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Bylaws of the New England Chapter of the
Questions? Email ams dot newengland at gmail dot com
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WEBMASTER: Rebecca G. Marchand -- rmarchand at berklee dot edu
Bylaws of the New England Chapter of the
American Musicological Society
Drafted by Chapter President, Rebecca Marchand (2012-2016), in collaboration with
Jacquelyn Sholes, Program Chair and Sam Rechtoris,
Secretary-Treasurer
APPROVED at the Spring Meeting: May 3, 2014
at Providence College
Article II AMENDED at the Winter Chapter Meeting February 21, 2015 at Boston University
Adopted/Approved:
Article
I: Name
This organization shall be known as "The New England Chapter of the
American Musicological Society." Henceforth the American Musicological
Society shall be referred to as the "Society" and the New England
Chapter as the "Chapter." The official abbreviation for headings,
checks, etc. shall read: "AMS-NE."
Article
II: Objectives
The objectives of the Chapter
shall be to foster: 1) The advancement of scholarship in the various fields of
music through research, learning, and teaching. 2) The cooperation among
members of the Society in the Chapter’s geographical area; 3) The exchange of
ideas 4) The regional implementation of policies, programs and directives as
adopted by the government of the Society. 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: Area
The geographical area of the Chapter includes the Maritime Provinces,
(Eastern) Quebec, Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island,
and Central & Eastern Connecticut.
Article
IV: Membership
The Chapter membership shall consist of regular and student
members-in-good-standing of the Society who have paid annual Chapter dues.
Eligibility for Chapter membership, therefore, shall be provided in Article III
of the Society's amended bylaws (May 2013), as published in the 2013 Directory.
Graduate student members have the same rights and responsibilities as regular
members but are only eligible for the office of Student Representative to AMS
Council.
Article IV. a.: Dues
Annual dues shall be established by the President and Treasurer. Every
member of the Chapter must pay annual dues for every fiscal year (1 July to 30
June). The membership is determined by the fiscal year. The Treasurer, or
Secretary-Treasurer, will oversee collection of dues at Chapter Meetings, and
can also receive dues payments by mail. The annual dues amount can be revised
by a vote at the Spring Business meeting of the Chapter.
Article
V: Government
The officers of the Chapter shall be the President, the Secretary, the
Treasurer, (or a Secretary- Treasurer), and the Program Chair. Ancillary
positions include the AMS Council Representative, and two Student
Representatives to the AMS Council. Chapter officers must live in the
geographical area as defined in Article III at the time of their appointment.
The Chapter shall elect a member from the regular membership to serve a
two-year term as 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
(or Secretary-Treasurer) shall exercise the functions of the President. Should
the office of the President fall vacant before the expiration of the appointed
term, the Secretary (or Secretary-Treasurer) shall fill the remaining tenure of
the vacated office, or may request that a trusted and longtime member of the chapter
serve as an interim President.
The Chapter shall elect a member from the regular membership as Secretary,
who shall keep the records and correspondence of the Chapter. In addition, the
Chapter shall elect a member from the regular membership as Treasurer, who
shall collect and disburse the Chapter’s funds. One person, designated as
Secretary-Treasurer may fill both positions.. 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 Chapter shall elect a member from the regular membership to serve as Program
Chair. The Program Chair will oversee the paper selection process for
chapter meetings, liason with the local arrangements chair for meetings, and
will act as a general moderator for paper sessions.
In accordance with Article IV of the Society’s bylaws, the Chapter shall
elect a member from the regular membership to serve Chapter’s regular
representative on the national Council. The Chapter Representative should
be able to attend the annual Council meetings at the annual Meeting of the
Society.
In accordance with Article IV of the Society’s by-laws, the Chapter shall elect
two student members from the student membership to overlapping two-year terms
as the Chapter’s non- voting student representatives on the national
Council. One student shall be elected each year. According to this article,
"The student members of the Council shall be students who have embarked on
doctoral programs in any field of musical scholarship." At least one
student representative should be able to attend the annual meeting of the
Council. The newly elected student representative is expected to help with
planning for Chapter meetings between the election and the official beginning
of her or his term.
