The Louisiana Archaeological Society
Bylaws

The purpose and objectives for which this non-profit corporation is formed are:

1. To unite individuals who are interested in the cultural heritage and prehistory of the area.

2. Preservation and display of cultural remains.

3. The scientific study, investigation, and interpretation of archaeology, ethnological, anthropological, and related subjects.

4. The publication and distribution of information concerning archaeology, ethnology, and anthropology.

5. The development and promotion of a greater public interest in and appreciation of the cultural heritage of the area.

6. To collect and interpret and preserve information on cultural heritage and prehistory for the use and assistance of all persons having a need for the information.

7. To raise and collect funds necessary for the carrying out of any of its purposes by any lawful means and administer these funds as directed in the Articles of Incorporation.

The seven classes of membership in the Society are: regular, associate, life, sustaining, student, honorary, and fellow. The annual dues for each class of membership will be established by the Executive Committee and current dues will be published in the newsletter. Changes in annual dues shall be published in the newsletter 30 days prior to the effective date. An associate membership is available to husband, wife, and child 18 or above of any family, provided said family has at least one regular, life, fellow or sustaining member. An honorary membership may be awarded by nomination of the Executive Committee and approval of the Society to an individual, who is not an archaeologist but who has made outstanding contributions to the Society and its aims. A fellow membership may be awarded by nomination of the Executive Committee and approval of the Society to an archaeologist who has made outstanding contributions to Louisiana Archaeology.

ARTICLE I: Section 3

Institutions and other organizations may subscribe to the Society's publications upon payment of $15.00. Such institutions and other organizations shall not be considered members of the Society. Orders for available back issues of the Society's annual publications (bulletin, special releases, and newsletters) shall cost $20.00 for each year desired. It only the bulletin is desired, the cost shall be $15.00. Individuals who do not wish to become Society members, may purchase the annual bulletin only for $15.00 and/or the newsletters for $5.00 as long as issues are available. Students may obtain full membership in the Society by payment of $10.00 annual dues and submittal of a valid student identification (ID) card.

ARTICLE I: Section 4

Regular, associate and student members shall pay annual dues at the beginning of each fiscal year. Life and sustaining members pay once and thereafter retain active membership with all attendant rights and privileges for the remainder of their lives.

The Society shall publish a newsletter at regular intervals, to be established by the Executive Committee, and an annual bulletin which shall be called "Louisiana Archaeology."

ARTICLE II: Section 2

Except for associate members, all classes of membership and subscribing institutions shall receive the annual bulletin. Associate members may receive the bulletin by payment of the difference between their reduced dues and regular member dues.

ARTICLE II: Section 3

Except for associates, all classes of membership and subscribing institutions shall receive the newsletter of the Society.

The officers of this non-profit organization shall consist of a president, a vice president, who shall also be president-elect, a secretary, an editor or editors, and a treasurer.

ARTICLE III: Section 2

The vice president, president-elect, and the secretary shall be elected by the Society at the annual meeting or by mail ballot. The editor(s) and the treasurer shall be appointed by the Executive Committee.

ARTICLE III: Section 3

Terms of office for the various positions shall be as follows: president, two years- vice president, president-elect, two years to immediately advance to presidency upon completion of two years in office, or sooner in case of vacancy; secretary, two years; editor(s) and treasurer, at the discretion of the Executive Committee.

ARTICLE III: Section 4

The president shall be the presiding officer of the Society and Chairman of the Executive Committee. He/she shall appoint members of the Society to special committees as necessary. With the approval of the Executive Committee, he/she is authorized to sign contracts and agreements in the name of the Society. He/she shall be responsible for calling elections and with the Executive Committee, shall nominate a slate of officers to be voted on by the society. He/she shall exercise all other duties and responsibilities commonly associated with the office and as provided by the Articles of Incorporation and Bylaws.

