Constitution & Bylaws
 
Bylaw VII:
Council
SECTION 1. MEMBERSHIP
Individuals may be admitted to membership of the Council under any one of the following procedures, as applicable.
Paragraph a. Each Sponsor of the CONFERENCES shall have the privilege of appointing one representative member of the Council.
Paragraph b. Each conference shall have a Representative on the Council. Such Representative may be elected during a regular business meeting of the conference. An elected Representative must be the current chair or vice chair, or a former chair of a conference. Each elected Representative will serve for two years or, if the conference meets less frequently than once every two years, until the conference next meets. Representatives may serve for two consecutive terms provided such second term does not extend service on the Council beyond four consecutive years. In the absence of the election of a Representative from a conference, such conference's chair will serve as the Representative to the Council during such chair's term of office.
Paragraph c. Annually, at its spring meeting, the Board of Trustees shall nominate at least ten scientists who have attended at least one Gordon Research Conference for election as members-at-large of the Council. From this slate, within sixty days after the nomination, the Council shall be provided the list of nominees together with individual biographical information. The Council shall then elect by mail ballot, to be returned to the Director within forty five days of receipt, five members-at-large for terms of three years each, beginning January 1, of the following year.
Paragraph d. A Trustee shall be a member of the Council during and for two years after the expiration of such Trustee's term of membership on the Board of Trustees.
Paragraph e. Elected members of the Selection and Scheduling Committee are members of the Council during their terms of office.
Paragraph f. The Director shall be, ex officio, executive secretary of the Council.
SECTION 2. MEETINGS AND VOTING
Paragraph a. The Council shall meet at the call of the Director at least once each year. Also, the Director shall call a meeting upon petition by ten members of the Council.
Paragraph b. At a called meeting, thirty members of the Council, present in person or by proxy, shall constitute a quorum.
Paragraph c. The Chair of the Board of Trustees shall be the presiding officer at the meetings of the Council.
Paragraph d. Approval by the Council shall be a majority affirmative vote of those present and voting, in person or by proxy, at a regularly called meeting, unless otherwise specified in the Constitution.
Paragraph e. At all meetings of the Council and at any time that a member of the Council is voting by mail ballot as provided in these Bylaws or in the Constitution, a member of the Council may vote either in person or by proxy executed in writing by such member or such member's duly authorized attorney-in-fact. Such proxy shall expire upon the adjournment of the meeting for which it was given or, in the case of a mail ballot, upon the expiration of the time within which such mail ballot must be returned and shall be filed with the Clerk before or at the time of the meeting or the mailing of the ballot, as the case may be.
Paragraph f. Recommendations and nominations from the Board of Trustees may be supplemented by the Council.
SECTION 3. RESPONSIBILITY AND AUTHORITY
The Council shall have the responsibility and authority to advise the Board of Trustees upon major policy-making and financial matters, particularly as stated in the Constitution and Bylaws, and to elect Trustees and members-at-large.