Bylaws

Important Note: This bylaws is a draft work in progress by the executive members and will be updated periodically.

BYLAWS

of the Mid-Canada Regional Section of AOAC INTERNATIONAL

ARTICLE I: Conflict of Bylaws

In the event of any conflict between the Bylaws of the Mid-Canada Regional Section (hereinafter referred

to as the “Section”) and AOAC INTERNATIONAL (hereinafter referred to as the “Association”), the

latter shall prevail.

ARTICLE II: Name, Address and Geographical Area served

The name by which this Regional Section shall be known is the “Mid-Canada” Regional Section of

AOAC INTERNATIONAL. The geographic area of the Section shall include Manitoba, Canada. The

address of the Section shall be that of the Secretary.

ARTICLE III: Purpose and Objectives

The Section shall promote and support the purpose and objectives of the Association as stated in the

“Bylaws of the AOAC”, Article II by:

1. promoting interest in, and strengthening, the development and validation of analytical

methods to increase method output and improve the collaborative study process;

2. providing a regional focus in order to strengthen the Association’s identity with its members;

3. providing a means of increasing knowledge and capabilities of the AOAC membership,

especially through seminars, forums, workshops and other similar technical updates;

4. providing a means to improve communications with the Association’s membership, especially as it

relates to method development and approval;

5. identifying laboratories with expertise in specific analytical areas, in order to provide liaison and

fulfillment of the above items; and

6. providing cooperative relationships with educational institutions, government, industry and other

organizations with an interest in method development and validation.

ARTICLE IV: Membership

Section I. Members. Any interested person shall be eligible for membership in the Section, however,

only current AOAC members shall be eligible for election to the Section’s Executive Committee. A

membership list shall be maintained by the Section Secretary. Members shall be those individuals who

meet the requirements for membership established by the Executive Committee.

Section II. Privileges of Membership. All members of the Section shall be privileged to participate in

the affairs and activities of the Section and to vote on Section matters.

Section III. Dues. Dues, if any, shall be established annually by the Executive Committee.

ARTICLE V: Officers

2

Section I. The officers shall be President, President-elect, Secretary, and Treasurer, or

Secretary/Treasurer. The officers shall have the responsibility to administer and execute the activities of

the Section within the framework of the policies established by the Executive Committee. The officers

shall be elected by a majority vote of the Section’s members present and voting at the annual meeting.

Section II. Eligibility. The President, President-elect, Secretary and Treasurer shall be members of the

Association and the Section.

Section III. Terms of Office. The terms of Section officers shall be for 1 year. No individual can hold

more than one elected position within the Section at any time. The term of office will begin with the

adjournment of the Section meeting at which they are elected.

Section IV. Duties of Officers.

1. The President shall:

a. preside at all meetings of the Executive Committee and at the annual Regional Section Meeting;

b. with the approval of the Executive Committee, appoint all committees and designate the Chair of

each and fill any vacancies occurring therein in accordance with the provisions of these Bylaws;

c. perform such other duties as are usually pertinent to the office of President and are assigned by

these Bylaws and by the Executive Committee.

2. The President-elect shall:

a. serve as a primary program planner for the annual Section meeting;

b. perform the duties of the President in the event that the President is absent or cannot serve;

c. perform such other duties as the President may delegate;

d. succeed immediately to the office of President in the event of the President’s resignation or

death;

e. succeed automatically to the office of President at the expiration of his term of office.

3. The Secretary shall:

a. keep a record of the proceedings of all Section meetings;

b. record and distribute minutes of all meetings of Executive Committee to Committee members;

c. assist the Executive Committee with mailings and related items for the annual Section meeting;

d. maintain an accurate membership roster of the Section;

e. assist the Executive Committee with the conduct of Section elections, including

preparation and distribution of ballots for election of officers and the Executive

Committee;

f. keep the Manager, Sections and Awards, of the Association informed of updates to Section

membership rosters and changes in Section Bylaws;

g. serve as official liaison between the Section and the Association;

h. prepare an annual report of the actions of the Section for the Association.

4. The Treasurer shall:

a. have charge of the Section’s finances according to the financial guideline set forth by the

Association;

b. assist the Executive Committee in the collection of registration fees and other

monies due the Section, assist in all disbursements approved by the Executive

Committee, and keep an accurate record thereof;

c. submit an annual report to the Executive Committee of the Section and to the

Association detailing all financial transactions and the financial condition of the

Section;

d. submit periodic financial reports to the Executive Committee as the members of that

Committee deem necessary for their information.

