Download the SEDAAG By-Laws2022.

BYLAWS SOUTHEASTERN DIVISION OF THE ASSOCIATION OF AMERICAN GEOGRAPHERS (Adopted November 24, 1975; amended November 23, 1976, November 21, 1978, November 23, 1981, June 20, 1983, November 22, 1988, November 20, 1990, November 23, 1999, November 21, 2000, November 20, 2001, November 20, 2007, November 25, 2008, November 19, 2018, and November 21, 2022).

SECTION 1. Name

The name of this organization shall be the Southeastern Division of the Association of American Geographers (AAG).

SECTION 2. Objectives

The objectives of the Division shall be those of the parent organization: to further professional investigations in geography and to encourage the application of geographic findings in education, government, and business. The Division shall support these objectives by promoting acquaintance and discussion among its members and with scholars in related fields, by stimulating research and encouraging the publication of scholarly studies, and by performing services to aid the advancement of the field of geography.

SECTION 3. Authority

The Division is organized in accordance with Article VI of the Constitution of the American Association of Geographers. Nothing in these Bylaws shall be construed in contradiction of that Constitution, and in case of conflict the Constitution and official actions of the Council of the AAG shall be considered the final authorities.

SECTION 4. Membership

A. Persons and institutions interested in the objectives of the Division are eligible for membership.

B. Classes of Members.

Regular Members. Individuals who are members of the AAG may become regular members of the Division upon payment of full Divisional dues. 

Participating Members. Individuals who are not members of the AAG but who are interested in the objectives of the Division may become participating members upon payment of full Divisional dues. 

Student Members. Individuals who are certified to be enrolled as full-time or part- time students and who are not employed full time may become student members of the Division upon payment of 50 percent of full Divisional dues. Those who are members of the AAG become regular student members; others become participating student members.

Retired Members. Individuals who retire may become retired members of the Division upon payment of 50 percent of full Divisional dues.

Institutional Members. Institutions of higher learning, schools, firms, corporations, libraries, associations, and subdivisions of such organizations may become institutional members upon payment of full Divisional dues. Institutional membership is vested in the institution itself, not in the individuals who belong to it.

Patron Members. Individuals or institutional members who pay an annual contribution of as much as five times the full Divisional dues shall be recognized as patron members. A list of patron members shall be published annually in the Southeastern Geographer.

Honorary Life Members. Honorary life memberships, free of the payment of Divisional dues, may be granted to individual members in recognition of outstanding service to the Division and the profession, upon recommendation of the Honors Committee and approval by the Steering Committee.

Married Members. A spouse of a member of the same class (with the exception of Institutional Members) may become a member of that same class upon payment of one additional dollar. Only one copy of publications shall be received by couples in this category.

C. Right of Members.

1. All members in good standing are eligible to participate in meetings, programs, and other activities of the Division and to receive all its publications. New membership forms received by June 15 will entitle new members to full services including  a subscription to  the Southeastern Geographer for that year. These membership services will begin January 1 of the following year for forms received by the Treasurer after the June 15 cutoff date.

2. The right to hold elective office, to nominate, or to vote in elections for the President, Vice-President, Secretary, and Treasurer is reserved to regular members and regular student members of SEDAAG. SEDAAG members are not required to be members of the AAG in order to vote for these offices. All AAG members living within the SEDAAG region are eligible to vote in the election of the Regional Councillor, regardless of whether they are members of SEDAAG.

