BY-LAWS FOR THE PITTSBURGH SECTION OF ASME

 

Revision 3 4, September 2002December 1, 2000  September 11, 2002

PREFACE

 

The Council on Member Affairs may authorize the organization of sections, composed of members of any or all grades.  Each section shall adopt its own by-laws for the conduct of its affairs, which must be in harmony with the Constitution and By-Laws of the Society. 

 

Constitution Article C5.1.2: “The provisions of the Constitution and By-Laws and Society Policies established by the Board of Governors of the Society shall govern the procedure of all units of the Society but no action or obligation of such units shall be considered an action or obligation of the Society as a whole.” 

 

ARTICLE 1

   Name

 

Section 1.1            The name of this organization shall be the Pittsburgh Section of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers. 

 

ARTICLE 2

Purpose

 

Section 2.1             It shall be the purpose of this Section to stimulate interest in the Mechanical Engineering profession and to further the interests of Mechanical Engineers locally by sponsoring technical and social meetings and in any other reasonable manner consistent with the letter and spirit of the Constitution, By-Laws, and Regulations of the general ASME organization and the local Section.

 

ARTICLE 3

Membership

 

Section 3.1            All corporate  memberscorporate members of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (including Student-Members) residing or employed listing their member address within the boundaries established by the Society shall be considered members of the Pittsburgh Section.

 

Section 3.2            The qualifications of voters at elections shall be the same as are prescribed by the Constitution of the Society.  Voting members of the Section shall be the corporate members of the Society, that is: Fellows, Members, Associate Members and Honorary Members elevated from one of these grades, in accordance with C3.1.1 of the Constitution of the Society.. 

 

ARTICLE 4

Management and Officers

 

 

Section 4.1        a)  The management of the Section shall be vested in a Chair and an Executive Committee.  Only members of the Section in good standing are eligible for these offices.

 

b)                  The Chair, who shall be elected to serve one year, shall preside at all meetings, serve as Chair of the Executive Committee, act as the Section’s official representative, appoint Committees with the approval of the Executive Committee, fill by appointment any vacancies existing within the Executive Committee, be considered a member of all Committees (ex-officio), and shall take office the first day of July following the annual election.  The Chair shall automatically become a member of the Executive Committee in the year following service as the Chair.

 

c)  Executive Committee shall be composed of the Chair, the Vice-Chair, Secretary, Treasurer, and the immediate Past Chair, the Chair of each of the sub-sections (if any), and twelve Directors.

 

d)                  The Vice-Chair (provided for in Article 4, Section 2 4.2 a)) shall preside at all meetings in the absence of the Chair, shall act in the Chair's absence, and shall succeed the Chair in the case of the Chair's withdrawal.

 

e)  Any  officer Officers may succeed themselves in himself in office.

 

Section 4.2        a)  The Executive Committee ChairChair  shall elect appointappoint a Vice-Chair, and a Secretary, from the Executive Committee membership, and Treasurer from the membership of the Section.

 

         b ) The Section shall elect four new Directors annually, with each to serve for three years.  The Directors shall assume office on the first day of July following the annual election.

 

Section 4.3            The Chair with the approval of the Executive Committee shall appoint chairs of Special Committees including Program, Membership Development, Student Activity, and Publicity Committees, and other Committees required for the proper functioning of the Section’s activities. At the discretion of the Chair, non-members of ASME may serve on these Committees.

 

Section 4.4            The Treasurer shall submit a full report of the fiscal year’s treasury to the Executive Committee as of June 30th of each year.  This report is to be audited by an Auditor selected by the Executive Committee.. , not one of its number who is not a member of the Executive Committee. A final audited report, for the previous fiscal year, shall be submitted to ASME Headquarters and the Executive Committee by September 15.

 

Section 4.5            The Chair shall call the Executive Committee into session at least three times during the year.  Five members shall constitute a quorum.   Upon the request of five of the Executive Committee, the Chair must call a meeting promptly.

 

Section 4.6            A Nominating Committee consisting of three members shall be appointed by the Chair with approval of the Executive Committee before October 1st each year.  The Nominating Committee shall select one of its own members as its Chair.  The Nominating Committee shall recommend, for Executive Committee approval, candidates for Chair and four Directors.  The Nominating Committee shall also make recommendations to the Executive Committee for the appointed positions of Vice- Chair, Secretary, and Treasurer.

 

Section 4.7            Any Officer or Member of any Committee who for a period of three consecutive months does not function in his or her duties without good and sufficient reasons, in the judgment of the Executive Committee, shall be terminated as an Officer or Committee Member.  He or she shall be warned in writing of the impending action, and, if no corrective action is taken within 30 days, shall be notified in writing of the termination.

 

Section 4.8            The normal succession of officers shall be such that the vice-chair shall succeed the chair and the secretary shall succeed the vice-chair.

 

Section 4.9            Rules contained in Roberts’ Rules of Order, Revised latest revision, shall govern the Section in all cases to which they are applicable, when they are not inconsistent with the By-Laws of the Section. 

 

Article 5

Nominations and Elections

 

Section 5.1            The Secretary shall notify the Membership in the November Newsletter, that nominations for Chair and Directors are being considered, and that suggestions are sought.  Any suggested names are not obligatory on the Nominating Committee.  However, any nomination from the Membership accompanied by a petition signed by 25 or more members of the Section and received by December 10 must be listed on the ballot.

 

Section 5.2            Ballots shall be sent to the membership in January, or with the January Newsletter.  Spaces shall be available for “write-in” names.  Ballots received by February 20 will be counted by the Nominating Committee, acting as the official tellers. Delivery of the ballots shall be such as to reach all of the members of the Section.  Electronic balloting is acceptable provided that the member number is provided with the vote.

 

Section 5.3            Election results will be reported at the first Executive Committee Meeting after the ballots have been tallied.  Certification will be made by the Executive Committee.  The Membership shall be notified of the election results in the April Newsletter. 

 

Article 6

Amendments

 

Section 6.1       Amendments to these By-Laws may be proposed by action of the Executive committee and submitted to the Membership by letter  ballot as provided for in this Article, via newsletter, mail or electronic means. 

 

Section 6.2            Alternatively, amendments to these By-Laws may be proposed at any general meeting of the Section at which twenty-five or more members of the Section are present, if submitted to the Chair in writing.  Such amendments shall also be submitted to the membership by ballot for acceptance in accordance with Section 6.1.

                                   

Section 6.3.            If approved by a vote of the majority of the members present, the proposed amendment, along with a reprint of the parts of the By-Laws to be changed by the amendment, shall be submitted to the Membership of the Section for vote by letter ballot via newsletter, mail or electronic means.

 

Section 6.4          The letter ballot shall close 30 days from the date of mailing presentation to the membership.  If approved by two-thirds of the membership voting by letter-ballot, who have voted in accordance with Section 6.3, the proposed amendments shall become part of the By-Laws. 

           

Article 7

Effective Date

 

Section 7.1            Changes to the By-Laws, if approved in accordance with Article 6 by two-thirds of the members who have voted by letter ballot, shall take effect one month after notification of the changes to the Membership by newsletter, or other suitable means.

 

Section 7.2            The By-Laws of each sub-section, after approval be the members of the sub-section, the Executive Committee of the Section and the Council of the Society, shall be a part of these By-Laws, applicable only to the sub-section.

 

 

 

 

Previous Revisions:            Original issue of by-laws February 15, 1947

Revision 1: February 21, 1950

Revision 2: February 15, 1977.

                                   Revision 3, December 1, 2000