WESTERN NEW YORK BRANCH AMERICAN SOCIETY FOR MICROBIOLOGY CONSTITUTION AND BYLAWS

REVISED May 2024

CONSTITUTION

ARTICLE I. NAME AND TERRITORIAL RIGHTS

Section 1. This local BRANCH shall be known as the WESTERN NEW YORK BRANCH, herein after referred to as the BRANCH of the AMERICAN SOCIETY FOR MICROBIOLOGY, hereinafter referred to as the SOCIETY.

Section 2. The geographical limits of this local BRANCH shall be those arranged with the chair of the Membership Board and approved by the COUNCIL.

Section 3. The territorial limits of the WESTERN NEW YORK BRANCH include the New York State zip codes 14000-14999.


ARTICLE II. OBJECTIVES

The objectives of the BRANCH shall be the promotion of scientific knowledge of microbiology and related subjects and the improvement of education in microbiology and related fields.


ARTICLE III. MEMBERS

Section 1. Member categories of the BRANCH shall consist of regular, student, sustaining, emeritus, and adjunct.

Section 2. Members must be members of the BRANCH. Membership in the national SOCIETY is encouraged, but not necessary for BRANCH membership. National SOCIETY members who reside in our geographic area are encouraged to be BRANCH members.

Section 3. Voting: Regular, student, and emeritus members are eligible to vote in BRANCH activities. SOCIETY activities, such as councilor elections, require SOCIETY membership.

Section 4. Eligibility for membership category:

  • Regular Members: A person living or working for a significant portion of the year in the geographical region served, who endorses the objectives of the SOCIETY and has an interest in microbiology or a related field is eligible become a Regular Member and vote.
  • Student Members: A matriculated full-time student of microbiology or a related field at an institution within the geographic region who does not hold a doctoral degree shall be eligible to become a Student Member and vote. They cannot hold office.
  • Sustaining Members. Any organization interested in advancing the objectives of the SOCIETY and the activities of the BRANCH shall be eligible to become a Sustaining Member. They, being an organization, cannot hold office. Members of the organization may join as individual members and would be eligible to hold office if otherwise qualified.
  • Emeritus Members. Required to be a Regular Member for at least 20 years and retired from regular and remunerative professional work. Emeritus status will be confirmed by EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE (EXCOM) approval. Emeritus Members shall have the rights of Regular Members which includes holding offices. Adjunct Members. Members living outside the territorial limits shall be granted membership upon approval of the Executive Committee of the BRANCH and SOCIETY authorization. They cannot hold office.


ARTICLE IV. OFFICERS AND BRANCH EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE (EXCOM)

Section 1. The elected officers of the BRANCH shall be a President, President-Elect and Secretary-Treasurer.

  1. Each officer shall be elected for a term beginning July 1st and shall continue in office for two years or until a successor shall have been duly chosen. The format of elections will be delineated within the BRANCH bylaws.
  2. Eligibility: Regular or Emeritus BRANCH members can hold office. All officers need to maintain BRANCH membership for their terms. SOCIETY membership is required to be eligible for the office of the President and President-Elect. They shall maintain their national SOCIETY membership for their terms.
  3. The President-Elect will assume the office of President when the current term of the President expires. In the event the President shall be unable to serve out his elected term, a vacancy in the office of BRANCH President shall be filled by the PresidentElect.
  4. In the event of a vacancy in the office of President-Elect or in the office of SecretaryTreasurer, the President shall designate an interim Officer.

Section 2. The Councilor from the BRANCH will represent the BRANCH in the SOCIETY Council of the American Society for Microbiology and shall be an EXCOM member.

  1. The Councilor and Alternate Councilor will serve in the BRANCH for two-year terms. The term may be extended due to SOCIETY requirements and this will be done with EXCOM approval and announced to membership if so needed.
  2. The councilor will begin their term on July 1st. The format of elections will be delineated within the BRANCH bylaws.
  3. In the event the Councilor is not in attendance at a SOCIETY Council Meeting, the Alternate Councilor shall represent the BRANCH at the SOCIETY Council Meeting.
  4. Eligibility: The Councilor and Alternate Councilor shall be members of the SOCIETY in good standing. They will maintain BRANCH membership for their terms.
  5. A vacancy shall be declared to exist in the office of BRANCH Councilor if the BRANCH Councilor shall be declared SOCIETY Councilor-at-Large or shall be a member of the Society Council in some other capacity or shall resign as Branch Councilor. A vacancy in the office of BRANCH Councilor shall be filled by the Alternate Councilor. In the event the BRANCH Alternate Councilor fills the declared vacancy in the office of BRANCH Councilor, the President shall designate an Interim Alternate Councilor.

