The U.S. Federation for Culture Collections

By-Laws

Last modified August 7, 1996

 

Article 1. Membership. Membership in the Federation is of five types.

  1. Individual membership is open to persons who are interested in culture collections, or the collection, preservation, and use of germ plasm.
  2. Affiliate membership is open to culture collections, laboratories in which more than one individual is involved with germ plasm, libraries, administrative offices, and other types of organizations. Each Affiliate member is to be represented by one designated individual and alternate.
  3. Sustaining membership is open to individuals and organizations (also represented by one designated individual and alternate) interested in supporting the Federation by paying larger dues than Affiliate members.
  4. Emeritus membership is open to persons who have retired from full-time employment.
  5. Honorary membership may be awarded by a majority vote of the Executive Board.

Article 2. Termination of Membership. Members of the Federation shall receive a notice of dues on or before November 30, payable by January 1, for the subsequent calendar year. Federation membership is terminated at the end of the year if dues for that year are delinquent.

Article 3. Officers. The officers of the Federation are a President, a Vice President, a Secretary, and a Treasurer elected from and by the membership (see Article 4 of the USFCC Articles of Incorporation). The term of each office is two years and begins on July 1. The President may not serve two terms in succession. The Vice President will succeed the President. The Secretary and Treasurer are eligible for re-election. Exceptional vacancy in the office of the President shall be filled immediately by the Vice President, who shall complete the unexpired term of his predecessor and his expected term as President. In the event of exceptional vacancy in the offices of the Vice President, the Secretary, or the Treasurer, the Executive Board shall designate by simple majority vote (not later than the next meeting of the Executive Board or by ballot within 90 days, whichever comes first) an elected member of the Executive Board to serve the unexpired term of the vacated position. Such appointment shall not disqualify the incumbent from subsequent election or appointment to Federation office.

Article 4. Executive Board. The Executive Board of the Federation consists of the officers, the immediate past president, and six members-at-large elected from and by the membership (see Article 5 of the USFCC Articles of Incorporation). The members-at-large will be in three classes of two members each and will serve for a term of three years, the terms to begin on July 1 and the retirement date of each class arranged so that each year only one class will retire. Members-at-large will be eligible for re-election, although they may not serve more than two consecutive terms in that capacity. Exceptional vacancies of members-at-large can be filled by appointment by the President with approval by the Executive Board.

Article 5. Election of Officers and Executive Board Members. A Nominating Committee appointed by the President shall consist of at least three members, one of whom shall be the immediate past-President who shall be Chairperson of the Committee. The Nominating Committee shall include no more than one member of the Executive Board other than the immediate past President. The Committee shall prepare a list of at least two nominees for each elective office in the Federation that will be vacant at the end of the current term. In selecting nominees they shall review the composition of the Executive Board to discover the adequacy of representation among members of the various disciplines (bacteriology, mycology, phycology, protozoology, etc.) and the principal sponsors of the culture collections (education, government, industry). The selection of nominees shall, to whatever extent is feasible, offer the electorate an opportunity to redress any imbalance or lack of representation on the Board. The written consent of each nominee to serve, if elected, is to be obtained before the list of candidates is submitted to the Secretary for preparation and circulation of the ballots. Election shall be by mail ballot of the entire membership and shall be determined by a simple majority of those voting. In case of a tie, the selection will be resolved by the flip of a coin by the teller, in the presence of two witnesses.

Article 6. Duties of Officers.

