Bylaws

Society for Germanic Linguistics Bylaws

ARTICLE I. TITLE

The title of this organization shall be the "Society for Germanic Linguistics" hereinafter referred to as "The Society."

ARTICLE II. PURPOSE

The purpose of The Society shall be to encourage, support, and further the study of the Germanic languages, and of their literatures and cultures, especially their earlier phases, by organizing meetings, publishing a journal, communicating with membership, maintaining an online presence, disseminating information to the public at large, by fostering ties with allied organizations, and by such other means as The Society may deem appropriate.

ARTICLE III. MEMBERSHIP

SECTION 1. Anyone who endorses the purpose of the organization may become a member of The Society upon application to the Treasurer and payment of the annual dues.

SECTION 2. The annual dues shall be paid to the Treasurer of the Society each year by January 31. The amount of the dues is determined by the Executive Committee.

SECTION 3. There shall be the following categories of membership: regular, sustaining, life, joint, institutional, student and emeritus, and honorary members. All members shall receive certain publications of The Society, including its journal (ARTICLE VIII).

SECTION 4. The Executive Committee may designate scholars of distinction in the field as honorary members of The Society. Honorary members pay no dues.

SECTION 5. Only personal (non-institutional) members may vote and hold office in The Society, and nominate candidates. Each such member shall be entitled to one vote on each matter submitted to a vote of the members.

ARTICLE IV. OFFICERS

SECTION 1. The officers of The Society shall be a President, a Vice President, a Secretary, and a Treasurer, who shall be elected from and by the membership to terms of office of three years, so arranged that no two terms begin in the same year except those of the Secretary and of the Treasurer, which always begin in the same year. The Treasurer shall be designated Acting-Secretary for all purposes related to banking. Officers shall be elected by electronic ballot distributed to all members of The Society. The terms of office of officers shall begin on January 1 of the year in which their tenure starts and expire on December 31 of the year in which their tenure ends. No two offices may be held by the same person.

SECTION 2. The duties of the President shall include the following: to serve as the official representative of the organization; to preside at the Annual Business Meeting; to convene, and to preside at, meetings of the Executive Committee, and to propose the agenda therefor; to report to the membership at the Annual Business Meeting on the state of the organization during the past year; to seek and maintain contacts with other professional organizations concerned with the field of Germanic languages; and to perform such other functions as the Executive Committee or membership at an Annual Business Meeting may authorize.

SECTION 3. The duties of Vice President shall include the following: to assist and advise the President in carrying out his/her duties; to chair the Election Committee; to maintain an official list of the members of the organization, its officers and Executive Committee members, and their terms of appointment; to preside, in the absence of the President, at the Annual Business Meeting, and at meetings of the Executive Committee; to perform such duties of the President as the latter may delegate to him/her; to assume the office of President if that office should become vacant, and to serve the unexpired portion of the term; and to perform such other functions as the Executive Committee or membership at an Annual Business Meeting may authorize.

SECTION 4. The duties of the Secretary shall include the following: to keep the official minutes of the Annual Business Meeting, and of the meetings of the Executive Committee; and to perform such other functions as the Executive Committee or the membership at an Annual Business Meeting may authorize.

SECTION 5. The duties of the Treasurer shall include the following: to serve as the chief fiscal officer of The Society; to maintain such records as may be required to show the origin, use, and disposition of The Societyʼs funds; to present a report on the financial state of The Society at the Annual Business Meeting; and to perform such other functions as the Executive Committee or the membership at an Annual Business Meeting may authorize.

SECTION 6. Any action by any of the officers in the name of the organization is subject to review by the Executive Committee or by the membership at an Annual Business Meeting.

SECTION 7. A vacancy in offices of Vice President, Secretary, and/or Treasurer shall be filled by the Executive Committee for the unexpired portion of the term.

ARTICLE V. EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

SECTION 1. The administration of the Society shall be in the hands of the Executive Committee, which shall consist of the President; Vice President; Secretary; Treasurer; the immediate past President who serves for one year and does not vote; a non-voting student member who serves for one year; and six (6) members elected from and by the membership. All members of the Executive Committee must be members in good standing of The Society.

SECTION 2. The at-large members of the Executive Committee shall be elected from and by the membership for terms of three years each, so arranged that no more than two terms begin in the same year. They shall be elected by electronic ballot distributed to all members of The Society. Their terms of office begin on January 1 of the year in which their tenure starts and expire on December 31 of the year in which their tenure ends. The student member shall be enrolled at the institution hosting the GLAC of that year and selected locally.

SECTION 3. The Executive Committee may appoint as ex officio members the chair of the editorial committee (cf. ARTICLE VIII), the chief coordinator(s) of The Society’s online presence, communication with members, and outreach efforts, and/or one member from the Executive Committee of the Discussion Group for Germanic Philology of the Modern Language Association of America.

SECTION 4. The President may invite appropriate individuals to attend and participate at Executive Committee meetings without vote.

