ByLaws & Constitution of SWern Historical Ass'n

The Southwestern Historical Association

CONSTITUTION OF THE

SOUTHWESTERN HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION

(Adopted 8 April 1976 ~
As Amended, 30 March 1990)

Article I - Name and Purpose

Section 1. The name of this organization, which is affiliated with the Southwestern Social Science Association, shall be the Southwestern Historical Association.

Section 2. The purpose of the organization shall be to promote the study and teaching of history, to foster research in all fields of history, to encourage the establishment of closer relations between scholars, teachers, administrators, and the public at large, and between teachers of history in universities, colleges, junior colleges, community colleges, and secondary and elementary schools.

Article II - Membership

Section 1. The Association serves as the History Section of the Southwestern Social Science Association and its members are, ipso facto, members of the Southwestern Social Science Association; likewise, members of the latter association who designate history as their main field or as one of their main fields of interest are ipso facto, members of the Southwestern Historical Association.

Article III - Dues

Section 1. The only dues to be paid by the members of this association are the dues which they pay as members (whether without or with subscription to the Social Science Quarterly) of the Southwestern Social Science Association and the annual convention registration fees. The expenses of this Association are to be met by funds allocated to the History Section [i.e., The Southwestern Historical Association] by the Southwestern Social Science Association.

Section 2. Dues can be increased only by amending the constitution of this Association.

Article IV - Officers and Executive Council
(Article amended 30 March 1990)

Section 1. The officers of this Association shall consist of a president, first vice-president, second vice-president, third vice-president, and secretary-treasurer. Except for the secretary-treasurer, whose research concentration can be in any field of history, each of the vice-presidents will represent the sub-disciplines of History as now constituted in the Association: United States history, European or Asian history, and Latin American or African history. -- {ORIGINAL WORDING OF ARTICLE: The officers of this Association shall consist of a president, president- elect, vice-president, and secretary-treasurer. Except for the secretary-treasurer, whose research concentration can be in any field of history, one of the above officers is always to be a historian whose main interest lies in United States history; another, a person who works in the field of Latin American or African; and the third, a person whose primary field is European or Asian history.}

Section 2. A third vice-president is to be elected at each Annual Business Meeting with this individual moving automatically upward to the status of first vice-president. The first vice-president shall automatically become the president of the Association after completing his/her one year service as first vice-president. -- {ORIGINAL WORDING OF ARTICLE: A vice-president is to be elected at each Annual Business Meeting. The year following his election the vice-president shall serve as president-elect for one year; the second year after his election he is to serve as president of the Association. }

{THIS SECTION WAS DELETED AND THE SUBSEQUENT ONES RENUMBERED. Section 3. During the first years after the establishment of the Association the person previously selected to serve as chairman of the History Section of the Southwestern Social Science Association is to serve as president of this Association and the person selected to serve as first vice-chairman is to serve as president-elect. The vice-president is to be elected as the first business meeting of this Association. His field of interest is to lie in the field listed in Article IV, Section I, not represented by the president or president-elect.}

Section 3. The secretary-treasurer is to serve a term of three years. The first secretary-treasurer is to be elected at the business meeting at which this constitution is adopted.

Section 4. The president, three vice-presidents, and secretary-treasurer constitute the Executive Council of this Association. They will meet regularly at the annual Southwestern Social Science Association Conference prior to the Annual Business Meeting and at any other time specified by the president. -- {ORIGINAL WORDING OF ARTICLE: The president, president-elect, vice-president, and secretary-treasurer constitute the Executive Council of this Association. They will meet regularly at the annual Southwestern Social Science Association Conference prior to the business meeting and at any other time specified by the president.}

Article V - Duties and Powers of the Officers and Executive Council

Section 1. The president, and in his/her absence, the first vice-president, serves as chair of the Executive Council. The president, and in his/her absence, the first vice-president, shall be responsible for official representation of the Association in all matters, especially in those touching upon relations with the Southwestern Social Science Association. In addition, the president, and in his/her absence, the first vice-president, shall conduct the business meeting, appoint all committee members, and host the annual Southwestern Historical Association cocktail party. -- [ORIGINAL WORDING OF ARTICLE: The president, and in his absence, the president-elect, serves as chairman of the Executive Council. The president, and in his absence, the president- elect, presides at the Annual Business Meeting and any special meeting of the Association. He also has overall responsibility for organizing academic sessions at the annual meeting and at any other meeting that might be held by the Association and may appoint such committees to advise him as he deems useful. He also will serve as the official representative of the Association at the meetings of the Southwestern Social Science Association Executive Committee and will serve on that Committee.]

