SIGMA XI, The Scientific Research Society
HUMBOLDT STATE UNIVERSITY CHAPTER #433
BYLAWS
  ARTICLE I. NAME AND OBJECT

Section 1. The name of this organization shall be the HUMBOLDT STATE UNIVERSITY CHAPTER of Sigma Xi, The Scientific Research Society. The former will be referred to as "The Chapter" and the latter as "The Society", respectively.

Section 2. The object of the Chapter shall be identical with that of the Society, namely to encourage original investigation in science, pure and applied. Pursuant to that object, it is the purpose of the Chapter to encourage maintenance of companionship and communication among investigators in the various fields of science and engineering.

ARTICLE II. AFFILIATION

The Chapter is chartered by the Society and as such shall comply with the provisions of the Constitution and Bylaws of the Society, which together with these Bylaws constitute the governing documents of the Chapter. If a conflict should arise between these Bylaws and the Constitution and Bylaws of the Society, the latter shall prevail.

ARTICLE III. MEMBERSHIP

Section 1. The membership of the Chapter comprises Members and Associate Members. No person or persons shall be denied membership in the Humboldt State University Chapter of Sigma Xi for reasons of national origin, race, color, religion, sex, age, or physical handicap.

Section 2. Members and Associate Members of Sigma Xi are eligible to be enrolled as Members and Associate Members of the Chapter upon payment or proof of payment of the current dues of the Society.

Section 3a. The Chapter may elect Associate Members and Full Members in accordance with the Constitution and Bylaws of the Society.

3b. Responsibility for nomination of individuals for Associate or Full membership in the Society and thus for upholding the high ideals of the Society rests with the Members. Nominations for Associate Membership or Full Membership may be made by any Member.

3c. Nominations shall be sent to the Secretary of the Chapter who shall forward such nominations to the secretary of the Society's Committee on Membership.

Section 4. Consistent with the Constitution and Bylaws of the Society, Associate Members shall have all the rights and duties of Members except those of representing the Chapter as a delegate at Sigma Xi's annual meetings, acting as members of the Admissions Committee, or nominating persons to membership.

Section 5. Newly elected Members and Associate Members shall be initiated at a meeting of the Chapter in accordance with the Constitution and Bylaws of the Society, and their membership shall become effective upon their initiation.

ARTICLE IV. OFFICERS

Section 1. Officers of the Chapter shall be a President, a First Vice President, a Second Vice President, a Secretary, and a Treasurer.

Section 2. PRESIDENT

2a. The 1st Vice President shall become President on 1 July following her or his term as 1st Vice President. The President shall serve as such for one year or until a successor qualifies.

2b. The President is the chief executive officer of the Chapter and shall preside at all meetings of the Chapter and of the Executive Committee. Except as otherwise provided herein the President shall perform the customary duties of President and those assigned to the office by the Parliamentary Authority (see Article X).

2c. The President shall appoint the members of all special committees except those for which the Chapter specifically makes other provisions and is a member, ex officio, of all committees except the Nominating Committee and such committees as the Chapter may specifically exempt.

2d. The President is authorized to sign checks in the absence or incapacity of the Treasurer but all disbursements must be approved by the Executive Committee.

2e. If the office of President becomes vacant the 1st Vice President shall succeed to that office for the remainder of the term after which she or he shall serve the normal term as president. If both the offices of President and 1st Vice President are vacant, the 2nd Vice President shall assume the duties of President. Should all three offices be vacant, a special election shall be held to fill the vacancies, until which time the Secretary shall act as interim President.

Section 3. 1ST VICE-PRESIDENT

3a. The 2nd Vice President shall become 1st Vice President on 1 July following her or his term as 2nd Vice President. She or he shall serve as such until the expiration of the term of the President, when she or he shall become President.

3b. The 1st Vice President shall appoint members of the Program Committee and shall serve, ex officio, as chairperson of that Committee. The 1st Vice President shall perform the customary duties of a vice-president and those assigned to that office by the Parliamentary Authority except as otherwise provided herein.

3c. In the absence of the President the lst Vice President shall preside over meetings of the Chapter and Executive Committee. The 1st Vice President shall serve as deputy for the President and act for the President in her or his absence and shall call the first meeting of the Nominations Committee.

3d. If the office of 1st Vice President becomes vacant, the 2nd Vice President shall succeed. She or he will succeed to the Presidency upon the expiration of the term of the then president.

