IEEE Alaska Section By-Laws

INSTITUTE OF ELECTRICAL AND ELECTRONICS ENGINEERS, INC.

ALASKA SECTION

SECTION BYLAWS

Amended December 6, 2001

ARTICLE I - NAME. PURPOSE. TERRITORY. AND GOVERNANCE

Sec. 1. This organization shall be known as the Alaska Section of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE). It was officially established September 10, 1958.

Sec. 2. It shall be the purpose of the Section to further the aims and ideals set forth in the IEEE Constitution.

Sec. 3. The Alaska Section territory shall include the entire State of Alaska, subject to the provisions of IEEE Bylaws Sec. 404.

Sec. 4. The Alaska Section is governed by Section Bylaws, which are a subset of IEEE Bylaws Sec. R-904. Review of Section planning and operations for compliance with Section Bylaws shall be performed by the Section Executive Committee at the beginning of each fiscal year.

Sec. 5. The Alaska Section is organized in the Northwest Area of IEEE Region 6. The Northwest Area Chair and the Region 6 Director provide guidance on IEEE policy and operations.

ARTICLE II - MEMBERSHIP

Sec. 1. Section members are defined as members of all grades of the IEEE, in good standing, whose IEEE mailing address is within Alaska, or is an APO or FP0 number for an Alaskan location.

ARTICLE III - ORGANIZATIONAL UNITS WITHIN THE SECTION

Sec. 1. Subsections may be established according to IEEE Bylaws Sec. R-905. Subsection members vote and participate in Section affairs. The Alaska Section shall actively support each Subsection within its territory, as deemed appropriate by the Section Executive Committee.

Sec. 2. The Fairbanks Subsection, territorially situated within the boundaries of the Fairbanks North Star Borough, was officially established November 20, 1987.

Sec. 3. Chapters may be established according to IEEE Bylaws Sec. R-906.

Sec. 4. Student Branches, established as basic operating entities in accordance with IEEE Bylaws Sec. R-907, are not organizationally structured as Section components. However, the Alaska Section shall actively support each Student Branch within its territory, as deemed appropriate by the Section Executive Committee.

Sec. 5. The University of Alaska Fairbanks Student Branch was officially established June 30, 1959.

ARTICLE IV - OFFICERS

Sec. 1. The officers of the Section shall be: Chair, Vice Chair, Secretary, and Treasurer. They shall be elected annually for a term of one year, as provided in Article VII of these Bylaws.

Sec. 2. Any vacancy occurring during the year shall be filled by a majority vote of the Section Executive Committee.

Sec. 3. Removal from office. If for any reason the best interests of the Section are believed to require a change in the governing body during the year, the matter shall be duly and carefully considered by the Section Executive Committee. Upon not less than a two-thirds vote of the Section Executive Committee, or upon receipt of the Section Executive Committee of a petition signed by 15% of the voting members of the Section, the Section Executive Committee shall call a special meeting of the Section membership for the sole purpose of considering and voting upon the recommended change. A two-thirds vote of the members present shall be necessary to declare an office vacant. The vacant office may be filled for the remainder of the unexpired term, as specified in Section Bylaws Art. IV, Sec. 2.

ARTICLE V - MANAGEMENT

Sec. 1. Management of the Section shall be by the Section Executive Committee, which shall be composed of the following Voting members: the four elected officers of the section, the Past Section Chair, the Subsection Chair, and the Chair of each Section standing committee. Subsection Chairs shall be ex-officio members of the Section Executive Committee with voting power, and all Chapters within the Section shall have shall have voting representation on the Section Executive Committee. Section management shall be conducted in accordance with with IEEE Regional Activities Board Operations Manual 9.4.H.

Sec. 2. Eligibility to hold office in the Section and Subsections is restricted to those of member grade and above, in accordance with IEEE Bylaws Sec. 104. All standing committee chairs shall be IEEE members.

Sec. 3. The duties of the elected officers and standing committees shall be as generally outlined in Section Position Descriptions and in IEEE Regional Activities Board Operations Manual Sec. 9.4.G. Direction and guidance is offered by the IEEE Constitution, Bylaws, Policy and Procedures Manual, Student Activities Guide, Awards Guide, Financial Operations Guide, Publications Guide, Meetings Guide, and Chapter Operations Guide.

