ARTICLE I . NAME, AREA, AND AFFILIATION

Section 1 . Name.  The name of the organization shall be the San Joaquin Valley Chapter of The Wildlife Society.

Section 2.  Area. This Chapter shall have as its area of organization the counties of Fresno, Kern, Kings, Madera, Mariposa, Merced, San Benito, Stanislaus, and Tulare.

Section 3. Criteria for Affiliation. The San Joaquin Valley Chapter shall conform to Bylaws, Code of Ethics, objectives, policies, and positions as adopted by The Wildlife Society, Inc. (Hereinafter The Wildlife Society, Inc., may be referred to as The Society).

ARTICLE II. OBJECTIVES

Section 1 . Objectives.  Consistent with the objective of The Wildlife Society, the San Joaquin Valley Chapter objectives are:

1. Seek the highest standards in all activities of the Wildlife Profession.
2. Develop and promote sound stewardship of wildlife resources and habitats in the Chapter area.
3. Keep Chapter members well informed and provide opportunities for further education.

Section 2. Implementation. To aid in the achievement of these objectives, this Chapter proposes to:
a) Provide opportunities for better liaison among individual members, their Section, and The Wildlife Society.
b) Evaluate and respond to the principles involved in proposed or enacted societal actions that could affect wildlife or its habitats.
c) Recognize and commend outstanding achievement in the maintenance, restoration, and enhancement of habitats for wildlife.
d) Focus the aims and objectives of The Society and Western Section upon wildlife needs, problems, and events in local situations.
e) Encourage communication between members and non-members to facilitate understanding and effectiveness of research and management of wildlife resources.

ARTICLE III. CHAPTER YEAR

The Chapter operating and fiscal year shall begin January 1.

ARTICLE IV. MEMBERSHIP

Section 1. Voting Member. Voting membership in the San Joaquin Valley Chapter shall be available to any voting member of The Society who resides or conducts professional activities within the organizational area of the Chapter (Article I, Section 2). Only Chapter Voting Members may hold office in the Chapter, vote on official matters affecting The Society, and officially represent the Chapter on business of The Society by Board or officer appointment.

Section 2. Other Member. Other membership in the San Joaquin Valley Chapter shall be available to any person who, although either not a member of The Society and/or resides and works outside of the Chapter’s organizational area (Article I, Section 2), has an
interest in the objectives and activities of the Chapter. Other Members shall be entitled to all rights, privileges, and responsibilities of Chapter Voting Members, including voting in Chapter elections, except those reserved for Chapter Voting Members (Article IV, Section
1).

Section 3. Charter Member. Voting and Other Members in good standing on the membership rolls as of July 30, 1966 shall be considered Charter Members.

Section 4. Honorary Member. Honorary Members of the San Joaquin Valley Chapter shall be persons who, by a majority vote of all Chapter Members, have been thus recognized for their achievements. A Chapter Honorary Member need not pay Chapter dues.
Honorary Members who are Voting Members of The Society shall have the same rights and privileges as Chapter Voting Members (Article IV, Section 1). Honorary Members who are not Voting Members of The Society shall have the same rights and privileges as Other Members (Article IV, Section 2).

Section 5. Dues. Annual dues of $5.00 shall be payable by each member to the Chapter on the membership anniversary date. Members who have not paid their Society dues shall lose their voting membership status in the San Joaquin Valley Chapter. Annual Chapter
dues also may be paid to the Western Section along with the Western Section’s Annual Meeting registration fees or to The Society, along with Western Section and Society dues, and subsequently will be remitted to the Chapter.

Section 6. Resignation. Members may resign at any time by giving notice to the Chapter’s Secretary or will be considered to have resigned if annual Chapter dues are not paid.

Section 7. Reinstatement. Persons who are dropped from the rolls of the Chapter for nonpayment of dues or resignation may be reinstated into membership in the Chapter upon payment of appropriate dues.

ARTICLE V. ELECTIONS AND OFFICERS

Section 1. Nominating and Elections Committee. The three-member Nominating and Elections Committee, selected by the Executive Board (See Article VII, Section 1) of the San Joaquin Valley Chapter, shall prepare a slate of two candidates for each of the elective positions, namely: President-Elect, Secretary, and Treasurer.

