QUATERNARY GEOLOGY AND GEOMORPHOLOGY DIVISION BYLAWS
Established by Council on April 15, 1955

BYLAWS

1. This division of The Geological Society of America, Inc., is organized in accordance with Article IX, Divisions of the Society, of the bylaws of that Society and is governed by the provisions of that article.

2. Name. The name of the division is the Quaternary Geology and Geomorphology Division of The Geological Society of America, Inc.

3. Purpose. The purpose of the division is to bring together scientists interested in Quaternary geology and geomorphology, to facilitate presentation and discussion of their problems and ideas, to promote research and publication of results in those fields of geology, and to advise and assist the officers and committees of the Society in matters pertaining to Quaternary geology and geomorphology.

1. Any Member, Fellow, Honorary Fellow, Student Associate or Teacher Associate of the Geological Society of America who is in good standing may affiliate with the Quaternary Geology and Geomorphology Division. To effect such affiliation, an applicant shall express his/her desire in writing to the executive director of the Society. All affiliates, except Student and Teacher Associates, may vote and hold office in the division. Student and Teacher Associates may serve on committees as conferees.

1. The division shall be financially responsible for its normal expenses. All other financial obligations or commitments of the division must have prior approval of the Council.

2. The division may collect annual dues or special assessments from affiliates when recommended by its management board and approved by a majority vote of the voting affiliates.

3. The division may solicit and accept contributions of funds to be used and expended under supervision of its management board and subject to Council approval.

1. Officers. The officers of the division shall be a Chair, a First Vice Chair, a Second Vice Chair, a Secretary, a Treasurer, and a Newsletter Editor/Webmaster. The Chair and Vice Chairs shall be elected for terms of one year, and the Secretary, Treasurer, and Newsletter Editor/Webmaster, for terms of two years. The terms of office shall begin immediately following the annual business meeting at which the results of the election are announced. Only the Secretary, Treasurer, and Newsletter Editor/Webmaster may be re-elected to the same office.

2. Management Board. The management board shall consist of the Chair, First Vice Chair, Second Vice Chair, Secretary, Treasurer, Newsletter Editor/Webmaster, and immediate Past Chair.

3. Election of Officers. The election nominating committee of the division shall propose annually a single slate of candidates for Chair and for First Vice Chair, a dual slate for Second Vice Chair, and a single slate for Secretary, Treasurer and/or Newsletter Editor/Webmaster. The Treasurer and Newsletter Editor/Webmaster are elected in the same year. The Secretary is elected in alternate years. These nominations shall become the regular ticket and shall be submitted by the Secretary of the division to the Executive Director of the Society, who shall have prepared and mailed to the voting affiliates (or made available on a web site) a ballot which also shall have space for write-in nominees.

    In the event of a tie vote for the office of Second Vice Chair, a second ballot bearing the names of the two candidates in alphabetical order shall be mailed (or made available on a web site), and should the second vote also result in a tie, the management board shall decide the winner.

4. Quaternary Geology and Geomorphology Panel. The Quaternary Geology and Geomorphology Panel consists of six voting affiliates elected from the division at large in the following manner: Each year, on a clip-out form to be included in the division Newsletter (or made available on a web site), each voting affiliate of the division may nominate three voting affiliates to serve on the panel. The clip-out forms will be returned to the Secretary for counting.

    The names of the six voting affiliates who receive the most nominations will appear on the division ballot that will be mailed to voting affiliates. The three who receive the most votes will be elected to the panel and will take office immediately following the fall annual business meeting for a period of two years.

    In the event that a voting affiliate shall decline to serve on the panel, the voting affiliate who received the next greatest number of votes shall be elected. If two or more voting affiliates receive the same number of votes, the management board shall decide the winner.

    Panel members may not serve two consecutive terms. In the event that a panel member is elected as an officer of the division, the member shall withdraw from the panel, and the voting affiliate nominated in the same year that received the next greatest number of votes shall succeed the member.

1. Nominating Committee. An election nominating committee consisting of two members of the Quaternary Geology and Geomorphology Panel and the Past Chair, whom shall be designated chair, shall be appointed by the Chair.