Sec. 4. Section officers and standing committee chairs shall routinely attend Section Executive Committee meetings and shall notify the section Chair if unable to attend. Section Executive Committee members will appropriately represent the Section and Subsection at Northwest Area, Region 6, and other IEEE meetings. Section and Subsection officials shall actively and routinely interact with hierarchical officials in IEEE.

Sec. 5. To provide for multiyear operational continuity, the Section Chair is responsible for developing a two-year calendar of Section events, complete with working budgets for both fiscal years. The resulting two-year operations plan shall guide Section activities for the period. The IEEE Regional Activities Program Resources Guide provides support in developing annual Section operations.

Sec. 6. At the close of the fiscal year, the Section Chair shall prepare a consolidated report of Section activities during the operating year, furnishing copies to the Northwest Area Chair and the Region 6 Director, and to the Section Executive Committee for permanent retention. The outgoing Section Chair shall transfer pertinent documents and records to the incoming Chairman.

Sec. 7. At the close of the fiscal year, the Section Chair, assisted by the Treasurer, shall submit a year-end Section financial report to the Northwest Area Chair, the Region 6 Director, and IEEE Headquarters.

Sec. 8. Guidelines for maintaining Section records are listed in the Regional Activities Program Resources Guide.

Sec. 9. The Chairs of the Standing Committees will be appointed by the Section Chair, with the approval of the Section Executive Committee, and their terms will expire on the date of the first regular membership meeting in January. Each committee chair will appoint committee members, with the approval of the Section Executive Committee, and their terms will expire on the date of the first regular membership meeting in January.

Sec. 10. Section Standing Committees shall be the following, or as deemed necessary by the Section Executive Committee.

1. Program Committee. The Program Committee shall consist of the Section Vice Chair, who shall serve as Committee Chair, and other members as appointed. This committee shall have the responsibility of programs to be presented to the Section. The committee shall be responsible for providing a meeting place and any equipment necessary to conduct the meeting. The program committee shall also be responsible for social affairs of the Section and provide hospitality functions for visiting guest speakers.

2. Membership Development Committee. The Membership Development Committee shall consist of a Chair and other members as appointed. The committee shall actively promote membership in the IEEE and shall encourage members to advance to the highest grade for which they are qualified. To these ends this committee shall maintain a list of members qualified for advancement, and shall provide information and assistance in preparing applications. Student Members shall be encouraged to become Members following graduation. Senior Member status and Fellow nominations shall be actively pursued for eligible Members.

3. Student Activities Committee. The Student Activities Committee shall consist of a Chair, and other members as appointed, who shall be responsible for providing programs to develop student interest, including a student paper contest, and help attain objectives outlined by IEEE Bylaws.

4. Professional Activities Committee. The Professional Activities Committee for Engineers (PACE) shall consist of a Chair, and other members as appointed, who shall be responsible for enhancing professional affairs within the Section. The PACE Source Book furnishes guidance. The PACE Chair shall be responsible for Section participation in National Engineers Week affairs. The committee shall organize worthwhile PACE projects for the Section and coordinate participation in codes and standards development activities.

5. Educational Activities Committee. The Educational Activities Committee shall consist of a Chair, and other members as appointed, who shall be responsible for providing for the continuing education needs of the section and for organizing Section sponsored technical seminars, conferences, and trade shows.

6. Awards Committee. The Awards Committee shall consist of a Chair, and other members as appointed, who shall be responsible for conducting Section awards activities.

7. Government Activities Committee. The Government Activities Committee shall consist of a Chair, and other members as appointed, who shall be responsible for government and legislative affairs. The committee shall track legislation of interest to the Section and coordinate intersociety relationships involving legislative matters.

8. Publicity and Public Relations Committee. The Publicity and Public Relations Committee shall consist of a Chair, and other members as appointed, who shall be responsible for Section publicity and public information initiatives.

9. Media Committee. The Media Committee, shall consist of a Chair and other members as appointed, who shall be responsible for compiling a monthly Section newsletter, and utilizing and maintaining electronic media resources to the benefit of the IEEE, the Section, and its membership.

10. Field Activities Committee. The Field Activities Committee shall consist of a Chair, and other members as appointed, who shall be responsible for organizing Section field trips. At least two field trips per year should be conducted, one of which should be a joint meeting with the Fairbanks Subsection.