Clause A: All nominees must be Voting Members (Article IV, Section 1).

Clause B: Prior approval shall be obtained from said candidates.

Clause C: The nomination slate shall be submitted to the membership at least 15 days prior to the annual business meeting.

Clause D: Additional nominees may be added to the Nominating and Elections Committee’s slate upon the signed support of six or more members, provided prior approval has been obtained from each nominee.

Clause E: A member may be elected for no more than two consecutive terms in the same elective position.

Clause F: Nominations can also be made from the floor at the annual business meeting.

Clause G: The Nominating and Elections Committee may prepare a slate of only one candidate for any of the elective positions in the event that a second candidate cannot be identified after a good faith effort to do so.

Section 2. Balloting. Written or electronic ballots shall be received from the members by the Secretary and shall be counted by the Nominating and Elections Committee. For ballot counting purposes, the President shall appoint a replacement for any member of the
Nominating and Elections Committee who has been nominated for an office.

Clause A: Members in arrears shall forfeit their rights to vote during the period of their delinquency.

Clause B: A signed absentee ballot may be submitted to the Secretary by a member prior to the scheduled time for counting ballots.

Clause C: The candidate receiving the largest number of votes on the written or electronic ballot shall be declared elected. No one may hold more than one elective position.

Section 3. Officers. The officers and Executive Board members of the San Joaquin Valley Chapter must be Voting Members of The Society. Officers shall consist of a President, President-Elect, Secretary, and Treasurer. Their duties are:

Clause A: President. The President shall have general supervision of the Chapter officers, shall appoint, with the advice of the Executive Board, Chairpersons of all regular and special committees, shall preside as Chairperson at meetings of the Executive Board, and shall be an ex-officio member of all committees, except the Nominating and Elections Committee. The President may represent the Chapter or
appoint alternate representatives to other Chapter, Section, or Society boards, committees, or meetings, including the Executive Board of the Western Section. The President shall appoint a Chapter Representative to represent the San Joaquin Valley Chapter in Western Section affairs. This person shall serve as liaison to the Section for the Chapter, provide the editor of the Section newsletter with news and items of interest from the Chapter area, and serve as a contact among the Section, Chapters, and members in their respective areas. The Chapter Representative will assist the Section President by verifying mailing addresses, conducting membership drives, polling individual members, and assisting in routine Section business.

Clause B: President-Elect. The President-Elect shall assume the duties of the President in the absence or upon the inability of the President to serve, and shall perform any duties assigned by the President. In the event the President-Elect cannot serve in the President’s absence, the Executive Board shall appoint a President, pro tempore.

Clause C: Treasurer. The Treasurer shall be responsible for the receipt and disbursement of funds and maintenance of the financial records of the Chapter. The Treasurer shall submit financial reports at each regularly scheduled meeting.

Clause D: Secretary. The Secretary shall be responsible for the files and records of the Chapter. Duties will include the recording of minutes at all meetings, correspondence, and the issuance of meeting minutes.

Clause E: Executive Board. The Executive Board shall act as the governing body for the Chapter and shall consist of the above named officers, the Past President, and the Chapter Representative to the Western Section.

Section 4. Term of Office. The newly elected officers and Board members shall be installed at the Annual Meeting, take office immediately following the Annual Meeting, and unless re-elected, terminate their duties at the conclusion of their term or at such time as their successors are elected and installed.

Clause A: The President-Elect shall serve one year as President-Elect and shall assume the office of President immediately following for a period of one year.

Clause B: The Treasurer and Secretary shall serve two-year terms.

Section 5. Vacancies. If the office of the President is vacated for any reason, the President-Elect shall assume the duties of the President for the balance of the unexpired term of the President. All other vacancies in any unexpired term of an elected office shall be
filled through appointment by the Executive Board, although an appointed President-Elect shall serve only until the next scheduled Chapter election where the membership shall elect the next President. All appointees must be Voting Members of the Chapter and The
Wildlife Society.

