Download the AMS-Southeast Chapter Bylaws
Bylaws of the Southeast Chapter of the
American Musicological Society
February 2007, rev. Fall 2015, rev. Aug. 2019
ARTICLE I. NAME
The name of the Chapter shall be the Southeast Chapter of the American Musicological Society.
ARTICLE II. OBJECT
The object of the Chapter shall be the advancement of research in the various fields of music as a branch of learning and scholarship throughout the geographical area assigned to the Chapter by the American Musicological Society (hereafter referred to as the Society). The Chapter boundaries are comprised of southeastern Virginia; central, eastern, and northwestern North Carolina; and all of South Carolina. The Chapter is organized exclusively for educational purposes under section 501(c)3 of the Internal Revenue Code or corresponding section of any future federal tax code.
ARTICLE III. MEMBERSHIP
A. Eligibility. The chapter membership shall consist of regular, student, and honorary members.
1. Regular members shall be any persons who join the Chapter out of interest in its state object (Article II) and who have paid annual Chapter dues. They shall be in good standing of the Society, as defined by the bylaws of the Society.
2. Student members shall be students in residence in any accredited institution of higher learning who join the Chapter and who have paid annual Chapter dues. Their rights and responsibilities shall be the same as those of regular members. They shall be in good standing of the Society, as defined by the bylaws of the Society.
3. Honorary members shall be long-standing members of the Chapter who have made outstanding contributions to furthering its stated object and whom the Society wishes to honor. They shall be exempt from paying dues but shall continue to have all the rights and privileges of regular members. They shall be elected by a majority of the Chapter voting and present, upon nomination by a three-fourths majority of the Honorary Membership Committee voting. Voting may be either by electronic ballot or conducted at Chapter business meetings.
B. Chapter Dues. The rate of annual dues for regular and student membership shall be fixed by a majority vote of the members present at a business meeting.
ARTICLE IV. OFFICERS
A. Officers and Terms of Office. The officers of the Chapter shall be the President, the Secretary-Treasurer, the Representative on the Council of the Society, and two Student Representatives on the Council of the Society.
1. President. The President shall call and preside at Chapter meetings and shall supervise the affairs of the Chapter. In the absence, incapacity, or disability of the President, the Secretary-Treasurer shall exercise the functions of the President. Should the office of the President fall vacant before expiration of the appointed term, the Secretary-Treasurer shall act as President until the next meeting of the Chapter, at which time a member shall be elected to fill the remaining tenure of the vacated office. The President shall serve a two-year term commencing on 1 Augustafter the business meeting of their election.
2. Secretary-Treasurer. The Secretary-Treasurer shall keep the records and correspondence of the Chapter and collect and disburse the Chapter’s fund. In the event of a vacancy in the office, the President may appoint a member of the Chapter to fill in the vacancy until the next Chapter meeting, at which time a member shall be elected for the remaining tenure of the vacated office. The Secretary-Treasurer shall serve a two-year term commencing on 1 Augustafter the business meeting of their election.
3. Representative on the Council of the Society. The Representative on the Council of the Society shall represent the Chapter at the Council meetings that take place during the annual meeting of the Society and make a report on these meetings to the Chapter, either orally or in writing. In accordance with Article IV of the Society’s bylaws, the Chapter shall elect a member from the regular membership to serve a three-year term as the Chapter’s regular representative on the Council of the Society. In the event of a vacancy in the office, the President may appoint a member of the Chapter to fill in the vacancy until the next Chapter meeting, at which time a member shall be elected for the remaining tenure of the vacated office. Terms begin on 1 August and end on 31 July.The representative may not be elected to successive terms.
4. Student Representatives on the Council of the Society. The Student Representative on the Council of the Society shall represent the Chapter at the Council meetings and the Student Representative meetings that take place during the annual meeting of the Society. In accordance with Article IV of the Society’s bylaws, the Chapter shall elect two student members, preferably from different institutions, “who have embarked on doctoral programs in any field of musical scholarship” from the student membership to overlapping two-year terms as the Chapter’s non-voting student representatives on the Council of the Society. One student shall be elected each year, during the Spring meeting, and may be elected to successive terms. In the event of a vacancy in the office, the President may appoint a student member of the Chapter to fill in the vacancy until the next Chapter meeting, at which time a student member shall be elected for the remaining tenure of the vacated office. The terms of student representatives shall begin with the annual meeting of the Council held at the time of the annual meeting of the Society and extend to the day immediately prior to the annual meeting of the Council approximately two years later. Terms begin on 1 August and end on 31 July.
B. Nominations and Elections. The President shall solicit nominations from the Chapter’s membership for vacant offices, and elections shall be held during a business meeting immediately preceding the expiration of the appointed term. No person shall hold more than one elected office in the Chapter at the same time.
ARTICLE V. COMMITTEES
A. Committee Membership. Except when otherwise stipulated in the Bylaws, the President of the Chapter shall appoint chairs and members of committees and shall be an ex-officio member of all committees.
B. Program Committee. It shall be the duty of the Program Committee to select the scholarly program of the chapter meetings. The Program Committee will be chaired by the President and shall also consist of the Secretary-Treasurer and one other regular member of the Chapter, who shall be appointed by the President.
C. Student Presentation Award Committee. The President will on an annual basis appoint no fewer than three regular members of the chapter to a Student Presentation Award Committee, which will be chaired by the President. Membership on this committee should fairly represent the range and types of institutions embraced by the chapter. Members of the committee will be expected to attend all meetings of the chapter during their year of office, and to rate candidates in both paper and poster divisions on a consistent scale between the two meetings, using division-appropriate rubrics evaluating aspects such as the originality of the research, the organization of the presentation, and the effectiveness of the delivery.
D. Honorary Membership Committee. Individual nominations for Honorary Membership shall be submitted to the President. As needed, the President will then appoint no fewer than three regular members of the chapter to an Honorary Membership Committee, which will be chaired by the President. Membership on this committee should fairly represent the range and types of institutions embraced by the chapter, and should include those with a record of substantial commitment to Chapter activities. Members of the committee will be expected to evaulate nominations for Honorary Membership in the Chapter based on candidates’ record of scholarship and service to the Chapter.
ARTICLE VI. MEETINGS
A. Chapter Meetings. The Chapter shall hold two meetings each year, one in the Fall and one in the Spring, at such times and places as shall be determined by the officers of the Chapter.
B. Business Meetings. The business meetings of the Chapter shall be held during the Spring meetings, although business may be conducted at Fall meetings at the discretion of the President.
ARTICLE VII. AMENDMENTS
The Bylaws of the Chapter may be amended at a chapter meeting by a vote of two-thirds of the members present, provided the text of the amendment is circulated to the members at least two weeks prior to the meeting.
ARTICLE VIII. DISSOLUTION
In the event of the dissolution of the Chapter, any assets remaining shall be turned over to the Board of Directors of the American Musicological Society.
ARTICLE IX. AVAILABILITY OF THE BYLAWS
Copies of these Bylaws shall be made available on the Chapter website.