ARTICLE III: Section 5

The vice president or president-elect, shall act as advisor on the Society's business, shall serve in place of the president in the latter's absence, shall serve on the Executive Committee, and shall assist in establishing local chapters.

ARTICLE III: Section 6

The treasurer shall maintain the Central Office of the Society, shall dispense notices of dues, shall register all applications for membership in the Society, shall issue to the membership a yearly report on membership status, shall receive and administer the finances of the Society at the regulation of the Executive Committee, shall keep adequate records and shall make these records available upon the request of the Executive Committee, shall make an annual report to the membership on the financial status of the Society, and shall maintain a current mailing list for publications. He/she shall be authorized to give bond. He/she shall sign all checks.

ARTICLE III: Section 7

The secretary shall dispense notices of the times and places of the annual meeting and Executive Committee meetings, shall compile minutes of the annual meeting and Executive Committee meetings, shall mail and receive ballots during elections, and shall tabulate returns, and notify successful candidates, president, and editor of results.

ARTICLE III: Section 8

The Executive Committee shall consist of all officers of the Society, the immediate past president, the editor/editors, one representative from each duly incorporated local chapter, and two at-large representatives from the general membership. Affiliated chapters shall choose their representatives through local elections or appointments. At-large representatives shall be appointed by the LAS President from recommendations of the Executive Committee.

ARTICLE III: Section 9

1. The Executive Committee shall encourage and assist in the formation of local chapters of the Society;

2. it shall authorize or reject applications of groups to become local chapters and shall have powers of termination in accordance with conditions specified in ARTICLE V of the Bylaws;

3. it shall set the time and place of the annual meeting;

4. it shall nominate candidates for office;

5. it shall approve the budget;

6. it shall hear and rule on cases concerning dismissal of members whose conduct is in noncompliance with the Society's code of ethics (ARTICLE Vll, Bylaws);

7. it shall make interim appointments in the event of vacancies in elective offices other than that of president;

8. and it shall carry out such other duties and responsibilities as are outlined in the Articles of Incorporation and Bylaws.

ARTICLE III: Section 10

The editor/editors shall be appointed by Executive Committee. Notification of appointment shall be given to membership within 30 days. The editor/editors shall have charge of all publications of the Society and shall administer sale and care of bulletin and newsletter surpluses. He/they shall receive and solicit manuscripts, notes and news, Current research reports and business reports, and shall dispense this information in the form of an annual bulletin and newsletters. He/they shall be authorized to enter into agreements with publishing outlets, subject to the approval of the Executive Committee. He/they may appoint editorial assistants to serve under his/their direction for the duration of his/their term in office. Editor/editors should have demonstrated an ability to perform such duties by prior publication and/or acquired editorial experience.

The Executive Committee shall serve as the nominating committee.

ARTICLE IV: Section 2

The nominating committee, after consultation with local chapters and ascertaining the willingness of persons to serve, shall submit a slate of nominees to the Society to be voted on at the annual meeting or by mail ballot, whichever means to be decided by the Executive Committee. In the event of mail balloting, members shall address ballots to the Secretary and place them in the mail, not more than thirty days from the date they were mailed out by the Secretary.

Those members, with the exception of honorary members, in good standing as described in ARTICLE VI, Section 2, will have the right to vote on matters connected with the Society and shall be entitled to hold elective or appointive office. The nominating committee shall be responsible for obtaining photographs and brief biographies of each nominee which are to be included in the newsletter prior to the election or with the mail ballot as appropriate. The Secretary, as described in ARTICLE III, Section 7, along with two voting members in good standing appointed by the President will compile the returns. In the event the Secretary is a nominee in the election, he/she will be excused from the actual vote count, and the returns will be compiled by the two appointees. They will report the election results to the Secretary for his/her disposition as described in ARTICLE III, Section 7.

ARTICLE IV: Section 3

The candidate for office who receives the highest number of votes shall be declared elected to that office. In the event of ties, the office-holder will be determined by a coin-flip.

