ARTICLE I. Name and Status

This organization is named the American Ethnological Society, hereinafter known as the Society, a Section of the American Anthropological Association, hereinafter known as the Association.

ARTICLE II. Objects

The objects of the Society shall be to promote and to stimulate scientific and scholarly interest and research in ethnology; to serve as a bond among those interested in this and related subjects; to aid in directing their efforts into scientific and scholarly channels; and to publish and to encourage the publication of their results.

ARTICLE III. Powers

The objects of the Society shall be to promote and to stimulate scientific and scholarly interest and research in ethnology; to serve as a bond among those interested in this and related subjects; to aid in directing their efforts into scientific and scholarly channels; and to publish and to encourage the publication of their results.

ARTICLE III. Powers

The Constitution and Bylaws of the Association shall govern in all cases. Subject to them, the Society shall have the power to receive, administer, and disburse dues and assessments; to publish newsletters, proceedings, monographs, reports, bulletins, journals, and books; to affiliate with other organizations; and to appoint delegates or representatives to such organizations; to establish branches, sections, or divisions; and to engage in such other activities as are in keeping with the objects of the Society.

ARTICLE IV. Membership

Section 1. Qualifications

 Membership is open to any member of the Association in good standing who is in sympathy with the objects of the Society, as set forth in Article II, and who applies in writing. Residents of any country are eligible for membership. Members must maintain simultaneous membership in the Association. There are no institutional or corporate memberships, but subscriptions to or sale of the publications of the Society may be offered to institutions.

Section 2. Classes

 There is one class of members, although in the setting of dues The Board of Directors of the Society, hereinafter known as The Board, may establish special rates and arrangements for student, joint, and life memberships.

Section 3. Privileges

 3. 1. Each member shall have one vote in the transaction of the business of the Society and shall be eligible for any elective or appointive office in it, subject to restrictions defined elsewhere in these Bylaws.

3. 2. Each member shall receive all the Society's regular publications as defined by The Board for the year covered by the member's dues.

Section 4. Resignation and Removal

4. 1. A member may resign upon written notification to the Secretary.

4. 2. The board may, by two-thirds vote, remove from the membership rolls any member whose acts are contrary to the ideals, objects, or accepted standards of the Society, or who makes improper use of membership in the Society as determined by The Board. Members in arrears in dues for longer than one year may similarly be dropped from the rolls. Such actions of The Board may be overruled at the Annual Business Meeting of the Society by two-thirds vote of members present.

ARTICLE V. Organization

Section 1. Officers

 The officers of the Society shall consist of a President, a President-elect, a Secretary, a Treasurer, a General Editor, a Journal Editor, and three Councillors. These officers shall constitute the Board of Directors of the Society. No person may simultaneously hold two offices except as hereinafter provided.

Section 2. Terms of Office

2. 1. The President-elect shall be elected by the membership for a two-year term, at the conclusion of which the President-elect shall succeed to the Presidency to serve a two-year term. The Councillors shall be elected by the membership one each year, each for a term of three years. The Secretary and the Treasurer shall be appointed by the Board of Directors in alternate years, each to serve for a term of two years. A General Editor shall be appointed by the Board of Directors to serve for a term of four years. A Journal Editor shall be appointed by The Board to serve at its pleasure.

2. 2. Elective officers shall assume office at the conclusion of the Annual Meeting of the American Anthropological Association in the year in which each is declared elected.

2. 3. The terms of incumbent officers at the time of adoption of these Bylaws shall expire as though they had been elected under the provisions herein set forth.

Section 3. Re-election

No person shall be eligible for re-election to the office of President-elect or Councillor, nor for reappointment to the office of General Editor, until two years after expiration of the term of that office, except that such an officer may be elected or appointed to any office other than that currently held. (For the purposes of these restrictions on re-election the offices of President and President-elect shall be deemed synonymous.) The Secretary and the Treasurer may be reappointed for no more than one term immediately succeeding the expiration of the term of that office; after two terms, each shall be ineligible for reappointment until two years shall have passed.

