Archeological Society of Maryland, Inc.

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BYLAWS OF THE ARCHEOLOGIAL SOCIETY OF MARYLAND, INC.
Ratified on: October 16, 1999

Table of Contents
I. Name II. Purposes III. Membership IV Chapters V. Board of Trustees
VI. Officers VII. Meetings and Lectures VIII. Elections IX. Standing Committees X. Parliamentary Authority
XI Amendments XII. SPECIAL RULES OF ORDER    
These Bylaws were adopted by the voting membership of this Society at a Special Meeting held on October 16, 1999 and supersede previous versions.
ARTICLE I –Name. The name of this Society shall be The Archeological Society of Maryland, Inc.
ARTICLE II –Purposes. The purposes of this Society shall be:
  to undertake, promote, and encourage educational programs on both school and adult levels in order to enlarge the area of knowledge of historic and prehistoric aspects of Maryland and American archeology;
  to discover, investigate, and conserve important archeological sites and artifacts, and to foster and encourage their utilization in educational activities for the public interest;
  to encourage careful scientific research in the archeological field and to provide programs for the leadership in education of persons interested therein;
  to encourage and assist in the establishment and growth of local archeological and similar organizations;
  to record, preserve, publish and copyright data pertaining to any of the foregoing, and to exchange information with like organization.
 
ARTICLE III –Membership.
  Section 1. Any person or institution in sympathy with the purposes of the Society may become a member upon formal application and payment of the specified dues.
  Section 2. All members shall have the privilege of participating in meetings and field activities of the Society, shall receive one copy each of the Society's publications or communications, and shall have the right to vote, unless otherwise specified.
  Section 3. Membership in this Society shall consist of nine (9) classes: Active, Family, Junior, Supporting, Contributing, Donor, Life, Institutional, Honorary.
    Active. Any person, 16 years of age or over, may become and Active member of this Society with all the privileges of membership, upon payment of the specified dues.
    Family. A husband, wife, and children under 16 years of age may apply for Family membership in this Society with all privileges of membership, except that only one (1) set of Society publications will be sent to the family members, upon payment of the specified dues.
    Junior. Any person under the age of 16 may become a Junior member of this Society with all privileges of membership, except voting, upon payment of the specified dues.
    Supporting. Any person 16 years of age and over may become a Supporting member with all the privileges of membership upon payment of the specified dues.
    Contributing. Any person 16 years of age and over may become a Contributing member with all the privileges of membership upon payment of the specified dues.
    Donor. Any person 16 years of age and over may become a Donor member with all the privileges of membership upon payment of the specified dues.
    Life. Any person 16 years of age and over may become a Life member with all the privileges of membership upon the one-time payment of the specified dues.
    Institutional. Any organization shall be eligible for an Institutional membership entitling the organization to receive all regular Society publications as issued, but not to vote, upon payment of specified dues.
    Honorary. An Honorary membership may be conferred by the Board of Trustees upon those who have made outstanding contributions to the Society. Such members are entitled to all privileges of membership, except voting, without any payment of dues.
  Section 4. Specified dues for all classes of membership shall be determined from time to time as may be necessary. Dues shall be payable on the first day of January. Members accepted during the last quarter of the calendar year shall be considered as registered through the following year.
  Section 5. Those members in arrears by January 31 shall have all privileges of membership immediately suspended and shall be so notified in writing by the Membership Secretary. Those members may be reinstated upon payment of specified dues.
  Section 6. The Board of Trustees may expel members whose actions are contrary to the stated purposes of this Society. Said members may request a hearing before the Board of Trustees.
  Section 7. No member shall have the power to incur any debt in this Society's name unless authorized by the Board of Trustees.
 
ARTICLE IV –Chapters.
  Section 1. Chapters may be established with the approval of the Board of Trustees. The purposes of these Chapters must be in accord with the Articles of Incorporation and Bylaws of this Society.
 

Section 2. Application for admission as a Chapter must be made with a petition to the Board of Trustees and signed by at least six (6) voting members of this Society. The petition must be accompanied by a copy of the Constitution and/or Bylaws of said Chapter.

The Constitution and/or Bylaws must be consistent with those of this Society and are subject to approval by a majority vote of the Board of Trustees, which shall then issue said Chapter a Charter of Chapter membership in this Society. Any new Chapter so formed and accepted will be entitled to immediate representation on the Board of Trustees.
  Section 3. Officers of the Chapters must be voting members of this Society. Individual Chapter members are not required to join this Society, although they should be encouraged to do so. Chapters may, however, require their members to join this Society.
 

