Articles 1-2: Purpose and Membership

There are a number of significant changes proposed for Article 2. These changes include definitions for active membership, quorum requirements for meetings, and voting procedures for society business. Please comment below or email smrphilosophy@gmail.com.

ARTICLE I: Purpose

The purpose of the Society is to promote the study of Medieval and Renaissance Philosophy by (1) fostering research and teaching in the field, (2) organizing scholarly meetings and conferences, (3) undertaking publications concerned with Medieval and Renaissance Philosophy, and (4) cooperating with other learned societies in projects of common interest

ARTICLE II Members

Section 1. Membership. There are four classes of membership in the Society: Regular, Contributing, Life, and Student. The Society is intended for scholars and teachers of Medieval and Renaissance Philosophy, but the Society welcomes all who are interested in this area. The Executive Committee of the Society may create such subclasses of members and may establish such other criteria for membership, including a schedule of dues and fees, as it deems appropriate. Membership dues for the calendar year shall be payable in January of that year, and dues paid during the last three months of the calendar year by new members shall apply to the following year.

Section 2. Active Membership. For the purposes of conducting Society business, the active membership of the Society is defined as all lifetime members and members in all dues classes who have paid dues for the current or either of the previous two calendar years.

Section 3. Quorum. For all voting matters in the Society, fifteen percent of the roster of active members, present in person, by proxy, or voting using an electronic ballot shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business. A written proxy is valid only if it is held by a member of the executive committee voting on behalf of an active member during a business meeting of the society; proxies are not valid for electronic voting.

Section 4. Voting. Voting on the business of the Society may take place either in person on business items discussed in an official meeting of the Society or online by means of an electronic ballot.

Section 5. Annual Meeting. The Society will hold at least one general business meeting per year. As determined by the SMRP Officers, this meeting may be held in conjunction with a conference at which the SMRP sponsors or organizes at least one event.

Section 6. Special Meetings. Special meetings of the members may be held upon the call of the Executive Committee or upon the written request of ten percent of the active members.

Section 7. Notice of Annual and Special Meetings. Members shall be notified of the time, date and place of holding any business meetings not less than ten days before such meeting.

Section 8. Quorum, Adjournments of Meetings. At all meetings of the members ten percent of the regular members, present in person or by proxy, shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business. In the absence of a quorum, a majority of the regular members so present may adjourn the meeting to a subsequent date, time, and place. If a quorum is present at the subsequent meeting,. any business may be transacted which might have been transacted at the meeting as originally called.

Section 9. Organization. The president of the Society shall preside at all meetings of the members or, in the absence of the president, the vice president shall preside or, in the absence of both, a chairman shall be chosen by the members present. The secretary-treasurer of the Society shall act as secretary at all meetings of the members, but in the absence of the secretary-treasurer, the presiding officer may appoint any member to act as secretary of the meeting. Robert’s Rules of Order shall govern procedure at all business meetings.

Section 10. Voting. At any meeting of the members, each regular member present in person or by proxy shall be entitled to one vote. Upon demand of any regular members, any vote for the members at large of the Executive Committee or upon any question before the meeting shall be by written ballot. The vote of a majority of the regular members present in person or by proxy at the time of the vote, if a quorum is present at such time, shall be the act of the membership, except that the election of the members at large of the Executive Committee shall be by the vote of a plurality of the regular members present in person or by proxy at the time of the vote if a quorum is present at such time.