Section 3. The EXCOM shall be the governing body of the BRANCH.

  1. The EXCOM shall consist of the President, President-Elect, Secretary-Treasurer, Immediate Past President, Webmaster, Councilor to the SOCIETY, and Alternate Councilor.
  2. The President shall be the Chairman of the EXCOM. The EXCOM shall have a minimum of two meetings per year, July through June.
  3. The EXCOM shall always consider the varied interests of the membership of the BRANCH in designing meetings, programs and activities.
  4. Meetings of the EXCOM shall be called by the President or by any two members of the EXCOM.
  5. The Webmaster of the BRANCH Website shall be appointed by the President with the approval of the EXCOM. The appointment will be for two years but can be renewed in perpetuity. The Webmaster will be responsible to the President and the EXCOM, will work with the Secretary-Treasurer in distributing branch activities and will discuss proposed changes in format of the BRANCH Website with the EXCOM.
  6. The duties of officers shall be such as usually pertain to the offices held and also any other duties that may be assigned by the SOCIETY, the BRANCH EXCOM, or that shall be prescribed by the SOCIETY Constitution and Bylaws.
  7. EXCOM will have the ability to hire contractors as needed to fulfill the work of the BRANCH, but EXCOM members are volunteers with no compensation for their service.

ARTICLE V. MEETINGS

Section 1. The BRANCH shall hold at least one yearly BRANCH-specific meeting. Additional meetings may be BRANCH only or held jointly with a local scientific organization or a neighboring local branch.

Section 2. The time and place of each meeting shall be fixed by the EXCOM, and a notice of the same shall be sent to each member of the BRANCH at least three weeks prior to the date of said meeting. Special meetings can be called by the EXCOM on one week’s notice.

Section 3. Any area of special interest (such as Clinical Microbiology, Environmental and General Applied Microbiology, General Microbiology, General Medical Microbiology, Immunology, Microbial Physiology and Metabolism, Virology, et cetera as provided in the Divisional Organization of the SOCIETY Constitution and Bylaws) may request the Executive Committee to schedule an activity related to its area of specialization.

ARTICLE VI. FINANCES

Section 1. The Secretary-Treasurer shall be responsible for collecting dues set forth in the Bylaws.

Section 2. The EXCOM shall have the power to invite organizations to assist the BRANCH as sustaining members.

ARTICLE VII. ACTIVITIES

Section 1. The Activities of the BRANCH shall promote the scientific knowledge of microbiology and related subjects through BRANCH workshops, presentations and seminars available to all members.

Section 2. Creation of committees beyond the EXCOM of the BRANCH shall be named and defined in the Bylaws.

ARTICLE VIII. BYLAWS

Section 1. The EXCOM or any five members petitioning the EXCOM may propose a change to the Bylaws, provided they are not in conflict with the Constitution of the SOCIETY and not in conflict with the Constitution of the BRANCH, as may be necessary for the proper government of the BRANCH. Such Bylaws shall become operative as set forth in Article VIII, Section 2, of the BRANCH Constitution and Bylaws.

Section 2. Any proposed change in the Bylaws, or addition thereto, shall require the affirmative
vote of the majority of the entire BRANCH Executive Committee voting at a meeting or voting
by correspondence.

Section 3. A proposed change to the bylaws approved by a majority of the EXCOM, will be relayed at the next business meeting or promptly sent via email to all members of the BRANCH. Any member may call for a general vote on a bylaw change by emailing members of the EXCOM within two weeks of distribution of the bylaw change. This will prompt distribution of a ballot. If bylaw change is relayed during a business meeting, a ‘show of hands vote’ will be done. If any member feels that vote is not obvious, a roll call can be requested.

Section 4. If balloting occurs, ballots returned within two weeks of dispersal will be counted. The proposed change shall be considered adopted if it receives the approval of a simple majority of the members voting.

