BY-LAWS OF THE TREE-RING SOCIETY

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 Larimer, City of Loveland, State of Colorado, 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.

ARTICLE II: ORGANIZATION
The administration of the Society shall be vested in an Executive Council made up of five officers (President, Vice-President, Secretary, Treasurer, and Editor). Three additional members will include a student representative, a member for conferences and awards, and a third for communications.  The operations of the Society shall be conducted by the officers or their delegates. Delegated work shall be technically reviewed by the officers.

ARTICLE III: OBJECTIVES
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.

ARTICLE IV: MEMBERS AND MEETINGS
1. Membership.
    a. Membership in the Society shall consist of three classes: Student, Individual, Developing Country, Retiree and Institutional.  Any person in accordance with the objectives of the Society may be admitted to membership.
    b. 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 her/his dues and shall have one vote in the transaction of the business of the Society. Members 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. 
     a. The Society shall sponsor the International Conference on Dendrochronology (ICD) and the AmeriDendro Conference 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.
      b. At the ICD meeting, the Society will confer three achievement awards, recognizing exceptional individuals in dendrochronology. Nominations for these awards will be sought broadly and internationally. They include:
          i. The Harold C. Fritts Award for Lifetime Achievement in Dendrochronology.
          ii. The Richard L. Holmes Award for Outstanding Service to Dendrochonology.
          iii. The Jose A. Boninsegna Frontiers in Dendrochronology Award.
      c. Judges for the ICD Awards will include the Society President and Vice-President, two recent award recipients, and the Council Member representing the upcoming ICD.
      d. Best Student Oral Presentation and Best Student Poster Awards will be presented at both the ICD and AmeriDendro meetings.

3. Topical Sections
       a. The Society will sponsor sections devoted to specific topics in dendrochronology; for example, geomorphology, climatology, software tools, students, etc.
        b. Activities of the sections are intended to encourage collaborations and communication among dendrochronologists with similar interests.  These sections can provide a focus for symposia at meetings of other scientific disciplines, workshops, special issues of publications, information sharing, networking, etc.
         c. New sections may be approved by vote of the Council. Each Section shall be governed as specified in a set of bylaws approved by the Executive Council of the Society. Membership in Sections is limited to members of the Society but will be open to any Society member. Each Section shall present a short annual report on its activities to the Council. In the event that a Section is inactive for two or more years, the Secretary of the Society shall notify the Council; a Section may be discontinued by action of the Council.

4. Referenda 
       a. 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.  Voting shall be secret and conducted via the Internet. 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 the date they were emailed to members by the Secretary.  A majority of votes received during the thirty day period shall constitute the deciding vote, except that By-Laws shall be amended as set forth in ARTICLE XI.

ARTICLE V: EXECUTIVE COUNCIL
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 or telephone.  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.

ARTICLE VI: OFFICERS
1.  The officers of the Society shall consist of a President, Vice-President, Treasurer, Secretary, Editor, Student Representative, and Diversion, Equity & Inclusion Officer.  All officers shall serve for a term of three years commencing January 1 of the calendar year.  All officers are eligible for re-election.

2. President. 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. Vice-President. The Vice-President will be the point of contact and coordinator of the topical sections. In the absence of the President, the Vice-President shall perform the President's duties as outlined above.

4. Secretary. The Secretary shall record minutes of Executive Council meetings as well as record developed and passed via email; ensure that activities of the Council and membership are conducted according to Society policies; conduct (or delegate conduct of) Society elections; and develop a summary of Council activities and decisions to be posted at least annually on the Society website 

5. Treasurer. 
      a. Working with the President and the Editor, the Treasurer will develop the Society’s annual budget and present it to the Council for approval; administer the finances of the Society, ensuring that the financial records are maintained as appropriate for non-profit organizations and according to budgetary regulations approved by the Executive Council; and be responsible for Society funds, spending them as authorized by the Executive Council.
     b. The Treasurer shall ensure that the membership list is maintained; dues collected, and provide for the care and sale of surplus copies of publications.
     c. The Treasurer shall provide a financial report to the Council at least quarterly and provide an annual report of the Society’s financial condition, so it may be posted annually on the Society website. 

6.  Student Representative.  The Student Representative shall be required to be current student in attendance of a higher learning institution and will work to represent the student member population, encourage membership of students to the Tree-Ring Society as well as work to develop ideas and plans to promote the education and learning of Dendrochronology within the student population.

7.  Diversity, Equality and Inclusion Officer.  The DEI officer is intended to promote DEI values in the TRS, at sponsored events (e.g., conferences) and fieldweeks by ensuring that all members, especially those who have been historically underrepresented based on race/ethnicity, age, disability, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, socioeconomic status, geography, citizenship status, or religion — are represented. It is the goal of the TRS that this position will help us build a more inclusive culture.

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

ARTICLE VII: OTHER COUNCIL MEMBERS
1. Student Representative.  The Student Representative shall be a Society student member and registered as a student at the time of elections.  The Student Representative will have full voting rights on the Council and function as the point of contact for student interests and activities.

2. Working with the President and Council, the Communications member will promote and coordinate communications with the membership, other dendrochronological societies, professional organizations, and the public.

3.The Council member for Conferences and Awards will represent the program committee of the next conference (International or Ameridendro) and will coordinate with the Council concerning the conference.  This individual will be appointed by that program committee and approved by the Council, not elected by the Society.  They are responsible for the Society awards nomination and determination process (both lifetime achievement and student awards).

ARTICLE VIII: ELECTIONS
1. No later than September 1 of election 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, with the exception of the Member for Conferences and Awards (ARTICLE VII).

ARTICLE IX: FINANCES
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 access 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.

ARTICLE X: OFFICIAL ORGAN SOCIETY PUBLICATION
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 biannually.  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.

ARTICLE XI: AMENDMENTS
These By-Laws may be amended by membership vote, as described in Article IV, only if a proposed amendment is approved by two-thirds of the votes cast.

Last Revision of the Bylaws: September 2014