Article V. a.: Nominations and Elections
Nominations for the offices of President, Secretary, Treasurer, or
Secretary-Treasurer, Program Chair, and a regular and student Council
representatives may come from any Chapter member in good standing. Members in
good standing may vote at the meeting. Members will have the opportunity to pay
their dues at this meeting in order to vote. No person shall hold more than one
elected office in the Chapter at the same time, except in the event of a
Secretary-Treasurer who fills both positions.
Article V. b.: Terms of Office
1. The terms of every office, except National Council Chapter
Representative, shall be two (2) years. The President, Program Chair and one
Student Representative shall be elected in even-numbered years, and the
Secretary-Treasurer (or Secretary), and one Student Representative in
odd-numbered years for overlapping terms of service. Two National Council
Student Representatives shall be elected for overlapping terms of two (2)
years. The National Council Chapter Representative shall be elected for a term
that is in accordance with Article IV of the Society’s by-laws.
2. Every active member may become a candidate for elective office, except
for Student Representative, which is reserved for graduate students of an
academic institution. 3. No member may be a candidate for the same office more
than twice in succession, except for the Secretary (or Secretary-Treasurer).
The National Council Representatives may not succeed themselves, nor may
Student Representatives.
4. Members may not continue in office if their permanent residence has been
transferred out of the Chapter's jurisdiction, if they become physically or
mentally incapacitated, if they are suspended from active membership, or if
their removal has been requested by the Executive Board of the Society or by
the two-thirds (2/3) majority of the Total Chapter Government.
Article
VI: Program Committee
The Program Committee consists of the Program Chair and four additional
members, all of whom should be regular members, selected by the Program Chair.
The Call for Papers will be generated by the Program Chair, who will be
responsible for collecting submitted abstracts via e-mail or in hard copy. The
Committee will then review all abstracts blindly--and will evaluate them
according to a ranking system established by the Program Chair. The process
should include discussion among all members of the Committee. With the
exception of invited papers (see Article VII.a. below), abstracts will be
evaluated according to the criteria of the blind review process, and no other
factors (such as the submitter’s institutional affiliation, length of
Membership within the Chapter, faculty ranking, Chapter Officer, etc) shall be
considered.
Article
VII: Meetings
The Chapter shall normally hold three full-day meetings during the months
of September to May, ideally in September, February, and April. Adjustments may
be made due to host availability. Normally there shall be no more than one
joint meeting with another society or music department per academic year. All
members of the Society, their guests, and other interested parties may attend
the meetings; only those members of the Society who have paid their dues are
members- in-good-standing. 10 members-in-good-standing of the Chapter shall
constitute a quorum for elections or voting on business items. The President
shall hold a business meeting at the Spring meeting for the purpose of
elections and chapter business. If circumstances require it, the President may
also hold a business meeting at any of the meetings.
Article VII. a.: Papers
All members-in-good-standing of both the Society and Chapter are eligible
to read papers at the meetings. Undergraduate papers, selected by the program
committee, may be read, but are ineligible for consideration for the Schafer
Award. (See Schafer Award Tab for Schafer Award Guidelines).
The President, in consultation with the Program Chair and Program
Committee, may invite speakers to a chapter meeting. Invited papers may include
keynote addresses by senior scholars and special topic papers for meetings that
focus on a special topic.
Article VII. b: Hosting Meetings
Any Member or Institution may host a meeting of the Chapter. Graduate
students from the hosting institution who volunteer or assist with the meeting
may waive their Chapter Dues for the year in which the meeting takes place.
Article
VIII: Fiscal Year
The fiscal year of the Chapter shall run from 1 July through 30 June.
Article
IX: Action of the Chapter
No action of the Chapter shall be considered an action of the Society
unless approved by the Society's Board of Directors.
Article
X: Rules
Robert's Rules of Order shall
govern all meetings and committees where those rules are applicable and
consistent with these bylaws. A Chapter member designated by the President,
shall serve as parliamentarian.
Article
XI: Amendments
The Constitution or the Bylaws of the Chapter may be amended by the
two-thirds (2/3) vote of those active regular members who vote on the specific
amendment (see Bylaw VII). All amendments to the Constitution or to the Bylaws
shall be in consonance with the Bylaws of the Society.
Article
XII: Dissolution of the Chapter
In the event of the dissolution of
the Chapter, any assets remaining shall be disposed of by the Society's Board
of Directors in accordance with the Society's bylaws.