Introduction

The current Division bylaws include amendments ratified by the GSA Council on October 18, 2005. The bylaws are also available in pdf format.

Bylaws

October 18, 2005

HYDROGEOLOGY DIVISION BYLAWS
Established by Council on November 3, 1959

ARTICLE I - Organization, Name, and Purpose

Organization. This division of The Geological Society of America, Inc., is organized in accordance with Article IX, Divisions of the Society, of the bylaws of that Society and is governed by the provisions of that article.

Name. The name of the division is the Hydrogeology Division of The Geological Society of America, Inc.

Definition. Hydrogeology is that branch of geology which is concerned with the character, source, occurrence, movement, availability, and use of water. The Hydrogeology Division emphasizes and focuses on the geologic aspects of hydrogeology, recognizes the role of geology in the hydrologic cycle, and the importance of hydrogeology to society and science.

Purpose. The purpose of the division are: (1) to bring together scientists interested in hydrogeology, (2) to facilitate the presentation and discussion of their problems and ideas, (3) to promote research and the publication of results on hydrogeologic studies, (4) to cooperate with other Divisions and Sections of the Society and with other scientific organizations in fostering, aiding, furthering, and promoting research in hydrogeology, and (5) to advise and assist the officers and committees of the Society in matters pertaining to hydrogeology.

ARTICLE II - Membership

Categories. Any Member (including Student and Teacher Members), Fellow, Honorary Fellow, Student Associate, or Affiliate of the Geological Society of America who is in good standing may become a member of the Hydrogeology Division. To effect such membership, an applicant shall express their desire on the GSA membership application form, or in writing to either the secretary-treasurer of the division or to the executive director of the Society. All division members, except GSA Affiliates and Associates, may vote and hold office in the division. GSA Affiliates and Associates may serve on committees as conferees.

Voting Rights. Individual Members in the Division, in good standing, all have full and equal voting rights and are entitled to one vote on Division matters, except as outlined in the Bylaws and in the Rules and Regulations of the Division as described and outlined in Article VIII. An individual whose current dues to both the Division and Society have been paid is in good standing.

ARTICLE III - Finances

Responsibility. The Society shall be financially responsible for normal expenses of the Division. All other financial obligations or commitments of the Division must have prior approval of the Council. The Division General Fund is managed by the Society, whereas special funds, such as the Birdsall, Dreiss and other award funds, may be managed by the Geological Society of America Foundation.

Dues. The division may collect annual dues or special assessments from division members when recommended by its management board and approved by a majority vote of the voting division members at the Annual Business Meeting or by ballot.

Contributions. The division may solicit and accept contributions of funds to be used and expended under supervision of its management board and subject to Council approval.

Birdsall-Dreiss Bequests. The $10,000 bequest from the estate of John Birdsall to the Hydrogeology Division, and the $5000 bequest from David Freyberg in memory of Shirley Dreiss, and all subsequent donations to the Birdsall and Dreiss funds are to be kept intact, and only the proceeds will be used in accordance with standard procedures of the GSA Foundation, except that the management board will have the power to utilize portions of the principal in the case of a clear emergency and only by unanimous vote of the Management Board, or by amendment of the bylaws in accordance with established procedure.

ARTICLE IV - Management Board and Election of Officers of the Division

Management Board. The management of the affairs and the property of the division shall be the responsibility of the management board of the division. The management of the division shall be in accordance with the bylaws of the Society. At the annual business meeting, the management board shall submit a report of the preceding year's activities of the division, which shall include the reports of the chair and secretary-treasurer and reports of the various committees. This report shall be submitted before February 15 of the following year by the secretary-treasurer of the division to the executive director of the Society. The report will be presented to the affiliates of the division in the division's newsletter.

Officers. The officers of the division shall be a chair, a first vice-chair, a second vice-chair, and a secretary-treasurer. The chair and vice-chairs shall each be elected for terms of one year, and the secretary-treasurer for a term of two years. The terms of office shall begin immediately following the annual business meeting at which the results of the election are announced.

