Constitution of the EC/ASECS
I. NAME
The name of this society shall be the EAST-CENTRAL/AMERICAN SOCIETY FOR EIGHTEENTH-CENTURY STUDIES.
II. PURPOSE
- The purpose of this society is to encourage and advance studies and research in eighteenth-century culture in its broadest sense.
- The society carries out its stated aim by promoting an exchange of information and ideas among members of the various disciplines engaged in eighteenth-century studies through interdisciplinary meetings and by any other means it may deem appropriate.
III. MEMBERSHIP
- Membership shall be open to any person interested in the purpose of the society. Voting members shall be those who have paid current dues to the executive secretary of the society.
- All members who have paid annual dues for the calendar year at least thirty days before the annual meeting shall have full voting rights. Members present at the business meeting may extend voting rights to those who pay dues after the deadline but before the business meeting.
IV. AFFILIATION
The society shall maintain affiliation with the American Society for Eighteenth-Century Studies on such terms as both determine to be mutually acceptable.
V. ORGANIZATION
- Officers. The society shall have a President, a Vice-President, and an Executive Secretary, no more than two of whom may be from the same discipline.
- Executive Board. The governing body of the society shall be the Executive Board, consisting of the officers of the society; the two immediate past presidents; the program chairs or co-chairs of the current, subsequent and two immediate past annual meetings; the editor or editors of the East-Central Intelligencer; and three members to be elected at annual meetings for three-year terms. Elected members may succeed themselves for one additional term. Former officers may be elected to the Executive Board as soon as their term in office is completed. Care shall be exercised in the nomination of officers and members of the Executive Board to maintain a balance among the various schools, subregions and disciplines, and to ensure that at least one member other than the editor(s) of the East-Central Intelligencer has editorial experience. The Executive Board shall determine the policies of the society, direct the Executive Secretary to receive and disburse the monies of the society in a way consistent with its purpose. The policies and actions of the Executive Board shall be subject to the direction and approval of the members of the society, and a full report of its activities during the year shall be submitted to the society at its annual meeting.
- Tenure. All officers shall hold office for one year, except the Executive Secretary, who shall serve a three-year term.
- Elections. Elections shall be conducted at the annual meeting and shall be by a majority vote of the members in good standing. Nominations shall be made at the annual meetings by a Committee on Nominations consisting of the President (serving as chair) and the two immediate Past Presidents (serving as members), or by any member in good standing who is present at the annual meeting, provided in both cases that that the nominees have agreed to serve if elected. If for any reason an office or a member of the Executive Board should fall vacant before the scheduled election to that position, the remaining members of the Executive Board shall appoint a member of the society to fill the office until the next meeting.
- Committees and Appointed Officers. The Executive Board may, at its discretion and for such terms of office as it may decide, appoint standing committees, ad hoc committees, and additional officers. Members of such committees and holders of such appointive offices may be invited to take part in the deliberations of the Executive Board in their own right. The Executive Board shall clearly define the duties of all such standing committees, ad hoc committees, and additional officers, and shall inform the members of the society of their actions through the Newsletter or by any other appropriate means.
VI. MEETINGS
- Meetings of the Society. There shall be an annual meeting of the society, to be held normally in autumn at a place and specific time to be determined by the Executive Board, at least six weeks' notice of the place and time to be given to all members. Other special meetings of the society may be arranged at the discretion of the Executive Board, but no business affecting the whole membership shall be transacted at such meetings unless four weeks' notice has been given to all members of the society.
- Meetings of the Executive Board. Meetings of the Executive Board shall be held at the call of the President, or in his or her absence, the Vice-President. A quorum of the Executive Board shall be six members. In intervals between meetings of the Executive Board, routine and urgent business of the society may be handled by the President and Executive Secretary subject to later approval by the Executive Board.
VII. DUES
The society shall collect annual dues for membership for a calendar year, the amount of the dues to be determined at each annual meeting. Notices of dues will be mailed by the Executive Secretary at an appropriate time each year.
VIII. AMENDMENTS AND DISSOLUTION
Motions to adopt a new constitution of the society, or to amend the existing constitution, or to dissolve the society shall be made in writing over the signature of at least ten (10) members of the society in good standing and shall be transmitted to the Executive Board, which shall submit them to the membership of the society for balloting at the next annual meeting. Motions to adopt by-laws shall follow the same procedure, except that only five (5) signatures will be required. Adoption of any of the above motions shall require a two-thirds majority by members voting and in good standing. In the case of dissolution of the society, any assets remaining after the obligations of the society have been paid shall be distributed to such not-for-profit tax-exempt organizations, under section 501 of the Internal Revenue Code as it may then be amended, operated for scholarly or educational or charitable purposes as the then existing officers and the Executive Board voting as a single body shall select. If no organization shall be so selected, such assets shall be distributed for general charitable purposes and shall not be used for the benefit of, or distributed to, the members of the society.
BY-LAWS
1. The S. Eric Molin Prize
The East-Central/American Society for Eighteenth-Century Studies will sponsor an annual prize for graduate students in honor of S. Eric Molin, our colleague from George Mason University. One prize will be awarded annually (although two prizes may be awarded when necessary because of equal excellence). The value of the prize will be determined annually by the Executive Board. An endowment fund will supply all or part of the prize money. The prize will be awarded on the basis of the papers the students will read at the annual meeting, and will be judged by a panel consisting of the three at-large members of the Executive Board, with the senior at-large member chairing the panel. The panel will make every effort possible to attend the sessions at which the applicants will be speaking. Procedures for the year's Molin Prize will be printed in the Eighteenth-Century Intelligencer and/or sent to each qualifying member of EC/ASECS by the Executive Secretary or the chair of that year's meeting. Results of the competition will be reported in the East-Central Intelligencer as soon as possible after the annual meeting.
2. Waiver of Registration Fees for Graduate Students
Graduate students attending the annual meetings of EC/ASECS and registered as such may be charged at least half the registration fee at the discretion of the conference organizers. Graduate students will have to pay for meals.
3. The Leland Peterson Award
The East Central/American Society for Eighteenth-Century Studies sponsors an award to recognize longtime members for outstanding service to our organization. The award is named after Leland Peterson, our colleague from Old Dominion University, who was one of the founding members of our Society. The award will not be given at any specified interval, but at the discretion of the Executive Board.
Nominations for this award may be made by any member of the Society. The "Notes from Members" flyer sent out every year with the annual dues letter will include a space for nominations. Also, nominations may be made by letter to the Executive Secretary.
Any nominations received by the Executive Secretary will be placed before the Executive Board via the closed bulletin board (or by post) or at the annual Executive Board meeting. The Executive Board will discuss the nomination(s) and will aim to make a decision by consensus.
Winners of the award will receive a certificate and a bottle of wine to be presented by the President of our Society at the annual meeting's banquet. Recipient(s) of the award will be the guest of EC/ASECS for the banquet. A recipient unable to attend the meeting will be sent the award by the Executive Secretary along with a copy of the remarks the President made about him or her.
