CONSTITUTION
ARCHAEOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF NEW JERSEY
(27 March 1976 revised)
Article I - Name
The name of this organization shall be the Archaeological Society of New Jersey, hereinafter referred to as the Society.
This Society shall be incorporated under the Title 15 laws of the State of New jersey - "Corporations and Associations Not for Profit". The Executive Board of this Society shall act as the Board of Trustees for the Corporation.
Article II - Objectives
The objectives of this Society shall be:
A. To promote and encourage the study of historic and prehistoric archaeology and related disciplines in the State of New Jersey.
B. To encourage the location and preservation of important archaeological sites and monuments.
C. To encourage and assist in the investigation, preservation, interpretation, and display of archaeological materials.
D. To encourage and assist in the establishment of local or regional archaeological organizations.
E. To assist non-professionals in the understanding of all aspects of archaeology and related disciplines through the formation of close working relationships with professional Society members.
F. To record, preserve and publish information on relating to any of the foregoing, and the exchange information with other organizations.
Article III - Membership
Membership categories in this Society shall be Ex-Officio, Honorary, Life, Sustaining, Family, Active, Student, and Institutional. Any person or institution in sympathy with the ideals and objectives of this Society may, upon formal application and payment of specified dues, become a member.
A. Ex-Officio members shall be the Governor of New Jersey, the State Commissioner of Education, and the Director of the State Museum. They shall be exempt from the payment of dues.
B. Honorary membership may be conferred upon persons who have made noteworthy contributions to the advancement of archaeology or to the welfare of the Society. Nominations for Honorary membership must receive favorable recommendation by the Executive Board and receive an approving vote of three-forths of the members returning mail ballots. Honorary members are exempt from payment of dues and are entitled to all the privileges of membership for the balance of their natural lives.
C. Life membership shall be conferred on individuals who pay dues as specified in the By-Laws. Life members shall be entitled to all privileges of membership for the balance of their natural lives.
D. Sustaining membership shall consist of those individuals who provide financial support as specified in the By-Laws.
E. Family membership shall consist of husband and wife, and children under 18 years of age. Both husband and wife are entitled to one vote each and may hold office in the Society. A family membership shall receive only one copy of the each of the Society's regular publications.
F. Active membership shall consist of those individuals who provide support as specified in the By-Laws.
G. Student membership is limited to full-time students. Such members shall be entitled to vote and serve on committees but shall not hold executive office in the Society.
H. Institutional members shall consist of libraries, museums, educational facilities, and similar organizations subscribing to the Society's publications. They shall be entitled to send one voting representative to the meetings.
Any membership may be terminated with cause by appropriate and just actions of the Executive Board and ratification by the general membership.
Article IV - Administration
The administration and operation of the Society shall be conducted by the elected Officers and other members of the Executive Board. They shall be governed by adopted By-Laws which shall implement this Constitution.
A. The Officers of this Society shall consist of a President, three Vice-Presidents, Recording Secretary, Corresponding Secretary, Treasurer, Assistant Treasurer, and Editor.
B. The Executive Board shall consist of the above officers, the elected head of each chapter or the appointed representative who is a Society member, the immediate past Society President, and six individuals elected from the membership-at-large.
Article V - Meetings
Four general membership meetings shall be held during the fiscal year for the purpose of formalizing the Society business and actions, providing for and encouraging exchange between the Executive Board and general membership, and the presentation of technical and non-technical papers of interest to the membership.
The Officers separately or the entire Executive Board shall meet as often as necessary to conduct the Society's business and meet its objectives.
Article VI - Publications
The regular Publication of this Society shall be the Newsletter and the Bulletin.
A. The Newsletter shall contain information on happenings within the Society, meeting notices, book reviews, annual reports from Officers, Committee Chairpersons, and chapters, as well as short articles of general interest to the Society member. The Newsletter shall be published at least four times a year.
B. The Bulletin shall contain scholarly reports on subjects in keeping with the objectives of this Society. The Bulletin shall be published at least once per fiscal year.
Special publications may be issued as directed by the Executive Board upon recommendation of the Editors.
Article VII - Chapters
Subsidiary autonomous Chapters of the Society may be established throughout the state of New Jersey. Chapter policies shall be in agreement with those of the Society.
Article VIII - Committees
The permanent Committees of this Society shall be Education, Exhibits, Finance, Library and Archives, Membership, Program, Publications, Public Relations and Publicity, and Research. The President shall establish special and temporary Committees as necessary to accomplish the objectives of the Society.
The Committee Chairperson is responsible for staffing the committee and reporting activities and accomplishments to the Executive Board and the general membership.
