Bylaws of the
Latin American Section
of the Southern Historical Association
Article I
The purpose of this
organization will be to encourage the study of the history of Latin America and
the Caribbean, particularly in the U.S. South. This is a non-profit
organization. Said organization is organized exclusively for charitable,
religious, educational, and scientific purposes, including, for such purposes,
the making of distributions to organizations that qualify as exempt
organizations under section 501 (c) (3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954.
Article II
Membership in the Section is
open to any individual. Non-members may participate in program
sessions but may
not participate in the official business
meeting, hold office, or be members of
standing committees of the Section.
Article III
The Section will hold one
regular annual meeting in conjunction
with the annual meeting of the Southern
Historical Association. The
business meeting of the Section will be
held during
the annual luncheon held at this annual
meeting, and during that business
meeting the Executive Committee will
report its actions.
Article IV
Section 1. The officers of the
Section will be a President, a Vice President, who will be President-designate,
a Treasurer, a Secretary, and such additional officers as the Executive
Committee will from time to time determine. The President and Vice President
will hold office for terms of one year, beginning immediately following the
annual meeting. The Vice President will be elected annually, as provided in
Article VI of these bylaws, and at the expiration of his/her term of office
he/she will succeed to the office of President. The President will be empowered
to appoint one member to each standing committee at the beginning of his/her
year of office. In case of vacancies in the membership of the standing
committees, the serving President will be empowered to fill them.
Section 2. Should the office
of President for any reason become vacant, the Vice President will succeed
forthwith to the office of President. He/she will serve the remaining term of
the former President, and then his/her term as President.
Section 3. The Treasurer and
Secretary will each be elected to five-year terms at the appropriate annual
meetings. The Treasurer will be responsible for maintaining records of
membership and keeping accurate books on the financial status of this
association. The Secretary will keep the official record of the Section,
including minutes of all executive and annual meetings, and oversee any
publicity of this association.
Section 4. The Executive
Committee will be empowered to fill vacancies in all Section offices under
circumstances not covered by the provisions of these bylaws.
Article V
Section 1. There will be an
Executive Committee consisting of the President, Vice President, Treasurer,
Secretary, and Latin American History Representative of the SHA council, plus
the two past Presidents immediately preceding.
Section 2. The Executive
Committee will have general charge of the affairs of the Section except as
otherwise provided in this constitution.
Section 3. The Executive
Committee will make recommendations concerning dues structure for this
organization to the membership at the annual business meeting, and that body
will be the final voice in determining the dues structure.
Section 4. The Executive
Committee will appoint a Nominating Committee.
Section 5. The Nominating
Committee will consist of three members, with one member rotating off each year
and that vacancy being filled by the serving President. The most senior member
will serve as Chair of the Nominating Committee. The Chair of the Nominating
Committee will present a slate of no more than two persons for each elective
office to the annual business meeting.
Article VI
Elections to all elected
offices will take place in open meeting at the annual business meeting.
Following the report of the Nominating Committee as required above in Article V,
there will be an opportunity for nominations from members present at that
meeting. Only members may participate in the nomination and election process.
Article VII
The annual business meeting will be
open to all members of the Section.
Article VIII
Amendments to these bylaws may
be proposed by the Executive Committee,
by the annual business meeting, or by
petition to the Executive Committee by
twenty members. Amendments will be
presented at the annual business meeting
and may be voted on at that
meeting. A
majority of members present and voting
will be sufficient to endorse an
amendment.
Article IX
Upon the dissolution of the
corporation, the officers will, after paying or making provision for the payment
of all of the liabilities of the organization, dispose of all of the assets of
the organization exclusively for the purposes of the organization in such
manner, or to such organization or organizations organized and operated
exclusively for charitable, educational, religious, or scientific purposes as
will at the time qualify as an exempt organization or organizations under
section 501 (c) (3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954 as the Board of
Trustees will determine. Any such assets not so disposed of will be disposed of
by the Court of Common Pleas of the county in which the principal office of the
corporation is then located, exclusively for such purposes or to such
organization and organizations as said Court will determine, which are organized
and operate exclusively for such purposes.
