Constitution


Bylaws

I. NAME
The name of the association shall be the Saskatchewan Association of Professional Archaeologists.

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II. GOALS

The goal of the Association, as a professional organization, is to facilitate the development of the archaeological profession within the province of Saskatchewan. The association does this by ensuring that its members act in a responsible and ethical manner towards heritage resources and the members of the public that it serves. The association also seeks to ensure that the full contribution of the profession is recognized.

Furthermore, the Association recognizes that the growth of the discipline of archaeology in Saskatchewan has been a cooperative effort between members of the professional and the avocational community. The Association seeks to maintain and encourage this cooperative effort.

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III. POWERS
The Association shall levy, administer and disburse dues and other moneys to achieve its goals. Funds will be directed primarily towards the operation of the Association, as well as to research and lobbying efforts. Funds also will be expended to assist in holding Association meetings. The Association shall have the power to publish newsletters or reports for the benefits of its members, as well as to pursue other member benefits. The Association also shall have the power to (1) draft and forward position papers on matters dealing with archaeology to any agency or individual it deems appropriate, and (2) to lobby on issues relating to archaeology. The Association shall have the power to censure or remove from the membership any member who contravenes the goals of the association.

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IV. MEMBERSHIP
The Association recognizes two classes of members, Regular Members and Associate Members. Residents of any province or country may apply for either class of membership provided that (1) they are in sympathy with the goals of the Association, (2) that they agree to abide by the code of ethics adopted by the general membership, and (3) they meet the membership criteria set forth in the Bylaws of the Association.

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V. ORGANIZATION

The Executive of the Association shall consist of a President, a Past President, a Vice-President, a Secretary, and a Treasurer. The term of office for the President shall be two years; the term of office for all remaining executive positions shall be one year.

The Executive may from time to time form committees to assist the Association in carrying out its goals. Committee chairpersons will report to the executive board but will not have executive voting rights.

All elected terms shall run concurrently with the fiscal year.

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VI. MEETINGS
The Association shall meet at least semi-annually to foster the exchange of information amongst its members. Each general meeting shall be enacted according to "Robert's Rules of Order", latest edition, within the boundaries set by the Association's Constitution and Bylaws. The attending membership shall constitute a quorum. Meetings of the Association shall be open to any person with an interest in the proceedings. However, any meeting or portion thereof can be closed to all but the membership if a request to do so is presented to the chair. The meeting will be declared open again at the discretion of the chair. As the proceedings will not be recorded after a request for closure, such requests can not be entertained during elections, during the reading of the Secretary-Treasurer's Report, or at other times when minutes are required under the "Non-Profit Corporations Act".

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VII. CHANGES TO THE CONSTITUTION AND BYLAWS
Motions to amend the Constitution and attendant ballots shall be mailed to the membership at least one month prior to the counting of the ballots. Ballots shall be returned to the Secretary-Treasurer of the Association. Changes to the Constitution shall be passed by a two-thirds majority of the returned votes. Changes in the Bylaws shall be passed by a simple majority of votes at a general meeting or of returned votes in a mailed ballot.

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BYLAWS

I. MEMBERSHIP
Membership in the Association is initiated through written application to the Secretary-Treasurer. This application shall indicate that the applicant meets the qualifications for the selected membership category. Membership in the Association begins with acceptance of the member's qualifications by the Secretary/Treasurer. Except for Honourary Life Members, membership in the Association is maintained through the payment of annual membership dues.

(1) Grandfather Clause
Members of the Association who were in good standing prior to the adoption of the present constitution may elect to continue as regular members or associate members without further application within a period of one year from the date of passage of said constitution. The choice of membership category shall be indicated with the payment of annual membership dues.
(2) Regular Members
Regular members of the Association must (1) have an undergraduate degree in archaeology or anthropology; (2) be fully or partially employed in archaeology; and (3) be sponsored by a regular member of the Association. Each regular member has one vote, which may be submitted in writing.
(3) Associate Members
Associate members must have an undergraduate degree in archaeology or anthropology or equivalency as determined by the executive. Associate members may not vote or hold office.
(4) Honourary Life Member
Honourary Life Members are a special class of Associate Members. These are members who have made a contribution to Saskatchewan Archaeology, and still maintain an active interest in the society even though they are no longer employed in archaeology in the province. Honourary Life Member status is awarded through a unanimous vote at any regularly constituted meeting of the Association. Honourary Life Members are not required to pay annual membership dues.

