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Appendix 1: Bylaws, December 31, 1990

BYLAWS OF THE
DIVISION OF CHEMICAL INFORMATION of the AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY

BYLAW I
NAME AND OBJECT

Section 1. The name of this organization shall be “The Division of Chemical Information of the AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY” hereinafter called the “Division” and the “SOCIETY,” respectively.

Section 2. The objects of this Division shall be those of the SOCIETY as they apply to chemical information and computer sciences which deal, first, with the fundamental concepts, relationships, theory, and methods pertaining to the collection, processing, communication, and utilization of chemical information and, secondly, with the theory, design and operation of systems which process chemical information. Chemical information processing is regarded as including the collection, manipulation, correlation, organization, storage, transmission, retrieval, display, reproduction, dissemination, analysis, and evaluation of chemical information. Information processing systems include computer systems, communication systems, reprographic systems, and other associated devices.

BYLAW II
MEMBERS AND AFFILIATES

Section 1. Membership in this Division shall be open to all members of the SOCIETY who indicate their wish to join the Division by paying annual dues. Such SOCIETY members shall be called “members” hereinafter. Application for membership shall be sent to the Membership Chairman.

Section 2. A National Affiliate may apply to the Membership Chairman to become a National Affiliate of the Division provided that dues established for National Affiliates are paid.

Section 3. A person who is neither a member nor a National Affiliate of the SOCIETY but who wishes to participate in the activities of the Division, may do so as a Division Affiliate by applying to the Membership Chairman, and paying dues established for Division Affiliates.

Section 4. Privileges.

  1. Members of the SOCIETY may hold an elective position in the Division, vote on articles of incorporation and bylaws for the Division, vote for all elective positions of the Division, and serve as members of its Executive Committee. ASSOCIATE MEMBERS of the SOCIETY may not hold the office of Councilor or Alternate Councilor, or be designated as a Temporary Substitute Councilor.
  2. Division Affiliates may not hold an elective position or vote on articles of incorporation and bylaws for the Division, or vote for Councilor(s) and Alternate Councilor(s) from the Division, but they may vote for the Chairman-Elect, Secretary, and Treasurer and may serve as members and chairmen of committees except the Nominating Committee and the Executive Committee.
  3. National Affiliates of the Division may not vote on articles of incorporation and bylaws for the Division, or vote for or hold an elective position of the Division, but may serve as members and chairmen of committees except the Nominating Committee and the Executive Committee.
  4. Notices of proposed activities of the Division and such abstracts, preprints, and other literature services as the Division may provide shall be directed to the last known address of each member, Division Affiliate, and National Affiliate of the Division.

Section 5. Both National Affiliates of the Division and Division Affiliates are hereinafter called “affiliates.” A member or affiliate may resign from the Division by submitting a written resignation to the Membership Chairman.

BYLAW III
OFFICERS

Section 1. The officers of the Division shall consist of:

  • Chairman
  • Chairman-Elect
  • Secretary
  • Treasurer
  • Division Councilors (whatever number is permitted to the Division by the SOCIETY)
  • Division Alternate Councilors (whatever number is permitted to the Division by the SOCIETY)

Section 2. Duties of Officers.

  1. The duties of the Chairman shall be to preside at Business Meetings of the Division and of the Executive Committee; to carry into effect the decisions of that Committee and of the Division; to appoint committees; and to assume the other responsibilities usually associated with that office.
  2. The duties of the Chairman-Elect shall be to perform the duties of the Chairman in the latter’s absence; to assemble and present to the Executive Committee at its fall meeting a budget for the Division for the ensuing year.
  3. In the absence of both the Chairman and the Chairman-Elect, the Secretary shall act as Chairman.
  4. The Secretary shall handle Division correspondence, keep a record of the proceedings of the Division and of the Executive Committee, send or cause to be sent to members and affiliates such notices and other literature as the business of the Division may require, and carry out all the other duties usually associated with that office and outlined in the Constitution and Bylaws of the SOCIETY (SOCIETY Bylaw VIII, Sec. 7). If the Secretary is newly elected, the outgoing Secretary shall prepare the annual report.
  5. The Treasurer shall have charge of the funds of the Division, collect dues and assessments, and, subject to the approval of the Executive Committee, make all disbursements. Officers and committee chairmen may authorize disbursements within their respective approved annual budgets. The Treasurer shall carry out all the other duties usually associated with that office and outlined in the Constitution and Bylaws of the SOCIETY (SOCIETY Bylaw VIII, 6 and 7). If the Treasurer is newly elected, the outgoing Treasurer shall prepare the annual report.
  6. It shall be the duty of the Division Councilors (Alternate Councilors in the absence of the Councilors) to represent the Division on the Council of the SOCIETY.
  7. Additional information on the duties of Officers is found in the Divisional Procedures Manual.