Section 4. The Charter of any Chapter may be revoked for cause on the two-thirds vote of the Board of Trustees.

Upon revocation, the Secretary of this Society shall send written notice to said Chapter members stating the date and reason for the revocation. Upon mailing of said notice, said Chapter members shall cease to use the name of this Society and to receive any privileges which were previously conferred.

Individual members of said Chapter, who hold Society membership, shall continue to receive all privileges associated with their Society membership.
 
ARTICLE V –Board of Trustees.
  Section 1. The Board of Trustees shall consist of Ex-Officio and six (6) At-Large Trustees. Ex-Officio Trustees are the duly elected officers of the Society (the President, Vice-president, Secretary, Treasurer, and Membership Secretary), and Presidents/Chairmen of the Chapters, and the Chief of the Office of Archeology, the State Terrestrial Archeologist, and the State Underwater Archeologist. At-Large Trustees are persons who are elected by the Society membership to serve on the Board of Trustees. When Presidents/Chairmen of the Chapters are unable to attend meetings of the Board of Trustees, they may designate a member of their Chapter as an alternate to represent their Chapter on the Board of Trustees. This alternate must be a voting member of this Society.
  Section 2. The Board of Trustees shall have the control and general management of the affairs and business of this Society. They shall in all cases act as a Board, duly convened by a quorum, and may adopt such rules for the conduct of their meetings and the management of this Society as are fit and proper, and consistent with its Articles of Incorporation and Bylaws. The act of a majority of the Board of Trustees present at any properly constituted meeting, at which there is a quorum, shall be an official act of the Board of Trustees, and binding on this Society.
  Section 3. The Board of Trustees shall hold at least one (1) meeting quarterly, based on the calendar year, at times and places to be determined by a majority of the Board of Trustees at its preceeding meeting. Special meetings may be called at any time by any three (3) members thereof, or by the President of this Society, in writing. The written notice shall be mailed not less than ten (10) days before said meeting. The notice shall state the time, place, and purpose of such meeting, and no other business shall be transacted.
  Section 4. Each member of the Board of Trustees shall have one (1) vote, cast in person or by a designated alternative as provided for in ARTICLE V, Section 1
  Section 5. A majority of the Board of Trustees shall constitute a quorum. If there is no quorum, the meeting may be adjourned to another date and time during the same quarter.
  Section 6. Vacancies occurring in mid-term among the Board of Trustees shall be filled by the Board of Trustees for the unexpired portion of the term at its next meeting.
  Section 7. A member of the Board of Trustees may be removed for cause by a two-thirds vote of the Board of Trustees. The President/Chairman of a Chapter may be removed for cause by the Chapter in the manner provided therefor by the Chapter. An At-Large Trustee may be removed by the membership of this Society for cause by a majority of the votes cast.
  Section 8. No officer nor member of the Board of Trustees shall receive compensation for any duties so performed. However, on a resolution of the majority of the Board of Trustees, they may be reimbursed for expenses incurred in the accomplishment of their duties.
 
ARTICLE VI – Officers.
  Section 1. The officers of this Society shall be a President, a Vice-President, a Secretary, a Treasurer, and a Membership Secretary. These officers shall perform the duties prescribed by these Bylaws and by parliamentary authority adopted by this Society.
 

Section 2. The President shall have the duties pertaining to the rights and office of the President of this Society. The President shall preside over all meetings of this Society and the Board of Trustees. The President shall present at each Annual Meeting a report concerning the general conditions of this Society. The President shall assure that books, reports, and financial statements are properly kept, made, and filed according to law, and shall be responsible to this Society for such assurance.

The President shall have the power to appoint and remove, employ and discharge, and fix the compensation for all servants, agents, and employees, who may from time to time be necessary to carry out or assist in the function of this Society. Such powers and authority are subject to the approval of the Board of Trustees. The President shall have the power to make and sign all contracts, and agreements in the name of this Society upon approval by the Board of Trustees.

The President shall appoint, with the approval of the Board of Trustees, the Chairpersons of the following Standing Committees: Publication, Field Session, William B. Marye Award, and such other committees as may from time to time be deemed necessary for the continuance of the business of this Society. The President shall also appoint, with the consent of the Board of Trustees, the editor(s) of the Society's publications and Society representatives to other organizations as may be deemed necessary.

The President shall make, with the consent of the Board of Trustees, appointments for the smooth and proper operation of the business of this Society. The President shall fill, with the consent of the Board of Trustees, the vacancies which occur in the offices of Vice-president, Secretary, Treasurer, and Membership Secretary.

