of the membership committee; the
chair of the international committee; the chair of the education committee; and the chair of the committee on public affairs.
There also shall be three elected members, one elected each year for a term
of three years. In addition, there shall be a voting representative from each
section of the Society who shall be elected by the section for a non-renewable
three year term. Sectional representatives, with approval of the president,
may send a voting substitute to executive committee meetings, but no predetermined
proxy or absentee votes may be submitted for such meetings.
3. The program committee
shall consist of the secretary, who serves as chair, the president-elect, the
immediate past secretary, and four members appointed by the president, one each
year for a period of four years. 4. The board of trustees
shall consist of three members appointed by the president with the approval of
the executive committee, one each year for a term of three years, and one of
whom the president designates chair. The treasurer is a fourth member ex officio of the committee. 5. The publications committee
shall have five members appointed by the president with the approval of the
executive committee, one each year for a period of five years, and one of whom
the president designates chair. Committee members may not be editors or
associate editors of any Society publication. 6. The education committee
shall have five members appointed by the president, each for a period of four
years, and one of whom the president designates chair. 7. The nominating committee
shall consist of the president-elect (chair), president, and immediate
past-president. In the event that the immediate past-president is nominated (and
accepts) at-large for an office (secretary or elected member of the executive
committee), the president shall appoint a replacement from the elected or
representative members of the executive committee. 8. The constitution and
bylaws committee shall consist of three members, one appointed each year for
three years by the president with the approval of the executive committee and
one of whom the president designates chair. 9. The women in plant biology
committee shall consist of six members appointed by the president, two each
year for a period of three years, and one of whom the president designates chair. 10. The committee on public
affairs shall consist of the immediate past president and eight members
appointed by the president, two each year for a period of four years, and one of
whom the president designates chair. 11. The board of directors of
the ASPB education foundation shall consist of the chair appointed by the
president for a period of three years with the approval of the executive
committee, the president, the president-elect, the immediate past president, the
chair of the board of trustees, the treasurer, and twelve members recommended by
the chair and the president and approved by the executive committee, four each
year for a period of three years. 12. The minority affairs committee shall consist of six members appointed by the president, two each year for a period of three years, and one of whom the president designates chair. 13. The international
committee shall consist of six members appointed by the president, two
each year for a period of three years, and one of whom the president designates
chair. A non-voting liaison of the ASPB support staff may also be appointed
by the Executive Director to the international committee on an annual
basis.
Article IX
Endowment Funds 1. The Society shall have two
classes of endowments: (a) specific endowments to support awards, prizes,
honorary memberships, life memberships, and special programs to promote plant
biology, and (b) a general endowment, income from which is available for general
needs and functions of the Society. Endowment funds are to be invested under the
direction of the board of trustees. 2. Endowment funds for
specific purposes may be established by the executive committee, either from the
resources of the Society or from gifts or bequests. Gifts or bequests accepted
by the executive committee shall be for purposes compatible with the purpose of
the Society as given in Article II, and, within this limitation, shall be
administered in accordance with the wishes of their donors. Awards, prizes,
honorary memberships, and recurring special programs normally shall be supported
by specific endowments. 3. Only the income from the
investments of specific endowments shall be available for their awards and
special programs. The investments shall be maintained at a level sufficient to
support the endowment activities; to this end, the board of trustees may pool
investments of the endowments and may invest any surplus income as
appropriate. 4. Special programs shall be
reviewed by the executive committee at ten-year intervals. At any review, a
program may be terminated by the executive committee voting to submit the
program to a membership ballot, and supported by two-thirds of the voting
membership favoring termination. Endowment funds released by termination shall
be transferred to other specific endowments or to the general endowment as
recommended by the board of trustees and approved by the executive
committee. 5. The general endowment is
to provide a basic level of investment income for Society functions, and to
serve as a reserve fund against emergency demands. Ordinarily, only the income
from the endowment may be used, but, in an emergency, the executive committee,
by two-thirds majority voting, may authorize utilization of part or all of the
general endowment capital. Article X
Auditing of Accounts The treasurer shall have
the accounts of the Society audited as of the close of each fiscal year,
December 31. The auditor’s report shall be examined by the board of trustees,
and, if accepted, shall be transmitted to the executive committee for approval.
A summary of the approved report will be submitted by the treasurer to the
Society members at the annual business meeting, at which time the treasurer
shall also make a supplementary report on the status of the treasury. Article XI
Amendments to the
Constitution Proposals for amending this
constitution may be submitted in writing by any member, group of members, or
committee to the constitution and bylaws committee not less than two months
before the annual election. The constitution and bylaws committee shall provide
appropriate language for such proposals, as needed, and shall submit them with
an evaluation and recommendation to the executive committee. Upon approval by
two-thirds of the executive committee voting, the amendment(s) will be placed on
the annual ballot, and adopted if approved by two-thirds of the members voting.
