Bylaws of the

Association for Women Geoscientists, Black Hills Chapter

Article I. Name

Section 1. The name of the organization is the Association for Women Geoscientists, Black Hills
Chapter (AWG-BH). The organization is referred to as AWG-BH or the Chapter for purposes of
these bylaws.

Article II. Chapter Status

Section 1. The organization is a duly authorized Chapter of the Association for Women
Geoscientists (AWG), a corporation with a principle office in the County of San Mateo, State of
California.

Section 2. In the event of any conflict, the Bylaws of AWG shall take precedence over the
Bylaws of the AWG-BH. in the geosciences.

Section 3. The interests and goals of AWG-BH are in keeping with those of the Articles of
Incorporation and
Bylaws of AWG. The purpose of AWG-BH shall be to enhance the quality and level of
participation of women in geosciences and to introduce girls and young women to geoscience
careers.
The Association’s goals are:
1. to encourage the participation of women in the geosciences;
2. to exchange educational, technical, and professional information; and
3. to enhance the professional growth and advancement of women in the geosciences.

Article III. Membership & Dues

Section 1. Any SD Mines faculty, staff, graduate student, or undergraduate student can join
AWG-BH. Our main membership focus is to graduate and undergraduate students interested in
the geosciences.

Section 2. Membership is granted to those who:

1. Register as a member through the official AWG membership website; and
2. Sign up as a member on Mines Link

Section 3. This organization does not discriminate in membership selection, officer election or
other appointments, or practices of organizational activities on the basis of race, color, national
origin, military status, gender, religion, age, sexual orientation, political preference or disability.

Section 4. Dues are currently set by AWG at $20 a year for students.
Article IV. Meetings

Section 1. General Meetings shall be held once a month. The members will be notified of the
time, place, and purpose of meetings through an announcement by e-mail.

Section 2. Business Meetings will be held at the request of the AWG-BH Executive Board, who
shall determine the times and places of meetings. The members will be notified of the time,
place, and purpose of meetings through an announcement by e-mail. Notice shall be given no
less than one week (7 days) before any business meeting.

Section 3. At any business meeting of AWG-BH, the presence of three-fourth (4/5) of the AWG-
BH Executive Board shall constitute a quorum. No business may be transacted at a meeting
without a quorum.

Section 4. The current edition of Roberts Rule of Order Newly Revised shall govern all
proceedings except where inconsistent with the provisions of the Bylaws of this organization.
Meetings will begin with taking attendance, followed by a review of upcoming events, and then
discussions.

Article V. AWG-BH Executive Board

Section 1. The AWG-BH Executive Board (the Executive Board) shall include the current
Chapter President, Vice-President, Secretary, Treasurer, and Editor. These officers shall be
members in good standing affiliated with the Chapter and shall be elected as outlined in these
Bylaws.

Section 2. The Chapter President shall serve as chairperson of the Executive Board, shall assure
that AWG and AWG-BH policy is observed, shall appoint the chairpersons of all committees
subject to approval of the Executive Board, and shall perform duties as directed by the Executive
Board.

Section 3. The Chapter Vice-President shall assist the President in her/his duties and, in the
absence or inability of the President, shall perform the duties of that office.

Section 4. The Chapter Secretary shall keep a record of the proceedings of the General and
Business meetings, shall keep the records of Chapter membership and shall conduct
correspondence not specifically assigned to others.

Section 5. The Chapter Treasurer shall have custody of all the funds of the Chapter, shall
disperse these funds in accordance with Executive Board approval and shall make regular reports
to the membership and Executive Committee. The Chapter Treasurer shall be required to send a
financial report covering all income such as from dues rebates, donations and grants, and
expenses or other disbursements, every six (6) months to the AWG Treasurer, or as required by
the AWG Board of Directors. The Chapter Treasurer is responsible for submitting all SOAP
forms to SD Mines.
Section 6. The Chapter Editor shall publish a chapter newsletter three times a year (Fall, Spring,
and Summer) and is responsible for submitting articles about the chapter to the national editor to
put into GAEA.

Section 7. An Executive Board member must be a part-time or full-time students and currently
enrolled in a degree seeking program at SD Mines.

Section 8. The election of the Executive Board shall proceed as follows:

1. Elections will take place at the monthly meeting in April for the following school year.
2. Candidates will self-nominate in March by emailing both the current Chapter President
and the Advisor.
3. Registered AWG-BH members will vote through a Mines Link election set up by the
current chapter President and the Advisor.

Section 9. The officers shall serve for one year and their term of office shall begin in May
following the election.

Section 10. If an Executive Board member wishes to resign they may do so at any time by
informing the Executive Board and advisor. It is preferred that the resigning member inform the
board via email and attempt to find a potential replacement.