The President may convene an Executive Committee consisting of the President, Vice-president, Secretary, and when financial issues are involved, the Treasurer, to respond to issues arising between Board and Society meetings. The Secretary shall keep a written record at such meetings and present a synopsis of them to the Board at its next scheduled meeting. None of the actions taken by the Executive Committee shall conflict with actions taken by the Board or the Society.
  Section 3. The Vice-president shall exercise the duties of the President in the absence or inability of the President to render and perform those duties or exercise those powers as set forth in the Bylaws of this Society. When so acting, the Vice-president shall have all the powers and responsibilities hereby given to, or imposed upon the President. The Vice-President shall perform special duties as assigned by the President with the approval of the Board of Trustees.
  Section 4. The Secretary shall perform all duties incident to the office of the Secretary. The Secretary shall be custodian of the records and of the seal of this Society, and affix a signature to documents as required.
 

Section 5. The Treasurer shall perform all the duties pertaining to the office of Treasurer. The Treasurer shall be responsible for all funds and securities of this Society, and shall deposit all funds in the name of this Society in such Bank or Banks as the Board of Trustees may designate. The Treasurer shall prepare and present to Board of Trustees at its December Board meeting a budget for the upcoming calendar year. Upon approval of the budget the Treasurer is authorized to meet those obligations.

The Treasurer shall make, sign, and endorse in the name of this Society, all checks, drafts, and orders for the payment of money, and pay out and disburse the same and receipt thereof, under the direction of the Board of Trustees. The Treasurer shall be authorized to make such disbursements in the course of normal business upon a signature only with the exception that no disbursements for any amount exceeding $500.00 shall be made without approval by the Board of Trustees.

The Treasurer shall exhibit at all reasonable times the books and accounts to any voting member of this Society. The Treasurer shall render a statement in writing of the financial condition of this Society at each quarterly meeting of the Board of Trustees.

The Treasurer shall present a complete financial report in writing at the Annual Meeting of the Society, with copies furnished to the Board of Trustees, and shall give an oral extract of this report during the business portion of the Annual meeting.

The Treasurer shall post bond if required by the Board of Trustees for the faithful performance of any duties.
 

Section 6. The Membership Secretary shall perform all duties pertaining to the office of the Membership Secretary. The Membership Secretary shall collect the dues as directed by the Board of Trustees from all members of this Society, and forward the dues to the Treasurer for deposit in the Society's bank accounts. The Membership Secretary shall keep a current official membership list showing the names of the members, their classes of membership, and their addresses. The Membership Secretary shall render a statement in writing of the current membership categories and their respective numbers at each quarterly meeting of the Board of Trustees.

The membership Secretary shall exhibit at all reasonable times the membership lists and accounting of the dues to any voting member of this Society. The Membership Secretary shall present a complete membership accounting in writing at the Annual Meeting of this Society, with copies furnished to the Board of Trustees, and shall give an oral extract of this report during the business portion of the Annual Meeting.
  Section 7. The Board of Trustees may remove any Officer for cause by a two-thirds vote at any duly convened meeting.
 
ARTICLE VII –Meetings and Lectures.
 

Section 1. The Annual Meeting of this Society shall be held to conduct the business of this Society, consisting of elections as prescribed in ARTICLE VIII; reports of the Officers of this Society, Committee Chairmen of the Board of Trustees, Chapter Presidents/Chairmen, and reports from members; and other such business as may arise. The members present shall constitute a quorum. The Annual Meeting shall be held during the month of October, at a time and place selected by the Board of Trustees. Each member shall be notified in writing not less than 25 days previous to such meeting. The August newsletter may be used as the means of notification.

One lecture at the Annual Meeting shall be designated the “Frederic M. Stiner Memorial Address”, in honor of the founding editor of the Society’s journal, Maryland Archeology. The importance of Mr. Stiner to Maryland Archeology shall be noted in the printed program for the meeting.

Wording for the Frederic M. Stiner Memorial Address: “The Frederick M. Stiner Memorial Lecture is named in honor of Frederick M. Stiner, a founding member of the Archeological Society of Maryland and first editor of the Journal of the Archeological Society of Maryland. In honor of his pioneering spirit and dedication to archeology in Maryland, the Annual Fall Meeting’s keynote address is given in his name.”
 