BYLAWS Section 1
Duties of Officers a. The president shall
preside over the executive committee and the meetings of the Society, and, in
consultation with the secretary, shall prepare the agenda for these meetings.
The president shall appoint, charge, and receive reports of all committees, and
assure that the membership is informed of reports and actions taken. The
president will confer with the headquarters office and the board of trustees as
they prepare the annual budget. In all ways, the president will provide
leadership to the Society. b. The president-elect shall
assume the duties of the president in the absence or disability of the latter,
and shall succeed to the presidency when the president retires from office. The
president-elect shall supervise the nomination and election processes, assuring
the Society that these are fair and equitable, shall serve as chair of the
nominations committee, and shall serve ex
officio on the program committee. c. The secretary, as chair of
the program committee, shall plan, arrange, and publicize the programs for all
meetings of the Society, and keep and make available to the members the minutes
of these meetings. The secretary shall keep and make available the minutes of
executive committee meetings. d. The treasurer shall
supervise all financial transactions of the headquarters office, and account for
these to the board of trustees, the executive committee, and the membership. The
treasurer is a voting member of the board of trustees. Section 2
Duties of Committees a. The executive committee
has authority to act on all matters not reserved to the Society as a whole. The
executive committee is charged with maintaining the activities of the Society in
furthering the science of plant biology. Decisions of the executive committee
require a quorum of sixty percent and the majority of votes cast, unless
otherwise directed herein. b. The program committee,
chaired by the secretary, shall plan, arrange, and publicize the annual programs
of the Society. c. The board of trustees
shall oversee the investments of the Society, and shall prepare the annual
budget for the executive committee’s approval. The trustees share with the
treasurer the responsibility for the financial stability of the Society. d. The publications
committee shall supervise and report to the executive committee on all
non-editorial aspects of the Society’s journals and other publications,
including budget requests and printing contracts arranged by the editors and the
headquarters office. The publications committee shall search and make
recommendations to the executive committee on appointment of editors-in-chief of
the journals or other publications, and shall review and make recommendations to
the executive committee for their reappointment after each five years service.
Members of an editorial board of a journal or other publication shall be
appointed for up to five years of service by the publications committee on the
recommendation of the editor-in-chief. e. The education committee,
through seminars, publications, lectures, or other appropriate means, shall
promote and improve the teaching and public awareness of plant biology as a
constantly expanding science. f. The women in plant biology committee has as its function the maintenance and
enhancement of the status of women plant biologists by continuing to address
issues of particular concern to women scientists and to promote the inclusion of
female plant biologists in all
aspects of our Society and profession. g. The committee on public
affairs shall explain the interests of plant science to the U.S. Congress,
Executive Branch and the public. The committee on public affairs will provide
comments to appropriate members and committees of Congress; coordinate
interaction with officials in Congress and federal agencies; assist Society
members in contacting and providing educational information to policy makers;
develop a strategy and objectives for support of basic plant science and
coordinate efforts with other plant science societies and related groups; and
ensure Society public affairs efforts are consistent with applicable laws. h. The board of directors of
the ASPB education foundation shall promote and support education in the plant
sciences to enhance the role of the plant sciences in a global society. The
board will direct and report to the executive committee on all activities of
the foundation including coordination of foundation budget requests with the
board of trustees. Section 3
The National Headquarters
Office a. The Gude Plant Sciences
Center, Rockville, Maryland, which was given to the Society by the Adolph E.