Section 2. The secretary-treasurer shall keep, and upon the direction of the president, disburse all funds of the Association and make a financial report at the Annual Business Meeting. He/she is to take and preserve the minutes of the Annual Business Meetings, preserve all the other records of the Association, and handle such correspondence of the Association as the president of the Association may request. -- [ORIGINAL WORDING OF ARTICLE: The secretary-treasurer shall keep, and upon the direction of the president, disburse all funds of the Association and make a financial report at the Annual Business Meetings. He is to take and preserve the minutes of the Annual Business Meetings, preserve all the other records of the Association, and handle such correspondence of the Association as the president of the Association may request him to do. ]

Section 3. The executive council is to be responsible for drawing up the program for each annual meeting and for any other meetings which the Association may choose to hold. The three vice-presidents shall compose the program committee for sessions held at the annual meeting, with each responsible for assembling those sessions dealing with his/her respective sub-discipline, i.e., United States, Europe and Asia, Latin America and Africa. The first vice-president shall serve as general program chair for History. The executive council also fills out all vacancies in its own membership, subject to confirmation at the next Annual Business Meeting, proposes amendments to the constitution, and makes decisions, recommendations, and arrangements with respect to all business of the Association between the Annual Business Meetings. -- [ORIGINAL WORDING OF ARTICLE: The executive council is to be responsible for drawing up the program for each annual meeting and for any other meetings which the Association may choose to hold. The president, president-elect, and vice-president shall serve as program chairmen for their area of the discipline, i.e., United States, Europe and Asia, Latin America and Africa. The executive council also fills out all vacancies in its own membership, subject to confirmation at the next Annual Business Meeting, proposes amendments to the constitution, and makes decisions, recommendations, and arrangements with respect to all business of the Association between the Annual Business Meetings.]

Article VI - Affiliated Societies

Section 1. Any society which promotes the study of history as defined in Article I, Section 2, of this constitution may become an affiliated society of this Association. Such affiliated societies may be other regional historical associations or regional branches of national historical organizations.

Section 2. Affiliated societies of this Association may arrange for joint programs and panel discussions with the joint sponsorship of this Association and may make arrangements to have business meetings of their own during the time of the annual meeting of the Association. The Executive Council of this Association will, on consultation with the affiliated societies, determine the number of programs any affiliated society can arrange at any meeting of the Association.

Section 3. Recommendations for affiliated membership should be sent to the president of the Association before the Annual Business Meeting. After consultation with the other members of the Executive Council, the president is then to circulate copies of the proposal, together with the recommendations of the Executive Council, at all academic sessions prior to the business meeting of the Association. The proposal must be accepted by the majority vote of the members of the Association at the subsequent business meeting for the proposed society to attain the status of an affiliated society of the Association.

Section 4. All members of an affiliated society who are also members of the Southwestern Historical Association shall have all the voting rights and other privileges and responsibilities of the membership of this Association.

Article VIII - Amendment

Section 1. This constitution may be amended at any Annual Business Meeting.

Section 2. Petitions for amendment signed by no fewer than ten members of the Association are to be submitted to the Executive Council at least thirty days before the first day of the Annual Business Meeting of this Association.

Section 3. The chair of the Executive Council is to distribute the copies of the petition, together with any recommendations the Executive Council may wish to make, at all the academic sessions of the Association held prior to the Annual Business Meeting.

Section 4. Proposals for amendments are to be discussed and voted on at the Annual Business Meeting of the Association. Approval by a two-thirds majority of the members of the Association present and voting at the Annual Business Meeting is required for proposed amendments to become effective.

Section 5. The regular business meetings and program of this Association are always held at the same time and place as the Southwestern Social Science Association annual meetings.

Article IX - Enabling Clause

Section 1. Copies of this proposed constitution are to be distributed at all academic sessions of the History Section [i.e., The Southwestern Historical Association] of the Southwestern Social Science Association held prior to the Annual Business Meeting of the History Section [i.e., The Southwestern Historical Association].

Section 2. This constitution shall go into effect when approved by a two-thirds majority of those present and voting at the Annual Business Meeting of the History Section [i.e., The Southwestern Historical Association] of the Southwestern Social Science Association.