Division of Nuclear Physics of the Canadian Association of Physicists
ARTICLE I — NAME
This Division of the Canadian Association of Physicists shall be known as the Division of Nuclear Physics.
ARTICLE II — OBJECTIVE
The objective of the Division shall be to assist the advancement, dissemination, and application of knowledge of nuclear physics. Nuclear physics is the study of the properties and interactions of nuclei and their constituents. It extends to interdisciplinary studies of nuclear phenomena in the cosmos and to the use of nuclear properties to probe fundamental forces. It includes also the development of detectors, instrumentation, and new technologies in support of these studies.
ARTICLE III — ENABLING CONSTITUTIONAL PROVISION
Article XIII of the Constitution of the Association, as said Article may be subsequently revised or amended, is hereby incorporated in these Bylaws by reference.
ARTICLE IV — MEMBERSHIP
The members of the Division shall consist of members of the Association who have indicated, in accordance with procedures established by Council, their desire to join the Division and who retain membership from year to year by the payment of designated dues or by other method established by Council.
ARTICLE V — EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
Governance. The division shall be governed by an Executive Committee that shall have general charge of the affairs of the Division.
Composition. The Executive Committee shall consist of the Officers of the Division and the most recent Past Chairperson, henceforth referred to as the Past Chairperson.
Executive Committee Meetings. The Executive Committee shall meet at least once each year. Any member of the Executive Committee unable to attend a meeting shall have the privilege of naming an alternate, subject to the approval of the Chairperson, to represent him or her at the meeting, with vote. A majority of the members, including at least two Officers, shall constitute a quorum.
ARTICLE VI — OFFICERS
Officers. The officers of the Division shall be a Chairperson, a Chairperson-Elect, and a Secretary-Treasurer.
Duties of the Chairperson. The Chairperson shall call all meetings of the Executive Committee and shall preside at all those meetings at which his or her attendance is possible. The Chairperson shall appoint any committees, other than the Executive Committee, which are necessary to conduct the affairs of the Division, and shall be an ex officio member of each such committee. The Chairperson shall have the responsibility of assisting the Council of the Association in arranging the meetings of the Association. This activity shall include the scheduling of contributed papers within the area of interest of the Division, as well as the arranging, in cooperation with the Council of the Association, of symposia and sessions of invited papers sponsored by the Division.
Duties of the Chairperson-Elect. The Chairperson-Elect may act for the Chairperson at his or her request and shall act for the Chairperson in the event that the latter is unable to perform his or her duties.
Duties of the Secretary-Treasurer. The Secretary-Treasurer shall send out necessary notices and announcements to the members of the Executive Committee and to members of the Division. He or she shall notify all members of meetings of the Division at least nine weeks prior to the date of each meeting. The Secretary-Treasurer shall prepare minutes of each meeting of the Executive Committee, including the minutes of any Business Session of the Annual Meeting of the Division, and submit these minutes to each member of the Committee, within four weeks after the meeting.
The Secretary-Treasurer shall have responsibility for all funds in the custody, or placed at the disposal of the Division, and shall make disbursements from such funds in a manner that is consistent with the general policies of the Association and the Division. He or she shall present a financial report at the Annual Meeting of the Division and, when requested by the Chairperson, at each meeting of the Executive Committee.
The Secretary-Treasurer shall report the activities and needs of the Division to the Council of the Association.
ARTICLE VII — ELECTION AND TENURE OF THE OFFICERS AND EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE MEMBERS
Qualifications. Officers must be members of the Division for at least two years prior to nomination.
Ballot. The Chairperson-Elect and Secretary-Treasurer shall be elected by ballot as hereinafter provided.
Nomination and Election of the Chairperson-Elect and Secretary-Treasurer. Every two years a Chairperson-Elect and a Secretary-Treasurer shall be elected for two year terms. The immediate past Chairperson-Elect shall become Chairperson for a two-year term, and the Past Chairperson shall remain a member of the Executive Committee for an additional two years.
Not later than twenty weeks before the Annual Meeting of the Division in odd-numbered years, the Secretary-Treasurer shall invite all members of the Division to suggest candidates for officers for the following year. Any qualified member proposed as a candidate by a qualified member shall be deemed to have been nominated.
