Constitution and Bylaws of the Cartography Specialty Group Article I. Name The name of this association shall be the Cartography Specialty Group of the Association of American Geographers (CSG/AAG). Article II. Purpose 1. To encourage cartographic research; 2. To promote education in cartography and map use; 3. To promote the exchange of ideas and information about cartography; 4. To promote interest in and correct utilization of maps and other cartographic products by all people; 5. To promote and facilitate the cartographer's role within the geographic discipline; 6. To promote and coordinate activities and directions with other professional organizations involved with cartography; 7. The organization is organized exclusively for charitable, educational, religious, or scientific purposes within the meaning of section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. Article III. Membership 1. Any member of the AAG may elect membership in the CSG. 2. Any member of the CSG may hold office in CSG if duly elected or appointed. 3. The AAG Central Office will certify membership in the CSG each year after payment of AAG dues. Article IV. Officers 1. The CSG will be governed by an elected board of directors consisting of the following seven voting members all of whom must be members of CSG: a chairperson, a vice chairperson, a secretary/treasurer, three directors and one student director. 2. The Board of Direction will meet at least once each year. A quorum of four is necessary to conduct CSG business. 3. The chairperson will serve for a term of one year. a. The chairperson will be the chief executive officer of the CSG. b. The chairperson will preside over all meetings of the Board of Direction. c. The chairperson will appoint the chairpersons of all standing and ad hoc committees and be an ex officio member of all committees. 4. The vice chairperson will be elected for a two-year term. The first year he/she will be vice chairperson and the second year he/she shall become and assume the duties of the chairperson. The vice chairperson shall assume all the duties and responsibilities of the chairperson in the absence of the chairperson. 5. The secretary/treasurer will be elected for a two-year term. a. The secretary/treasurer will compose minutes of each meeting of the Board of Direction and transmit such minutes to the members of the Board of Direction and to the AAG Central Office within 60 days of such meeting. b. The secretary/treasurer shall maintain an account of all income and expenditures of the CSG. An annual financial report will be presented to the Board of Direction. c. The secretary/treasurer will make all required informational reports of CSG activities to the AAG Council and AAG Central Office. 6. The three non-student directors will each be elected for a two-year term. a. Terms will be staggered such that in years when the secretary/treasurer is elected, one director will be elected, and in the intervening years two directors will be elected. b. Two of the director positions will be open only to full-time employees of an institution of higher education at the time of their election. c. One director position will be open only to persons not employed by an institution of higher education at the time of their election. 7. One student director on the Board of Direction will be elected each year for a one-year term. 8. The Board of Direction for cause or emergency in the best interests of CSG may meet and declare any position on the Board of Direction vacant by a vote of at least five of its members. If a vacancy on the Board of Direction occurs the following procedures apply: a. Office of chairperson vacant: the vice-chairperson shall assume duties of the chairperson and serve the remainder of the current term plus the second year of his/her elected term as chairperson. b. Office of the vice-chairperson vacant: any member of the Board of Direction, except the chairperson, may be appointed by the Board of Direction to serve in the capacity of vice-chairman until the next regularly-scheduled election. c. Office of secretary/treasurer vacant: any member of the Board of Direction, except the chairperson and the vice-chairperson, may be appointed to fill the unexpired term of the secretary/treasurer. d. Office of director vacant: the Board of Direction by approval of a two-thirds majority may appoint any CSG member to fill the unexpired term created by the vacancy. e. Office of student director vacant: the Board of Direction by approval of a two-thirds majority may appoint any CSG student member to fill the unexpired term created by the vacancy. 9. The elected CSG members will assume office at the beginning of the AAG annual meeting each year. Their terms of office end just prior to the beginning of the AAG annual meeting. Article V. Committees 1. There will be the following standing committees in CSG: a. Awards b. Goals c. Nominations d. Program 2. The Awards Committee shall consist of a chairperson and two additional members, all appointed annually by the chairperson of CSG. a. The Awards Committee shall be empowered to recommend to the AAG Honors Committee names of CSG members for consideration. b. The Awards Committee shall be empowered to select the recipients of any awards or prizes established and/or handled by the CSG. 3. The Goals Committee shall consist of a chairperson and two additional members, all appointed annually by the chairperson of CSG. a. The vice-chairperson of CSG will also serve on this committee. b. The Goals Committee shall annually solicit from the membership suggestions for future activities of the CSG. c. The Goals Committee shall annually submit a report with the recommendations to the Board of Direction of CSG. Such report will contain specific suggested long-term