Article I. Name

The official name shall be “Division of Comparative Endocrinology of the Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology.”

Article II. Organization

This division shall be governed by the Constitution and Bylaws of the Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology.

Article III. Membership

Membership in the Division is open to all classes of members of the SICB. It is acquired by registration with the SICB Secretary.

Article IV. Purpose

The purpose of this Division shall be to facilitate communication among all the endocrinologists, but particularly those interested in general and comparative aspects of hormone research.

Article V. Officers

Officers of the Division shall be a Chair, Chair-Elect, Program Officer, Program Officer-Elect, Secretary, and a Secretary-Elect. The term of office for the Chair, Chair-Elect, and Secretary shall be for two (2) years. The term for Program Officer shall be for three (3) years. The term of office for the Program Officer-Elect and Secretary-Elect shall be for one (1) year.

(a) Officers shall be elected by a simple majority by mail or electronic ballot.

(b) The Chair, upon the completion of the second year in office, shall be succeeded by the Chair-Elect.

(c) Balloting for a new Chair-Elect will be conducted in the second year of office of the incumbent Chair and Chair-Elect.

The Officers plus the Graduate Student/Post-doc Representative shall constitute an Executive Committee responsible for divisional affairs. The officers shall be elected by a plurality vote of the members conducted by a ballot prior to the annual meeting by a procedure consonant with the Bylaws of the Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology. At least two candidates should be placed on the ballot. In the event that the election results in a tie, the outcome will be determined by a majority vote of the elected officers of the Divisional Executive Committee. If the votes cast by the Executive Committee result in a tie, the deciding vote will be determined by the divisional Chair. A brief biography of each candidate shall be made available on the ballot. The term of office of all elected officers and appointed representative shall begin at the end of the second SICB Executive Committee meeting at the Annual Meeting in the year the term is to begin and will end at the adjournment of the second SICB Executive Committee meeting at the Annual Meeting in the year the term is to expire. In the case when a divisional office is unexpectedly vacated, the following provisions are made: If the office of Secretary or Program Officer is vacated early, the Chair, in consultation with the Divisional Executive Committee, will appoint someone to serve until elections can be held to fill the position. If the office of Divisional Chair is vacant, the Divisional Executive Committee, in consultation with the SICB President, will appoint someone to be the interim Chair until an election is held.

Article VI. Chair

The Chair shall serve for a term of two years, directing the affairs of the Division and presiding at its business meetings. He/she shall represent the Division on the Society Executive Committee. He/she shall appoint at any time those committees as may be required to assist him/her to conduct the affairs of the Division. At or before the Annual Meeting, he/she must appoint a nominating committee, consisting of a chair and two members, to present a slate of candidates to be elected for the office or offices to be filled for the following year. In the circumstance where an elected officer is unable to complete his or her term of office, the following provisions are made: If the office of Secretary or Program Officer is vacated early, the Chair, in consultation with the Divisional Executive Committee, will appoint someone to serve until elections can be held to fill the position. If the office of Divisional Chair is vacant, the Divisional Executive Committee, in consultation with the SICB President, will appoint someone to be the interim Chair until an election is held.

Article VII. Chair-Elect

The Chair-Elect shall serve for two (2) years and assume the duties of the Chair after the two-year term of office of the incumbent Chair has been completed, as well as when that person is unable to act. He/she shall assist the Chair in the conduct of the affairs of the Division whenever he/she is so requested by the Chair.

Article VIII. Program Officer

The Program Officer shall arrange programs for the meetings of the Division. He/she shall be elected for a term of three (3) years. The Program Officer shall coordinate special programs with the Program Officers of the Society and of related societies and divisions, as desirable.

Article IX. Program Officer-Elect

The Program Officer-Elect shall assume the duties of the Program Officer whenever that person is unable to act. He/She shall serve for a term of one year after which he/she shall automatically assume the position of Program Officer.

Article X. Secretary

The Secretary shall keep the records of the Division and handle its business affairs in accord with the directives of the Chair. He/she shall maintain complete files of the Division’s activities, summarize and present these at business meetings, prepare the Newsletter of the Division, and at the termination of his/her office transmit the files in good order to the successor. He/she shall be elected for a term of two (2) years.

Article XI. Secretary-Elect

The Secretary-Elect shall assume the duties of the Secretary whenever that person is unable to act. He/She shall serve for a term of one year after which he/she shall automatically assume the position of Secretary.

Article XII. Continuity of Offices

Program Officer and Secretary are to be elected in alternate years.

Article XIII. Nominations

The Nominating Committee shall prepare double nominations for each office to be filled and submit them to the Secretary prior to February 1 of each year.

Article XIV. Finances

Expenses of the Division shall be paid from the treasury of the SICB within limits of the amount allotted for this purpose in the annual budget of the Society, and from grants received for special projects. Grant applications to national foundations are to be prepared in consultation with the president of the SICB.

All members of the Division of Comparative Endocrinology will be assessed an annual fee to be used to pay routine divisional financial obligations to affiliated societies, or for the support of regional or international meetings at which the DCE is recognized as an official component of the SICB. The fee will be double the annual dues set by the International Federation of Comparative Endocrine Societies (IFCES) to allow for the establishment of a fund to provide support for regional and international comparative endocrinology meetings. Applications for support for regional and international meetings will be made to the chair of the DCE.

Article XV. Meetings

An annual national meeting of the Division will be held every year as part of the Annual Meeting of the Society. Regional conferences and symposia may be arranged by groups of members in collaboration with the divisional executive committee. A business meeting of the Division shall be held annually at the Annual Meeting of the Society. Notice of meetings and calls for papers shall be sent out with the appropriate announcements of the Society.

Article XVI. Annual Report

An annual report and official notices shall be included in the records of the SICB.

Article XVII. Best Student Presentation Awards

Two awards will be given in the Best Student Presentation competition at the Annual Meeting: one for the best oral presentation and one for the best poster presentation. Competitors must be members of SICB. The award for the best oral presentation will be named the Aubrey Gorbman Award. The award for the best poster presentation will be named the Lynn Riddiford Award. Student-in-Training Members, Graduate Student Members and those who have received a Ph.D. within 12 months of the competition are eligible to compete for awards. The work presented must be original and must have been carried out principally by the student competitor.

Article XVIII. Amendments

These Bylaws may be changed or amended at any annual meeting by two-thirds vote of those present or by at least two-thirds of the members responding to a mail or electronic ballot, provided that notice has been given to all members sixty (60) days in advance.