CONSTITUTION OF THE
THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF PHYSICS TEACHERS
(Revised January 21, 1991)
(Previous Revision March 3, 1983)
ARTICLE I NAME
The name of this organization shall be the Texas
Section of the American Association of Physics Teachers.
ARTICLE II OBJECTIVES
The objectives of the Association shall be the advancement of the teaching of
Physics and the furtherance of appreciation of the role of physics in our
culture. These objectives shall be carried out exclusively for education and
scientific purposes.
ARTICLE III MEMBERSHIP
The membership shall consist of four classes: regular members, associate
members student members, emeritus members, and honorary members.
1. Persons residing or employed within the boundaries of the state of
2. Persons residing outside the boundaries of the section may be admitted as
associate members upon payment of dues. Associate members shall enjoy all the
privileges of regular members except that they cannot vote in section
elections.
3. Persons residing or employed within the boundaries of the state of
4. A person who has been a member of the Association for ten years prior to
his or her retirement shall, upon retirement, become an emeritus member. The
section 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,
the Immediate Past President, a Vice-President, and a Secretary-Treasurer.
1. The President shall preside at meetings of the Council and business meetings
of the Association, and shall have other duties as ordinarily associated with a
presidential office or as may be determined by the Council. The President shall
hold office from the close of one annual fall meeting until the close of
the next fall meeting, and then shall succeed to the office of Immediate
Past President.
2. The President-elect shall assume the duties of program chairman for the spring
meeting, and shall have such other duties as may be determined by the Council.
The President-elect shall hold office from the close of one annual fall
meeting until the closing of the next annual fall meeting, and shall
then succeed to the office of President.
3. The Immediate Past President shall assume the duties of program chairman for
the fall meeting, and have such other duties as may be determined by the
Council.
4. The Vice-President shall have such duties as may be determined by the
Council. The Vice-President shall hold office from the close of the annual fall
meeting following election until the close of the next annual fall meeting,
and then shall succeed to the office of President-elect.
5. The Secretary-Treasurer shall have the duties ordinarily associated with
that office. The Secretary-Treasurer shall take office at the close of the
annual fall meeting following election and shall serve a four year term.
The Secretary-Treasurer shall not be limited in the number of consecutive terms
which can be served.
ARTICLE V SECTION
REPRESENTATIVE
The Texas Section Representative to the Council of the American Association of
Physics Teachers shall be responsible for representing the Texas Section at all
national meetings, communicating AAPT information to the Texas Section and such
other duties as determined by the Section Council.
If the Section
Representative is unable to attend a national meeting of AAPT, an alternate
shall be appointed subject to approval by the Council. 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 at the close of the annual fall meeting following election and
shall serve a four year term. The Section Representative shall not be limited
in the number of consecutive terms which can be served.
ARTICLE VI COUNCIL
The Association shall be governed by the 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
fall 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 representation from senior colleges, two-year
colleges, and secondary schools. In the event of any officer or Council member
is, for any reason, unable or unwilling to fulfill the constitutional duties
prescribed for that office, then the Council shall have the power to declare a
vacancy and to take appropriate action to fill the vacancy. Such action shall
require approval by two-thirds of the Council members.
ARTICLE VII COMMITTEES
There shall be a Nominating Committee and an Awards Committee, which is
chaired by the Section Representative, appointed by the President and approved
by the Council. The President, with the consent of the Council, may appoint
other committees of one or more members as he/she may deem desirable to further
the objectives of the Association. Such committees shall cease to exist no
later than the end of the term of office of the President who appoints them.
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 Associations, 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 or
written petition to the President of at least 10 voting members of the
Association prior to the election.
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 January 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 mailed to all members
of the Association.
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 even
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 State 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 voting membership present 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 Section 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 voting membership present at a scheduled
Association business meeting.
Proposed Constitutional Amendment: Change Article VI Council to add the following language:
"The Council shall also include a liaison to the Science Teachers Association of Texas, who will take office at the end of the Fall Meeting and serve a three-year term. The duties of the STAT Liaison are described in the STAT Liaison Duties document posted on the TSAAPT web site. The STAT Liaison will be elected at the same time as the High School Representative, and, if a candidate is willing, the same person may hold both offices. If not, the STAT Liason may run unopposed." (add
period)
Rationale: The duties of STAT liaison were in the past voluntarily assumed by (by not my) the High School Member at Large, but have become increasingly difficult for one person to take on. If we are to continue to have a presence in the Science Teachers Association of Texas, of which we are an affiliate, it is necessary to have someone to take on these responsibilities. If we cannot fulfill these responsibilities, we will need to consider our status as a STAT affiliate. STAT is our largest link to high school teachers in the state of Texas.
TSAAPT STAT Liaison Duties.doc
TWO-YEAR COLLEGE REPRESENTATIVE
The primary job of the Two-Year College Section Representative is to serve as a voting member of the TSAAPT Executive Council. When possible, the TYC Rep is to represent to the Executive Council the interests and concerns of two-year college members, and to act as liaison between the Executive Council and two-year colleges. The TYC Rep may choose to elicit responses from two-year colleges to present before the TSAAPT Executive Council. In the past, this has been accomplished in the form of letters sent to two-year college physics departments soliciting input.