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Article I: Name and Legal Status
Section 1
The name of this organization shall be the International Rebecca
West Society (henceforth referred to as Society)
Article II: Purpose
Section 1
The purpose of this Society shall be to foster and encourage the
scholarly study of, critical attention to, and general interest
in, the work and career of Rebecca West, and to facilitate ways
in which all people interested in her writings--scholars, critics,
teachers, students, and common readers--may learn from one another,
meet together, contact each other, and help one another.
Article III: Membership
Section 1
Any individual, corporation, educational institution, library,
or special collection, interested in the aims of the International
Rebecca West Society may join it.
Section 2
Every member, including institutions, has one vote to be used
in ballots, polls, and elections.
Section 3
General membership in this Society shall be through payment of
annual dues, according to schedules determined by the General
Meeting of the Society.
Section 4
- Any individual who made outstanding contributions to
the study and publicity of Rebecca West , who is related to Rebecca
West, or who has acted as a benefactor of the Society, shall be
eligible to become an honorary member of the Society.
- Honorary members shall be elected by the
General Meeting of the Society.
- Honorary members are not required to pay
membership fees.
- Honorary membership ends only with death
of the honorary member or after revocation of the honorary membership
for pressing reasons by a two-thirds majority of the General Meeting.
Section 5
Membership in the Society shall include reception of the "Rebecca
West Newsletter," a regular publication sent to Society members
by e-mail or hard-copy.
Section 6
A general member who has not paid dues for two years shall be
classified as not in good standing.
Article IV: Privileges
Section 1
All members in good standing, as well as honorary members, shall
have the right to stand for office, to vote for officers of the
Society, to propose and vote on topics for sessions sponsored
by the Society at conferences, and to receive all publications
issued by the Society, notably the "Rebecca West Newsletter."
Section 2
As soon as eligibility rules permit, the Society shall seek status
as an Affiliate Organization at the Modern Language Association
of America (MLA) and henceforth sponsor scholarly events at the
annual MLA Conventions.
Article V: Officers
Section 1
The President and Vice President of the Society shall be elected
by the Society membership to serve four-year terms. The Secretary-Treasurer
and the Librarian-Bibliographer are to be appointed by the President
and Vice-President; their term shall be two years.
Section 2
The officers shall perform the following duties:
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The President shall serve as the Society's
chief ambassador. The President shall call, arrange the agenda
for, and preside at the General Meeting, to be held every year,
and he/she shall call and preside at all other Society meetings
unless unable to do so, in which case the Vice President shall
preside. The President shall be responsible for organizing future
Rebecca West Conferences, possibly every two years, and for
seeking membership status as an allied organization at the MLA.
The President shall consult closely with the other officers
throughout the term on dues, budgetary, and other issues and
perform miscellaneous tasks as required. The President shall
be responsible for election procedures, including the call for
nominations and the voting process; for presenting proposals
for, and conducting the balloting on, any changes to the bylaws;
and for ensuring that the Society's procedures are in accordance
with these by-laws.
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The Vice President shall write
and/or solicit copy for, edit, and mail the "Rebecca West
Newsletter." The Vice-President shall maintain the mailing
list for the Newsletter and maintain or update the homepage
of the Rebecca West Society as needed. The Vice President shall
handle correspondence with Society members and others, promote
and publicize the Society, notably at the MLA and at other venues,
and preside at Society meetings in case the President is unable
to attend.
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The Secretary-Treasurer, who is
appointed by the President and Vice-President, shall maintain
the Directory of members-in-good-standing. He/she shall further
receive and disburse monies on behalf of the Society, keep records
of all monies received and disbursed, and prepare and publish
an annual report of the Society's finances.
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The Librarian-Bibliographer, who
is also appointed by the President and Vice-President, shall
prepare and submit to the Vice-President an annual bibliography
of West Studies and represent the interests of curators of special
collections with holdings of Rebecca West papers.
Section 3
An Advisory Board, consisting of three elected members-at-large,
shall represent the interests of the following specialized groups:
a) general readers (fans) and non-academic professionals such
as diplomats and journalists; b) students and/or scholars; c)
relatives of Rebecca West and liaisons to her literary estate.
