Approved 6 April 1979 (Belleville)
Revised 2 April 2002 (Rantoul)
Revised 2009 (Galena)
Revised 2011 (Macomb)
Revised 2016 (Northfield)

ILLINOIS GEOGRAPHICAL SOCIETY

CONSTITUTION

ARTICLE 1 NAME

This association shall be known as the Illinois Geographical Society.

ARTICLE 2 OBJECT

The object of the association shall be: (1) the promotion of scientific research in geography, (2) the encouragement of better teaching of geography in the elementary and secondary schools and in the colleges of Illinois, (3) the diffusion of geographic knowledge, and (4) the general strengthening of geographic interests of the people of the state of Illinois.

ARTICLE 3 MEMBERSHIP

Membership shall be open to all persons and institutions with genuine interest in geography as an academic subject, an applied science, or an avocation.

ARTICLE 4 OFFICERS

Section 1. The officers shall be a President, a Vice-President, a Treasurer, a Secretary, the Editor of the Illinois Geographer, the Central Office Director, and such other officers as the association may require. The offices of Treasurer and Secretary may be filled by the same person.

Section 2. Each officer shall be a member in good standing.

Section 3. The President and Vice-President shall assume official duties immediately following the regular Annual Meeting of the association and shall serve for a term of two years or until their successors shall be elected. The Secretary, Treasurer, Editor of the Illinois Geographer and Central Office Director, shall assume their official duties immediately following the regular Annual Meeting and shall serve for three (3) years or until their successors shall be selected (whichever comes first).

Section 4. The duties of the officers shall be as follows:

a. The President shall be the executive officer and shall preside over all meetings of the association and of the Executive Council. He or she shall appoint committees and shall be ex-officio a member of all standing and special committees. Should a vacancy in the office of Vice-President, Treasurer, or Secretary arise, it will be filled by appointment by the President, who shall perform such other duties as normally pertain to the office of President.

b. The Vice-President, in the absence of the President, shall preside at all meetings of the association and of the Executive Council. Should a vacancy arise in the office of the President, the Vice-President shall succeed to the office. The Vice-President may be responsible for the program of the Annual Meeting, or assist an appointed program chair in the planning of the Annual Meeting, and shall perform such other duties as normally pertain to that office or as may be assigned to him or her by the President or the Executive Council.

c. The Treasurer shall receive all funds paid to the association, shall deposit same in the official depositories, and shall expend same on approval of the Central Office Director. The Treasurer shall sign all checks. The accounts and books shall be at all times open to the inspection of the President and the Executive Council. The books shall be audited annually by a committee appointed by the President. The Treasurer shall submit a report at the Annual Meeting and at such other times as the President or the Executive Council may require.

d. The Secretary shall keep the records of attendance at meetings and minutes of the meetings of the association. The Secretary shall submit a report at the Annual Meeting and at such other times as the President or the Executive Council may require.

e. The Editor shall be responsible for the editing and publication of the Illinois Geographer. The Editor shall submit a report at the Annual Meeting and at such other times as the President or the Executive Council may require.

f. The Central Office Director shall be responsible for the daily operations of the association's Central Office and shall submit a report at the Annual Meeting as well at other times as the President or Executive Council may require.

ARTICLE 5 THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL

Section 1. The Executive Council shall consist of the President, Vice-President, Treasurer, Secretary, Editor of the Illinois Geographer, Central Office Director, the immediate past-Presidents, Coordinator of the Illinois Geographic Alliance, Applied Geographer, Retired Geographer, the Illinois GIS Association Liaison, and four Members-At-Large. Each Member-At-Large will be selected to represent one of these principal educational constituencies: elementary, secondary, the two-year college and the four-year college or university. The term of Members-At-Large shall be three (3) years. Terms of the Retired Geographer and Applied Geographer shall be three (3) years.

Section 2. All members of the Executive Council shall assume official duties immediately following the regular Annual Meeting and shall serve until their successors shall be elected or appointed.

Section 3. The Executive Council shall determine the policies and activities of the association, approve the budget, solicit counsel of committees, and have general management of the association. Each member of the Executive Council shall have the voting privilege.

Section 4. The Executive Council shall meet before the Annual Meeting, and as deemed necessary by the presiding officer. At the discretion of the President, the committee representatives shall meet with the Executive Council in joint session.

ARTICLE 6 NOMINATION & ELECTION OF OFFICERS

Section 1. The election of officers and the appointment of members of the Executive Council shall take place at the Annual Meeting.

Section 2. Voting shall be by ballot. Only members in good standing may vote.

