MIHS Bylaws - Revised March 2018

ARTICLE I - NAME

The name of this organization shall be the Michigan Industrial Hygiene Society (MIHS), which is the Michigan Section (Greater Detroit and Eastern Michigan Regional Area), of the American Industrial Hygiene Association.

ARTICLE II - PURPOSE

The purpose of the Michigan Section of the American Industrial Hygiene Association shall be to promote the anticipation, recognition, evaluation, and control of environmental stresses in relation to the health and well-being of workers and the public; to increase the knowledge and awareness of occupational and environmental health through interchange and dissemination of information; to bring persons interested in the various phases of occupational and environmental health together; to correlate such activities as are conducted by individuals and agencies throughout industrial, educational and governmental groups; and to promote the profession through cooperation and support of governmental groups, industrial, educational and other professional bodies.

ARTICLE III - MEMBERSHIP

Section 1: The Michigan Industrial Hygiene Society shall consist of Full, Associate, Organizational, Honorary, Life, and Student members.

Section 2. Upon payment of local section dues, a voting member of the American Industrial Hygiene Association shall become a Full Member of the Michigan Section.

Section 3. Upon payment of local section dues, submission of a written application and the approval of the Executive Committee of the Michigan Section, or their designee, any person having a professional interest in industrial hygiene may become an Associate Member of the Michigan Section. An Associate Member is entitled to all the privileges of membership in the Section, except those which require membership in the American Industrial Hygiene Association.

Section 4. Organizational Memberships shall be considered as contributing or supporting memberships, and are not considered individual memberships. Organizational Members shall not have the right to vote or otherwise participate in the administration of the Section.

Section 5. Honorary Memberships shall only be conferred to persons of recognized eminence and to those members who have made significant contributions to the disciplines of industrial hygiene or to the Michigan Section. Honorary Members shall be entitled to all of the privileges of membership except those of voting or holding office, and shall be exempt from payment of Section dues. Honorary Members may retain the privileges of Full or Associate MIHS membership status by annually paying their MIHS dues.

Section 6. Life Memberships may be conferred on persons who have been Full or Associate Members of the Michigan Section in good standing for at least ten (10) years, and who have retired from full-time employment or active practice. Life members shall be entitled to all privileges of membership except those of voting or holding elective office, and shall be exempt from payment of dues and holding elective office. Life Members may retain the privileges of Full or Associate MIHS membership status by annually paying their MIHS dues. Names of persons to be considered for Life Membership shall be presented to the Executive Committee by the Secretary at least one (1) month prior to the Section’s Annual Business Meeting. Life membership shall be conferred with the consent of the awardee, by a two-thirds affirmative vote of the Executive Committee, and with such awards to be announced at the Section’s Annual Business Meeting. The award of Life Membership shall not be limited in number.

Section 7. Upon payment of local section dues, submission of a written membership application, and with the approval of the Michigan Section Executive Committee, or their designee, any person attending a college or university in pursuit of a degree in the field of industrial hygiene or related allied science may become a Student Member of the Michigan Section. A Student Member shall be entitled to all privileges of membership in the Michigan Section except the right to vote and to become an elected officer. An individual practicing full-time in the occupational and environmental health and safety field is not eligible for Student Membership.

ARTICLE IV - OFFICERS

Section 1. Any Full Member of the Michigan Section in good standing who is also a Member in good standing of the American Industrial Hygiene Association may hold an officer position in the Michigan Section.

Section 2. The officers of the Michigan Section shall be President, President-elect, Secretary, Treasurer, and Past President. The President-elect shall be elected annually and the Secretary and Treasurer shall be elected biennially (every two years) by the members of the Section, and shall serve until their successors are elected and installed, or until they resign or are removed. The President-elect shall automatically accede to the Presidency on election and installation of his or her successor.

Section 3. If the office of the President-elect becomes vacant, the President shall submit candidates to the Executive Committee for approval by a two-thirds vote, and the President for the following year shall be elected from the roster of candidates at the next Annual Business Meeting.

Section 4. An officer or Executive Committee Member may resign by oral tender of resignation at any meeting of the Executive Committee, or by giving written notice thereof to the Executive Committee. Such resignation shall take effect at the time specified and acceptance of such resignation shall not be necessary to make it effective.

Section 5. An officer or Executive Committee Member may be removed, with or without cause, at a meeting expressly called for that purpose, by a two-thirds majority vote of the Executive Committee.