Section 4. Replacement

In the event of a vacancy in any office, through absence, death, resignation, or incapacity, The Board shall have the power to make interim appointment to the office. The appointment shall terminate at the Annual Meeting following the first regular election at which the office might be filled according to the provisions governing elections. Individuals so appointed or elected to interim terms for periods of one half or less of the normal elective term are exempt from the restrictions on re-election specified in Section 3 of this Article.

ARTICLE VI. Duties of Officers

Section 1. President

1. 1. The President shall be the presiding officer of the Society and Chairperson of The Board. The President shall have the usual appointive powers and shall exercise all the duties and responsibilities commonly associated with this office, with the advice and consent of The Board, except as otherwise provided in these Bylaws.

1. 2. Unless otherwise determined by the Board, the President shall serve as the first representative of the Society on the Board of Directors and Executive Committee of the Association.

Section 2. President-elect

2. 1. In the absence of the President or in the President's inability or incapacity to serve as determined under the provisions of Section 7. 13 of this Article, the President-elect shall assume the duties of the President, under the provisions of Article V, Section 4, and The Board shall fill the office of President-elect by appointment.

2. 2. Unless otherwise determined by The Board, the President-elect shall serve as the second representative of the Society on the Board of Directors of the Association.

Section 3. Secretary

3. 1. The Secretary, subject to the directives of The Board, shall be responsible for the maintenance of the records of the Society, and otherwise discharge the duties commonly associated with the office, subject to provisions in these Bylaws.

3. 2. The Secretary shall have general charge of administrative matters under the direction of the President; shall act as Secretary of The Board; shall render an annual report to The Board which upon approval shall be presented in abstract to the Annual Business Meeting and so included in the Minutes of the meeting; shall edit and publish the Newsletter of the Society or appropriate section of any newsletter of the Association; may, subject to authorization and budgetary provision by The Board and the Association, employ clerical assistance or delegate selected functions to the Association.

3. 3. The Secretary shall advise the Association on maintenance of the membership list and mailing lists for the publications of the Society.

3. 4. In the event of absence, death, or incapacity of the Treasurer, the Secretary shall exercise all powers of the Treasurer. Such powers shall remain the Secretary's until a successor to the Treasurer is appointed or elected.

3. 5. The Secretary shall compile the minutes of Annual, Special, Regional, and Joint Meetings of the Society which shall include the reports of all officers, committees, delegates, and representatives required to make such reports. All such minutes shall form the Annual Report of the Society which shall be available for inspection by members at the office of the Association, and an abstract of which shall be published in the Newsletter or other publication of the Society or Association.

3. 6. Unless otherwise determined by The Board, the Secretary shall be the third representative of the Society on the Board of Directors of the Association.

Section 4. Treasurer

4. 1. The Treasurer shall be responsible for the administration of the finances of the Society subject to budgetary and other regulations approved by The Board and to approval by the Association. The Treasurer shall be the Society's fiscal agent in dealing with the Association and with other persons or organizations. The Treasurer shall be responsible for the maintenance of proper and adequate records which at all times shall be open to inspection of The Board, and for provision of necessary financial information to the Association. At the Annual Meeting of The Board, the Treasurer shall submit a budget for the ensuing year and shall render an annual report which when approved by The Board shall be presented to the Annual Business Meeting for approval and shall be included in the Annual Report of the Society.

4. 2. The Treasurer may, subject to authorization and budgetary provision by The Board and the Association, employ clerical assistance or delegate selected functions to the Association.

4. 3. The Treasurer shall be a member but not the Chairperson of any Finance Committee appointed by The Board.

4. 4. In the event of absence, death, or incapacity of the Secretary, the Treasurer shall exercise all powers of the Secretary. Such powers shall remain the Treasurer's until a successor to the Secretary is appointed or elected.

4. 5. Unless otherwise determined by The Board, the Treasurer shall be the fourth representative of the Society on the Board of Directors of the Association.

Section 5. Editors

5. 1. The General Editor shall have full charge of the publications of the Society except for its journal and except for the Newsletter or similar publication under the direction of the Secretary, under the direction of The Board and subject to the provisions of these Bylaws.

5. 2. The Journal Editor shall have full charge of the journal publications of the Society, under the direction of The Board and subject to the provisions of these Bylaws.

