Constitution
Adopted in 1966 and amended in 1995 and 2002
ARTICLE I. NAME
The Association shall be known as the Sociological Research Association.
ARTICLE II. OBJECTIVE
The object of this Association shall be the advancement of the science of sociology.
ARTICLE III. MEMBERSHIP
Section I. Eligibility. Eligibility for membership in the Association shall be restricted to persons possessing the Ph.D. degree, or its equivalent, who have made a significant contribution to sociological research, other than in a doctoral dissertation, and who are maintaining an active interest in the advancement of sociological knowledge.
Section II. Size of Active Membership. Ten new members will be elected to the Association each year.
Section III. Categories of Membership. There shall be one category of membership in the Association. All persons who have been duly elected to membership and who are not more than two calendar years in arrears in payment of dues shall be considered members. Honorary life members (members elected prior to 1995 who had reached age 60 by 1995) at the time of this change may elect to continue their status, but no further transfers to honorary life member status will be made.
ARTICLE IV. OFFICERS
The officers of the Association shall be a President, a Secretary-Treasurer, and three additional members, who together shall constitute the Executive Committee.
ARTICLE V. ELECTION OF OFFICERS
Members of the Executive Committee shall be elected for a term of five years by a majority vote of the members of the Association, the vote to be taken by mail. The member with the longest tenure shall be President of the Association and Chairman of the Executive Committee. The member with the second-longest tenure shall be Secretary-Treasurer of the Association, and the member with the third-longest tenure shall chair the Membership Committee. The member most newly elected to the Committee will serve without duties or title in her or his first year.
Election shall occur by mail ballot of the membership. Two candidates will be listed on this ballot, and the candidate with the majority of votes cast will be elected as the newest member of the Executive Committee. By tradition, the President appoints a three-person Nominating Committee from the membership to create the slate of two candidates; this Committee, through
the Secretary-Treasurer, calls for nominations from the membership prior to making its selection of two nominees to stand for election.
ARTICLE VI. DUTIES OF OFFICERS
The President shall preside at all meetings of the Association and of the Executive Committee, and shall perform such other duties, as the Executive Committee shall assign to him or her. In his or her absence, the duties of the President shall devolve, successively, and in accordance with seniority, upon the members of the Executive Committee.
The Secretary-Treasurer is responsible for maintaining the Association's membership rolls; for collecting dues and monies for the annual dinner meeting and maintaining records of payment/nonpayment of these dues and dinner monies and all other financial records; for notifying the membership about dues, the annual dinner meeting, the election of officers, and any other business of the Association; and for arranging the annual dinner meeting (see below) and a meeting of the Executive Committee.
The Executive Committee shall have charge of the general interests of the Association, shall call all meetings of the Association, determine the place of meetings, appropriate moneys, appoint committees and their chairs, and in general possess the governing power of the Association, except as otherwise specifically provided in this constitution. The annual meeting of the Association shall be held at a time and place determined by the Executive Committee. By tradition (and affirmed by a polling of the membership in 1988), the Association has an annual dinner meeting at the time of the annual meeting of the American Sociological Association. The President presides at this meeting and selects one or more speakers for that meeting.
ARTICLE VII. MEMBERSHIP COMMITTEE
The Membership Committee shall consist of two members of the Association selected by a majority vote of the Executive Committee, in accordance with rules set up by the Executive Committee, plus the Executive Committee member with the third-longest tenure, who shall chair the Membership Committee. Note: During the 1980s and after, the President was delegated authority by the Executive Committee, on occasion, to select the two members of this Membership Committee.
ARTICLE VIII. AMENDMENTS
Amendments to this constitution shall be considered by the Executive Committee and if approved by a majority of the members thereof, shall be submitted to a vote by mail of the members of the Association. A majority vote of the members of the Association shall be necessary for the adoption of an amendment.
Revised and approved by the SRA membership August 2001