Div. 47 Bylaws

Section 1
The name of this Division shall be the Division of Exercise and Sport Psychology.

Section 2
The purpose of this Division shall be to bring together persons who are interested in exercise and sport psychology in order to foster research, teaching, service and interest in this area.

Section 1
Fellows, Members, Associate Members, International Affiliates, and Student Affiliates of the American Psychological Association are eligible to join this Division. The Division shall have three membership categories: Fellows, Members, Associates as described in the APA Bylaws and three affiliate categories: Professional Affiliates, Student Affiliates and International Affiliates. Professional Affiliates are non-APA member psychologists, whose qualifications are equal to those required for Member status in the Division and who have an interest in the field of exercise and sport psychology. Professional Affiliates may vote on all divisional matters except the election of the division representative to Council. Professional Affiliates may hold division offices other than Council Representative.

Section 2
Any APA Fellow, Member, Associate Member, Professional Affiliate, Student International Affiliate, or InternationalStudent Affiliate who completes the required application procedure and pays the dues established under Article X of these Bylaws shall be a member of this Division.

Section 3
Only Fellows and Members have the privilege of voting and/or holding office in Division 47.

Section 1
Sections within the Division may exist in order to represent scientific and professional interests that lie within the scope of the Division.

Section 2
Sections may be created either from the Division’s existing membership or by incorporating existing organizations.

a) Establishment of a section within the Division shall be considered whenever a request for such establishment is accompanied by a petition signed by not less than 5% of the Division membership and is accompanied by a set of proposed bylaws.
b) A section formed by incorporating an existing society may retain its original name provided that it is followed by the phrase: “A Section of the Division of Exercise and Sport Psychology of the American Psychological Association.”

Section 3
The Executive Committee may create a section provided that:

a) it represents an active, unitary interest of a group of members;
b) its membership will not be restricted on any basis other than interest;
c) the establishment of this section is not inimical to the welfare of any other section of the Division;
d) its objectives, as specified in its bylaws, fall within the scope of those in Article I, Section 2 of these bylaws.

Section 4
Each section shall have the following rights and privileges:

a) to adopt its own rules of procedure within the framework of these bylaws and to elect officers, appoint committees and adopt regulations for the conduct of its business;
b) to collect dues or other assessments from its members in addition to Divisional dues and to disburse such funds;
c) to elect a representative to the Division Executive Committee. In the event that a section representative cannot attend a meeting of the Executive Committee, a franchised alternate may be appointed by the section;
d) to be allotted from the Division’s allocation an amount of program time at the annual convention of the American Psychological Association, such amount to be determined each year by the Division Executive Committee.
e) to have an allocation of space in the Division’s regular publications, within reasonable limits and without cost to the section.

Section 5
Each section shall have the following responsibilities to the Division:

a) to maintain the policies of the Division and to adopt only amendments to its bylaws that are in accord with these bylaws;
b) to present an annual budget to the Division Executive Committee for informational purposes and to submit a financial report on its operations at the end of the fiscal year;
c) to file and maintain current with the Division Secretary its bylaws, rules of procedure, names of elected officers and other members of the Section governance.

Section 6
The Executive Committee shall oversee the activities of each Section to insure that they are in compliance with all Division Bylaws and policies and with the APA Bylaws, Association Rules and policies.

Section 1
The officers of the Division shall be a President, a President-elect, a Past-President and a Secretary Treasurer. All officers shall be Members or Fellows of the Division.

Section 2
The President shall preside at all meetings of the membership and meetings of the Executive Committee and shall carry out those duties that are ordinarily performed by a Division’s chief executive.

Section 3
In the event that neither the President nor the President-elect is able to serve, the Executive Committee shall designate an interim President. The offices of both the President and President-elect shall then appear on the next election ballot.

Section 4
The Secretary Treasurer shall oversee all financial and other records of the Division.

a) He/she shall perform such other duties as may be delegated by the President or the Executive Committee.
b) In the event that the Secretary Treasurer is unable for any reason to complete his/her term of office, the President, with the approval of the Executive Committee, shall appoint another individual to complete the unexpired term.
c) The office of the Secretary Treasurer may be divided into separate offices for a Secretary and a Treasurer, without amending these bylaws, at any time that the Executive Committee determines that such a division is necessary for the effective functioning of the Division.
d) If such a division is enacted, the Committee on Nominations & Elections, by the most expedient means, shall arrange that the Secretary and the Treasurer are elected in alternate years.

