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Bylaws

Bylaws of the Volcanology, Geochemistry, and Petrology Section of the American Geophysical Union

As revised and approved by Council 27 May 2005

Article 1. Name

The name of this organization shall be the Volcanology, Geochemistry, and Petrology Section of the American Geophysical Union.

Article 2. Objectives

• To promote the aims and activities of the American Geophysical Union within the fields of volcanology, geochemistry, and petrology.
• To promote scientific studies in volcanology, geochemistry, and petrology and to make the results of such studies available to the public by
  1. scientific discussions, publications, and other means of information dissemination, and
  2. sponsorship and organization of scientific and technical symposia, colloquia, and meetings.

Article 3. Membership

1. Types of members are as defined in Article 2 of the Union Bylaws.
2. Members of the Section shall be all classifications of Union members who indicate an interest in affiliation with the Section.
3. A Union member who becomes an inactive member of the Union shall also become an inactive member of the Section.
4. A member of the Section who ceases to be a member of the Union shall also cease to be a member of the Section.
5. All Section members who are classified under Article 2, Sections a, b, or c of the Union Statutes are entitled to vote and are eligible to hold office in the Section.

Article 4. Administration and Officers’ Duties

1. Officers — The officers of the Section shall be the President, President-Elect, and two Secretaries. The officers shall be members under Article 2, Sections a, b, or c, of the Union Statutes. There shall be secretaries for geochemistry and for volcanology and petrology.
2. Term of Office — The Section officers shall serve a two year term, without honorarium, coincident with the term of the Union Officers. An elected President shall not be eligible for election as President-Elect immediately following a term as President. Elected Secretaries are eligible for reelection to succeeding terms. If any office becomes vacant, the Executive Committee of the Section shall appoint a successor to complete the term of office. Officers appointed by the Executive Committee cannot hold office, without election, beyond the term of their predecessor.
3. Executive Committee — The Section shall have an Executive Committee which shall include the President, President-Elect, Secretaries, and the most recent Past President.
4. Duties of the President — The President shall oversee and direct the affairs of the Section, and shall preside at meetings of the Section and of the Executive Committee. The President shall appoint members to Section committees and task groups and have the power to withdraw appointments made while in office or by previous Presidents, subject to approval of the Executive Committee. The President shall be an ex-officio member of all Section task groups or committees. The President shall be a voting member of the Union Council and shall attend all Council meetings.
5. Duties of the President-Elect — The President-Elect shall assume the duties and powers of the President at the request of the President or in the absence or incapacity of the President. The President-Elect shall be a voting member of the Union Council and shall attend all Council meetings. The President-Elect shall have such other powers and duties as may be assigned by the President. The President-Elect shall succeed the President at the end of the President’s term of office.
6. Duties of the Secretaries — The Secretaries will serve as the representatives of the Section on the Program Committee for each national meeting. They are responsible for planning and organizing the meeting programs for the Section, including special sessions, for the Fall Meeting and the Spring Joint Assembly. They also maintain lists of task group and committee members, prepare official minutes of meetings of the Section and of the Executive Committee, receive and disburse funds as authorized by the Executive Committee of the Section and Council of the Union, and perform such other duties as may be delegated by the President. Either Secretary shall serve as an alternate for the President or President-Elect at meetings of the Union Council.

Article 5. Nomination and Election of Officers

1. Nominations — At least six months before the general election, an ad hoc Nominations Committee, composed of at least three Section members, one of whom shall be designated Chair, shall be appointed by the President, subject to the approval of the Executive Committee. The Nominations Committee shall submit to the Section President a slate of at least two nominees for each elective office, and the President shall submit that slate to the Union Council at least four months before the Union’s general election. The slate of approved nominees shall appear in a Union publication of general circulation not less than 30 days before the general election. Petitions of nominations from the Section membership shall be honored provided that
   1. each petition is signed by at least one percent of the full voting membership of the Section, and
   2. such nominations are received by the General Secretary of the Union before the end of the 30-day notification period required before the general election.
2. Elections — The general election shall take place by electronic and letter ballot at the end of the 30-day notification period. A majority of the votes cast shall be necessary for election to an office. No mail ballot shall be closed until at least 30 days after date of issue. The election results shall be announced on the AGU web site and in EOS. The term of office for all officers shall begin on July 1 following the elections. Any officer may be removed from office for neglect of duty by majority vote of section members voting in a special election, which may be called either by a 75 percent majority of the Executive Committee or by petition signed by 3 percent of the Section membership.
   