Management Board. The management board shall consist of the chair, first vice-chair, second vice-chair, secretary-treasurer, and immediate past chair of the division.

Election of Officers. The nominating committee of the division shall nominate candidates annually for chair, first vice-chair, and second vice-chair; and every two years for secretary-treasurer. When approved by the division chair, these nominations shall become the regular ticket and shall be submitted by the secretary-treasurer of the division to the executive director of the Society, who shall have prepared and distributed to the voting members of the division a ballot which shall also have space for write-in nominees.

Qualifications. Nominees and officers must be members in good standing of the Society and the Division.

Election Procedures. The election of officers shall be in accordance with the election procedures of the Society and shall be under the supervision of the Society. All provisions governing the election of officers of the Society which are applicable to the division shall govern the election of officers of the division.

Re-election. No person shall be eligible to serve more than one consecutive term as chair, first vice-chair, or second vice-chair of the division, unless under extreme emergency and with the unanimous approval of the management board and the president of the Society. The secretary-treasurer shall be permitted to serve for two consecutive terms unless nominated for a third consecutive term, in which case the nomination must receive unanimous approval by the management board. The normal progression in office is from second vice-chair to first vice-chair to chair to past chair. Normally, these offices are only held once by any person. In accordance with Article VI, Section 3 of the bylaws of the Society, the chair and vice-chair shall not be eligible for re-election to their respective offices until at least three (3) years have elapsed from the expiration of their terms of office.

Impeachment. Any officer of the division who fails to perform the duties prescribed in the bylaws, or who is convicted of a felony, or who brings discredit to the Society or division in any way, may be removed from office by a unanimous vote of the other members of the management board of the division. Any officer of the division may make a motion for the impeachment of any other officer of the division. The officer who is the subject of an impeachment must be provided an opportunity to present arguments against the impeachment prior to any vote on the motion.

Vacancies. Any vacancy occurring during the term of any elected officer of the division shall be filled by appointment of the management board and such appointee shall serve until the next annual business meeting of the division.

Expenses of the Management Board. No member of the management board may be reimbursed from the funds of the division for their traveling expenses when attending meetings of the division. The management board may authorize expenses for attendance of any member of the division, including members of the management board, for attendance at the annual division chairs’ meeting of the Society or other functions of the Society or division as deemed appropriate. Travel expenses may be paid for by the division on authorization of the management board for any special function of the division, such as the Distinguished Lecture Series, or any meeting or function deemed in the best interest of the division by the management board.

ARTICLE V - Powers And Duties Of Officers

Management Board. The property and affairs of the division shall be managed by the management board as defined in Article IV.

Chair. The chair shall preside at meetings of the division and the management board. The chair shall submit a report to the management board of the activities of the division during his/her term of office and on future plans.

First Vice-Chair. The first vice-chair shall assume the powers and duties of the chair in the event of the absence or disability of the chair. Such absence or disability is to be determined by a majority vote of the Management Board.

Second Vice-Chair. The second vice-chair shall assume the chair whenever both the chair and the first vice-chair are not available. Such absence or disability is to be determined by a majority vote of the management board.

Secretary-Treasurer. The secretary-treasurer shall keep records of the proceedings of the division and shall act as secretary of the management board. He/she shall maintain liaison with GSA headquarters and shall serve, ex officio, as a member of all committees. He/she shall account to the Council of the Society or the GSA Foundation for all funds advanced by the Society.

The secretary-treasurer shall notify the officers and the members of the committees of their election or appointment and shall arrange for issuance of notices of all division and management board meetings and of election results.

The secretary-treasurer shall collect and disburse all funds of the division and shall keep records of all receipts and disbursements and other financial transactions of the division.

Past Chair. The past chair shall serve as an advisor to the chair.

Council Liaison to Division. The council liaison to the Hydrogeology Division, appointed by the president of the Society, is an ex-officio member of the management board. He/She shall have no voting privileges on proceedings of the management board.