ARTICLE IV: Section 4

Regularly elected officers shall assume their duties on January 1, following their election or immediately after election results are official as directed by the Executive Committee.

Ten or more members of the Society may organize for the purpose of furthering the interests and objects of the Society on a local level and may petition the Executive Committee for the authorization to become a Chapter of the Society.

ARTICLE V: Section 2

Existent organizations with allied interests and objects coincident with the aims of the Society may apply to the Executive Committee for the authorization to become a Chapter, providing that over one half of the members of said organization shall become and remain members of the Louisiana Archaeological Society.

ARTICLE V: Section 3

The purposes of the Chapters and the actions of their members shall be consistent with those of the Society as set forth in the Articles of Incorporation and Bylaws.

ARTICLE V: Section 4

A charter shall be issued to each authorized Chapter and will remain in effect until terminated by the Executive Committee.

ARTICLE V: Section 5

A Chapter may be terminated by action of the Executive Committee when a Chapter's membership falls below ten, when it fails to comply with requirements set forth herein, or when a majority of the chapter's memberships requests disassociation.

The fiscal year of the Society shall begin January 1.

ARTICLE VI: Section 2

Annual dues become due January 1. Members sixty days in arrears shall not receive the publications of the Society until back dues are paid, at which time they will receive back issues for that year. A member will be dropped from the membership roll if he has not paid dues within one year. A member shall not have the right to vote unless dues are paid for the current year.

ARTICLE VI: Section 3

Income from annual dues, Society sponsored activities, gifts, sale of publications, grants, and government funds shall constitute the working capital for operations, publications, and other expenses consistent with the purpose of the Society.

In addition to the aims and objects of the Society, the Society shall adopt a code of ethics befitting its role as the singular state organization dedicated to the preservation, interpretation, and dispensing of information of Louisiana's archaeological resources. The Society shall adhere to the view that the archaeological resource is not replaceable and once taken from context must be adequately protected, catalogued, and made accessible, when necessary, to further the aims of the Society in particular and for the good of the public in general. The membership of the Society shall be aware that archaeological materials resulted from the activities of once-living groups of human beings and shall observe proper respect and care for these materials, so as not to demean these extinct peoples nor their contemporary descendants.

ARTICLE VII: Section 2

Nonadherance to the views expressed in Section 1 may constitute grounds for dismissal from the Society. Nonadherance to the above principles shall be judged by the following types of activities:

1. the buying and selling of artifacts for commercial purposes;
2. the disregard of proper archaeological field techniques;
3. and the willful destruction or distortion of archaeological data.

Such offenses are censured and may cause the expulsion of any member, proven guilty of such charges, on a two-thirds vote of the Executive Committee; Complaints or charges of breach of ethics shall be fully considered by the Executive Committee. Reprimand, probation, or expulsion may be considered.

ARTICLE VII: Section 3

Before a member is expelled from the Society, he/she shall be given written notice by the Secretary that a complaint has been lodged against him/her. This letter shall summarize the nature of the complaint, shall quote, in full, the specifications of ARTICLE VII of the Bylaws, and shall inform him/her that dismissal will be forthcoming if the complaint is judged valid. This letter shall further inform the member that he/she must file a written defense and appeal for a formal hearing with the Secretary within 30 days from the mailing date of the notice. Failure to comply within the specified time will necessitate the final determination of the Executive Committee without benefit of defense. If the accused member does issue appeal within specified limits, the Executive Committee shall set a hearing date and notify the member in writing of the date, time, and place of the hearing. The full Committee may hear the case, or it may appoint special representatives who shall report back to the full Committee. Upon completion of the hearing, the Committee shall make its final decision within 30 days and shall notify the member in writing of its final action. In the event of expulsion, membership in the Society shall be cancelled and the member's dues considered forfeited. The penalties provided in the Article shall not be exercised ex post facto.