By-Laws

1. NAMES

The name of this organization is NEW ENGLAND ARCHIVISTS. It is incorporated as a nonprofit organization under the laws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

2. PURPOSES

New England Archivists is an organization established to foster the preservation and use of records of enduring value in New England, public and private, corporate and individual, and to improve the management and the public awareness and understanding of such records, by providing pre-professional and continuing education in archival theory and practice; a forum for the exchange of information among individuals and institutions having responsibility for records of enduring value in the region; and appropriate means of communication and cooperation with other archival organizations at the local, regional, and national levels, and with individuals and groups representing allied professions.

3. MEMBERSHIP

1. Membership is open, upon payment of dues, to any individual or institution concerned with or interested in accession, administration, organization, preservation, or use of archival and manuscript material. 
2. There are four categories of membership: Regular, Institutional, Contingent, and Student.
   

4. OFFICERS AND GOVERNMENT

1. The officers shall be a president, president-elect who shall serve as vice-president, immediate past president, secretary, treasurer, and treasurer-elect. The terms of office of the president, president-elect, treasurer, and treasurer-elect shall be one year, and of the secretary, two years. No officer shall serve more than two consecutive terms in the same office. Each officer shall have duties usually associated with the office. 
2. Four representatives-at-large shall be elected, each for a term of three years. No representative-at-large shall serve more than two consecutive terms. 
3. The president, with consent of a majority of the voting members of the executive board, shall appoint a Massachusetts resident as corporation clerk to serve at the pleasure of the board. The president may also, with consent of a majority of the voting members of the board, appoint persons to undertake such other responsibilities as the board may from time to time deem appropriate; the president may, with such consent, designate such persons as members of the executive board without vote. 
4. The executive board shall consist of the president, president-elect, secretary, treasurer, the representatives-at-large, and the immediate past president, as voting members; and as ex officio, non-voting members, the treasurer-elect, corporation clerk and such other persons as shall have been appointed to undertake responsibilities pursuant to section 3 of this article, and shall have been so designated. The executive board is empowered to conduct business between annual meetings within general policies approved by a majority of its voting members. All decisions shall be by majority vote of those board members present. All executive board meetings shall be open to members. 
5. The president, with consent of a majority of the executive board, shall appoint a program committee, and other appropriate committees. 
6. Officers and representatives-at-large shall be elected by a majority of those members voting, from a slate presented by the nominating committee. Nominees must be members of New England Archivists. At least two candidates shall be slated for each office, excepting for the provisions in 4.9. The ballot shall contain space for write-in candidates for each office. Ballots shall be available to members at least thirty days in advance of the annual meeting. Voting method shall be decided by the executive board, ensuring proper vote count and security. 
7. In the event of a tie vote for any office, the successful candidate shall be determined by re-balloting the membership. Voting method shall be decided by the executive board, ensuring proper vote count and security. 
8. Any vacancy in the executive board shall be filled by the board until the next election when candidates shall be nominated to fill any unexpired term.
9. Every attempt shall be made to form a full slate as outlined above; however, in the event that a good faith effort to find at least two candidates for each open office has been unsuccessful by sixty days before an election is scheduled to begin, the election may proceed with at least one candidate per office.
   

5. MEETINGS

1. New England Archivists shall hold at least one meeting a year to transact any business brought before the meeting and to provide a program of general interest. This annual meeting shall be held in the spring. 
2. Special meetings may be called by the president, with consent of a majority of the executive board, or at written request of ten percent of the members addressed to the executive board through the president or the president-elect. 
3. The membership shall be notified at least sixty days in advance of an annual meeting and thirty days in advance of a special meeting. Those members present and voting shall constitute a quorum. 
4. The executive board shall meet as necessary. Five voting members, one of whom must be the president or vice-president, shall constitute a quorum.
   

6. FINANCES

1. The treasurer shall record the financial transactions of New England Archivists so as to ensure that the membership may have a sound basis for evaluating the management of its funds; that the board may have adequate information on which to plan the activities of the organization; and that its financial practices conform to applicable accounting standards. The treasurer shall maintain such records, for accounting purposes, on a cash basis. 
2. The president shall, with the approval of the executive board, from time to time, but no less frequently than every third year, appoint a professional accountant to examine the financial records of the organization and to report his/her findings to the board consistently with generally recognized accounting practices. 
3. Annual dues for regular membership may be changed at an annual meeting by a majority vote of the members attending. 
4. Life membership category shall be abolished as of January 1, 1995. Individuals who have paid for a Life Membership prior to September 1, 1994 will remain Life Members and will receive full membership benefits. 
5. The fiscal year shall run from January 1 to December 31; the membership year shall commence on the date the members join or renew and conclude 365 days later. 
6. Institutional membership dues shall be $10.00 more than the current regular membership rate, and student membership dues shall be 50% of the current regular membership rate. Contingent employment dues shall be $10 less than the current regular membership rate. An institutional member shall receive one (1) copy of each NEA publication which is distributed to the general membership free of charge. It shall be entitled to all other publications at the membership rate and employees of the institution may attend workshops and meetings at the member rate. The Institution is not entitled to vote in the annual election nor shall it hold elected or appointed office.
   

7. DISPOSITION OF ASSETS AND RECORDS

1. As the records of the organization become non-current, those of enduring value shall be donated to an archival repository selected by the board to be preserved under a formal agreement which shall address the needs of both the officers and members of New England Archivists and the general public for access to the records in accordance with the normal policies and practices of the repository. 
2. If it becomes necessary to dissolve the organization, its assets shall be turned over to an historical or archival organization selected by the board.
   
   

8. PARLIAMENTARY AUTHORITY

The latest edition of Sturgis's Standard Code of Parliamentary Procedure shall govern the proceedings of the organization, except as otherwise provided by these bylaws.

9. AMENDMENTS

Amendments to these bylaws must be proposed in writing and filed with the secretary at least sixty days prior to an annual meeting. Copies shall be made available to all members at least thirty days in advance of the annual meeting. An affirmative vote by a two-thirds majority of voting members present shall constitute passage.

Last updated March 21, 2015.

For a complete list of policies and procedures that have been voted on by the Executive Board, as well as those that the Board has agreed to by consensus (as a “Sense of the Board”) please contact the NEA Secretary.

Our most commonly referred to policies and procedures may be found by clicking the links below.

Board Procedures
Code of Conduct
Financial Information
Minutes (board and business)
Privacy Policy
Organizational Chart
Registration Policy
Records schedule and finding aid at UConn (how to donate materials)
Vendor Policy

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