   

Article 6. Committees and Task Groups

1. Committees — The Section may have administrative and technical committees. Establishment or discontinuance of committees is by action of the President, subject to the approval of the Executive Committee. Each committee shall consist of a Chair and at least two members appointed by the President with the advice of the Executive Committee. The term of office of a committee chair shall not extend beyond the term of office of the appointing President unless reappointed by the incoming President.
2. Standing Committees — The Section will have one standing committee:
   1. The Bowen Award Selection Committee.
      The award is to be given for outstanding contributions to volcanology, geochemistry, or petrology. The contribution may be:
      1. a single outstanding paper published in any journal;
      2. a series of papers which, taken together, constitute an outstanding contribution; or
      3. any other contribution that the Selection Committee considers worthy.
   2. Number of Awards: The award may be given to as many as five or as few as zero individuals during any calendar year. Multiple awards may be either shared awards or separate awards, as appropriate.
   3. Nominations: Nominations for the award may be made by any member of the Union. The nomination should include
      1. a nomination letter,
      2. a CV for the candidate,
      3. a list of publications for the candidate, and 
      4. three letters of recommendation from colleagues who are neither from the candidate’s current institution nor from the candidate’s Ph.D. institution. The committee shall be entitled to solicit nominations from any member of the Union. Nominations should be submitted to the Chair of the Selection Committee.
   4. Eligibility: Any member of the scientific community is eligible for the award, but no individual may receive the award more than once. The Committee is charged with seeking out scientists whose work has not been recognized by the receipt of other awards, but this charge is not a restriction on the award.
   5. Committee Membership: The Selection Committee shall consist of at least five members of the VGP Section. Each member shall have a tenure that coincides with the terms of the Section Officers. Members shall be appointed by the President of the Section at the beginning of the President’s term. At least one member shall be re-appointed in order to provide continuity to the Committee.
   6. Committee Chair: The Chair of the Selection Committee will be selected by the President of the Section.
   7. Procedure: The Selection Committee shall make an annual recommendation to the Executive Committee of the VGP Section as to who should receive the award. The recommendation shall include the nominating statement(s) of qualifications. The Executive Committee of the VGP section has veto power and may refuse or return any recommendation to the Selection Committee for further consideration. The Executive Committee shall reach their decisions by a majority vote of those in attendance or communication. In case of tie votes, the President will have the final authority. The award will be accompanied by a suitable certificate, with the recipient’s name and year of the award, signed by the Section President. The Selection Committee shall provide a brief citation to appear on the certificate.
   8. Award Schedule: February — Announcement in VGP Section electronic newsletter and in EOS soliciting nominations from Union membership. May 1 — Deadline for nominations to be received by Selection Committee Chair. September — Committee recommends the annual recipients of the award to the Executive Committee. October — Executive Committee takes action on recommendations before the deadline for announcement in Fall Meeting Program. President arranges for an announcement in VGP Section electronic newsletter, for other announcements as appropriate, and for the certificate(s). December — Award(s) made at either the Fall Meeting of the Union of the year of the award or the Spring Joint Assembly of the following year, as appropriate.
3. Task Groups — Special task groups may be appointed by the President to undertake particular projects of limited duration. The term of appointment normally should not extend beyond that of the President, but the term may be extended if necessary to bring the project to completion.

Article 7. Meetings

1. The Section may hold as many Section meetings, or Executive Committee meetings, and at such locations, as may be deemed desirable by the Executive Committee, but at least one Business Meeting shall be held each year. Administrative and technical committees and task groups may hold as many meetings as necessary to obtain their objectives and assignments. At least 30 days advance written notice shall be given for the Business Meeting. Specialty meetings dedicated to the pursuit of a specific scientific subject may be sponsored by the Section, subject to approval of the Council of the Union.
2.  A quorum for all business meetings shall be those present at the meeting. A quorum for the Executive Committee and other committees and task group meetings shall be one-third of the total membership of these committees or task groups.

Article 8. Publications

The Section may publish a newsletter and other items of interest to their discipline. However, the type of publication and the means of financing same shall be approved by the Union’s Executive Committee.

Article 9. Bylaws Adoptions and Amendments

1.  Adoption — New Bylaws may be adopted by the same methods as are provided for the amendment of Bylaws.
2. Amendments — Any voting member of the Section may propose an amendment to the Bylaws. Such a proposal shall be considered by the Union’s Committee on Statutes and Bylaws and presented with recommendations to the Section’s Executive Committee. Upon approval of the Executive Committee the Bylaw shall be submitted to the Council of the Union for final approval. In case of conflict with the Statutes and Bylaws of the Union, the Union takes precedence over the Section.

Article 10. Parliamentary Authority

Robert’s Rules of Order shall be followed except as otherwise specified in these Bylaws.