Governance

Article I - Name

This Section of the American Physical Society shall be known as the Eastern Great Lakes Section (EGLS).

Article II - Objective

The objective of the Section shall be to advance and disseminate the knowledge of physics and to foster a community of physicists that promotes the awareness of the science of physics in Ohio, Michigan, and Eastern Indiana.

Article III - Enabling Constitutional Provision

Article VIII of the Constitution and Bylaws of the Society, and associated Policies and Procedures of the Society as may be subsequently revised or amended, are hereby incorporated in these Bylaws by reference.

Article IV - Membership

Members of the Society who have indicated, in accordance with procedures established by Board, their desire to join the Section and who retain membership from year to year by the payment of designated dues or by some other method established by Board shall become members of the Section.

Article V - Executive Committee

1. Governance: The Section shall be governed by an Executive Committee, which shall have general charge of the affairs of the Section.

2. Composition: The Executive Committee shall consist of the Officers of the Section and up to four Members-at-Large of which one shall be a student and one shall be a position for the outgoing Chair, which may be occupied at their discretion. If the outgoing Chair chooses to occupy this position, then he or she shall function as both the fourth Member-at-Large and Past-Chair.

3. Executive Committee Meetings: The Executive Committee shall meet at least twice each year. At least one meeting shall be held during the Regular Meeting of the Section. Any member of the Executive Committee unable to attend a meeting may name a nonvoting alternate, who is a member of the Section in good standing, to represent them, subject to the approval of the Chair. A majority of the voting members, including at least two Officers, shall constitute a quorum.

Article VI - Officers and Section Councilor

1. Officers: The Officers of the Section shall be a Chair, a Chair-Elect, a Vice-Chair, a Secretary, and a Treasurer.

2. Duties of the Chair: The Chair shall have overall responsibility for the operations of the Section and shall preside at all meetings of the Executive Committee and Business Sessions of the Section at which their attendance is possible. The Chair, in coordination with the Secretary, shall prepare the agenda of Executive Committee meetings and Business Sessions. The Chair shall be an ex officio member of all operating committees and shall be responsible for all appointed positions.

3. Duties of the Chair-Elect:The Chair-Elect shall act in place of the Chair if the latter is unable to perform their duties. The Chair-Elect shall be responsible for providing guidance and consultation to the Local Organizing Committees regarding all issues in the design and organization of the Regular Meetings of the Section. The Chair-Elect shall also provide liaison between the Local Organizing Committees and the Executive Committee. The Chair-Elect shall perform such other functions as may be explicitly provided in the Bylaws.

4. Duties of the Vice-Chair: The Vice-Chair shall act in place of the Chair-Elect if the latter is unable to perform their duties. The Vice-Chair shall be responsible for seeking out and identifying possible host institutions for future meetings. The Vice-Chair also shall assist the Chair-Elect in carrying out their duties. The Vice-Chair shall perform such other functions as may be explicitly provided in the Bylaws.

5. Duties of the Secretary: The Secretary shall maintain the records of the Section including minutes of Executive Committee meetings and Business Sessions, Section activities, and membership lists. The Secretary shall notify the Executive Committee of matters requiring the decision of said Committee. The Secretary shall conduct all elections as specified in Article VII of these Bylaws. The Secretary shall prepare minutes of Executive Committee meetings and Business Sessions and shall submit these minutes to each member of the Executive Committee and to the Executive Officer within a time following the meetings and Sessions as set by the Chair. Following elections, such minutes are to include the results of the election and a roster of the current Executive Committee membership. The Secretary shall also inform the APS Corporate Secretary of the election results as soon as all candidates have been notified.

   The Secretary shall keep the Assigned Councilor informed of the activities and needs of the Section in years when the Section does not have an elected Councilor.

6. Duties of the Treasurer: The Treasurer shall have responsibility for all funds in the custody of or placed at the disposal of the Section and, in consultation with the Chair, shall authorize disbursements from such funds for expenses in a *841manner that is consistent with the general policies of the Society and the Section. Financial records shall be kept on an annual basis consistent with the fiscal policies of the Society. The Treasurer shall present a financial report at each meeting of the Executive Committee and at the annual Business Session of the Section.

7. Duties of the Section Councilor: When the Section has its turn in the rotation among Sections, as established by the Council, a Section Councilor will be elected as prescribed in Article VII.4 of these Bylaws. The Section Councilor shall serve as liaison between the Council of the Society and the Executive Committee of the Section. Following each Council meeting, the Section Councilor shall report to the Chair and the Secretary regarding Council actions that affect the status and operations of the Section. Reports shall be made to the entire Executive Committee during their regularly scheduled meetings.

8. Duties of the Assigned Councilor: During years in which the Section does not have an elected Councilor, the Council will appoint an Assigned Councilor. This person will attend Council meetings and will perform the duties described in Article VI.7 of these Bylaws.

