Article I: Name

 

This organization shall be known as the Northwest Indiana Chapter of the American Meteorological Society and National Weather Association.

 

Article II: Purpose and Policy

 

Section 1: The Northwest Indiana Chapter shall pursue the goals outlined by the American Meteorological Society/National Weather Association through the advancement of the discipline of atmospheric sciences in the local area, and shall abide by the policies and provisions set forth in the Chapter Constitution and By-laws.

 

Section 2: The Chapter shall be organized and operated exclusively for nonprofit purposes, and no part of its earnings shall inure to the benefit of any member.

 

Article III: Membership

 

Section 1: Membership in the Northwest Indiana Chapter body shall include the geographic area of northwestern Indiana, northeastern Illinois, and southwestern-lower Michigan, and shall be open to anyone interested in operational meteorology and who agrees to abide by the Chapter Constitution and By-laws. The Chapter shall be centered at Valparaiso University.

 

Section 2: The Chapter Body shall consist of American Meteorological Society student members, National Weather Association Members, and of Local Members. All members of the Chapter Body shall have the right to vote,  serve on committees, and shall be eligible to hold office. 

 

Section 3: All members of the Chapter Body must be registered with the Executive Board and have paid annual membership dues before being placed on the Active Membership List. Following the payment of dues, all members shall be expected to attend at least three (3) meetings of the Chapter Body during the year. The designation of Local Member shall be granted by the Executive Board, but the designation of National Weather Association Member shall only be granted by the Executive Director of the National Weather Association. Additionally, the designation of American Meteorological Society Student Member shall only be granted through a paid registration with the American Meteorological Society at the national level.

 

Section 4: Members of the Chapter Body who are delinquent in paying membership dues shall have all Chapter privileges revoked and shall be removed from the Active Membership List by the Executive Board. Written appeals may be filed by members to the Executive Board, which shall rule on the appeal at the next Executive Board Meeting.

 

Article IV: Officers

 

Section 1: The officers of the Northwest Indiana Chapter shall consist of the President, the Vice-President, the Treasurer, the Secretary, and the Sophomore Social Chair.

 

Section 2: The officers shall be elected at the inaugural meeting of the Chapter, and at the last meeting of the Valparaiso University academic year thereafter. All officers shall be elected to serve a term of one (1) year commencing June 1 and may be re-elected at the end of the term.

 

Section 3: Any vacated office shall be filled according to the procedures listed in the Chapter Constitution and By-Laws.

 

Section 4: The President shall normally chair all meetings of the Executive Board and the Chapter Body, except for Impeachment Proceedings; call for and set the locations, dates, and times of Executive Board meetings; have the authority to call for special meetings of the Chapter Body; submit an agenda for Chapter Body and Executive Board meetings for approval; nominate Chairs to standing committees not specified by the Chapter Constitution and By-laws; appoint Chairs and members for Ad-Hoc committees; nominate temporary replacements in vacant offices pending special elections; express the official views of the Chapter; see that the Chapter runs effectively; report directly to the Executive Director of the National Weather Association; and report directly to the AMS Regional Representative.

 

Section 5: The Vice-President shall serve as Vice-Chair of the Executive Board and serve as Acting Chair in the absence of the President; become interim President with all its powers if the President is impeached, pending an Impeachment Proceeding, or if that office becomes vacant, pending a special election, assist the President and perform as assigned by the President.

 

Section 6: The Treasurer shall serve as co-Chair of the Activities Committee; take attendance at all Chapter Body and Executive Board meetings, except for Impeachment Proceedings; keep an accurate account of Chapter funds; balance financial records with the records of all financial institutions that are involved with Chapter finances; work closely with the Activities Committee on fundraising activities; oversee the budget; advise the Executive Board on setting annual dues; and serve on the Executive Board.

 

Section 7: The Secretary shall record all Chapter Body and Executive Board meetings; publish records of meetings for all members of the Chapter Body; inform Chapter Body members of all upcoming Chapter activities; and serve on the Executive Board.