goals for the CSG. 4. The Nominations Committee will be chaired each year by the immediate past chairperson of CSG. The incoming chairperson will appoint two additional members of this committee. a. Nominations must be solicited from the entire membership by written notification. b. At least two candidates shall be nominated for each vacant position on the Board of Direction. c. The Nominations Committee will prepare a slate of candidates for approval by the Board of Direction of the CSG. d. The slate of candidates will be completed by January 1, the ballot printed and mailed to the CSG membership of record on January 15 each year, by January 31, the ballots returned and counted and candidates notified of the results at least two weeks prior to the AAG annual meetings. (Specific dates for each election should be established each year by the CSG chairperson.) e. No member of the Nominations Committee may be a candidate on the ballot prepared by the committee. 5. The Program Committee shall consist of a chairperson and two additional members, all appointed annually by the chairperson of CSG. a. Two of the members of the Program Committee should be appointed as follows: one from the geographic region of the U.S. in which the next annual meeting of the AAG will be held and one from the geographic region of the U.S. in which the following annual meeting of the AAG will be held. b. The Program Committee shall ensure that an adequate number of sessions of interest to CSG members are scheduled at each meeting of the AAG. Special topics, workshops, symposia, traveling exhibits, etc., of a cartographic nature should all be coordinated by the Program Committee. 6. From time to time, as needed, the chairperson of CSG may establish ad hoc committees to address specific short-term needs of CSG. Article VI. Dues and Fees 1. The CSG Board of Direction may assess annual dues from its membership. Dues must be approved by the AAG Council and by a majority of the CSG membership. a. The CSG Board of Direction shall manage all dues collected. b. Annual reports of income and expenditures shall be made by the secretary/treasurer of CSG to the AAG Central Office. 2. The CSG Board of Direction may establish reasonable fees for publications, workshops, symposia and other activities. a. The CSG Board of Direction shall manage all fees so collected. b. Annual reports of income and expenditures shall be made by the secretary/treasurer of CSG to the AAG Central Office. 3. Inurement of Income. No part of the net earnings of the organization shall inure to the benefit of, or be distributable to, its members, trustees, officers or other private persons except that the organization shall be authorized and empowered to pay reasonable compensation for services rendered. Article VII. Meetings 1. The CSG will hold at least one general membership meeting annually, usually during the time of the AAG annual meeting. 2. The Board of Direction will hold at least one Board meeting annually. An annual report of the CSG activities and finances will be submitted by April 1 each year to the AAG Central Office. Article VIII. Amendments Changes to this constitution must be approved by at least 5 votes of the Board of Direction and ratified by a letter ballot of the CSG membership. Approval by 60% of those CSG members voting shall be required. Article IX. Bylaws Bylaws essential to the conduct of the affairs of the CSG may be enacted by the Board of Direction. Approval of a Bylaw requires at least 5 positive votes of the Board of Direction. Such Bylaws will be in effect until the next general membership meeting of the CSG at which time approval must be obtained from a majority of the CSG members in attendance. Article X. Operation Date CSG will operate fiscally on a calendar year basis. An annual budget must be approved by the Board of Direction no later than the AAG annual meeting date. Article XI. Legislative or Political Activities No substantial part of the activities of the organization shall be the carrying on of propaganda or otherwise attempting to influence legislation and the organization shall not participate in or intervene in (including the publishing or distribution of st atements) any political campaign on behalf of any candidate for public office. Article XII. Operational Limitations Notwithstanding any other provisions of these articles, the organization shall not carry on any other activities not permitted to be carried on (a) by an organization exempt from Federal Income tax under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1 954 (or the corresponding provision of any future United States Internal Revenue Law) or (b) by organization contributions, to which are deductible under Section 170(c)(2) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954 (or the corresponding provision of any future United States Internal Revenue Law). Article XIII. Dissolution Clause Upon the dissolution of the organization, the Board of Trustees shall, after paying or making provisions for the payment of all of the liabilities of the organization, dispose of all the assets of the organization exclusively for the purpose of the organi zation in such manner, or to such organization of organization organized and operated exclusively for charitable, educational, religious, or scientific purposes as shall at the time qualify as an exempt organization of organizations under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954 (or the corresponding provision of any future United States Internal Revenue Law), as the Board of Trustees shall determine. Any such assets not so disposed of shall be disposed of by the Court of Common Pleas of the county in which the principal office of the organization 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.