The Society of Jewish Ethics

By-Laws
Draft 1 

Article I
Name

The name of this organization shall be The Society of Jewish Ethics.

Article II
Purpose

The purpose of the Society shall be to promote scholarly work in the field of Jewish ethics and in the relation of Jewish ethics to other traditions of ethics and to social, economic, political and cultural problems; to encourage and improve the teaching of Jewish ethics in colleges, universities and theological schools; to promote an understanding of Jewish ethics within the Jewish community and society as a whole; and to provide a community of discourse and debate for those engaged professionally in Jewish ethics. 

Article III
Membership 

Section 1. Eligibility 
Persons eligible for membership shall include : 

1. college, university or seminary teachers of Jewish ethics or social ethics; 
2. persons teaching in similar institutions in other fields who are concerned with the relation of Jewish ethics to their subject matter;
3. persons whose professional work in synagogues, Jewish institutions, government, social agencies or elsewhere is related to the purposes of the Society. 

A prerequisite for membership is at least one of the following: 

1. a Ph.D. or equivalent degree, 
2. scholarly publications in the above-named fields, 
3. a teaching position in ethics and/or related fields in an accredited institution of higher learning or research center. 

Graduate students in ethics or related fields, or rabbinical students, may become members of the Society upon matriculation into a graduate or rabbinical program.

Section 2. Maintenance of Membership 
Membership in the Society shall be maintained by payment of the annual dues. Membership shall be terminated by resignation or by failure to pay annual dues. Reinstatement of membership will automatically accompany the payment of annual dues. 

Section 3. Dues 
The Board of Directors shall set membership dues, which shall run for the Jewish calendar year, beginning with Rosh Hashanah. Dues for students will be at a reduced rate. 

Article IV
Meetings 

The Society shall hold an Annual Meeting at a time and place to be determined by the Board of Directors. This meeting shall be used for the reading and discussion of scholarly papers, election of officers, and the conduct of the Society's official business. A quorum for conducting business at the Annual Meeting shall consist of one half of the members registered for that meeting. 

Article V
Officers

The Officers of the Society are the President, Vice President and Secretary/Treasurer.

Section 1. President 
The President shall be elected by a majority vote of the members present and voting at the Annual Meeting of the Society and shall serve for a term of two years commencing with the adjournment of the Annual Meeting. The President shall preside at the Annual Meeting and at the meetings of the Board of Directors. The President, in conjunction with the Board of Directors, shall coordinate the planning and execution of the Annual Meeting and all activities associated with it. The President shall also notify the membership of the Society about actual and proposed activities, issues facing the Society, and any policies that might affect the membership.

Section 2. Vice President
The Vice President shall be elected by a majority vote of the members present and voting at the Annual Meeting of the Society and shall serve for a term of two years commencing with the adjournment of the Annual Meeting. The Vice President shall be President-Designate and shall normally be elected to the office of President after the completion of a two-year term. In the event of the absence or incapacity of the President, the Vice President shall perform presidential duties. 

Section 3. Secretary/Treasurer
The Secretary/Treasurer shall be elected by a majority vote of the members present and voting at the Annual Meeting of the Society and shall serve for a term of two years commencing with the adjournment of the Annual Meeting. The Secretary/Treasurer shall supervise all financial affairs of the Society including, but not limited to, the collection of dues, monitoring of accounts receivable, paying bills, and keeping an accurate accounting of the Society's funds. At the Annual Meeting the Secretary/Treasurer will give a financial report to the Society. The Secretary/Treasurer shall also keep an up-to-date list of the membership of the Society. 

Article VI
Board of Directors 

The Board of Directors shall consist of the following members: the President, Vice President, Secretary/Treasurer and four (4) other members elected by majority vote of the members present and voting at the Annual Meeting. The members-at-large shall serve for two years commencing with the adjournment of the Annual Meeting. Members of the Board of Directors, including officers, may serve for two consecutive terms, or a total of four(4) years. After an interval of at least one year, a member of the Board of Directors may be elected for not more than two additional terms. Two members-at-large, or half the total number, will be elected at each Annual Meeting. 

The Board of Directors shall have the power to act on all matters concerning the Society between Annual Meetings, and to establish committees, as needed. It shall present to the Annual Meeting a report of its actions, which shall be subject to approval of the members present. 

Article VII
Ratification and Amendments

These By-Laws shall be presented for ratification at the 2003 Annual Meeting of the Society. Ratification shall require a two-thirds vote of the members present and voting at the meeting. These By-Laws shall be reviewed at the 2005 Annual Meeting of the Society. Subsequent to their initial ratification, these By-Laws may be amended by a vote of the majority of the members present and voting at the Annual Meeting, provided that the proposed amendment was included in the Call to the Meeting, or was submitted at the previous annual Meeting, or is recommended by a two-thirds vote of the Board of Directors. 

Adopted January 11, 2003