SECTION I. NAME AND OBJECTIVES
1. The name of this organization shall be the Ontario Student Subunit of the Ontario Chapter of the American Fisheries Society, hereinafter referred to as the Subunit, Chapter and Society respectively.
2. The objectives of the Subunit shall be those of the Society as set forth in SECTION I of the Constitution and those of the Chapter set forth in SECTION 1 of the Bylaws of the Ontario Chapter. In addition, the Subunit also has the following objectives:
A. To increase student involvement in aquatic conservation, and restoration efforts throughout Ontario. We would also like to promote the exchange of fisheries knowledge among subunit members, and encourage the participation in the Chapter, Division and Society.
3. All activities of this Subunit shall conform to the Society’s Constitution, Rules, and Procedures.
SECTION II. MEMBERSHIP
1. The membership of the Subunit shall be composed of students, and faculty from any academic institution in Ontario, although only those who are active members of the Chapter and Society will be given the privilege to vote.
SECTION III. OFFICERS
1. The officers of the Subunit shall consist of a President, a Vice President, and a Secretary-Treasurer.
2. All officers must be members in good standing of the Chapter and Society.
3. Officers shall be nominated by a Nominating Committee. Officers shall be elected by a majority of ballots cast and election methods shall be determined by the Executive Committee.
4. Terms of newly elected officers shall change at the beginning of the academic year.
5. The President of the Subunit shall serve for a period of one year, and shall be eligible for re-election for a period of one year after the expiration of their term.
6. In the event of a vacated position, the Executive Committee shall appoint a qualified replacement to fill the unexpired term.
7. No elected officer or appointed committee member of the Subunit shall receive any salary or other compensation. Expenses may be defrayed from funds available to the Subunit when authorized by the Executive Committee.
8. Once the President’s term is complete they shall provide the Subunit with their forwarding contact information, as a means to create continuity between years.
SECTION IV. DUTIES OF OFFICERS
1. The President shall:
A. Preside at all meetings;
B. Serve on the Executive Committee of the Subunit and the Chapter;
C. Coordinate the activities of the Subunit’s standing and technical committees and serve as liaison between such committees and the Executive Committee;
D. Represent the Subunit to the Chapter;
E. Conduct official correspondence for the Subunit and present reports of Subunit activities at the annual meeting;
F. Make such appointments and perform other duties and functions as are authorized and necessary.
2. The Vice President shall:
A. Assume the duties of the President, if the President is absent or unable to act;
B. Serve on the Executive Committee of the Subunit and the Chapter;
C. Handle all student membership concerns with the Chapter; and
D. Facilitate the selection of a nominating committee with the Executive Committee.
3. The Secretary-Treasurer shall:
A. Keep the official records of the Subunit, collect and be custodian of any fees or assessments authorized by these bylaws or funds allotted to the Subunit by the Society;
B. Disburse funds only as authorized by either the membership or Executive Committee;
C. Submit, at the annual Subunit meeting, the year-end report for the previous fiscal year and a comparison of approved versus actual income and expenditures for the current fiscal year;
D. Annually update and distribute current copies of the Subunit Bylaws to the Society’s Executive Director and each member of the Subunit Executive Committee by September 1st;
E. Serve on the Executive Committee of the Subunit and the Chapter; and
F. Conduct the election.
SECTION V. EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
1. The Executive Committee of the Subunit shall consist of elected officers, and other members as appointed by the President. Those with voting privileges shall be the President, Vice President, Secretary-Treasurer, and Faculty Advisor.
2. The Executive Committee is authorized to act on behalf of the Subunit between annual meetings.
3. A quorum is required for transaction of official business at an Executive Committee meeting. A quorum for an Executive Committee meeting shall consist of three of the four members. Executive Committee members can appoint a proxy.
4. Each member of the Executive Committee shall have one vote on Executive Committee decisions. In the event of a tie, the President’s vote shall be the deciding vote.
5. Executive Committee meetings are called by the President and are typically held three times per year.
SECTION VI. MEETINGS AND VOTING
1. The Subunit shall hold at least one meeting annually at a time and place designated by its Executive Committee. This meeting will usually be held at the annual meeting of the Chapter. Additional meetings may be called by the President with approval of the Executive Committee.
2. Decisions at meetings are by simple majority of Active Members voting, except when amending the Bylaws. A quorum is required for transaction of official business and shall be 2/3 of the Subunit membership.
3. Business and voting will be conducted virtually.
4. Unless otherwise specified in these Bylaws or the Constitution of the Society, meetings are conducted according to the latest edition of Robert’s Rules of Order.
SECTION VII. SUBUNIT COMMITTEES
1. Committees and Chairs of committees, except as listed in SECTIONS IV and V of these Bylaws, shall be appointed and charged by the President. Except for Standing Committees, these Subunit committees shall cease to function upon the discharge of the duties for which they were appointed or with the end of the term of the appointing officer.
2. Standing Committees help the President and the Executive Committee conduct the Subunit’s affairs, and the chairs should report their committees’ activities, findings, and recommendations at annual Subunit meetings and interim meetings of the Executive Committee.
SECTION VIII. DUES AND FEES
1. The Executive Committee may assess registration fees for annual meetings.
SECTION IX. BYLAWS, RULES AND PROCEDURES
1. The Bylaws are the defining document for the Subunit and take precedence over all other rules and procedures of the Subunit. The Bylaws cannot be suspended and cannot be changed without prior notice to members.
A. The Bylaws may be amended by a 2/3 majority of Active Members choosing to vote, provided that the proposed amendment(s) are circulated in writing by electronic mail or other means to the membership at least 30 days prior to voting.
B. Changes to the Subunit Bylaws must be submitted and approved by the Executive Committee of the Chapter before taking effect.
C. In accordance with the Society Constitution, an adopted amendment shall be reviewed by the Society’s Constitutional Consultant for conformity with the Constitution, Rules and Procedures of the Society. The Constitutional Consultant presents the adopted amendment to the Society Governing Board for approval.
D. Amendments take effect when the Unit receives written notice of their approval by the Governing Board from the Society Executive Director.
2. Procedures are the lowest level of documentation of Subunit operations. They are generally established to provide continuity in the conduct of Subunit business. The Procedures may be suspended or amended by a simple majority vote of the Executive Committee.
