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Table of Contents
ARTICLE I.
NAME, NATURE AND OBJECTIVES
1.
Name.
The name of this organization shall be The Lebanese
Studies Association.
2.
Nature and Objectives. The Lebanese Studies Association is
a private, non-profit, non-political organization of
scholars and other persons interested in Lebanese
studies. Its objectives are, (a) to promote high
standards of scholarship and instruction, (b) to
facilitate communication among its members through
meetings and written exchanges of information, and (c) to
promote international scholarly cooperation among persons
and organizations concerned with Lebanese Studies.
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ARTICLE II.
MEMBERSHIP AND MEETINGS
1.
Categories of Membership. There shall be the following
categories of membership in the Association: (a) Regular
Members, regular membership in the Association shall be
limited to those faculty and other individuals who have
an interest in Lebanese Studies (applicants satisfying
this condition may be admitted to membership in the
Association by action of the Executive Board or in such
manner as they may direct); (b) Student Members, Student
Membership in the Association shall be limited to those
students who have an interest in Lebanese studies
(applicants satisfying this condition may be admitted to
membership in the Association by action of the Executive
Board or in such manner as they may direct); (c)
Associate Members, Associate Members are members not
included in the above categories but who are interested
in supporting the activities of the Association; (d)
Institutional Members, Institutional Members are
organizations which are interested in supporting the
activities of the Association.
2. Annual
Meetings. The association shall normally hold an annual
meeting in conjunction with the annual meeting of the
Middle East Studies Association. This meeting shall
consist of a business session and discussion. The
business session shall be for the purpose of the
transaction of such business as may properly come before
such meetings.
3. Special
Meetings. Special meetings of the Association may be
called at any time by the Secretary of the Association
upon the request of the Executive Board.
4. Notice of
Meetings. Notice of every annual meeting and of every
special meeting of the members of the Association shall
be served in writing to each member of the Association
not less than twenty nor more than sixty days before the
meeting. Such notice shall state the purpose or purposes
for which the meeting is called and the time and place it
is to be held. Notice need not be given to any member who
attends such meeting or to any member who in writing,
either before or after the holding of such meeting,
waives such notice.
5. Quorum. At all
meetings of the Association, held in conjunction with the
annual meeting of the Middle East Studies Association,
the attending members shall be necessary and sufficient
to constitute a quorum. Such quorum will have the
authority to transact all items of Association business
except for the annual election of officers and any
amendment of the Bylaws, which will be conducted by mail
ballot.
6. Dues. Members
will be required to pay such membership fees and dues as
may be determined by the Executive Board.
7. Voting
Eligibility. Only members in good standing shall be
eligible to vote, to be officers, and to serve on the
Executive Board.
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ARTICLE
III. EXECUTIVE BOARD
1. General Duties.
The property and affairs of the Association shall be
managed by the Executive Board except that the ultimate
authority of the Association shall be vested in the body
of members as expressed in the annual meeting or through
mail polls.
2.
Annual Meeting. The annual meeting of the Executive
Board shall be held as soon as practicable following the
annual meeting of the members. Such annual meetings of
the Executive Board shall be open for the transaction of
any business within the powers of the Executive Board.
3.
Special Meetings. Special meetings of the Executive
Board may be called by the Secretary upon the request of
the President or any three Board Members.
4.
Notice of Meetings. Notice of every annual meeting and
of every special meeting of the Executive Board shall be
served in writing to each Board Member not less than
twenty nor more than sixty days before their meeting.
Such notice shall state the purpose or purposes for which
the meeting is called and the time and place it is to be
held. Notice need not be given to any Board Member who
attends such meeting or to any member who in writing,
either before or after the holding of such meeting,
waives such notice.
5. Quorum. At all
meetings of the Executive Board the presence of one-half
of the Board Members shall be necessary and sufficient to
constitute a quorum. Except as otherwise provided by law
or by the Bylaws, the act of a majority of the Board
Members present and voting shall be the act of the
Executive Board.