    The nominating committee shall nominate annually a single slate of candidates for Chair and for First Vice Chair, a dual slate for Second Vice Chair, and a single slate for either Secretary, Treasurer, and/or Newsletter Editor/Webmaster.

2. Other Committees. Other committees may be appointed by the Chair with the approval of the management board.

3. Responsibility. Reports, recommendations, or other actions by appointed committees, other than the nominating committee, shall be subject to the approval of the management board. After such approval, the Secretary of the division shall report appropriately to the executive director of the Society if the attention or action of the Council is required. Appointed committees shall present annual reports which shall be summarized in the annual report of the management board.

4. Tenure. Committee appointments shall expire at the close of the next Annual Meeting of the division, unless specified otherwise. Vacancies on committees may be filled by interim appointment at any time by the committee chair. Committee members may be reappointed for up to three consecutive terms.

5. Student and Teacher Associates. Student and Teacher Associates may be appointed as conferees to any committee.

1. Management Board. The property and affairs of the division shall be managed by the management board. At the annual business meeting, the management board shall submit a report of the preceding year's activities of the division, which shall include the reports of the Chair, Secretary, Treasurer, and the reports of various committees. Before February 15 of the following year, this report shall be submitted by the Secretary of the division to the executive director of the Society. The report will be presented to the affiliates of the division in the division's Newsletter.

    The management board shall assume the responsibility for evaluation of applications for the annual J. Hoover Mackin awards and Arthur D. Howard awards, which are administered by the division. The grantees will be announced at the annual business meeting.

2. Chair. The Chair shall preside at meetings of the division and of the management board. The Chair shall submit a report to the management board of the activities of the division during his/her term of office and on future plans. The Chair shall serve as the division's representative on the Council's Joint Technical Program Committee.

3. First Vice Chair. The First Vice Chair shall assume the powers and duties of the Chair in the event of the absence or disability of the Chair. The First Vice Chair shall supervise planning for the division symposium to be held at the Annual Meeting of the succeeding year.

4. Second Vice Chair. The Second Vice Chair shall assume the position of Chair whenever both the Chair and First Vice Chair are not available.

5. Secretary. The Secretary shall keep the records of the proceedings of the division and shall act as secretary of the management board. He/she shall maintain liaison with GSA headquarters, and shall serve, ex officio, as a member of all committees. He/she shall submit semiannual reports to the Council of the Society of the division.

    The Secretary shall notify the officers and the members of the committees of their election or appointment and shall arrange for issuance of notices of all division and management board meetings and of election results.

6. Treasurer. The Treasurer shall keep informed on the balance of division funds obtained from membership dues, and shall account for all funds of the division.

7. Past Chair. The Past Chair shall be chair of the election nominating committee.

8. Quaternary Geology and Geomorphology Panel. The panel shall select the winner of the Kirk Bryan Award from nominations made by the voting affiliates of the division. The Kirk Bryan Award, given annually for an outstanding paper in Quaternary geology and geomorphology, is authorized by the Council, and specific procedures for its implementation are spelled out in rules of the division. The Secretary of the division shall act as chair of the panel in matters relating to the award. Following the Annual Meeting, the Secretary shall assemble nominations and forward them to the panel for balloting which is to be completed prior to the spring meeting of the Council. The winner of the award will be announced at the annual business meeting of the division. The panel shall also be responsible for other duties as requested by the Chair from time to time.

1. Annual Business Meeting. The annual business meeting of the division shall be held during the Annual Meeting of the Society. Except when actions are governed by specific provision in the bylaws, conduct of the business of the division at the annual business meeting shall follow Robert's Rules of Order (Revised).

2. Meetings of the Management Board. The management board shall meet immediately prior to the annual business meeting of the division. Special meetings of the management board may be called at any time by the Chair. Decisions of the management board may also be made by mail vote. In order to broaden representation of the division membership at the Annual Meeting of the management board, panel members are encouraged to attend; and those in attendance are voting participants.

1. The management board, by majority vote, may adopt, rescind, or amend rules supplementing the bylaws.

2. Bylaws of the division may be adopted, rescinded, or amended according to the following procedures: (1) approval by the management board, (2) approval by majority vote of voting affiliates of the division at the annual business meeting or by mail vote, and (3) ratification by the Council.