 

Section 8: The Sophomore Social Chair must be of undergraduate sophomore academic standing. The Sophomore Social Chair shall plan events for members of the Local Chapter outside of official chapter meetings; recruit committee members for events held by the Local Chapter as necessary; and serve on the Executive Board.

 

Article V: Impeachment and Removal of Officers

 

Section 1: All impeachment charges for an officer must be presented in writing to the Executive Board by at least one-third (1/3) of the Chapter Body. Upon receipt of the charges, the Executive Board shall set an Impeachment Proceeding within the following two (2) weeks. The officer being charged shall be temporarily relieved of duties pending the Impeachment Proceeding. If the impeached officer is the President, the Vice-President shall act as interim President until the Impeachment Proceeding; otherwise, the Executive Board shall collectively perform the duties of the impeached officer.

 

Section 2: At the Impeachment Proceeding, a non-Executive Board member shall be elected as Ombudsman by a majority of a quorum for the duration of the Impeachment Proceeding. The Ombudsman shall chair the Impeachment Proceeding in an impartial manner and shall only vote when debate is concluded and the charges are brought up for a final vote.

 

Section 3: A scribe shall be elected by a majority of a quorum for the duration of the Impeachment Proceeding. The scribe shall be responsible for taking and tallying any and all votes made during the Impeachment Proceeding. The Treasurer shall be eligible to serve as scribe unless the Treasurer is being impeached.

 

Section 4: If the charges are sustained by at least two-thirds (2/3) of the Chapter Body, the officer shall be removed from office.

 

Section 5: Upon the completion of the final vote on the charges, the Impeachment Proceedings shall be adjourned, and if the charges are not sustained, the impeached officer shall immediately be reinstated to office.

 

Article VI: Executive Board

 

Section 1: There shall be an Executive Board of the Northwest Indiana Chapter consisting of the President, Vice-President, the Treasurer, the Secretary, and the Sophomore Social Chair. There shall also be a seat on the Executive Board reserved for the Past-President who served as President in the immediate preceding term. If the Past-President was impeached and removed from the office of President in the immediate preceding term, is already serving as an officer, is no longer a member of the Chapter Body, or is otherwise unable or unwilling to serve on the Executive Board, then he or she shall forfeit the right to automatically serve on the Executive Board in the manner described above, unless and until the Past-President is re-elected as President.

 

Section 2: The Chair of the Executive Board shall be the President, and the Vice-Chair shall be the Vice-President. In the absence of the President, the Vice-President shall serve as Acting Chair. The Chair of the Executive Board shall be responsible for submitting an agenda at the beginning of each Executive Board meeting for approval by a majority vote.

 

Section 3: The Executive Board shall recommend an Annual Chapter Budget for the approval of the Chapter Body; approve, deny, or refer to the Chapter Body all expenditure requests for up to thirty dollars ($30.00); forward all expenditure requests for over thirty dollars ($30.00) to the Chapter Body with a recommendation; set annual membership dues; have the authority to call special meetings of the Chapter Body; confirm members of standing committees not specified by the Constitution; remove members from committees, except for the Chairs of the committees specified in Article VII, Section 2 of the Chapter Constitution and By-laws; oversee all committees, and decide on appeals from members removed from the Active Membership List.

 

Article VII: Committees

 

Section 1: There shall be an Activities Committee co-chaired by the Sophomore Social Chair and the Treasurer. This entity shall be responsible for arranging the locations, dates, and times of all fundraising, social, and educational activities of the Chapter Body. Decisions on proceedings of the Activities Committee shall follow majority rule.

 

Section 2: Additional standing committees may be created by the Chapter Body, and the Chairs of these committees shall be nominated by the President and confirmed by the Executive Board. Additional members for individual standing committees shall be nominated by the Chair of the committee and confirmed by the Executive Board.

 

Section 3: Ad-Hoc Committees may be created by the Chapter Body, and the Chairs and other members of these committees shall be directly appointed by the President.

 

Section 4: For standing and Ad-Hoc committees composed of more than two (2) members, one (1) committee member shall be designated as scribe.

