Adopted November 1985
ARTICLE I. Name and Purpose
1. The name of this Society shall be the Society for Humanistic Anthropology, a Section of the American Anthropological Association.
2. The Society shall encourage the further development of humanistic anthropology; aid in the dissemination of the results of scholarship and empirical research in humanistic anthropology through the publication of the Anthropology and Humanism Quarterly and by other appropriate means; serve as a vehicle for the organization of those individuals with a shared commitment to humanistic anthropology; and support the implementation of programs based upon the consensually recognized results of humanistic research in anthropology.
ARTICLE II. Powers and Obligations
1. The Society shall be autonomous in all matters within its field that are not reserved by the Bylaws of the American Anthropological Association, inimical to the American Anthropological Association’s interests, or prohibited by law.
2. The Society shall have an elected President and Secretary and other elected or appointed officers as set forth in these Bylaws.
3. The Society is empowered to determine membership dues.
4. The Society shall determine voting requirements on all Division/Section matters.
5. The Society may engage in publishing and program activities, appoint committees and other agents, and set publication and program policies appropriate to its purposes.
6. The Society shall adopt and maintain Bylaws or Rules of Procedure consistent with American Anthropological Association Bylaws. The Society shall file with the American Anthropological Association Secretary a copy of its current Bylaws and other rules of procedure.
7. At the time of each Annual Meeting, the Executive Board shall report its activities to the Members and to the Board of Directors of the American Anthropological Association.
ARTICLE III. Membership
1. There shall be three (3) classes of membership in the Society: regular, student and associate.
2. Regular and Student membership shall be open to any member in good standing of the American Anthropological Association. A Member shall be eligible to hold elective or appointive office, participate in the scientific program, receive publications and have one vote in nominating and electing officers and the transaction of other business of the Society.
3. Associate membership in the Society shall be comparable to the status of “Associate of the Association” as stipulated in the Bylaws of the American Anthropological Association.
4. Institutions and individuals who do not wish to be members of the Society may subscribe to its publications at rates set by the Executive Board of the Society.
ARTICLE IV. Meetings
1. There shall be an annual meeting of the membership of the Society held in conjunction with the annual meetings of the American Anthropological Association to nominate officers and to act upon other business of interest to the membership.
2. Special meetings may be called at any time or place designated in the call by the President, or by 20 or more members in good standing of this Society.
3. The President of the Society shall preside at all meetings and the Secretary of the Society shall act as recording secretary at all meetings. In the absence of the President the Vice-President shall preside. In the absence of the Vice-President the membership present shall designate by majority vote a presiding officer. In the absence of the Secretary the presiding officer shall designate a Secretary for the meeting.
4. At the annual meeting, or any other properly constituted meeting, those present shall constitute a quorum to transact business. All business transacted shall be formally recorded and reported to all members of the Society.
ARTICLE V. Election and Appointment of Officers
1. The Society shall have the following elected officers: President, Vice-President (and president-elect), Secretary, and Editor. The President and Vice-President shall be elected to two-year terms; the term of Secretary shall be three years. The Editor of the Anthropology and Humanism Quarterly (AHQ) shall be appointed to a three-year term after a competitive selection process. In addition, two members shall be elected to the Executive Board to terms of two and three years. These officers shall constitute the Executive Board of the Society.
2. Nomination for elected officers shall be considered at the annual meeting of the Society and elections shall take place by mail ballot to the entire membership. Election shall be determined by the majority of returned ballots, to be recorded by the Secretary.
3. The Executive Board shall appoint the Regional Coordinators of the Society subject to the approval of the majority of the membership. The Regional Coordinators shall serve two year terms and may be reappointed.
4. The Editor, with the advice of the Executive Board, shall appoint the Book Review Editor, Associate Editors, and members of the Editorial Advisory Board. The tenure of these officers is coterminous with that of the editor and are subject to reappointment.
5. The terms of the office of all officers commence at the conclusion of the Annual Meeting of the American Anthropological Association.
ARTICLE VI. Duties of Elected and Appointed Offices
1. The President shall be the chief executive of the affairs of the Society; she or he shall preside at all meetings of the Society and shall represent the Society in contracts executed by the American Anthropological Association on behalf of the Society, seeking whenever possible the approval of the membership for any major actions. The President shall be an ex-officio member of all committees formed by the membership. The President shall be the Society’s first representative on the Board of Directors and, in the event the Society is entitled to such representation, on the Executive Committee of the American Anthropological Association.
2. The Vice-President shall be the president-elect. He or she shall perform all of the duties of the President in the absence or incapacitation of the President and shall otherwise assist the President in the discharge of his or her duties as authorized by the President. The President-elect shall serve as Program Chair for the Society in two years preceding taking office as President.
3. The Secretary shall attend all meetings of the Society; he or she shall keep separate, regular, and accurate minutes of all proceedings. It shall be the responsibility of the secretary to keep all records of the Society, maintain correspondence with the membership, and serve as editor of the Society’s Section in the Anthropology Newsletter.
4. The Regional Coordinators shall represent the membership constituencies both within and outside of the United States. (1) Northeastern states, (2) Southern states, (3) Central states, (4) West and Southwestern states, (5) Canada, (6) Latin America and the Caribbean, and (7) Europe. Each shall be responsible for promoting the membership of the Society and AHQ at academic institutions and at professional meetings. Regional Coordinators shall regularly report their activities to the Secretary and President.
5. The Editor shall have full and final responsibility for the editing and publication of the Anthropology and Humanism Quarterly. As Treasurer, the Editor shall be responsible for the administration of the finances of the Society, subject to budgetary and other regulations approved by the Executive Committee, and shall be the Society’s fiscal agent. The Treasurer shall submit a draft budget to the Executive Committee not less than thirty days before the annual meeting. The Treasurer shall present a report to the membership at each annual meeting.
6. The Book Review Editor and Associate Editors shall assist the Editor in the solicitation, review and writeup of materials for publication. Each shall be assigned specific responsibilities by the Editor.
7. The Editorial Advisory Board shall be composed of living scholars noted for their interest and accomplishment in humanistic anthropology. Each shall be responsible for the general promotion of the AHQ.
8. The Executive Board shall set the annual dues of Members and may establish rates for special categories.
9. Elected members of the Executive Board shall undertake specific responsibilities as assigned by the President.
ARTICLE VII. Finances
1. The fiscal year of the Society shall be that of the American Anthropological Association.
2. The Society shall submit an annual operating budget to the American Anthropological Association Board of Directors, which when approved, shall govern Society activities.
3. The income from annual dues and from investments and other sources shall constitute a working fund, available for operating, publication, and current expenses consistent with the purposes of the Society.
4. No financial obligation in excess of funds available in the treasury shall be assumed by the Executive Board or by any officer on behalf of the Society except that for the purpose of this section, estimated receipts from annual dues and other accounts receivable for the current year may be considered as available funds.
5. The Society may establish special funds to be administered by the American Anthropological Association for purposes the Society may designate.
ARTICLE VIII. Amendments
1. These Bylaws may be amended by a majority vote of the members to be determined by a mail ballot to the membership.
