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CONSTITUTION
(Approved March 7, 1987)
PREAMBLE
Recognizing that soil is a natural body and that the advancement of the of this fundamental natural resource is
an obligation of the Professional Soil Scientist, the Professional Soil Scientists Association is hereby dedicated
to foster the profession of soil science and to further the increase and dissemination of information concerning
all phases of soil science in order to contribute to the general human welfare.
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ARTICLE I - THE ASSOCIATION
Section 1. The name of this organization shall be the Professional Soil Scientists Association of South Dakota.
ARTICLE II - OBJECTIVES
Section 1. The objective of the Association shall be the advancement of the profession of soil science in the
State of South Dakota. This shall be deemed to include the following:
a. Promote the wise utilization of soils as a natural resource.
b. Protect the public welfare by encouraging all qualified Soil
Scientists and Soil Classifiers to register.
c. Advance the professional interests of the Professional Soil Scientist
and the Professional Soil Classifier.
d. Advance and protect the interest of the Soil Scientist-in-Training and
the Soil Classifier-in-Training.
e. Promote high standards of education in soil science.
f. Enhance public appreciation of the profession.
g. Establish high standards of ethical conduct in all professional
matters.
ARTICLE III - MEMBERSHIP
Section 1. Membership in the Association may be accepted or terminated as provided by the Bylaws.
Section 2. There shall be classes of membership as follows:
a. Member - hereafter referred to as Member (P.S.S.)
b. Student Member
c. Honorary Member
d. Affiliate Member
Section 3. Membership Qualifications
a. Member (P.S.S.) shall be one who has a Bachelor of Science degree in
Soil Science or other title with equivalent credits to qualify for the
position of Soil Scientist as specified in the most recent Federal
Civil Service announcement.
b. Student Member shall be any undergraduate or graduate student pursuing
a soil science curriculum approved by the Executive Council.
c. Honorary Member shall be one whom the Association desires to honor
because of outstanding contributions to the profession, state, or
nation.
d. Affiliate Member shall be one who does not qualify under a, b, or c,
but who desires to participate in the advancement of the profession.
Section 4. Membership Privileges
a. All classes of membership shall be permitted to attend meetings of the
Association and to take part in the discussion of all business
matters.
b. Only a Member (P.S.S.) shall hold the office of president, president-
elect, vice-president, and secretary-treasurer.
c. Members (P.S.S.) and Affiliate Members may serve on committees but
only Members (P.S.S.) may chair committees. A majority of any
committee shall consist of Members (P.S.S.).
Section 5. Voting Privileges
a. Only Members (P.S.S.) shall vote for the officers of the Association.
ARTICLE IV - DUES
Dues of the Association shall be determined by the Executive Council and approved by the membership of the Association.
ARTICLE V - ADMINISTRATION
Section 1. The membership is responsible for the management of the Association. However, the Executive Council,
hereinafter referred to as the Council, is established to manage the Association between the Annual Meetings as
provided in the Constitution and Bylaws.
Section 2. The Council shall consist of the immediate past-president, the president, the president-elect, the
vice-president, and the secretary-treasurer.
Section 3. A majority of the Council shall constitute a quorum. An affirmative vote of a majority of the Council
present at any regular or duly called meeting shall be required to pass any motion consistent with the Constitution
and Bylaws of the Association.
Section 4. The Council shall direct the investment and care of the funds of the Association and shall make appropriations
for specific purposes.
Section 5. The Council shall at all times constitute the trustees of the Association.
Section 6. No member of the Council shall receive a salary or compensation, except for expenses incurred in behalf
of the Association as approved by the Council.
ARTICLE VI - OFFICERS
Section 1. The officers of the Association shall be the president, the president-elect, the vice-president, and
the secretary-treasurer.
a. The president attains office by advancing from the office of
president-elect at the beginning of the administrative year and serves
for one year.
b. The president-elect is elected annually for a two- year term and
advances to the position of president at the beginning of the second
administrative year.
c. The vice-president is elected annually and serves for one year. The
secretary-treasurer is elected and serves a two- year term.
d. The secretary-treasurer may be bonded at the expense of the
Association for such amounts as determined by the Council.