Section 3. Term of Office

  1. Officers shall assume the duties of their respective offices on the first day of January following their election, and shall continue for the slated term of the office, or until their respective successors are selected, whichever period is longer.
  2. The Chairman and Chairman-Elect of the Division shall serve for a term of one year. The Chairman-Elect shall succeed to the office of Chairman on the first day of the second January following election or upon a vacancy in the office of Chairman.
  3. The term of office of the Secretary shall be two years, beginning January 1 of even-numbered years.
  4. The term of office of the Treasurer shall be two years, beginning January 1 of odd-numbered years.
  5. The term of office of each of the Councilors and Alternate Councilors shall be three years, and the terms of Councilors and Alternate Councilors, respectively, shall partially overlap. One Councilor and one Alternate Councilor shall be elected to start their terms in 1954, and one each shall be elected each year thereafter until the Division’s full quota of Councilors and Alternate Councilors is filled. If more than three Councilors are permitted, then more than one Councilor and more than one Alternate Councilor may be elected in any year to fill the quota.

BYLAW IV
ELECTIONS

Section 1. Nominations.

  1. Each year, not later than March 1, the Secretary shall solicit nominations for the Officers who are to be elected that year. Any ten members may by petition nominate to any office any eligible member who agrees to serve if elected. Nomination ballots and petitions shall be returned not later than April 1.
  2. The Chairman shall select a Nominating Committee which shall review the nomination ballots when returned. It shall solicit from each potential candidate agreement to serve if elected. It shall prepare an election slate consisting of candidates for each position to be filled and including the name of each member nominated by petition. There shall be at least one more candidate per position than required to fill that position, and Councilor and Alternate Councilor shall be a single slate as specified in Section 3. The Nominating Committee shall forward promptly the election slate to the Secretary. The Chairman shall select a Teller Committee, no member of which shall have served on the Nominating Committee. No candidate for elected office may be a member of either the Nominating Committee or the Teller Committee.

Section 2. Voting.

  1. Not later than June 1, the Secretary shall cause to be sent to each member and to each Division Affiliate an election ballot bearing the names of the candidates for each office for which they may vote, arranged in alphabetical order under each office. On each ballot there shall be a blank line under each office for “write-in” votes. There shall be a ballot envelope provided in which the voters shall seal their ballots. When the voters return their ballots, they shall place their names on the outer envelope or on a piece of paper enclosed in the outer envelope in which the ballot envelope is mailed; otherwise their ballots shall be void. Ballots must be received by the first Monday of August. Promptly thereafter the tellers shall count the ballots according to the procedure in the Divisional Procedures Manual and inform the Secretary of the results.
  2. Elections shall be held by a preferential ballot according to the Hare system or such other method of counting preferential ballots as the Executive Committee may adopt.
  3. In case of a tie, a majority vote provided in writing by the members of the Executive Committee, based on a quorum as defined in bylaw V and provided in writing, shall decide the winner. Prompt notification of election results shall be made to the candidates by the Secretary.

Section 3. Councilors and Alternate Councilors.

Councilors and Alternate Councilors shall be elected from a single slate of nominees, with the person(s) receiving the highest of votes filling the Councilor seat(s) and the person(s) receiving the next highest votes filling the Alternate Councilor seat(s). The election of Councilor(s) and Alternate Councilor(s) shall be contingent upon the number of Councilor(s) and Alternate Councilor(s) authorized for the Division for the ensuing year by the official determination of representation set by the SOCIETY. In the case of a decrease in the number of Councilor(s) and Alternate Councilor(s), the election shall be null and void; or in the event two or more Councilors and Alternate Councilors are elected, the persons receiving the lowest number of votes shall be eliminated. In the case of an increase in the number of Councilor(s) and Alternate Councilor(s), the Alternate Councilor(s) receiving the highest number of votes shall fill the newest Councilor seat(s), and the the person(s) receiving the next highest votes shall fill the newest Alternate Councilor seat(s).

