BY-LAWS OF THE WILLIAM CARLOS WILLIAMS SOCIETY
ESTABLISHED 1979
(Updated 1996; 2008; 2021)
- Membership in the William Carlos Williams Society has no restrictions. Membership is based on the calendar year.
2. Officers in the Society will consist of: a president, vice president, and secretary/treasurer or a secretary and a treasurer. In addition, the Society will have an Immediate Past President. Candidates for these offices will be nominated by members from the list of current members with approval from the nominees. They will each serve for three calendar years, except for the Immediate Past President, who will serve for two years to ensure institutional memory and consistency. New officers will assume office in January.
3. Officers and members of the Society will not have direct control over the publication or content of the Review, but may advise the editorial board on matters of content, scope, and format. Their views will be given serious consideration. Final judgement rests with the editorial board whose members may also be officers of the society.
4. Duties of the Officers:
a) The President will be responsible for organizing elections and will confer with the editor of the Review concerning publication of notices of meetings for the MLA and ALA annual conventions, including the announcement of topic(s) and calls for papers. With the assistance of the Vice President, the President will be responsible for organizing meetings, including determination and announcement of topic(s), and the submission of all necessary paperwork for these sessions to both MLA and ALA. At the President’s discretion, this process may be carried out by inviting another qualified individual to take charge of the meeting arrangements. Individuals should be encouraged to submit proposals so that new people and non-members can become involved in the process.
The President also schedules a general business meeting of the membership, for example at the annual ALA or MLA Convention or the WCW Society Biennial Conference. A quorum of 1 officer plus at least 2 members must be present for a meeting to be officially representative of the Society. It is assumed that the President will work closely in conjunction with the other officers, and, as far as possible, reflect the interests of the general membership.
b) The Vice President will assist the President in the above-mentioned duties and, in case of illness or other necessity, act on the President’s behalf in carrying out these responsibilities.
c) The Secretary/treasurer or Treasurer consults with the Review editor regarding the Society’s treasury, and makes a brief report regarding the status of these monies at the Society’s annual business meeting. The Secretary also keeps records of each planning session, which will be transferred to his/her successor.
5. In the interests of the Society membership the officers may initiate projects, such as meetings at conference held by the regional MLA organizations. Informational notices are now distributed through the society webpage or through the email list of Society members.
6. Any change in these By-Laws must be proposed to the members of the society in the fall before the year in which the change will take effect and must be approved by a two-thirds vote of the membership.
7. Upon dissolution of the Society any remaining assets will be used exclusively for exempt purposes, such as charitable, religious, educational, and/or scientific purposes.
By-law signatories
Dr. Daniel Burke, Arrupe College
President, WCW Society 12/07/2021
Dr. Mark Long, Keene State College
Vice President, WCW Society 12/07/2021
Dr. Elin Käck, Linköping University
Secretary, WCW Society 10/01/2021
Dr. Stephen Hahn, William Paterson University emeritus
Treasurer, WCW Society 12/07/2021
Featured image: Mark C. Long
