Division 19 Bylaws

1. The name of this organization shall be the Society for Military Psychology (Division 19 of the American Psychological Association).

2. The purposes of this organization shall be:

a) To advance psychology as a science, as a profession, and as a means of promoting human welfare through research, the application of research findings to military problems, and the encouragement of professional relationships among psychologists interested in the application of psychological knowledge and techniques to military problems.

b) To foster wide dissemination and application of scientific knowledge and state-of-the-art advances in areas relevant to military psychology.

1. The division of Military Psychology of the American Psychological Association (hereinafter referred to as the division) shall consist of three classes of members; viz., fellows, members, associates, and a class of affiliates. The requirements for these classes of membership and affiliates shall be those provided in the bylaws of the APA (hereinafter referred to as the Association), with additional requirements as noted below. Eligibility for any class of membership or affiliation must include evidence of accomplishment, participation, or sustained interest in furthering the goals of military psychology.

2. Fellows of the division shall be persons who (a) have been a division member for at least one year, (b) have been selected for their unusual and outstanding contributions to military psychology, (c) have had five years of work related to military psychology, (d) are actively engaged in the performance or administration of research or application relative to military psychology, and (e) are approved by the association for Fellow status therein. fellows shall be selected for nomination to the association by the fellows committee of the division, and shall be nominated if approved (a) by the executive committee of the division, and (b) by a majority of the division fellows attending and voting at the annual business meeting of the division.

3. Members of the division shall be persons who (a) are members of the association and, (b) are elected as Members by the membership committee of the division.

4. Associates of the division shall be persons who (a) are associates of the association and, (b) are elected as associate members by the membership committee of the division.

5. Affiliates of the division shall be persons who (a) are not fellows, members, or associates of the association, but (b) are elected to affiliate status by the Membership Committee of the division. Bonafide students shall be eligible to apply for affiliate status, with lower dues than those paid by regular affiliates.

6. The secretary of the division, directly or through the central office of the association, shall notify persons newly elected to the division of their election immediately after the annual business meeting, or immediately after their election should that occur earlier than one month prior to the annual business meeting.  In the case of newly elected affiliates, the treasurer of the division, directly or through the central office of the association, shall notify the persons directly, and shall bill them for all dues and fees.

7. Any person may be expelled from the Division for cause by a two-thirds vote, taken by secret ballot, of the membership present and voting at an annual business meeting as provided in Sections 8 and 9, below. Such vote shall be taken only upon the recommendation of a select committee of no fewer than three persons appointed by the President of the Division to investigate the specific case; the committee's recommendation will be submitted only after (a) the committee has accumulated the relevant facts and has given the person in question an opportunity to answer the charges against him both in writing and by appearing in person before the committee, and (b) the committee's proposed recommendations have been reviewed and approved by a majority vote, taken by secret ballot, of the Executive Committee of the Division.

8. On all matters calling for action by the membership of the division, each Fellow, each Member, and each Associate who has achieved voting status in the Association (through five consecutive years as an Associate of the Association) shall have one vote, and no proxy votes shall be permitted.

9. Other Associates and Affiliates of the Division shall be permitted to vote on such division matters, not directly a concern of the Association, as determined by the Executive Committee of the division. In such cases, each such person shall have one vote, and no proxy votes shall be permitted.

1. The officers of the division shall be the (a) president, (b) immediate past president, (c) president-elect, (d) treasurer, (e) secretary, (f) division representative(s) to the council of representatives of the association, and (g) three members-at-lrge of the Executive Committee of the division. Only fellows and members of the division shall be eligible for nomination or election as officers of the division.

2. The term of the president-elect shall be one year, after which he/she shall serve one year as president and one year as immediate past president. The treasurer and the secretary shall serve terms of three years, but they shall not serve more than two terms without at least three years intervening. Terms of the secretary and the treasurer shall be staggered.  The term(s) of the division representative(s) to the council of representatives of the association shall be governed by the provisions of the bylaws of the association. The members-at-large of the executive committee of the division shall serve for a term of three years, but they shall not be eligible for re-election without at least one year intervening.