Section 4. Vacancies.

Any vacancies occurring shall be filled by a vote by the members of the Executive Committee unless the method of succession is otherwise provided for, except that the office of Chairman-Elect may remain vacant until the next election of Officers. Vacancies in the office of Councilor or Alternate Councilor are to be filled by the Executive Committee until the next annual election. A majority of the members of the Executive Committee shall constitute a quorum for this purpose. At that election, a MEMBER shall be elected to serve the remainder of the original three-year term. If this remainder is less than one year, then a MEMBER may be elected for the remainder of the original term, plus a new three-year term.

BYLAW V
COMMITTEES

Section 1. Executive Committee.

  1. Voting members of the Executive Committee shall be composed of the officers of the Division, the Immediate Past-Chairman, the Program Committee Chairman, the Membership Committee Chairman, and the Chairman of each Subdivision. Additional persons, such as chairmen of other committees, the Editor of the “Journal of Chemical Information and Computer Sciences,” and the editors of other SOCIETY and divisional journals, may attend Executive meetings in an advisory capacity, when invited by the Chairman.
  2. The Executive Committee shall conduct the business of the Division and shall control expenditures of Division funds.
  3. This Committee shall meet whenever the Division meets at a national meeting of the SOCIETY, and may meet at other times and by mail as called by the Chairman.
  4. A simple majority of the voting members of this Committee shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business, whether present at a regularly called meeting of the Committee or replying to a mail ballot. In the latter case, the ballot shall be considered closed two weeks after its mailing if response has been received from a quorum, or as soon thereafter as a quorum has responded.

Section 2. Other Committees.

  1. Inter alia, there be a Nominating Committee, a Teller Committee, a Program Committee, a Membership Committee, and an Award Committee. The Chairman shall appoint all Committees and Committee Chairmen, except that the Program Committee Chairman shall be appointed with the consent of the Executive Committee.
  2. The Nominating Committee shall be appointed by February 1.
  3. Members of all committees shall serve no more than three successive one-year terms. Committee chairmen may serve three additional one-year terms after having been a committee member for as many as three consecutive terms.
  4. Appointments to committees shall be made on the basis that at least one-third of the members of each committee shall be new each year.

Section 3. Archives.

  1. The Chairman shall appoint an Archivist for an initial term of three years. The Archivist may thereafter be appointed to an unlimited number of one-year terms.
  2. The Archivist shall maintain the archives of the Division in a place and in a manner approved by the Executive Committee.
  3. Each Officer and Committee Chairman shall maintain and retain the records necessary to the conduct of office.

BYLAW VI
MEETINGS

Section 1. The Division shall meet at each National Meeting of the SOCIETY unless the Executive Committee votes otherwise, provided that the requirement for a minimum number of meetings as specified in the SOCIETY’s Bylaws shall be met.

Section 2. Special meetings of the Division may be called by the Executive Committee, if notice is given to the membership in a special bulletin or by publication in the Division’s newsletter or in the official organ of the SOCIETY at least two months in advance. Those members of the Division who are present at a regularly scheduled meeting of the Division shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business. The fee for registration at any special meeting shall be decided by the Executive Committee, in accordance with the Bylaws of the SOCIETY.

BYLAW VII
PRESENTATION OF PAPERS

Section 1. The Chairman-Elect shall be responsible for the selection of papers to be presented at meetings of the Division. The Chairman-Elect may delegate this authority to the Program Committee.

Section 2. The rules for papers presented before meetings of the SOCIETY as outlined in the Bylaws and Regulations of the SOCIETY shall govern this Division.

BYLAW VIII
DUES

Section 1. Payment. Dues shall be payable annually in an amount to be decided by the Executive Committee. Members, Division Affiliates, and National Affiliates shall remain in that status so long as their dues are paid. A person whose SOCIETY membership is terminated through nonpayment of dues shall simultaneously cease to be a member of the Division.

Section 2. Dues for members shall be at least $3.00 per year.

Section 3. Affiliates. Dues for Division Affiliates and National Affiliates shall exceed dues for members by at least $1.00 per year and shall be at least $4.00 per year, except that a regularly matriculated student, specializing in a chemical science who has not taken baccalaureate degree in a chemical science may be accepted as a Division Affiliate with Student Status on payment of annual dues of $2.00.