5. 3. All bills relating to publishing obligations shall be certified to the Treasurer by the Editors. Each Editor shall render an annual report to The Board which upon approval shall be presented to the Annual Business Meeting. 5. 4. The Editors may, subject to review by The Board, appoint Associate and Assistant Editors. The Associate and Assistant Editors shall serve concurrently with and under the direction of the appointing Editor, to whom they shall be responsible. The Editors may, subject to authorization and budgetary provisions by The Board and the Association employ clerical and editorial assistance.

Section 6. Councillors

6. 1. Councillors shall attend the meetings and participate in the business of The Board, serve on such committees as may be established and to which they may be appointed, and take on special assignments for The Board.

6. 2. Unless otherwise determined by The Board, the Councillors shall be the sixth, seventh, and eighth representatives of the Society on the Board of Directors of the Association, in the order of their dates of election.

Section 7. Board of Directors

7. 1. Membership of The Board is defined in Article V, Section 1.

7. 2. Subject to general directives and limitations imposed by the membership by referendum, The Board shall have authority to execute on behalf of the Society all powers and functions of the Society, as defined in these Bylaws.

7. 3. An annual meeting of The Board shall be held before the Annual Business Meeting of the Society.

7. 4. The Board may hold Special Meetings at the call of the President. Special Meetings of The Board shall also be called by the President at any time upon written demand of at least three members of The Board. At least seven days' notice must be given in the call.

7. 5. All meetings of The Board shall be governed by the most recent revision of Robert's Rules of Order.

7. 6. A quorum of The Board shall consist of a majority of its membership.

7. 7. Questions shall be decided by The Board by a majority of the votes cast at any meeting or by mail ballot, except as otherwise provided in these Bylaws. In case of a tie vote the decision of the President shall be final.

7. 8. The President alone may, or shall at the written request of any member of The Board, ask The Board to vote on specific questions by mail ballot. Ballots shall be mailed by the Secretary who shall specify on the ballots the date on or before which they are to be received by the Secretary. This date shall not be less than fifteen nor more than thirty days from the date they were placed in the mail by the Secretary. Members of The Board who are known to be in the field and whose ballots are not received by the specified date shall be counted as absent, not a part of the quorum, and not voting. All other members shall be considered as part of the quorum, and if their ballots are not received, shall be counted as abstaining.

7. 9. Reports of officers, representatives, delegates, committees, and agents shall be approved by The Board. At the direction of The Board or as elsewhere provided in these Bylaws, these reports shall be presented in full or in brief form at the Annual Business Meeting.

7. 10. The Board shall act upon the budget provided by the Treasurer. A budget shall be submitted by The Board to the Annual Business Meeting for approval.

7. 11. Certain duties of the Secretary and the Treasurer and their assistants may be delegated by The Board, and the Secretary and Treasurer and their assistants shall no longer be responsible for the performance of the duties so delegated by The Board.

7. 12. Branches, sections, or divisions of the Society may be established by The Board, provided that the presiding officer and one half or more of the membership thereof shall be and remain members of the American Ethnological Society. All members of such a branch, section, or division must be members of the Association.

7. 13. The Board is empowered to decide by two-thirds vote of its total membership on the incapacity or inability to serve of any elective or appointive officer of the Society, to thus remove any such person from office, and to appoint a replacement under the provisions of Article V, Section 4. Such actions may be overridden by two-thirds vote of the members present at the next Annual Business Meeting.

Section 8. Dismissal of Board Members

Any member of The Board who misses two consecutive meetings of The Board is subject to removal for nonattendance. Written notification of this possibility will be provided after the first missed meeting with dismissal action possible by two-thirds vote of The Board during or subsequent to the second missed meeting. Such vacated office shall be filled as soon as practicable in accordance with Article V, Section 4.

ARTICLE VII. Initiatives, Referenda, and Resolutions

Section 1. Initiative

An initiative petition is a petition signed by no less than five percent of the membership and certified as valid by the Secretary. The Secretary shall present such a petition to The Board within thirty days of its receipt. Signatures that are in the judgement of the Secretary illegible shall be considered invalid.