 

Section 5: All committees shall be responsible for preparing regular reports for the Executive Board and the Chapter Body. These reports shall be presented at meetings by the Chair of each committee or by a scribe or another substitute if the Chair is absent.

 

Section 6: Subcommittees may be created at the discretion of a committee Chair for the purpose of delegating specific tasks to specific committee members. Committee members shall be assigned to subcommittees by the committee Chair, who shall serve as Chair for all the subcommittees.

 

Section 7: Except for committees specified by the Chapter Constitution and By-laws, any committee may be dissolved by a majority vote of the Chapter Body.

 

Article VIII: Finances

 

Section 1: Annual membership dues shall be set by the Executive Board. Payment of dues shall entitle a member to be listed in the Active Membership List of the Northwest Indiana Chapter Body until the next annual deadline for payment of dues.

 

Section 2: Membership dues must be paid by the end of the third regular meeting of the Chapter Body during the Valparaiso University Academic year. Members who do not pay their dues by the deadline shall have all Chapter privileges revoked and shall be expelled from the Chapter Body until the dues are paid.

 

Section 3: Use of all membership dues is for the betterment of the Northwest Indiana Chapter. No membership dues collected by the Chapter shall go to the American Meteorological Society or the National Weather Association.

 

Section 4: There shall be an Annual Chapter Budget proposed in writing each year by the Executive Board to the Chapter body. A majority vote by the Chapter Body shall be necessary for the Budget to take effect.

 

Section 5: All expenditures requests shall be presented by the parties involved directly to the Executive Board.

 

Section 6: Expenditure requests for up to thirty dollars ($30) shall be approved, denied, or referred to the Chapter Body by the Executive Board. The Chapter Body is to be informed of all decisions made by the Executive Board, and a waiting period of seven days must be observed before authorized expenditure requests can be carried out to allow for possible objections by the Chapter Body.

 

Section 7: Expenditure requests above thirty dollars ($30) shall be forwarded by the Executive Board to the Chapter Body with a recommendation. A majority of a quorum shall be required to approve the expenditure requests of this type.

 

Article IX: Meetings

 

Section 1: The Northwest Indiana Chapter shall have at least six (6) regular meetings of the Chapter Body per year commencing June 1. Regular meetings of the Chapter Body shall be called by the Executive Board. The locations, dates, and times of regular meetings shall be set by the Committee on Programs. At least one (1) officer must be present at each regular meeting.

 

Section 2: The Executive Board shall have at least six (6) meetings per year commencing June 1. The locations, dates, and times for the Executive Board meetings shall be set by the President. Executive Board meetings may also be called up on by the written request of any two (2) members of the Chapter Body.

 

Section 3: Special meetings of the Chapter Body may be called by the President, by the Executive Board, or at the written request of at least one-third (1/3) of the Chapter Body to the Executive Board. A reason shall be provided in the call for a special meeting, which shall be held within two (2) weeks after being called. The locations, dates, and times of special meetings shall be set by the Executive Board. At least one (1) officer must be present at each special meeting.

 

Section 4: Meeting announcements, including the locations, dates, times, tentative agendas of upcoming Chapter Body meetings, and the minutes of each meeting, shall be sent to all members of the Chapter Body by the Secretary.

 

Section 5: All meetings of the Chapter Body, with the exception of Impeachment Proceedings, shall be open to the public

 

Section 6: For all meetings of the Executive Board and the Chapter Body, the rules contained in “Robert’s Rules of Order, Revised Edition” shall govern in all cases to which they are applicable, and in which they are not inconsistent with the Chapter Constitution and By-laws.

 

Section 7: At least eighteen (18) members or one-half (1/2) of the Chapter Body, whichever is less, shall compose a quorum for all meetings except for Impeachment Proceedings, which shall require at least two-thirds (2/3) of the Chapter Body for a quorum. At least two-thirds (2/3) of the members of the Executive Board shall compose a quorum for Executive Board meetings.

 

Section 8: The President shall normally serve as Chair for all regular and special Chapter Body meetings. In cases where the President is absent, the designation of Acting Chair shall go to the highest-ranking officer who is present, starting with the Vice-President, then the Treasurer, and finally the Secretary. The Chair shall be responsible for submitting an agenda at the beginning of a Chapter Body meeting for approval.

