Constitution

Sixteenth Century Society Constitution

The current Sixteenth Century Society Constitution was voted on and approved at the annual meeting in Pittsburgh on October 31, 2003. It was amended via electronic vote on September 10, 2019. It was further amended via electronic vote on 30 November 2023.

NAME

ARTICLE I: The name of this organization shall be SIXTEENTH CENTURY SOCIETY [henceforth Society].

OBJECTIVES

ARTICLE II: The Sixteenth Century Society is an organization founded to promote research in the various aspects of early modern studies and to help to disseminate the results of such research. Specifically its objectives are:

To promote scholarship on the early modern period in all disciplines, and to foster dialogue among those disciplines;
To stimulate research in the early modern period and assist in making the results of that research available through conferences, symposia, publications, electronic media, and by any other means suitable for such dissemination;
To encourage professional and personal contacts among scholars of the early modern period;
To provide an outlet for the scholarship of younger scholars and promote their integration into the academic community.

MEMBERSHIP

ARTICLE III: Any person interested in the study of the early modern period and in the projects and program of the Society shall be eligible for membership. The payment of annual dues shall constitute formal recognition of membership.

MEETINGS

ARTICLE IV: The following regulations all pertain to meetings of the Society:

A meeting of this Society shall be held annually. A quorum shall consist of active members present.

Special meetings may be called by the executive committee of the Council.

Notice of all meetings shall be mailed (or emailed) at least thirty (30) days before the date of the meeting.

The Council shall meet at least annually.

OFFICERS

ARTICLE V: The Society may elect qualified officers and members of Council and committees.

The officers of this Society, who serve as officers and members of the executive committee of the Council, shall be the President, the Vice-President, the Past President, the Executive Director, and the Financial Officer.

The Council shall consist of twelve at-large members holding staggered three-year terms, the officers of the society, the Past President, the Technology Advisor, the ACLS Representative, the Registrar, and a representative of the Editors of the Sixteenth Century Journal. All except the Technology Advisor and the Editors of the Sixteenth Century Journal, as stipulated below, possess voting rights.

The nominating committee shall consist of a chair and four members.

All officers, members of Council, and members of the nominating committee shall be elected directly by the members.

The President shall be the chair of the Council and shall be responsible along with the executive committee for overseeing the ongoing work of the society.

Upon completion of his/her term of office, the President becomes Past President. The Past President shall be a member of the executive committee during the year immediately following his/her year as President.

The Vice President shall be the President-elect and shall be responsible for organizing the annual conference. The Vice President shall be a member of the Council.

The Executive Director shall be a member of the Council.

The Financial Officer shall be a member of the Council.

RELATIONS WITH OTHER SCHOLARLY SOCIETIES

ARTICLE VI: Affiliated Societies play an important role in the Society. All Affiliated Societies are learned societies or research centers whose goals are consistent with the mission of the Society, as expressed on its home page. Typically, Affiliated Societies sponsor sessions at the Society’s Annual Meeting and use the conference as a site for meetings and gatherings of their members.

Each Affiliated Society should have one Society representative, who is a member in good standing of the Society and is responsible for organizing and submitting sponsored conference sessions. This representative is also responsible for keeping the Society Executive Director informed of any changed in contact information for the Affiliated Society. We encourage the representative or another member of the Affiliate Society to attend the annual Business Meeting held at the annual conference in order to keep abreast of the activities of the Society.

CHANGES IN THE CONSTITUTION

ARTICLE VII: Changes in this constitution may be made in one of two ways: (1) at an annual meeting provided that two-thirds (2/3) of the responding members attending approve the change, that prior notice in writing (i.e. via customary methods of communication from the Society’s officers) was given to the membership at least thirty (30) days before the meeting and that two-thirds (2/3) of the membership at large responding ratifies the changes; or (2) via electronic ballot, provided that two-thirds (2/3) of the responding members approve the change, that prior notice in writing (i.e. via customary methods of communication from the Society’s officers) was given to the membership at least thirty (30) days before the meeting and that two-thirds (2/3) of the membership at large responding ratifies the changes. Voting shall be by ballot. The Executive Director is responsible for conducting all ballots in whatever form.

