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BYLAWS
Society For Experimental Mechanics

ARTICLE I. INDIVIDUAL MEMBERSHIP

Section 1. Honorary Membership. An Honorary Member shall be an individual of widely recognized eminence in some field in which the Society has interest, who is elected for life by unanimous secret ballot of the Executive Board upon written proposal by at least twenty-five Individual Members; receipt of the proposal shall precede the election by at least thirty days. The number of Honorary Members at any given time shall not exceed the larger of ten or one half of one percent of the Individual Membership.

Section 2. SEM Fellow. A fellow shall be an individual who is distinguished in some field in which the Society has interest, who has been a Regular or Life Member of the Society for at least ten years, and whose contributions to the Society and the technical community have justified this honor. Election to Fellow grade shall be by two-thirds majority vote of the Committee of Fellows and subsequent affirmation by majority vote of the Executive Board. Individual Members elected to Honorary Member grade are automatically Fellows.

Section 3. Life Member. Life Member grade may be attained by an Individual Member upon payment of at least fifteen times the annual dues for a Regular Member at the time of application. Such payment may be made as a single payment or in five equal consecutive quarterly installments.

Section 4. Retired Member. A Retired Member shall be an individual of 60 years of age or over, who is no longer employed on a full-time basis and who has been a Individual Member of the Society for the ten years immediately preceding retirement.

Section 5. Emeritus Member. An Emeritus Member shall be an individual who meets all the requirements for Retired Member status, and who has also rendered sustained and exceptional service to the Society. Election to Emeritus grade is by majority vote of the Executive Board upon written proposal by at least ten Individual Members.

Article II. Meetings of Members

Section 1. Place of Meetings . Meetings of members shall be held at the business office of the Society or at such other places as shall be designated from time to time by the Executive Board. The time and place at which the meeting of members is to be held shall be stated in the notice and call of the meeting. Notice of change in time or place of any meeting shall be given to each Individual Member at least twenty (20) days before the meeting is to be held.

Section 2. Voting . At any meeting of the members, every Individual Member shall be entitled to vote in person, or by proxy appointed by an instrument in writing signed by such member and bearing a date not more than sixty (60) days prior to said meeting, unless said instrument provides for a longer period. Providing a quorum exists at any meeting, the vote of a majority of the Individual Members present in person and represented by proxy shall decide any question before the meeting unless the question is one upon which by express provisions of the statutes, of the Certificate of Incorporation, of the Constitution or of the Bylaws a different vote is required, in which case such express provision shall govern and control the decision of such question. The Executive Director for the Society is responsible for casting all proxy votes that are otherwise not designated.

Section 3. Voting by Ballot on Corporate Action . Whenever the vote of members at a Business Meeting is required or permitted to be taken in connection with any corporate action by any provision of the statutes, of the Certificate of Incorporation, of the Constitution or of the Bylaws, the Business Meeting and vote of members may be dispensed with, if with the Individual Member Class as a whole considered as a quorum, the necessary number of Individual Members shall consent in writing to such corporate action being taken.

Article III. Councils

Section 1. Enumeration of Councils . The Executive Board shall create and cause to be maintained an Administrative Council, an Editorial Council, a National Meetings Council and a Technical Activities Council.

Section 2. Council Chairs . The Council Chairs shall be appointed from among the members of the Executive Board, and in accordance with Article VI Section 3 of the Constitution. It is recommended that the incoming officers of the Society be appointed as Council Chairs based upon the following two 5-year rotation plans:

Rotation 1, Vice President elected in even-numbered year: National Meetings, National Meetings, None, Editorial, Editorial.

Rotation 2, Vice President elected in odd-numbered years: Technical Activities, Technical Activities, None, Administrative, Administrative.

Section 3. Membership in Councils . The chairperson of all Committees and Technical Divisions, which report to a council, shall be members of that council. Except as specified otherwise in these Bylaws, Council Chairs may appoint additional members upon prior approval of the President of the Society for terms not to exceed three years. Members may be re-appointed to the same council.

