MIDWEST POPULAR CULTURE ASSOCIATION/ MIDWEST AMERICAN CULTURE ASSOCIATION

Bylaws

ARTICLE I. The name of the association shall be the Midwest Popular Culture Association and Midwest American Culture Association.

ARTICLE II. The purpose of the Midwest Popular Culture Association and Midwest American Culture Association shall be to encourage and to assist in the study of popular culture and the cultures of the Americas: by bringing together the various intellectual disciplines, academic and non-academic areas included, which may deal with the subject; by fostering interdisciplinary research endeavors; and by encouraging interested persons to study popular culture and to belong to the Association.

ARTICLE III. The activities of the Association shall be directed by an Executive Council which shall be composed of the following officers: President; Vice President; Executive Secretary; Program Chairperson; Immediate Past President; and three members-at-large elected by the membership (the MPCA/MACA Representative, the Student/New Professional Representative, and the Technology Coordinator). The Executive Council shall direct the activities of the MPCA/MACA between the annual meetings.

ARTICLE IV. The selection of officers shall be as follows. The Vice President shall automatically move to the presidential chair and the Executive Secretary shall be elected by the Executive Council for renewable three-year terms. The Student/New Professional Representative shall be elected by the Executive Council for a nonrenewable two-year term of office. The Technology Coordinator shall be elected by the Executive Council for a renewable two-year term of office. The selection of these persons shall be made in the last year of service, except when an office is vacated for some reason. If an office is vacated before the term is up, the Executive Council shall move with dispatch to fill the position and shall inform the membership of such action at the annual meeting. All other offices shall be elected by a majority of the membership voting. The Program Chairperson shall be appointed for a one-year term by the Executive Council. The Vice President/President-Elect shall be elected for a one-year term by ballot. The MPCA/MACA Representative, the Technology Coordinator, and the Student/New Professional Representative shall be elected to staggered two-year terms, all by vote of the membership. All elections shall be by a simple plurality.

The three most recent eligible Past Presidents shall comprise the Nominating Committee; the immediate Past President shall chair the Nominating Committee. The Executive Secretary of the Association shall be an ex officio member of the Committee, without vote. All members may suggest names to the Committee.

The Nominating Committee shall solicit the names of possible candidates for MPCA/MACA office at the annual conference. The Committee shall formally solicit names from the Executive Council and, through the Vice President, from the State Coordinators. The Committee's final slate shall be presented to the Executive Secretary by March 1 and the ballot shall be distributed to members by April 1. The ballots shall be tabulated by the Executive Secretary by May 1 and the results reported promptly to the Executive Council. The Executive Secretary shall inform all candidates and, after them, the membership.

ARTICLE V. The voting members of the Association shall consist of all persons who have paid their annual dues. The amount of the dues and the registration fee for the annual meeting shall be determined by the Executive Council.

ARTICLE VI. Various committees shall be elected or appointed for specific assignments as the Executive Council deems appropriate.

ARTICLE VII. The Association shall hold an annual regional convention at a time and place to be designated by the Executive Council. By the time of the annual business meeting the Executive Council shall have considered all applications for hosting the next convention and shall present its recommendations at said business meeting.

ARTICLE VIII. The Association shall publish a newsletter at such times as the Executive Council shall deem appropriate.

ARTICLE IX. A financial statement shall be issued annually by the Association in the Newsletter, and it shall be the responsibility of the Executive Secretary to provide the Editor of the Newsletter with this report.

ARTICLE X. The Bylaws of the Association may be amended as follows. Amendments must be submitted to the Executive Council at least one month prior to the annual meeting at which they will be discussed. Immediately after the annual meeting, the Executive Secretary shall inform the membership of the wishes of the Executive Council and of members attending the annual business meeting. The membership at large may amend by a two-thirds majority of those voting by ballot.

ARTICLE XI. The Executive Council shall create, and on an annual basis review and revise as appropriate, the job descriptions of each of the association's offices. The Executive Secretary shall provide each officer with the respective job description when the officers assume their duties.

ARTICLE XII. State Coordinators are appointed for three-year renewable terms by the Vice President in consultation with the President and Executive Secretary. Each existing State Coordinator may supply the Vice President with a nominee for a successor.

(October 18, 2003)

(Revisions approved October 9, 2004 [change of titles to Technology Coordinator and Student/New Professional Representative])