The Gerontological Society of America
Bylaws: Emerging Scholar and Professinal Organization

The following is a governance structure passed by the Students to facilitate their activities.
It is not part of the official Society bylaws.

Article I. Name and Purpose

Section 1. Name

The name of this organization shall be the Emerging Scholar and Professional Organization of The Gerontological Society of America. In these bylaws, hereafter, the Emerging Scholar and Professional Organization shall be referred to as the Organization and The Gerontological Society of America shall be referred to as the Society.

Section 2. Purpose

The purposes of this Organization shall be the same as those of the Society and the Society's various Sections with the additional purposes of promoting the study of aging among students, advancing membership in the Society among students, and representing the interests of students within the Society.

Article II. Membership

Section 1. Membership Criteria

Membership in the Organization shall be in accordance with Article III, Section 2 of the bylaws of the Society. Membership in any other Section of the Society shall in no way impede membership in this Organization.

Section 2. Maintaining Membership Status

An individual shall no longer be entitled to membership if (a) he/she is no longer a member of the Society, or (b) he/she no longer qualifies as a Student Member.

Section 3. Privileges

Student members are entitled to vote, to be assigned to committees, to participate in national programs and projects of the Society, to attend and present papers at the annual meeting of the Society, and to submit their research for publication in the Journals of Gerontology and The Gerontologist.

Article III. Meetings

Section 1. Annual Meeting

The annual business meeting of the Organization shall be held during the annual meeting of the Society.

Section 2. Quorum

An official meeting of the Organization shall be said to be convened upon the presence of 10 Organization members.

Section 3. Meeting Rules.

The rules of procedure in all meetings of the Organization shall be those of Roberts Rules of Order (latest edition) except as otherwise specified in these bylaws. The chair(s) may appoint a parliamentarian whose role shall be advisory only.

Article IV. Officers

Section 1. Officers

The officers of the Organization shall be the immediate past chair, chair or co-chair(s); chair-elect or co-chair(s)-elect, who become chair the following year; Technology chair, who becomes immediate past Technology chair; and Secretary.

Section 2. Terms of Office

All officers shall serve one-year terms that will commence at the close of the annual business meeting. The chair(s), chair(s)-elect, Technology chair, and secretary are required to be present at the annual meeting

Section 3. Duties

a. The immediate past chair shall 1) serve as representative to the Society Finance Committee, 2) serve on the Nominating Committee, and 3) serve as advisor to the current student officers.

b. The chair(s) shall preside at all meetings of the Organization, serve as representative of the Organization to the Council of the Society as a voting member, and administer the affairs of the Organization. The chair(s) of the Organization shall 1) serve as chair(s) of the Student Executive Committee; 2) serve as chair(s) of the Nominating Committee and shall be responsible for coordinating nominations for all elected positions; 3) ensure that his/her recommendations for student representatives made while chair(s)-elect are fulfilled (this includes recommendations to Society and Section committees as well as to Organization committees; 4) name special committees at his/her discretion that will serve the duration of the chair'(s) tenure; 5) be an ex-offficio member of all Organization committees; 6) apprentice the chair(s)-elect throughout the one-year term; and 7) be responsible for the Organization budget and accompanying budget justification. The authority and responsibility for normal operation of the Organization shall rest with the chair(s). In the event of co-chairs, responsibility for representation and attendance at stated meetings shall be equally divided.

c. The chair(s)-elect shall perform the duties of the chair(s) in his/her absence or should the chair(s) become incapacitated. The chair(s)-elect shall 1) serve as a member of the Student Executive Committee; 2) serve as the Student representative to the Society Program Committee; 3) be responsible for planning and coordinating the Student Program for the annual meeting; 4) may attend Council as a non-voting member; 5) be a member of the Nominating Committee and be responsible for coordinating nominations for all appointed positions the following year; 6) prepare all recommendations for student representation to Society and Organization committees; 7) be responsible for updating and coordinating the dissemination of the Officer/Representative Listing and Officer/Representative duties to all new student representatives and 8) perform other duties as delegated by the chair.

d. Technology chair shall 1) represent the Organization on the Task Force for Organizational Technology and Computers; 2) be responsible for assisting the Society office in maintaining the student website, and monitoring bulletin boards, listservs, news servers, and chats on the Internet; and 3) assist the Organization representative to the Membership Committee and the officers in the tracking of student membership data.

e. Immediate past Technology chair shall 1) assist in transitioning the incoming Technology chair; and 2) serve as an advisor to the current Technology chair throughout the year.

f. The secretary shall 1) serve on the Student Executive Committee; 2) keep minutes at all of the meetings of the Organization; 3) be responsible for all records of the Organization; 4) be offered the first recommendation for the committee of his/her choice other than those otherwise designated for officers; 5) be responsible for regular submissions to the society newsletter regarding student events, issues, awards, etc., in collaboration with the chair(s); 6) prepare and update the new student membership packet in collaboration with the chair(s) and Society staff; and 7) file all minutes and appropriate records to the central office.

Section 4. Vacancies

a. If a vacancy occurs in the office of chair-elect, secretary, or chair-Technology, the chair(s) with the Organization Nominating Committee shall appoint a replacement to serve the remainder of the unexpired term of the chair-elect, secretary, or chair-Technology.

Article V. Executive Committee

Section 1. Composition

There shall be an Executive Committee of the Organization comprised of the following persons: Student chair(s), chair(s)-elect, immediate past chair, secretary, and others as the chair(s) requests. A quorum for the Executive Committee shall be a majority.

