CONSTITUTION OF THE AMERICAN SOCIETY OF INTERNATIONAL LAW 1 ARTICLE I This Society shall be known as the American Society of International Law. ARTICLE II The object of this Society is to foster the study of International Law and promote the establishment of international relations on the basis of law and justice. For this purpose it will cooperate with other societies in this and other countries having the same object. ARTICLE III Members may be elected on the nomination of two members in regular standing by vote of the Executive Council under such rules and regulations as the Council may prescribe. Each member shall pay annual dues of five dollars and shall thereupon become entitled to all the privileges of the Society, including a copy of the American Journal of International Law2 issued during the year. Upon failure to pay the dues for the period of one year a member may, in the discretion of the Executive Council, be suspended or dropped from the rolls of membership. Upon payment of one hundred dollars any person otherwise entitled to membership may become a life-member and shall thereupon become entitled to all the privileges of membership during his life. A limited number of persons not citizens of the United States and not exceeding one in any year, who shall have rendered distinguished service to the cause for which this Society is formed to promote, may be elected to 1 The history of the origin and organization of the American Society of International Law can be found in the Proceedings of the First Annual Meeting at p. 23. The Constitution was adopted January 12, 1906. See Amendments, Article II, p. xi. honorary membership at any meeting of the Society on the recommendation of the Executive Council. Honorary members shall have all the privileges of membership but shall be exempt from the payment of dues. ARTICLE IV The officers of the Society shall consist of a President, an Honorary President3, nine or more Vice-Presidents, the number to be fixed from time to time by the Executive Council, a Recording Secretary, a Corresponding Secretary and a Treasurer, who shall be elected annually, and of an Executive Council composed of the foregoing officers, ex officio, and twenty-four elected members, whose terms of office shall be three years, except that of those elected at the first election, eight shall serve for the period of one year only and eight for the period of two years, and that any one elected to fill a vacancy shall serve only for the unexpired term of the member in whose place he is chosen. No elected member of the Executive Council shall be eligible for reelection until the next annual meeting after that at which his term of office expires.* The Recording Secretary, the Corresponding Secretary, and the Treasurer shall be elected by the Executive Council. The other officers of the Society shall be elected by the Society, except as hereinafter provided for the filling of vacancies occurring between elections. At every annual election candidates for all the offices to be filled by the Society at such election shall be placed in nomination by a Nominating Committee of five members of the Society previously appointed by the Executive Council, except that the officers of the first year shall be nominated by a committee of three appointed by the Chairman of the meeting at which this Constitution shall be adopted. All officers shall be elected by a majority vote of members present and voting. All officers of the Society shall serve until their successors are chosen. ARTICLE V Duties of Officers 1. The President shall preside at all meetings of the Society and of the Executive Council and shall perform such other duties as the Council may assign to him. In the absence of the President at any meeting of the Society his duties shall devolve upon one of the Vice-Presidents to be designated by the Executive Council. 2. The Secretaries shall keep the records and conduct the correspond See Amendments, Article I, p. xi. ence of the Society and of the Executive Council and shall perform such other duties as the Council may assign to them. 3. The Treasurer shall receive and have the custody of the funds of the Society and shall disburse the same subject to the rules and under the direction of the Executive Council. The fiscal year shall begin on the first day of January. 4. The Executive Council shall have charge of the general interests of the Society, shall call regular and special meetings of the Society and arrange the programmes therefor, shall appropriate money, shall appoint from among its members an Executive Committee and other committees and their chairmen, with appropriate powers, and shall have full power to issue or arrange for the issue of a periodical or other publications, and in general possess the governing power in the Society, except as otherwise specifically provided in this Constitution. The Executive Council shall have the power to fill vacancies in its membership occasioned by death, resignation, failure to elect, or other cause, such appointees to hold office until the next annual election. Nine members shall constitute a quorum of the Executive Council, and a majority vote of those in attendance shall control its decisions. 5. The Executive Committee shall have full power to act for the Executive Council when the Executive Council is not in session. 6. The Executive Council shall elect a Chairman who shall preside at its meetings in the absence of the President, and who shall also be Chairman of the Executive Committee. ARTICLE VI The Society shall meet annually at a time and place to be determined by the Executive Council for the election of officers and the transaction of such other business as the Council may determine. Special meetings may be held at any time and place on the call of the Executive Council or at the written request of thirty members on the call of the Secretary. At least ten days' notice of such special meeting shall be given to each member of the Society by mail, specifying the object of the meeting, and no other business shall be considered at such meeting. Twenty-five members shall constitute a quorum at all regular and special meetings of the Society and a majority vote of those present and voting shall control its decisions. ARTICLE VII All resolutions which shall be offered at any meeting of the Society shall, in the discretion of the presiding officer, or on the demand of three members, be referred to the appropriate committee or the Council, and no vote shall be taken until a report shall been have made thereon. ARTICLE VIII Amendments This Constitution may be amended at any annual or special meeting of the Society by a majority vote of the members present and voting. But all amendments to be proposed at any meeting shall first be referred to the Executive Council for consideration and shall be submitted to the members of the Society at least ten days before such meeting. AMENDMENTS Article IV is hereby amended by inserting after the words "The officers of the Society shall consist of a President," the words "an Honorary President." Article II Article III is hereby amended by striking out the word "publications" in the third line of paragraph two, and inserting in lieu thereof the words "American Journal of International Law." Article III" Article IV is hereby amended by omitting the words in brackets and inserting the words in italics: The officers of the Society shall consist of a President, an Honorary President, nine or more Vice-Presidents, the number to be fixed from time to time by the Executive Council, a Recording Secretary, a Corresponding Secretary, and a Treasurer, who shall be elected annually, and of an Executive Council composed of the [President, the Vice-Presidents] foregoing officers, ex officio, and twenty-four elected members, whose terms of office shall be three years, except that of those elected at the first election, eight shall serve for the period of one year only and eight for the period of two years, and that any one elected to fill a vacancy shall serve only for the unexpired term of the member in whose place he is chosen. No elected member of the Executive Council shall be eligible for reelection until the next annual meeting after that at which his term of office expires. The Recording Secretary, the Corresponding Secretary, and the Treasurer shall be elected by the Executive Council [from among its members]. The other officers of the Society shall be elected by the Society, except as hereinafter provided for the filling of vacancies occurring between elections. This amendment was adopted at the business meeting held April 24, 1909. |