Constitution

ARTICLE I: NAME

The name of this Association shall be the "North Carolina Section of the American Association of Physics Teachers." It may, in all its activities, be referred to as the "NCS-AAPT."

ARTICLE II: OBJECTIVES

The objectives of the Association shall be to advance the teaching of Physics, to further the appreciation of the role of physics in our culture, and to enhance effective communication among those concerned with the teaching of physics at all levels. These objectives shall be carried out exclusively for educational and scientific purposes.

ARTICLE III: MEMBERSHIP

The membership shall consist of four classes: regular members, student members, emeritus members, and honorary members.

1. Regular members shall be teachers of physics or physical science at the university, college, high school, or junior high school level, and any other persons whose membership would, in the opinion of the Council, expressed by a vote, further the objectives of the Association.
1. Student members shall be students currently enrolled in an educational institution who have completed at least a one-year physics course or the equivalent.
2. A person who has been a member of this Association or its predecessor (SACS-AAPT) prior to his or her retirement shall, at retirement, become an emeritus member upon the member's request to the Council.
3. The Council may by special action, designate other persons as emeritus or honorary members. Emeritus and honorary members shall enjoy all the privileges of regular membership and shall pay no dues.

ARTICLE IV: OFFICERS

The officers of the Association shall be a President, a President-elect, an Immediate Past President, a Vice-President, and a Secretary-Treasurer.

1. The President shall be responsible for the business of the Association and shall preside at meetings of the Council and other business meetings of the officers and of the Association as may be determined by the President or the Council. The President shall have the power to appoint committees and replacement Council members as described in Articles VI and VII. The President authorizes all disbursals of funds. The President shall hold office from May 1st following the annual spring meeting until April 30th following the next annual spring meeting, and then shall succeed to the office of Immediate Past President.
2. The President-elect shall assume the duties of program chair, or co-chair in the case of joint meetings, for all meetings. The President-Elect shall have other duties as may be determined by the Council. The President-elect shall hold office from May 1st following the annual spring meeting until April 30th following the next annual spring meeting, and shall then succeed to the office of President.
3. The Immediate Past President shall be the official representative of the NCS-AAPT to all societies designated by the Council. The Immediate Past President will serve as the chair of the Nominating Committee, and have other duties as may be determined by the Council.
4. The Vice-President shall assist the President-elect in the role as program chair and serve as apprentice to both the President and President-elect and have other duties as may be determined by the Council. The Vice-President shall hold office from May 1st following election at the annual spring meeting until April 30th following the next annual spring meeting, and then shall succeed to the office of President-elect.
5. The Secretary-Treasurer shall have the duties ordinarily associated with that office. In particular, the Secretary-Treasurer shall keep all records of the Association, be responsible for communicating with Association members in a timely fashion about the programs of the Association, collecting annual dues from the members, keeping an up-to-date membership list, disbursing funds in payment of the expenses incurred necessary for conducting the Association's business, and presenting a report on the financial status of the Association at each regular meeting of the Association. The Secretary-Treasurer shall take office May 1st following election at the annual spring meeting and shall serve a four-year term. The Secretary-Treasurer may serve more than one consecutive term.

ARTICLE V: SECTION REPRESENTATIVE

The North Carolina Section Representative to the Council of the American Association of Physics Teachers shall be responsible for representing the North Carolina Section at all national meetings, communicating AAPT information to the North Carolina Section and other duties as determined by the Section Council.

The Section Representative will also chair the Awards Committee.

If the Section Representative is unable to attend a scheduled section representatives meeting of the AAPT, he or she shall secure an alternate. The Section Representative shall notify the AAPT Secretary in writing of the change in representation prior to the meeting. The Section Representative shall take office on May 1st following election at the annual spring meeting and shall serve a four-year term. The Section Representative may serve more than one consecutive term. The Section Representative and his or her alternate must be a member of the national AAPT.

ARTICLE VI: COUNCIL

The Association shall be governed by a Council consisting of the officers, the Section Representative, and three elected Members-at-Large. Members-at-Large shall take office at the close of the annual spring meeting following election and shall serve three-year terms, with the terms staggered so that one Member-at-Large is elected each year. The three Members-at-Large shall include one elected representative from each of the following three groups: universities and four-year colleges, two-year colleges, and pre-college schools.