ARTICLE VI. MEETINGS

Section 1. Regular Meetings. Regular membership meetings shall be held at least quarterly.

Clause A: Annual Meetings. The Annual Meeting shall coincide with the annual Western Section meeting, and shall be for the purpose of installing officers, receiving reports of officers and committees, and for any other business that may arise.

Clause B: Meeting Notice. The members must be notified at least one month prior to Annual and regular meetings and at least ten days prior to special meetings.

Clause C: Quorum. The quorum for the Annual Meeting of the Chapter shall be over fifty percent of the membership or ten Voting Members in good standing, whichever is less; and for Executive Board Meetings, three members of the Board.

Clause D. Meeting Rules. Order of business and parliamentary procedures at Chapter meetings shall follow Robert’s Rules of Order, latest edition. 

Clause E. Bylaws. Chapter Bylaws shall be available for inspection during every meeting. If these Bylaws are revised, the new revision must be approved by The Wildlife Society before becoming effective.

Section 2. Special Meetings. Special meetings may be called by the Executive Board at any time, provided due notice (see Article VI, Section 1B) and the purpose of the call is given.

Clause A: Only those items listed in the call for a special meeting shall be acted upon at the special meeting.
Clause B:  All clauses under Section 1 of this Article apply as well to special meetings.

ARTICLE VIII. MANAGEMENT AND FINANCES

Section 1 . Executive Board. The San Joaquin Valley Chapter shall be governed by an Executive Board composed of its officers, the immediate Past President, and the Chapter Representative to the Western Section.

Clause A: Conduct. The Executive Board shall conduct its affairs in conformance with the provisions of these Bylaws and those of The Society. The Board is authorized to act for the Chapter between meetings and shall report its interim actions to the members at each succeeding membership meeting. Any action of the Board may be overridden by two-thirds of the Voting Members attending a
membership meeting.

Clause B: Attendance. Members may attend Board meetings, but may participate therein only when asked to do so, and they may not vote at such meetings.

Section 2. Finance. Funds of the San Joaquin Valley Chapter shall be under the supervision of the Executive Board, and shall be handled by the Treasurer. The financial records of the Chapter shall be periodically examined the Audit Committee (Article VIII, Section 2F).

Clause A: The Treasurer need not be bonded.

Clause B: Funds shall be derived from dues, special assessments, work projects, and contributions.

Clause C: Funds shall be placed in a federally insured financial institution.

Section 3. Reports. Within 20 days after an election or other official action(s) the Secretary of the Chapter shall report such action(s) to the Executive Director of The Society, the Western Section Representative, and the Western Section President. An annual report and activity time sheets from the Secretary shall be forwarded to these same parties. A statement of calendar-year income and expenses, together with starting and ending balances, must be submitted to the Executive Director of The Society in January of each year for federal tax reporting by The Society.

Section 4. Files. The Chapter shall maintain a file containing: Bylaws of The Society, the Western Section, and the San Joaquin Valley Chapter; minutes of all regular and special meetings of the membership and of the Executive Board; correspondence pertinent to
Chapter affairs; all committee reports, financial statements and records; and all other material designated as pertinent by the Executive Board. A “procedure for filing” shall be kept in the Chapter file for the guidance of each succeeding Secretary. A Chapter “Operations Manual” provided by The Society will be maintained by the Chapter President and a written record of transfer of this manual to the incoming President will be maintained and The Society will be notified of each such transfer.