DISSOLUTION

ARTICLE VIII: Upon dissolution of the Society, all of its property not required to satisfy its obligations shall be disposed of by transfer to a non-profit organization or organizations with headquarters in St. Louis or St. Louis County, Missouri. As herein used the word “organization” shall mean any corporation, association, trust, foundation, or other organization established and operated exclusively for non-profit, religious, charitable, or educational purposes. Dissolution shall be pursuant to the vote of the majority of the membership at large and shall not at any time be made by a vote of the Council.

BY-LAWS

SECTION I. Dues.

Membership dues shall be set by the Council and shall be paid for the calendar year. Council will also set conference fees. Students, attested by a responsible officer of the institution in which they are enrolled, shall be eligible for a reduced dues and fees, but shall enjoy all the rights and privileges of the Society.

SECTION II. Meetings.

The annual meeting shall be held at such time and place as determined by the Council. However, the Council may not cancel an annual meeting except on a majority vote of all members voting by mail or email ballot.

SECTION III. Duties of Officers.

The duties of the officers shall be such as usually pertain to the office. The Vice President shall be the program chair for the annual meeting and the Executive Director the chief administrative officer.

The President shall serve a one year-term.

The Vice President shall be President-elect for the next year.

The Executive Director will be elected for a six-year renewable term.

The Financial Officer will be elected for a four-year renewable term.

If both the offices of Executive Director and Financial Officer are due to turn over in the same calendar year, then one of these offices will automatically be extended by Council for one year.

SECTION IV. Elections.

Members of the Council shall be elected for a term of three years and may be re-elected for two additional terms. They shall not be eligible for election after such three terms until an interval of three years.

Elections shall be held annually for four members of the Council.

The officers may be elected on a separate ballot annually and shall be eligible for re-election.

All elections shall be by ballot and the membership shall be notified by mail or email of the results of all elections.

Officers, members of the Council and committees assume their duties on January 1 following their election.

The nominating committee is composed of a chair and four members. Two members of the nominating committee are elected each year to two year-terms, no member being eligible for re-election to this committee. The chair shall be a Past President and shall be elected to a four-year term. The chair is eligible for re-election to this committee.

The nominating committee shall supervise and conduct all elections for the officers, and the nominating committee.

The Editors of the Sixteenth Century Journal shall be advisory members of the Council and may not vote unless they also have voting privileges by virtue of election to the council or as officers of the society.

The President shall nominate and the Council shall approve a “Technical Advisor to the President and Council.” The Technical Advisor shall assume responsibility for the Society's website and provide advice on technological issues. The Advisor's term is three years and is renewable. The Advisor is a non-voting member of Council.

SECTION V: Council.

The Council shall consist of officers, the Technology Advisor, the Editors of the Sixteenth Century Journal, and 12 members, the latter to be organized into three classes serving staggered three-year terms.

The Council shall have at least four standing committees, and members of the Council should expect to serve on at least one of these committees during their term in office (along with others from the membership at large): Emerging Scholars, Graduate Student Support, Pedagogy and Professionalization, and Technology and Social Media. Descriptions of these committees are found in the Officers Manual.

Council must approve new expenditures that go beyond the ordinary expenditures of the Society or other expenditures already approved. Items that exceed in any one year 1.5% or in the first four years total more than 6% of the total operating expenses of the society from the preceding financial year must be approved by the Council at the annual Council meeting and may not be approved through email ballot. Items that exceed in any one year 3% or in the first four years total more than 12% of the total operating expenses of the society from the preceding financial year must be submitted to the Annual Business Meeting for ratification. A majority vote of those present suffices to ratify. The Annual Business Meeting may decide to poll the membership at large by email for its approval. A majority vote of those voting of the membership at large suffices for approval. The decision of the membership at large is final. Both the Council and the Business Meeting must receive full particulars about the proposal at least 30 days prior to any vote.