ARTICLE VI - Committees and Division Representatives

Committees of the Division. The standing committees of the division are as listed in Section 2; and the chair, on the advice of the management board, may appoint special committees as from time to time are deemed necessary. The chair of the division, with the concurrence of the management board, shall establish whatever committees are required to help the division function effectively as a component of the Society. All committee members, including the chair of said committee, shall be appointed by the chair of the division, unless stated otherwise in the Rules and Regulations of the division. Only the chair of the committee need be a member of the Hydrogeology Division, but all committee members must be members of the Society. All committees, except for the standing committees, shall be abolished as soon as their principal objectives have been met or at the discretion of the management board. Committees of the division shall be established for a one-year duration, unless otherwise specified in the Rules and Regulations of the division. If a new committee is established, then the division chair shall provide the newly established committee and the management board with a clear statement of the objectives of the committee. All such committees shall be advisory in character and shall report to and act under the direction of the management board. The chair, or a representative designated by the chair from the members of the management board, shall be an ex-officio member of every committee. Thus, members of the management board are not normally appointed as committee members.

Standing Committees. The standing committees of the division shall include:

Program Committee. A program committee to plan and arrange for the technical sessions of the division at the annual meeting and such other programs as may be directed by the management board.

Nominating Committee. A nominating committee to nominate candidates annually for chair, first-vice chair, and second vice-chair of the management board, and every two years for secretary-treasurer, and to facilitate the nomination of members of the division for other Society-wide appointments (e.g., Fellow of the Society).

O. E. Meinzer Award Committee. The O. E. Meinzer Award Committee to consider annually the presentation of the award to the author (or authors) of a published paper (or body of work) of distinction that has significantly influenced the intellectual direction of hydrogeology or broadly enhanced the knowledge of the discipline.

Award for Distinguished Service in Hydrogeology Committee. The Distinguished Service Award in Hydrogeology Committee to consider annually the presentation of the award in recognition of distinguished personal service to the hydrogeology profession and to the Hydrogeology Division.

Birdsall-Dreiss Distinguished Lecturer Committee. The Distinguished Lecturer Committee to nominate the Birdsall-Dreiss Distinguished Lecturer for the following year. The newly elected chair of the division, with the advice of the management board, shall make appointments to fill any vacancies on the standing committees within four weeks after the conclusion of the annual business meeting of the division. The functions, purposes, and rules and regulations governing the standing committees are established in the Rules and Regulations of the division according to Article VIII of these bylaws.

Duties. The duties, functions, and purposes of each standing committee shall be determined by the management board and codified in the Rules and Regulations of division. The functions, purposes, and rules and regulations of the other committees are to be determined by the chair of the division with the concurrence of the management board as outlined in Section 1. The chair of each standing committee shall report the activity of the committee during the preceding year to the management board at its annual meeting and to the membership at the annual business meeting, or at such times as the management board may direct. All actions of the committees are subject to the approval of the management board of the division and the bylaws of the Society.

Division Representatives. In order to facilitate effective management of the division and communication and interaction between the division and other components of the Society and (or) other related scientific societies, the chair may appoint at his/her discretion, members in good standing of the division, to serve as representatives to other divisions, Society sections, and other scientific societies, as well as a newsletter editor or other such division function as deemed necessary by the chair and management board. The responsibilities of the division representatives shall be as defined in guidelines as provided in the Rules and Regulations as outlined in Article VIII and as provided by the chair and management board. No appointments shall exceed one year, unless renewed by the incoming division chair. The members of these offices shall all be appointed by, and serve at the pleasure of, the chair of the Hydrogeology Division.

Responsibility. Reports, recommendations, or other actions by appointed committees, other than the nominating committee, shall be subject to the approval of the management board. After such approval, the secretary-treasurer of the division shall report appropriately to the executive director of the Society if the attention or action of the Council is required. Appointed committees shall present annual reports which shall be summarized in the annual report of the management board.

Tenure. Committee appointments shall expire at the close of the next annual business meeting of the division, unless otherwise specified in the Rules and Regulations of the division. Vacancies on committees may be filled by interim appointment at any time by the committee chair, with the approval of the division chair. Committee members may serve for up to three consecutive years.