Gude, Jr. family, is maintained as the national headquarters of the Society. The
headquarters office is headed by an executive director employed for the Society
by the executive committee. Support staff are employed by the executive director
as authorized by the executive committee. b. The executive director has
general responsibility for maintaining efficient business practices in the
headquarters office. Under the supervision of the president, treasurer, and
secretary, the headquarters staff shall make and record all financial
transactions, maintain membership and subscription records, prepare the
newsletter and the annual directory, handle noneditorial business associated
with publications, prepare accounts for the annual audit, prepare budget
materials for the board of trustees, maintain the Gude Plant Sciences Center,
plus such other duties that may arise. The headquarters office shall negotiate
and arrange meeting sites, assist in the annual nomination and election
procedures, inform the membership of activities and events of interest,
publicize employment opportunities, and negotiate and supervise the printing of
journals and books. The executive director shall be a non-voting member of all
standing committees, except the nominations committee, and at the discretion of
the president may be appointed in the same capacity to ad hoc committees. In all these
activities the executive director shall work closely with the Society’s officers
and committees, providing continuity and experience to their functions, and, in
general, serving as a resource person for smooth transition during the annual
change of officers. Section 4
Membership Dues,
Subscriptions, and Supporting Organizations Membership dues and
subscriptions shall be set by the executive committee after consultation with
the treasurer and board of trustees. The executive committee shall establish the
minimum contributions for patron or sustaining membership. The annual directory
shall contain information on the specific requirements for membership, and for
dues, subscriptions, and contributions. Section 5
Quorum for Business
Meetings The ultimate authority in
the Society lies with the membership, and is expressed by mail ballot or votes
cast at the annual meeting of the membership. Twenty-five members in attendance
at the annual business meeting of the Society shall constitute a quorum to
transact any necessary business. Action taken at the annual meeting stands
unless within six months a minimum of two percent of the membership petitions
the president to have the action submitted to the Society for ratification by
mail ballot. Section 6
Awards and Prizes The Society shall recognize
meritorious research and service in plant biology by the presentation of awards
to deserving individuals. Selection of individuals for awards shall be made by
selection from the nominations submitted by the membership. All nominees for Society awards shall be considered for the award for three award cycles, with nominators being given the option to update the nominating materials each cycle. The selection
committees, except for corresponding members, shall consist of the one most
recent recipient of the award and three additional appointed members serving for
staggered terms of three award cycles. The Corresponding Membership selection
committee shall consist of four appointed members serving for staggered terms of
four years. The President will appoint one member to all award committees which
select an awardee during that President’s tenure. The committee shall prepare a citation
for the award certificate and inform the President of the selections made at
least forty days prior to the annual meeting where the awards will be presented. For this occasion the headquarters office will prepare an award
certificate and, if the award is monetary, a check. The amount of the cash
awards shall be set by the executive committee. Specific endowments to support
the awards are to be maintained as described in Article IX of this
Constitution. The awards given are
as follows:
a. The Charles Reid Barnes
Life Membership Award. This is the oldest award,
established in l925 at the first annual meeting of the Society through the
generosity of Dr. Charles A. Shull. It honors Dr. Charles Reid Barnes, the first
professor of plant physiology at the University of Chicago. It is an annual
award for meritorious work in plant biology; it provides a life membership in
the Society to an individual who is at least sixty years old. Membership is not
a requirement for the award, and, if appropriate, every fifth award should be
made to an outstanding plant biologist from outside the United States.
b. The Stephen Hales Prize. This
award honors the Reverend Stephen Hales for his pioneering work in plant biology
published in his 1727 book Vegetable
Staticks. It is a monetary award established in 1927 for a scientist, whether
or not a member of the Society, who has served the science of plant biology
in some noteworthy manner. The award is made annually. The recipient of the
award is invited to address the Society on a subject in plant biology at the
next annual meeting. c. The Charles F. Kettering
Award. This award was established
by an endowment from the Kettering
Foundation in 1962 to recognize excellence in the field of photosynthesis. It is
a monetary award to be given in even-numbered years. d. The Charles Albert Shull
Award. This award was initiated
in 1971 by the Society to honor Dr. Charles A. Shull, whose personal interest
and support were largely responsible for the founding and early growth of the
Society. It is a monetary award made annually for outstanding investigations
in the field of plant biology by a scientist who is under forty-five years of
age on January 1st of the year of presentation, or is less than ten years from
the granting of the doctoral degree. The recipient is invited to address the
Society at the annual meeting the following year. e. The Adolph E. Gude, Jr.
Award. This monetary award honors
the Gude family, who made possible the establishment of the Gude Plant Science
Center. The award, established by the Society and first given in 1983, is to
be made triennially to a scientist or lay person in recognition of outstanding
service to the science of plant biology. Membership in the Society is not a
requirement for the award. f. The Dennis Robert
Hoagland Award. This monetary award,
established by the Society in 1985
with funds provided by the Monsanto Agricultural Products Company, honors Dr.
Dennis R. Hoagland, recipient of the first Hales award, for his outstanding
contributions and leadership in plant mineral nutrition. The award, to be made
not more frequently than triennially, is for outstanding plant research in
support of agriculture. g. Corresponding Membership.
This honor, initially given
in 1932, provides life membership and Society publications to distinguished
plant biologists from outside the United States. The honor is conferred by election
on the annual ballot. The committee selects no more than three (3) candidates,
and these are placed on the ballot for approval of corresponding membership
by majority vote. The president notifies successful candidates of their election.
Election of a corresponding member is to be considered each year, and
held if warranted, provided the election will not increase the number of corresponding
members beyond two (2) percent of the dues-paying membership.
Section 7 Amendments Amendments to these bylaws
may be made by a two-thirds vote of the executive committee. Comments can be registered at info@aspb.org |