Section 4. 2ND VICE-PRESIDENT

4a. The 2nd Vice President shall assume office on 1 July following election and shall serve as such until the expiration of the term of the 1st Vice President, when she or he shall become 1st Vice President.

4b. The 2nd Vice President shall serve as second deputy for the President and shall act for the 1st Vice President in her or his absence and for the President when both are absent. The 2nd Vice President is a member ex-officio of the Admissions Committee.

4c. If the office of the 2nd Vice President becomes vacant, a special election shall be held to fill the vacancy.

Section 5. SECRETARY

5a. The Secretary shall assume office on 1 July following election and shall serve for two years or until a successor qualifies.

5b. The secretary shall perform the customary duties of the office and those specified by the Parliamentary Authority except as otherwise provided herein. The Secretary is custodian of the minutes, membership roll, and other records of the Chapter except for financial records held by the Treasurer. The Secretary shall prepare and transmit to all members notice of the time, place and program of each regular or special meeting of the Chapter; shall serve as secretary at all meetings of the Chapter and Executive Committee; shall maintain all official records other than fiscal, including minutes of meetings; and shall maintain records of nomination and election of officers and committee members, records of nominations, election and promotion of Associate Members and Members.

5c. The Secretary shall prepare and transmit to the Society all necessary reports and notices required of the Chapter by the Manual of Procedures of the Society, and shall transmit to the appropriate officers and committee members all messages and information received from the Society.

5d. A vacancy in the office of Secretary shall be filled by the Executive Committee until the following 1 July or until a successor qualifies.

Section 6. TREASURER

6a. The Treasurer shall assume office on 1 July following election and shall serve for two years or until a successor qualifies.

6b. The Treasurer shall perform the customary duties of the office and those specified by the Parliamentary Authority except as otherwise provided herein. The Treasurer shall have custody of and maintain the fiscal records of the Chapter and shall keep the funds of the Chapter in an appropriate repository approved by the Executive Committee.

6c. The Treasurer shall pay all legal obligations of the Chapter upon authorization of the Executive Committee of the Chapter.

6d. The Treasurer shall transmit monies to and receive monies from the Society in accordance with the Society's Manual of Procedures, and shall prepare necessary reports as required by that Manual.

6e. A vacancy in the office of the Treasurer shall be filled by the Executive Committee until the following 1 July or until a successor qualifies.

ARTICLE V. EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

Section 1. The Executive Committee consists of the officers. The President is chairperson ex officio and the Secretary is secretary ex officio of the Executive Committee.

Section 2. The Executive Committee shall conduct the general business of the Chapter subject to such resolutions as the Chapter may adopt. It may incur financial obligations only to the extent that current unencumbered assets are available to meet such obligations.

Section 3. The Executive committee shall appoint delegates to represent the Chapter at the Assembly of Delegates at the Annual Meeting of the Society.

Section 4. The Executive Committee may establish special committees, whose members shall be appointed by the President.

ARTICLE VI. STANDING COMMITTEES

Section 1. In addition to the Executive Committee, the standing committees of the Chapter include the Admissions Committee, the Nominations Committee, and the Program Committee. Until such committees are formed, the Executive Committee shall perform their functions.

Section 2. ADMISSIONS COMMITTEE

2a. The Admissions Committee consists of four Members: the 2nd Vice President, one other member of the Executive Committee appointed by the President, and two who shall be elected, one each year, by the membership at the annual meeting. They shall take office on 1 July of the year elected and shall serve for two years or until their successors qualify. Vacancies shall be filled by the Executive Committee until the next 1 July when successors elected at the general election shall take office for the unexpired portion of the term.

2b. The Admissions Committee shall act upon all nominations for election to Associate Member or Full Member submitted by the Members of the Chapter. Subject to the provisions of the Constitution and Bylaws of the Society, it may elect nominees to Associate Membership or Full Membership by unanimous vote.

Section 3. NOMINATIONS COMMITTEE

3a. The Nominations Committee shall consist of three members elected by the Chapter. They shall take office on 1 July following their election and shall hold office for one year or until their successors qualify. No member of the Executive Committee may be a member of the Nominations Committee.

3b. The Nominations Committee shall meet initially upon the call of the 1st Vice President or of any two members. At its first meeting it shall elect its chairman and thereafter shall meet at the call of its chairman or of any two members.