Article IX - Constitution Amendments
Proposed amendments for this Constitution shall be submitted to the Executive Board in writing and shall be signed by at least five members of the Society. The Executive Board shall direct the Corresponding Secretary to submit the proposed amendment, together with the Board's approval or disapproval, to the membership at least thirty days in advance of a regular meeting, at which time a vote shall be taken upon the proposal.
If the proposed amendment has been approved by the Executive Board, a favorable majority vote of those members present will suffice for adoption. If the Executive Board has disapproved the proposed amendment, a favorable vote of two thirds of the members present shall be required for adoption.
Article X - Effective Date
This revised Constitution was adopted at the regular meeting of the Archaeological Society of New Jersey at Cook College, Rutgers University on March 27th, 1976. This constitution replaces the one adopted November 13th, 1931, revised on October 15th, 1949 and January 15th, 1972, and all amendments.
ASNJ Constitution (27 March 1976 rev.)
By-Laws
Archaeological Society of New Jersey
Article I – Officers and Duties
The Officers of this Society shall be the President, First Vice President, Second Vice President, Third Vice President, Treasurer, Assistant Treasurer, Recording Secretary, Corresponding Secretary, and Editor. Officers shall be elected for a two (2) year term at the January Annual Meeting held in an even numbered year.
If an Officer vacancy occurs during the term of office, the line of succession shall be President, First Vice President, Second Vice President, Third Vice President, Treasurer, Recording Secretary, Corresponding Secretary, Editor and Assistant Treasurer. Under seriously disrupted conditions, all remaining Executive Board members shall have the power to convene and fill any vacancy not covered by line of succession by appointment until the next general membership meeting or may call a special election meeting to fill unexpired terms. All such Executive Board actions to fill Officer vacancies must be confirmed by majority vote of members present at the next general membership meeting.
The selection of new-term Officer nominees shall not necessarily be influenced by the above line of succession. A Nominating Committee responsive to the geographic and academic interests and needs of the Society shall be appointed by the President before August 1st in the year prior to elections. The committee shall be composed of no less than three (3) Society members of which at least one must not be an Executive Board member. The President shall also appoint the Nominating Committee Chairperson.
The duties of the Officers shall be:
A. The President may call and shall preside at all regular and special meetings of the Society and of the Executive Board, and shall exercise the customary authority of the Office.
The President shall appoint Committee Chairpersons for regular and special Committees where such provisions are not provided for in the Constitution and By-Laws.
The President shall exercise the right to vote only for the purpose of breaking a tie.
B. The First Vice President shall assume the duties of the President’s Office in the President’s absence.
The First Vice President shall be directly responsible to the President for the staffing and operation of the Public Relations and Publicity Committee. The First Vice President may appoint a Chairperson for that committee and serve on it in an advisory capacity or may accept the Chairperson responsibility directly.
C. The Second Vice President shall preside at meetings in the absence of both the President and the Vice President.
The Second Vice President shall be directly responsible to the President for the operation and staffing of the Membership Committee. These responsibilities may be fulfilled as outlined in paragraph 2 of B. above.
D. The Third Vice President shall preside at meetings in the absence of the President, First Vice President and Second Vice President.
The Third Vice President shall be directly responsible to the President for the operation and staffing of the Program Committee. These responsibilities may be fulfilled as outlined above in B.
E. The Treasurer shall have charge of all Society monies from whatever source. The Treasurer shall conduct the office and retain records in a manner acceptable to the Executive Board using appropriate accounting principles. Written and verbal reports on Society financial status be presented at each regular and Executive Board Meeting and any other meeting requested by the President.
F. The Assistant Treasurer shall assist the Treasurer in fulfilling his duties and shall also be responsible to the President for the operation and staffing of the Finance Committee. These responsibilities may be fulfilled as outlined above in B.
G. The Recording Secretary shall keep the written record of Society Proceedings which occur at regular membership and Executive Board Meetings. The Recording Secretary shall also take charge of current documents of the Society and maintain these in a proper file. The Recording Secretary shall present written and verbal reports on the proceedings of the prior meetings as requested by the President.
H. The Corresponding Secretary shall be responsible for handling all requested mailings to Society members and non-members, receiving and answering Society directed correspondence and forwarding requests or information on highly technical matters to Society scholars.
The Corresponding Secretary shall also act as editor of the Society Newsletter and shall record meeting decisions in the absence of the Recording Secretary.
I. The Editor shall be responsible for acquiring suitable materials for and editing, printing and publishing the society Bulletin. The Editor shall be responsible for enlisting the aid and services of persons competent in art, layout, proof-reading, and other specialties required to insure an aesthetically pleasing, scholarly, and grammatically accurate journal.
