DENTAL SECTION, A SECTION OF THE MEDICAL
LIBRARY ASSOCIATION, INC.
BYLAWS
REVISED JUNE 2001
ARTICLE I. Name
The name of this organization shall be Dental
Section, a Section of the Medical Library Association, Inc.
ARTICLE II. Purpose
The purpose of this Section shall be to promote,
advance, and facilitate communication among individuals with
interests in dental medicine and oral biology; and to contribute
to management of dental collections.
ARTICLE III.
Membership
Section 1. Members
All and only members of MLA may belong to
this Section.
Section 2. Rights and Privileges
A. Voting members of this Section shall consist
of all members, except that only Voting Members* of the Medical
Library Association shall be qualified to move or to vote
on recommendations to the Section Council regarding MLA policies
or actions; to vote on the selection of a candidate for the
MLA Nominating Committee; or to vote on the selection of the
Section's Representative and Representative-Elect to the Section
Council. One person may cast two (2) votes only if eligible
as an Institutional Representative and also as a Voting Member.
B. Officers of this Section shall be Voting
Members of the Medical Library Association.
Section 3. Dues
A. Dues shall be determined by a majority
vote of those present and eligible to vote at the Annual Meeting
of the Section. Dues shall be assessed on an annual basis
for the period of the calendar year. Section dues shall not
exceed MLA membership dues for Regular Members.
B. Section dues shall be payable on joining
the Section and thereafter at the same time as are Medical
Library Association dues.
C. If dues are unpaid by March 1, the dues
shall be considered in arrears and without further notice
the member shall be suspended from all rights and privileges.
ARTICLE IV. Officers
Section 1. Officers and Term of Office
A. Elective officers of the Section shall
be a Chair, a Chair Elect, a Secretary Treasurer, a Representative
to the Section Council, a Representative-Elect to the Section
Council, and the Immediate Past Chair.
B. The term of office of the Chair shall be
one (1) year as Chair Elect, one (1) year as Chair, and one
(1) year as Immediate Past-Chair. No one may serve more than
one (1) successive term as Chair Elect/Chair/Immediate Past
Chair.
C. The term of office of the Secretary Treasurer
shall be one (1) year. An individual may not serve more than
three (3) successive terms as Secretary Treasurer.
D. The term of office of the Representative
to the Section Council shall be three (3) years, one-year
(1) term as Representative-Elect, and a two-year (2) term
as Representative, except that if the Representative's term
be made shorter by action of the Council or the Bylaws of
the Medical Library Association, the term will coincide with
that action. The Representative to the Section Council shall
have previously served as an officer of the Section. No one
may serve two (2) successive terms as Representative to the
Section Council.
E. Elected officers shall take office at the close of the
MLA Annual Meeting following their election and serve, unless
they resign, die, become incapacitated, or are removed, until
the close of the MLA Annual Meeting at the end of their terms
of office or until their successors are elected and assume
their duties.
Section 2. Duties
A. The duties of the Chair shall be to preside
over all meetings and to represent the Section at all times
and on all occasions not in conflict with any other officer's
defined duties and responsibilities; to prepare the agenda
for the Section Meeting at the MLA Annual Meeting; to notify
the MLA Headquarters to place the Section meeting on the MLA
Annual Meeting program; to designate and announce committee
members and chairs of standing and ad hoc committees, in consultation
with the Executive Board, and in advance of the beginning
of his or her term of office, and when these appointments
shall take effect; to submit an Annual Report to MLA Headquarters
by the date requested; and to perform all other duties prescribed
by these Bylaws and by the parliamentary authority adopted
by the Section. A Parliamentarian may be appointed by the
Chair to serve a term concurrent with that of the Chair. This
person may be reappointed to serve additional terms.
B. The duties of the Chair Elect shall be
to serve as Chair whenever the Chair is not able to do so;
to succeed to the office of Chair should that office become
vacant during term; to serve as Chair of the Program Committee;
and to perform all other duties prescribed by these Bylaws
and by the parliamentary authority adopted by the Section.
