Constitution and By-Laws
  
  Illinois Section
American Association of Physics Teachers

Includes amendments proposed in 2008.

Additions are colored blue and underlined. Deletions are colored red and indicated with strikethrough notation.  Items for thought for the summer retreat are colored green.  Most recent change:  April 7, 2008.
 

I. NAME

The name of this organization shall be the Illinois Section of the American Association of Physics Teachers.

II. OBJECTIVES

The objectives of this Section shall be the advancement of the teaching of physics and the furtherance of appreciation of the role of physics in our culture.

III. THE MEMBERSHIP

1. The membership shall be Illinois residents and consist of three classes: regular, juniorstudent, and retired members.
2. The regular membership shall consist of (a) residents who are teachers and (b) other persons whose election will, in the judgment of the Council, promote the objectives of the section.
3. The juniorstudent membership shall consist of college or university students and upper level high school students who have an major interest in physics and who have completed at least two one-year physics courses.
4. Retired members shall consist of former regular members who have retired from teaching. They are exempt from paying Section dues.

IV. THE OFFICERS

1. The officers of the Section shall consist of the President, Secretary-Treasurer, Past President, President-Elect, and Section Representative to the National AAPT.
2. The duties of the officers are as follows:
  A.

The President is to chair the Council meetings and the business meetings of the Section. This person is also responsible for providing leadership and overseeing the general operation of the Section.
  B. The Secretary-Treasurer serves as recording and corresponding secretary for the Section, is responsible for the Section minutes and treasury, and for all communications with the membership.
  C. The President-Elect is elected by the membership at the annual Fall meeting, and shall serve as the program chair for the meeting(s) to be held during the year and becomes the President at the conclusion of the next Fall meeting. If a member of the Council is elected to the office of President-Elect, the balance of his/her term as a Council member shall be filled by election at the Fall meeting.
  D. The Past President assumes the duties of the President in the absence of the President and serves as chair of the Nominating Committee.
  E. The Section Representative is responsible for all communications between the Section and the National AAPT and its affiliates. This person or someone appointed by the Council represents the Section at the National AAPT council meetings.
3.

All duly elected officers assume their offices at the conclusion of the Fall meeting.

V. THE COUNCIL

1. The Section shall be governed by a Council consisting of twelve members from each of the three areas (high school, 2-year college, 4-year college) elected for four-year terms. Three members will be elected each year. If a vacancy occurs in the Council, the balance of the term shall be filled by an election at the next meeting of the Section.
2. The Secretary-Treasurer and the Section Representative shall be elected by the Council to three-year terms. The terms shall be staggered. Members of the AssociationSection shall be eligible to fill each of these positions for a maximum of two successive terms.
3. The President shall serve as chair of the Council, but will have only a tie-breaking vote. All other officers shall serve with the Council and be voting members.
4. The Council will hold at least one meeting during the annual Fall meeting of the Section. Other meetings of the Council may be called by the President, any two Council members or any two officers.  (Should we formalize this to two meetings per year to comply with current practice?  Should we require or encourage a summer retreat?)

VI. AMENDMENTS

This constitution may be amended by a two-thirds majority of the voting membership present at the annual Fall business meeting, or by a two-thirds majority of those members voting in a mail or e-mail ballot conducted by the Council. Proposed constitutional amendments to be considered at a business meeting must be sent to each member of the Section at least one week prior to the meeting.


 

BY-LAWS

 
I. DUES

The dues shall be set to cover the expenses of the Section. Retired members shall have honorary life-membership. Changes in the dues shall be decided upon by a vote of the Section at the time of the annual business meeting as the need may arise.

II. COMMITTEES

1. The Nominating Committee shall consist of the Past President, who shall act as its chair, and three members appointed by the chair. Duties and procedures are prescribed by the Council
2. The Membership Committee's composition and duties are prescribed by the Council.
3. The Meeting Committee consists of the President-Elect as chair, a representative from the site of the meeting for local arrangements (who need not be a member of the Section), and three other members of the Section chosen to represent the high schools, two-year institutions, and four-year institutions. All but the chair will be appointed by the Council.
4. The Council shall appoint one of itsa Section high school members as Committee for the High School Teacher Award. The appointment lasts for the same period as Council membershipis for four years. A Committee for the Distinguished Service Citation shall consist of the Secretary-Treasurer and the two most recent recipients, the earlier recipient serving as committee chair. Council shall vote to approve committee recommendations for awardees. Committees may ask other Section members to assist them in the selection process.
5. The Council shall appoint a Section member as Publicity Committee, for the purpose of providing meeting notices, meeting news, and photographs to the AAPT national office.
6. The Rossing Lectures Committee, which is only active prior to joint meetings involving the ISAAPT, consists of the Secretary-Treasurer as chair and a representative of the host institution of the current meeting.  After discussion with the Chief Financial Officer of the AAPT, the Secretary-Treasurer will formally request the necessary funds (from interest earned by the Rossing Fund) to pay for invited speakers at least 15 days before the funds are needed.  A specific rationale of the projected costs for the speaking engagement (name of speaker, budget, and copy of the program) as well as a brief report of the actual expenses must be included in the request.
7. The Council shall appoint a Section member as Editor of the Section's newsletter, the Illinois Physics Teacher.
8. The Council shall appoint a Section member as Webmaster for the Section's Web site.
9. Other committees and representatives may be appointed from time to time by the Council. The term of such appointments shall be specified by the Council.
10. If they are not members of the Council, committee memberschairs, and the Editor of the Section's newsletter, and the Webmaster shall be ex-officio members of the Council.  They shall have full voting rights.  (or:  They shall not have voting rights.)

III. MEETINGS

1. An annual Fall and Spring meetings shall be held each year at a place decided upon by the Council.  A business meeting shall be held at the Fall meeting.
2. Other general meetings may be arranged by the Council.
3. Notice of the time and place of the annual FallSection meetings and other general meetings shall be sent by the program chair to all those whose names are on the membership listannounced on the Section's Web site.

IV. AMENDMENTS

These by-laws may be amended by a two-thirds majority of the voting membership present at the annual meeting, or by a two-thirds majority of those members voting in a mail or e-mail ballot conducted by the Council. Proposed amendments to be considered at a business meeting must be sent to each member of the Section at least one week prior to the meeting.