Article VII - Election and Tenure of the Officers and Executive Committee Members

1. Qualifications: Officers and Members-at-Large of the Executive Committee must be members of the Section.

2. Ballot:The Vice-Chair, Secretary, Treasurer and three Members-at-Large of the Executive Committee, of which one is a student, shall be elected by electronic and/or paper ballot.

3. Nomination and Election of the Vice-Chair, Secretary, Treasurer, and Members-at-Large of the Executive Committee:Each year, the Nominating Committee shall nominate candidates for the office of Vice-Chair and candidates for each open Member-at-Large position of the Executive Committee. When the current Secretary or Treasurer is in the final year of their term, the Nominating Committee shall nominate candidates for that office. The Nominating Committee shall consult with the Chair before approving the nomination of any candidate for a second consecutive term. The Nominating Committee shall provide the Secretary with the list of candidates not later than 90 days before the Spring Regular Meeting of the Section, except under extraordinary circumstances.

   The Secretary shall conduct the election. In the case when the Secretary is a candidate for a second term, the election shall be administered by a process determined by the Executive Committee. Members of the Section shall vote for candidates proposed by the Nominating Committee, or for any other member of the Section, by electronic and/or paper ballot, as the Executive Committee shall designate. The ballots shall include spaces for write-in candidates. Write-in candidates receiving the majority of the votes will be reviewed at the discretion of the Executive Committee. The Secretary shall validate and communicate the results of the voting to the Chair at least four weeks prior to the Spring Regular Meeting of the Section. Election shall be decided by a plurality of those voting. If there is a tie, the Executive Committee shall decide the election, with the Chair voting only in the case of a tie among the other Executive Committee members. Once the election results are reported to the Chair and the Executive Committee resolves any ties, the results shall be officially announced to the membership.

4. Nomination and Election of Section Councilor: Section C4.5 of the Council of Representatives Policies and Procedures provides for the Section to elect a Councilor representing the Sections when the Section's turn in a rotation occurs. The nomination of candidates and the election shall proceed in a manner similar to that for the Vice-Chair of the Section as given in Article VII.3 of these Bylaws with the requirement that the candidates be past non-student members of the Executive Committee. This election shall occur one year prior to that year in which this turn in the rotation occurs as determined by the Council.

5. Official Year: The official year shall extend from the close of the Spring Regular Meeting of the Section of one calendar year to the close of the Spring Regular Meeting of the succeeding calendar year. 

6. Vice-Chair, Chair-Elect, Chair and Past-Chair: The member elected as Vice-Chair shall serve as Vice-Chair for one year, then as Chair-Elect the next year, and as Chair the following year. At the end of the Chair's term of office, they shall become the fourth Member-at-Large as Past-Chair. The Chair shall not be eligible for the office of Vice-Chair in the year following their term of office. The Past-Chair shall not be eligible for the office of Vice-Chair in the year following their term of office.

7. Terms of Office: The terms of office for the Executive Committee shall commence at the beginning of the official year following their election. The term of office for each of the positions of Vice-Chair, Chair-Elect, Chair and Past-Chair shall be one year. The Secretary and Treasurer shall each serve terms of three years and may not serve more than two consecutive terms. The terms of these two Officers shall be staggered by one year. The term of office of the student Member-at-Large shall be two years and the term of office of the two remaining elected Members-at-Large shall be three years and these terms shall be staggered by one year. In the event of their assumption of a post as an elected Officer of the Section, the tenure of a Member-at-Large of the Executive Committee shall terminate, and the unexpired portion of their term shall be filled as hereinafter provided for a vacancy.

8. Vacancies in Offices: If a vacancy occurs in the office of Chair, the Chair-Elect shall succeed and complete the term and shall serve as Chair in the following year. The Vice-Chair shall serve simultaneously as Chair-Elect during the remainder of the term and shall continue to serve as Chair-Elect in the following term.

   If a vacancy occurs in the office of Chair-Elect otherwise than through advancement to Chair, the Vice-Chair shall become Chair-Elect. In this case, and if the office of Vice-Chair becomes vacant for other reasons, the office of Vice-Chair shall remain vacant for the remainder of the term. In the next scheduled election, candidates for both Chair-Elect and Vice-Chair shall be nominated.

   If vacancies occur in the offices of the Chair and the Chair-Elect, the Vice-Chair shall become Chair and shall complete the term. In this case, the Secretary shall conduct a special election to fill the offices of Chair-Elect and Vice-Chair. The members so elected shall continue to serve as Officers in the normal succession order.

   If the most recent Chair does not serve as an active Past-Chair and the fourth Member-at-Large, then this position shall remain vacant until the current Chair completes their term of office.

   Vacancies in any other elected office shall be filled as determined by the Executive Committee or left unfilled until such time as the vacancy can be filled by regular election procedures.