C. The duties of the Immediate Past-Chair
shall be to serve as Chair whenever the Chair-Elect and Chair
are unable to do so and to perform all other duties prescribed
by these Bylaws and by the parliamentary authority adopted
by the Section.
D. The duties of the Secretary Treasurer shall
be to be responsible for incoming and outgoing correspondence;
to prepare minutes of all meetings; to receive and account
for all monies due to the organization and submit a full financial
report at the MLA Annual Meeting; to maintain membership records
identifying voting members; to bring to the MLA Annual Meeting
a copy of the Section Bylaws, the parliamentary authority
adopted by the Section, and a list of current members; and
to perform all other duties prescribed by these Bylaws and
by the parliamentary authority adopted by the Section.
E. The duties of the Representative to the
Section Council shall be to represent the Section on the MLA
Section Council by attending the meetings of the Council;
to transmit to the Council recommendations that have been
approved by the Section; and to communicate Council business
to the officers and membership of the Section.
F. The duties of the Representative-Elect
to the Section Council shall be to attend the meetings of
the Section Council; to serve as Representative whenever the
Representative is unable to do so; to assume the office of
Representative and serve out the unexpired term should the
Representative become unable to complete the term of office;
and to communicate Council business to the officers and membership
of the Section.
Section 3. Nominations and Elections
A. The Nominating Committee shall prepare
annually a slate of at least one (1) nominee for Chair Elect
and for each elective officer whose term expires. Voting members
may write in candidates.
B. Ballots shall be mailed to the voting membership
by the Secretary-Treasurer at least 60 days prior to the Section's
Annual Meeting and shall be received by the Secretary-Treasurer
by the date previously announced for counting ballots. Candidates
shall be declared elected upon receiving a majority of the
votes cast. Where there are more than two (2) candidates,
a plurality shall elect. Ties shall be resolved by lot.
Section 4. Vacancies
A. A vacancy arising in the office of Chair
shall be filled by the Chair Elect, who shall cease to be
Chair Elect, shall serve out the unexpired term of the Chair,
and shall continue as Chair for the full succeeding term to
which he or she was elected.
B. A vacancy arising in the office of Representative
to the Section Council shall be filled by the Representative-Elect,
who shall cease to be Representative-Elect, and shall serve
out the unexpired term of the Representative; as well as serve
out his or her full term of Representative-Elect as the newly
designated Representative.
C. A vacancy arising in any other elected
office shall be filled by the Executive Board.
Section 5. Candidate for the MLA Nominating
Committee Membership
A. The name of one Voting Member of the Medical
Library Association, chosen by the Section Nominating Committee,
shall be submitted each year to the Section Council as a potential
candidate for membership on the MLA Nominating Committee;
this submission shall be made to the Council before its final
assembly at the MLA Annual Meeting. The potential candidate
shall prepare a biographical statement and a signed statement
of willingness to serve if elected as a member of the MLA
Nominating Committee. This statement shall accompany the name
submitted.
B. No person shall consent to being a potential
candidate or a candidate for membership on the MLA Nominating
Committee who is already such a potential candidate or candidate
from some other unit of the Medical Library Association; no
candidate for membership on the MLA Nominating Committee shall
also be a candidate for an elective office of the Medical
Library Association, or vice versa.
C. No one shall serve on the MLA Nominating
Committee as a voting member for more than one (1) term during
a period of five (5) years.
ARTICLE V. Meetings
Section 1. Meetings
A. At least one meeting shall be held in each
fiscal year. Additional meetings may be held. At least one
meeting of the Section should be called the "Annual Meeting."
All meetings shall be held at a time and place convenient
for members. Notice of all meetings shall be disseminated
to the membership at least thirty (30) days in advance of
the meeting date. The Section's Business Meeting shall be
held during the same period and at the same location as the
Association's Annual Meeting. No Section meetings shall be
held at the same time that General Sessions or Business Sessions
of the Association's Annual Meeting are conducted.