Section 4. Rules. Except as otherwise provided by action of the Executive Board, each council shall:

  • Formulate its own rules and procedures and submit them to the Executive Board for approval.
  • Fix the time and place of its meetings.
  • Keep a record of its acts and proceedings.
  • Report its acts and proceedings semi-annually to the Executive Board, through its Chair or a person designated by the Chair.
  • Establish policies in its area of interest and review these policies and their implementation periodically so that the Society's objectives may best be served.
  • Report, through its Chair, all policy recommendations to the Executive Board and seek its approval prior to enacting them.

Section 5. The Administrative Council. The following committees shall report to the Administrative Council: Fellows, Honors, Membership and Nominating. The Administrative Council shall:

  • Consist of the Chair and Vice-Chair; the Chair of each reporting Committee; and additional members from the Individual Member Class. The Chair of the Finance Committee shall be a member of the Administrative Council, but shall report directly to the Executive Board. The Secretary of the Society and the Chair of the SEM Education Foundation shall be non-voting members of the Administrative Council.
  • Be responsible for the ongoing administrative duties of the Society.

Section 6. The Editorial Council. All Committees formed to oversee Society publications, including electronic publications, shall report to the Editorial Council. The Editorial Council shall:

  • Consist of the Chair; the Publisher, who shall serve as Secretary of the Council; the Secretary and the Treasurer of the Society; the Chairs of all relevant Committees; the senior editor(s) of all Society publication(s); and additional members from the Individual Member Class. The Secretary shall be a nonvoting member of the Editorial Council. In selecting the additional members, due consideration shall be given to providing adequate representation for all aspects of Society publications.
  • Establish the duties and responsibilities of the Publisher.
  • Advise and assist the Publisher in establishing the overall standards and typographical, advertising and fiscal policies of Society publications.
  • Advise and assist the senior editor(s) in the establishment of the editorial policy for each Society publication.
  • Appoint the Senior Editor for each Society publication subject to approval by the President of the Society.
  • Appoint the Chair(s) of any publication advisory board(s) subject to approval by the President of the Society.

Section 7. The National Meetings Council. The Exhibits and Technical Program Planning Committees shall report to the National Meetings Council. The National Meetings Council shall:

  • Consist of the Chair; the Executive Director, who shall serve as Secretary of the Council; the Chairs of all Committees reporting to the Council; and additional members representing groups having a direct interest in the national meetings of the Society. The Executive Director shall be a nonvoting member of the National Meetings Council.
  • Establish policies for the national meetings.

Section 8. The Technical Activities Council. The Applications, Education, and Research Committees and all Technical Divisions shall report to the Technical Activities Council. The Technical Activities Council shall:

  • Define the current and future technical direction of the Society. In particular, the Applications, Education and Research Committees, through participation by the Technical Divisions, shall determine the future technical direction of the Society with special consideration for emerging technologies.
  • Recommend the proper breadth and depth of coverage of technical subjects by the Society.
  • Coordinate the activities of the Technical Divisions.
  • Recommend the formation or dissolution of Technical Divisions to the Executive Board in response to the needs of the Society.

ARTICLE IV. TECHNICAL DIVISIONS AND COMMITTEES.

Section 1. Types of Technical Divisions and Committees. Technical Divisions represent the distinct technical areas of interest to the Society. Committees may be of three types: Standing Committees, Ad Hoc Committees, and Administrative Committees. Administrative Committees are those that are required by the Constitution, such as Finance, Fellows and Nominating.

Section 2. Rules. Except as otherwise provided by action of the Executive Board, each Technical Division and Committee shall:

  • Formulate its own rules and procedures, including Bylaws, and submit them to the appropriate council for review and to the Executive Board for approval. This information shall be posted in a public forum.
  • Fix the time and place of its meetings.
  • Keep a record of its acts and proceedings.
  • Report its acts and proceedings annually to the appropriate Council, through its Chair or a person designated by the Chair.
  • After discussion and approval at the appropriate Council meeting, seek approval from the Executive Board prior to making commitments involving Society resources.