Section 2. Only Members (F.S.S.) in good standing shall be eligible to hold the office of president, president-elect,
vice-president, and secretary-treasurer.
Section 3. Eligibility for retention of an elective office of the Association shall be contingent upon residence
in the state.
Section 4. The procedures for election and the duties of the officers shall be defined in the Bylaws.
Section 5. The fiscal duties of the Association shall be performed by the secretary-treasurer.
Section 6. The officers shall assume their offices at the close of the Annual Meeting at which they are elected
and each shall hold office until a successor has been duly elected or appointed.
Section 7. Should a vacancy occur in either the office of president or president elect, the vice-president shall
assume the office so vacated. Other vacancies among the elected officers occurring during the year shall be filled
for the un-expired term by appointment by the Council.
ARTICLE VII - NOMINATION AND ELECTION OF OFFICERS
Section 1. Nominations for elective offices shall be made by the Nominations Committee which shall consist of
the immediate past-president as chair and two other members in good standing.
Section 2. Additional nominations may be made from the floor at the Annual Meeting. Prior consent of the nominee
must be obtained before placing his/her name in nomination.
Section 3. Election of officers shall be made at the Annual Meeting by a plurality vote on secret ballot.
ARTICLE VIII - MEETINGS
Section 1. The Association shall hold an Annual Meeting as provided in the Bylaws.
Section 2. Special meetings of the Association shall be called by the president on request of a majority of the
Council or upon petition by twenty percent (20%) of the membership.
Section 3. The Council shall hold at least two meetings each year. All meetings of the Council shall be called
by the president or upon petition of the majority of the Council.
ARTICLE IX - HEADQUARTERS
Section 1. The location of the headquarters of the Association shall be determined by the Council.
ARTICLE X - COMMITTEES
Section 1. Standing committees and special committees will be appointed by the Council.
Section 2. The chair of each standing committee shall be selected by the Council. The committee chairs shall be
announced at the Annual Meeting after the officers for the coming year have been elected. The remaining members
of the standing committees shall be appointed prior to the following January 1.
Section 3. The duties of the standing committees shall be as provided in the Bylaws.
Section 4. The duties of special committees shall be defined by the Council.
ARTICLE XI - AMENDMENTS
Section 1. This Constitution may be amended by a two-thirds affirmative vote of eligible voters present at any
Annual Meeting, provided the proposed amendment shall have been submitted to the membership at least two weeks
before the meeting at which it is to be voted upon.
Section 2. Any amendment to this Constitution, adopted according to the procedure specified herein, shall become
effective upon its adoption.
ARTICLE XII - BYLAWS
Section 1. The Constitution and Bylaws Committee shall prepare a series of Bylaws for adoption by the Association.
These Bylaws shall govern all procedures under this Constitution, including those of the Council and of the Committees.
Section 2. Bylaws may be introduced or amended without prior notice at any Annual Meeting by an affirmative vote
of the majority of the eligible voters present.
ARTICLE XIII - EFFECTIVE DATE
Section 1. This Constitution shall become effective upon its adoption by an affirmative vote of the majority of
the eligible voters present.
ARTICLE XIV - STATUS AND DISSOLUTION
Section 1. This association is a nonprofit it organization without capital stock, dedicated to the furtherance
of Soil Science for the benefit of the general public and not for monetary profit or gain of its members.
Section 2. In the event this Association is dissolved, the last Council shall pay all just debts of the Association
from Association funds and transfer all remaining moneys and assets to South Dakota State University for use in
establishing a scholarship for the study of Soil Science.
PSSASD BYLAWS
ARTICLE I - FISCAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE YEAR
Section 1. The fiscal year of the Association shall be from January 1 through December 31.
Section 2. The administrative year of the Association shall be from January 1 through December 31.