The Editor shall be the chairperson for the Publications Committee.
Article II – Executive Board
The Executive Board shall consist of the following:
A. The Society Officers
B. The immediate past President
C. The elected head of each Chapter or the appointed representative who is a Society member.
D. Six (6) individuals elected from the membership-at-large.
The six (6) individuals noted above in II. D. shall each serve terms of three(3) years with two (2) members being elected each year by majority vote of members present at the Annual Meeting.
Vacancies within the six (6) elected positions to the Executive Board (II.D.) shall be filled at the next regular meeting of the Society by majority vote of the members present. The length of term shall be equal to the unexpired term of the individual being replaced.
An Executive Board quorum shall consist of at least seven (7) members from the above listing, of which at least four (4) shall be Society Officers.
Article III – Meetings
The Annual Meeting of the Society shall be held on a Saturday in January at such time and place recommended by the Program Committee and agree to by at least five (5) Executive Board members.
There shall be three (3) other regular meetings of this Society. They shall be held preferably on a Saturday during the months of March, May, and October. The exact date, time and place for such meetings shall be set by the Program Committee and agreed to by at least five (5) Executive Board members.
Special meetings may be called as necessary by the President or acting Executive Board Chairperson.
Notices for all meetings shall be mailed at least twenty (20) days prior to the meeting date.
Twenty members in addition to Executive Board members shall constitute a quorum at any general membership meeting. The business portion of each meeting shall include matters deemed desirable or necessary by the President, a synopsis of actions taken by the Executive Board since the last general membership meeting, a reading of minutes of the last general membership meeting, and discussion and vote upon any actions of the Board which is challenged by a member or mandatory under the Constitution and By-Laws. Any action of the Executive Board may be annulled or amended by two-thirds (2/3) vote of members present and voting.
Article IV – Elections
Election of Officers for new-term positions shall be based on simple majority agreement by those present at the Annual Meeting held in January of each even numbered year plus those votes cast by Absentee Mail Ballot.
Nominations for the various offices shall be made by the Nominating Committee in writing, to the Executive Board and to the general membership via the Newsletter at least sixty (60) days prior to the Annual Meeting. The nominations shall be supported by written consent from the member being nominated and an outline of the member’s background and qualifications for the position.
Nominations for the various Officers shall be accepted from the floor at the Annual Meeting, provided the member nominated is present and will verbally agree to his name being so placed. The person placing the nomination shall have the opportunity to verbally express the nominee’s qualifications and background.
All voting shall be by secret ballot by using forms prepared in advance. Election forms shall contain an alphabetical listing of candidates foe each position. Blank spaces shall be provided under each office position for entry of names of persons placed in nomination from the floor. Ballots shall be executed during the business meeting and collected unsigned for tabulation and announcement of new Officers later that day.
Absentee Ballots may be requested from the Corresponding Secretary up to 30 days prior to the Annual Meeting. Use of said Absentee Ballots shall be limited to names placed in nomination by the Nominating Committee. The ballots shall be signed and returned to the Corresponding Secretary no later than 24 hours prior to the Annual Meeting date. Absentee Ballots will remain unopened until ballot tabulations commence.
Article V – Publications
The Society shall publish a newsletter and a journal for distribution without charge to members not in arrears for payment of dues. Available publications may be sold to non-members of the Society at a price set by the Executive Board upon recommendation of the Editor.
The Official titles of the regular publications shall be The Archaeological Society of New Jersey Newsletter and The Archaeological Society of New Jersey Bulletin; hereinafter called the Newsletter an the Bulletin.
The Society may publish other scholarly works which are recommended and approved by the Publications Committee and the Editor and are sanctioned by majority vote of the Executive Board.
Article VI – Chapters
Subsidiary autonomous chapters of the Society may be established throughout the State of New Jersey. Chapter policies shall be in accord with those of the Society. Non-members of this Society may hold membership in chapters, but may not act as a representative, nor vote, nor hold office in the Society. Chapter officers must hold Society membership.
A petition for establishment of a chapter may be sent to the President after it has been signed by at least ten (10) members in good standing with the Society. The President shall present the petition to a meeting of the Executive Board and they shall act on the petition within six (6) months of receipt. Final approval must be sanctioned by a majority vote of the general membership at a regular meeting.
Chapter affiliation may be dissolved by recommendation of the Executive Board if the chapter becomes inactive or the chapter’s actions are inconsistent with Society objectives. Final dissolution must be sanctioned by a majority vote of the general membership at a regular meeting.