Article VIII - Appointed Committees and Positions

1. Nominating Committee: The Nominating Committee shall consist of three members appointed by the Executive Committee to one-year terms, with not more than two members of the Executive Committee so appointed, and one member appointed by APS for a one-year term. The Chair shall ascertain through the Society Corporate Secretary the identity of this member. The Nominating Committee shall prepare a slate of candidates for the positions of Vice-Chair, Secretary, Treasurer and Members-at-Large of the Executive Committee according to Article VII.3 of these Bylaws. The Nominating Committee shall perform such other duties as described in the Bylaws. The Chair shall oversee the work of the Nominating Committee.

2. Program Committee: The Program Committee provides advice to the chairs of the local organizing committee on the conduct of the Section meetings, liaison and oversight for future meetings, and a conduit to the Executive Committee pertaining to matters associated with Section meetings. The Program Committee shall consist of the Chair-Elect and Vice-Chair of the Section.

3. Honors and Awards Committee: The Honors and Awards Committee shall consist of three members of the Section appointed by the Chair to one-year terms and who are not currently members of the Executive Committee. At least two members of the Awards Committee shall have served as Officers of the Section. The same person may be reappointed to succeeding terms. The Honors and Awards Committee will consult with the Honors Program Director of the Society regarding any Prizes, Awards, or Fellowships.

4. Ad Hoc Committees: The Chair shall appoint other ad hoc committees as necessary, which shall serve only during their term as Chair.

5. Term of Office of Appointed Committee Members: The terms of committee members recommended by an incoming Chair and appointed by a majority vote of the Executive Committee shall be one year commencing at the beginning of the year in which incoming Chair assumes office.

6. Archivist: The Executive Committee shall designate a qualified member of the Section to serve in the permanent position of Archivist. The Archivist shall keep the historical records of the Section and provide reports, documents, or data as required by the occasion.

Article IX - Meetings

1. Regular Meeting: Two meetings of the Section, to be known as the Fall Regular Meeting and the Spring Regular Meeting, shall be held annually at such time and place as shall be ordered by the Executive Committee, subject to coordination with the APS Director of Meetings. Whenever it shall be feasible and not to the disadvantage of the members of the Section, the Executive Committee may order this or any other meeting to be held conjointly with a meeting of the Society or of another society, conference or group, so long as such joint meeting does not conflict importantly with the schedule of meetings of the Society as determined by the APS Director of Meetings. The registration fee for the Regular Meetings, when not held jointly with a meeting of the Society, shall be fixed after consultation with the APS Director of Meetings.

   Non-members of the Society shall pay a registration fee surcharge, in addition to the registration fee, to be set each year in consultation with the APS Director of Meetings.

2. Annual Business Session: At least once each year the Section shall hold a Business Session that shall be a session of the Regular Meeting. This shall be normally held during the Spring Regular Meeting. This Business Session shall be devoted exclusively to the reports of Officers and committees, election results and the transaction of business affairs. No scientific program of the Section shall be presented simultaneously with the Business Session. A quorum for the transaction of business shall be three percent of the membership of the Section. A majority vote of those Section members present at a Business Session shall be sufficient for approval of actions.

3. Other Meetings: Meetings of the Section, other than the Regular Meetings, may be initiated by the Executive Committee or by petition of twenty percent of the members of the Section, subject to consultation with the APS Director of Meetings. Special conferences may be sponsored in whole or in part by the Section, subject to the rules and regulations specified in the Society Constitution and Bylaws and associated Policies and Procedures.

4. Papers at Meetings:Programs of meetings of the Section may include both invited and contributed papers. When a meeting of the Section is held in conjunction with a meeting of the Society, the rules of the Society shall apply to submitted papers. Otherwise, the Executive Committee shall prescribe the subject and character of the meeting, which may include limitations on the subject matter of submitted papers. The Secretary, in consultation with the Program Committee and the APS Director of Meetings, shall announce the deadline date for receipt of titles and abstracts and the method by which they should be submitted. The presentation time for a paper at a meeting shall be determined by the Program Committee, except as otherwise directed by the Executive Committee. These allotments of time shall be consistent with the Constitution and Bylaws of the Society and associated Policies and Procedures.

Article X - Dues

The Board shall establish the dues for maintenance of membership in the Section.

Article XI - Official Announcements

Official announcements shall be made in the APS News at the discretion of the editor of the APS News, on the Section web site, and in such other publications as the Executive Committee may direct.

Article XII - Procedure of Amendment of Bylaws

Proposal of an Amendment to these Bylaws may be made by the Council, by the APS Governance Committee, by the Executive Committee, or by a petition to the Chair signed by not fewer than ten percent of the members of the Section. The petition shall be of electronic and/or paper form, as the Executive Committee shall designate. However initiated, the proposed Amendment must be reviewed by the APS Governance Committee and the Council must approve it before further action can be taken.

Following Council approval, copies of the proposed Amendment shall be distributed to all members of the Section, who then shall vote on the proposed Amendment by electronic ballot and/or by paper ballot, as the Executive Committee shall designate.

Adoption of the Amendment shall require a two-thirds vote by those voting.