Section 3. Enumeration of Standing Committees. The Executive Board shall create and cause to be maintained Standing Committees on:

  • Applications
  • Education
  • Honors
  • Membership
  • Research
  • Fellows
  • Finance
  • Nominating

Section 4. Membership in Standing Committees. Except as specified otherwise in these Bylaws, Standing Committee Chairs may appoint Individual Members to fill vacancies on their respective committees for terms not to exceed three years. Members may be re-appointed to the same committee.

Section 5. Enumeration of Administrative Committees. The Executive Board shall create and cause to be maintained Standing Committees on:

  • Finance
  • Fellows
  • Nominating
  • Honors

Section 6. Membership in Administrative Committees. Except as specified otherwise in these Bylaws, Administrative Committee Chairs may appoint Individual Members to fill vacancies on their respective committees for terms not to exceed three years. Members may be re-appointed to the same committee.

Section 7. The Finance Committee . The Finance Committee shall:

  • Serve in an advisory capacity to the Treasurer, in carrying out his duties as outlined in Article VI Section 5 of the Constitution, Executive Director, Administrative Council and Executive Board.
  • Review the annual budget, consider the trend of future budgets, including the impact of extraordinary future income or expense items and provide advice and counsel to the Executive Board on the financial operations of the Society.
  • Have an Investment Subcommittee consisting of the President, the President-Elect, the Vice-President, the Secretary, the Treasurer, and one other person appointed by the Finance Committee for a term of three years. The Vice-President and the Secretary shall be nonvoting members. The Treasurer shall serve as Chair of the Investment Subcommittee, which will regularly undertake studies of investments in savings accounts, stocks, bonds, and real estate and provide direction to the Society's Agent for carrying out the transactions required.
  • Continuously monitor the business operation with a view toward keeping expenses to a minimum consistent with fulfillment of the Society's purposes.

Section 8. The Fellows Committee . The Fellows Committee shall:

  • Consist of nine SEM Fellows, three serving in each of three classes.
  • Elect its own chair from among the members.
  • Elect, annually, 3 new members from among the class of SEM Fellows. Each member to serve a three year term. No member may succeed himself as a member of the committee.
  • Submit, annually, nominations to the grade of SEM Fellow to the Executive Board for confirmation.

Section 9. The Nominating Committee . The Nominating Committee shall:

  • Perform the duties outlined in the Constitution – Article IX, Sections 2 and 3.

Section 10. The Honors Committee . The Honors Committee shall:

  • Consist of 3 members at large, one member appointed by the President-elect each year for a three year term, the three most recent Past Presidents of the Society, and the Executive Director of the Society. The senior Past President shall serve as the Chair.
  • Solicit nominations for Society awards from among the membership.
  • Select the recipients of the Society awards from among the nominations received.
  • Select the Murray Lecturer.

Section 11. Technical Divisions. Upon the recommendation of the Technical Activities Council, the Executive Board may create or dissolve Technical Divisions on any specific technical subject within the scope of the Society. Membership in a Technical Division is open to all parties, who qualify under the Bylaws of that Technical Division. Only Individual Members are permitted to be voting members or officers of Technical Divisions. Technical Divisions include:

  • Biological Systems and Materials
  • Composite Materials
  • Electronic Packaging
  • Fracture and Fatigue
  • MEMS and Nanotechnology
  • Modal Analysis/Dynamic Systems
  • Optical Methods
  • Residual Stress
  • Technical Committee on Strain Gages
  • Structural Testing
  • Thermal Methods
  • Time Dependent Materials
  • Transducers and Sensors
  • Western Regional Strain Gage Committee

Failure of a Technical Division to operate under the rules defined in Article IV, Section 2 of these Bylaws may result in dissolution of the Technical Division.

Section 12. Ad Hoc Committees. The Executive Board may authorize the President to create such ad hoc committees as it shall deem necessary. The President may appoint a Chair for each ad hoc committee for a term of one year. Members of ad hoc committees will be appointed for a term of one year jointly by the respective Chair. Chairs and members may be re-appointed on a one year basis as necessary.

Section 13. Membership in Ad Hoc Committees. Except as specified otherwise in these Bylaws, Ad Hoc Committee Chairs may appoint Individual Members to fill vacancies on their respective committees for terms not to exceed one year. Members may be re-appointed to the same committee.

ARTICLE V. PUBLICATIONS.

