Bylaws of the Research & Theory Section
National Council on Family Relations
 

Article 1: Purpose
 
1.1 - The purpose of the Research and Theory Section is to facilitate the development and communication of theory and research in all content areas related to families in all their variety of forms.
 
Article 2: Section Officers
 
2.1 - Section officers will consist of a Chairperson, Chair-elect, Secretary/Treasurer, and Student/New Professional. The Chair-elect, Secretary/Treasurer and Student/New Professional serve a two-year term that will begin and end in the odd years, at the time of the NCFR Annual Meeting. The Chair Elect will remain as Chair for an additional two year term.

2.2 - The officers shall carry out all of the necessary operations and functions of the Section, with the consent of the membership, and will act as the representatives of the Section.
 
2.3 - The Executive Committee of the Section shall consist of the elected officers, the chairperson of the Reuben Hill Award Committee, and the chairperson of the Nominating Committee.  In addition, each active focus-group sponsored by the Section shall appoint a member in good standing to serve as a nonvoting member of the Executive Committee.  The Executive Committee will meet at least annually and immediately prior to the Section’s Annual Membership Meeting for the purpose of setting the agenda for that meeting and conducting other business as necessary.
 
Article 3: Duties of the Officers

3.1 - The Chairperson shall be the principal elected official of the Section and shall serve as the chair of the Section’s Executive Committee. The Chairperson shall call meetings of the Section’s Executive Committee and membership and perform duties assigned by the Section and NCFR. A tentative agenda for meetings of the Executive Committee or membership shall be sent by the Chairperson to all members of the Executive Committee 14 days prior to such meetings. The Chairperson of the Section shall serve on the NCFR Annual Program Committee, and as an ex officio member on all other committees of the Section except the Nominating Committee.

3.2 - In the event of the Chairperson’s absence, her or his duties shall devolve upon the Chair-elect.

3.3 - The Chair-elect shall assist in the operation of the section including the planning of the annual meeting and serve as an ex officio member of all standing committees except the Nominating Committee.

3.4 - The Secretary/Treasurer shall keep the minutes of the meetings of the Section and Executive Committee, with copies of said minutes forwarded to NCFR within 60 days of the annual meeting.
 
3.5 - The Secretary/Treasurer shall prepare a financial statement each year for presentation to the membership during the Annual Membership Meeting.  It
is the responsibility of the Secretary/Treasurer to oversee the financial management of the Section’s accounts, including the annual operating fund, the Reuben Hill Award Endowment, and any other accounts the Section may maintain.  The Secretary/Treasurer shall work closely with the financial officer of NCFR and in accord with NCFR fiscal policies, and shall provide NCFR with a copy of the Section’s budget and fiscal plan within 60 days of the annual meeting.
 
3.6 - The Student/New Professional shall represent such members of the Section
and serve as the Section’s representative to the NCFR Student/New Professional Council of Representatives.
 
Article 4: Section Elections
 
4.1 - The Section Chair-elect, Secretary/Treasurer, Student/New Professional, and two members of the Nominating Committee will be elected in the odd-numbered years.  This will be accomplished by having the elected Nominating Committee members present a slate of candidates for the positions identified above during the Annual Membership Meeting to the Section held in an even-numbered year. The incoming Chair-elect will serve an initial two-year term as Chair-elect and then transition to a two-year term as Chair.

Candidates for section office will have been members of the section for at least two years and be current dues paying members. At least two individuals must be proposed for each position and nominations will be accepted from the floor. Members must give their consent and be willing to serve before their names are placed on the ballot.

The ballot will be sent out for Section members to vote upon during the spring along with ballots for the other NCFR Officers. All members of the Section, both regular and student, will be permitted to vote. Members are defined as those who have paid their dues. Thus, Section officers are nominated in the fall of an even numbered year, are elected during the general NCFR spring elections, and take office during the Section’s Annual Membership Meeting held in an odd-numbered year.
 
4.2 - The Nominating Committee also presents a slate of candidates during the Annual Membership Meeting to the Section held in odd-numbered years for the following positions: the chair of the Reuben Hill Award Committee and two members of the Nominating Committee . Two members of the Nominating Committee and the chair of the Reuben Hill Award Committee are nominated in an odd-numbered year, and elected and take office in the following even-numbered year.

Article 5: Fiscal Management of the Section
 
5.1 - The primary funding of the Section and its activities will come from the dues collected from the membership and from gifts and contributions.  Dues are set for all sections by the NCFR Board of Directors.  Section dues are collected by the National office at the same time as general membership dues.
 
5.2 - Decisions on the expenditure of funds will be made by the Executive
Committee and normally with the prior approval of the membership.  The Secretary/Treasurer with the Executive Committee will prepare an annual budget to be presented to and voted upon by the membership during the annual membership meeting.  Expenditures of over $250 from the Section’s annual budget, and expenditures of over $250 from any other account maintained by the Section, must be approved by a majority of all of the Section members voting at an annual membership meeting or on a mailed ballot.
 
Article 6: Activities of the Section
 
6.1 - The Research and Theory Section may prepare and submit majority and
minority position papers or statements to the NCFR Board of Directors for their action.
 
6.2 - A proposal requiring urgent action may be brought to the attention of the
Chairperson of the Section, when at least 25 members of the Section request it.  The Section Chairperson shall bring the proposal to the attention of the NCFR Board.
 
6.3 - Some examples of Research and Theory Section activities include the sponsorship of workshops, meetings of its members organized around topics of common interest, a newsletter and/or other publications concerned with research and theory, and collaboration with other groups and scholars, including NCFR affiliated councils.
 
Article 7: Annual Program Responsibilities
 
7.1 - The Research and Theory Section Chairperson will serve as the
representative to the NCFR annual meeting program committee.  The Chairperson or Chair-elect shall serve as the chairperson of the Section’s Program Committee and be appointed to this role upon approval of the Executive Committee.  Thus the Section Chairperson will serve as a member of the full NCFR Program Committee, but the Chairperson or Chair-elect will serve in the more limited capacity of chair of the Section’s Program Committee.
 
7.2 - The chairperson of the Section’s Annual Program Committee, in
consultation with other Section officers, shall organize sessions sponsored by the Section for the annual meeting. A “Call for Papers” shall be prepared for the December issue of the NCFR newsletter, “The Report,” each year.

Article 8: Annual Membership Meeting

8.1 - The Section will hold an annual membership meeting at the national meeting of NCFR.  At this time, projects and concerns of the membership will be openly discussed and debated.  A written Secretary/Treasurer’s report also will be given at the Annual Membership Meeting.  Matters related to the development of new committees, workshops, and other functions will be presented, and issues related to expenditures of funds will be discussed.
 
Article 9: Amendments
 
9.1 - Amendments to the Bylaws may be proposed by the Executive Committee to the membership after a two-thirds vote by the Executive Committee, or by a petition of at least 10% of the regular members of the Section.
 
9.2 - Amendments to the Bylaws shall become effective if accepted by a two-thirds vote of a quorum of the Section members voting at the Annual Membership Meeting, or should no quorum be present, by a two-thirds vote of the Section members voting my mail, and confirmed by the NCFR Board of Directors.  Returns by mail must be postmarked within thirty days of the mailing date indicated on the ballot.
 
9.3 - A quorum shall consist of no less than 25 members of the Section in good standing.
 
NB:  These Bylaws were constructed within guidelines for sections as described in the NCFR Constitution.  Prepared October, 1974.  Revised in 1984.  Revised and approved by the Section membership November 10, 1994, and pending confirmation by the NCFR Board, April 1995. Revised and approved by the Section membership November 21, 2003.