Section 11. To remove an officer from office a member of the Executive Board must first talk
with the advisor about their concerns. An Executive Committee member may be removed from
the Executive Committee for nonperformance of duties and responsibilities by a unanimous vote
of the other Executive Committee members.

Section 12. If a vacancy occurs in the office of President, the Vice-President shall assume the
position for the remainder of the term. Vacancies in any other position shall be filled by an
Executive Board appointment. A vote by 2/3 of the officers will appoint the new officer until the
annual elections held in April.

Section 13. At any meeting of the Executive Committee, the presence of four Executive Board
members shall constitute a quorum. In the absence of a quorum, no business can be transacted at
the meeting.

Section 14. The Chapter President shall submit an annual activity report to the AWG Secretary
one month before the end of the fiscal year or as required by the AWG officers.

Article VI. AWG-BH Chapter Advisor

Section 1. The official advisor of the organization must be a full-time, permanent employee of
SD Mines.
Section 2. The Chapter Advisor shall promote AWG and AWG-BH, oversee all Executive Board
elections with the president, and maintain an awareness of the activities and programs sponsored
by the society.

Article VII. AWG-BH Committees

Section 1. The Executive Board shall establish and maintain committees as needed to further the
goals of the organization. The President shall have authority to appoint the chairpersons of all
committees, with a concurring majority vote of the Executive Committee.

Section 2. Each member shall be a part of the committee of their choice. The term of office of a
chairperson or member of a committee is one (1) year. Members and chairpersons may succeed
themselves.

Section 3. The chairperson of each committee shall summit an annual report of the committee to
the Executive Board or the Chapter membership as directed by the Executive Board.

Section 4. The Chapter shall maintain committees that were formed upon chapter establishment
to reflect the AWG-BH values. These committees are to focus STEM outreach to young women,
professional development, and socializing with fellow supporters of the AWG mission.

Section 5. The Chapter shall maintain a Professional Development Committee. The mission of
this committee is to provide resources and programs that actively engage all members of AWG-
BH in continuous professional growth. Activities include, but are not limited to: mentoring,
seminars, workshops, conferences, and webinars.

Section 6. The Chapter shall maintain an Outreach and Field Trip Committee. The mission of
this committee is to create, initiate, and coordinate women in geoscience outreach events
throughout the Rapid City area.

Section 7. The Chapter shall maintain a Recruitment and Social Committee. The mission of this
committee is to develop programs and events effecting the recruitment and retention of AWG-
BH members.

Article VIII. Finances

Section 1. Dues are collected by AWG.

Section 2. The society will have an SD Mines SOAP and an SD Mines Foundation account. The
advisor and officers will have access to these accounts.

Section 3. Newsletter advertisement fees are kept by the Chapter Treasurer and deposited into
the SD Mines Foundation account.
Section 4. The fiscal year of AWG-BH shall begin on July 1st of each year.

Section 5. The financial position of the AWG-LC and a current financial statement shall be
reviewed twice
yearly at Executive Committee meetings.

Section 6. The Treasurer shall have financial authority over the Chapter’s funds. Only the
Treasurer, President, or other business representative approved by the Executive Board shall
make payments or withdrawals from these funds.

Article IX. Amendments

Section 1. Amendments to this constitution may be made exclusively using the following format:
1. The amendment may be suggested by any AWG-BH member or the advisor. Suggested
amendments must be submitted in written format, and include:
a. the current wording, policy, procedure, passage, etc.,
b. the suggested updated wording, policy, procedure, passage, etc.,
c. reasons for the proposed change, and
d. the name, member status, and contact information of any/all parties suggesting the
change.
2. At a meeting, once discussion comes to a close, the amendment will be put to a vote of
those members and officers present at the meeting, with each member having one vote.
The proposed amendment must win a majority vote of the members present at the
meeting. Proxy voting is not allowed.

Article X. Disclosures

Section 1. This organization, including all members, officers and advisors, agrees to abide by all
SD Mines regulations, policies and procedures of an academic, non-academic, legal or financial
nature.

Section 2. This organization does not participate in or encourage any unlawful activity.

Section 3. This organization, including all members, does not allow hazing in any form. Hazing
is defined as an act which endangers the mental or physical health or safety of a student, or
which destroys or removes public or private property, for the purpose of initiation, admission
into, affiliation with or as a condition for continued membership in, a group or organization.

Section 4. This organization requires the use of liability waivers for any high risk activity. "High
risk activities" are defined by the South Dakota Office of Risk Management as water recreational
activities or athletic events, but in general are those which present the possibility of physical
injury. In all cases in which there is doubt about risk, the Campus Environmental Health and
Safety Manager (EHS Manager) shall be the final judge. The templates for these waivers are
available permanently at http://sdmines.sdsmt.edu/studentrisk