These members-at-large shall be elected by the same process as
the President and Vice-President and shall serve the same term.
The primary responsibilities of the Advisory Board members shall
be to publicize the Society, to develop outreach programs, to
facilitate interaction between the Societyís different
constituencies, and to broaden the appeal and membership of the
Society.
Section 4
All officers and members of the Advisory Board shall serve without
compensation. They shall be entitled to reimbursement for legitimate
Society expenses.
Section 5
A vacancy in any of these offices occurring during the incumbent's
term of office because of illness, death, resignation, or any
other reason shall be filled by a volunteer chosen by the remaining
officers of the Society until such time as a new election can
be held.
Section 6
The President, Vice-President, and the members of the Advisory
Board shall be elected (or re-elected) for four year terms by
the Society membership, by mail, e-mail, or vote at the general
meeting, from a slate of nominees. The election shall be conducted
during the month of September, and results shall be reported by
October 15th. Names of nominees may be submitted by any member
of the Society. Terms of office shall be four years, beginning
January 1st. The term of the appointed officers, i.e. the Secretary-Treasurer
and the Librarian-Bibliographer, is two years.
Article VI: Meetings
Section 1
A general meeting of the Society shall be held annually, whenever
possible in conjunction with a Rebecca West conference.
Article VII: Legal Status,
Funds, and Liabilities
Section 1
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The Society is organized exclusively for charitable,
religious, educational, and/or scientific purposes under section
501 (c) (3) of the Internal Revenue Code.
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No part of the net earnings of the Society shall inure to the
benefit of, or be distributable to its members, trustees, officers,
or other private persons, except that the organization shall
be authorized and empowered to pay reasonable compensations
for services rendered and to make payments and distributions
in furtherance of the purposes set forth in the purpose clause
hereof. No substantial part of the activities of the Society
shall be the carrying on of progapanda, or otherwise attempting
to influence legislation, and the Society shall not participate
in, or intervene in (including the publishing or distribution
of statements) any political campaign on behalf of any candidate
for public office. Notwithstanding any other provision of this
document, the Society shall not carry on any other activities
not permitted to be carried on (a) by an organization exempt
from federal income tax under section 501 (c) (3) of the Internal
Revenue Code, or corresponding section of any future federal
tax code, or (b) by an organization, contributions to which
are deductible under section 170 (c) (2) of the Internal Revenue
Code, or corresponding section of any future federal tax code.
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Upon dissolution of the organization,
assets shall be distributed for one or more exempt purposes
within the meaning of section 501 (c) (3) of the Internal Revenue
Code, or corresponding section of any future federal tax code,
or shall be distributed to the federal government, or to a state
or local government, for a public purpose.
Section 2
The funds of this Society shall be collected and dispersed by
the Secretary-Treasurer, for the Society's needs and lawful expenditures.
Section 3
No member of the Society shall be liable except for the payment
of dues.
Article IX: Procedures
Section 1
Amendments to these by-laws shall be voted upon, by mail, e-mail,
or vote at the general meetings, to which the full membership
is invited; approval shall require a two-thirds majority of those
voting. Amendments may be proposed by the officers of the Society,
or by petition signed by twenty or more Society members in good
standing. Amendments to these by-laws are subject to a three-month
open discussion period in public forums prior to the vote.
Officers of the Society
President: Carl Rollyson
Vice-President: Ann Norton
Secretary-Treasurer: Helen Macleod
Bibliographer-Historian: Lori Curtis
Advisory-Board Members
Representing general, non-academic readers: Dennis Drabelle
Representing scholars and students: Bernard Schweizer
Representing relatives and the literary estate of Rebecca West:
Norman Macleod
Membership Fees
Regular: $20 per year per person
Couples: $30 per year
Honorary members: free
Reduced fee: $10 per year for graduate students, retired, and
part-time employed persons.
Society Address:
International Rebecca West Society
c/o Dr. Bernard Schweizer
Long Island University
English Department,
One University Plaza, Brooklyn, NY 11201-5372.
Tel: (718) 488-1098
E-mail: schweizerb@yahoo.com
How to join the International Rebecca West
Society
Send in a cheque or money order made out to the International
Rebecca West Society for the appropriate membership fee (see schedule)
together with your address.
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