B. The order of business at the Section's
Meeting at the MLA Annual Meeting shall be at the discretion
of the Chair and shall include: approval of the minutes of
the previous meeting; reports from the Chair, Secretary-Treasurer,
and Section Council Representative; reports from committee
chairs; and, as needed or requested by the Section Chair,
reports from ad hoc and special committees and task forces,
or others; announcement of election results; and old and new
business.
Section 2. Quorum
Ten (10) voting members shall constitute a
quorum of this Section.
ARTICLE VI. Executive
Board
Section 1. Executive Board
The elected officers and the Immediate Past-Chair
of this Section shall constitute the Executive Board.
Section 2. Duties
The Executive Board shall have general supervision
of the affairs of this Section between its Business Meetings;
fix the time and place of meetings; make recommendations to
the membership; and shall perform such other duties as are
specified in these Bylaws and by the parliamentary authority
adopted by the Section. The Executive Board may request the
assistance of Section standing and ad hoc committee chairs
or other individuals to advise the Executive Board as needed
or requested.
ARTICLE VII. Committees
Section 1. Standing Committees
A. The Executive Board shall establish standing
committees to consider matters of the Section that require
continuity of attention by the members. The Executive Board
shall recommend the name, length of service for committee
members and chair, duties and responsibilities, and size of
each such committee.
B. The Section Chair, in consultation with
the Executive Board, shall designate and announce committee
members and chairs in advance of the beginning of his or her
term of office and when these appointments shall take effect.
Unless otherwise approved by the Executive Board, members
of standing committees shall be appointed for terms of one
(1) year, and may be reappointed for a second term. The Chair
shall have the discretion to terminate appointments. N.B.
Neither the Chair nor the Chair-Elect shall serve on or appoint
members to the Section Nominating Committee.
C. There shall be such standing committees
established by the Executive Board as are necessary to carry
out the work of the section. The name, duties and responsibilities,
membership and chair, term, and any other related issues of
each such committee shall be published in the Section's procedures
manual.
Section 2. Ad Hoc Committees and Task Forces
There shall be such ad hoc committees and
task forces appointed by the Chair as the Executive Board
and membership shall from time to time deem necessary to carry
on the work of the Section. The Section Chair shall designate
the Chairs of all ad hoc committees and task forces. The life
of an ad hoc committee or task force shall be limited to two
(2) years unless the Executive Board or the membership shall
otherwise provide.
Section 3. Special Committees
The Section Chair may appoint such other committees
as are necessary with the advice and consent of the Executive
Board.
Section 4. Committee Chairs
Chairs of committees shall be Voting Members
of the Medical Library Association.
Section 5. Committee Reports
Each committee shall submit an annual report
of its activities to the Section Chair prior to the compilation
of the Annual Section Report for submission to MLA Headquarters.
ARTICLE VIII.
Dissolution
In the event of dissolution of this Section,
all liabilities and obligations shall be paid or adequate
provision made for payment. Remaining assets shall revert
to the MLA General Fund.
ARTICLE IX. Parliamentary
Authority
The rules contained in the current edition
of "Robert's Rules of Order Newly Revised" shall
govern this Section in all cases to which they are applicable
and in which they are not inconsistent with these Bylaws and
any special rules of order the Section may adopt.
ARTICLE X. Amendment
of Bylaws
These Bylaws may be amended at any regular
business meeting of the Section by a two thirds vote of those
attending, provided that the amendment has been submitted
in writing to the membership at least thirty (30) days prior
to the meeting at which the vote shall be taken.
Dental Section-MLA Bylaws Chronology:
Bylaws accepted June 2, 1981; Amended December
1983; Revised May 1990; Draft Revision March 1995; Second
Draft Revision April 2001.
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