Section 2. Referendum

2. 1. A referendum vote shall be held by mail ballot at any time upon the initiation of The Board or an initiative petition to The Board. Whenever practicable a referendum shall be held in conjunction with mail balloting conducted by the Association. Ballot materials shall indicate a date by which they must be received by the Secretary in order to be counted as votes. This date shall be not less than thirty days after they were mailed to members.

2. 2. A majority of votes so received shall constitute the deciding vote, except for amendment of these Bylaws, for which the provisions of Article VIII shall govern.

2. 3. The Secretary shall certify the vote to The Board of Directors and announce the result in the Newsletter or equivalent publication as soon as practicable. The provisions of the referendum, if passed, shall be effective as of the date of certification.

Section 3. Resolutions

3. 1. Resolutions or other business proposed by members for consideration at any business meeting must be submitted to the Secretary at least fifteen days before that meeting in order to be placed on the agenda. The Secretary will provide members attending any business meeting with the agenda at least twenty-four hours in advance of the meeting.

3. 2. The Board shall be empowered to submit resolutions or motions passed at any business meeting for ratification by the Society membership by referendum. If a resolution or motion passed at any business meeting is not supported by a majority of the members of The Board, such ratification by the Society membership by referendum shall be mandatory. The ballots shall be sent out by the Secretary as soon as practicable after the meeting at which the resolution was adopted and when possible in conjunction with any similar action by the Association.

ARTICLE VIII. Amendments

Section 1. Effectuation

These Bylaws may be amended only by referendum, pursuant to the provisions of Article VII, except that a minimum of two-thirds of the votes cast is necessary for approval.

Section 2. Proposal

Amendments may be proposed by The Board or by initiative petition.

ARTICLE IX. Meetings

Section 1. Scientific Meetings

1. 1. The Society shall hold an Annual Meeting at a time and place to coincide with the Annual Meeting of the Association. At this meeting ethnological papers and other matters of scientific and scholarly interest may be presented, and symposia and discussions may be held.

1. 2. Special, Joint or Regional Meetings for the purpose of discussing ethnological problems, and matters of mutual interest among scientists may be called by the President at any time, and shall be called upon direction by The Board, in both cases provided at least sixty days advance notice is given.

1. 3. The meeting previously known as the Annual Spring Meeting of the American Ethnological Society, Inc. may be considered and continued as a Special Meeting of the Society under these provisions.

Section 2. Business Meetings

2. 1. Other business of the Society may be conducted concurrently with the Annual Meeting at the Annual Business Meeting of the Society.

2. 2. Any matter of business may be decided at a Special Meeting, subject to the provisions of these Bylaws, provided notice of such business is specified in the call. Special Meetings shall be called by the President at any time at the direction of The Board.

2. 3. At the Annual Business Meeting or any Special Meeting held for the conduct of other than scientific or scholarly purposes, the attending members shall constitute a quorum.

2. 4. The Annual Business Meeting and any Special Meeting held for the conduct of business shall be governed by the most recent revision of Robert's Rules of Order, and a majority vote shall decide any issue, except as otherwise provided in these Bylaws.

Section 3. Notice of Meetings

3. 1. Notice of the place and date of the next Annual Meeting, a list of nominees for offices vacant or to be vacated, and a preliminary program shall be published in the Newsletter or other appropriate publication of the Society or Association and/or mailed by the Secretary to the members as soon as practicable after the last Annual Meeting. Insofar as possible such publications and mailings shall be conducted jointly with the Association.

3. 2. Notices of Special Meetings shall be mailed by the Secretary to members at least thirty days in advance of the meeting.

3. 3. Notices of Regional and Joint Meetings shall be mailed to members as far in advance as practicable.

Section 4. Programs of Meetings

4. 1. A Program Committee for the Annual Meeting shall be appointed by The Board and charged with the responsibility for its scientific program. The Program Committee shall consult with The Board concerning the form and general content of the scientific program of the Annual Meeting.

4. 2. Programs for Special, Joint or Regional Meetings shall be the responsibility of program convenors or special committees appointed by the President as conditions require.

