ACQS Constitution

1. NAME

The name of this organization is The American Council for Quebec Studies.

For legal purposes, organized as a non-profit corporation under the laws of the State of New Hampshire.

The Council will encourage, facilitate, and publicize activities pertinent to its aims and purposes, including courses, visits, exchanges, special academic programs, etc., between Quebec and academic centers in the United States.

The Council will arrange and sponsor appropriate seminars, conferences, etc., to further its aims and purposes.

However, the Council will conduct one seminar- conference every other year, beginning in 1982, at which time the General Meeting of the Council will be held.

The President will decide the location of the meeting and will have full charge of conducting it, or will delegate same, subject only to general guidelines laid down by the Executive Board.

Meetings may be held annually with a vote at the General Meeting.

The Council will publish from time to time a newsletter about matters of interest to members of the Council.

In addition, the Council may sponsor or encourage other scholarly publications.

a) Any permanent resident of the United States, other than those included in Section 3, part c, is entitled to Regular Membership on payment of such dues as may from time to time be duly authorized in accordance with this Constitution. Regular Membership will entitle a person to participate in all the activities of the Council, to hold office in it, to attend and vote at its business meetings, subject to the payment of any registration fees as may be duly prescribed for such meetings or activities, and to receive all publications of the Council on terms laid down for such Members.

b) Any person not a permanent resident in United States may become an Associate Member on payment of such dues as may from time to time be duly authorized in accordance with this Constitution. Associate Members will enjoy all the rights of Regular Members except the right to hold office.

c) Any person who is a civil servant of The United States Government, the government of a US state, of The Canadian Government or of any provincial government of Canada is eligible for Associate Membership, but my neither vote in elections nor hold office on the Board.

The Executive Board of the Council will consist of a President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, Past President and Editor of Quebec Studies.

a) The President will hold office for two years, will be elected by the Regular Members of the Council, and may not be re-elected to a second consecutive term.

b) The vice President will hold office for two years, will be elected by the Regular Members of the Council, and may not be re-elected to a second consecutive term.

c) The Secretary will be elected for two years by the Regular Members of the Council, and, if re-elected, may serve a second consecutive term.

d) The Treasurer will be elected for two years by the Regular Members of the Council, and if, re-elected, may serve additional terms.

e) The immediate Past President will continue as a member of the Executive Board for two years after the expiration of the term as President.

f) The Editor of the Council's journal, Quebec Studies, will be appointed by the President, upon the advice of the Executive Board, and will serve at their pleasure.

g) The Board shall have the right to appoint or dissolve ad hoc committees as required. Such committees may be composed of Regular and Associate Members as the Board deems appropriate, and shall report directly to the Board.

All officers will have equal voting rights in Executive Board business.

The election of Officers will take place a two-yearly intervals in non-conference years beginning in 1995, and will be by mail ballot.

The result of the election will be announced at the following General Meeting of the Council and the new Officers will appoint a Nominating Committee of three persons to prepare a slate of candidates.

Nominations may also be submitted to the Secretary for inclusion on the ballot by Regular Members.

These nominations must be seconded and supported by at least two other such Regular Members, whose signatures must be affixed to the nominations.

Nominations will close two months from the time they are asked.

The Nominating Committee will submit the candidates to the appropriate electors within two months of the date of closing nominations and will allow two months for the return of the ballots.

In the absence of other provisions, Robert's Rules of Order, as most recently revised, shall govern the conduct of all official meetings of the Council.

A membership fee will be collected annually from all Members to support appropriate business of the Council.

This Constitution will become provisional effective immediately upon adoption by the Executive Committee set up for the purpose of drafting a Constitution and administering the business of the Council for the years 1980 and 1981.

The Officers of that Committee will constitute the Executive Board of the Council until the General Meeting of 1981.

Upon adoption by the Executive Board, the Constitution will be circulated by the Secretary to all Members of the Council for discussion and revisions.

The Constitution and revisions submitted by Members will be discussed at the 1981 General Meeting of the Council, after which it shall be submitted for final approval by a majority vote of all Regular Members presented.

Future constitutional amendments must be called for at the time of the call for nomination of candidates for office, must be circulated at the time of the election, discussed at the General Meeting, and approval by a two-thirds majority.