 

Section 9: A majority vote of the Chapter Body shall be sufficient to overrule any decision made by the Executive Board.

 

Article X: Elections

 

Section 1: Regular officer elections shall occur annually at the last Chapter Body meeting of the Valparaiso University academic year. Special officer elections shall also be held to fill vacancies in offices until the next regular election.

 

Section 2: Nominations for officer positions shall be taken off the floor during the regular meeting immediately preceding the meeting when the elections are held, and shall be filed with the Executive Board. Additional nominations shall be accepted up until five (5) days before the elections.

 

Section 3: All nominations shall be checked by the Executive Board to confirm that candidates are listed on the Active Membership List of the Chapter Body, and have attended at least three (3) meetings of the Chapter Body during the most recent year. A list of all eligible nominated candidates shall be sent by the Executive Board to all active members before elections are held.

 

Section 4: All voting shall be closed ballot, and no members may vote by proxy.

 

Section 5: At Valparaiso University, between the Valparaiso University Storm Intercept Team (VUSIT), the Northwest Indiana Student Chapter of the American Meteorological Society/National Weather Association, and the Chi Epsilon Pi Meteorology Honors Society, eligible candidates may run for no more than three (3) executive board positions. If they are only members of VUSIT and the Student Chapter, they may run for no more than two (2) positions between those organizations.

 

Section 6: For the Northwest Indiana Student Chapter of the American Meteorological Society/National Weather Association, candidates may run for no more than two (2) executive board positions.

 

Section 7: A candidate must receive a majority of the votes cast to win office. In cases where there are ties or no candidate receives a majority of the votes cast, runoff elections shall be held.

 

Section 8: If an office becomes vacant before a regular election, a special election shall be held at or before the next regular meeting of the Chapter Body. The special election shall be held in accordance with Article X, Sections 2-5 of the Chapter Constitution and By-laws, and the newly elected officer shall serve until the next regular election. Pending the special election, the vacant office shall be temporarily filled according to Article X, Sections 7-8 of the Chapter Constitution and By-laws.

 

Section 9: If the office of President becomes vacant, the Vice-President shall act as interim President until a special election is held. The Vice-President shall be eligible to stand as a candidate for President, and should that member be elected as President, the office of Vice-President shall become vacant.

 

Section 10: If an office other than that of President becomes vacant, a non-Executive Board member shall be nominated by the President and confirmed by a majority of the Executive Board to fill the office until a special election is held.

 

Article XI: Dissolution

 

Section 1: The Northwest Indiana Chapter shall be disbanded or dissolved upon the vote of at least three-fourths (3/4) of the Chapter Body or upon the decision of the Executive Director of the National Weather Association.

 

Section 2: Upon the dissolution or disbandment of the Chapter, all funds and properties in excess of liabilities and expenses of dissolution shall be distributed as determined by the majority of the Chapter Body.

 

Article XII: Adoption

 

The Northwest Indiana Chapter of the National Weather Association shall become effective upon the approval of the Executive Director of the National Weather Association.

 

Article XIII: Amendments

 

All proposed amendments to the Chapter Constitution and By-laws shall first be submitted to the Chapter Body for debate. Upon majority vote of a quorum, an Ad-Hoc Committee shall be created to review all submitted proposals and make certain that the proposed changes do not conflict with the requirements for National Weather Association Chapter status. Following the report of the Ad-Hoc Committee and additional debate, the Chapter Body shall vote on each proposal separately. A vote of approval by at least two-thirds (2/3) of the Chapter Body shall be necessary for passage of an amendment.

 

Article XIV: Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

 

Section 1: The members and Executive Board of the Northwest Indiana Student Chapter of the American Meteorological Society/National Weather Association shall not discriminate on the basis of race, ethnicity, nationality, gender identity, sexual orientation, religious identity, disability, political beliefs, or economic status.

