Bylaws: Revised: November 2014
Article I - Name
The organization shall be known as the Rio Grande Local Section of the American Industrial Hygiene Association.
Article II - Purpose
The purpose of the local section shall be to promote the purposes of the American Industrial Hygiene Association (AIHA), as set forth in its Articles of Incorporation, within the geographic boundaries of the state of New Mexico.
Article III - Membership
Section 1. Any member of AIHA, residing within the geographic boundaries of the local section, may become a member of the local section upon payment of local dues. Subject to the approval of the local section Executive Committee, any member of AIHA living outside the geographic boundaries of the local section may become a member of the local section. A member of AIHA may be a member of more than one local section.
Section 2. On payment of local section dues, and the approval by a two-thirds vote of the local section Executive Committee, any person having a professional interest in industrial hygiene may become an associate member of the local section, entitled to the privileges of local section membership.
Section 3. Retired membership in the local section may be extended to a member who has retired from the practice of the industrial hygiene profession, with approval of two-thirds vote of the local section Executive Committee.
Section 4. Additional classes of membership in the local section may be created with approval of the board of director of AIHA.
Section 5. Student membership shall be provided to members that are enrolled full-time in college course work and the membership dues shall be waived.
Article IV - Membership Meetings
Section 1. Meetings of the local section shall be held at the time and place designated by the Board of Directors.
Section 2. An annual meeting, at which the installation of officers and directors shall take place, shall be held at such time and place as designated by the Board of Directors.
Section 3. Special meetings shall be called at the discretion of the President with the approval of the Executive Committee or in response to the written request of 20 percent of the members of the local section in good standing.
Section 4. Notice of the time and place of any meeting shall be delivered to the membership not less than 10 days before the date of the meeting.
Article V – Officers
Section 1. The officers of the local section shall consist of the President, President-Elect, Secretary, and Treasurer, and immediate Past President. The Executive Committee shall consist of the officers of the local section. Only members of AIHA may be elected as officers. No person shall serve as officer in more than one local section at the same time. An officer need not reside or work in the geographic boundaries of the local section.
Section 2. The officers of the local section shall be elected by ballot for terms of office as hereinafter provided, which terms shall begin and end on the date of the annual meeting. Each officer shall hold office until a successor shall have been duly elected or until death, resignation, or removal. The local section shall give notice of the names and addresses of the newly elected officers to AIHA within 30 days of such election.
Section 3. A vacancy in office because of the death, resignation, or removal of an officer may be filled by the Board of Directors for the unexpired term. If the vacancy occurs in the office of President-Elect, the member appointed to fill the vacancy shall not automatically succeed the President, and the President for the following year shall be elected at the next annual meeting of the local section.
Section 4. An officer may resign by oral tender of resignation at any meeting of the Executive Committee or by giving written notice thereof to the Executive Committee. Such resignation shall take effect at the time specified and acceptance of such resignation shall not be necessary to make it effective.
Section 5. An officer may be removed, with or without cause, at a meeting expressly called for that purpose, by a two-thirds (2/3) vote of the Board of Directors.
Section 6. The President shall preside at all meetings of the local section membership, Board of Directors, and of the Executive Committee and shall perform such other duties as may be directed by the Executive Committee. The President shall appoint, subject to the provisions of these bylaws, members and chairs of all committees. The President shall be an ex-officio member of all committees. The President shall serve a one-year term of office.
Section 7. The President-Elect automatically shall succeed the President in office upon completion of the President's term of office. The President-Elect shall perform any duties delegated by the Board of Directors or assigned by the President. The President-Elect shall serve a one-year term of office.
Section 8. The Past President shall serve as chair of the Nominating Committee. The Past President shall perform such other duties delegated by the Board of Directors or assigned by the President. The Past President shall serve a one-year term of office. The Past President shall review all board of director and membership communication as directed by the President.
Section 9. The Treasurer shall receive, disburse, and be custodian of all funds of the local section. All disbursements shall be made upon authorization of the Executive Committee. The Treasurer shall prepare a preliminary annual financial report and submit the accounts of the local section for audit at the last meeting of the Board of Directors prior to the annual meeting of the local section. The Treasurer shall present a final annual financial report at the annual meeting of the local section. The Treasurer shall serve at least a two year term of office. After the annual meeting of the local section, the Treasurer shall transmit to his/her successor in office all funds and property of the local section.
Section 10. The Secretary shall give notice of all meetings of the local section, Board of Directors, and the Executive Committee; maintain an accurate list of the members and their membership status; keep a record of the Transaction of business that may come before such meetings; and be custodian of the records of the local section. The Secretary shall serve at least a two-year term of office. After the annual meeting of the local section, the Secretary shall transmit to his/her successor in office all records and property of the local section.
Article VI – Directors
Section 1. Except as these Bylaws may require that action shall be otherwise authorized or taken, all authority of the Association shall be exercised by its Board of Directors.
Section 2. The Board of Directors shall consist of the at-large directors and the officers. Any member of the local section in good standing may be eligible to serve on the Board of Directors of the local section.
Section 3. The directors of the local section shall be elected by ballot as hereinafter provided, for a three year term. Election shall be staggered to one director is elected per year. The term of office of directors shall begin and end on the date of the annual meeting. Each director shall hold office until a successor shall have been duly elected or until death, resignation or removal.