The Secretary-Treasurer of the Division shall distribute election ballots to all members of the Division either electronically or by mail not later than twelve weeks before the Annual Meeting. Each member shall cast not more than one vote for each office to be filled, and shall return electronic or sealed paper ballots to the Secretary-Treasurer within a specified period following distribution of not less than four weeks. The Secretary-Treasurer shall oversee the counting of the votes and submit the tally to the Chairperson of the Division. Election shall be determined by plurality of those voting. In the event of a tie, the Executive Committee shall decide the election, with the Chairperson voting only in the case of a tie among the other Executive Committee members.
Official Year. The official year of the Division shall extend from the close of the meeting at which terms of new officers begin, to the close of the next such meeting.
Terms of Office. The terms of the Officers and the other member of the Executive Committee shall begin at the close of the Annual Meeting of the Division following their election.
Vacancies in Offices. If a vacancy occurs in the office of the Chairperson, the Chairperson-Elect shall succeed and complete the term and shall serve as the Chairperson also in the following two year term. Vacancies in any other elected office shall be filled (or left unfilled) by the Executive Committee until such time as the vacancy can be filled by regular election procedures.
ARTICLE VIII — APPOINTED COMMITTEES
Thesis Prize Committee. The Thesis Prize Committee shall be chaired by the Chairperson-Elect of the Division. The membership of the Committee shall also include two additional members appointed by the Chairperson of the Division.
Terms of Office of Appointed Committee Members. The terms of committee members appointed or recommended by an incoming Chair shall commence at the beginning of the period in which he or she assumes office, unless otherwise specified in the Bylaws establishing the appointed committee.
Ad Hoc Committees. The Chairperson shall appoint other ad hoc committees as necessary, which shall serve only during his or her term as Chairperson.
ARTICLE IX — MEETINGS
Annual Meeting. A meeting of the Division to be known as the Annual Meeting shall be held each year at such time and place as shall be called by the Executive Committee. Whenever it shall be feasible, and not to the disadvantage of the members of the Division, the Executive Committee may order this or any other meeting to be held jointly with a Congress of the Association.
Annual Business Session. Each year the Division shall hold a Business Session that shall be part of the Annual Meeting. This Business Session shall be devoted to the reports of officers and committees, election results, items of interest to Division members, and to the transaction of business affairs. No scientific program shall be presented simultaneously with the Business Meeting. A majority vote of those Division members present at the Business Session shall be sufficient for approval of actions.
Other Meetings. Meetings of the Division, other than the Annual Meeting, may be scheduled by the Executive Committee, subject to coordination with the Executive of the Association. Special conferences and workshops may be sponsored in whole or in part by the Division, subject to the rules and regulations specified in the Association Bylaws.
Papers at Meetings. Programs of meetings of the Division may provide for the inclusion of both invited and contributed papers. When a meeting of the Division is held in conjunction with a meeting of the Association, the rules of the Association shall apply to submitted papers. When a meeting of the Division is not held in conjunction with a meeting of the Association, the Executive Committee shall prescribe the subject and character of the meeting, which may include limitations on the subject matter of submitted papers.
ARTICLE X — DUES
Dues for maintenance of membership in the Division shall be established by Council of the Association.
ARTICLE XI — OFFICIAL ANNOUNCEMENTS
Official announcements shall be made in appropriate publications of the Canadian Association of Physicists, such as in Physics in Canada, on the Division website, and in such other publications as the Executive Committee may direct.
ARTICLE XII — PROCEDURE FOR AMENDMENT OF BYLAWS
Proposal of an Amendment to these bylaws may be made by the Council of the Association, by the Executive Committee, or by a petition to the Chairperson signed by not less than ten percent of the members of the Division. If the proposed amendment originated within the Division, it must be approved by Council before further action can be taken. Following Council approval, the Secretary-Treasurer shall distribute copies of the proposed amendment to all members of the Division not less than three weeks before the Annual Meeting, and opportunity shall be given for discussion during the Business Session. The Secretary-Treasurer shall incorporate a vote of the Division membership on the Amendment in the next regular election. Adoption of the Amendment shall require the affirmative votes of not less than two-thirds of the members voting.