11. Long Range Planning Committee. The Long Range Planning Committee shall be composed of past Section and Subsection Chairs, and be chaired by the immediate Past Section Chair. The committee shall meet in January and July to develop long range planning initiatives for the Alaska Section. All aspects of Section operations and policy shall be considered. The committee shall forward recommendations to the Section Executive Committee within 30 days of each meeting.

ARTICLE VI- FINANCING

Sec. 1. The Section fiscal year shall be the calendar year, in accordance with IEEE Bylaws Sec. I-314.1. The Section Executive Committee believes the transfer of Alaska Section offices is better facilitated in January, than in July, due to traditional seasonal activities.

Sec. 2. At the beginning of each fiscal year, a two-year operations and financial plan shall be developed. Planning shall consider Section, Subsection, Student Branch and Chapter needs.

Sec. 3. All expenditures of Section funds must be approved by the Section Executive Committee.

Sec. 4. Without prior authorization of the IEEE Executive Committee, Section funds can be used only for normal operations of the Section.

Sec. 5. All funds received by the Section shall be deposited in a bank approved by the Section Executive Committee. The signature of either the Treasurer or the Chair shall be required for all withdrawals from this account.

Sec. 6. The Section may raise funds by conducting appropriate activities. Typical activities include technical proceedings, such as seminars, conferences, or trade shows, which may satisfy either Section or public needs. Financial planning with specific objectives may encourage a long-term schedule of fund raising activities.

Sec. 7. Section financial planning shall obligate all funds received. Both short and long term affairs benefiting IEEE and its members should be considered for funding. Awards, grants, scholarships, and travel expenses are considered to be typically worthy of funding. Direct support of Section, Subsection, Student Branch, or Chapter operational needs shall receive funding precedence.

Sec. 8. During November the Section books shall be reviewed by a second member of the Section Executive Committee, as appointed by the Chair. This annual review shall be brought up as an item of business and that person making the audit shall submit a report for the term of office about to end.

ARTICLE VII - NOMINATIONS AND ELECTIONS

Sec. 1. The Section Chair shall appoint a Nominating Committee, with approval of the Section Executive Committee, to fill Section offices vacated at the end of each fiscal year. A Nominating Committee Chair and two other Section members, who are not officers, shall be appointed not later than the first meeting in September of each year. The committee shall proceed to form a slate of nominees for the offices to be vacated at the end of the fiscal year and shall submit this list to the Secretary not later than November 1.

Sec. 2. The Secretary shall send to each member of the Section, in the November issue of the Section newsletter, a list of the nominees and a notice that the names of petition nominees may be submitted to the Secretary in accordance with Section 3 of this Article.

Sec. 3. Petition nominations may be submitted to the Secretary by letter, bearing the name and office for which nominated, and signatures and membership numbers of ten qualified voters. Petition nominations must be received by the Secretary by December 1.

Sec. 4. All current members of Associate grade and above, whose IEEE mailing address is within the Section territory, are eligible to vote. The Secretary shall prepare and mail a ballot, bearing all nominations properly received, to qualified voters on or before December 10. Each voter shall be provided a blank voting envelope and a self-addressed cover envelope. The cover envelope shall provide for entry of the voters signature and membership number.

Sec. 5. The Section Chair shall appoint a Tellers Committee in December. The committee may be composed of nominating committee members, but shall not inc1ude any nominee for office in the election. It shall be the duty of the Tellers Committee to count the votes and report results of the count to the Section Executive Committee, at its meeting in January held prior to the regular membership meeting.

Sec. 6. Ballots to be included in the count for election must be received in a signed over envelope by the Secretary, on or before the second Wednesday in January. The Secretary shall verify the signature and open the cover envelope, then deliver the unopened voting envelope to the Tellers Committee, on or before the regular Section meeting in January.

Sec. 7. Each officer shall be elected by a plurality of votes cast for that office.

Sec. 8. Terms of office will begin on the date of the first regular membership meeting in January, but in any case the outgoing officers will continue until their successors are duly elected and take office.

Sec. 9. Election results, complete with names, members numbers, addresses, and telephone numbers of incoming Section officers and appointed standing committee chairs shall be reported to the Northwest Area Chair, the Region 6 Director, and IEEE Headquarters within 20 days of the election. A report to the Section membership shall be made in the next Section Newsletter.