Section 2. The Spring Symposium of this Society shall be held to conduct lectures or presentations of archeological or related topics. The Spring Symposium shall be held during the spring, the date, time, and place selected by the Board of Trustees. Each member shall be notified not less than 25 days previous to such meeting. The newsletter may be used as the means of notification.

One lecture at the Spring Symposium shall be designated the “Richard E. Stearns Memorial Address”, in honor of a pioneer researcher and author on Maryland archeology. The importance of Mr. Stearns to Maryland archeology shall be noted in the printed program for the meetings.

Wording For Richard E. Stearns Memorial Address: "The Richard E. Stearns Memorial Lecture is named in honor of Richard E Stearns (1902-1969), curator of the Department of Archeology at the Natural History Society of Maryland for more than 30 years. Mr. Stearns located numerous archeological sites in the Chesapeake area, and carefully documented his surface and excavated finds. He published numerous archeological articles and several monographs, and donated his collection to the Smithsonian Institution. A commercial artist by profession, he was nonetheless a pioneer in Maryland archeology, instrumental in recording much of Maryland prehistory."

One lecture at the Spring Symposium shall be designated the "Iris McGillivary Memorial Lecture", in honor of her service to the Society. The impact of her service shall be noted in the printed program for the symposium.

Wording for the Iris McGillivary Memorial Lecture: "Iris McGillivray was a founding member of the Archeological Society of Maryland, Inc., ably serving the Society for over thirty years as Secretary, President, Newsletter Editor, Field Session Registrar, and Membership Secretary. She is perhaps best known, loved, and respected for her organization of the annual Spring Symposium, first held in 1965, arranging all aspects of the day-long program. In 1991 Iris was presented with the Society’s William B. Marye Award to honor her services to archeology in Maryland."
 

Section 3. One presentation to be held during the Tyler Bastian Annual Field Session shall be designated ‘The Spencer O. Geasey Memorial Lecture’ in honor of his extensive contributions to Maryland archeology. The achievements of Mr. Geasey will be printed in the field session manual and acknowledged prior to the lecture.

Wording for the Spencer O. Geasey Memorial Lecture: "The Spencer O. Geasey Memorial Lecture honors a founding member of the Archeological Society of Maryland, Inc. who devoted a lifetime to locating and recording archeological sites, primarily in central Maryland. Spencer donated his massive, well-documented artifact collection to the State and published numerous articles. He was frequently consulted by professional archeologists and worked as a field archeologist for the Maryland State Highway Administration. Spencer was the 1985 winner of the Society’s William B. Marye Award and was recognized in 1993 with the State of Maryland’s highest award for historic preservation, the Calvert Prize. This lecture honors Spencer’s enthusiasm, expertise and generosity."
  Section 4. Special Meetings of the Society shall be called by the President of this Society upon a majority vote of the Board of Trustees, or upon request in writing by twenty (20) percent of the voting membership, after having given at least ten (10) days notice, in writing, to each voting member of this Society at their address as it appears on the Membership Secretary’s official membership list. Such notice will state the time, place, and purpose of such meeting and no other business will be transacted.
 
ARTICLE VIII –Elections.
  Section 1. The President of this Society shall appoint the Chairman of the Nominating Committee as specified in ARTICLE VI, Section 2, no later than the March quarterly meeting in even numbered years. The Chairman of the Nominating Committee shall appoint a committee of not less than three (3) voting members of this Society. The Nominating Committee shall secure one or more candidates for the positions of President, Vice-President, Secretary, Treasurer, Membership Secretary, and six (6) At-Large Trustees. The Nominating Committee shall present all nominations to the Secretary of this Society at the June quarterly meeting in even numbered years.
 

Section 2. A ballot shall be sent in the July newsletter indicating the nominees for the Officers of this Society and the six (6) At-Large Trustees of the Board of Trustees. Such ballot may be returned by mail to the Chairman of the Nominating Committee or may be delivered to the Chairman of the Nominating Committee in person at the Annual Meeting. Only voting members of this Society shall cast a ballot.

The President of this Society shall appoint three (3) voting members of this Society, who are not candidates nor members of the Nominating Committee, to count the ballots at the Annual Meeting. The person receiving the most votes for these positions shall serve on the Board of Trustees. In case of a tie vote the tie shall be broken by the voting membership present at the Annual Meeting.
  Section 3. Term of office for the Officers of this Society and the six (6) At-Large Trustees shall be for two (2) years commencing at the conclusion of the Annual Meeting and running until their successors are elected. The President of this Society shall serve no more than two (2) consecutive terms.
 