SECTION 5. The duties of the Executive Committee shall include the following: to take such action as it may deem necessary to advance the purpose of the organization; to determine the amount of annual dues; to oversee the Society's online presence, communication with members, outreach efforts, and the editorial affairs of its journal and to appoint the Journal's editorship and one or more members to coordinate the Society's online presence, communication with members, and outreach efforts; to organize the Annual Business Meeting and to propose its agenda; to appoint standing and ad hoc committees, subject to the provisions herein; to appoint a member to serve the unexpired portions of the term of a vacant office (except for the office of President) or vacant seat on the Executive Committee itself; to oversee the financial affairs of The Society, or to designate a person or agency therefor; and to perform such additional functions as the membership at an Annual Business Meeting may authorize.

SECTION 6. The Executive Committee shall meet as often as necessary to conduct the business of The Society, at least once a year. Such meetings may be face-to-face, as at a conference, or via other means such as conference calls or electronic-mail. The quorum for any meeting of the Executive Committee shall be a majority of those officers and members attending a conference during which the meeting is held, or a majority of the officers and members, if the meeting is held at any other place.

SECTION 7. Any action of the Executive Committee in the name of the organization is subject to review by the membership at an Annual Business Meeting.

ARTICLE VI. ANNUAL BUSINESS MEETING

SECTION 1. Once a year an Annual Business Meeting shall be held at a time and place as convenient as possible to the membership. Normally, the Business Meeting shall take place during the Germanic Linguistics Annual Conference (ARTICLE IX).

SECTION 2. Notice of the agenda shall be given in writing at least thirty calendar days prior to the day of the Annual Business Meeting. By a vote of one-third of the members present, action on any item of which advance notice was not given may be deferred to the next Annual Business Meeting.

section 3. A quorum at the Annual Business Meeting shall consist of those members of The Society present at the Annual Meeting.

ARTICLE VII. COMMITTEES

SECTION 1. The Executive Committee, by resolution adopted by a majority of its members, may designate one or more committees as are deemed necessary to facilitate the business of The Society. Normally, an Election Committee, an editorial committee (ARTICLE VIII), and a Conference Program Committee (ARTICLE IX) will be appointed as regular committees.

SECTION 2.1. The Election Committee shall consist of three members: the Vice President, who shall serve as chair, and two members appointed by the Executive Committee. The terms of office of the members of the Election Committee shall be three years each, so arranged that no two terms begin in the same year. The Election Committee shall be responsible for the solicitation of nominations and the conducting of elections for officers and members of the Executive Committee in such manner as the Executive Committee shall by resolution determine.

SECTION 2.2. The Chair of the Election Committee shall announce the results of each year’s election at the Annual Meeting, and in any other manner which the Executive Committee deems suitable.

SECTION 2.3. In the event of a disputed election, the Chair of the Election Committee shall present the relevant information to the Executive Committee, which shall be the sole judge of its membership.

ARTICLE VIII. JOURNAL

SECTION 1. These bylaws authorize the Society to publish an official journal, entitled at the date of their amendment in 2021, the Journal of Germanic Linguistics. The Society shall publish the journal in such manner (including title, scope, and frequency of publication) as in the judgment of the Executive Committee best meets the requirements of the Society and the profession.

SECTION 2. The Executive Committee shall appoint an editorial committee, whose charge shall be to run the day-to-day affairs of the journal. The editorial committee shall be constituted in such manner (including number of members, their titles, and assignment of duties) as in the judgment of the Executive Committee best meets the requirements of the journal.

SECTION 3. The Executive Committee shall appoint one member of the editorial committee as chair, who acts as editor-in-chief of the journal and assumes responsibility for general coordination of publishing activities. The chair of the editorial committee is an ex officio member of the Executive Committee.

SECTION 4. The editorial committee and its chair serve at the pleasure of the Executive Committee.

ARTICLE IX. ANNUAL CONFERENCE

SECTION 1. These bylaws authorize the Society to hold an annual conference, circumstances permitting, the name of which at the date hereof is the "Germanic Linguistics Annual Conference," (abbreviated "GLAC").

SECTION 2. For each such conference, the Executive Committee will appoint a Conference Program Committee, which shall be responsible for

advising the local conference organizers in planning The Society’s annual conference.

ARTICLE X. FISCAL YEAR

The fiscal year of The Society shall begin on 1 January and end on 31 December.

ARTICLE XI. PARLIAMENTARY AUTHORITY

The rules contained in the most recent edition of Robert’s Rules of Order shall govern the organization in all cases to which they are applicable, and in which they are not inconsistent with these bylaws.

ARTICLE XII. AMENDMENTS

An amendment to these bylaws must be approved by the Executive Committee and presented to the membership in the form of a written ballot. The amendment takes effect upon ratification by a majority of those voting.

ARTICLE XIII. DISSOLUTION

The Society may be dissolved by an amendment to rescind these bylaws.