Section 1. Journal Publication. The Society shall issue periodically a publication to be known as "Experimental Mechanics, Journal of the Society for Experimental Mechanics." This Journal represents one of the major professional services of the Society and reflects an outward manifestation of the purposes and goals of the Society to members and nonmembers alike.

Section 1.1. Content. "Experimental Mechanics" shall contain papers consistent with editorial policy. This includes, but is not limited to original articles reporting on both fundamental and applied aspects of experimental mechanics. Emphasis is on development of experimental methods, improved analysis of experiments, and application of these experimental analytical tools for understanding technological phenomena such as material response, structural reliability, or device performance. Articles addressing novel methods that extend the frontiers of experimental mechanics from macro- to nanoscale are highly encouraged.

Section 1.2. Proceedings. Preselected portions of "Experimental Mechanics" may be bound once or twice annually into the "Proceedings of the Society for Experimental Mechanics."

Section 1.3. Reviewing. All papers shall be reviewed, evaluated and approved by designated reviewers prior to publication in "Experimental Mechanics"; an editor shall review them for editorial form and styling prior to printing.

Section 2. Periodical Publication. The Society shall issue periodically a publication to be known as "Experimental Techniques”. This publication represents one of the major professional services of the Society and reflects an outward manifestation of the purposes and goals of the Society to members and nonmembers alike. In addition to technical articles, news of the Society, special features, other information of general interest to members of the Society, and advertising shall appear in "Experimental Techniques" or another periodical publication of the Society.

Section 3. Conference Publications. The Society shall issue, in conjunction with each conference, a conference proceeding. Each conference proceeding represents one of the major professional services of the Society and reflects an outward manifestation of the purposes and goals of the Society to members and nonmembers alike. Conference proceedings may be published in printed or electronic form.

Section 4. Intellectual Property. Papers presented before the Society's meetings or appearing in a Society publication become the property of the Society. All material published in Society publications, unless otherwise noted, becomes property of the Society and shall be protected by copyright.

Section 5. Publisher of the Society. The Publisher of the Society shall:

  • Be responsible to and prepare periodical reports for the Editorial Council.
  • Be responsible for maintaining the set standards, schedules and fiscal aspects of the Society's regular and special publications.
  • Be responsible for developing advertising and for proposing rates and ethical standards thereof.
  • Be responsible for the setting up, printing and mailing of Society publications.
  • Have the right to submit to the Executive Board any unresolved policy matter regarding duties and responsibilities.
  • The Publisher of the Society shall be appointed by the President of the Society.

Section 6. Senior Editor. The Senior Editor of a Society publication shall:

  • Be responsible for all aspects of the submission and review of technical articles.
  • Recommend changes to the editorial policy of the publication.
  • Prepare reports as required by the Editorial Council.
  • Select Associate Editor(s) for the publication.

Section 7. Publication Advisory Groups.

  • There shall be an Advisory Group formed for each Society publication.
  • The Chair of any Advisory Group shall be appointed by the Chair of the Editorial Council, subject to approval by the President of the Society.

ARTICLE VI. DUES, CONTRIBUTIONS AND SERVICES.

Section 1. Individual Member Dues. Annual dues for Individual Members, unless otherwise stated in these Bylaws, shall be determined by the Executive Board and, shall be at least fifty dollars (US$50.00).

Section 2. Honorary Member Dues. An Honorary Member shall not be required to pay membership dues or fees (unless the member desires) to attend Society-sponsored events and shall have the same rights and privileges as a Regular Member. 

Section 3. Retired Member Dues. A Retired Member shall not be required to pay membership dues or fees (unless the member desires) to attend Society-sponsored events and shall have the same rights and privileges as a Regular Member.

Section 4. Emeritus Member Dues. An Emeritus Member shall not be required to pay membership dues or fees (unless the member desires) to attend Society-sponsored events and shall have the same rights and privileges as a Regular Member.

Section 5. Life Member Dues. Life Member grade may be attained by an Individual Member upon payment of at least fifteen times the annual dues for a Regular Member at the time of application. Such payment may be made as a single payment or in five equal consecutive quarterly installments.