  1. The duties of the President are:
    1. to preside at all meetings of the Federation and its Executive Board;
    2. to prepare, with the Secretary, the agenda for the meetings of the Federation and of the Executive Board;
    3. to represent the Federation in all organizations and activities where representation of the Federation is necessary or desirable or to appoint a USFCC member to represent the Federation;
    4. to receive and reply to all correspondence addressed to the Federation and not attended to by the Secretary;
    5. to assume such duties as may be requested by the membership or by the Executive Board;
    6. to appoint, with the advice and consent of the Executive Board, members of all standing and ad hoc committees of the Federation and consultants;
    7. to appoint annually an Auditing Committee to examine the financial records of the Federation;
    8. to designate, with the advice and consent of the Executive Board, the chairperson of each committee, except those committee chairpersons designated by these By-Laws; and
    9. to serve as ex officio member of all committees except the Nominating Committee.
  2. The duties of the Vice President are:
    1. to assume the duties of the President in the President's absence;
    2. to serve as Chairperson of the Program Committee which is responsible for all the scientific programs of the USFCC; and
    3. to assume such duties as may be requested by the President or Executive Board.
  3. The duties of the Secretary are:
    1. to prepare, with the President, the agenda for the business meetings of the Federation and of the Executive Board;
    2. to record the minutes of said meetings and prepare them for publication in the USFCC Newsletter;
    3. to maintain liaison between the Executive Board and the general membership;
    4. to receive and reply (with copies to the President) to all routine correspondence addressed to the Federation and to refer to all other correspondence to the President;
    5. to maintain the records of the Federation;
    6. to prepare a ballot listing the names of all nominees for each office and to mail one ballot to each member in good standing by March 15;
    7. to designate a date for the return of ballots and to declare invalid all marked ballots returned to the Secretary, or such other USFCC member designated by the President, if received after the designated date; and
    8. to notify all newly-elected officers of their elections not later than two weeks after the ballots are counted and to record names of all newly elected officers in the minutes of the regular Executive Board meeting.
  4. The duties of the Treasurer are:
    1. to take charge of the Federation's funds, and to discharge and record all business transactions of the Federation, including payments of its legitimate obligations, in accordance with the policies and directives of the Executive Board;
    2. to submit the financial records of the Federation for annual auditing by a committee appointed by the President before June 30;
    3. to prepare and present an annual financial report to the Executive Board and subsequently to the membership of the Federation at the annual business meeting. This annual financial report and the audit, as approved by the Auditing Committee, shall be included in the USFCC Newsletter.

Article 7. Duties of the Executive Board. The duties of the Executive Board are:

  1. to conduct the business of the Federation;
  2. to authorize the expenditures of Federation funds; and
  3. to advise the President on appointment of such committees and consultants as may be necessary to attain the objectives of the Federation and to approve such appointments.

Article 8. Duties of the Newsletter Editor. The duties of the Newsletter Editor are to serve as Chairperson of the Editorial Committee, which shall be responsible for publishing

  1. A quarterly Newsletter that should include:
    1. an announcement of the J. Roger Porter Award winner as soon as possible after announcement by the American Society for Microbiology, as well as a short biographical sketch of the winner;
    2. January Issue
      1. the time and place at the ASM meeting for the presentation of the J. Roger Porter Award lecture;
      2. complete details of any lectures, seminars, or round-table discussions sponsored by the USFCC at the ASM meeting;
      3. time and place of the USFCC annual business meeting;
      4. minutes of the Fall USFCC Executive Board meeting;
      5. dues reminder;
      6. USFCC President's annual letter;
      7. USFCC election results;
      8. new members and changes of address.
    3. April Issue
      1. minutes of the Spring USFCC Executive Board meeting;
      2. Treasurer's annual report;
      3. minutes of the USFCC annual business meeting;
      4. call for nomination of individuals for the J. Roger Porter Award;
      5. new members and changes of address.
    4. July Issue
      1. synopses of any USFCC symposia or round table discussions held;
      2. text of the J. Roger Porter Award lecture;
      3. reminder to nominate individuals for the J. Roger Porter Award;
      4. auditor's report;
      5. new members and changes of address.
    5. October Issue
      1. annual dues notice;
      2. preliminary announcement of any USFCC scientific programs to be presented;
      3. new members and changes of address.
  2. A list of the membership every two years.

Article 9. Meetings, Quorums, and Voting.