6. Number of Board
Members. The Executive Board shall consist of not fewer
than eight persons: the President, the immediately
previous President or the President-Elect, the Treasurer,
and five other members of the Association, one of whom
will be selected Secretary. In addition, the Editor of
the Bulletin shall be an ex officio member of the Board.
7. Election of
Board Members. The five Board Members, other than the
President, the immediately previous President, the
President- Elect, and Treasurer, shall be elected by the
regular members of the Association. These five Board
Members shall be elected by a plurality of the vote cast.
Three Board Members shall be elected by mail ballot in
one year, and two the year following, and so annually
alternating, three and two. All persons elected as Board
Members shall continue in office until their terms of two
years have expired or until their successors shall have
been duly elected, or until earlier death, resignation,
or removal in accordance with the Bylaws. Additional
Board Members to fill any vacancy or vacancies caused by
failure to elect the full number of Members or the death,
resignation or removal of any Member may be elected by a
majority of the remaining Board Members.
8. Removal and
Resignation of Board Members. Any Board Member may be
removed at any time with or without cause and with or
without notice at any meeting of the members of the
Association by a vote of the majority of the members
present and voting. Any Board Member may resign at any
time.
9. Compensation.
The Board Members shall not receive compensation for
their services as such, but the Executive Board may
authorize reimbursement of expenses incurred by Board
Members in connection with duties.
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ARTICLE IV.
OFFICERS
1. Number of
Officers. The Officers of the Association shall be a
President, who shall serve as President-Elect before
assuming the office of President, in which capacity he or
she shall also chair the Executive Board; a Secretary;
and a Treasurer. One person may not hold more than one of
the aforesaid offices concurrently.
2. Election of
Officers. A Nominating Committee shall be elected from
among the members of the Association. This election will
take place during the annual meeting of the LSA. Once
they are elected, members of the nominating committee
telephone-conference and nominate a candidates for each
office. The candidates are then asked if they are willing
to be nominated. If so, they prepare a description which
is sent with the ballots to the membership for voting.
The President and the Treasurer shall be elected by mail
ballot of the members, and the results shall be announced
at the Association’s annual meeting. The President
shall serve for a two-year term; however, the President
shall be elected in the year preceding the beginning of
his or her presidential term and shall serve one year as
President-Elect before succeeding automatically to the
Presidency at the expiration of the preceding
President’s term. The Treasurer shall serve for a
two-year term. The Secretary shall be chosen by majority
vote of the Executive Board. The President and Treasurer
shall serve until the election of their successors has
been announced in annual meeting. Vacancies of offices
caused either by failure to elect a candidate or by
death, resignation, or removal may be filled by a
majority vote of the Executive Board.
3. Additional
Officers. The Executive Board at any meeting may by
resolution appoint such additional officers and determine
their term of office as it may deem desirable.
4. Removal and
Resignation of Officers. Officers may be removed at any
time with or without cause and with or without notice by
a vote of the majority of the body electing them. Any
officer may resign at any time.
5. The President.
The President shall be a member of the Executive Board
and all committees, ex officio; shall serve as Chair of
the Executive Board and shall be a Board Member for the
year following his or her term in office; shall be the
chief executive officer of the Association and shall have
general supervision of the affairs and property of the
Association and over its several officers; shall
generally do and perform all acts incident to the office
of President, and shall have such additional powers and
duties as may from time to time be assigned to him or her
by the Executive Board. During their year of overlap, the
President shall strive to prepare the President-Elect to
assume the presidency and shall seek the advice and
assistance of the President-Elect in association
business. In the temporary absence or disability of the
President, the President-Elect shall perform all the
duties of the President and, when so acting, shall have
all the powers of, and be subject to all the restrictions
upon, the President. In the absence or incapacity of the
President-Elect, the Executive Board may designate one of
its members to serve as Acting President.
6. Treasurer. The
Treasurer shall act under the supervision of the
Executive Board and shall have charge and custody of, and
be responsible for, all the funds of the Association and
shall keep and be responsible for accurate and adequate
records of the assets, liabilities and transactions of
the Association. The Treasurer shall deposit all moneys
and other valuable effects of the Association in the name
of, and to the credit of, the Association in such banks,
trust companies or other depositories as from time to
time may be designated by the Executive Board. In
general, the Treasurer shall perform such duties as may
from time to time be assigned to him or her by the
Executive Board or the President.