3c. The Nominations Committee shall nominate at least one eligible candidate for each office or committee membership to be filled by election of the Chapter under the Bylaws, and shall secure the consent of the candidate to their nomination.

3d. Vacancies in the Nominations Committee shall be filled by appointment by the President.

Section 4. PROGRAM COMMITTEE

4a. The Program Committee consists of the 1st Vice President as chairman ex officio, the Secretary, ex officio, and not more than three additional members appointed by the 1st Vice President.

4b. The Program Committee is responsible for planning, arranging and conducting all meetings and other events, activities, and functions of the Chapter.

4c. The Program Committee is responsible for arranging all appropriate notice of public meeting and public actions of the Chapter.

Section 5. ADDITIONAL STANDING COMMITTEES

Additional standing committees may be established by the Chapter. Their members shall be appointed by the President unless the Chapter specifies another method.

ARTICLE VII. SPECIAL COMMITTEES

Special committees may be authorized by the Chapter or by the Executive Committee. Their members shall be appointed by the President unless the Chapter in authorizing a special committee specifies another method.

ARTICLE VIII. ELECTION

Section 1. The annual regular election of officers and committee members shall take place at a meeting held in the spring of the year in which they are to take office. Special meetings, for the filling of vacancies in the office of President or Vice Presidents in accordance with these Bylaws, or for other purposes, shall be called by the Executive Committee. Notice of an election including the names of candidates nominated by the Nominating Committee, or of special meetings with their agendas, shall be sent to all members not less than one week before the meeting.

Section 2. Nominations from the floor are in order at any election.

Section 3. Method of Election

3a. If there are no more nominees for a position than vacancies, and no member objects, the nominees may be declared elected by unanimous consent. In all other cases election shall be by secret ballot. If a multiple position, such as a committee membership, is being filled, each voter shall vote on one ballot for a number of different candidates not exceeding the number of vacancies. A majority of the valid ballots cast, excluding blanks, is necessary to election.

3b. In voting for officers and committee members, the rules of the Parliamentary Authority shall apply.

ARTICLE IX. FINANCIAL AFFAIRS

Section 1. No legal obligation may be incurred by the Chapter unless Chapter assets are available to meet such obligations. The Chapter is aware that members may be liable for legal obligations incurred by it when its assets are insufficient to meet such obligations.

Section 2. The fiscal year shall begin on 1 July.

Section 3. Legal obligations may not be incurred by members if such obligations cannot be financed by the assets on hand. Members may be individually liable for legal obligations incurred in excess of the organization's funds.

Section 4. DUES

Local dues may be levied by the Chapter by vote of a majority of the members present at a meeting of the Chapter. The Treasurer shall arrange that any such dues are either collected locally or billed and collected by the Society for return to the Chapter.

ARTICLE X. PARLIAMENTARY AUTHORITY

The Parliamentary Authority of the Chapter is the current edition of Robert's Rules of Procedure and the rules contained herein shall govern the Chapter in all cases where they apply and in which they are not inconsistent with the Bylaws or any special rules of order the Chapter may adopt.

ARTICLE XI. AMENDMENT

Section 1. These Bylaws may be amended by a two-thirds vote of the members present at a meeting of the Chapter provided that: (i) each such amendment has originated with the Executive Committee, or has been submitted in writing to the Secretary with the signature of three Members and has been considered by the Executive Committee and (ii) has been included in full together with the recommendation of the Executive Committee thereon in the announcement of that meeting sent to all members.

Section 2. If the Executive Committee fails to consider an amendment received at least two weeks before a meeting it is the duty of the Secretary to include the amendment in the announcement for that meeting with the notation that it has not been considered by the Executive Committee, and it may then be adopted as if it had been considered by the Executive Committee.

ARTICLE XII. DISSOLUTION

Section 1. The Chapter may petition the Society's Board of Directors to dissolve the Chapter only (i) if it has been recommended by unanimous vote of the Executive Committee, (ii) the recommendation has been made in writing to all members of the Chapter at least two weeks prior to the meeting at which it is to be first considered. (iii) Two special meetings must be held, with the recommendation published in the notices of each meeting. (iv) It must pass by three-fourths of the members present at each meeting. The second meeting shall be held not less than one, nor more than three months after the first.

Section 2. If the Chapter should dissolve, the net assets of the Chapter, after satisfaction of all legal obligations, shall be conveyed to the Society.