If any officer or Council member is, for any reason, unable or unwilling to fulfill the constitutional duties prescribed, then the Council shall have the power to declare a vacancy and to fill the vacancy. Such action shall require approval by two-thirds of the Council members. In temporary situations wherein an officer or Council member is not able to fulfill his or her duties then the President shall be responsible for naming a suitable temporary replacement.

A quorum shall be a majority of the Council.

ARTICLE VII: COMMITTEES

There shall be two standing committees: a Nominating Committee and an Awards Committee.

The Nominating Committee shall be chaired by the Immediate Past President, and include committee members representing the three groups (universities and four-year colleges, two-year colleges, and pre-college schools) mentioned in Article VI appointed by the President and approved by the Council. The Nominating Committee shall be provided the results of the Secretary-Treasurer's "Call for Nominations" and using this information and their own resources present a slate of candidates to the Secretary-Treasurer for the positions that become vacant at the following spring meeting. The Nominating Committee shall be responsible for ensuring that the proposed candidates have agreed to serve if elected. The Secretary Treasurer will ensure distribution of this information to the membership at least three months prior to the spring meeting.

The Awards Committee shall be chaired by the Section Representative and include another Past President with other members chosen by them and confirmed by the Council.

The President, with the consent of the Council, may appoint other committees of one or more members as he or she may deem desirable to further the objectives of the Association. Such committees shall cease to exist no later than the close of the spring meeting.

ARTICLE VIII: ELECTIONS

Officers, Members-at-Large of the Council and the Section Representative shall be elected by a simple majority of the voting members of the Association present and voting at the time of the annual spring meeting. Candidates for any position shall be members of the Association, nominated by the Nominating Committee or directly by voice at the business meeting or by written petition to the President signed by at least 10 voting members of the Association prior to the election, but no later than two months before the election. A plurality of votes ensures election. In case of a tie, the President shall determine the winner by a chance event.

ARTICLE IX: DUES

Dues shall be set by the Section Council to cover the expenses of the Association. The fiscal year for the Association shall begin on May 1.

ARTICLE X: MEETINGS

There shall be an annual fall meeting and an annual spring meeting arranged by the Council. Notices of the time and place of these meetings shall be appropriately delivered to all members of the Association. The Council in consultation with the program chairs shall set an appropriate registration fee.

ARTICLE XI: NONDISCRIMINATION

The Association shall not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, or sex.

ARTICLE XII: NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION

1. Notwithstanding any other provision of the Constitution, this Association shall not carry on any activities not permitted to be carried on (a) by an association exempt from federal income tax under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954 or the corresponding provision of any future United States Internal Revenue law, or (b) by any association contributions to which are deductible under Section 170(c)(2) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954 or the corresponding provision of any future United States Internal Revenue law.
2. This Association shall continue forever unless a two-thirds majority of the members voting in a mail ballot conducted in such a manner as the Council may prescribe shall vote to dissolve the Association. A proposal to dissolve the Association may be submitted for vote by the Council at any time. In the event that the Association is dissolved, the Council, after paying or making provision for payment of all liabilities of the Association, shall dispose of all assets of the Association exclusively for the purposes of the Association to such charitable, educational, or scientific organization or organizations as shall at the time qualify as an exempt organization or organizations under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954 or the corresponding provision of any future United States Internal Revenue Law, except that in the case of funds granted by an Agency stipulated otherwise, disposition shall be made in accordance with provisions contained in the pertinent grant documents.

ARTICLE XIII: AMENDMENTS

This Constitution may be amended by:

1. a two-thirds majority of the membership present and voting at a business session, provided notice of the proposed amendment has been given to the members at least two weeks before the meeting, or
2. a two-thirds majority of those members voting in a mail ballot conducted by the Council.

ARTICLE XIV: BY LAWS

By-Laws may be added to this Constitution if recommended by the Council and approved by a simple majority of the membership present and voting at a scheduled Association business meeting.

Adopted by the Section October 28, 1995.

Amended by the Section March 27, 2004, at Meredith College.