3. No person may serve concurrently in more than one division office, except that any division officer may also serve as division representative to the council of representatives of the association, if duly elected. In the event of election or succession to more than one office in the division, the selection of the office in which to serve and the office(s) from which to resign shall be decided by the individual, or on his/her written petition, by the executive committee of the division.  In the case of the death, incapacity, or resignation of a division officer, the executive committee shall elect a successor-pro-tem to serve until either (a) the term expires, or (b) a person elected by the membership for the unexpired term is installed at the next annual business meeting, the president excepted.

4. It shall be the duty of the president to preside at all meetings of the division, to act as chairperson of the executive committee of the division, to exercise supervision over the affairs of the division with the approval of the executive committee, and to perform such other duties as are incident to his/her office or as may properly be required of him/her by vote of the executive committee. In the case of absence, death, incapacity, or resignation of the president, his/her duties shall be assumed by the president-elect.

5. It shall be the duty of the division treasurer to have custody of all funds and properties of the division, to collect any special dues or assessments that may be voted in accordance with Article VIII of these bylaws, and to make disbursements as authorized by the president with the approval of the eecutive committee, and to serve as a member of the executive committee.

6. It shall be the duty of the division secretary to keep the records of all meetings of the division and to issue calls and notices of the meetings and of nominations of Officers, to correspond with individuals who request information about the division and its functions, and to serve as a member of the executive committee.

7. It shall be the duty of the division representative(s) to the council of representatives of the association to perform the duties and accept the responsibilities specified in the bylaws of the association, to keep the division officers and membership informed of council activities or pending actions relevant to the interests of the division, and to serve as member(s) of the executive committee.

8. It shall be the duty of the members-at-large of the executive committee to serve as members of that committee, and to perform such duties as may properly be assigned them by the president with the approval of the executive committee of the division. election of members-at-large will be staggered so that one three-year term will expire each year.

1. The division shall have an Executive Committee consisting of all officers of the division (as listed in Article III, Section I) as voting members. In addition, the chairpersons of the standing committees of the division and the editor of the division newsletter shall attend meetings of the Executive Committee of the division with the right to make and second motions, to participate in the discussions and debate, and to report regarding the progress of the work within the areas of their responsibilities as well as advise the Executive Committee with regard to the likely impact of matters under consideration.

2. The Executive Committee shall have general supervision of the affairs of the division.  All actions of the Executive Committee that are of a continuing or policy nature are subject to the approval, by majority vote, of the membership present and voting at the annual business meeting, by postal or electronic mail ballot, or by website as provided in Article II, Sections 8 and 9, of these bylaws.

3. The President of the division shall be chairperson of the Executive Committee, and the secretary of the division shall be secretary of the Executive Committee.

4. The president of the division, in consultation with the Executive Committee, shall appoint such members and chairpersons of standing and select committees as provided for in Article VII of these bylaws.

1. The officers of the division shall be elected by the fellows, members, and voting associates of the division (see Article II, Section 8), voting by mail ballot according to the preferential voting system employed by the association.

2. A standing Division Election Committee shall consist of the president-elect (chairperson) and the three members-at-large of the executive Ccmmittee.

3. Annually, at a time established by the deadlines provided by the Association, the Election Committee Chairperson shall send a nominations ballot to the division membership. The ballot shall provide at least two places for each office to be filled. The nominations ballots, when returned by the membership, shall be forwarded to the chairperson of the Election Committee. That committee shall tally the votes, and, for each office to be filled, shall select at least two nominees willing to serve if elected. The persons thus nominated must be the two willing nominees standing highest in the balloting for the office. If two willing nominees can not be found on the basis of the nominating ballot, then one nominee may be selected by the Election Committee on the basis of standing in balloting or other exceptional qualification for office. The persons will be named in alphabetical order to the secretary without identification as to source of the nominations. The secretary of the division or the Election Committee chairperson shall then transmit the names of the persons nominated for each office to be filled to the Elections Committee of the association in accordance with the association's deadlines for inclusion in the election ballot mailed by the association in accordance with the provisions of the association's bylaws.

4. Officers shall assume office on the first day of January of the year after their election; they shall hold office until their successors are elected and installed, normal terms of office notwithstanding.

1. There shall be at least one business meeting of the division each year.

2. A quorum at the annual business meeting shall consist of no fewer than the lesser of twenty-five voting members or five percent (5%) of the voting membership.

