ARTICLE  I
NAME AND OFFICES

1. Name.  The name of this society is Tree-Ring Society.
2. Offices.  The principal office of the society shall be in the County of Pima, City of Tucson, State of Arizona, United States of America.  The society may also have offices at such other places as the Council may from time to time appoint or the services of the society may require.

The administration of the Society shall be vested in an Executive Council made up of five officers (President, Vice-President, Secretary, Treasurer, Editor) and three additional members.  The operations of the Society shall be conducted by the officers.

1. The objectives of the Society shall be
    a) to promote and encourage research in dendrochronology throughout the  world;
    b) to arrange symposia and conferences on dendrochronology at meetings of other scientific disciplines;
    c) to publish the results of research in dendrochronology;
    d) to sponsor and promote the application of dendrochronology to related fields, and
    e) in general, to disseminate knowledge of dendrochronology to other scientists and the public at large.

1. Membership.
    a. Membership in the Society shall consist of three classes: Student, Individual, and Institutional.  Any person in accordance with the objectives of the Society may be admitted to membership.
    b. Applications for membership in the Society shall be submitted to the Secretary.  All applications shall be approved unless there be objections from two or more members of the Society.  In this instance a three-quarters vote of the Executive Council shall be required to reject the application.
    c. Each member of the Society shall receive all of the Society's regular publications for the year covered by his dues and shall have one vote in the transaction of the business of the Society.  He shall be eligible for any elective or appointive office in the Society.
    d. Any individual or institution may subscribe to the Society's publication without privilege of membership at a rate to be set by the Executive Council.  Likewise, anyone may buy any of the Society's publications individually at a rate set by the Executive Council.

2.  Meetings.  The Society shall sponsor the International Conference on Dendrochronology at intervals of one to  four years.  While the Society shall work to facilitate conference site selection and organization, local organizers will have responsibility to make arrangements for these conferences.

3. Referendum:  All matter of business of the Society may be decided by means of a referendum vote by email ballot at any time upon the initiation of the Executive Council or a petition signed by any twenty-five members to the Executive Council.  Ballots shall be emailed to members by the Secretary.  In order that they may be counted as votes, ballots must be placed by members and received anonymously by the Secretary via a secure server no more than thirty days after date when they were emailed to members by the Secretary.  A majority of votes received during the thirty day period shall constitute the deciding vote, except By-Laws shall be amended as set forth in ARTICLE X.

1. The Executive Council shall be the administrative body of the Society, and shall be made up of the officers and three additional elected members.  It shall set dues, authorize all meetings, plan the undertakings of the organization, appoint standing committees as necessary, authorize all expenditures subject to limitations set forth in these By-Laws, and through the President make an annual report to the Society.

2.  The Executive Council shall meet at such times and places as the President may designate.  Due to the great distances separating the officers and representatives, the Executive Council may conduct most of its business via deliberations on the Internet.  Hence, all members of the Executive Council must have Internet access.  Two thirds of the members of the Executive Council shall constitute a quorum for business.

3. In the event of a vacancy in any elective office, the Executive Council shall have the power to make interim appointment to the office for the remainder of the unexpired term.

1.  The officers of the Society shall consist of a President, Vice-President, Treasurer, Secretary, and Editor.  All officers shall serve for a term of two years commencing January 1 of even calendar years.  All officers are eligible for re-election.

2. The President shall be the presiding officer at all meetings of the Society and of the Executive Council.  The President shall see that all undertakings authorized by the Executive Council are properly carried out.  Acting on advice and consent of the Executive Council, the President shall appoint all necessary committees and define their duties.  The President shall have the power to make appointments to fill vacancies in the Executive Council, subject to a vote of approval by a majority of the Council.

3. In the absence of the President, the Vice-President shall perform the President's duties as outlined above.

4. The Secretary shall have general charge of administrative matters under the direction of the President.  It shall be the duty of the Secretary to keep complete records of all meetings and email threads of the Executive Council and to compile them into minutes, and attend to the ordinary correspondence of the Society.  Minutes of the Council shall be posted annually on the Society website.   

5. It shall be the duty of the Treasurer to keep account of the membership dues; have charge of all funds belonging to the Society and pay out such funds when authorized to do so by the Executive Council.  The Treasurer shall also make an annual report of the financial condition of the Society and post it annually on the Society website.

6. The Treasurer shall administer the finances of the Society subject to budgetary and other regulations approved by the Executive Council.  The Treasurer shall maintain proper and adequate records which at all times shall be open to inspection by the Executive Council.

7. The Treasurer shall maintain the membership list and provide the mailing list for publications of the Society and shall have charge of the care and sale of surplus copies of publications.

8. The duties of the Editor are set forth in ARTICLE IX.

1. No later than September 1 of odd-numbered years, the President shall disseminate, by email and via the International Tree-Ring Data Bank Internet forum, a call for nominations for positions on the Society Executive Council (including Officers and three At-Large members).  Only paid-up members of the Society may make nominations or be nominated.  The period of nominations will be closed on September 30

2. All nominees must provide to the President a statement of their qualifications and intentions should they be elected to the Executive Council.  Because most Executive Council business is conducted via Internet e-mail, all nominees must have Internet access.  The list of nominees and their statements will comprise the ballots, which shall be mailed to the Society membership no later than October 31 of odd-numbered years.  The period for accepting ballots mailed by members shall end on November 30.

3. Officers and At-Large members of the Executive Council shall be elected from among those nominated by a majority vote of the members who cast ballots.

1. The fiscal year of the Society shall commence on January 1 of each and end on December 31.

2. Annual dues shall be payable not later than March 31st if members are to continue to receive the Society's publications or to vote.  Anyone accepted for membership to the Society upon payment of dues anytime between January 1 and December 31  shall receive all of the Society's publications for the same year.  Likewise, subscriptions to the Society's journal shall be for the calendar year.

3. The income from annual dues, subscriptions and from investments and other sources shall constitute the Working Fund, available for operating, publication, and other current expenses consistent with the purposes of the Society as the Executive Council may direct.

4. No financial obligations in excess of funds available in the Treasury shall be assumed by the Executive Council or by any officer on behalf of the Society except when approved by a majority vote of the membership of the Society.

1. The official publication of the Society shall be known as Tree-Ring Research.

2. The Society publication shall be the immediate responsibility of the Editor.  It shall be issued at least annually.  Greater frequency of publication shall be decided by vote of the Executive Council.  The Editor shall have the power to appoint such advisors or assistants as required with the advice and consent of the Executive Council.

These By-Laws may be amended by mail ballot, as described in Article IV, only if a proposed amendment is approved by two-thirds of the votes cast.

Last Revised January 17, 2008