American Phytopathological Society

Potomac Division

CONSTITUTION

Article 1. Objectives and Organization

The objectives of the Division conform to those of the American Phytopathological Society, namely, to bring together plant pathologists to discuss research in plant pathology and other problems of general interest and to stimulate understanding with other sciences concerned with the general problem of crop improvement.

The Potomac division is organized as provided by the constitution of the American Phytopathological Society. Authorization for the formation of the division was granted by vote of the membership of the Society, as announced August 1, 1943.

Article 2. Membership

Section 1. All persons interested in plant pathology are eligible for membership.

Section 2. There shall be three classes of membership--active, associate, and honorary. Members of the American Phytopathological Society are eligible to active membership. Persons not members of the American Phytopathological Society but interested in plant pathology shall be eligible for associate membership. Retired plant pathologists are considered honorary members.

Section 3. Each active or associate member shall pay annually such dues as the Division shall determine and shall have a vote in all matters pertaining to the Division. Honorary members are exempt from payment of dues.

Article 3. Officers and Their Duties

The officers of the Division shall consist of President, Vice-President, Secretary-Treasurer, Councilor, and Immediate Past President. Their duties shall be those usually performed by such officers. The officers shall constitute the Executive Committee of the Division. The President, Vice-President, Secretary-Treasurer, and Immediate Past President shall serve for a term of one year, and the Councilor for a term of three years, or until their successors are elected. The Executive Committee shall fill any vacancies occurring in the interim between elections. If the Councilor cannot attend the annual meeting of the parent Society, the Executive Committee shall appoint an alternate, preferably one of the officers of the Division. The Executive Committee shall be responsible for meetings of the division, organizing the programs and making necessary arrangements.

The Executive Committee may appoint a delegate for terms up to 3 years to local Academies of Sciences, within the Division area, in which the Division membership has voted to join.

Article 4. Meetings

One principal meeting of the Division with a formal program of scientific contributions shall be held each year at such time and place as the Executive Committee may decide, provided that whenever the American Phytopathological Society meets within the territory of the Potomac Division, the division may merge its program with that of the parent Society. Additional meetings may be called by the Executive Committee for the transaction of business or for the presentation of scientific programs.

Article 5. Amendment

The Constitution of the Division may be amended at any principal meeting by two-thirds vote of the members present and voting, provided a copy of the proposed change has been sent to all members by the Executive Committee along with the notice of the principal meeting.

Article 6. Compliance with the Rules of the American Phytopathological Society

In its activities, the Potomac Division will comply with all requirements of the Constitution and Standing Rules of the American Phytopathological Society.

STANDING RULES

1. Abstracts of papers presented. Titles of scientific contributions to be presented at a principal meeting of Division shall be furnished by the Chairman of the Program Committee at such dates as the committee may designate. Abstracts may be submitted but are not required, except for papers entered in the graduate student competition. Abstracts for publication in Phytopathology may be submitted until the day of the meeting. The provisions of the By-Laws of the American Phytopathological Society shall be followed in publication of the proceedings of the meetings and abstracts of papers presented. One author of the scientific contribution must be a member of the Potomac Division.

2. Dues. The annual dues for membership in the Division shall be $10.00 except that annual dues for graduate students shall be $5.00 (last changed in 1993). Members shall be considered not in good standing and their names shall be removed from the roll of the Division when dues have not been paid for two years. The Secretary-Treasurer shall notify members of their delinquency before the annual meeting of the Division. (comment: this article is mooted by the fact that the Division gets its address lists from APS Headquarters, and that members who have not paid Division dues are not on those lists.)

3. Appointment of Special Committees. The President, or in his absence the Vice-President, shall have authority to designate committees of members for special duties in connection with the meetings or other business of the Division.