ARTICLE II - MEMBERSHIP
Section 1. Membership.
a. Individuals meeting the minimum membership qualifications described in
Constitution (Article III, Section 3) and paying annual membership
dues will be considered members in good standing. The Secretary-
Treasurer will record the membership, issue a membership card, and
keep a current address for each member in good standing.
b. A candidate for honorary membership shall be nominated by any member
of the Association in good standing at a regular or special meeting of
the Association. If the nominee is approved by a majority vote of a
legal quorum, the Secretary- Treasurer shall complete the processing
and issuance of a membership card. An honorary member shall be elected
for life, or until such time as the membership is revoked by a
majority vote at a special meeting of a legal quorum for just and
sufficient cause.
Section 2. Severance of membership
a. Voluntary.
(1) A member in good standing may resign his/her membership without
prejudice at any time.
b. Involuntary.
(1) A person shall automatically cease to be a member of the
Association when membership has been permitted to lapse or membership
has been revoked or withdrawn for any reason by the Council.
(2) Any member shall be listed as "delinquent" if dues remain unpaid
for thirty (30) days after the due date, and the member shall be
dropped from the membership rolls of the Association if the dues remain
unpaid for ninety (90) days after the due date. The request of such
person for readmission must be accompanied by the dues for the current
year plus any reinstatement fee which the Council shall prescribe.
(3) Members may be expelled from the Association by a two-thirds vote
of the eligible voters present at an Annual Meeting, and then only when
the matter has been presented to the Association by formal action of
the Council.
(4) Any applicant or member who has been refused membership or
suspended, censored, or expelled shall have the right to appeal to the
Council.
ARTICLE III - DUTIES OF THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL
Section 1. The Council is charged with the general welfare of the Association, shall carry on the work of the
Association between Annual Meetings, shall make arrangements for the Annual Meetings, and other necessary and desirable
activities in accord with the purpose of the Association not provided for otherwise.
Section 2. The Council shall consider all questions before it involving the rights and standing of members. The
Council shall hear and decide all questions affecting the conduct of members and its decision in such matters shall
be final.
ARTICLE IV - MEETINGS
Section 1. The Annual Meeting of the Association shall be held at a time and place to be designated by the Council.
Section 2. At least twenty percent (20%) of the voting membership of the Association shall constitute a quorum.
ARTICLE V - NOMINATIONS & ELECTIONS
Section 1. The Nominations Committee shall report the name of the nominees for each office of the Association
to the secretary-treasurer forty-five (45) days before the Annual Meeting. The names of the nominees shall be circulated
to the membership no later than twenty-one (21) days prior to the Annual Meeting.
Section 2. One or more nominations shall be made for each office of the Association, but no member of the Nominations
Committee shall be eligible for nomination by the Committee. The Nominations Committee shall secure the consent
of the nominee before placing her/his name in nomination for a given office. Additional nominations may be made
in accordance with Article VI,. of the Constitution.
Section 3. Any eligible voter in accordance with Article 111, Section 5 of the Constitution may request an absentee
ballot from the secretary-treasurer if unable to attend the Annual Meeting. This request must be made in writing
at least fifteen (15) days prior to the Annual Meeting. The absentee ballot must be returned to the secretary-treasurer
in a sealed envelope marked "ballot" prior to the Annual Meeting. Absentee ballots will be opened and
counted at the Annual Meeting.
ARTICLE VI - DUTIES OF OFFICERS
Section 1. President.
a. The president shall preside at all meetings of the Association and the
Council. He/She shall be an ex-officio member of all committees except
the Nominations Committee. She/He shall conduct the business of the
Association under the direction of the Council.
b. In the absence of the president, the order of succession as presiding
officer at meetings of the Association or the Council shall be the vice-
president, the immediate past-president, and the president-elect.
Section 2. President-Elect.
a. The president-elect shall be a member of the Council and shall serve as chair of the Membership Committee.
Section 3. Vice-President
a. In the absence or disability of the president, the vice-president shall perform all the duties of the president.
