During the final business meeting of the 2021 meeting, those in attendance voted to forward the following constitutional amendments to the full membership for voting. Voting will take place electronically in late spring 2021, dates will be announced when they are finalized. If you have any questions, please contact SEB Past President, John Adamczyk or President-Elect, Amanda Hodges.
View the current constitution and bylaws
Proposed Changes to the SEB Constitution
Amendment #1 - Article II, Section 1
Current Text: Section 1. Classes of membership shall be the same as in the Entomological Society of America, namely Active, Honorary, Emeritus, Student and Youth.
Proposed Text: Section 1. Classes of membership shall be the same as in the Entomological Society of America.
Rationale for the amendment: Removing the membership categories because they do not need to be specified here.
Executive Committee’s Recommendation (23 October 2020): APPROVE
Amendment #2 - Article III, Section 3
Current Text: Section 3. The Secretary-Treasurer shall serve for three years, commencing with the close of the next annual Final Business Meeting following election.
Proposed Text: Section 3. The Secretary-Treasurer shall serve for three years, commencing with the close of the Final Business Meeting following election.
Rationale for the amendment: This change related to the proposal to remove the Secretary-Treasurer Elect position and move the management of the finances to ESA HQ. The Secretary-Treasurer would then still participate in the audit of SEB finances.
Executive Committee’s Recommendation (23 October 2020): APPROVE
Amendment #3 - Article V, Section 1
Current Text: Section 1. The membership of the Branch may be arranged into sections comparable to those of the Entomological Society of America.
Proposed Text: Section 1. The membership of the Branch is arranged within the sections of ESA.
Rationale for the amendment: Sections are defined by the ESA and the branches technically do not have authority of sections or the arrangement of members within sections.
Executive Committee’s Recommendation (23 October 2020): APPROVE
Amendment #4 - Article VI, Section 1
Current Text:
Section 1. Dates and locations of annual meetings shall be selected three years in advance by members present at the appropriate annual meeting. In the event circumstances prevent holding the meeting at the selected location or if a decision is not reached at the annual meeting as to the time and place for the next annual meeting, the Executive Committee shall have the authority to select a location and date.
Proposed Text:
Section 1. It is recommended that dates and locations of annual meetings shall be selected three years in advance by members present at the appropriate annual meeting and by the Meeting Time and Location Committee.
Rationale for the amendment: The occurrence of the 2020 pandemic has created some challenges for meeting planning and reimbursements during 2020 and 2021 annual meeting planning. It may not always be the best financial option for the SEB to sign long-term hotel contracts (three years out), and each Executive Committee should provide the best leadership options provided ongoing pandemic or other travel restrictions that may prevent in-person gatherings.
Executive Committee’s Recommendation (23 October 2020): APPROVE
Amendment #5 - Article VI, Section 4
Current Text: Section 4. Thirty-five members shall constitute a quorum at annual Branch Preliminary and Final Business Meetings and four members a quorum at the Executive Committee Meetings for transaction of business.
Proposed Text: Section 4. Annual Branch Preliminary and Final Business Meetings shall occur. Thirty-five members shall constitute a quorum at the Final Meeting and four members a quorum at Executive Committee Meetings for transaction of business.
Rationale for the amendment: Membership-wide business does not typically occur at preliminary meetings for the SEB. During the unusual events of 2020 with the pandemic, it was necessary to have only one membership-wide final virtual business meeting. A quorum was reached at this virtual business meeting to accomplish SEB business.
Executive Committee’s Recommendation (23 October 2020): APPROVE
Amendment #6 - Article VII, Section 1
Current Text:
Section 1. Standing Committees shall be: Auditing; Archives; Board Certification; Education; Linnaean Games; Local Arrangements (including Associate's Program); Meeting Location and Time (two Committees as defined in the By‑Laws); Member Awards; Membership; Nominating; Program; Public Relations; Resolutions; Student Affairs; and Student Awards. Appointment to Committee membership and Committee responsibilities shall be as outlined in the By‑Laws.
