The name of the organization shall be the Southern Association for Canadian Studies (SACS).
ARTICLE II--PURPOSE
The purpose of the Association is to promote the study and knowledge of Canada in the Southwestern and Southeastern United States (the states of Arkansas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Louisiana, Texas, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, Florida, Tennessee, Kentucky, Alabama, Mississippi) and the Caribbean.
ARTICLE III--MEMBERSHIP AND DUES
Section 1--Membership in the Association is open to all interested Canadianists.
Section 2--Annual dues of members shall be established by the Association's Council with the consent of the Association's members as determined by a vote at the annual business meeting.
Section 3--Dues shall be paid at the times of enrollment or upon the renewal of the individual's membership. Dues shall be for the calendar year.
Section 4--Participation in the business meetings of the Association shall be restricted to members current in their annual dues and who paid such registration fees as are required and are in attendance at the regular annual meeting.
ARTICLE IV--OFFICERS
Section 1--The Association's officers shall consist of a President, a Vice-President, a Secretary, and a Treasurer.
Section 2–Beginning with the first business meeting in November 2003 officers, who must be current dues-paying members, shall serve for two-year terms, or until a successor has been elected. Officers may serve only two consecutive terms kin rank.
Section 3--The President shall preside at annual meetings, work with the Secretary and Treasurer in formulating and submitting grant proposals, appoint (with the concurrence of the Association's Council) committees, and otherwise perform the functions customarily associated with the title of President.
Section 4–The Vice-President shall work with the President in establishing the Association's plans and meeting agendas and will assume the duties of the President when he or she is absent from meetings or otherwise incapacitated. The Vice-President shall succeed the current President at the conclusion of his or her term.
Section 5--The Treasurer shall keep the financial records of the Association and shall report to the membership at regular meetings on the financial condition of the Association.
Section 6–The Secretary take the minutes of all meetings, maintain the membership roster, conduct necessary correspondence with the membership, and work with the President and Vice-President in formulating and submitting grant proposals.
ARTICLE V--THE COUNCIL
Section 1--The Association shall have a Council composed of the four officers, six regional representatives, and two ex-officio members representing the consulates, consulate generals, and Embassies in the SACS region. The two ex-officio members shall be named on an annual basis by the Canadian department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade
Section 2–The six regional representatives and six alternates shall each be elected by the current Association members residing in each corresponding region as follows: Region 1: Texas and New Mexico; Region 2: Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Louisiana; Region 3: Virginia, Georgia, Tennessee, Mississippi, and Alabama; Region 4: Kentucky, North Carolina, South Carolina; Region 5: Florida; Region 6: The Caribbean.
Section 3--The Council shall be responsible for planning and directing the activities of the Association. Among the Council's functions are membership recruitment, facilitating the planning of the annual business meeting and biennial conference, establishing agendas for meetings, and the conduct of such affairs as may be necessitated for the vitality and integrity of the Association.
Section 4—Regional representatives will normally serve staggered two-year terms. For the first Council only as constituted in November 2003, representatives from Regions 1, 3, and 6 shall serve 3-year terms, and representatives from Regions 2, 4, and 5 will serve two year terms.
Section 5--The Association's President may fill Council vacancies by appointment with the approval of the existing Council.
ARTICLE VI--MEETINGS
Section 1--There shall be an annual meeting of the Association. The places and dates of annual meetings, together with the selection of Program Committees, are to be determined by action of the Association at its regular business meetings.
Section 2--The Association's Council may meet at times and places other than at the annual meeting location as the need for planning the annual meeting and handling the affairs of the Association shall determine.
Section 3--The Association's Council may call for special meetings of the Association in addition to the annual business meeting.
ARTICLE VII--BUSINESS AND VOTING PROCEDURES
Section 1--There shall be a regular business meeting held in conjunction with the biennial Conference of the Association for Canadian Studies in the United States. In years when ACSUS is not meeting, SACS will hold an annual meeting in conjunction with a biennial conference.
Section 2--Any action taken by the Association, or recommended by the Association's Council, shall be by a simple majority vote of the members present and voting at the annual business meeting.
Section 3--Proposals for action may be put forth by the Association's Council, officers, or individual members.
Section 4--Amendments to the Association's original by-laws may be proposed at one annual meeting and voted on at the subsequent annual meeting. Members are to be notified of by-law proposals scheduled for a vote at least one month in advance of the annual meeting.
ARTICLE VIII--IMPLEMENTATION OF BY-LAWS
Section 1--For the purpose of initiating governance of the Association under these by-laws, the Association's founding officers shall submit their proposed by-laws to the regular membership at its first official business meeting on November 21, 2003.
Section 2--Approval of the by-laws shall be by a majority vote of the membership of the Association present at the regular business meeting, participation in this meeting to be in accordance with the provisions respecting membership and voting and business procedures as outlined in the proposed by-laws.
Section 4--Upon approval of the by-laws, the Association shall proceed with the election of its regional representatives for its Council, with nominations to be accepted from the membership in response to a recent mailing and also from the floor. Any vacancies will be filled by appointment by the President with the approval of the other Council members.
ARTICLE IX–DISSOLUTION
Section 1--In the event of the dissolution of this Association, assets shall be distributed for one or more exempt purposes within the meaning of section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, or corresponding section of any future Federal tax code, or shall be distributed to the Federal government, or to a state government, for a public purpose.
ARTICLE X–NON-PROFIT INTENT
Section 1--The Association shall be a non-profit organization and it is the intention of this Association to qualify under Section 501(C) (3) of the Internal Revenue Code of the United States of America. No part of the net earnings of the Association shall inure to the benefit of, or be distributable to its members and officers, except that it shall be authorized and empowered to pay reasonable compensation for services rendered, and to make payments and distributions in furtherance of 501(c)(3) purposes.
ARTICLE XI–POWERS
Section 1--The elected officers and the executive council of the Association will have no powers inconsistent with those allowed by a tax-exempt education organization under Section 501(c)(3).
ARTICLE XII–LIMITATIONS ON ACTIVITIES
Section 1–No substantial part of the activities of the Association shall be the carrying on of propaganda, otherwise attempting to influence legislation, and the Association shall not participate in, intervene in(including the publishing or distribution of statements) any political campaign on behalf of or in opposition to any candidate for public office.
Section 2–Notwithstanding any other provision of these articles, the Association shall not carry on any other activities not permitted to be carried on (a)by an organization or corporation exempt from Federal income tax under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code(or corresponding section of any future Federal tax code) or (b) by an organization or corporation, contributions to which are deductible under Section 170(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code (or corresponding section of any future Federal tax code).
