| Bylaws of the
Society for Cultural Anthropology (SCA)
A Section of the American Anthropological Association
(Updated
December 2007)
Article I. Purposes
Section 1. The Society for Cultural Anthropology is a Section
of the American Anthropological Association.
Section 2. The purpose of the Society is to advance the scholarly study of
culture cultural forms and processes in anthropology and related disciplines
through
scholarly meetings, publication[s], and related activities. The Society is
devoted exclusively to scholarly issues, but does not exclude discussion and
debate on
political and ideological matters insofar as these relate to the study of culture.
What is excluded is the use of the meetings and publications of the Society
for non-scholarly purposes.
Article II. Offices
Section 1. The main office of the Society shall be in
Virginia at the offices of the American Anthropological
Association.
Article III. Powers
Section 1. The Society shall be autonomous in all matters
within its field that are not reserved to the American
Anthropological Association, inimical
to the
American Anthropological Association's interests, or prohibited by law.
Section 2. The Society shall have an Executive Board, consisting of six Elected
Members, and a President, a Secretary, a Treasurer, and a journal Editor
appointed by the Executive Board.
Section 3. The Society is empowered to determine membership dues.
Section 4. The Society shall determine voting requirements on all Society
matters.
Section 5. The Society shall adopt and maintain Bylaws consistent with the
Bylaws of the American Anthropological Association. A copy of the Society's
current
Bylaws, Rules of Procedure, and Table of Organization shall be filed with
the Secretary of the American Anthropological Association.
Section 6. The Society may establish special funds to be administered by
the American Anthropological Association for purposes the Society may designate.
Section 7. The Society may engage in publishing and program activities appropriate
to its purposes. It may appoint editors and other agents and set publication
and program policies, so long as the policies are not inimical to the interests
of the American Anthropological Association.
Section 8. The Society shall submit an annual operating budget to the American
Anthropological Association Executive Board, at a time specified by the AAA
Executive Board, which, when approved, shall govern Society activities.
Section 9. The Society shall participate in the AAA Section Assembly, and
shall submit nominations to the AAA Nominating Committee for open AAA positions.
Article IV. Membership
Section 1. Membership in the Society is open to all American
Anthropological Association members upon payment of dues.
Article V. Dues
Section 1. The Executive Board shall set the annual dues
of membership and may establish rates for special categories.
The Executive Board shall review
the
dues of the Society at least every three years and report its findings to
the membership.
Section 2. Any person in arrears in the payment of dues shall lose all membership
privileges.
Article VI. Governance
Section 1. Governance of the Society shall be vested in the members and the
Executive Board.
Section 2. The members shall constitute the final authority of the Society
and shall elect from their number the elected officers of the Society as
provided in these Bylaws.
Section 3. The Executive Board of the Society, shall, subject to provisions
in the American Anthropological Association Articles of incorporation and
Bylaws,
a) have the authority, subject to general directions and limitations
imposed
by the members, to execute on behalf of the Society all powers and functions
of the Society as defined by these Bylaws;
b) in the event of a vacancy in any elected or appointed office, shall have
the power to make interim appointments to the office until the next regular
election.
Section 4. The Executive Board shall meet at least once each year and at
the call of the President may hold additional meetings as required.
Article VII. Officers
Section 1. The Officers of the Society shall consist
of a President , a Secretary and a Treasurer, and the
Editor of the Society's journal.
Section 2. The President shall be appointed by the Executive Board for a
term of Office of two (2) years. The President shall be the presiding officer
of
the Society and chairperson of the Executive Board. The President shall exercise
all the duties and responsibilities commonly associated with this office.
Acting with the advice and consent of the Executive Board, the President
shall appoint
necessary committees and define their duties, and appoint representatives
of the Society to other societies or agencies. The president shall be the
representative
to the Board of Directors of the American Anthropological Association, and,
should the Society be entitled, serve on the Executive Committee of the Board
of
Directors.The president or an SCA member appointed by the President shall
represent SCA in
the AAA Section Assembly; the same representative may serve for up to four
years,
as stipulated in the AAA by-laws.
Section 3. The Secretary will be appointed by the Executive Board for a term
of three (3) years, with an option for a further [one- or] two-year term
with the approval of the Executive Board, and shall serve as Secretary to
the Executive
Board. The secretary shall perform the duties and have the responsibilities
customarily associated with that office, including being responsible for
the maintenance
of proper records, which shall be open to inspection by the Executive Board.
The secretary will additionally be responsible for all non-journal communications
with the membership and with the American Anthropological Association., although
the responsibility for maintaining the Section’s web site may be delegated
to a member of the Executive Board.