Article VII – Committees
The permanent Committees of this Society and their duties are as follows:
A. The Education Committee shall encourage and promote the teaching of archaeology and related subjects in schools and colleges and shall plan seminars, workshops, publications, and other types of educational programs or materials approved by the Executive Board.
The Education Committee shall be appointed by the President. The Chairperson is responsible for staffing the committee with Society members and reporting committee progress at Executive Board and general membership meetings.
B. The Exhibits Committee shall arrange for, in conjunction with the Program Committee, the display, description, and security of archaeological materials brought by members, speakers, or visitors to general membership meetings.
The Exhibits Committee Chairperson shall be appointed by the President. The chairperson is responsible for appropriate staffing of the committee with Society members and reporting plans and progress on exhibits at Executive Board and general membership meetings.
C. The Finance Committee shall be responsible for the preparation and presentation of a proposed Society budget by March of each year. Expenditures and commitments by the Treasurer shall be restricted to the budgeted items and amounts.
The Finance Committee shall also be responsible for organizing and conducting programs which will generate additional or special operating revenues.
The Finance Committee Chairperson shall be the Assistant Treasurer. That individual is responsible for staffing the committee and reporting plans and progress to the Executive Board and general membership.
D. The Library and Archives Committee Chairperson shall maintain a reference library for the Society, locate and obtain desirable publications for the reference library, and organize Society documents for historical reference purposes. Title to all above reference materials and documents shall be in the Society’s name.
The Library and Archives Committee Chairperson shall be appointed by the President. The chairperson is responsible for appropriate staffing and reporting of activities to the Executive Board and general membership.
E. The Membership Committee shall invite, receive, and process applications for membership, devise programs to increase membership, maintain a current listing of members and their addresses by membership category, receive and accept resignations and record membership deaths.
The Membership Committee shall be the responsibility of the Second Vice President.
F. The Program Committee shall assist the President in the planning of meeting programs, shall secure speakers as required and shall arrange for appropriate meeting places and refreshments.
The Chairperson shall be authorized to offer speakers reasonable compensation for travel and, when necessary, provide for a gratuity.
The Chairperson shall secure abstracts for all speakers programs and forward these to the Newsletter Editor in advance of the meetings.
The Program Committee shall be the responsibility of the Third Vice President.
G. The Publications Committee shall deal with general matters of publication, such as style and format, types of content, frequency and dates of issue, numbers of copies produced, contracts with printers and duplicators, and distribution. The Committee shall adopt rules governing its own operations , subject to approval by the Executive Board. Copies of these rules shall be filed with the Recording Secretary, the President, and the Treasurer.
Upon recommendation of the committee chairperson, the President may appoint such editorial associates as are needed and available among members of the Society. These associates may be given titles appropriate to their functions and shall be listed in publications. Associates shall be members of the Publications Committee as long as they perform their editorial functions.
The Publications Committee chairperson shall also be the Editor.
H. The Public Relations and Publicity Committee shall promote and disseminate information about the Society’s meetings, activities, and publications to all forms of media.
The Public Relations and Publicity Committee shall be the responsibility of the First Vice President.
I. The Research Committee shall recommend and encourage archaeological research within the Society and its Chapters: as well as with other appropriate institutions. The committee shall coordinate and assist in the planning of Society sponsored research and where judged appropriate recommend levels and types of financial grants-in-aid.
The Research Committee shall be appointed by the President. The Chairperson is responsible for staffing the committee with Society members and reporting progress to the Executive Board and general membership.
J. The President shall appoint annually an Auditing Committee and Chairperson to evaluate the books and records of the Treasurer. The results shall be reported at the January annual meeting.
Article VIII – Dues
The fiscal year of the Society shall begin on January 1st when all dues for the calendar year become payable. Members one year in arrears shall not be entitled to vote or to receive publications of the Society. Members two years in arrears shall, after written notice, be removed from the Society’s membership roll.
Ex-Officio and Honorary members of the Society are exempt from payment of dues.
The fee for Life Membership shall be $1,000.00
Annual dues shall be:
A. Sustaining members $35.00
B. Family members $30.00
C. Active members $25.00
D. Student members $20.00
E. Institutional members (libraries, non-profits) $30.00
F. Corporate members (for-profit companies) $100.00
Article IX – Amendments
These By-Laws may be amended by the Executive Board, subject to approval by a majority vote at a general membership meeting.
Article X – Effective Date
These By-Laws were adopted at a general membership meeting of the Archaeological Society of New Jersey at Cook College, Rutgers University on March 27, 1976. These By-Laws replace in the entirety those adopted on January 15, 1972 and all amendments.