Constitution

CONSTITUTION AND BYLAWS OF THE INTERNATIONAL COURTLY LITERATURE SOCIETY, NORTH AMERICAN BRANCH (revised, spring 1995)

CONSTITUTION.

I. Name. International Courtly Literature Society, North American Branch (ICLS/NAB).

II. Purpose.

(1) The object of the Society is to promote the study and criticism of the literature of courts and court-oriented cultures, particularly the medieval literature of Western Europe. The NAB shall actively encourage the involvement of those from all academic disciplines concerned with the study and teaching of courtly literature.

(2) This organization is formed exclusively for literary and educational purposes within the meaning of section 501(c) (3) of the United States Internal Revenue Code of 1954, as amended.

III. Membership.

(1) Any person whose principal place of residence or professional activity is in the United States or Canada or in a country that has no ICLS branch may become a voting member of the NAB upon payment of current dues.

(2) Libraries and other institutions that subscribe to Encomia shall be considered non-voting members.

IV. Officers. The Officers of the NAB, elected by the Membership shall be: President, Vice-President, Secretary-Treasurer; these shall constitute the Executive Committee.

V. There shall be an Editor of the NAB Newsletter.

VI. There shall be an Advisory Committee made up of six elected members, at least one of whom shall be chosen from among the Canadian members of the Branch and at least one from the US members, and the Editor of the NAB Newsletter who will serve Ex-officio.

VII. Meetings.

(1) The NAB shall meet annually in conjunction with the meeting of the Modern Language Association or the Kalamazoo Medieval Conference, as determined by the Executive Committee.

(2) Membership in the NAB is required for participation in sessions organized by the NAB or in international ICLS Congresses for those whose principal place of residence or professional activity is in the United States or Canada.

VIII. Amendments.

(1) A member who wishes to propose an amendment shall send a type-written copy to the Secretary-Treasurer, who will then provide copies to the members of the NAB at least one month before the next annual meeting.

(2) The proposed amendment shall be voted on either at the annual meeting or, if so determined at the meeting, by mail ballot within one month thereafter.

IX. In the event of dissolution of the ICLS, NAB, the officers shall, after payment of all liabilities, dispose of all the assets of the Society exclusively for the purposes and in such manner or to such an organization or organizations devoted exclusively to educational purposes as shall at the time qualify for exemption under Section 501(c) (3) of the internal Revenue Code of 1954, as amended.

BYLAWS.

I. Business Meetings.

(1) The annual meeting shall include a business meeting open to all members.

(2) That meeting shall receive the reports of the Officers. It shall also receive nominations for officers and for the Advisory Committee, as well as additional nominations from the floor (see III.2 below). The meeting shall decide all other business that comes properly before it by majority vote of all members present and in good standing, or submit such business to a mail vote of members in good standing to take place not more than one month thereafter.

II. Duties of Officers.

(1) Elected Officers and members of the Advisory Committee shall serve for a period of three years or until their successors are chosen. Officers shall assume their duties on September 1 of the year of the triennial Congress.

(2) Officers may be reelected.

(3) A. The president shall preside at all meetings of the NAB, and shall provide continuing leadership and initiative between meetings.

B. S/he shall have primary responsibility for publicity and for membership campaigns, and see that ICLS sessions are regularly organized at the annual meetings of the MLA and at Kalamazoo, as well as at appropriate regional meetings.

C. S/he shall serve as liaison between the Branch and the ICLS, and collaborate as appropriate with the organizers of international ICLS Congresses.

(4) The Vice-President shall assist the President in the above functions and temporarily assume them, including presiding at meetings, when circumstances prevent the President from doing so.

(5) The secretary-Treasurer shall be responsible for membership records of the NAB; keep and submit to the Newsletter Editor the minutes of the annual meeting; and attend to the official correspondence of the Branch, including mail ballots. S/he shall have primary responsibility for Branch finances, including calling for and banking annual dues; forward the requisite payments for Encomia to the International Treasurer; invoice and keep records for the US and Canadian libraries and institutional subscribers to Encomia, and supply mailing labels for NAB members to the publisher; keep the financial records, and report to the Membership at the annual meeting (see IV. below). S/he shall serve as liaison for information with the organizers of the current Triennial Congress and forward that information to the members of the NAB.

(6) The Executive committee shall name the Editor of the NAB Newsletter, who shall be responsible for writing, printing, and mailing of three Newsletters each year, including calls for dues, calls for papers, minutes of meetings, and other announcements, and a Bibliographical Correspondent, who shall gather an annual bibliography of NAB publications for inclusion to Encomia.

(7) The Executive Committee shall be the policy-making body of the Society.

III. Election of Officers.

(1) All members of the Executive Committee shall be elected triennially. Care shall be taken to represent the widest interdisciplinary areas that fall within the scope of the ICLS.

(2) Nominations may be made in writing to the Secretary-Treasurer prior to the annual meeting. A Nominating Committee named by the Executive Committee will take these into account in proposing one or more candidates for each office. Further nominations may be made from the floor at the annual meeting. The Secretary-Treasurer shall then submit a mail ballot to all members in good standing of the NAB.

(3) Six members of the Advisory Committee shall be elected, two each year, to serve for three-year terms. Nominations and elections shall be as in III, (2) above.

IV. Finances.

(1) The finances of the NAB shall consist of dues collected from the membership by the Secretary-Treasurer, from which payments for Encomia shall be made, and any monies earned by investments on the behalf of the Society. Adjustments in dues may be proposed by the Executive Committee and shall be justified to and voted by the membership.

(2) No person may commit the NAB to expend any funds without the prior approval either of the Secretary-Treasurer or of the President and Vice-President acting together.

(3) The Secretary-Treasurer shall establish a bank account through which all the Branch's income and disbursements shall pass.

(4) The Secretary-Treasurer may suitably invest any funds not needed for current operations.

(5) From funds not needed to pay for Encomia, the Secretary-Treasurer or the two other officers acting jointly may authorize reasonable payments for the expenses of organizers of national or regional meetings and for other appropriate expenses.

(6) Any receipts from the sale of back issues of Encomia shall be turned over to the international Treasurer, unless the NAB has already paid for the copies in question.

(7) The Secretary-Treasurer shall present a written financial report at the annual meeting (see II, 5 above).