Section 4. Members in Emeritus and Retired Status.

  1. A member of the Division in good standing shall be eligible to become member in Emeritus or Retired Status in the Division, respectively, upon certification to the Chairman of the Membership Committee of emeritus status in the SOCIETY or of permanent retirement from active professional employment.
  2. Dues for members in Emeritus or Retired status shall be remitted or reduced in the same proportion as SOCIETY dues for such Members.
  3. A member in Emeritus or Retired status shall have all the privileges of membership.

Section 5. Unemployed members. Upon request by members or affiliates who declare themselves unemployed, payment of dues may be deferred according to regulations adopted by the Executive Committee.

BYLAW IX
AMENDMENTS

Section 1. A proposal to amend these bylaws may be initiated by the Executive Committee and also by a petition to the Executive Committee signed by at least ten members. In either case, the Executive Committee shall submit promptly, and in writing, the proposed amendments, with its recommendations to the members for a vote, shall specify a deadline for return of votes which shall be between four and six weeks after the date of submission. If the majority of the votes cast is affirmative, the amendments shall be automatically adopted when approved by the Council of the SOCIETY.

BYLAW X
PARLIAMENTARY AUTHORITY

Section 1. These bylaws are subordinate to the Constitution and Bylaws of the SOCIETY. The rules contained, in “Robert’s Rules of Order,” latest revised edition, shall govern the Division in all cases to which they are applicable and in which they are not inconsistent with the Constitution and Bylaws of the SOCIETY or the bylaws of the Division.

BYLAW XI
SUBDIVISIONS

Section 1. Composition. The Division may sponsor Subdivisions devoted to specialized fields within the areas of Divisional interest. Membership or affiliation in this Division shall be a requirement for participation in a Subdivision as members and affiliates, respectively.

Section 2. Formation. Formation or discontinuance of a Subdivision shall be at the discretion of the Executive Committee. Steps to initiate a Subdivision may be made by petition of a group of 50 Division members to the Executive Committee or by the action of the Executive Committee.

  1. The scope of the activities of a Subdivision shall be defined by the Executive Committee.
  2. The Executive Committee shall appoint an advisor(s) to the Subdivision to insure that the Subdivision shall operate in conformity with the bylaws of, and shall be responsible to, the Division.

Section 3. Officers.

  1. Upon approval of the formation of a Subdivision, the Executive Committee shall appoint for a period not to exceed one year a Chairman, a Secretary and a Membership Secretary for the Subdivision. Only members may be officers of the Subdivisions.
  2. The Chairman of a Subdivision shall submit an annual report for the preceding calendar year to the Chairman and to Secretary of the Division not later than January 31.

Section 4. Elections.

  1. The regular annual election cycle for officers of the Subdivision shall start in the year following formation of a Subdivision.
  2. The Membership Secretary of the Subdivision, together with a Nominating Committee appointed by the Chairman of the Subdivision, shall solicit nominations, prepare ballots, and carry out all other actions necessary to conduct annual elections. The elections for Subdivision officers shall follow the applicable procedures in bylaw IV, except that Subdivision officers shall carry out all functions required of Division officers in bylaw IV.
  3. Only members and Division Affiliates of the Subdivision may vote for Officers of the Subdivision.
  4. The officers of a Subdivision shall serve for a term of one year beginning January 1.

Section 5. Funds. Not later than August 1, the Chairman of a Subdivision shall submit to the Chairman-Elect of the Division a budget for the ensuing year for review and approval by the Executive Committee.

Section 6. Representation. The officers of a Subdivision shall constitute a steering committee for the Subdivision, and shall report through the Subdivision Chairman to the Executive Committee.

Section 7. Dissolution. Upon dissolution of a Subdivision and discharge of its debts and the settlement of its affairs, any property of the Subdivision remaining thereafter shall be conveyed to the Division for the general purpose of the Division.

BYLAW XII
DISSOLUTION

Upon the dissolution of the Division and the discharge of its debts and the settlement of its affairs, any funds and property of the Division remaining thereafter shall be conveyed to such organization then existent as is dedicated to objects similar to those of the Division and the SOCIETY, or to the SOCIETY, so long as whichever organization is selected by the governing body of the Division at the time of the dissolution shall be exempt under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954 as amended or under such successor provision of the Code as may be in effect at the time of the Division’s dissolution.