BYLAWS of the

(as amended through September 22, 2004)

The name of this organization shall be SOUTHERN ASSOCIATION OF FORENSIC SCIENTISTS.

The objectives of the Association shall be to encourage dissemination of information within the field of forensic sciences and to discuss problems of common interest; to foster friendship and cooperation among forensic scientists; to stimulate research and development of new techniques within the field; to promote the use of standardized methodology and presentation of conclusions; to encourage compilation of statistical data of value in the field; to assist in maintaining a high level of professional competence among practicing forensic scientists, and to lend assistance to colleges and universities in the development of forensic science and related curricula and to law enforcement planning agencies.

Membership in the Association shall be available for Forensic Scientists of professional competency, integrity, and good moral character. For the purpose of membership, a Forensic Scientist is a person who holds an earned baccalaureate in one of the natural sciences or in an appropriate field, whose principal business is the application of natural science to the examination of evidence for presentation in courts of law, and who has given expert testimony in court concerning his examinations. The Association may receive into Associate Membership any person employed in a Forensic Laboratory who is actively engaged in a professional or educational pursuit which will lead to becoming a Forensic Scientist, or any person who has advanced the cause of Forensic Science in a significant manner.

The qualifications for the various memberships are:

(a) Associate

Any Forensic Scientist or any person who is employed in a Forensic Laboratory and is engaged in a professional or educational pursuit which will lead to becoming a Forensic Scientist or any person who has advanced the cause of Forensic Science in a significant manner may be elected to Associate Membership, provided that the applicant:

(1) have attended (registered) at least one meeting of the Association, prior to application,

(2) be extensively endorsed in writing by a voting member, and,

(3) receive the approval of a three-fourths (3/4) majority of the voting members present at a September business meeting.

(b) Regular

Any Associate Member in good standing may be elected to regular membership provided that the applicant:

 

(1) have been an Associate Member in good standing for at least one year,

(2) have met all the requirements of Forensic Scientist for the two years prior to election to Regular Membership, and

(3) receive the approval of three-fourths (3/4) majority of the voting members present at a September business meeting.

(c) Charter

Forensic Scientists attending any meeting of this body prior to the adoption of the initial constitution (September 9, 1966) shall be classified as Charter Members.

(d) Retired

Any voting member may be proposed by the Membership Committee for Retired class who (1) has been pensioned, and (2) is no longer working in forensic science, and (3) has been a forensic scientist for twenty years, and (4) has been a SAFS member for ten years at the time that retired status is granted. The Committee may also propose for this status any voting member of the Association who has been granted a disability pension by his employer, and who is no longer practicing forensic science. This classification must be confirmed by favorable vote of three-fourths (3/4) of the voting members present at a September business meeting. A retired member shall be excused from the payment of dues.

Any student enrolled in an accredited four year college or university, whose major field of endeavor leads to becoming a Forensic Scientist may be elected to a limited three (3) year affiliate membership, provided the applicant:

(1) submit proof of enrollment in an institute of higher learning in a program leading to becoming a forensic scientist (satisfied by signature of faculty advisor or department head on application),

(2) be extensively endorsed in writing by one (1) voting member, and

(3) receive the approval of a three-fourths (3/4) majority at a September business meeting.

 

The term "voting member" shall refer only to Charter, Regular, and Retired Members.

Application for Associate Membership or for change of membership classification shall be made in writing to the Treasurer. The application shall set forth the qualifications of the applicant, which must meet the requirements of the class of membership sought. All applications and supporting documents must be received by the Treasurer by June 1 prior to the September business meeting in which the application will be voted upon. Those applications which are prima facie complete in all respects shall, not later than June 15 of each year, be forwarded to the chairman of the Membership Committee, which committee shall consider and make a recommendation concerning each application to the voting members present at the following September business meeting. Proposals for membership or change of membership classification shall be considered only at the September business meetings.

Membership shall be terminated for the following reasons:

(a) Termination upon Request of Member

Any member may terminate his membership in the Association by a written request directed to the Treasurer of the Association. The Treasurer shall inform the members of the Association of each termination at the next regular business meeting.

(b) Termination for Failure to Pay Dues

The Treasurer shall issue one (1) written dues notice between October 1 and December 30 of each fiscal year. Any member who shall fail to pay his annual dues by May 1 of the second consecutive fiscal year will automatically be dropped from membership. Any member dropped for the above reason may be readmitted only upon the filing of a new application which shall receive the same consideration as any other application and which must be submitted according to the rules and regulations governing applications. The Treasurer shall inform the member of the Association of such termination at the next regular business meeting.