Section 4. The Treasurer will be appointed by the Executive Board for a term
of three (3) years, with an option for a further [one- or] two-year term
with the approval of the Executive Board. The Treasurer and shall serve as
Treasurer
to the Executive Board and be responsible for the maintenance of proper financing,
which shall be open to inspection by the Executive Board. The Treasurer works
directly with the President in liaison with the Controller of AAA to prepare
the annual budget of the Society.
Section 5. The Editor of the Society's journal, Cultural Anthropology,
will be appointed by the Executive Board for a term of four (4) years, with
an
option for a further [one- or] two-year term with the approval of the Executive
Board. The Editor is responsible for the editorial office of the journal.
Co-editors
may be appointed at the discretion of the Executive Board.
Section 6. The Board shall have the right, by a two-thirds vote, to remove
any member of the Executive Board it deems to have failed to perform the
duties
of the office.
Section 7. The term of office of all members of the Executive Board and all
officers shall commence at the conclusion of the Annual Meeting of the American
Anthropological
Association. The Editor’s term will begin on January 1 of the year prior
to the year in which the Editor’s first issue shall appear.
Article VIII. Nomination and Elections
Section 1. The Executive Board will be elected for a
term of five years by the society's membership from a
slate of candidates either proposed by the
Executive
Board or nominated by a signed petition from at least twenty members in good
standing. There shall be at least two candidates for each open position on
the Executive Board.
Article IX. Referenda
Section 1. Any matters of business of the Society may
be decided by means of a referendum vote by mail [or
secure electronic] ballot.
Section 2. A referendum vote may be held at any time upon the initiation
of the Executive Board or by a signed petition to the Executive Board by
twenty
members.
Article X. Balloting
Section 1. A member in good standing is entitled to cast
one ballot in any election or referendum.
Section 2. Elections and referenda requiring a vote by the membership shall
be handled by officials of the American Anthropological Association. The
Secretary of the Society shall forward to the AAA all appropriate information
and materials
for such elections and referenda so as to meet the relevant deadlines and
requirements. The AAA shall be responsible for mailing the ballots, counting
the votes, and
notifying the President of the Society of the results. The President will
notify candidates of the results of the election, and will make public the
results
of
referenda and elections by a report at the Annual Business Meeting.
Section 3. The candidate receiving the most votes in an election shall be
elected; in the case of a tie the Executive Board shall break the tie.
Article XI. Quorum
Section 1. Twenty members in good standing shall constitute
a quorum for transacting business at the Annual Business
Meeting. This includes SCA Officers and members
of the Executive Board.
Section 2. A quorum of the Executive Board shall consist of a majority of
its membership.
Article XII. Finances and Property
Section 1. The fiscal year of the Society shall be that
of the American Anthropological Association.
Section 2. The Treasurer will work with the Controller of the American Anthropological
Association to ensure that the Society receives a fair distribution of the
revenue and royalties from its publications.
Article XIII. Annual Meeting
Section 1. The Society shall hold an Annual Business
Meeting at the Meetings of the American Anthropological
Association. If the Annual Meetings are not
held, an on-line meeting shall be conducted in lieu of the Annual Business
Meeting.
Section 2. The place and date of the Annual Meeting shall be disclosed to
the membership no later than sixty (60) days in advance of the Meeting.
Section 3. The Society shall hold a biennial Conference. At the discretion
of the Executive Board, this may be held in conjunction with other scholarly
associations.
Section 4. The place and date of the Conference shall be disclosed to the
membership no later than sixty (60) days in advance of the Conference.
Article XIV. Annual Report
Section 1. At the time of the Annual Business Meeting
of the Society, the Executive Board shall report its
activities to the membership. The report shall include
the reports of Officers, committees, and other agents.
Section 2. The Executive Board shall report its activities in a written report
to the American Anthropological Association Executive Board at least sixty
(60) days before the Annual Meetings of the American Anthropological Association.
As required by the AAA Executive Board.
Article XV. Amendment to Bylaws
Section 1. The Bylaws may be amended by a two-third majority
of the members voting via mail ballot.
Section 2. Amendments may be proposed by the Executive Board or by a majority
vote at the Annual Business Meeting. The proposed amendments shall be included
in a ballot mailed to the members of the society, and must be returned to
the Secretary no more than thirty (30) days from the date they were mailed
out.
Section 3. The amendments and provisions of the Bylaws shall be effective
immediately upon adoption and shall supersede and nullify all previous enactments
in conflict
with them.
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