Approved July 2022. Amended July 2023.

Article I Name
This organization shall be known as The American Society for Rickettsiology.

Article II Purpose

This corporation is organized exclusively for charitable, educational, and scientific purposes, including, for such purposes, the making of distributions to organizations that qualify as exempt organizations under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, or the corresponding section of any future federal tax code.

SPECIFIC PURPOSE

• To encourage basic and applied research in all aspects of rickettsiology and rickettsial diseases.
• To foster exchange of information among American scientists engaged in research on rickettsiae and rickettsial diseases through periodic meetings and other devices or instruments as may be appropriate.
• To encourage recruitment and training of young scientists in rickettsiology and rickettsial diseases.
• To consider and make recommendations on scientific policy matters pertaining to rickettsiae and rickettsial diseases as may be desirable or necessary for the advancement of basic and applied knowledge in this field.
• To advise governmental and health agencies, when appropriate, on matters relevant to rickettsiae and rickettsial diseases.
• To foster scientific exchange between American rickettsiologists and their counterparts in other countries.
• To interact in an appropriate manner with other scientific organizations as required and desirable.

Article III Membership

All persons who by their professional work have demonstrated interest in the objectives of the Society are eligible for membership. All members who have paid the current dues will be entitled to receive all communications of the Society and to vote on matters by mail or electronically at the business session of the Conference.

Regular membership: Is defined as an individual with a college degree or equivalent, of whom someone is not currently in academic training.

Trainee membership: Is defined as: (1) being enrolled in an undergraduate, graduate, or professional program at a degree-granting institution of higher learning; or (2) having obtained their doctoral degree and are currently working in a postdoctoral trainee program. Graduate and professional students, residents, and postdoctoral fellows are considered trainee members of the ASR.

Honorary membership. The Society may elect to honorary membership such persons who are deemed deserving of this honor on the basis of contributions to the fields of interest and endeavor encompassed by the purposes of this Society. Honorary membership shall be a lifetime membership and shall not require payment of dues or Conference registration fees.

Article IV Officers

The officers of the Society shall be a President, Vice-President, a Secretary-Treasurer, Councilor at Large, and Past President. Online nominations (self or member-submitted) will be solicited via email and submitted through a website portal at least two months prior to the business meeting. Then the Executive Committee officers will be elected through a secure electronic website. Voting will open at least one month before the meeting and close within a week of the business meeting. They shall take office at the conclusion of the Conference at which they were elected and shall serve until their successors have been elected and installed in office.

Article I Executive Committee

There shall be an Executive Committee consisting of elected officers, the immediate Past President and a Councilor-at-Large to be elected by the membership at the time of election of officers. The Executive Committee shall serve until the conclusion of the following Conference. The function of the Executive Committee will be to conduct the day-to-day business of the Society within the guidelines set forth in Article II, as well as to conduct the business meeting of the entire membership to be held at each Conference.

Any business of the Society requiring a vote of the membership may be conducted by electronic ballot of the members in good standing. All issues shall be decided by a simple majority vote. Other matters concerning the Society may be decided by the Executive Committee. 

Article VI Committees

Program Committee. There shall be a Program Committee responsible for organizing each Conference. The Executive Committee will serve as a Program Committee. Scientific Committee reviews abstracts and make recommendations to the Executive Committee. The Executive Committee determines travel awards. The chair shall select committee members and appoint whatever subcommittees deemed necessary to establish a successful Conference.

Nominating. Online nominations (self or member-submitted) will be solicited via email and submitted through a website portal at least two months prior to the business meeting. Nominees must be regular members as defined in Membership. Then the Executive Committee officers will be elected through a secure electronic website. Voting will open at least one month before the meeting and close within a week of the business meeting. The results will be presented at the ASR Business Meeting during the annual meeting.

Article VII Conference of the Society

The Conference shall be held annually or at least biennially on dates and places to be selected by the Society. Input on conference venues will be solicited from the membership but the selection of the conference venue will be decided by the Executive Committee. Invitations to attend the Conference shall be issued to members or previous members of the Society and other North Americans who are active in the field of rickettsiology. However, it is not intended that attendance be restricted to those invited, or to only those living in North America.

Registration fee. A registration fee shall be paid by each registrant attending the Conference, honorary members excepted. This fee shall be fixed by the Executive Committee and shall be sufficient to defray expenses incurred by the Conference. Members receive a discount to the annual meeting.  Non-members may attend, but the non-member rate must equal or exceed the cost of membership dues + member registration rate. Surplus funds shall be turned over to the succeeding Secretary-Treasurer to be allocated toward the expenses incurred during the next Conference. The registration fee for non-members shall include the membership dues to be paid separately to ASR at the completion of the meeting.

Trainee fees. Special reduced registration fees may be set by the Executive Committee for interested persons who are clearly in a trainee status.

Article VIII Dues

Membership dues for trainee and regular members shall be set by the Executive Committee for the succeeding term. Membership dues are separate from meeting registration and will be assessed every 12 months. Members receive discounted registration to the annual meeting. Honorary membership shall be a lifetime membership and shall not require payment of dues or conference registration fees.

Article IX Conference Proceedings

The Executive Committee and the Conference Manager shall be responsible for producing the Conference booklet.

The Conference Booklet shall include some or all of the following items:

A. List of Registrants

B. Abstracts

Each participant selected by the Executive Committee to present an abstract shall furnish a suitable abstract of this presentation by the due date set by the Executive Committee. 

Article X Distribution of Minutes

Minutes of the business meeting shall be prepared and distributed to each member of the new Executive Committee during the business session within the Conference. This shall be the duty and responsibility of the Secretary-Treasurer. Copies of the current By-Laws shall be available on the Society’s web page.

Article XI Amendments

The Constitution and By-Laws of this Society may be amended by vote of a simple majority, with notification of the proposed change to be made at least 48 hours before the business meeting.