Bylaws

Article I
NAME

The name of this organization shall be: Constructivist Psychology Network, Inc. (CPN).

The purpose of this organization shall be to encourage the development of research and practice broadly defined as “constructivist” within psychology and related human sciences. This includes, but is not limited to, areas such as personal construct psychology, social constructionism, radical constructivism, cognitive constructivism, narrative psychology, and phenomenological psychology. Constructivist approaches are defined as those that emphasize the role of human meaning making and the centrality of these invented meanings in understanding human functioning.

Section 1:

The organization shall have two types of membership: Members and Students.

Section 2:

a. Individuals can join CPN by submitting a membership application form and fee to the organization’s treasurer.
b. Individuals who are presently enrolled as students in an academic program can join as Student Members and pay a lower fee.

Section 3:

Members and Student Members of CPN can vote in CPN elections. Members can hold all positions except Student Member-at-Large. Student Members can serve only as Student Members-at-Large or as Newsletter Editor.

Section 1:

The Steering Committee shall consist of both elected CPN officers (President, President-elect, immediate Past President, Secretary, Treasurer, 3 Members-At-Large), and appointed CPN officers (Newsletter Editor, Conference Organizer, and 2 Student Members-at-Large).

Section 2:

The President of CPN shall preside at all CPN meetings. This person shall serve as CPN’s governing executive officer. In the event of the President’s death, resignation,  absence or inability to serve, the President’s duties shall pass successively to the President-elect, the Secretary, and the Treasurer.

Section 3:

a. The election of officers and other members of the Steering Committee shall be conducted by mailed ballot. 
b. Nominations will be solicited by mail in the spring (May) issue of the CPN newsletter. 
c. Candidates can be nominated by any CPN Member or can self-nominate. Nominations should be sent to the Secretary. Candidates nominated by others must accept the nomination before being placed on the ballot. The Secretary must receive all nominations by the last day of June. 
d. The official ballot shall be mailed to all dues paying members in February and must be returned by April 1. The winter (January) issue of the CPN newsletter will include candidate statements.

Section 1 (President):

a. The President shall have all duties usually ascribed to a presiding officer by a standard manual of parliamentary procedure.
b. The President shall be empowered to appoint appropriate representatives and liaisons to committees conducting CPN business.
c. The President shall be empowered to establish and appoint committees of a temporary nature that are important to the President’s functions as executive officer.

Section 2 (President-elect):

The President-elect shall act in place of the President whenever the latter is unable to carry out his or her assigned duties.

Section 3 (Immediate Past President):

The immediate Past President shall oversee elections, coordinating the selection of candidates for the upcoming election.

Section 4 (Secretary): 

a. The Secretary shall keep appropriate records of CPN business, including the taking of minutes at official meetings and maintaining a permanent file of business transacted. The Secretary shall distribute preliminary drafts of such minutes to members of the Steering Committee and insure that such minutes are published in the organization’s newsletter. 
b. The Secretary shall arrange for the preparation of CPN stationary.
c. The Secretary shall annually obtain a copy of the most recent CPN membership data from the Treasurer.
d. The Secretary shall receive and tally election ballots.

Section 5 (Treasurer):

a. The Treasurer shall be in charge of all financial matters and shall receive membership dues.  The Treasurer shall disperse funds at the discretion of the Steering Committee.
b. The Treasurer shall report at regular intervals to the Steering Committee on the financial status of CPN.
c. The Treasurer shall prepare a financial report for the Steering Committee, to be reviewed at the business meeting held at each CPN conference. 
d. The Treasurer shall maintain a complete list of CPN member names, addresses, phone numbers, and email addresses; this shall be turned over to the Secretary and maintained as a CPN Directory.
e. The Treasurer shall mail out election ballots.

Section 6:

a. The Steering Committee shall act as a deliberative body on all issues involving the governance of CPN and shall conduct the business of the organization between biennial meetings. When major issues of policy arise, the Steering Committee shall make necessary interim decisions in the periods between biennial meetings. 
b.  Exceptions to the responsibilities of the Steering Committee shall be where power is delegated otherwise in these Bylaws either to an officer, a committee, or to the membership.