Section 6. Student Member Dues. Annual dues for Student Members shall be at least 20 percent of the Regular Member dues. Differentiation in dues structure between Undergraduate and Graduate Student Members shall be at the discretion of the Executive Board.

Section 7. Corporate Member Dues. Annual dues for Corporate Members shall be at least three times the annual dues for a Regular Member.

Section 8. Dues Payment. All dues shall be payable in advance of the respective period of membership to the business office of the Society. The dues of other Members may be waived in whole or in part for specified periods, not to exceed one year, at the discretion of the Executive Board.

Section 9. Dues Anniversary. All annual dues shall be paid on an annual basis. The renewal date for new members shall be the effective date of membership established by the Executive Director. The Executive Director may, through proration of dues, establish a new renewal date for any member.

Section 10. Individual and Student Member Services. Individual and Student Members shall receive regularly without charge one copy of each current issue of the periodical publication of the Society, "Experimental Techniques", as defined in Article V, Section 2 of these Bylaws.

Section 11. Corporate Member Services. Corporate Members shall each receive regularly, without charge, at least one copy of each current issue of the journal publication of the Society, "Experimental Mechanics," as defined in Article V, Section 1 of these Bylaws, one copy the periodical publication of the Society, “Experimental Techniques”, as defined in Article V Section 2 of these Bylaws, and one copy of each bound volume of the "Proceedings of Experimental Mechanics", as defined in Article V Section 1 of these Bylaws. Corporate Members shall receive special listing at least once per year in the periodical publication of the Society and in each bound volume of the "Proceedings of Experimental Mechanics”.

ARTICLE VII. NOTICES

Section 1. Manner of Giving Notice. Whenever the provisions of a statute of the Certificate of Incorporation or the Constitution or the Bylaws or rules of a committee require notice to be given to any Executive Board Member, Officer, Individual Member of the Society, or Member of a Committee, the manner of giving notice must be in written form. Such notice may be given by conventional government, or private, postal service or in electronic form addressed to such persons at their address as it appears in the records of the Society. A record of the form and time of such notice must be maintained. The time when such notice is deposited or transmitted shall be deemed to be the time of the giving of such notice.

Section 2. Waiver of Notice. A waiver of any notice in writing, signed by an Executive Board Member, Officer, Individual Member of the Society, or Member of a Committee, whether before or after the time stated in said waiver, shall be deemed equivalent to a notice required to be given.

ARTICLE VIII. LOCAL SECTIONS

Section 1. Formation. Upon application in writing by at least fifteen (15) Individual Members of the Society, the Executive Board is empowered to establish a Local Section of the Society.

Section 2. Membership. Local Sections may accept into their membership nonmembers of the Society, but all members of the Local Sections will be registered with the business office of the Society. All officers and members of the governing body of the Local Section (see Section 4, below) shall be Individual Members of the Society.

Section 3. Government. The government of a Local Section shall be entirely the concern of its own members, provided that such government does not conflict with the Constitution or the Bylaws. In case of conflict, the Constitution and the Bylaws shall take precedence over the bylaws of the Local Section.

Section 4. Officers. Each Local Section shall elect a governing body, consisting of not less than three (3) persons. The offices to be filled shall be: Chair, Vice-Chair, Secretary and Treasurer (or Secretary-Treasurer). Also, it shall appoint a national membership committee representative, who shall act as membership chair, and a program chair. A person may fill more than one of these positions.

Section 5. Reporting. The Chair or Secretary of a Local Section shall annually report its activities and needs to the business office of the Society and to the Local Sections Committee on forms provided for this purpose. Failure to supply an annual report by July 31 each year may result in suspension of the Local Section by the Executive Board.

Section 6. Financial Responsibility. The Society shall not be responsible for any act or financial obligation of any Local Section, and a statement to this effect shall be included in the bylaws of any Local Section.

Section 7. Geographic Region. The geographical boundaries of a Local Section shall be as specified by the Executive Board of the Society.

Section 8. Dissolution. In the event of dissolution of a Local Section any remaining assets of the Local Section must be transferred to the business office of the Society within 30 days after notification of dissolution.

 
  
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