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II. ELECTIONS
At or sometime following the fall meeting, the executive shall appoint a nominating committee of two members, at least one of who shall be a Regular Member. The nominating committee will present a nomination for each executive position. Further nominations will be received from the membership until such time as a motion to close nominations is carried. Elections, where required, shall take place by secret ballot at the annual business meeting.

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III. DUTIES AND POWERS OF THE EXECUTIVE

(1) PRESIDENT
The President shall call and chair all executive and business meetings. The President is empowered to appoint or reappoint all committee's or chairpersons and is authorized to establish committees which are deemed necessary to the attainment of the Association's goals. The President shall seek the advice of the Executive where appropriate. The President is an ex officio member of all committees.

Where so directed by the membership, the President shall direct the attention of the Executive or appointed committees to specific topics of concern to the Association and shall ensure that a written report of the topic is presented to the membership prior to or at the time of, the next general meeting. The President or a representative may initiate negotiations with other societies, funding organizations, government agencies and other bodies having an interest or potential bearing upon the role of archaeology as outlined in Article II of the Constitution. The president may sign contracts and financial disbursements.The President can authorize expenditures beyond those set forth on the budget with the concurrence of a majority of the Executive.

In the event of the death or resignation of any of the executive officers, the President, with the consent of the executive, shall appoint a replacement who will hold office until the annual election of officers.

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(2) VICE-PRESIDENT
The Vice-President shall act upon the request of the President in the formation of committees or other devices necessary for the effective functioning of the Association. The Vice-President shall assume the duties of the President in the event of the latter's absence.

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(3) PAST PRESIDENT
The Past President shall remain on the Executive for one year after their term as President has been completed. The Past President-Elect has executive voting rights and shall act upon the request of the President in the formation of committees or other devices necessary for the effective functioning of the Association.

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(4) SECRETARY
The Secretary shall be in charge of the administrative matters resulting from any regular meeting or the actions of the Executive. The Secretary shall maintain a list of members of the Association, correspond with the membership, and report and provide copies of minutes of meetings.

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(5) TREASURER
The Treasurer may sign financial disbursements. The Treasurer, as chief accounting officer for the Association, shall record and administer all financial transactions of the Association and shall arrange for an annual audit where required. The Treasurer shall prepare an annual written report outlining the financial position of the Association and the proposed budget for the ensuing year. The Treasurer's report shall be approved by the executive and presented to the Membership for adoption at the annual business meeting.

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(6) WEB MASTER
Reporting to the executive, the Web Master shall be in charge of maintaining the web page of the Association. The Web Master shall ensure that the web page is functioning properly and that it is regularly updated to include information pertinent to the membership. The Web Master shall prepare an annual written report outlining the status of the web page.

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IV. FINANCES
The fiscal year of the Association will be from April 1 to March 31 annual. Funds from the annual dues and other sources shall be administered by the Secretary-Treasurer and shall be available for all expenses consistent with the goals and the approved budget of the Association. Changes in the annual dues shall be passed by a simple majority vote at the annual business meeting.

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V. MEETINGS
The annual business meeting shall be held within the last two months of the fiscal year. Thirty days notice must be given to all members prior to the annual business meeting.

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VI. CHAPTER STATUS
The Association shall maintain chapter status in the Saskatchewan Archaeological Society and shall encourage its membership to be members of the Saskatchewan Archaeological Society.

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VII. DISSOLUTION
All assets and records of the Association shall be donated to the Saskatchewan Archaeological Society upon dissolution.

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VIII. AMENDMENTS
Amendments to the Bylaws of the Association shall follow the procedure outlined in Article VII of the Constitution.

Adopted:

Revised: November 6,1992
Revised: March 11, 1994
Revised: March 6, 1998
Revised: November 19, 2004

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