4. Election of Officers. The Vice-President, at the end of the term of office, shall automatically become President, and the Secretary-Treasurer will become Vice-President. The Secretary-Treasurer and Councilor shall be elected by mail ballot sent to the members in good standing of the Division by the Secretary-Treasurer. Should the office of Vice-President become vacant, a President shall be elected at the next principal meeting. Officers shall assume office at the close of the meeting at which they are elected. Nominations will be made preceding the election by mailing to the members of the Division a nominating ballot together with the first announcement of the Division's annual meeting. The nominating ballot should be returned by the membership at dates specified by the Nominating Committee. For the final ballot the Nominating Committee shall choose candidates for each office. One of these will be the person receiving the highest number of nominations. The second candidate for the office in question will be chosen by ballot of the Nominating Committee from the five (or more in case of tie for fifth place) nominees with the next highest number of nominating votes. If the same person should receive sufficient ballots to qualify for nomination to more than one office, this name shall be placed on the final ballot only as a candidate for the office for which he or she receives the greater number of ballots, and in the case of an equal number of ballots he or she shall be entered only as a candidate for the higher offices as listed in ARTICLE 3 of the Constitution. The Chairman of the Nominating Committee will distribute the final ballot to each member of the Division. Ballots will be returned by mail to the chairman or designated representative. Voting by e-mail will be permitted, but the voter will have to be identified by the Nominating Committee to assure eligibility. The Nominating Committee shall count the votes and the Chairman will present the names of the elected officers to the Executive Committee before the annual meeting. In the event of a tie vote the two nominees shall participate in a run-off election during the business meeting.

5. Ratification of the Action of Executive Committee. The accounts of the Secretary-Treasurer shall be audited by an Auditing Committee appointed by the President and a report of this audit made to the Division. The reports of the Secretary-Treasurer shall be circulated to the members of the Division before the annual meeting. The audit report shall be posted at the time of the principal meeting. Recommendations of the Executive Committee proposing action by the division, and reports of committees may be posted. Acceptances of reports and ratification of Executive Committee recommendations may be made without detailed presentation except as discussion is requested by a member.

6. Amendments The Standing Rules of the Division may be amended by a majority vote of the members voting at the business session held at a principal meeting.

7. Graduate Student Research Award. The Division shall authorize a first-place award of $250 and a second-place award of $100.00 each and certificates for the best graduate student papers. The Potomac Division Awards Committee shall have the option to designate one or two awards as the committee deems appropriate. A graduate student competing for the award must (1) be a graduate student enrolled in an accredited graduate school at the time the research covered by the presentation was performed, (2) the presentation must be made within one year after receipt of the degree for which the research was performed, (3) be sole or senior author of the paper presented, (4) present the paper at the principal meeting of the Division, (5) a student may present only one paper per year for graduate competition. The President shall appoint a committee of active members to judge the papers which shall include the Vice-President, who shall act as Chairman of the Committee. Students submitting papers for the graduate student research award competition shall be exempted from payment of meeting registration fees.

8. The Executive Committee, at the request of the Program Committee, is authorized to fund program expenses from Potomac Division funds (1998).

9. Distinguished Service Award Committee. The Distinguished Service Award Committee will consist of the three most recent Presidents of the Division and two recipients of the Distinguished Service Award. The Chair of the Committee will be the Immediate Past President of the Division (1987 amendment)

10. The Executive Committee is given authority to decide the amount needed in the operating account on a year-to-year basis and to deposit the remainder in the Memorial Fund. (1988)

11. The Library Assistance Committee of the APS Office of International Programs shall be considered for donations by the Potomac Division subject to annual review by the Division membership. (1988)

12. Interest accumulated by the Memorial Fund and the Division's general savings fund are to be reported separately in the Treasurer's Annual Report. (1989)

13. The chairmanships of standing committees other than the Nominations, Distinguished Service, and Graduate Student committees are to be formalized. (1994)

14. Emeritus members. Dues payment will be waived for emeritus members. They will pay half of meeting registration and banquet ticket fees. (1994)

15. The Potomac Division will join with the four Universities in the Division and host and share the cost of the Potomac Division Social held during the APS annual meeting (1994). The Potomac Division will provide $200 from its coffers to provide base funding, and departments and individual members will be requested to commit funds beforehand rather than after the fact. Expenditures can then be based on funds available (1998).