Section 3. At least four weeks prior to the date of the Annual Meeting, the President shall appoint a committee of three (3) to be known as the Nominating Committee. The duties of this committee shall be to provide a slate of officers; to have general charge of the election; and to prepare, distribute, collect, and count the ballots.

Section 4. Nothing contained in this article shall be construed as limiting the right to make nominations from the floor at a meeting.

Section 5. The President, Vice-President, Secretary, and Treasurer shall be elected by a majority vote of those members in good standing present at the Annual Meeting. The President shall appoint the Applied Geographer and the Members-At-Large at the Annual Meeting. The Editor of the Illinois Geographer, Central Office Director, Coordinator of the Illinois Geographic Alliance, Retired Geographer and ILGISA Liaison shall be selected by the Executive Council.

ARTICLE 7 MEETINGS

Section 1. The Annual Meeting of the association shall be held at such time and place as the Executive Council may designate. The Executive Council is empowered also to arrange other meetings. Announcements of the time and place of meetings shall be mailed to members at least thirty (30) days in advance.

Section 2. A Business Meeting shall be held during the Annual Meeting. It shall be the duty of the Secretary to render a report summarizing the action of the Executive Council. Written or oral reports shall also be presented by the President, the Editor of the Illinois Geographer, the Central Office Director, and the chairperson of each standing committee.

ARTICLE 8 WHEN IN EFFECT

This Constitution shall be put into effect when passed by a majority vote of the members present.

ARTICLE 9 AMENDMENTS

The Constitution and Bylaws may be amended by a majority vote of the members of the association voting on such amendments. The executive Council shall determine the method of voting on amendments.

• Amendment Method One (the preferred method):
  All proposed amendments shall be sent to individual and life members at least 30 calendar days before the annual Business Meeting of the association. The vote to amend shall occur at the annual Business Meeting.

OR

• Amendment Method Two:
  All proposed amendments shall be sent to individual and life members of the association, accompanied by an official ballot. Members shall have time to review the proposed amendments but must return their official ballots to the Central Office within 30 calendar days of the postmarked date on the amendment material mailed to them. The Central Office Director shall oversee ballot counting and report the results to members at the association's next annual Business Meeting.

ARTICLE 10 PARLIAMENTARY PROCEDURE

Roberts' Rules of Order shall be followed in transacting all business.

ARTICLE 11 INUREMENT

No part of the net earnings of the association shall inure to the benefit of, or be distributable to its members, trustees, officers, or other private persons, except that the association shall be authorized and empowered to pay reasonable compensation for services rendered and to make payments and distributions in furtherance of the purposes set forth in Article 2 hereof. No substantial part of the activities of the association shall be the carrying on of propaganda, or otherwise attempting to influence legislation, and the association shall not participate in, or intervene in (including the publishing or distribution of statements) any political campaign on behalf of or in opposition to any candidate for public office. Notwithstanding any other provision of these articles, the association shall not carry on any other activities not permitted to be carried on (a) by an association exempt from federal income tax under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, or the corresponding section of any future federal tax code or (b) by an association, contributions to which are deductible under section 170(c)(2) of the Internal Revenue Code, or the corresponding section of any future federal tax code.

ARTICLE 12 ASSET DISPOSITION

Upon the dissolution of the association, assets shall be distributed for one or more exempt purposes within the meaning of section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, or the corresponding section of any future federal tax code, or shall be distributed to the federal government, or to a state or local government, for a public purpose. Any such assets not so disposed of shall be disposed of by a Court of Competent Jurisdiction of the county in which the principal office of the association is then located, exclusively for such purposes or to such organization or organizations, as said Court shall determine, which are organized and operated exclusively for such purposes.

BYLAWS

Section 1. Dues
The Executive Council shall set the annual dues for each category of membership, and the members shall approve at the next annual business meeting. Members in arrears shall be dropped from membership after due notice according to procedures established and announced by the association.

Section 2. Membership Right
All members shall be accorded full voting privileges and office holding rights.

Section 3. Official Publications
a. The name of the official publication of the association shall be Illinois Geographer.
b. The Executive Council shall determine the content of the Illinois Geographer and the number of issues per year.

Section 4. There shall be such standing committees as the Executive Council may find advisable to create.

Section 5. Each standing committee shall be composed of three or more members. The term of each committee member shall extend from the time of appointment until the next Annual Meeting or until the committee shall have completed its work.

Section 6. Special committees may be appointed by the President to perform such duties as may be defined in their creation.

Section 7. Central Office
When choosing the Central Office Director (see article 6, section 5), the Executive Council shall also identify the site of the Central Office. That site must be acceptable to the incoming Director. Council shall base its decision about the Director on proven and potential leadership/managerial qualities. Council shall base its decision about the Central Office on the commitment of institutional support.