CHARTER

ARTICLE I. NAME

The Great Lakes Section of the SEPM (Society for Sedimentary Geology), hereinafter known as GLS-SEPM or the Section is a not-for-profit, educational association. The Section is affiliated with the National SEPM (Society for Sedimentary Geology).

ARTICLE II. OBJECTIVES OF THE SECTION

1. To promote the science of geology in the Great Lakes area of North America and adjacent areas through research in sedimentary geology (including paleontology, sedimentary petrology, sedimentology, and stratigraphy) and the applications of such research.
2. To exchange and disseminate information, and share experiences of mutual interest.

ARTICLE III. MEMBERSHIP

1. The Section shall be composed of Members.
2. Members of the Section shall be persons interested in sedimentary geology who reside in, and/or have research interests in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, Ontario, and Wisconsin.
3. Membership is open to all interested persons regardless of race, color, gender, age, religious affiliation, disabilities, nationality or ethnic origin, and entitles them to all rights, privileges, programs and activities generally accorded or made available to Members.
4. Candidates for membership shall make application to the Secretary.
5. Members and associates of the National SEPM shall automatically become Members of GLS-SEPM upon submission of application and payment of dues.

ARTICLE IV. OFFICERS

1. Executive authority of the Section is vested in a Council that shall consist of the immediate Past-President, Past-Vice-President, and the four duly elected officers: President, Vice-President, Secretary, and Treasurer. Officers must reside in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, Ontario, and Wisconsin.
2. The Council shall have ultimate control and management of the affairs and funds of the Section.
3. The term of all Council Members shall be one year, with the exception of the Secretary and Treasurer, who shall have two year terms that alternate, allowing for overlap in the Council.
4. The President shall discharge the usual duties of a president as well as act as presiding officer at all meetings of the Section and Council. The President is the official Section representative in the National SEPM Council. If the President is unable to attend a Section or Council meeting, the President shall assign one of the elected officers to preside.
5. The Vice-President shall be the leader of the field trip during her/his year in office, and shall assume the duties of the president in case of absence or disability of the latter.
6. The Secretary shall keep records of the proceedings of the Section and maintain the Membership directory. She/he shall prepare and mail all notices, newsletters, membership application blanks, and other materials necessary to the Section's business.
7. The Treasurer shall have custody of, and responsibility for, all funds of the Section. She/he shall keep account of the receipts and disbursements, and submit an account to the membership annually.
8. The President and Vice-President shall not succeed themselves in office except if the Vice-President replaces the President, she/he is eligible for election to a full term as president.
9. In the event that neither the President nor the Vice-President is available to serve as the presiding officer of the Section, the immediate Past-President shall assume the president's duties.

ARTICLE V. MEETINGS

The Section shall hold at least one field conference each year. The Section business meetings shall be held at the annual field conference and/or in conjunction with meetings of other geological societies. The Section may convene symposia or field trips in conjunction with meetings of other geological societies.

ARTICLE VI. AMENDMENTS

Amendments to the Charter may be proposed by the Council or by a petition signed by ten Members of the Section. The Secretary will distribute mail ballots to the Members with the proposed amendment and provisions to vote. Mail ballots must be received by the Secretary within sixty (60) days after being mailed. Amendments require the approval of two-thirds of returned mail ballots received by the Secretary.

BY-LAWS

ARTICLE I. DUES

1. The fiscal year of the Section shall correspond with the fiscal year of the National SEPM.
2. Changes to the annual dues must be approved by a simple majority of the Council and submitted to the Members attending the annual field conference for their approval by a simple majority vote.
3. Retirees are not assessed dues.
4. Members shall be notified of their dues by January 1 of each year. Members who have failed to pay annual dues by the end of the annual field conference shall be dropped from the Section membership rolls.
5. Members dropped for non-payment of dues may be reinstated by payment of dues for the current year.

ARTICLE II. ELECTIONS

1. Candidates for officers of the Section shall be proposed by the Council as a single slate of nominees which will be submitted for election by the membership of the Section.
2. Ballots containing the slate of nominated officers, with spaces for write-in candidates, shall be prepared by the Secretary and mailed to each Member of the Section at least one month prior to the annual field conference. Ballots received by the Secretary prior to the annual field conference, and voice-vote ballots of Members in attendance at the business meeting of the annual field conference (who have not previously voted by ballot), shall be counted by the Secretary and subject to review by the Council. Receipt of a plurality of votes cast for any office shall constitute election.
3. The results shall be announced at the business meeting held in conjunction with the annual field conference. The terms of newly elected officers shall begin immediately.

ARTICLE III. FINANCIAL PROCEDURES

1. All funds of the Section shall be exclusively for the furtherance of its objectives in keeping with a non-profit status.
2. Disbursement of the Section's funds shall be made by checks signed by the Treasurer.
3. The Treasurer shall present an annual report at the business meeting held in conjunction with the annual field conference.
4. In the event of the dissolution of the Section, the assets remaining after the discharge of liabilities, shall go to the National SEPM. Under these circumstances, no Member of the Section shall have any right or interest in the assets of the Section.

ARTICLE IV. AMENDMENTS

Amendments to the By-Laws may be proposed by the Council or by a petition signed by ten Members of the Section. The Secretary will distribute mail ballots to the Members with the proposed amendment and provisions to vote. Mail ballots must be received by the Secretary within sixty (60) days after being mailed. Amendments require the approval of two-thirds of returned mail ballots received by the Secretary.