SECTION 5. Officers and Elected Committees 

A. Elected Officers. 

Elected officers of the Division shall be a President, a Vice-President, a Secretary, and a Treasurer. The duties of the President, Secretary, and Treasurer shall be those normally pertaining to their posts. These four, the Past President and the Regional Councillor comprise the Executive Committee.  The Vice-President shall serve as Head of the Program Committee. The Treasurer shall be specifically responsible for membership matters and records. The Regional Councillor shall serve as the representative of the Division on the Council of the AAG and holds an AAG position, elected by AAG members living in the southeastern division states that are not required to be members of SEDAAG. Terms of office shall be two years for President, Vice President, Secretary, and Treasurer, and three years for Regional Councillor. Terms of office for President, Vice-President, Secretary, and Treasurer begin at the close of the Annual Business Meeting; that for the Regional Councillor begins on the following July 1. Terms of the President and Treasurer shall begin in odd-numbered years; those of the Vice-President and Secretary in even-numbered years; that of the Regional Councillor in 1975 and three-year intervals thereafter. The President, Vice-President, Secretary, and Regional Councillor shall not be eligible for immediate reelection to the same office. The Treasurer may serve for not more than two successive terms. None of the officers shall be eligible for reelection to the same office until at least six years have elapsed following termination of the first tenure. 

B. State Representatives and Elected Committees. 

A state representative shall be elected from each of the ten member states (Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia). Terms of office shall be two years, staggered as specified by the Steering Committee so that five are elected in one year and five the next. A Nominating Committee of three members and an Honors Committee of five members, and the Ideal, Diverse, Equitable, Accessible in Learning (IDEAL) Geographer Committee of six members shall be elected annually, with terms of two years.. Terms of office for State Representatives and members of the Nominating and Honors Committees shall begin immediately following the Annual Business Meeting. These officials are not eligible for reelection until at least six years have elapsed since the end of the first tenure. No elected office shall serve concurrently as State Representative, nor may any elected office or any State Representative serve concurrently as a member of the Honors or Nominating Committee. No former President of the Division shall serve on the Nominating Committee until at least four years have elapsed since the end of the tenure as President. 

C. Editor(s) of the Southeastern Geographer 

One or more editors of the Southeastern Geographer shall be appointed to the Steering Committee for a four-year term, to begin at the close of the Annual Business Meeting. Terms shall begin in 1975 and at four-year intervals thereafter. The editor(s) are eligible for immediate reappointment.

D. Student Representative: A Student Representative shall be appointed (by the Executive Committee) to the Steering Committee for a one-year term, to begin at the close of the Annual Business Meeting. The Student shall be a graduate student member of the Division at the time of appointment. Appointment of the Student Representative will rotate annually among the ten member states of SEDAAG. 

E. Methods of Nomination and Election of Officers and Elected Committees. 

1. The Nominating Committee shall prepare a slate of at least two candidates for each office (President, Vice-President, Secretary, Treasurer) due to be filled in the particular year. The slate and accompanying ballot shall be distributed to the voting membership by the Secretary at least six weeks before the Annual Business meeting and the marked ballot shall be submitted at least two weeks before that meeting. In preparing its slate, the Nominating Committee shall solicit recommendations from the voting membership via the Secretary. Call for recommendations shall be issued at least six months before the Annual Business Meeting, and committee members shall reach out to prospective officers to confirm their willingness to stand for election.  Similarly, the slate and accompanying ballot for Regional Councillor will be made available to all AAG members within the region by the Secretary at least six weeks before the Annual Business meeting. Elections will close at least two weeks before that meeting.

2. State Representatives shall be elected by the voting membership of the respective states. Recommendations for nomination shall be solicited by the Nominating Committee at the same time as those for officers. The Nominating Committee shall be appropriately guided by the recommendations and shall prepare a slate of at least one nominee for each office. These nominations shall appear on the annual ballot, and each voting member may vote for the candidates from his/her own state. 

3. Election results will be compiled by the Secretary, verified by a committee of two colleagues, delivered to the President, and announced in the fall generally well before the Annual Business Meeting.  The President will announce incoming officers to the membership soon after results are obtained. 

4. The Nominating Committee, Honors Committee and the IDEAL Geographer committee shall be elected at the Annual Business Meeting. The Steering Committee shall solicit nominations from the membership to serve on the Nomination Committee, Honors Committee, and the IDEAL Geographer Committee during the Business meeting.  The Nominating Committee shall be comprised of three members, with no more than two cycling off in a year.  The Honors committee shall be comprised of five members, three of which cycle off in a rotation, with the new Chair being selected from the remaining members.  The IDEAL Geographer committee shall be comprised of six members, three of which cycle off in a rotation, with the new Chair being selected from the remaining members. One member shall be a student member. If any  committee lacks sufficient members, then additional members can be appointed mid-year by the Executive Committee in cooperation with the remaining members on the respective committee.  At its first meeting or by email, the members of each committee will elect a chair and forward this name to the Steering Committee.