Section 5
The terms of office for each officer shall be as follows:

a) Election to the position of President-elect involves a three-year term. The first year will be as President-elect; the second year will be as President; and the third year will be as immediate Past-president.

1) The President-elect shall serve as the presiding officer of the Division in the absence of the President and shall perform such other duties as may be required of him/her by the President or the Executive Committee.

2) In the event that the President shall be unable to serve a full term for any reason, the President-elect shall succeed immediately to the Presidency and shall serve as President until the end of his/her second year of membership on the Executive Committee.

b) The Secretary-Treasurer shall be elected for a three-year term.

Section 1
The voting members of the Executive Committee shall consist of the President, the Presidentelect, the Secretary Treasurer, the immediate past President, two Members at Large, the Division Representative(s) to the Council of Representatives of the American Psychological Association and the representative elected by voting members of each section. All members of the Executive Committee shall be Members or Fellows of the Division. Persons appointed to other Division positions, such as the Program Chair, Newsletter Editor, and Student Representative, shall be involved in all Executive Committee activities and shall attend Executive Committee meetings at the discretion of the President. They shall not be voting members of the Executive Committee.

Section 2
Terms of office for the Members-at-Large, Section Representatives, and Council Representative shall be:

a) Members-at-Large shall be elected for two-year, staggered terms. In the event that a memberat large shall be unable to serve a full term for any reason, the president, with the approval of the Executive Committee, shall appoint another individual to complete the unexpired term.
b) Section Representatives shall be elected for two year terms.
c) Representative (s) to the APA Council shall serve for the period of their term on Council, which period shall be determined according to the APA Bylaws.

Section 3
The Executive Committee shall meet annually in conjunction with the convention of the American Psychological Association. Other meetings of the Executive Committee may be called by the President or by a majority of the members of the Executive Committee acting in concert.

Section 4
The Executive Committee is empowered to act for the Division in all matters between business meetings of the Division.

Section 1
The Committee on Nominations & Elections shall be responsible for presenting a slate of nominees for offices, as required, to the membership.

Section 2
The immediate Past President shall be the Chair of this Committee. The President, with the approval of the Executive Committee, shall appoint two additional members of the Committee.

Section 1
The Program Committee shall be responsible for setting up meetings and presentations by the Division at the annual convention of the American Psychological Association and on such other occasions as may be appropriate.

Section 2
The Chair of this Committee shall be appointed by the President, with the approval of the Executive Committee. Other members of the Committee may be suggested by the Chair and appointed by the President in such a number as seems appropriate for the size of the program.

Section 1
The annual business meeting of the Division shall take place in conjunction with the convention of the American Psychological Association.

Section 2
All meetings of the Division shall be conducted in accordance with Keesey’s Modern Parliamentary Procedures except where it is in conflict with these bylaws or the bylaws of the American Psychological Association.

Section 1
Each member shall pay annual divisional dues in an amount that is established by the Executive Committee of the Division.

Section 2
Special assessments may be recommended by the Executive Committee but must be approved by the membership either at the annual membership meeting or by a mail ballot. In determining which of these procedures shall be followed, the President shall give due consideration to the percentage of the total membership attending an annual meeting at which a special assessment could be brought to a vote.

Section 1
A quorum at meetings of the Executive Committee and all other committees shall be a majorityof the members of the Committee.

Section 2
A quorum at the annual meeting or at any other meeting of the membership shall be those members present.

Section 1
These bylaws may be amended only by a two thirds majority of those members voting.

Section 2
Bylaw amendments may be proposed by the Executive Committee or by a written petition signed by not less than 15% of the Division’s membership according to the most recent count maintained by the Central Office of the American Psychological Association.

Section 3
Proposed amendments shall be mailed sent to each member. To be counted, returned amendment ballots must be received by the Secretary Treasurer within 45 days from the date ofmailing.

Section 4
Approved amendments become effective when the Secretary/Treasurer’s tallies are verified by the Executive Committee, usually at the next annual membership meeting, except when an emergency exists and is so noted in the proposed amendment. Such verification may be made by mail or telephone ballot.

Section 1
Nothing in these bylaws shall be construed as in opposition to the Bylaws and Rules of Council of the American Psychological Association.

• 3rd Revision (April, 2001; Effective August, 2001)

• Proposed Revisions April 2010