ARTICLE X. Elections

Section 1. Nominations

1. 1. At least 120 days before the Annual Meeting in each year, The Board shall appoint a Nominating Committee of three, of which no more than one shall be a current member of The Board. For the offices of Secretary, Treasurer, and General Editor the Nominating Committee shall nominate at least one and not more than three member candidates, in the years in which the respective terms of these offices shall expire. For the other offices the Nominating Committee shall nominate at least two and not more than three member candidates. All prospective nominees must indicate in writing to the Nominating Committee their willingness to serve as officers of the Society. The list of nominees shall be provided to the individual members of the Society in accordance with the provisions of Article IX, Section 3. 1.

1. 2. Nominations for any elective office may also be made by initiative petition. Any such petition must reach the Secretary at least 120 days before the Annual Meeting of the year for which the nominations are intended and must be certified as valid by the Secretary.

Section 2. Administration

2. 1. Each member shall be entitled to vote for one candidate for each office. Voting shall be by secret mail ballot. No identification of the voter shall appear on the ballot, except that the envelope containing the ballots must be signed by the voting member. The election shall be conducted under the provisions of Article VII, Section 2 of these Bylaws.

2. 2. The results of the election shall be announced by the Elections Committee at the Annual Business Meeting.

2. 3. The candidate for an office who receives the highest number of votes shall be declared elected to that office. In the event of a tie vote, the Elections Committee shall hold a runoff election at the Annual Business Meeting.

2. 4. The Secretary shall appoint without review by The Board, and whenever necessary, two tellers who shall act with the Secretary as an Elections Committee. The Secretary shall be the Chairperson of the Elections Committee. Elections shall be administered by this committee. Subject to approval of the Treasurer and of the Association, this committee may employ the services of an outside agency or arrange for those of the Association for the counting of ballots.

ARTICLE XI. Finances

Section 1. Fiscal Year

The fiscal year of the Society shall be the same as that of the Association.

Section 2. Approval of the Association

2. 1. The Society shall submit an annual operating budget to the Association which, in approval by the Association, shall govern the activities of the Society.

2. 2. No financial obligations shall be incurred in behalf of the Society by The Board or its officers or agents without the approval of the Association.

Section 3. Dues

3. 1. Annual dues shall be fixed by The Board and shall be payable so as to conform to the billing schedule of the Association.

3. 2. Joint membership dues may be payable by any two persons in a spousal relationship otherwise qualified for membership, at a reduced rate to be established by The Board, on the condition that they jointly receive only one copy of the publications of the Society, but each may otherwise enjoy all the privileges of membership.

3. 3. Life members shall have during their lives all the privileges of membership but shall be exempt from the payment of dues to the Society.

3. 4. Members in arrears shall not be entitled to receive the Society's publications or to vote, and those one year in arrears may, after final notification, be dropped from the rolls. Members thus dropped may be reinstated by payment of their arrearages, in which case they shall receive the withheld publications. These provisions apply equally to joint memberships; spouses may be jointly or separately reinstated on payment of the appropriate dues and receive the appropriate number of copies of publications, upon their joint or separate notification to the Secretary. Officers so dropped and reinstated may be reelected to office but are not automatically reinstated therein.

Section 4. Permanent Fund

Payments previously made to establish Life Memberships, and such other moneys as may from time to time be designated for that purpose, shall constitute a Permanent Fund which shall be invested in the name of the Society. The Board may direct the transfer of sums of money from the Permanent Fund to the Working Fund provided that the total of the Permanent Fund is never reduced below the total sum of payments of all living Life Members and all sums which must remain in the Permanent Fund by conditions under which they may have been received.

Section 5. Working Fund

5. 1. The income from annual dues and from investments and other sources shall constitute the Working Fund, available for operating, publication, and other current expenses consistent with the purposes of the Society as The Board may direct.

5. 2. No financial obligation in excess of funds available in the Working Fund shall be assumed by The Board or by any officer on behalf of the Society except when approved by a two-thirds vote of the membership of the Society present and voting at a regular Annual Meeting or at a Special Meeting; provided 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 to the Working Fund.

Updated December 5, 1991