ARTICLE VIII- MEETINGS

Sec. 1. No fewer than eight regular membership meetings shall be held during each fiscal year. All such meetings shall be open to all members of IEEE, and unless specifically prohibited, to guests and friends of members. Under normal circumstances, regular membership meetings shall be publicly announced to allow interested members of the general public to attend. Regular membership meetings shall be held monthly, except as otherwise established by the Section Executive Committee.

Sec. 2. At least 15 voting members shall be present to constitute a quorum at a regular Section membership meeting for the transaction of business. Except as otherwise provided in these bylaws, an eligible majority vote of the members present and voting, is necessary and sufficient to carry a motion or resolution.

Sec. 3. An annual social meeting shall be held at a time and place to be prescribed each year by the Section Executive Committee.

Sec. 4. Meetings of the Section Executive Committee shall be monthly at the call of the Section Chair, or by request of any three members of the committee. Executive Committee meetings shall be open to the general membership. A majority of the members of the committee shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of Section business.

Sec. 5. An annual regular membership meeting should be jointly held with the Fairbanks Subsection, at a mutually agreed upon location.

Sec. 6. The standard parliamentary authority shall be Robert’s Rules of Order.

ARTICLE IX - AMENDMENTS

Sec. 1. Amendments to or revocation of these Bylaws shall be in accordance with the IEEE Bylaws.

Sec. 2. Amendments may be proposed by the Section Executive Committee acting on its own initiative, or through a petition signed by at least ten eligible members of the Section.

Sec. 3. A recommendation on amendments to the Bylaws will be developed by the Section Executive Committee, prior to submission to the membership. Proposed amendments and the reasons therefore, shall be delivered or mailed to Section Executive Committee members at least twenty days before the stipulated meeting of the Section Executive Committee at which a vote is to be taken. Two thirds of all votes cast at that meeting shall be required to favorably recommend any new Bylaw, amendment or revocation. Such Bylaws must be consonant with the IEEE Constitution, Bylaws and published interpretations of policy.

Sec. 4. The recommendation of the Section Executive Committee on proposed Bylaws amendments shall be presented for action at the next regular membership meeting following Executive Committee action, or by mail if a mail ballot is preferable. A favorable vote of two-thirds of members present and voting at a regularly convened meeting, or a favorable vote of two-thirds of the ballots cast by mail is required to enact an amendment.

Sec. 5. A copy of amended Section Bylaws shall be submitted to the Region 6 Director for final approval, with such approvals reported to the Regional Activities Board.

Article IX, Section 5 is the final functional element of these Bylaws.

ALASKA SECTION BYLAWS EVOLUTION

The first Alaska Section IEEE Bylaws were drafted by Section chair, John W. Silven, Chief Electronics Engineering Branch, Civil Aeronautics Administration, Alaskan Region, Anchorage, and adopted with establishment of the Section on September 10, 1958.

An amendment and expansion of the Bylaws, in agreement with current IEEE guidelines and Section operations, was drafted in 1987, by Section Chair Robert L. Baldwin, General Manager, Alaska Science & Technology Company, Anchorage. The amended Bylaws were approved by the Executive Committee on December 9, 1987, and by unanimous vote of the general membership at the monthly meeting on January 19, 1988.

In 1993, the Bylaws were submitted to Region 6 Director Chester C. Taylor for review. Article IX, Section 4 was corrected at his request to conform with IEEE Bylaws, and adopted by the Executive Committee, on November 9, 1994, as a housekeeping amendment not requiring a vote of the general membership.

In 2001, the Bylaws were reviewed and proposed amendments were brought to the Executive Committee by the Long Range Planning Committee under the leadership of Ocie Mitchell, Past Section Chair. The amended Bylaws were approved by the Executive Committee on October 4, 2001 and by unanimous vote of the general membership at the monthly meeting on October 17, 2001. This amendment was adopted by the following Section officers and approved by Director Hamerman, as affirmed by the following signatures.

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Shelly R. Schmitt, Chair Date

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John E. Lynn, Vice Chair Date

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Bradford D. Chouinard, Secretary Date

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Allen C. Tredeau, Treasurer Date

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Larry Hamerman, Director IEEE Region 6 Date

Regional Director Hamerman submitted the Bylaws to the IEEE Regional Activities Office.