F. Steering Committee and Executive Committee. 

1. The Steering Committee is the policy-making organ of the Division. It has the authority to transact business, to appoint committees, and establish procedures, within the provisions of the Bylaws. Members of the Steering Committee are the President, the immediate Past President, the Vice-President, the Secretary, the Treasurer, the Regional Councillor, the Editor, the State Representatives, and Student Representative. The Steering Committee shall meet at least once each year at the call of the President, typically held on the first day (Sunday afternoon) of the conference. 

2. The Executive Committee consists of the President, the Past President, the Vice President, the Secretary, the Treasurer, and the Regional Councillor. This committee shall meet at the call of the President to transact ongoing business of the Division, subject to the Bylaws and according to policies and procedures established by the Steering Committee. The meeting is typically held on the first day (Sunday morning) of the conference. Official actions taken by the Executive Committee shall be communicated to the Steering Committee as soon a feasible and shall be subject to review by that committee. 

G. Filling of Vacated Offices. If a duly elected President is unable to take office or vacates the office during the term of service, the Vice-President shall be declared President for the remainder of that normal term. The Steering Committee shall have power to fill all other vacancies until the next election. 

H. The Vote for Elected Office. If the vote for any elective office remains tied after ballots are counted, the Secretary shall resubmit the names of the same nominees for the contested office to the Division membership within 30 days of notification by the President. If the results of the second ballot do not decide the election the Steering Committee (including the current officer of the position for which the election is being held) will vote and submit their ballots to the current Secretary. 

SECTION 6. Other Committees 

A. A two-person Committee of Tellers shall be appointed each year by the President at the appropriate time. This committee shall verify the results compiled by the Secretary and certify the election of officers, State Representatives, and committees. A two-person Auditing Committee shall be appointed by the Steering Committee at least once during each Treasurer’s term of office. That committee shall examine the books of the Division and shall report the results of the examination to the Annual Business Meeting. No member of the Steering, Nominating, or Honors Committee shall serve on either the Auditing Committee or the Committee of Tellers, and no former officer shall serve on the Auditing Committee within two years of the conclusion of the term of office.

B. Any other needed committees and members (e.g. an Editorial Committee, a Program Committee, and a Membership Committee) shall be appointed by the Steering Committee at the recommendation of the Editor, the Vice President, and the Treasurer, respectively, to aid those officers in the discharge of the indicated duties. 

C. Other committees may be appointed by the President, the Executive Committee, or the Steering Committee, all subject to approval of the Steering Committee, to carry out appropriate functions of the Division. Such Committees shall report to the Steering Committee as directed and shall exist at the pleasure of the Steering Committee. 

SECTION 7. Meetings 

A. Annual Meeting. At least one meeting of the Division shall be held annually, in the fall, the dates to be set by the Steering Committee. The place of the meeting shall be chosen at least two years in advance. The Steering Committee will present one or more recommendations, based upon invitations received previously, to be voted upon by the membership at the Annual Business Meeting. 

B. Annual Business Meeting. The Vice-President shall set aside at least one hour during the Annual Meeting for the annual Business Meeting, at which results of the election of officers and Representatives shall be announced, Nominating and Honors Committees elected, the financial status of the Division reported, honors announced, and other appropriate business of the Division transacted. The agenda shall be prepared by the Steering Committee. The meeting shall be conducted according to Robert’s Rules of Order. Resolutions other than notes of thanks, memorials, and routine concerns must be submitted to the President in writing before the Annual Meeting, shall the prominently posted by the Secretary twenty-four hours before the Annual Business Meeting, and shall be distributed at the Business Meeting. Resolutions must fall within the scope of the objectives of the Division as stated in Section 2; others shall be ruled out of order. One-fourth of the members registered for the Annual Meeting shall constitute a quorum at the Annual Business Meeting. The Secretary shall publish minutes of the meeting to the entire membership and to all members of the Executive Committee of the Association of American Geographers. 