Section 5. Any bylaw change that has no email call for a vote within two weeks, will have been adopted and go into effect at immediately. If a vote is required, votes will be counted at EXCOM meeting and, if passed, will go into effect immediately.

ARTICLE IX. AMENDMENTS TO THE BRANCH CONSTITUTION

Section 1. Any proposed amendment to the BRANCH Constitution or major changes, not in conflict with the Articles of Incorporation of the SOCIETY and not in conflict with the Constitution of the SOCIETY, may be presented by any member to be reviewed by the EXCOM.

Section 2. A proposed amendment approved by a majority of the EXCOM, shall be promptly sent to all members of the BRANCH, together with a ballot.

Section 3. Ballots returned within two weeks of dispersal will be counted. The proposed amendment shall be considered adopted if it receives the approval of two-thirds of the members voting.

Section 4. Any amendment that has been adopted shall go into effect at immediately.

Section 5. The result of the vote shall be announced by the President of the BRANCH in the first communication sent to the members after the votes are counted.

ARTICLE X. DISPOSITION OF ASSETS

Section 1. In the event of termination and dissolution of the BRANCH, the then remaining assets shall be distributed according to designation by the then Executive Committee to an organizer or organization qualifying under Section 501 (C) (3) of the “Internal Revenue Code of 1954”.


BYLAWS

SECTION 1. MEMBERSHIP

  1. Each BRANCH member shall be entitled to receive all communications forwarded to the membership by the Secretary-Treasurer from the BRANCH Executive Committee and other standing committee.
  2. Privileges for Student Members shall be extended to those members whose completed application for student membership has been approved by the Secretary-Treasurer.
  3. Representatives of Sustaining Members shall be entitled to receive all communications from the Secretary-Treasurer and shall be entitled to receive other communications and privileges as the BRANCH Executive Committee may specify.

SECTION II. ELECTIONS

  1. Elections will be held every two years for President-elect and Secretary-Treasurer
  2. Councilor Elections will be ascribed by national SOCIETY bylaws. Members of the BRANCH must also be SOCIETY members to be eligible to vote for Councilor.
  3. Nominations for open positions will be elicited by email in the Spring of qualifying years. Nomination will remain open for two weeks.
  4. Ballots will be generated and dispersed by email at the end of the nominations period.
  5. Ballots will be returned via email within two weeks of original dispersal to be officially tallied. Ballots will be counted by Secretary-Treasurer and results reviewed by the EXCOM.
  6. Results of the election will be distributed to the membership after counting and confirmation.
  7. Positions with only one nomination may be confirmed by EXCOM approval without the necessity of a ballot. Unchallenged positions can be continued in perpetuity by officers already in place if not against restrictions from the SOCIETY.

SECTION III. FINANCES

  1. Annual dues in the BRANCH shall be Regular and Adjunct Members, twenty-five dollars ($25); Student Members, ten dollars ($10); Emeritus Members, no charge and Sustaining Members, four hundred dollars ($400) with ad hoc adjustments approved by majority vote of the EXCOM. Annual dues are payable to the Secretary-Treasurer.
  2. The membership term will run from July 1 to the proceeding June 30.
  3. Annual dues for Sustaining Members shall include the privilege of exhibit space and/or specified advertising at a BRANCH meeting or on the website during the year.
  4. The Secretary-Treasurer shall provide members a receipt for dues upon request.
  5. A financial report will be distributed minimally on an annual basis to the membership.

SECTION IV. ACTIVITIES

  1. The Executive Committee (EXCOM) will be the only permanent committee of the branch.
  2. The EXCOM shall be empowered to approve the naming of Ad Hoc Committees for special activities. The President of the BRANCH shall appoint all Committee Chairmen not provided for in the Bylaws, after consultation with the Bylaws.

SECTION V. CONSTITUTION AND BYLAWS

  1. The BRANCH Constitution and Bylaws shall be available to each member of the BRANCH.

SECTION VI. RULES OF ORDER

  1. The rules contained in Robert’s RULES OF ORDER, current edition, shall govern the action of the BRANCH in all cases in which they are applicable and in which they are not inconsistent with the Constitution and Bylaws of the SOCIETY and are not inconsistent with the Constitution and Bylaws of the BRANCH.