1. The executive committee shall be a standing committee of the division, with membership and duties as provided in Articles II, III, and IV of these bylaws. It shall have its incoming and outgoing meetings at the time of the appropriate annual business meeting and shall meet additionally, if necessary, upon call by the division president.

2. The Fellows Committee shall be a standing committee of the division, with duties as provided in Article II, Section 2, of these bylaws. The Fellows Committee shall consist of three fellows of the division serving three-year staggered terms, with the senior member in terms of expiration of term normally serving as chairperson.

3. The Membership Committee shall be a standing committee of the division, with duties as provided in Article II, Sections 3, 4, and 5, of these bylaws. The Membership Committee shall consist of three persons serving three-year staggered terms, with the senior member in terms of expiration of term normally serving as chairperson. Fellows, members, and voting associates of the division shall be eligible for appointment to the Membership Committee.

4. The Committee on Nominations and Elections shall be a standing committee of the division, with membership and duties as provided in Article V, Sections 2 and 3, of these bylaws.

5. The Military Psychology Awards Committee shall be a standing committee of the division, and shall consist, ex officio, of the immediate past president (chairperson), the president, and the president-elect. It shall be the duty of this committee to select the individuals, establishments, organizations, or agencies, if any, to receive various military psychology awards as established by the executive committee, which may be bestowed no more frequently than annually.

6. The Program Committee shall be a standing committee of the division. The Program Committee shall consist of four persons serving four-year staggered terms, with the senior member in terms of expiration of term normally serving as chairperson. Fellows, members, associates, and Affiliates of the Division shall be eligible for appointment to the Program Committee. It shall be the duty of this committee to make arrangements for programs in cooperation with the Convention Program Committee of the Association, and for programs at any other meetings in which the Division officially participates.

7. The newsletter editor shall be appointed by the president for a term no longer than the president's term and may be re-appointed by the next president.

8. The Military Psychology Journal shall be a standing committee of the division. The editor of the journal shall serve as the committee chairperson, and the members of the committee shall consist of the associate editors of the journal. The journal editor shall be appointed by the president with the approval of the executive committee for a period of five years. The editor may be re-appointed at the end of his/her term by the then current president, with the approval of the executive committee. The associate editors shall be appointed by the journal editor with the approval of the president.

9. The historian/archivist shall be appointed by the president for a term no longer than the president's term and may be re-appointed by the next president.

10. In addition to the standing committees of the Division provided for by these Bylaws, the president with the approval of the executive committee of the division or of the membership voting at the annual business meeting may establish such select, special, or ad hoc committees as are deemed desirable. Unless otherwise authorized by the membership or by the executive committee at the time of approval for the establishment of such committee(s), the committee(s) shall serve for a term no longer than that of the President who appoints the members to such committee(s).

11. In accordance with Article V, Section 7, of the association's bylaws, all division committees shall be subject to review by the association's board of directors.

1. The membership basic dues shall be paid to the division by the Association from each fellow's, member's, or associate's annual dues to the association as provided in Article XIX, Section 4, of the association's bylaws. The basic division dues to be paid annually by division affiliates who are not members of the association will be established by the executive committee of the division, subject to the approval of the membership present and voting at the annual business meeting, but will be no lower than the membership basic dues allocated to the division by the association.

2. Membership additional dues, and special assessments, may be recommended by the president with the approval of the executive committee of the Division, and shall be established by majority vote of the membership present and voting at an annual business meeting, or by mail ballot, as provided in Article II, Sections 8 and 9, of these bylaws.

3. Upon receipt of division membership dues by the association (or the division in the case of affiliates), applicants for membership shall be considered "provisional" for purposes of receiving the division newsletter and the journal, pending full acceptance as provided in Article II.

The division, by two-thirds vote of the membership present and voting at any annual business meeting, or by a majority vote of the division membership voting by mail ballot, as provided in Article II, Sections 8 and 9, of these Bylaws, may adopt such amendments to these Bylaws as have been (a) presented and read at the preceding annual business meeting, or (b) circulated to the division membership at least one (1) month prior to the final vote on the proposed amendment(s). Circulation may be carried out either (a) by publication in the division's newsletter, (b) by separate mailing, postal or electronic, to the last known addresses of the membership, or (c) by website.

- Amended August 2010