Proposed Text:
Section 1. Standing Committees shall be: Archives; Board Certification; Education; Entomology Games; Local Arrangements (including Associate's Program); Meeting Location and Time (two Committees as defined in the By‑Laws); Member Awards; Nominating; Program; Public Relations; Resolutions; Student Affairs; and Student Awards. Appointment to Committee membership and Committee responsibilities shall be as outlined in the By‑Laws.
Rationale for the amendment: Suggest removal of the Auditing committee as this committee has been difficult to fill and we are proposing moving ESA finances to HQ. Investments are already managed by HQ and meeting revenues are already collected by HQ.
Executive Committee’s Recommendation (23 October 2020): APPROVE
Amendment #7 - Article VII, Section 2
Current Text: Section 2. Members of all Standing Committees shall be members of the Branch, except that non- members may serve on the Associate's Program Committee.
Proposed Text: Section 2. Members of all Standing Committees shall be members of the Branch.
Rationale for the amendment: The Associate’s Program Committee has not been active and generally falls under Local Arrangements. If/when an Associate’s Program does exist, a member of the Branch is still involved in overall communications and oversight. The wording here is extraneous.
Executive Committee’s Recommendation (23 October 2020): APPROVE
Amendment #8 - Article VIII, Section 1-2
Current Text:
Section 1. There shall be no membership dues.
Section 2. A registration fee may be charged of all persons attending the regular sessions of the annual meeting. The amount of the registration fee shall be established by the Executive Committee.
Proposed Text:
Removal of Section 1, and Section 2 becomes Section 1. “Section 1. A registration fee may be charged of all persons attending the regular sessions of the annual meeting. The amount of the registration fee shall be established by the Executive Committee.”
Rationale for the amendment: Membership dues are applicable at the national but not Branch level.
Executive Committee’s Recommendation (23 October 2020): APPROVE
Amendment #9 - Article X, Section 1-5
Current Text:
Section 1. Proposals to amend this Constitution may be submitted to the President in the form of a resolution at any time during the year provided they are signed by five or more members of the Branch. The President shall promptly refer each proposal to the Executive Committee for consideration.
Section 2. Following arrival at a consensus, the Executive Committee shall forward each proposed amendment, along with its recommendation for approval or disapproval to be printed and distributed to the members of the Branch with the "Call for Papers" for the next annual meeting. The proposed amendments shall be placed on the agenda for the Final Business Meeting.
Section 3. At the Final Business Meeting, the President or his/her designee shall read the proposed amendment(s) and state the question of its/their adoption. The question to adopt shall be debatable, but no motion to amend shall be in order which is outside the scope of the proposed amendment(s) to the Constitution. If two‑thirds or more of the members present and voting favor the proposed amendment(s) to the Constitution, it/they shall be submitted to the members of the Branch for approval by ballot as provided in Section 4; otherwise it/they shall not be adopted.
Section 4. Proposed amendments to the Constitution which have been approved in accordance with Section 3 by members present and voting at the Final Business Meeting shall be distributed in ballot form to the members of the Branch no later than the mailing containing the annual meeting program and the ballot for election of officers.
Section 5. Results of the ballots shall be delivered to the Secretary-Treasurer no later than seven days prior to the date of the next annual Preliminary Business Meeting and shall be announced at the Final Business Meeting. If two-thirds or more of the ballots favor the proposed amendment(s), it/they shall be adopted; otherwise it/they shall not be adopted.
Proposed Text:
Removal of Sections 1-5 and replace with “Section 1. This Constitution may be amended by a two-thirds vote of the responding members, provided that notice of the proposed changes shall have been sent to each active member at least one month before the date of the vote.”
Rationale for the amendment: The current process for constitution amendment is cumbersome and needs to be modernized.
Executive Committee’s Recommendation (23 October 2020): APPROVE