Section 1:

a. The President, Secretary, Treasurer, and Members-at-Large will be elected. The terms of office shall be as follows:
    President: two (2) years
    President-elect: two (2) years
    Immediate Past President: two (2) years
    Secretary: four (4) years, not to be elected the same year as Treasurer
    Treasurer: four (4) years, not to be elected the same year as Secretary
    Members-at-Large: two (2) years
    Student Members-at-Large: two (2) years
b. Members of the Steering Committee shall submit nominations for Student Members-at-Large, the Conference Organizer, and the Newsletter Editor. The President shall fill these (2) two-year positions from among these nominees.

Section 2:

a. The immediate Past President shall solicit a slate of candidates for each office.
b. The immediate Past President shall send out a request for nominations for all offices in which vacancies will occur by way of a direct letter to all CPN members in the Spring issue of the Newsletter.
c. Any CPN member in good standing who self-nominates for a position will be placed on the ballot; to be in good-standing, the member must be current in his or her dues.
d. If two nominees do not self-nominate for each position, then the Steering Committee will be charged with recruiting additional nominees. Only after a substantial effort to recruit additional candidates fails shall the final ballot include uncontested candidates.

Section 4:

Both members and student-members can vote in elections.

Section 5:

Election to office shall be by plurality of the votes cast.

Section 6:

a. The Steering Committee is empowered to fill a vacancy caused by resignation, failure to assume office, or death. The member so elected by the Steering Committee shall complete the term of office of the individual whose place this person was selected to fill. Missing two consecutive meetings of the Steering Committee or failing to be involved in ongoing Steering Committee email deliberations may be taken as a failure to assume the duties of office.
b. The special procedures for filling a vacancy in the office of President is outlined in Article IV, Section 2 of these Bylaws. Power may be vested in the highest-ranking officer to fill an existing vacancy by appointment if filling the vacancy is deemed urgent, pending approval of the Steering Committee, by mail, telephone, or electronic ballot.

Section 1:

a. CPN shall hold a biennial conference meeting.
b. The Steering Committee shall meet at the biennial conference, as well as communicate regularly at other times.
c. A business meeting, open to the entire membership, will be scheduled during the biennial conference.

Section 2:

a. The biennial conference shall include a program of scientific, philosophic, and professional papers, symposia, invited addresses, continuing education workshops, and other features to be arranged by the Conference Organizer, assisted by the Steering Committee.
b.  In addition to the biennial conference, CPN may maintain a Hospitality Suite at annual American Psychological Association Conventions in which small thematic meetings, colloquy, conversation hours, discussion hours, and social events shall be scheduled.

Section 1:

Half of the members of the Steering Committee, convened, shall constitute a quorum. No proxy votes shall be accepted.

Section 2:

Five percent of the voting members of CPN shall constitute a quorum at any meeting in which business is transacted. No proxy shall be acceptable at such meetings.

Section 1:

Dues of Members and Student Members shall be determined by the Steering Committee.

Section 2:

a. The Treasurer shall present a financial report at the biennial member’s business meeting.
b.  The President may appoint an Auditing Committee to audit the financial records of the organization.

Section 1

The Steering Committee shall be responsible for the following areas: 

a. Membership: The Steering Committee is charged with launching membership drives, recruiting new members, and maintaining accurate records of the membership.
b. CPN Conference: The Steering Committee will assist the Conference Organizer in planning the Biennial Conference.
c. Election: The Steering Committee shall insure that nominations for offices are completed in a timely fashion. The immediate Past-President shall be charged with overseeing the nominations process.
d. Awards: The Steering Committee will establish various awards, such as the Lifetime Achievement Award and the Student Paper Award, and will develop criteria for selecting winners.

Section 2:

All members of CPN shall be eligible to serve on the Steering Committee. Student members can only serve as Student Members-at-Large.

The Parliamentary Authority for the Division shall be Roberts’ Rules of Order (Latest Revision), unless specifically superseded in some areas by provisions of these Bylaws.

Section 1:

Five CPN members in good standing may propose amendments to these Bylaws. If approved by the Steering Committee, such amendment proposals and revisions shall be distributed via the newsletter with a due date for returning ballots clearly indicated.

Section 2:

The Steering Committee may propose amendments to and/or revisions of these Bylaws to the membership at any time. Such amendment proposals and revisions shall be distributed via the newsletter with a due date for returning ballots clearly indicated.