Section 6. A vacancy in office because of death, resignation or removal of an officer may be filled by a person approved and receiving acceptance by two-thirds vote of the Executive Committee for the unexpired term, except as otherwise stated above.

ARTICLE V - ADMINISTRATION

Section 1. The Michigan Section shall be governed by the Executive Committee except as otherwise herein expressly stated.

Section 2. The Executive Committee shall consist of the five Officers, and eight elected Directors. The President of the Section shall serve as Chairperson of the Executive Committee.

Section 3. The President shall preside at all meetings of the Section and of the Executive Committee and shall perform such other duties as may be directed by the Executive Committee. The President should keep abreast of developments in the field of industrial hygiene and guide the Section in the formulation of constructive activities. The President should provide constructive and energetic leadership in the activities of the Section. The President shall appoint a Program Committee, Nominating Committee, Teller’s Committee, and such other committees as are deemed necessary and shall automatically become an ex-officio member of such committees.

Section 4. The Treasurer shall be the custodian of all monies of the Section, shall receive all monies due the Section and shall pay all authorized bills against the Section. The disbursement of all funds for this Section shall be made upon authorization of the Executive Committee. The Treasurer shall submit, in writing, an annual financial report at the Annual Business Meeting of the Section, and shall transmit to their successor in office, all funds and property of the Section in their possession. The Treasurer shall submit an annual report to the Section in such form as may be determined by the Executive Committee. The Treasurer shall provide a brief summary of the financial status of the Section at each Executive Committee meeting.

Section 5. The Secretary shall give notice to the Section’s membership of all meetings of the Michigan Section and the Executive Committee, keep an accurate record of all the transactions of business for all meetings of the Section and of the Executive Committee; shall carry on the correspondence of the Section; and shall oversee the list of the members, their status and the accuracy of the list. The Secretary may enlist the support of a Membership Committee.

ARTICLE VI - ELECTION OF THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE - OFFICERS AND DIRECTORS

Section 1. The President-elect shall automatically accede to the Presidency on election and installation of his/her successor. An individual may not be a candidate for the office of President-elect, Secretary, Treasurer, or Director, while President-elect or President.

Section 2. A President-elect shall be elected prior to March 1 each year to serve for one (1) year.  A Secretary and Treasurer shall be elected prior to March 1 biennially to serve for two (2) years.

Section 3. The eight elective Directors shall be elected to serve for a term of 2 years. Four, or as required, elective directors shall be elected and installed each year.

Section 4. The President shall appoint a Nominating Committee of two members and the immediate past president who shall serve as its chairperson. The Nominating Committee shall make every possible effort to submit to the Section’s President and Secretary the names of two or more members in good standing, qualified and willing to serve, for each office to be vacated at the Annual Business Meeting in March. Such submission shall be made to the MIHS Board for approval vote by January 1 and announced to the membership at the next general meeting or in writing if no membership meeting is to be held before January 15. The Secretary shall notify all members in good standing, in the form of a written ballot, of the selections of the Nominating Committee by February 1 following receipt of the report of the Nominating Committee.

Section 5. Additional nominations of qualified Members willing to serve may be made by petition to the Secretary and signed by at least ten (10) Members in good standing. Such a petition must be received not later than January 20, preceding the March Annual Business Meeting. Such nominations shall be first approved by the MIHS Board, before being added to the ballot. Ballots shall be provided to all voting members in good standing by February 1. Refer to Article X, Section 2.

Section 6. Ballots shall be returned to the Tellers Committee prior to the first day of March at which time the elections will be closed. The Teller’s Committee, or their designee, shall count the ballots prior to the March meeting at which time the election results shall be announced.

Section 7. The newly elected Officers and Directors shall be installed at the Section’s March Annual Business Meeting and shall serve until their successors are installed, or until they resign or are removed.

Section 8. The results of elections shall be reported promptly to the Secretary of the American Industrial Hygiene Association by the newly installed Secretary of the Section.

ARTICLE VII - LOCAL SECTION COUNCILORS

Section 1. The MIHS shall be represented in the Local Section Council at the Annual Meeting of the American Industrial Hygiene Association by the President and by a Michigan Section officer who is to attend that meeting, and who is not an Officer or Member of the Board of Directors of the American Industrial Hygiene Association. This person is to be appointed by the President at the meeting of the Section preceding the American Industrial Hygiene Association Annual Business Meeting. In the event the President is not able to attend the Annual Business Meeting or that he/she is an officer or member of the Board of Directors of the American Industrial Hygiene Association, the ex-officio Local Section Councilor shall be the President-elect or the Secretary or the Treasurer, to be appointed by the President.