7. The Secretary.
The Secretary shall act as secretary of, and keep the
minutes of, all meetings of the Executive Board and of
the members of the Association, in one or more books
provided for that purpose. whenever required by the
President, he or she shall perform like duties for any
committee, provided that, in the absence of the
Secretary, the majority of the regular members or Board
Members present at any meeting thereof may designate one
of their members to act as Secretary for such meeting.
The Secretary shall see that all notices are duly given
in accordance with these Bylaws; he or she shall keep a
record which shall contain the names and addresses of
each category of members of the Association; and, in
general, he or she shall perform all duties incident to
the office of Secretary and such other duties as may from
time to time be assigned to him or her by the Executive
Board or the President.
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ARTICLE V.
COMMITTEES
1. Committees. The
President with the approval of the Executive Board may
appoint from time to time such committees as may be
deemed desirable in forwarding the program of the
Association, and each of such committees shall exercise
such powers and perform such duties as may be prescribed
by the President. Members of such committees need not be
members of the Executive Board if the committee in
question is not vested with a power or duty normally
considered a primary power or duty of the Executive
Board, and committee membership shall be open to all
categories of members of the Association when this is
deemed appropriate and desirable by the Executive Board.
The names of the members of each committee and their
terms of office shall be made known to all members of the
Association at least annually.
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ARTICLE VI.
MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS
1. Offices. The
office of the Lebanese Studies Association shall be in
the city and state designated by the Executive Board. The
Executive Board may establish and maintain additional
offices from time to time as it may deem expedient.
2. Publications. A
bulletin that contains news of the association and its
members shall be published.
3. Fiscal Year.
The fiscal year of the Association shall end as of
October 31 in each year.
4. Execution of
Contracts. No contract, other than the ordinary course,
may be entered into on behalf of the Association unless
authorized by the Executive Board; and any such
authorization may be general or confined to specific
instances.
5. Loans. No loan
shall be contracted on behalf of the Association unless
authorized by the Executive Board.
6. Commercial
Paper. All checks, drafts and other orders for the
payment of money out of the funds of the Association, and
all notes or evidence of indebtedness of the Association
shall be executed on behalf of the Association by such
officer or officers or agent or agents of the Association
as may be determined by resolution of the Executive
Board, or by designation of an officer or officers to
whom such power of designation shall have been conferred
by the Executive Board.
7. Deposits. The
funds of the Association shall be deposited in such
banks, trust companies or other depositories as the
Executive Board may from time to time select or as may be
selected by an officer or agent of the Association to
whom such power may from time to time be delegated by the
Executive Board.
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ARTICLE
VII. AMENDMENT OF BYLAWS
1. Amendments. At
any meeting of the Association at which 50% of the
members is present, or at any time by majority vote of
the members in a mail ballot, these bylaws or any one of
them may be altered, amended, or repealed by a majority
of the votes cast. Such alteration, amendment, or repeal
shall become effective immediately upon adoption.
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ARTICLE
VIII. LIMITED POWERS; DISSOLUTION
1. The Lebanese
Studies Association is organized exclusively for
educational and scientific purposes, including, for such
purposes, the making of distributions to organizations
that qualify as exempt organizations under Section 501 ©
(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954 (or the
corresponding provision of any future United States
Internal Revenue Code).
2. No part of the
net earnings of the corporation shall inure to the
benefit of, or be distributable to, its members,
directors, officers, or other private persons, except
that the corporation shall be authorized and empowered to
pay reasonable compensation for services rendered.
3. No substantial
part of the activities of the corporation shall be the
carrying on of propaganda or otherwise attempting to
influence legislation; the corporation shall not
participate in or intervene in any political campaign on
behalf of any candidate for public office.
4. In the event of
dissolution, any remaining assets shall be distributed to
organizations organized and operated exclusively for
charitable, educational or scientific purposes as shall
at the time qualify as exempt organizations under Section
501 © (3) of the United States Revenue Code of 1954.
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