Section 2. Committee Functions

The Executive Committee shall be responsible for general supervision of the affairs of the Organization, performing the duties and abiding by the regulations specified in these bylaws. In the intervals between the meetings of the Organization, the Executive Committee shall have the authority to take such actions as are necessary for the conduct of the Organization.

Section 3. Procedures.

The chair(s) of the Organization shall be presiding officer at all meetings of the Executive Committee, and the secretary shall act as secretary of the Committee. Minutes of the Executive Committee shall be available to the membership of the Organization.

Section 4. Meetings

The Executive Committee shall hold two regular meetings each year: one during the year and one at the annual meeting. The chair(s) as necessary may call other meetings.

Article VI. Nominations and Elections

Section 1. Nominations

a. Nominations shall be solicited by the Nominating Committee comprised of the chair(s), chair(s)-elect, immediate past chair and one chair-appointed member. The chair(s) of the Organization shall serve as chairperson(s) of the Nominating Committee.

b. The chair(s) shall be responsible for the coordination of the nominating process of the elected positions, whereas the chair(s)-elect shall be responsible for the coordination of the nominating process for all appointed positions.
c. The Nominating Committee shall be responsible for the solicitation, review of, and final recommendation of nominations for the elected positions as well as the committee and Section representative positions.

d. The Nominating Committee shall propose at least two candidates to fill each of the elected offices for the following year.

e. Nominations for Organization officers or committee and Section representatives may be submitted by any Organization member to any member of the Nominating Committee. Nominees must be full-time student members at the time of assuming office.

f. A call for nominations shall appear in Gerontology News, the official newsletter of the Society, as well as through the efforts of the Nominating Committee.

g. Election time shall parallel that of the Society.

Section 2. Ballots

a. The chair(s) of the Organization shall mail ballots to all Organization members at the time of the Society's elections, not less than 12 weeks prior to the annual meeting.

b. The ballot shall be prepared by the chair(s) of the Organization. Each nominee will be responsible for submitting a brief background and position statement, which will appear on the ballot.

c. The Organization elections shall coincide with the regular elections of the Society with the ballots closed no later than 6-10 weeks after being distributed, with the precise date set at the discretion of the Student chair(s). The chair(s)-elect and Secretary, or their designated representatives, shall collectively count all marked ballots.

d. A plurality of votes (i.e., an excess of votes over those cast for the opposing candidate) will constitute election. The results of the election shall be announced during the annual business meeting by the chair(s)-elect.

e. If one candidate does not attain a simple plurality, or if a return of less than 10 percent of Organization members is realized, elections will be held at the annual meeting. Likewise, if there is only one candidate for any office, no winner will be declared, and the election will be held at the annual meeting with nominations from the floor.

f. It is strongly recommended that students running for office be present at the annual meeting, in the case that elections will be held during the Student business meeting (see Section 2.e). A person running for office shall not be disqualified from any elections held during the Student business meeting, however, if he/she is unable to attend.

Article VII. Appointed Positions

Section 1. Nominations

The Nominating Committee shall solicit nominations for the appropriate committee representatives in accordance with the guidelines stated in Article VI, Section I. Representatives may be self-nominated or nominated by a Society member.

Section 2. Duties and Responsibilities

Student representatives shall serve as part of the Organization's overall body and be responsible for the following duties: (a) serving as representatives of the Organization to the committees and Sections served upon; (b) serving as subcommittee members as requested by the chair(s) or chair(s)-elect; (c) increasing student membership; (d) serving as a resource for other student members; (e) increasing student interest and participation in the Society; (f) sending a report in a timely manner to the Chair(s) summarizing meetings of his/her respective committee; (g) submitting, prior to the annual meeting, a written report to the chair(s) on the committee events over the past year; and (h) if attending the annual meeting, presenting his/her report at the Organization business meeting.

Section 3. Recommendations and Appointments

Recommendation and selection for student representatives to appropriate committees and Sections of the Society, as designated in the Society bylaws, shall be made by the chair(s), beginning in the final months of his/her term as Chair(s)-elect. These appointed positions and recommendations made by the chair(s) are subject to approval by the Society Section and committee chairs. All representatives are appointed for two-year terms, unless otherwise established by the Sections and committees.

Section 4. Representative Positions

Student representative positions are available on the following committees and Sections

1. Society Committees: Finance Committee; Program Committee; Research, Education and Practice Committee; Humanities and the Arts Committee; Public Policy Committee; Publications Committee; and Membership Committee;

2. Society Sections: Biological Sciences Section; Clinical Medicine Section; Behavioral and Social Sciences Section; Social Research, Policy, and Practice Section;

3. Organizational committees: Nominating Committee and others as needed.

The chair(s)-elect shall serve as the representative to the Program Committee, the immediate past chair shall serve as the representative to the Finance Committee, and the elected position of secretary will have first recommendations to one of the above-stated committees.

Society Task Force and ad-hoc committees, as designated by GSA president.

Article VIII. Amendments

Section 1. Initiation

Amendments to the Organization bylaws may be proposed by any student member to the Executive Committee for consideration or by a committee formed for that purpose.

Section 2. Adoption

Amendments may be adopted by a majority of those present and voting at the annual meeting of the Organization, or by a majority of those responding to a mail ballot. The secretary shall be responsible for counting the votes and for reporting the results to the membership within a responsible period of time.

ADDENDUM

Application Procedures

Students wishing to be appointed as student representatives to a committee or Section should submit a letter of application containing their name, address, educational affiliation, discipline, level of education, along with a curriculum vitae and a brief statement of their committee interests.