Should a vacancy occur in either the office of the president or president-elect, the vice-president shall assume
the office so vacated as prescribed in Article VI, Section 7 of the Constitution.
Section 4. Secretary-Treasurer.
a. The secretary-treasurer shall keep an accurate record of Association membership and the proceedings of Association
and Council meetings. She/He shall inform the president and the Council, from time to time, of duties to be performed
at stated times or at stated intervals. He/She shall issue all calls and notices as instructed by the president
or the Council. She/He shall conduct the correspondence of the Association and shall have custody of all books,
papers, records, and documents. He/She shall maintain a complete record of past members of the Council and officers
for the purpose of establishing information for appointment or election. She/He shall maintain a set of books showing
receipts and disbursements of the Association and the account of each member. He/She shall submit a complete financial
report at each Annual Meeting, which shall be audited by the Finance Committee. She/He shall have custody of all
funds of the Association and shall deposit same as directed by the Council. He/She shall pay out all moneys of
the Association as authorized and as directed by the Council.
ARTICLE VII - COMMITTEES
Section 1. The standing committees of the Association shall be:
a. Finance.
b. Constitution and Bylaws.
c. Ethics. Membership.
d. Nominations.
e. Public Relations and Education.
f. Registration.
Section 2. All committees, except the Nominations and Registration committees, shall be appointed by the Council.
Section 3. Each committee shall make an annual report to the Council and the Association.
Section 4. The Council will provide, as required, for the formation of joint committees with other groups for the
promotion of measures in harmony with the declared objective of the Association.
Section 5. Finance Committee.
a. The Finance Committee shall consist of not less than three members.
b. The duties of the Finance Committee shall be as follows:
(1) To prepare and present to the Council for its approval a budget
for the control of the expenditures of the Association.
(2) To make an annual audit of the books of the Association at the
close of the year and make a report thereof to the Association.
(3) To study the financial structure of the Association and recommend
to the Council ways and means of improving the financial condition
of the Association.
Section 6. Constitution and Bylaws Committee
a. The Constitution and Bylaws Committee shall consist of not less than
three members.
b. The duties of the Constitution and Bylaws Committee shall consist of
the following:
(1) To maintain a continuing study of the Constitution and Bylaws of
this Association and the application of the provisions thereof.
(2) To receive and initiate proposed amendments to the Constitution
and Bylaws of the Association.
(3) To study carefully all suggestions for revisions to the
Constitution and Bylaws.
(4) To initiate appropriate resolutions at the request of the
Council.
(5) To receive and study resolutions submitted I to the Association
and refer them to the proper committees for consideration.
Section 7. Ethics Committee
a. The Ethics Committee shall consist of not less than three
Soil Scientists.
b. The purpose of the Ethics Committee shall be to investigate any
charges of unprofessional conduct and report the same to the Council
for action.
Section 8. Membership Committee.
a. The Membership Committee shall consist of at least three members.
b. The duties of the Membership Committee shall be as follows:
(1) To bring the purposes and program of this Association before the
entire profession in order to enlist endorsement and support and
encourage affiliation with the Association.
(2) To encourage continuation of membership, Nominations Committee.
Section 9. Nominations Committee.
a. The structure and duties of the Nominations Committee shall be as specified in Article VII of the Constitution.
Section 10. Public Relations and Education Committee,
a. The Public Relations and Education Committee shall consist of at least three members.
b. The duties of the Public Relations and Education Committee shall be as follows:
(1) To conduct a planned publicity campaign through newspapers and
other recognized media on behalf of the Association.
(2) To inform people of the opportunities in the field of soil
science.
(3) To encourage promising people to study soil science in our
educational institutions and to follow soil science as a career.
Section 11. Registration Committee.
a. The Registration Committee shall consist of the Council.
b. The duties of the Registration Committee shall be as follows:
(1) To receive comments from the members and committees of the
Association relative to the problems of registration.
(2) To prepare and assist with passage of law to register soil
scientists.
Original - Adopted April 27, 1974
Revised - March 7, 1987