The Langston Hughes Society

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Dellita Martin-Ogunsola
LHS President
Foreign Language and Literatures
University of Alabama, Birmingham
dellita@uab.edu

Sharon Jones
LHS Vice-President
Wright State University
sharon.jones@wright.edu

Sharynn Owens Etheridge
LHS Secretary-Treasurer
Claflin University
setheridge@claflin.edu

By-Laws of the Langston Hughes Society

As Adopted, April 19, 1984, Nashville, Tennessee

I. Name

This organization shall be called The Langston Hughes Society, hereinafter referred to as the "society."

II. Purpose

The society has been established to initiate, sponsor, and encourage publications, conferences, programs and projects celebrating the life, works, and legacy of Langston Hughes.

III. Membership

Membership in the Society is open to all persons eighteen years of age and older who have genuine interest in increasing public awareness and perpetuating the study and appreciation of the writings, career, life and legacy of Langston Hughes. They may become members of the society upon payment of membership dues as set by the Executive Council and may remain so by the payment of membership dues each year.

IV. Officers

The elected officers of the Society shall be a president, vice- president (president-elect), an immediate past president, and a secretary-treasurer. In addition, the executive committee shall appoint the editor of the Langston Hughes Review, and the executive editor of the Review, and a Director of Memberships. All of the officers shall serve a two-year term except the editor and the executive editor of the Review who shall serve at the pleasure of the Executive Committee.

V. Duties of the Officers

All officers shall make annual written reports and submit them to the secretary-treasurer prior to the annual spring meeting of the society. The immediate past president shall be exempt from this

responsibility.

The president shall preside at all official business meetings of the Society, the Executive Committee and the Advisory Board, and shall appoint committees with the advice of the Executive Committee.

The vice-president shall perform all the duties of the president in the absence of the latter, and shall also serve as chairperson of the program committee. The vice-president shall become president of the Society for the term immediately following tenure of office and therefore designated president-elect.

The immediate past president shall assist the president in the transition of office and advice the Executive Committee in any and all ways appropriate for the operation of the Society.

The secretary-treasurer shall keep the minutes of the meetings of the Society and the Executive Committee and prepare minutes for appropriate distribution; have custody of all funds of the Society, and pay all bills properly incurred by the Society; present annual financial reports to the Executive Committee and at the annual business meeting of the Society; preserve the archives of the Society, and keep an accurate record of all memberships.

The Director of Memberships shall be in charge of membership recruitment and renewal.

The Editor of The Langston Hughes Review shall serve as chairperson of the Editorial Board and shall be responsible for the publication of the Review.

The Executive editor of The Langston Hughes Review shall serve on the Editorial Board and shall be responsible for the business management and distribution of the Review and shall keep an accurate record of all matters pertaining to the management and distribution of the Review.

VI. Executive Committee

The Executive committee of the Society shall be chaired by the president and composed of the following officers: the vice-president (president-elect), the immediate past-president, the secretary-treasurer, the editor of The Langston Hughes Review, the executive editor of the Review, and the chairperson of the Membership Committee. In addition, the Founders of the Society shall always be invited to attend and participate as voting members in the deliberations of the Executive committee. This committee will normally meet twice a year--once in the Spring and once in the Fall. In the event of an emergency, it may be convened at other times, providing that each member received a notice of such a meeting at least two weeks prior to said meeting. The major responsibility of the Executive Committee will be to run the Society. It will approve all plans, program, and the projects of the Society; raise funds for the support of the Society; plan and initiate policy for the Society; and through the secretary-treasurer, supervise all expenditures and disbursements and oversee whatever business may be conducted by the Society.

VII. Advisory Board

The Society shall have an Advisory Board composed of eight members of the Society selected as follows:

two humanists from the academic community

three humanists from the non-academic community

three non-humanists selected at large

Advisory Board members will be selected by the president with the approval of the executive committee. The Board will meet once a year with the executive committee at the annual Spring meeting of that body and will be routinely consulted on all matters pertaining to the growth and development of the Society. Normally its members will serve two-year terms. Initial appointments, however, will be staggered in order to assure continuity of Board membership. At its annual Spring meeting, the Advisory Board will be chaired by the president and receive all reports germane to the business of the Society. At its annual meeting the president of the Society will organize the Advisory Board and supervise an election of its officers.

VIII. Meetings

The Society shall hold an annual meeting at a time and place to be determined by the Executive Committee. This committee shall be responsible for the agenda of that meeting. Parliamentary procedures at the annual meeting shall be governed by Robert's Rules of Order.

IX. Dues

Membership dues will be determined by the Executive Committee and payable on a calendar year basis. The fiscal year of the Society shall be January 1st to December 31st. Payment of annual dues entitles a member to participate in all transactions of the Society and to receive a one-year's subscription to the Review.

X. Nomination and Election of Officers

Whenever an election is necessary, a nomination committee appointed by the president of the Society will bring a slate of nominees to the Society membership at the annual meeting. Officers will be elected by a majority vote of all members present and voting. The Executive Committee shall have the authority to fill temporarily any vacancy occurring among the officers of the Society until a successor can be regularly elected.

XI. Standing Committees

All committees shall be appointed by the president with the approval of the Executive Committee.

The Program Committee shall be composed of the vice-president (chairperson), the editor of The Langston Hughes Review and three members of the Advisory Board. It shall plan and co-ordinate conferences and panel presentations sponsored by the society,and the program for the annual Spring meeting of the Society. I All proposals and plans developed by the Program committee are to be presented for approval to the Executive Committee at the Fall meeting.

The Editorial Board shall be composed of the editor of the Review the executive editor of the Review, and no more than eighteen members selected from scholars in the field. Members of the board shall be selected by the editors and approved by the executive committee. Members of the board shall advise the editor concerning the publication of the Review.

The Committee on Nominations shall nominate a slate of officers to be recommended for election by the Society, and co-ordinate the mail ballot procedures when utilized. The president shall serve as an ex-officio member of the committee. Elections shall be held at the annual business meeting in the Spring of the year.

The Committee on Research and Publications shall compile an annual list of scholarly publications, creative projects and research efforts concerning the life and writings of Langston Hughes and information pertinent to the purpose of the Society. It shall also work to help keep the writings of Langston Hughes in print and available to the students, teachers and readers of Langston Hughes.

The Committee on Awards and Monuments shall make recommendations for citations for outstanding scholarly work published on Langston Hughes in book form as well as other noteworthy projects that

advance the purpose of the Society. It shall also make recommendations for sponsorship of monuments and memorials to be erected in honor of Langston Hughes at sites and on occasions appropriate to the purpose of the society.

XII. Amendments

Amendments to these By-Laws may be proposed by any member of the Executive committee or Advisory Board or by written petition of one-third of the members of the Society. However they originate, amendment proposals shall be received by the secretary- treasurer and forwarded to the membership at least ninety (90) days before the meeting at which they are to be voted on. To be adopted, proposed amendments must receive the approval of two-thirds majority of the members present and voting.