  1. Meetings of the Executive Board will be held in conjunction with the General meetings and at such other times as called by the President. Notification of such called meetings shall be circulated by the Secretary to all members of the Executive Board, and to such other persons as may be designated by the President, at least three weeks prior to the date scheduled for the meeting.
  2. Meetings of the Executive Board shall be conducted according to Robert's Rules of Order, Newly Revised.
  3. The Secretary, acting for the Executive Board, shall ask each Federation committee chairperson and/or Federation representative to prepare a report for presentation at the annual meeting of the Executive Board.
  4. The President, acting for the Executive Board, shall invite such duly appointed or elected committee chairpersons, consultants, and/or representative of the Federation as are appropriate to anticipated deliberations of the Executive Board to attend the Executive Board meeting as non-voting members.
  5. The Executive Board shall conduct the business of the Federation by mail only in exceptional circumstances wherein attendance at annual or called meetings inflicts undue hardship upon members of the Executive Board.
  6. Urgent business requiring the action of the Federation-at-large, in the judgment of the Executive Board, and arising during intervals between annual business meetings shall be conducted by mail ballot circulated to the membership by the Secretary.
  7. Where postal ballots are called for, only valid ballot slips received by the Secretary or appointed tellers by the date specified on the ballot will be counted.
  8. A simple majority of the membership constitutes a quorum for the meetings of the Executive Board.
  9. The Federation shall convene in business meeting at least once a year for the transaction of regular and special business in accordance with the agenda arranged by the President and Secretary.
  10. The Secretary, acting for the Federation, shall place a notice of the arrangements for the annual business meeting in an issue of the USFCC Newsletter, which shall be mailed to the membership at least two weeks before the opening date of the meeting.
  11. The annual business meeting shall be conducted according to Robert's Rules of Order, Newly Revised.
  12. The members of the Federation, including a quorum of the Executive Board, present at the regular annual meeting shall constitute a quorum for conducting business.
  13. Each member shall have one vote. A member unable to attend a meeting may appoint a voting proxy providing that member notified the Secretary in writing prior to the meeting.
  14. All matters requiring a vote, including election of officers, shall be decided by a simple majority of those voting.
  15. If one-third or more of those members in attendance at a meeting so decide, a postal ballot on a particular question may be made of the full voting membership.
  16. The Federation shall sponsor at least one scientific meeting, i.e., a symposium, round table discussion, seminar, or workshop each year at a time and place set by the Program Committee. If at all possible, the Federation should sponsor a scientific meeting at the annual meeting of the American Society for Microbiology.

Article 10. Standing and ad hoc Committees.

  1. There shall be standing and ad hoc committees to assist the officers and the Executive Board in carrying out the stated aims of the Federation.
  2. All committees shall be composed of at least one member of the Executive Board and two (more if necessary) members in good standing, exclusive of the President who shall be ex officio of all committees except the Nominating Committee.
  3. Membership of all committees shall be subject to review and modification, including replacement of the chairpersons, by each President as he assumes office, with the advice and consent of the Executive Board.
  4. There shall be the following standing committees:
    1. the Nominating Committee (see Article 5 of these By-Laws);
    2. the Auditing Committee to examine the financial records of the Federation;
    3. the Membership Committee shall be charged with recruiting new members of the Federation;
    4. the Editorial Committee (see Article 8 of these By-Laws);
    5. the Program Committee, to:
      1. be responsible for the scientific programs presented by the USFCC;
      2. arrange, with the consent of the Executive Board, symposia, refresher courses, special exhibits, invited lectures, and other scientific activities consistent with the Articles of Incorporation; and
      3. be composed of the Vice President who shall act as chairperson and at least two other members in good standing.

Article 11. Affiliation with Other Organizations. The Federation may affiliate with other organizations, as the Executive Board proposes and the membership approves by a majority vote, provided the statutory aims of the organizations do not conflict with the objectives of the Federation. Affiliation may be temporary, as for the duration of a joint meeting, or of longer duration to advance the aims of the Federation.

Article 12. Dues and Other Income. Each Individual and Affiliate member will be assessed annual dues; the schedule of all dues will be determined by the Executive Board (see Article 3 of the USFCC Articles of Incorporation). To qualify for Sustaining Membership an individual or organization must annually donate to the Federation a sum to be specified by the Executive Board. All income received, including donations from all sources, shall be forwarded to the Treasurer.

Article 13. Expenditure of Federation Funds. Expenditure of the Federation's funds must be limited to those necessary activities approved by the Executive Board. Reimbursement for the economy air fare and other necessary expenses incurred in attending Executive Board meetings (only those not held in conjunction with the General Business Meeting) may be authorized if no other travel funds are available.

Article 14. Publication. Only those publications approved by the Executive Board may bear the sponsorship of the Federation.

Article 15. Amendments to the By-Laws. Proposals for amendments to these By-Laws must be submitted in writing to the Executive Board. If approved by the Executive Board, such changes shall be reported to the membership at the annual business meeting.
 

U.S. Federation for Culture Collections / David R. Boone / e-mail: BooneD@pdx.edu