By-Laws
Welcome to the 2009 revised version of the VM By-laws!
Article 1. Name.
The name of this section shall be the Visual Materials Section of the
Society of American Archivists (SAA), hereinafter referred to as the
Section.
Article 2. Objective.
To promote greater communication among visual materials archivists and
to represent and promote appropriate care, management, and use of visual
materials collections to the greater archival community through annual
meetings, continuing education programs, and publications, including a
newsletter reporting on the Section's activities and other matters
related to visual materials collections.
Article 3. Membership.
Membership is open to any member of the Society of American Archivists
who elects to join.
Article 4. Leadership Officers.
1. The Section shall be guided by a Steering Committee composed of
Chair, and a Chair-elect, Immediate Past Chair, Newsletter Editor,
Webmaster, and two elected members.
2. Terms of office.
1. The Chair and Chair-elect shall serve a term of one year each.
The Chair may not be elected to serve as Chair-elect in the year
immediately following his/her term of office.
2. The two elected Steering Committee members shall serve
alternating two year terms. The Chair may not be elected to serve as
Chair-elect in the year immediately following his/her term of office.
3. The Newsletter Editor and Webmaster are appointed by the Chair, with
advice from the Steering Committee, to a two year term each, which can
be renewed indefinitely.
43. The Chair, and Chair-elect, and elected Steering Committee
member shall assume office at the close of the annual Section meeting in
which they are elected, and shall serve until their successors have
taken office.
3. Nomination and Election.
1. Nomination
a. The Elections Committee shall call for nominations for
Chair-elect and Steering Committee member on the Section listservs and
the second newsletter of each year.
b. Only individuals who have consented to nomination may be listed
on the slate of candidates.
2. Election.
a. The Elections Working Group shall prepare a ballot for
distribution 2 months preceding the annual Section meeting and for
distribution at the meeting. This ballot shall include provision for a
write-in candidate.
b. The Elections Committee shall work with SAA to distribute an
electronic ballot. SAA will report the results to the Elections
Committee. The Elections Committee will, in turn, report the results of
any election at the annual Section meeting and in the newsletter
following the election.
c. Ballots may be submitted using SAA’s electronic balloting
system or at the annual Section meeting.
3. Vacancies in Office.
a. Chair. In the case of vacancy in the office of Chair, the
Chair-elect shall assume the office and duties of Chair.
b. Chair-elect. In the case of vacancy in the office of
Chair-elect, the office shall remain vacant until the next annual
Section meeting, at which time a new Chair and Chair-elect shall be
elected. The Chair shall assume the duties of Chair-elect in the
interim, although the Chair may ask a member of the Section to assist in
fulfilling the duties of Chair-elect.
c. Elected Steering Committee Members. In the case of vacancy, the
Steering Committee shall appoint a replacement, who shall serve to the
end of the unexpired term.
4. Duties of the Officers.
1. Chair. The Chair shall preside over Section meetings, and with
the advice and assistance of the Steering Chair-elect and Committee and
Working Group Chairs, shall direct the Section's activities. The Chair,
with advice of the Steering Committee, appoints Committee Chairs,
Working Group Chairs, and Liaisons; submits the final Three-Year Plan
and summary to SAA Council after receiving a draft from the Three-Year
Plan Working Group chaired by the Chair-elect; submits budget requests
to SAA Council; and turns over the records of his/her administration to
the Chair-elect.
2. The Chair-elect shall advise and assist the Chair in conducting
the Section's business. In the absence of the Chair, the Chair-elect
assumes the duties of Chair. The Chair-elect will chair the Three-Year
Plan Committee and submit a draft plan to the Chair for approval and
submission to SAA Council.
Article 5. Business.
1. Meeting times. The Section shall meet once a year at the time of
the annual meeting of the Society of American Archivists. The time of
and agenda for this meeting shall be announced in the newsletter
immediately preceding the meeting.
2. Other meetings. Additional Section meetings may be scheduled at
the call of the Chair. Such meetings shall be announced on the VisualMat
listserv, the SAA Section listserv, and in the newsletter preceding the
meeting.
1. A report of a meeting called by the Chair must be published in
the newsletter immediately following the meeting and posted on the
Section web site.
2. Decisions proposed during any meeting called by the Chair must
published in the newsletter immediately following the meeting, posted on
the Section web site, and approved by the membership at large during
the annual meeting by a plurality of members voting at the annual
meeting.
3. Voting. All policy decisions shall be determined by a plurality
of members voting at the annual meeting.
Article 6. Committees and Working Groups.
1. Elections Working Group.
1. The Elections Committee shall consist of the two most recent,
available, past Chairs. Members of the Working Group shall serve for no
more than two consecutive years. Members of the Working Group may not
nominate themselves or each other for office.
2. The Working Group shall prepare a slate of candidates for
election reflecting the diversity of the Section's membership,
especially in terms of location, size, and type of employing
institution. The Working Group shall request of nominees consent to
candidacy and a brief biographical and position statement for
publication in the newsletter immediately preceding the annual Section
meeting.
2. Newsletter Working Group.
1. The newsletter Editor is the Chair of the Working Group as
appointed by the Section Chair. The Editor may appoint assistant Editors
from among the Section members. Prior to publication, the newsletter
shall be prepared and reviewed by the Editor and Assistants and
forwarded to the Section Chair for approval.
2. The newsletter shall be published in compliance with the SAA
Guidelines for Section and Roundtables.
3. Committees and Working Groups. The Chair may appoint or dissolve
other Committees and Working Groups as needed. Each Committee and
Working Group shall have a written charge and a specified period of
service. Committees shall report on their activities at the annual
Section meeting or in the newsletter prior to the annual Section
meeting.
Article 7. Policy for Revision of Bylaws.
Bylaws shall be reviewed every 4 years by the Steering Chair,
Chair-elect, Committee and Working Group members. All proposed changes
to the bylaws shall be published in the newsletter and posted on the
Section web site prior to the annual meeting. Changes shall be
determined by a plurality of members voting at the annual meeting.
Article 8. Parliamentary Authority.
Roberts Rules of Order, latest edition, shall govern the proceedings of
the Section, except as otherwise provided for in the bylaws of the
Section, or in the constitution, bylaws, or other special rules of the
Society of American Archivists.
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