ARTICLE IX –Standing Committees.
  Section 1. The Standing Committees of this Society are Publications, Field Session, and William B. Marye Award. The President of this Society shall appoint the Chairmen of those committees as specified in ARTICLE VI, Section 2. The Committees shall adopt rules governing their own operations, subject to approval by the Board of Trustees.
  Section 2. The Publications Committee shall serve as an editorial board; shall advise and assist the editors of the Journal, Newsletter, and other publications as may arise, in the selection of articles and other materials for inclusion in Society publications; shall assist the editors as needed in details of producing this Society's publications.
  Section 3. The Field Session Committee shall cooperate with the Maryland State Office of Archeology in the organization and operation of the annual field session(s) and other field activities of this Society. The purposes of the annual field session are (1) to provide the membership with an educational experience in archeological procedures and (2) to contribute to the responsible conservation of Maryland's archeological resources.
 

Section 4. The William B. Marye Award Committee shall accept nominations yearly for the William B. Marye Award. The William B. Marye Award is to honor those person(s) who have made outstanding contributions to Maryland Archeology. The Award is named for a gentleman and widely published savant of Maryland genealogy, historical geography, ethnohistory, and archeology. The importance of Mr. Marye to Maryland archeology shall be noted in the printed program for the meeting at which the award is given.

The committee will review all nominations which it receives in a given year, and all such nominations will remain confidential to committee members. From nominations received in a given year, the Committee may select a winner or winners of the Award.

If nominations received by the Committee for a given year are not worthy to receive the Award at that particular time, then there will be no Award given for that year. If the Committee selects a nominee or nominees to be given the Award, then the Committee must present their selection in a sealed envelope to the President of this Society at the September quarterly meeting. Only the Committee and the President shall know the name of the award winner prior to the announcement at the Annual Meeting.

At the Annual Meeting, the President of this Society shall open the sealed envelope and shall announce to this Society's membership the winner of the Award. The President shall present to the winner a plaque recognizing the winner's achievement of the William B. Marye Award. The announcement shall then be printed in the next issue of this Society's newsletter.

The plaque shall consist of a 9 X 12 inch wood base with a goldtone metal etching surface topped with a black metal etching surface upon which the following inscription is to appear:

THE ARCHEOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF MARYLAND, INC.

WILLIAM B. MARYE AWARD

is presented to

NAME

for his/her outstanding contributions
to Maryland Archeology

DATE

On either side of "The Archeological Society of Maryland, Inc.” shall be the seals of this Society appearing as gold-tone metal circles with black lettering.
 
ARTICLE X –Parliamentary Authority.
The parliamentary authority of this Society shall be those rules contained in the Articles of Incorporation, the Bylaws, and Special Rules of Order of this Society, and then in the current edition of ROBERTS RULES OF ORDER, NEWLY REVISED.
ARTICLE XI –Amendments.

The Bylaws shall be published by the Board of Trustees. The Bylaws may be amended by a two-thirds vote of the Board of Trustees at any duly constituted meeting of the Board of Trustees.

The Bylaws may also be amended by the voting membership of this Society at any Annual or Special Meeting by submission of the proposed amendment in writing by five (5) voting members of this Society to the Secretary of this Society and the Newsletter Editor for publication. Notification shall follow the rules established in ARTICLE VII for notifying membership of Society meetings. The amendment shall become effective upon a two-thirds vote of the quorum at the next meeting of the voting membership following publication of the proposed amendments. All amendments so accepted must be published in the next issue of the newsletter of this Society.

All amendments passed by the Board of Trustees during the year shall be published in the August newsletter and ratified by the majority vote of the voting membership quorum at the Annual Meeting.
ARTICLE XII.
These Bylaws shall become effective upon ratification of the majority vote of the voting membership quorum at a Special Meeting called for the purpose of ratification of these Bylaws.
SPECIAL RULES OF ORDER
  Rule 1. The Fiscal Year of this Society shall run from January 1 through and including December 31.
  Rule 2. The Dues Schedule of this Society shall be as follows:
   
Type
Individual
Family
  
    Life
Donor
Contributing
Supporting
Active
Junior
Institutional

$1000.00
$100.00+
$50.00
$35.00
$25.00
$10.00
$25.00

 --
$100.00+
$50.00
$40.00
$30.00
--
--
  
  Rule 3. ASM, Inc. publishes a monthly newsletter entitled ASM INK.
  Rule 4. ASM, Inc. publishes a bi-annual journal entitled MARYLAND ARCHEOLOGY.