Our Constitution
ARTICLE I
Name
The name of the Society shall be Houston Archeological Society.
ARTICLE II
Purpose
Section 1. The Houston Archeological Society is a voluntary, non-profit organization, the purposes of which are to bring together persons with similar interest in the subject of archeology, thereby creating an atmosphere conducive to the exchange of information and ideas; to foster an active interest in the discovery, recording, and preservation of archeological remains and data in harmony with scientific procedures; to encourage and support the publication of archeological information; and to sponsor projects and promote investigations intended to inculcate a wider public understanding and appreciation of archeology and the related fields of science.
Section 2. The practice of collecting, hoarding, exchanging, buying, or selling archeological materials for financial gain or for other than scientific purposes, and the indiscriminate excavation of archeological sites are contrary to the ideals and purposes of the Society.
ARTICLE III
Membership
Section 1. Membership in this Society is open to all persons who are in agreement with the purposes of the Society, upon payment of prescribed dues, and upon signing the following statement of ethics:
"I pledge that I will not intentionally violate the terms and conditions of any present or future federal, state, or local statute concerning cultural resources, or engage in the practice of buying or selling artifacts for commercial purposes, or engage in the willful destruction or distortion of archeological data, or disregard proper archeological field techniques."
Section 2. The Board of Directors may revoke the membership of any person who violates the Society's statement of ethics or who otherwise makes improper use of membership in the Society. The action of the Board may be appealed to the membership of the Society at a special meeting.
Section 3. Categories of membership are: Contributing; Active (Individual and Family); and Student. Honorary Life Membership, will full membership privileges, may be awarded to individuals nominated by the Board and approved by the members of the Society.
Section 4. Each member, 18 years of age and older, shall be entitled to one vote in the business of the Society and shall be eligible for any elective or appointive office.
Section 5. Annual dues, determined by vote of the membership,
are payable in advance by January 1 of each year. Those
whose dues are not paid within three months thereafter shall
be automatically dropped from membership in the Society.
top
ARTICLE IV
Officers
Section 1. The officers of the Society shall be a President, a Vice-President, a Secretary, a Treasurer, and three Directors-at-Large. Officers must be members in good standing.
Section 2. These officers shall perform the duties prescribed by this constitution and the parliamentary authority adopted by the Society.
a. The President shall be the presiding officer of the
Society and of the Board of Directors.
b. The Vice-President shall be in charge of programs. The
Vice-President shall assume the duties of the President
whenever the President is unable to serve.
c. The Secretary shall be responsible for all correspondence,
shall record the minutes of each meeting of the Society
and of the Board of Directors, and shall be the custodian
of all committee reports and other documents pertaining
to the Society.
d. The Treasurer shall be custodian of the funds of the
Society, shall collect dues, and shall receive all monies
and make all authorized payments.This
budget shall be approved by the Board and presented to the
membership at the first meeting in each fiscal year. The
fiscal year shall begin on January 1 and end December 31.
Section 3. Each officer, except the Directors-at-Large, shall hold office for one year or until a successor is chosen. Each term of office shall begin at the close of the annual meeting at which the election for that office is held. Each Director-at-Large shall hold office for three years or until a successor is chosen, except that the three initial Directors-at-Large shall be selected by lot to serve one-, two-, and three-year terms, respectively. No member shall hold more than one office at a time.
Section 4. Election of officers shall be held at the Annual Meeting of the Society. Two months prior to this meeting, the President shall appoint a Nominating committee of at least three members. This committee shall nominate at least one candidate for each office. These nominations shall be announced at the regular meeting of the Society one month prior to the election and written notification of nominations shall be sent to all members. At the meeting at which the election is held, nominations will also be accepted from the floor. The candidate receiving a plurality vote shall be elected.
Section 5. In the event of a vacancy in any office, the
Board shall have the power to make an interim appointment,
which shall terminate at the next annual meeting.
top
ARTICLE V
The Board of Directors
Section 1. The Board of Directors shall consist of the officers of the Society.Section 2. The Board of Directors shall have general supervision of the affairs of the Society. The Board shall fix the hour and place of the Society's meetings, make recommendations to the Society, and shall perform such other duties as are specified in this constitution. The Board shall be subject to the orders of the Society, and none of the Board's acts shall conflict with action taken by the Society.
Section 3. A meeting of the Board of Directors may be called
by the President or any two members of the Board. The Board
will meet at least once every three months. A majority of
the members of the Board shall constitute a quorum.
top
ARTICLE VI
Meetings
Section 1. Regular monthly meetings of the Society shall be held unless otherwise ordered by the Board of Directors.
Section 2. The regular September meeting shall be known as the Annual Meeting and shall be for the purpose of electing officers, receiving reports of officers and committees, and for any other business that may arise.
Section 3. Special meetings shall be called upon the written request of ten members, or may be called by the President or by the Board of Directors.
Section 4. Fifteen members present at a meeting of the
Society shall constitute a quorum.
top
ARTICLE VII
Committees
Section 1. An Auditing Committee of at least three members shall be appointed by the President during January. No one who has served as an officer during the previous twelve months may serve on the committee. The duties of this committee are to audit the Treasurer's books for the previous fiscal year and to report its findings to the membership at the regular March meeting.
Section 2. A Constitution Committee of three members shall be apponted by the President. The duties of this committee include review of each proposed amendment to this Constitution and the preparation of a report of the review. This report shall contain a recommendation for or against the adoption of the proposed amendment. This committee shall also report annually on the state of the Constitution.
Section 3. Other standing committees and special committees may be created as needed by the President or the Board, or by request of the membership.
Section 4. The President appoints all committee members and designates the chairman of each committee. Committee members serve as the President desires.
Section 5. The President is an ex-officio member of all
committees except the Nominating and Auditing Committees.
top
ARTICLE VIII
Parliamentary Authority
The rules contained in the current edition of "Robert's
Rules of Order Newly Revised" shall govern the Society
in all cases to which they are applicable and in which they
are not inconsistent with this constitution and any special
rules of order the Society may adopt.
top
ARTICLE IX
Amendments
Each proposed amendment to this Constitution shall be signed
by two members and submitted in writing to the Secretary,
who shall, at least 20 days before the next regular meeting,
notify in writing the members of the proposed amendment.
At the same time, the Secretary shall forward the proposed
amendment to the chairman of the Constitution Committee
for review. The Secretary shall read the proposed amendment
to the members at the next regular meeting after which it
has been received, provided that written notification has
alraedy been made. At the next regular meeting after the
proposed amendment has been read, the Constitution Committee
shall make its report to the membership and the vote shall
be taken. A two-thirds vote is required for adoption.
top
ARTICLE X
Disposal of Assets
In the event of dissolution of the Houston Archeological
Society , any assets remaining after payment of debts will
be contributed to the Texas Archeological Society, or, in
the event the Texas Archeological Society is unable or unwilling
to accept these assets, they will be distributed for exclusvely
educational purposes to an educational institution which
is exempt from taxation under the then current code of the
Internal Revenue Service.
top
ARTICLE XI
Standing Rules
Detailed policies of the Society shall be contained in a
written set of Standing Rules. It shall be the responsibility
of the Board of Directors to formulate these standing rules.
Each new standing rule must receive approval by majority
vote of the membership at any regular meeting of the Society.
top
Adopted August 10, 1984
Amended September 9, 2005