Bylaws of the International Section of the
National Council on Family Relations
Article I - Name
The name of this organization shall be the International Section of the National Council on Family Relations.
Article II - Government
The Constitution of the National Council on Family Relations shall govern the International Section in all its practices. The Bylaws of this section shall not conflict with Constitution of the National Council on Family Relations. Every amendment to the Constitution of the NCFR shall become effective and binding of this Section.
Article III - Purpose
The purpose of the International Section of the NCFR shall be to generate a better understanding of the unique variations of family process throughout the world by: 1) promoting cross-national family research; 2) facilitating communication amongst international family scholars; 3) sharing information on current and proposed research projects; 4) sponsoring educational cross-national family programs, presentations, and seminars at universities in different countries; 4) maintaining ties with international organizations engaged in family research; 6) planning annual NCFR meeting sessions; and 7) publishing a newsletter.
Article IV - Membership and Finances
Section 1 - Eligibility - Any person holding membership in the NCFR shall be entitled to and shall receive admission to membership in the International Section on certification of current paid membership in NCFR and upon payment os section dues.
Section 2 - Termination of Membership - Non-payment of dues. A member whose dues remain unpaid shall be dropped from membership in accordance with the NCFR policies.
Section 3 - Amount of Dues - The annual dues for sections are set by the NCFR.
Section 4 - Payment of Dues - Dues of all members are payable concurrently with NCFR dues, and are paid to NCFR.
Section 5 - Finances - Requests for expenditures shall be referred to the executive committee prior to preparation of the annual budget. The International Section shall not be responsible for debts except as authorized by the executive committee of the Section.
Article V - Officers
Section 1 - Officers - The officers of this section shall be a chairperson, a vice chairperson, a secretary-treasurer, and a student/new professional representative. They shall be elected by the members of the International Section.
Section 2 - Duties of Officers
a. Chairperson - The chairperson shall be the official representative of the section in the activities of NCFR. The chairperson shall preside at all meetings of the sections and the Executive Committee, and shall call special meetings when necessary. The chairperson shall be an ex-officio member of all committees, and shall perform all other duties pertaining to the office.
b. Vice Chairperson - The vice chairperson shall preside at meetings in the absence or disability of the chairperson and perform such other duties as are requested by the chairperson.
c. Secretary-Treasurer - The secretary-treasurer shall be responsible for keeping minutes of meetings and taking care of all communications, including newsletters, correspondence, publicity, and monies collected.
Section 3 - Election of Officers
a. Nominations - A nominating committee shall present a slate of nominees to the International Sections member biannually through the NCFR newsletter.
b. Election - Voting shall be by ballot and a majority of the votes cast shall be necessary for election. Elections shall be held biannually (odd years) by mail through the NCFR office. Each member shall have one vote. Write-in votes may be made.
Section 4 - Terms of Office - The term of office of chairperson, vice chairperson, secretary-treasurer, and S/NP shall be two years. Officers shall assume office at the close of the annual meeting. No person shall serve two consecutive terms in the same office.
Section 5 - Vacancies - In the event of a vacancy in any office the Executive Committee shall appoint a member to fill the office for the unexpired term.
Section 6 - Rotation - Any officer who fails to perform his or her duties adequately may be relieved of his or her office by a majority vote of the Executive Committee.
Article VI - Meetings
An annual business meeting shall be held in conjunction with the annual NCFR meeting.
Article VII - Executive Committee
The Executive Committee shall be composed of the officers of the International Section. The immediate past chairperson is ex-officio. Its meeting shall be called at the request of the chairperson. The Executive Committee has power to act for the membership between annual meetings.
Article VIII - Committees
Section 1 - Program - The program committee shall include the chairperson and other committee members as appointed by the chairperson. This committee shall be responsible for the planning and implementation of the annual meeting program, with consideration given to ideas from International Section members.
Section 2 - Nominating - The nominating committee shall be composed of three members, including one outgoing officer, elected from the floor at the annual business meeting. This committee shall prepare the slate of nominees to be voted on by the members through the NCFR office.
Section 3 - Other Committees - There shall be other committees as deemed advisable by the Section's membership or chairperson. These special committees shall be appointed by the chairperson in consultation with the Executive Committee.
Article IX - Rules of Order
The rules contained in Robert's Rules of Order, Revised, shall govern this section in all parliamentary procedure in which they are applicable and in which they are not inconsistent with these bylaws.
Article X - Amendments
Provisions of these bylaws not governed by the Constitution of the NCFR may be amended by a three-fourths vote of members in attendance at any annual business meeting of the section, or by mailed ballot.
Approved at the November 1998 Annual Conference Business Meeting in Milwaukee, WI.