3

ARTICLE VI: Executive Committee

Section I. Composition. There shall be an Executive Committee comprised of the officers of the

Section, the immediate Past President, and 3 members, at large, who meet the requirements for voting and

membership as stated in Section III below. The members at large shall, preferably, be representative of

the area the Section serves. Members of ad hoc committees of the Section shall be ex-officio members of

the Executive Committee. The President shall preside over all Executive Committee meetings.

Section II. Terms of Office. Terms of office of the Executive Committee shall be 1 year.

Section III. Eligibility. All members of the Executive Committee must fulfill the requirements for

membership in the Section and in the Association.

Section IV. Duties.

1. The Executive Committee shall be a standing Committee of the Section and have the responsibility for

planning the annual Section meeting, and establishing policies and such other activities necessary to meet

the objectives of the Association and the Section as set forth in their respective Bylaws.

2. The Executive Committee shall fill any vacancy occurring among its officers or membership. If the

office of President becomes vacant, the President-Elect shall serve for the remainder of the term. Such

service shall not affect such person’s eligibility to become President of the Section upon adjournment of

the next annual Section meeting. In the event that the office of President becomes vacant when the office

of President-Elect is also vacant, the Executive Committee shall take action to fill both vacancies.

3. The Executive Committee shall have the power to form, expand, or terminate ad hoc committees as is

necessary to the orderly function of the Section.

Section V. Meetings.

1. The Executive Committee shall hold at least one meeting for the purpose of planning the annual

meeting of the Section. Additional meetings may be called as needed by the President or by mutual

consent of three members of the Committee with proper advanced notice.

2. A majority of the members of the Executive Committee shall constitute a quorum.

3. If a seated member of the Executive Committee cannot attend a regularly scheduled meeting, he/she

may deliver absentee votes, in writing, to another seated member.

ARTICLE VII: Committees

Section I. Additional Standing Committees. Additional Standing Committees may be formed as

needed by the Section to carry out its purpose and objectives.

Section II. Ad hoc Committees. The Executive Committee shall have the power to form, expand, or

terminate any ad hoc committees as stated in Article VI, Section IV, 3, above.

ARTICLE VIII: Nominations and elections

Section I. Nominations. The Past President, President-elect, and two additional members appointed by

the Executive Committee shall serve as a Nominating Committee to select candidates for President-elect,

Secretary, Treasurer (or Secretary/Treasurer) and Executive Committee members at large.

4

Section II. Elections. The ballots shall be presented at the Annual Section Meeting for vote by the

membership. Candidates receiving a majority of the votes of the members present and voting shall be

elected to office.

ARTICLE IX: Meetings

Section I. Section meetings. The Executive Committee shall schedule and carry out an annual meeting

of the section and such other meetings as desired. There shall be at least one meeting of the Section

annually. The Executive Committee shall determine, in advance, the time and the place for each meeting.

It may call special meetings as needed upon notice to the members at least 30 days prior to the scheduled

meeting date.

Section II. Scheduling of meetings. Section meetings should not be scheduled within one month before

or after the annual meeting of the Association.

Section III. Quorum. A quorum of the Section shall be the larger of 10 or 10% of the Regional Section

members attending the regularly scheduled meeting of the Section.

ARTICLE X: Operating period.

The operating period of the Section shall be the period from the Annual Section Meeting to the Annual

Meeting the following year.

ARTICLE XI: Dissolution

Section I. Mandatory Conveyance. In the event of voluntary dissolution of this Section or revocation

of its Charter by the Association, and after the discharge of all debts and obligations, any remaining funds

and property of the Section shall be conveyed to the Association of Official Analytical Chemists. Said

conveyance shall be made within sixty (60) days after the Section’s debts and obligations have been

discharged. The Executive Director of the Association shall be notified, in writing, of said action

immediately upon its completion.

ARTICLE XII: Amendments to the Bylaws

Section I. Proposals. Amendments to these Bylaws may be proposed by action of the Executive

Committee or by petition to the Secretary over the signatures of five (5) Section members.

Section II. Notification. The Secretary shall provide copies of all proposed amendments as well as any

explanations, pro or con, that the Executive Committee deems appropriate, to the members attending the

annual meeting of the Section. Proposed amendments to be presented at an annual meeting should be

received by the Executive Committee for consideration thirty (30) days prior to the scheduled meeting

date. Alternately, the Executive Committee may elect to mail copies and explanations of all amendments

with ballots for voting to all members of the Section. Mailed ballots will not be accepted after seven (7)

days prior to the scheduled annual meeting.

Section III. Approvals. A two-thirds vote of the Section members voting on a proposed amendment to

these Bylaws shall be necessary for approval.

Section IV. Board Approvals. In addition to the two-thirds vote of the Section members, amendments

to the Articles shall also require approval of the Association’s Board of Directors.

Updated: February 2002