Bylaws

A Section of the American Anthropological Association

(adopted November 1984)

(amended 1987, 1990, 1995, 1997, 2000, 2009)

 

ARTICLE I. Name

1. The Section shall be known as the General Anthropology Division of the American Anthropological Association, hereinafter referred to as the Section.

 

ARTICLE II. Purposes

1. The purposes of the Section shall be (1) to foster the continued development of general anthropology in all its aspects; (2) to represent within the American Anthropological Association Members who possess or identify with a holistic view of the discipline; (3) to facilitate the communication of information among Members concerned with the study, teaching, and practice of general anthropology, among Members whose scholarly, intellectual, or vocational interests cross-cut the areas of concentration of the more specialized Sections, and among Members with focal concerns for the development of the discipline as a whole; and (4) to disseminate general disciplinary information to scholars, within and outside the American Anthropological Association, and to the public.

ARTICLE III. Powers

1. The Section shall be autonomous in all matters within its field that are not reserved by the By-Laws of the American Anthropological Association, inimical to the American Anthropological Association’s interests, or prohibited by law.

2. The Section shall have an elected President, President-elect, Secretary-Treasurer and Communications Officer, and other elected or appointed officers as set forth in these By-Laws.

3. The Section is empowered to determine membership dues.

4. The Section shall determine voting requirements on all Section matters.

5. The Section may engage in publishing and program activities, appoint editors, committees and other agents, determine prizes and awards in accordance with American Anthropological Association policies, and set publication and program policies appropriate to its purposes.

6. The Section shall adopt and maintain By-Laws or Rules of Procedure consistent with the By-Laws of the American Anthropological Association. The Section shall file with the American Anthropological Association Secretary a copy of its current By-Laws or Rules of Procedure, and Table of Organization.

 

ARTICLE IV. Membership

1. Membership in the Section shall be open to any Member in good standing of the American Anthropological Association who supports the above purposes, subject to the payment of dues stipulated by the Executive Committee of the Section.

2. A Member in good standing shall be eligible to hold elective or appointive office, participate in the scientific program, receive publications, and have one vote in nominating and electing officers and in the transaction of other business of the Section.

3. For just cause, a Member may be deprived of membership by a two-thirds vote of the Board of Directors, subject to appeal to the Members at the Annual Meeting.

ARTICLE V. Dues

1. The Executive Committee shall set the annual dues of Members and may establish rates for special categories of membership.

2. Any Member in arrears in payment of dues shall lose all membership privileges.

 

ARTICLE VI. Officers

1. The officers shall be a President, President-elect, Secretary-Treasurer and Communications Officer.

2. A Member in good standing shall be eligible to hold elective or appointive office, participate in the scientific program, receive publications, and have one vote in nominating and electing officers and in the transaction of other business of the Section.

3. For just cause, a Member may be deprived of membership by a two-thirds vote of the Board of Directors, subject to appeal to the Members at the Annual Meeting.

4. The Communications Officer shall manage the section website and listserv, and serve as Editor of the Division’s column in the Anthropology News.

5.The Secretary-Treasurer shall have charge of the fiscal records of the Section and shall submit a draft budget for the approval of the Executive Committee not less than 60 days before the Annual Meeting. The Secretary-Treasurer shall have charge of the general records of the Section.

6. The Secretary-Treasurer shall serve a four-year term, the fourth year as Secretary-Treasurer Emeritus. The fourth year will overlap the first year of the newly elected Secretary-Treasurer.

7. The terms of office of all other officers shall be two years, beginning at the conclusion of the American Anthropological Association national meeting during the year that they are elected.

8. Past presidents are invited to attend Executive Board Meetings as nonvoting members.

 

ARTICLE VII. Board of Directors

1. There shall be a Board of Directors consisting of the officers, three members elected at-large from the membership of the Section and one student representative appointed by the President upon recommendation of the Executive Committee. Any committee or interest group affiliated with the Section be represented on the Section Board of Directors by its Chair or designee. The editorial board of General Anthropology Bulletin shall be represented on the Board of Directors by a designated representative, and have one vote.

2. Subject to directives and limitations imposed by the Members of the Section, the Board of Directors shall have the authority to execute on behalf of the Section all powers and functions defined in these By-Laws.

3. The Board of Directors shall meet at least once annually, at the time of the Annual Meeting and may met additionally on the call of the Chair or a majority vote of the Executive Committee.

4. Members-at-Large will serve three year terms, one Member elected each year. The senior Board Member-at-Large will normally act as program chair, with the second most senior Board Member-at-Large serving as assistant program chair each year. The student representative on the Board will serve a two year term.

5. The four Section officers (President, President-elect, Secretary-Treasurer and Communications Officer) shall make up the Executive Committee of the Board and may act for the Board when necessary.

 

ARTICLE VIII. Annual Report

1. At the time of each Annual Meeting, the Board of Directors shall report its activities to the Members and to the Executive Board of the American Anthropological Association. The report shall include the reports of the President, Secretary-Treasurer, Communications Officer, editors of publications, committees, and other agents representing the Section.

 

ARTICLE IX. Meetings

1. The Section shall hold an Annual Business Meeting at the time of the Annual Meeting of the American Anthropological Association.

