Constitution

Constitution

Article I. Name. The name of this society shall be The International Society for the Study of Narrative.

Article II. Purpose. The purpose of the society shall be to promote the study of narrative literature.

Article III. Membership. Membership shall be open to scholars, students, and other persons interested in narrative literature.

Article IV. Officers. The officers of the Society shall be a President, a Past President, a First Vice-President, a Second Vice-President, a Secretary-Treasurer, and an Archivist. The President shall preside at meetings of the Executive Committee and the Executive Council, and at general meetings of the Society. The President shall serve as an ex-officio member of all committees of the Society. The Past President (the immediate predecessor of the President) shall advise the President and the other members of the Executive Committee and the Executive Council. The First Vice-President shall preside at meetings in the absence of the President, and shall serve as Chair of the Program Committee. The Second Vice-President shall preside at meetings in the absence of the President and First Vice-President. The Secretary-Treasurer shall keep the minutes of the meetings and provide periodic reports on the finances of the Society. The Archivist shall maintain the records of the meetings and the functions of the Society.

Article V. Executive Committee. The Executive Committee of the Society shall consist of the officers. The Executive Committee shall be responsible for advancing the interests of the Society and implementing its policies in the intervals between meetings of the Executive Council and the general membership. 

Article VI. Executive Council. The Executive Council of the Society shall consist of the Executive Committee, the Editor of the Society's official journal, and six additional Council Members. The Executive Council shall serve as the major policy-making body of the Society, advising the Executive Commitee and the general membership concerning long-term objectives of the Society. 

Article VII. Election of Officers and Council Members. All officers except the Archivist shall be elected annually, as provided in the By-Laws of the Society. The Archivist shall be elected for a renewable three-year term, as provided in the By-Laws of the Society. The remaining Council Members shall be elected for three-year terms, as provided in the By-Laws of the Society. 

Article VIII. Amendments. Amendments to the Constitution must be approved first by a vote of two-thirds of the members present at a regular meeting and then by vote of two-thirds of the members responding to a mail ballot. 

Article IX. Purpose of Organization. Said organization is organized exclusively for charitable, religious, 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 corresponding section of any future federal tax code. 

Article X. Permitted Activities. No part of the net earnings of the organization shall inure to the benefit of, or be distributable to its members, trustees, officers, or other private persons, except that the organization shall be authorized and empowered to pay reasonable compensation for services rendered and to make payments and distributions in furtherance of the purposes set forth in the purpose clause hereof. No substantial part of the activities of the organization shall be the carrying on of propaganda, or otherwise attempting to influence legislation, and the organization shall not participate in, or intervene in (including the publishing or distribution of statements) any political campaign on behalf of any candidate for public office. Nothwithstanding any other provision of this document, the organization shall not carry on any other activities not permitted to be carried on (a) by an organization exempt from federal income tax under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, corresponding section of any future federal tax code, or (b) by an organization, contributions to which are deductible under section 170(c)(2) of the Internal Revenue Code, or corresponding section of any future federal tax code. 

Article XI. Dissolution Statement. Upon dissolution of the Society, assets shall be distributed to one or more tax-exempt non-profit organizations with similar educational and literary goals within the meaning of section 501 (c) (3) of the Internal Revenue Code, or corresponding section of any future federal tax code, or shall be distributed to the federal government, or to a state or local government, for a public purpose. Any such assets not disposed of shall be disposed of by the Court of Common Pleasof the county in which the principal office of the organization is then located, exclusively for such purposes or to such organization or organizations as said Court shall determine, which are organized and operated exclusively for such purposes. (Amended April, 1995)