C. Conduct of Annual Meeting. A definite time schedule for the Annual Meeting shall be prepared by the Vice-President and published to the membership, and shall be adhered to by all officers, moderators of sessions, and participants. 

SECTION 8. Financial Responsibility, Fees and Dues 

A. The Treasurer shall be responsible for receiving any monies of the Division and maintaining adequate financial records. The Steering Committee has sole authority designate persons authorized to issue checks or sign other financial documents, disbursements in excess of $100 shall be made without specific authorization of Executive Committee. Registration fees for the Annual Meeting shall be subject approval of the Executive Committee. 

B. Membership dues shall be established by the Steering Committee and ratified majority vote at the Annual Business Meeting. Dues shall be for the calendar year. Members in arrears shall be dropped after due notice. Members dropped for nonpayment of dues may be reinstated upon payment of dues covering that time during which the received unpaid for publications of the Division. 

C. In order that the Regional Councillor may be enabled to attend the annual meeting of American Association Geographers, the Executive Committee may authorize payment of expenses not paid by the parent organization. 

D. In the event that the Southeastern Division, American Association Geographers, terminated as an organization, its assets shall be transferred to the American Association of Geographers. 

SECTION 9. Publications and Research 

A. The Division shall publish an official journal to be known as the Southeastern Geographer. Frequency of publication shall be determined by the Steering Committee but shall not be less than once per year. Each dues paid member shall receive a copy each issue. The journal shall carry a statement of editorial policy and specifications manuscript copy. 

B. The Division shall encourage and, as feasible, may sponsor and provide financial aid for appropriate research projects and publications. The Steering Committee shall have sole authority to grant such sponsorship or aid. 

C. The Division’s Website shall be maintained by the Web Master. The Website shall incorporate and maintain: an esthetically pleasing front page; links to geography departments in the Division and to the Southeastern Geographer; links to the active Program and Local Arrangements Committees; an interactive membership form to solicit members; email addresses; and, an interactive meeting registration form. The Division’s policy for the posting of surveys used in faculty research projects on the website shall include the disclaimer that the Division in no way endorses the research or survey and has no responsibility for the content of the research or survey. 

SECTION 10. Honors 

The Division shall encourage and recognize outstanding scholarly contributions and dedicated service to the profession and the Division by awarding honorary membership prizes, citations, or other appropriate honors. The Steering Committee shall establish the specific nature of honors to be awarded and shall communicate that information to the Honors Committee in time to permit adequate deliberation. The Honors Committee shall submit nominations for all honors to the Steering Committee for approval, together with full statement of the bases upon which their nominations rest. Honors shall be announced at the Annual Meeting banquet and in the Southeastern Geographer. 

SECTION 11. Changes in the Bylaws 

These Bylaws may be revised or amended by a two-thirds vote of the quorum attending the Annual Business Meeting or by a majority of members voting by a distributed ballot. Amendment or revisions may be proposed by the Steering Committee or by petition signed by as many as twenty voting members of the Division. Such proposals must be published to the voting membership by the Secretary at least thirty days before the will be voted upon. 

SECTION 12. Disclaimer 

Notwithstanding any other provision of these articles, this organization shall not carry on any other activities not permitted to be carried on by (a) a corporation exempt from Federal income tax under section 501 (c) (3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954 or the corresponding provision of any future United States Internal Revenue Law or (b) a corporation contributions to which are deductible under section 170 (c) (2) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954 or any other corresponding provision of any future United States Internal Revenue Law. In the event of dissolution, the residual assets of the organization will be turned over to one or more organizations which themselves are exempt as organizations described in sections 501 (c) (3) and 170 (c) (2) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954 or corresponding sections of any prior or future Internal Revenue Code, or to the Federal, State, or local government for exclusive public purpose.