2. The place and date of the Annual Meeting shall be disclosed to the Members not less than one hundred twenty (120) days in advance of the meeting. The Annual Meeting will occur at the time and place of the Annual Meeting of the American Anthropological Association.

3. New legislation or resolution proposed by Members for consideration at the Annual Business Meeting must be received by the Secretary-Treasurer at least thirty (30) days prior to the meeting to be placed on the Agenda. A copy of the Agenda shall be furnished to all Members attending the Annual Business Meeting. Resolutions and new legislation passed at the Business Meeting shall take force ten (10) days after the Business Meeting, except cases where the Board of Directors votes, within ten (10) days and by a two-thirds majority, to submit a resolution to a mail ballot. Such a ballot shall be mailed by the Board of Directors within ten (10) days of the date after such a decision is made. Mail ballots so required shall be subject to provisions of Article XII. A majority of votes case shall constitute a favorable result.

4. Business conducted at Section Meetings shall be governed by Robert’s Rules of Order, newly revised.

5. Special meetings may be called by the Board of Directors or upon written request of five (5) percent of the Members.

 

ARTICLE X. Quorum

1. Two (2) percent of the Members in good standing shall constitute a quorum at the Annual Business Meeting.

2. A majority of the Members of the Board of Directors shall constitute a quorum for transacting business.

3. The business of the Section Board of Directors shall be transacted by majority vote unless otherwise provided in these By-Laws.

 

ARTICLE XI. Nominations and Elections

1. Candidates for any elective office may be nominated by the Board of Directors, by a Nominations Committee, or by Members. All candidates shall be Members in good standing of the Section.

2. A Nominations Committee of three (3) Members shall be appointed annually by the Board of Directors.

3. The Nominations Committee shall nominate two (2) persons for each vacant office. These nominations shall be made known to Members by September 15.

4. Two (2) percent of the Members in good standing may nominate any additional candidate for any office, provided the nomination is received in writing by the Secretary-Treasurer at least ninety (90) days before the Annual meeting.

5. The secretary-Treasurer shall inform the prospective nominee of the probable extent of the responsibility of the office. A nomination becomes effective only upon filing with the Secretary-Treasurer a statement of the nominee’s willingness and ability to devote such time to the affairs of the Section as necessary to the effective execution of office.

 

ARTICLE XII. Balloting

1. A member in good standing shall be entitled to cast one ballot in any election or referendum.

2. Ballots may be conducted by mail or electronic ballot in accordance with AAA bylaws. The Board of Directors shall have the authority to examine the eligibility of any voter.

3. Thirty (30) days shall be allowed for the return of ballots. Ballots must be received by the American Anthropological Association by the stated return date to be counted.

4. A service agency may be engaged to tally the votes and certify the results to the Board of Directors.

5. The candidate receiving the most votes for a contested office shall be elected; the Board of Directors shall hold a run-off election within ninety (90) days to resolve all ties.

 

ARTICLE XIII. Referenda

1. A referendum may be conducted by mail or electronic ballot at any time upon initiation of the Board of Directors, or upon receipt by the Secretary-Treasurer of a petition signed by two (2) percent of the Members in good standing. A majority of votes received shall constitute a favorable vote.

 

ARTICLE XIV. Finances

1. The fiscal year of the Section shall be that of the American Anthropological Association.

2. The Section shall submit an annual operating budget to the American Anthropological Association Executive Board, which, when approved, shall govern Section activities.

3. The income from annual dues and from investments and other sources shall constitute a working fund, available for operating, publication, and current expenses consistent with the purposes of the Section.

4. No financial obligation in excess of funds available in the Treasury shall be assumed by the Board of Directors or by any officer on behalf of the Section except that, for the purpose of this Section, estimated receipts from annual dues and other accounts receivable for the current year may be considered as available funds.

5. The Section may establish special funds to be administered by the American Anthropological Association for purposes the Section may designate.

 

ARTICLE XV. Publications

1. The Anthropology News shall be the official newsletter of the Section.

2. General Anthropology shall be the official bulletin of the Section.

3. The Section may institute additional publications subject to the approval of the Members and in compliance with the By-Laws and American Anthropological Association policies.

 

ARTICLE XVI. GAD COMMITTEES, AND INTEREST GROUPS

1. GAD committees and interest groups have the power to create their own publications, with the consent of the Board and in accordance with American Anthropological Association policies.

2. General Anthropology shall be the official bulletin of the Section.

3. Anthro-At-Large shall be the official publication of the Federation of Small Anthropology Programs (FOSAP).

4. The Section may institute additional publications subject to the approval of the Members and in compliance with the By-Laws.

 

ARTICLE XVII. Amendment

1. These By-Laws may be amended by the Members by mail or electronic ballot, provided that a proposed amendment is approved by two-thirds (2/3) of the votes cast.

2. Amendments may be proposed by the Board of Directors or by two (2) percent of the Members in good standing. The Board of Directors shall have the proposed amendment circulated to the Members and it shall allow thirty (30) days for the return of ballots.

3. The amendments and provisions of these By-laws shall be effective immediately upon adoption and shall supersede and nullify all previous amendments and provisions.