GSA Associates and Affiliates. GSA Associates and Affiliates may be appointed as conferees to any committee.

Birdsall-Dreiss Lecturer. The Birdsall-Dreiss Distinguished Lecturer, in recognition of exemplary scholarship, significant outreach, and extreme service to the Society, Division, and profession, shall automatically be elected to Fellowship in GSA. The election to Fellowship will occur during the year of service so that the recognition of the new Fellow is made at the Annual GSA Meeting at the conclusion of the Birdsall-Dreiss Lecture tour.

ARTICLE VII - Meetings

Annual Business Meeting. The annual business meeting of the division shall be held during the annual meeting of the Society. Except when actions are governed by specific provisions in the bylaws, conduct of the business of the division at the annual business meeting shall follow Robert's Rules of Order (Revised).

Special Meetings. In addition to the annual business meeting, the chair, with the concurrence of the management board, may call a special meeting of the members of the Hydrogeology Division at any time and place, provided such meetings shall be held in conjunction with a function of the Society and have received GSA Council approval. The purpose of a special meeting may be to conduct any business affecting the welfare of the Hydrogeology Division, except that the installation of new officers must occur at the annual meeting of the Society.

Quorum. A simple majority of the officers of the Hydrogeology Division shall constitute a quorum at all meetings of the membership of the Hydrogeology Division or of the management board. At any meeting of any committee the committee members present shall constitute a quorum. Any meeting may proceed or be adjourned without the presence of a quorum, but any vote or action taken during or as a result of any meeting shall be considered legal and binding only if a quorum is present.

Open Meeting Rule. All in-person meetings of the board or committees of the division shall be open to division members to observe all or part of the proceedings, provided that such observers may participate only upon invitation of the person presiding over the meeting.

Meetings of the Management Board. The annual meeting of the management board shall be held immediately prior to the annual business meeting of the division. Special meetings of the management board may be called at any time by the division chair or by a majority of the officers. Meetings of the management board may be conducted in person, by telephone, by fax, by correspondence, by e-mail, or by any combination of means of communication that the chair may direct. The annual meeting of the management board must be an in-person meeting and held in conjunction with the annual meeting of the Society.

ARTICLE VIII - Rules and Regulations and Amendment of the Bylaws

Rules and Regulations. The management board of the division, by a majority vote, may adopt, rescind, or amend rules and regulations supplementing the bylaws at any time. These are called the Rules and Regulations of the division. The permanent adoption of changes to the Rules and Regulations must be approved by a majority vote of the management board only at the annual meeting of the management board following any temporary changes of the Rules and Regulations made during the previous year. Changes in the Rules and Regulations may also be made by a majority vote of division members present at the annual business meeting of the division. Changes in the Rules and Regulations, other than those proposed and adopted by the management board, may be proposed by any voting affiliate of the division and must be received in writing by the secretary-treasurer of the division at least sixty (60) days prior to the annual meeting.

Bylaws. The management board of the division may, by a majority vote, propose actions dealing with the bylaws. Bylaws may only be adopted, rescinded, or amended by majority vote of the voting members of the division. A ballot vote proposing a change of the bylaws shall be held if favored by a majority of the management board or if petitioned by two percent of the voting members of the division. Such a vote shall be supervised by the Society and held in accordance with the procedures of the Society. Amendments approved by the division shall be reported to the executive director of the Society and become effective following ratification by the Council. Any amendment may be proposed to the management board by any member of the division not less than 60 days prior to the annual meeting of the division by a petition signed by two percent of the voting membership of the division in good standing, and shall be set forth in the notice of the meeting and may be adopted by a majority of the voting membership present in person or lawfully represented according to the rules of the Society.

Established by Council on November 3, 1959.

Bylaws amended in 1972; 1978; November 7, 1979; May 14, 1980; November 4, 1981; May 19, 1983; November 7, 1984; November 12, 1986; November 7, 1995; by vote of the membership, 2003 and approval by GSA Council February 9, 2004; October 18, 2005 (automatic Fellowship for Birdsall-Dreiss Distinguished Lecturer).