A member may be expelled from the Association for unethical conduct, conduct detrimental to the profession of forensic science, or conduct detrimental to the welfare of the Association. A member or members of the Association may initiate proceeding to expel another member for cause by petitioning in writing to the President, who will refer the matter to the Ethics Committee. Three-fourths (3/4) of the voting members at any business meeting is required for expulsion of any member.

Any member who is no longer eligible for membership may be dropped from membership upon recommendation of either the Membership Committee or any voting member provided that the recommendation receive a favorable vote of three-fourths (3/4) of the voting members present at any business meeting. A member so affected shall have the right to appear at one subsequent business meeting for the purpose of appealing the decision of the membership. No member of the Association at the time of adoption of this subsection (August 30, 1977) shall be dropped for lack of an earned baccalaureate.

 

Annual meetings shall normally be held in September of each year, except that the month may be changed as ordered by a majority of the voting members at any business meeting. The place and date of the meetings shall be selected in advance by the Consultant Committee, which selections must be ratified by a majority vote of the membership at a regular business meeting.

At each regular business meeting there shall be elected a General Program Chairman and Special Program Chairmen for each of the specialization areas of forensic science for which a section program is desired at the meeting of the following year. The Special Program Chairmen thus elected will have total responsibility for developing the style and content of their respective section programs. The General Program Chairman will be responsible for any Plenary or General Program for the meeting, and for coordinating the efforts of the Special Program Chairmen in order to prepare a printed program in advance of the meeting. The General Program Chairman will function as the chairman of the Program Committee, composed of himself, the Special Program Chairmen, the Social Program Chairman, and volunteers from the membership at large.

A Social Program Chairman, who shall be a member of the Program Committee, will be appointed by the President on the advice of the Consultant Committee at the time that the meeting site is ratified by the membership. The duties of the Social program Chairman will be to make local arrangements for meeting rooms, room reservations, food and refreshments, and to plan any banquets, luncheons, or other social activities for the meeting. The social Program Chairman will also arrange for any exhibits of scientific equipment or other items of interest to the membership.

The registration fee for each meeting will be determined by the Program Committee and will be set at an amount sufficient to cover all meeting costs. Affiliates and non-member students enrolled in curricula leading to careers in forensic science shall be allowed to register for the scientific program for a fee of five dollars. Any fund balance resulting from the meeting proceeds will revert to the Treasury of the Association. A fund deficit may be paid from the Treasury upon authorization of the Executive Committee.

Officers of the Association shall consist of a President, Vice-President, Treasurer and Secretary. Officers shall be elected annually at the September business meeting and shall hold office for one year or until their successors shall have been elected and qualified. In the event of the death or incapacitation or resignation of a President, the Vice-President shall automatically be elevated to the office of President for the unexpired term. In the event of the death or incapacitation or resignation of both the President and Vice-President, the position will be held by the Treasurer for the remainder of the term. All officers elected at the Fall business meeting shall assume office upon adjournment of the general technical meeting. Only voting members may hold office.

The general management of the Association, including levying of dues, shall be the responsibility of the majority of the voting members present at the business meeting unless otherwise provided for in the Bylaws.

A quorum to conduct business at any business meeting shall consist of at least twenty (20) voting members.

All members, associate members, Charter members, Retired members and prospective members are allowed to attend and participate in the discussions of the business meeting. This access to the business meeting may be limited to voting members when discussing or voting on an application for membership by a prospective member or an application for promotion of an Associate member or at the discretion of the President. The President may designate a specific seating area for persons who are not voting members during a business meeting.

The President shall preside at the business meetings and appoint necessary committees. In the absence of the President, the Vice-President shall preside. In the absence of both, the voting members shall elect a voting member to serve as President pro tempore.

The Secretary shall be responsible for the recording of the minutes of all meetings and shall receive and care for all business records and papers belonging to the Association. The Treasurer shall bill, collect and keep account of, and properly safeguard all funds of the Association. The Treasurer shall maintain a record of all members’ attendance at regular meetings.

The files, books, and records of the Association shall at all reasonable times be open to inspection and examination by any voting member. Upon vacating office for any reason the past office holder must turn over all files, books, and records to his successor in office.

In addition to the Executive Committee, consisting of the current President, Vice-President, Treasurer, Secretary and Chairman of the Consultant Committee, the Association shall have the following standing committees, annually appointed by the President not later than thirty (30) days following his election to office: (a) Membership, (b) Finance, (c) Consultant, (d) Historical, and (e) Nominating. The functions, composition, and tenure of these committees are:

The Membership Committee shall consist of a chairman, and two (2) other voting members. It shall fulfill all requirements concerning the membership of the Association as stated in these Bylaws.

