Bylaws of the
Culture and Agriculture Group

a Section of the American Anthropological Association

ARTICLE 1. Name

1. The Section shall be known as the Culture and Agriculture Group, hereinafter referred to as the Group.

ARTICLE II. Purpose

1. The purposes of the Group shall be (a) to develop the study and understanding of agrarian systems from a holistic, social science perspective, and (b) to link academics and practitioners concerned with agrarian issues, agricultural development, and agricultural systems through dissemination of scientific research, encouragement of effective instruction, and to encourage application of knowledge to public policy.

ARTICLE III. Powers

1. The Group shall be autonomous in all matters within its field that are not reserved by the Bylaws of the American Anthropological Association, inimical to the American Anthropological Association's interests, or prohibited by law.

2. The Group shall have an elected President and Secretary-Treasurer and other elected or appointed officers as set forth in these Bylaws.

3. The Group is empowered to determine membership dues.

4. The Group shall determine voting requirements on all Group matters.

5. The Group may engage in publishing and program activities, appoint editors, committees and other agents, and set publication and program policies appropriate to its purposes.

6. The Group is empowered to organize itself into Sections, Branches or Interest Groups, in accordance with the Bylaws of the American Anthropological Association.

7. The Group shall adopt and maintain Bylaws or Rules of Procedure consistent with the American Anthropological Association Bylaws. The Group shall file with the American Anthropological Association Secretary a copy of its current Bylaws, Rules of Procedures, and Table of Organization.

ARTICLE IV. Membership

1. Membership in the Group shall be open to any Member in good standing of the American Anthropological Association who supports the above purposes, subject to the payment of dues stipulated by the Executive Committee of the Group.

2. A member in good standing shall be eligible to hold elective or appointive office, participate in the scientific program, receive publications, and have one vote in nominating and electing officers and the transaction of other business of the Group.

3. For just cause, a Member may be deprived of membership by a two-thirds vote of the Executive Committee, subject to appeal to the Members at the Annual Meeting.

4. Associate members will be entitled to receive copies of the (C&A Bulletin) but will not be eligible to hold elective or appointive office or to vote in nominating and electing officers of the group.

ARTICLE V. Dues

1. The Executive Committee shall set the annual dues of Members and may establish rates for special categories of membership.

2. Any members in arrears in the payment of dues shall lose all membership privileges.

ARTICLE VI. Officers

1. The officers shall be a President, President-elect, Past President and Secretary-Treasurer.

2. The President shall be the presiding officer of the Group, and its first representative on the Board of Directors of the American Anthropological Association, and its representative on the Executive Committee of the American Anthropological Association.

3. The President-elect shall assume the duties of the President in the event of absence, death, resignation or incapacity of the President, and shall succeed to the office of President in the expiration of the term as President-elect, and should the Group be entitled to such representation, shall serve as the second representative on the Board of Directors of the American Anthropological Association.

4. The Secretary-Treasurer shall have charge of the fiscal records of the Group and shall submit a draft budget for the approval of the Executive Committee of the AAA not less than sixty (60) days before the Annual Meeting. The Secretary-Treasurer shall have charge of the general records of the Group.

5. The terms of office of all officers shall be two years, commencing at 9 o'clock pm on the third day of the Annual Meeting of the American Anthropological Association. The President shall assume AAA Board responsibilities at the conclusion of the AAA Annual Meeting.

ARTICLE VII. Executive Committee

1. There shall be an Executive Committee consisting of the officers, the Section Editor for the Anthropology Newsletter, the Culture and Agriculture Bulletin Editor, two members elected at-large from the membership of the group, a student representative, drawn from the student membership of the group, and elected at-large by the membership of the group, and any additional representative elected by the Group to the Board of Directors of the American Anthropological Association. One of the at-large members will serve as the Program Committee Chair, and the other as the Nominations Committee Chair.

2. Subject to directives and limitations imposed by the Members of the Group, the Executive Committee shall have the authority to execute on behalf of the Group all powers and functions defined in these Bylaws.

3. The Executive Committee shall meet at least once annually, at the time of the Annual Meeting, and may meet additionally at the call of the President or a majority vote of the Executive Committee.

4. At-large members and the student representative of the Executive Committee shall be elected for two-year terms, by the membership. One at-large member will be elected in even-numbered years and one in odd-numbered years, except that in the initial election, associated with the establishment of the Group, all at-large members shall be elected, with one of them elected for a one-year term. If the Group should be entitled to more than two representatives to the Board of Directors of the American Anthropological Association, the third, fourth and fifth representatives shall be elected by the Executive Committee from among the at-large members.

5. The Executive Committee shall make all nonelective appointments (including the Section Editor and the Bulletin Editor) and may make interim appointments to fill vacancies in any elective office until the next regularly scheduled election.

ARTICLE VIII. Annual Report

1. At the time of each Annual Meeting, the Executive Committee shall report its activities to the Members and to the Board of Directors of the American Anthropological Association. The report shall include the reports of the Secretary-Treasurer, editors of publications, committees, and other agents representing the Group.