Section 2. The members who attend the Local Section Council Meeting shall report to the Michigan Section on the annual meeting of the American Industrial Hygiene Association and bring its members the highlights of that meeting. This report shall be rendered at the first Michigan Section meeting following the national meeting and/or in the Section’s Newsletter.

ARTICLE VIII - PUBLIC STATEMENTS

Section 1. Before a Local Section publishes or otherwise issues publicly any statement which utilizes any form of the name of the American Industrial Hygiene Association on a policy or technical issue other than issues that only affect the Michigan Section, it must obtain the consent of the Board of Directors of the AIHA.

Section 2. Before any Officer or Director of the Michigan Sections publishes or otherwise issues publicly any statement upon a policy matter that is within the policy area of the Michigan Section, he/she shall first receive authorization from the Executive Committee as expressing the opinion of a majority of the members of the Michigan Section.

ARTICLE IX - MEETINGS

Section 1. The time and place of each Section meeting shall be approved by the Executive Committee.

Section 2. The Section’s Annual Business Meeting, at which results of the election of Officers and Directors shall be announced and their installation will take place, shall be held in the month of March.

Section 3. Members in good standing shall be notified of all meetings at least twenty (20) days in advance of the date set for the meeting.

Section 4. A quorum of the membership shall consist of 20 percent of Full Members and Associate Members. A quorum of the Executive Committee shall consist of at least three officers and four directors. If financial matters are to be discussed, one of the officers must be the Treasurer.

Section 5. Executive Committee meetings shall be held at the discretion of the President at any time during the year provided notice of at least five days is given. The Executive Committee should meet to conduct Section business at approximately two month intervals, but not less than four times per year. The Secretary shall provide to the Section’s membership a brief summary of each Executive Committee meeting, including issues discussed, members present and absent, and results of any Executive Committee votes by posting the Executive Committee’s meeting minutes to the Section’s website.

Section 6. Executive Committee members are expected to attend Executive Committee meetings and shall make every effort to do so in person. An Executive Committee member must be physically present at the meeting in order to vote on an issue.

Section 7. With the approval of the Executive Committee, special meetings may be called by the President at any time, or by petition to the President that is signed by ten members, in good standing, of the Michigan Section. Members in good standing shall be notified at least twenty days in advance of such special meeting.

ARTICLE X - DUES

Section 1. Annual dues for the various types of memberships shall be set by the Executive Committee and may be changed only by a plurality vote of the membership at any duly constituted general meeting of the Section or by a vote of the membership.

Section 2. Annual dues are payable between September 1 and December 31 for the following calendar year. Any member whose dues are unpaid after December 31 is not in good standing and shall have no voting rights. When dues of any member have not been paid by December 31,  that person’s membership is automatically terminated. Such a member’s status will be restored to good standing upon receipt, by the Treasurer, of his/her current dues plus a 20% administrative surcharge.

Section 3. For new members, membership dues paid prior to September 1 will be applied to the current year. Membership dues paid after September 1 will be applied to the following calendar year and allow privileges for the remainder of the current year.

ARTICLE XI - COMMITTEES

Section 1. The President shall appoint a Program Committee. The Program Committee shall present a tentative program for the year to the Executive Committee for their approval. On approval of the Executive Committee, the Program Committee will then complete arrangements for speakers and for meeting places, and provide the Secretary with the program, which will be circulated to the members of the Michigan Section.

Section 2. The President shall appoint such other committees as are deemed desirable for the effective action of the Michigan Section. For example: Best Paper, Membership, Awards, Nominating, Bylaws, Outreach, and others.

Section 3. The Membership of all committees appointed by the President shall terminate with the close of the March Annual Business Meeting of the Section.

ARTICLE XII - AMENDMENTS

Section 1. Amendments to these Bylaws may be presented by any Member in good standing at any regular meeting of the Section or at any special meeting called for that specific purpose. They shall be presented in writing and shall be offered to the Executive Committee on motion for consideration and circulation to the membership. A simple majority, of the members present, shall be necessary to pass the motion. Amendments accepted for future consideration and circulation shall be circulated with a ballot to all Members in good standing. A two-thirds affirmative vote of the ballots returned within 30 days shall be necessary for adoption of any amendment.

Section 2. Amendments to these Bylaws must be approved by the Board of Directors of the American Industrial Hygiene Association before they become effective. This action is to ensure the Michigan Section that future changes in these Bylaws will have the same force as the original Bylaws which were approved.