By-Laws
BYLAWS OF THE LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY SECTION OF
THE INSTITUTE OF ELECTRICAL AND ELECTRONICS ENGINEERS
ARTICLE I – Name and Territory
Section 1
This organization shall be known as the IEEE Louisville Section.
Section 2
The territory of the Louisville Section, as approved by RAB, includes the following counties of Kentucky: Adair, Allen, Barren, Breckinridge, Bullitt, Casey, Cumberland, Edmondson, Grayson, Green, Hardin, Hart, Henry, Jefferson, Larue, Marion, Meade, Metcalf, Monroe, Nelson, Oldham, Russell, Shelby, Simpson, Spencer, Taylor, Trimble, Warren, and Washington, and the following counties of Indiana: Clark, Crawford, Floyd, Harrison, Jefferson, Orange, Scott, and Washington.
ARTICLE II – Membership
Section 1
Section members are those individuals of Associate or higher grade membership residing within the boundaries of the Section, or who live or work in a neighboring Section and have requested Contiguous Section Membership status from the Regional Activities Department.
Section 2
Section members with the grade of Member or higher may vote in Section elections. Student and Associate members are not eligible to vote in Section elections. IEEE Society affiliates are not members of the Section, but they will be notified of Section events and welcome to participate.
Section 3
Section members of Member or higher grade may hold elected office, or Chair a Section Committee. Student and Associate members may not hold office or chair a committee.
ARTICLE III – Officers
Section 1
The elected officers of the Louisville Section shall be
1. Chair
2. Vice Chair
3. Secretary
4. Treasurer
Section 2
The terms of office of the elected officers shall be for two years.
Section 3
Terms of office shall begin on 1 January. Outgoing officers shall continue until their successors are duly elected and take office. However, no officer may serve in the same position for than two consecutive years.
Section 4
Any vacancy during the year shall be filled by a majority vote of the Section Executive Committee.
Section 5
The duties of the elected officers shall be available from Regional Activities Department staff, in the RAB Operations Manual.
ARTICLE IV – Standing Committees
Section 1
The standing committees of the Section shall be:
Awards and Recognition
Educational Activities
Membership
Program Planning
Professional Activities (PACE)
Student Activities
Section 2
The Chair of the Standing Committees shall be appointed by the Section Chair with the approval of the Section Executive Committee, and their terms correspond to the term of office of the elected officers of the Section.
Section 3
Each Committee Chair shall appoint his/her Committee members, with the approval of the Section Executive Committee, and their terms are to be the same as the Chairs’ end-of-term date.
Section 4
The duties of the Standing Committees shall be printed in the RAB Operations Manual.
ARTICLE V – Management
Section 1
The management of the section shall by the Section Executive Committee which shall consist of the elected officers, the Past Section Chair, the Standing Committee Chairs, and the Society Chapter Chairs. The number of voting members elected must be at least one greater than those appointed. Chapter Chairs, as elected by their membership, are considered “elected” official, as is the Past Section Chair.
Section 2
A majority of the Section Executive Committee shall constitute a quorum. A quorum shall be necessary for the Section Executive Committee to conduct the business of the Section.
Section 3
Meetings of the Section Executive Committee ordinarily shall be held monthly and shall be called by the Section Chair or by a request of any three members of the Section Executive Committee.
Section 4
The fiscal year of the Section shall be 1 January – 31 December.
ARTICLE VI – Nomination and Election of Officers
Section 1
A Nominating Committee consisting of three members, not then officers of the Section, nor intending to stand as candidates for office, shall be appointed by the Section Chair with the approval of the Section Executive Committee. If available to do so, the Past Section Chair will serve as Chair of the Nominating Committee.
Section 2
The nominations of the Nominating Committee shall be announced to the Section membership and, following this, a minimum of 28 days allowed for additional nominations by petition. To be valid, the petition must be signed by three members or 1% of the Section’s voting membership, whichever is fewer.
Section 3
If only one nomination is made for each office, the election shall be declared by acclamation at a meeting of the Section general membership, or the Section Executive Committee. If additional nominations are made, election shall be Section’s December meeting. Members who are eligible to vote but unable to attend the December meeting may request an absentee ballot from the Section Secretary. An absentee ballot must be returned to the Section Secretary not less than two (2) days prior to the election in a plain sealed envelope enclosed in an outer envelope, marked “Ballot,” which bears the signature of the voting member.
Section 4
The timetable for this procedure is as follows:
Appointment of Nominating Committee: no later than 1 August
Announcement of nominations and
call for petition candidates: no later than 15 September
Close of nominations by petition: no later than 31 October
If required, announcement of all nominations
and the date and place of the election: 1 December
Section 5
A plurality of the votes cast shall be necessary for election.
ARTICLE VII – Finances
Section 1
Without prior authorization of the IEEE Executive Committee, Section funds can be used only for normal operations of the Section. Those activities which fall outside the normal operations include donations, establishment of scholarship funds, and investment of funds outside of the IEEE Investment Program. Additional information is available from the IEEE Financial Services staff.
Section 2
All expenditures of Section funds must be approved by the Section Treasurer or Section Chair.
Section 3
The Section Treasurer and the Section Chair shall be authorized to draw funds as approved by the Section Executive Committee.
Section 4
If permitted by government and banking regulations, all unit bank accounts will provide for the signature authority of the IEEE Staff Director, Financial Services.
ARTICLE VIII – Subunits
Section 1
The Section shall encourage the formation of subunits, including Society Chapters and Affinity Groups. The Section shall support the efforts of subunits to serve the members.
Section 2
Management of the subunit will be undertaken by the Section and governed as detailed in these bylaws, including financial activity where appropriate, as well as officer and election activity.
ARTICLE IX – Amendments
Section 1
Proposals for amendments to these Bylaws may originate in the Section Executive Committee or by a petition signed by six or more voting members.
Section 2
Amendments to or revocation of these Bylaws shall be in accordance with the IEEE Bylaws, RAB Bylaws and RAB Operations Manual. Such amendments must be reviewed by IEEE Staff, and approved by the Region Director and Regional Activities Board.