Section 4. A director may resign at any time, either by oral tender of resignation at any meeting of the Board of Directors or by giving written notice thereof to the Secretary. Such resignation shall take effect at the time specified and acceptance of such resignation shall not be necessary to make it effective.
Section 5. The Board of Directors may, by a vote of two-thirds (2/3) of its members, remove any director at a meeting expressly called for that purpose.
Section 6. The vacancy in office of any director may be filled by vote of the Board of Directors. A director elected to fill such vacancy shall be elected to the unexpired term of the predecessor in office.
Section 7. The Board of Directors shall hold meetings at least twice a year. Meetings may be held in person or by some other means where each officer and director can communicate with all other officers and directors. Notice of the time and place of each meeting of the Board of Directors shall be given not less than five (5) days before the date of the meeting, which notice need not specify the purpose of the meeting.
Section 8. The presence of a majority of the Board of Directors is necessary to constitute a quorum of a meeting. The act of a majority present at a meeting at which a quorum exists is the act of the Board of Directors. Each member of the Board of Directors shall be entitled to one vote. Proxy voting shall not be permitted for any purpose.
Article VII – Committees
Section 1. The President shall serve as chair of the Executive Committee. The presence of a majority of the Executive Committee is necessary to constitute a quorum for a meeting. The act of a majority present at a meeting at which a quorum exists is the act of the Executive Committee. Each member of the Executive Committee shall be entitled to one vote. Meetings of the Executive Committee may be called at the discretion of the President on not less than five days’ notice.
Section 2. The Program Committee shall consist of the President –Elect and at least on other member.
Section 3. The Nominating Committee shall consist of two members appointed by the President at least 30 days prior to the annual meeting of the local section and the immediate Past President who shall serve as its chair. The Nominating Committee shall nominate persons for officer and directors of the local section and it shall deliver its nominations for each office in writing to the Secretary for circulation with the notice of the annual meeting. Any member can nominate persons to the Nominating Committee for consideration.
Article VIII- Local Sections Council Representatives
Section 1. The President and President-Elect shall serve as representatives of the local section on the Local Sections Council of AIHA provided that neither is an officer or director of AIHA, in which event the Executive Committee shall appoint another member as such representative.
Section 2. The representatives of the local section shall report at the annual meeting of the Local Sections Council on the activities of the local section and report back to the local section on the actions of the Local Sections Council.
Article IX-Public Statements
Section 1. The local section shall not issue or publish any public statement that uses any form of the name of AIHA on a policy or technical issue, other than issues which primarily affect the local section, without prior consent of the Board of Directors of AIHA.
Section 2. No public statement on any matter, which purports to represent the opinion of the local section, shall be issued or published, unless that statement has been authorized by the Executive Committee as expressing the opinion of a majority of the members of the local section.
Article X-Dues
Section 1. Annual dues for local section membership becomes payable on the first day of January of each year. The dues per year shall be set by the Board of Directors. Dues are payable in advance and are not refundable.
Section 2. Members accepted for membership between January and June shall pay dues for a full year. Members accepted for membership between July and December shall pay dues for one-half of the year.
Section 3. Any member whose dues are unpaid on February 1, is not in good standing and shall have no vote or other privileges of membership in the local section. If the dues of any member are not paid within one year of the date due, the membership of the member in the local section shall be terminated subject to reinstatement as provided in Section 4.
Section 4. Any member terminated for nonpayment of dues may be reinstated at any time before the next annual meeting of the year following termination, by payment of dues in arrears together with the dues for the current year.
Article XI-Ballots
Section 1. Officers and directors of the local section shall be elected by ballot of the voting members of the local section distributed not less than 20 days prior to the annual meeting of the local section, and these ballots shall specify a deadline for return no later than the annual meeting. The President shall promptly report the results of the election to the AIHA.
Section 2. Except as provided in Article XIII, a plurality of the ballots cast in an election of any officer or director or in a referendum on any issue to be considered or action to be taken shall be effective to constitute the election of a person as an officer or director of the local section and as a decision or act of the local section with respect to any issue to be considered or any action to be taken. In the event of a tie vote in any election of officer or director, the tie shall be resolved by vote of the Board of Directors.
Section 3. The Board of Directors, at any time, may conduct by ballot a referendum of the membership in connection with any issue it may consider or action to be taken. Such ballot of referendum shall specify a deadline for its return.
Section 4. Any member eligible to vote, at any time, may on written request to the President require the Board of Directors to conduct a ballot referendum of the membership on any issue to be considered and/or action to be taken relating to the purposes of the local section. Such a request shall state with specificity the issues to be considered and/or the action to be taken and shall bear the signature of not less than five percent (5%) of members eligible to vote.
Article XII-Dissolution
The Local Section shall use its funds only to accomplish the purposes specified in these bylaws. No part of the funds shall be used to the advantage of any single person or entity or be distributed to the members of the local section. In the event of the dissolution or final liquidation of the local section, its remaining net assets shall be distributed to such nonprofit corporations or associations as are exempt from Federal Income Tax under Section 50 l (c) of the Internal Revenue Code, as deemed appropriate by the AIHA Board of Directors.
Article XIII-Amendments
Section 1. These bylaws may be amended or new bylaws adopted by a two-thirds vote of the members of the local section who respond to a ballot conducted in accordance with the provisions of Article XI.
Section 2. Such amended or new bylaws shall become effective upon approval by the Board of Directors of AIHA.