Bylaws of the Melville Society January 2007

Bylaws of the Melville Society January 2007 I. Purpose of the Society The Melville Society, founded in 1946, is a scholarly organization whose principal aims are to study, preserve, and disseminate scholarship about the life, works, and historical context of Herman Melville. Since 1976 it has held Section 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status as a non-profit educational and literary organization, and it follows all regulations prescribed by the federal tax code. The Society publishes a journal and occasional works, sponsors conferences, maintains an archive, supports educational and cultural activities, manages endowments, and enters into affiliations with organizations that share its aims. The Society is open to anyone who shares its aims. It is managed by an Executive Committee (elected by the membership) that follows the policies prescribed in these bylaws. II. Officers of the Executive Committee The Executive Committee (EC) is the governing body of the Society and consists of seven elected officers. All officers have full voting rights and are expected to participate in the committee’s business meeting at the annual convention of the Modern Language Association (MLA) and to conduct dayto -day business at other meetings (in person or electronically) as called by the Executive Secretary. Wherever possible, EC officers should seek institutional support for their activities in behalf of the Society, including teaching reductions, clerical support, office space, postage and copying expenses, travel expenses, and other necessities. A. President The President is an individual who has made significant contributions to Melville studies and serves as an honorary officer. The President appoints one member of the Society’s Nominating Committee to a three-year term and serves the Society in other capacities as the EC suggests. Term: one year; may serve more than once, but not in consecutive years. C
2008 The Authors Journal compilation C
2008 The Melville Society and Wiley Periodicals, Inc. L E V I A T H A N A J O U R N A L O F M E L V I L L E S T U D I E S 145 E X T R A C T S B. Executive Secretary The Executive Secretary is the Society’s chief executive officer and official spokesperson. Duties include: 1. Convening and chairing the Executive Committee. 2. Calling for and supervising all elections and tallying ballots. 3. Corresponding between the Society and all external groups. 4. Maintaining an archive of the Society’s official business, including files of the retiring Executive Secretary and other important documents. 5. Coordinating activities among the Society’s officers, committees, and its various constituencies, especially the Melville Society Cultural Project (MSCP). 6. Working with the Associate Secretary on programs and conferences. Term: three years; may serve successive terms. C. Associate Secretary for Programs and Conferences The Associate Secretary has primary responsibility for scheduling the Society’s annual programs at the conferences for the American Literature Association (ALA) and MLA and its biennial international conferences which are usually held in the summer in odd-numbered years at locations related to Melville’s life and works, either in the United States or abroad. Duties include: 1. Communicating with MLA and ALA regarding rooms, times, and other practical details. 2. Communicating with the MLA and ALA program chairs to ensure timely planning and effective panels that meet the Society’s aims. 3. Communicating with members who propose biennial conferences in accord with Society guidelines and bringing these proposals to the EC for discussion and action. 4. Maintaining and distributing Society policies and guidelines pertaining to conferences. 5. Handling other tasks as the Executive Secretary requests. Term: three years; may serve successive terms. D. Editor The Editor is responsible for all publishing associated with the Society, primarily Leviathan: A Journal of Melville Studies, but also any special publications, single or serialized. Duties include: 1. Managing editorial responsibilities professionally to insure a fair and effective peer review process, high quality content, excellence in journal 146 L E V I A T H A N M E L V I L L E S O C I E T Y B Y L A W S or book design, accuracy in copyediting, and the timely submission of copy for printing...