Section 5. Resolutions and Public Statements. One or more members may submit resolutions or statements to the Conservation Affairs Committee (Article VIII, Section 2D) for possible consideration by the Chapter’s Executive Board. These shall be accepted or
rejected by the Board and, if involving new policy, prepared for submission to the Chapter membership. Such new items must be approved by two-thirds of the Chapter membership voting and must be transmitted to The Society, the Western Section Representative, and Western Section President, if approved. Actions falling within previously established Chapter policies may be carried out by any Chapter officer upon unanimous approval of the Executive Board. On issues that demand action on a reasonably short notice, where
there are not previously established Chapter polices, the President, or designated representative, may present a Public Statement on behalf of the Chapter provided that: 1) the concept of the statement be brought to the Executive Board’s attention and is accepted by them prior to public issuing of the statement; and 2) copies of the statement are sent to the membership at the next regularly scheduled meeting after the issuing of the statement. Furthermore, the San Joaquin Valley Chapter may issue statement pertaining to subjects in its locale:

a) when the content of the statement falls within the established policy of The Society; and 

b) in the absence of existing Society position statements. The San Joaquin Valley Chapter will not publish statements that may be in conflict with the policy of The Society without prior approval of The Society’s Council. All statements will follow the “Guidelines for Conservation Affairs Activities” (Appendix 4.421b of the Operations Manual) and conform to The Society’s policy regarding conservation affairs (Appendix 4.421a of the Operations Manual). The Chapter membership, The Society, the Western Section Representative, and the Western Section President must receive copies of any Resolution or Public Statement within 15 days of such action.

ARTICLE VIII. COMMITTEES

Section 1. Appointments. The President shall consider suggestions of the Executive Board in appointing chairpersons of all regular standing committees, except the Nominating and Elections Committee (Article V, Section 1) and special committees such as awards and
hospitality. Committee chairpersons shall complete their committees with the President’s assistance. All committee chairpersons shall submit a written summary of committee activities to the President and the Secretary before the close of each annual Chapter
business meeting.

Section 2. Duties of Standing Committees.

Clause A: Nominating and Elections. See Article V, Section 1.

Clause B: Membership. This committee shall encourage the maximum number of qualified persons residing or working within the Chapter’s organizational area to become members of The Society, the Western Section, and the San Joaquin Valley Chapter.

Clause C: Program. This committee shall arrange programs of all regular and Annual meetings and provide the President with a proposed agenda for the Annual Meeting at least two months prior to the meeting date.

Clause D: Conservation Affairs. This committee shall review legislative proposals, administrative regulations, environmental assessments and impact statements, and other subjects or issues affecting wildlife or wildlife habitat within the organizational area of the Chapter and make recommendations to the Executive Board for any action that should be taken by the Chapter. The Chairman may ask any Chapter member to assist with reviews. In addition this committee shall receive proposed resolutions and public statements from one or more members at any time, and shall prepare, submit, and recommend action on such items to the Executive Board in accordance with Article VII, Section 5.

Clause E: Education and Information. This committee shall seek and employ methods of informing the public of basic wildlife management concepts and of Chapter and Society activities and interests.

Clause F: Audit. This committee shall consist of a chairperson and at least two additional members. It shall review the financial records and support documents of the Treasurer at least annually. The Committee also shall review these records and documents prior to any change in the office of the Treasurer.

Section 3. Accountability. All committees shall be accountable to the Executive Board, under general supervision of the President.

Section 4. Tenure. All committees shall serve until new committees are appointed in their stead or until the duties assigned to the committee have been discharged.

ARTICLE IX. DISSOLUTION

Upon dissolution of the San Joaquin Valley Chapter of The Wildlife Society, its Executive Board shall transfer all assets, accrued income, and other properties to the Council of The Wildlife Society with the understanding that said assets be held for a maximum of five years from the date of dissolution of the Chapter, for redistribution to another chapter that may be established in approximately the same geographical area within said five-year period. If another chapter is not established within said area and period of time, the Society Council may use or distribute all assets, accrued income, and other properties as best determined by The Council in accordance
with Society Bylaws.

ARTICLE X. AMENDMENT TO BYLAWS

Section 1. Procedure. These Bylaws may be altered or amended by a majority of Chapter members voting at any Annual meeting, special meeting, or online ballot if due advance notice of the proposed changes (Article VI, Section 1B) is followed. A member who will be absent from the meeting may file an absentee ballot (Article V, Section 2B).

Section 2. Conformance. No amendment to these Bylaws shall be enacted which results in conflict with The Wildlife Society Bylaws. If these Bylaws are revised, the new revision must be approved by The Society before becoming effective.