ByLaws
BYLAWS OF THE
POPULATION ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA, INC.
(Revised October 2009)
ARTICLE I - Membership
Section 1. Membership in the Association will begin with the month of processing an application and will extend for 12 months from that date. New members who wish to obtain publications issued prior to the month of processing of their membership may order them at prevailing rates. The Board of Directors may authorize the Secretary-Treasurer to reschedule the renewal of existing memberships to conform to a rotating dues year.
Section 2. A member may resign from the Association by notifying the Secretary-Treasurer in writing. There shall be no refund of dues following a resignation.
Section 3. Privileges of membership in the Association shall be suspended if a renewal payment has not been received within three months following the renewal month. Renewal notices for the member’s next year’s dues shall be sent out no later than three months prior to the expiration date. Suspended members may be reinstated upon payment of current dues.
ARTICLE II - Finances
Section 1. The fiscal year of the Association shall be the calendar year.
Section 2. Membership dues and subscription fees shall be determined by the Board of Directors. The Board may establish special dues for students, joint members desiring to receive only one set of publications, and others.
Section 3. The President shall be responsible for selecting either an independent auditor or an auditing committee to make an audit of the Association’s finances for the current fiscal year and transmit the audit to the Board of Directors with whatever comments and interpretations may be necessary. The report shall be included in the annual report of the Secretary-Treasurer.
Section 4. In the event of dissolution of the Population Association of America, the Board of Directors shall, after paying or making provision for the payment and discharge of all the liabilities of the Association, distribute all of the assets of the Association exclusively for charitable, scientific, literary, and educational purposes to such organization(s) operated exclusively for charitable, scientific, literary, and educational purposes and qualifying as exempt organization(s) under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Service Code, as the Board of Directors shall determine. If the Board of Directors does not take such action, then the remaining property or assets shall be distributed to one or more nonprofit charitable, scientific, literary, and educational organizations having the power to engage in activities similar to those of the Association.
ARTICLE III - Place of Meeting
Meetings of the Association shall be held only at places where there is written assurance that no member will be denied full access to facilities of the meeting place.
ARTICLE IV - Election Balloting
Section 1. The report of the Nominating Committee shall be published in an official publication of the Association or otherwise communicated to the members of the Association by April 30. Additional nominations may be made within 60 days of the date of this publication or other notice by petition signed by at least 10 members and submitted to the Secretary-Treasurer.
Section 2. The Secretary-Treasurer shall send, by August 31, the list of nominees for the various offices, with brief biographical sketches, to each member with a ballot for the election of officers, Directors, a member of the Committee on Publications, and members of the Nominating Committee. Ballots shall be sent to those members who are in good standing.
Section 3. Members shall vote using online voting or by mail ballot (for members without an email address or upon member request). Votes cast online or mail ballots received by the Secretary-Treasurer within 60 days of the date of notification to the membership of the election shall be counted. The nominee(s) receiving the largest number of votes shall be declared elected. If a tie vote occurs, the choice shall be made by the Board of Directors. All nominees shall be notified promptly of the outcome of the election by the Secretary-Treasurer. The election results shall be communicated to the membership through the PAA website and the next issue of an official Association publication that carries news items.
ARTICLE V - Temporary Absence, Disability, or Conflict of
Interest of Officers and Members of the Board of Directors
Section 1. In the event that a temporary absence, disability, or conflict of interest results in the inability of the President to perform some or all of the duties of the office, the Vice President shall exercise the powers of the President and discharge those duties during the period in which the President is unable to perform such duties. Should the Vice President be unable to discharge such duties because of temporary absence, disability, or conflict of interest, then the line of succession would be the President-Elect and then the Vice President-Elect.
Section 2. Issues arise in which the PAA as an organization has a legitimate professional or scientific interest in taking some action. When an officer or member of the Board of Directors of the PAA stands to benefit or suffer loss directly as a consequence of PAA action on an issue, that officer or member of the Board has a conflict of interest. If an issue has come before the PAA for deliberation and possible action, it is the obligation of anyone who is acting in a formal capacity on behalf of the Association and who has a conflict of interest to identify that conflict of interest, abstain from discussion and any vote on the issue, and ensure that there is written documentation of that abstention.
