Article I. Fiscal Year and Dues

Section 1. The CGS shall adopt a fiscal year extending from October 1 to September 30. All members shall pay annual dues approved by the membership in conjunction with the spring conference and their membership shall be valid for one year extending April 16th to April 15th.

Section 2. Membership dues of the Organization shall be established by the Board for the following levels of membership: Life, Regular, Retired, and Student.

Section 3. Recipients of Life Membership Awards shall be exempt from dues.

Article II. Terms of Office and Committees

Section 1. The President, Vice-President, Secretary, and Treasurer shall hold office for two years. The President and Vice-President may not hold office for multiple terms. Upon completion of his/her term, the outgoing President shall serve a two-year term as Past-President and continue to have voting rights. The Secretary and Treasurer may hold office for multiple terms, if re-elected by the membership. All new officers shall be installed at the conclusion of the annual conference.

Section 2. Board members shall serve a three-year term and at its conclusion, they may run for re-election by the membership. Two student board members, representing N/Central and S. CA, shall be appointed by a vote of the Board. Student board members shall serve the shorter of either a three-year term or until their student status expires, unless reappointed by a vote of the Board.

Section 3. Finance Committee – At the beginning of the fiscal year, a Finance Committee consisting of the Vice-President (Chairperson of the Committee), Treasurer, and Secretary shall be formed. It shall be the duty of the Finance Committee to prepare the organization’s budget for the following fiscal year.

Section 4. The President may appoint additional committees and/or assign duties at his or her discretion.

Article III. Elections

Section 1. Non-student members in good standing shall be eligible for election to office. Student members in good standing are eligible to serve on the Board, if appointed by the Board.

Section 2. An Elections Committee of three, selected and appointed by the Executive Committee, shall prepare a slate of candidates for the positions to be filled by the general election, i.e., President, Vice-President, Secretary, Treasurer, and Board members. The chairperson of the committee shall prepare and forward to the Editor of the Bulletin a ballot with the slate of candidates proposed with space for write-in candidates for each office. A brief statement of identification shall be included for each candidate. The ballot shall be published in the Bulletin or otherwise distributed at least 30 days before the annual conference, and shall be returned to the chairperson of the Elections Committee not later than one week before the annual conference. Election shall be by a simple majority of the members voting, or a plurality in the case of three or more candidates.

Article IV. Meetings

Section 1. There shall be two annual meetings of the CGS Board. These meetings shall normally be held

the first Saturday in October and in conjunction with the annual conference in the Spring. All CGS boardmembers are expected to attend these two meetings. Absence from two consecutive board meetings shall be grounds for removal from the Board.

Section 2. The annual conference shall normally be held during a period between April 15 and May 10 at

a location determined by the Board. The selection of the conference location will be made at least one year in advance. A conference planner will be designated at the time the location is approved and it will be that individual’s responsibility to make the necessary arrangements for the conference in consultation with the President, Vice-President, and Past President. The conference planner will ensure that conference registration information is mailed to the membership with a postmark no later than March 1^st.

Article V. Publications

Section 1. Official publications of the CGS shall be the California Geographer, the CGS Bulletin, and such

others as authorized by the CGS board. The editors of all publications shall be appointed by the Executive Committee. Expenditures necessary for all publications shall be incorporated into the annual budget.

Article VI. Amendments

Section 1. Provisions for amending the Bylaws shall be the same as those for amending the

Constitution.

Article VII. Organization and Operation

Section 1. The California Geographical Society will be operated at all times in an educational manner

within the contemplation of Section 501(c) (3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954; and within the scope it is empowered to foster scholarly, professional, and popular activities among geographers primarily in the State of California. The Organization’s official address shall be designated by the President.

Section 2. Decisions regarding the normal transaction of CGS business shall be made by a simple majority vote of board members, officers, and the Past President. Participation by at least two thirds of those eligible to vote shall be necessary to validate decisions made by vote.