ARTICLE IX. Meetings

1. The Group shall hold an Annual Business Meeting at the time of the Annual Meeting of the American Anthropological Association.

2. The place and date of the Annual Meeting shall be disclosed to the Members not less than one hundred twenty (120) days in advance of the meeting.

3. New legislation or resolutions proposed by Members for consideration at the Annual Business Meeting must be received by the Secretary-Treasurer at least twenty (20) days prior to the meeting to be placed on the Agenda. A copy of the Agenda shall be furnished to all Members attending the Annual Business Meeting. Resolutions and new legislation passed at the Business Meeting shall take force ten (10) days after the Business Meeting, except cases where the Executive Committee votes, within ten (10) days and by a two-thirds majority, to submit a resolution to a mail ballot. Mail ballots so required shall be subject to provisions of ARTICLE XII. A majority of votes cast shall constitute a favorable result.

4. Business conducted at Group Meetings shall be governed by Robert's Rules of Order, newly revised.

5. One of the at-large members of the Executive Committee will be the Program Chair who shall organize the scientific program of the Group.

6. Special Meetings may be called by the Executive Committee upon written request of five (5) percent of the Members.

ARTICLE X. Quorum

1. Five (5) per cent of the Members in good standing shall constitute a quorum at the Annual Business Meeting.

2. A majority of the members of the Executive Committee shall constitute a quorum for transacting business.

3. The business of the Group shall be transacted by majority vote unless otherwise provided in these Bylaws.

ARTICLE XI. Nominations and Elections

1. Candidates for any elective office may be nominated by the Executive Committee, by a Nominations Committee, or by Members. All candidates shall be Members in good standing of the Group.

2. One of the at-large members of the Executive Committee will be the chair of the Nominations Committee. Two other members of this committee will be appointed annually by the Executive Committee.

3. The Nominations Committee shall nominate two (2) persons for each vacant office. These nominations shall be made known to Members at least one hundred twenty (120) days before the Annual Meeting.

4. Five (5) per cent of the Members in good standing may nominate an additional candidate for any office, provided the nomination is received in writing by the Secretary at least ninety (90) days before the Annual Meeting.

5. The Secretary-Treasurer shall inform the prospective nominee of the probable extent of the burden of office. A nomination becomes effective only upon filing with the Secretary-Treasurer a statement of the nominee's willingness and ability to devote such time to the affairs of the Group as necessary to the effective execution of office.

6. ARTICLE XI, items 1-5 shall not be effective in establishment of the slate of candidates when the Group is initially organized and holds its first election.

ARTICLE XII. Balloting

1. A member in good standing shall be entitled to cast one ballot in any election or referendum.

2. Ballots shall be secret and enclosed in a single envelope. The Executive Committee shall have the authority to examine the eligibility of any voter.

3. Thirty (30) days shall be allowed for the return of ballots. To be counted, ballots must be received by the Secretary (or an appropriate delegate at the AAA Headquarters) not later than the stated return date.

4. A service agency may be engaged to tally the votes and certify the results to the Executive Committee.

5. The candidate receiving the most votes for a contested office shall be elected; the Executive Committee shall hold a runoff election within ninety (90) days to resolve all ties.

ARTICLE XIII. Referenda

1. A referendum may be conducted by mail ballot at any time upon initiation of the Executive Committee, or upon receipt by the Secretary of a petition signed by five (5) per cent of the Members in good standing. A majority of votes received shall constitute a favorable vote.

ARTICLE XIV. Finances

1. The fiscal year of the Group shall be that of the American Anthropological Association.

2. The Group shall submit an annual operating budget to the American Anthropological Association Board of Directors, which, when approved, shall govern Group activities.

3. The income from annual dues and from investments and other sources shall constitute a working fund, available for operating, publication, and current expenses consistent with the purposes of the Group.

4. No financial obligation in excess of funds available in the treasury shall be assumed by the Executive Committee or by any officer on behalf of the Group except that for the purposes of this section, estimated receipts from annual dues and other accounts receivable for the current year may be considered as available funds.

5. The Group may establish special funds to be administered by the American Anthropological Association for purposes the Group may designate.

ARTICLE XV. Publications

1. Culture and Agriculture shall be the official publication of the Group.

2. The Group may institute additional publications, subject to the approval of the Members and in accordance with the Bylaws.

ARTICLE XVI. Amendment

1. These Bylaws may be amended by the Members by mail ballot, provided that a proposed amendment is approved by two-thirds (2/3) of the votes cast.

2. Amendments may be proposed by the Executive Committee or by five (5) per cent of the Members in good standing. The Executive Committee shall have the proposed amendment circulated to the Members and it shall allow thirty (30) days for the return of ballots.

3. The amendments and provisions of these Bylaws shall be effective immediately upon adoption and shall supersede and nullify all previous amendments and provisions, unless otherwise specifically provided in the amendments or the balloting on it.
 


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