The Finance committee shall consist of a chairman and two (2) voting members who shall not hold any other office or serve on any other committee of the Association while serving in this capacity. The Finance Committee shall, not less than once per fiscal year, inspect and/or audit all financial records.

(c) Consultant Committee

The Consultant Committee shall consist of the five (5) past Presidents together with other voting members, if any, as designated by the President. The Consultant Committee chairman shall be the immediate past President. The Consultant Committee shall assist in all undertakings authorized by the voting members to implement the objectives of the Association. The Consultant Committee shall recommend a meeting site for ratification by the membership and a Social Program Chairman for appointment by the President at least two years in advance of each regular meeting of the Association.

(d) Historical Committee

The Historical Committee shall consist of a chairman and two (2) other voting members. The Secretary shall serve as an ex-officio member. The Historical Committee shall maintain all records, files, and exhibits relative to the history of the Association.

(e) Nominating Committee

The Nominating Committee shall consist of a chairman and four (4) voting members. The Nominating Committee shall be responsible for presenting nominations for President, Vice-President, and Treasurer and Secretary at the September business meeting. One year in advance of each meeting of the Association the Nominating Committee shall present nominations for each of the specialization areas of forensic science for which a section program is desired.

(f) Awards Committee

The Awards Committee shall consist of a Chairman and four (4) voting members. The Awards Committee shall be responsible for selecting and preparing the awards for the recipients of :

(1) The SAFS Outstanding Contribution to Forensic Sciences Awards, to be awarded at the discretion of the Committee.

(2) The SAFS Outstanding Paper Award, to be awarded at the discretion of the Committee to the person or persons presenting the outstanding Juried Paper at each SAFS meeting.

(3) The AAFS Regional Award - when applicable.

 

Committees other than the standing committees shall be formed as follows:

(a) Ethics Committee

The Ethics Committee, consisting of the Executive Committee and two (2) voting members appointed by the President, shall be activated by the President when action against a member is initiated according to the regulations as set forth in Chapter 1, Section 5(c) of these Bylaws. If available within the voting membership, the two appointed voting members must be practicing the same scientific discipline as the accused. The Ethics Committee shall:

(1) investigate all such claims of unprofessional conduct as enumerated;

(2) allow the accused and the accuser a reasonable opportunity to be heard at to be confronted; and

(3) give a report and recommendation to the membership at the next business meeting of the Association.

(b) Authority to Appoint other Committees

The President shall have the authority to appoint all other necessary and appropriate committees.

At each business meeting the chairman of each committee shall submit to the Secretary all pertinent records on which action has been completed by the voting membership.

Any and all expenses chargeable to the Association must be approved through the Executive Committee. No member of the Executive Committee or any appointed committee shall receive, directly or indirectly, any salary or compensation for his services.

The Fiscal Year shall be from the first day of October through the thirtieth day of September of each year.

Unless otherwise ordered by a majority of the voting members present, the order of business at the annual meeting shall be as follows:

(1) Reading and Approval of Minutes

(2) Reports of Officers, Boards, and Standing Committees

(3) Reports of Special (Select or ad hoc) Committees

(4) Special Orders

(5) Unfinished Business and General Orders

(6) New Business

"Robert’s Rules of Order" shall determine the Parliamentary procedure of the meetings.

These Bylaws shall become effective immediately upon adoption by the voting members, and the previous constitution together with all Bylaws are hereby repealed.

Any part of these Bylaws may be amended by a three-fourths (3/4) vote of the voting members present at the September meeting, provided a quorum is present and that copies of each proposed amendment shall have been distributed to all voting members at least thirty (30) days in advance of the meeting at which action is to be taken.

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The foregoing Bylaws were adopted by unanimous action of the voting members present at the twenty-third regular business meeting of the Southern Association of Forensic Scientists held at the Jovon Hotel in Auburn, Alabama, 09 September 1976, a quorum being present. The Bylaws were amended in Chapter I - Membership at the twenty-fifth regular business meeting, 26 August 1977, in Chapter II - Meetings, at the thirty-first regular meeting, 05 September 1980, in Chapter I - Membership and Chapter IV - Committees at the thirty-seventh regular meeting, 09 September 1983, in Chapter I - Membership at the thirty-ninth regular meeting, 05 October 1987, in Chapter IV - Committees at the fortieth regular meeting, 13 September 1985, in Chapter I - Membership at the fiftieth regular meeting, 06 September 1990, in Chapter I -Management at the sixty-fifth regular meeting, 05 September 1997 and in Chapter I - Membership, Chapter III - Officers and Management and Chapter IV - Committees at the 71st regular meeting, 12 September, 2000, in Chapters II and VI - Meetings and Miscellaneous Provisions at the seventy-ninth regular meeting, 22 September 2004.

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