 

Section 2: The Northwest Indiana Student Chapter celebrates the diversity of its members, and strives to acknowledge the excellence of underrepresented groups within the atmospheric sciences. Committees related to the topic of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion shall be eligible for formation according to Article VII Section 2 of the Chapter Constitution.

 

Section 3: Violations of Article XIV include:

1. Engagement in sexual harassment (on the basis of gender or otherwise), including:
   1. Sexual advancements without consent of both parties
   2. Commentary on sexual aspects of another individual
   3. Unwanted or one-sided humor about an individual’s sexual identity, including name calling or derogatory commentary
   4. Withholding some form of promotion, award, or recognition on the basis of sex
2. Harassment/Stalking, meaning:
   1. Causing an individual/group of individuals repeated discomfort through commentary, association, disruptive behavior, or through oral/written communication
   2. Implying bodily harm to any individual/group of individuals on the basis of social stature or unmet desires/wants in oral/written communication
   3. Following an individual/group of individuals intentionally to academic buildings, leisure areas such as restaurants or shopping districts, or to personal locations such as places of residences and vehicles without their explicit oral/written permission
   4. Targeting individuals/groups of individuals based upon some criteria such as social standing or position of power, withholding respectful commentary or criticism as determined by both parties. 
3. Discrimination, including
   1. Derogatory commentary on identity, as outlined in Section 1
   2. Threats of physical harm (acted upon), emotional abuse, and defamation towards an individual/group of individuals based on their identity, as outlined in Section 1.

 

Section 4: For those found to be in violation of Article XIV, their case shall be brought under review by the Executive Board to determine a next course of action. Actions shall be outlined as follows, unless the Executive Board determines a particular case to be recurrent/extreme enough to warrant immediate removal from the Chapter:

1. A warning shall be given to the individual found to be in violation. This shall not revoke Chapter privileges for this individual, or prevent an individual from becoming part of the Chapter
2. After a warning, if the individual is found to be in violation of the same offense, a temporary ban shall be placed upon the individual to any events held by the Activities Committee outlined in Article VII Section 1. This shall not prevent an individual from petitioning to become part of the chapter.
3. If the individual is found to be in violation of the same offense after their temporary ban, the Executive Board will convene to determine their removal from the Student Chapter. In accordance with the Executive Board outlined in Article VI, a 3/5 vote must pass for the removal of the individual from the Student Chapter for an academic year. Any petition by the individual to become a member of the Student Chapter shall be ignored.
4. Otherwise, if the individual makes repeated offenses beyond official meetings of the Student Chapter, their case will be determined by the Executive Board.

 

Section 5: The Executive Board of the Northwest Indiana Student Chapter reserves the right to revoke member privileges of any member, or restrict membership of any non-member, who is found to be in violation of Article XIV of the Chapter Constitution. Additionally, the Executive Board reserves the right to maintain a blacklist of those individuals who have repeatedly violated Article XIV from any future Chapter events, including those outlined under Article IX of the Chapter Constitution. Those members who have their privileges revoked will not receive a refund of any payments made to the Chapter.

 

Section 6: The Executive Board of the Northwest Indiana Student Chapter reserves the right to ask individuals to leave functions outlined in Article IX if an individual/group of individuals suspects a violation of Article XIV. Individuals will be reminded of the rules outlined in Article XIV upon their removal from a Chapter function, but will not have their Chapter privileges revoked, nor will they be given a warning, unless the violation is verified by an Executive Board member.

 

Section 7: If any member or non-member of the Northwest Indiana Student Chapter has been a victim of sex-related crimes (such as sexual harassment), they are encouraged to file a Title IX if they are a part of an educational entity, or contact local law enforcement. Upon request, an Executive Board member will assist in contacting local or Valparaiso University law enforcement, filing a Title IX report, and/or contacting the Valparaiso University Counseling Center for mental health support services.

 

Section 8: Any student reporting a violation of Article XIV, or another offense not outlined in this Constitution at the state/federal level, will have full confidentiality. Their identity will not be revealed to those outside of their person-of-contact, and any outside organization (such as law enforcement or Valparaiso University officials) that get involved as needed.