1. NAME
a) The name of the organization shall be the Society for Socialist Studies/Société d’études socialistes (the “Society”)
2. PURPOSE
a) The purpose of the Society shall be to create, foster, and publish, academic and scholarly research and analysis in Canada, with particular emphasis on socialist, feminist, anti-racist and ecological points of view, regarding history, political science, political economy, sociology, and other academic subjects; to organize conferences, seminars and workshops, relating to same, and to publish and distribute material emanating from such conferences, seminars, and workshops; to publish educational material, including newsletters, pamphlets, magazines, and books, relating to same; and generally to dedicate itself to high quality research, and to the advancement of public education.
b) The Society shall be carried on without purpose of gain for its members, and any profits or other accretions to the Society shall be used solely to promote its objectives. The substance of this paragraph shall not be repealed or amended.
3. MEMBERSHIP
a) Membership is open to any person who agrees with the Society’s purpose and who pays annual dues.
b) Only members of the Society can hold office, be on the Society’s committees, and vote at the Society’s meetings.
4. LOCAL CHAPTERS
[*Local chapter formation is still welcome during this period. However, affiliations with existing organizations outside the SSS will not be considered formally until new procedures are approved. After discussion at the annual GAMM meeting, a motion of the Executive on July 4, 2022, suspended affiliations and launched a review of the affiliate process, for presentation and action at the annual GAMM for 2023. Please contact us about local chapter formation at membershipsocialiststudies@gmail.com.]
a) The Society welcomes the formation of chapters and the affiliation of existing organizations to advance its purposes of scholarship and social practice.
b) Any number of members may form a chapter. The Chapter will be recognized if it includes a minimum of five members, subject to approval of its application by the Executive.
c) An existing organization may affiliate to the Society if it includes a minimum of five members, subject to approval of its application by the Executive
d) The activities of Chapters and Affiliates shall be compatible with the purpose of the Society for Socialist Studies as described in 2a.
e) Subject to 4b, Chapters and Affiliates may have an internal structure as may be considered appropriate for their activities.
f) The recognition of Chapters and Affiliates may be withdrawn by the Executive for activities not conducive to the interests of the Society.
g) The Society will aid the coordination of Chapter and Affiliate activities, with itself and among them.
5. GENERAL ASSEMBLY
a) The General Assembly consists of members who have paid their dues for the current or immediately-past membership year (members in good standing). The membership year is January 1 – December 31.
b) The General Assembly is the highest and ultimate authority in all matters concerning the activities of the Society for Socialist Studies.
c) The General Assembly will meet in a Membership Meeting, normally at our Annual Conference, or if an Annual Conference does not convene, at any Society event no later than June 30. Meetings will be conducted as a hybrid of online/in-person or entirely online as circumstances permit or require. The quorum consists of those members in good standing who are present. The Membership Meeting shall review the operations of the previous membership year, plan for the current year, hold elections as appropriate, and approve a budget for the current year.
d) All members in good standing in attendance will have voting rights at Membership meetings.
e) The President may call a Special Membership Meeting on the advice of the Executive. A Notice of Meeting and an agenda shall be circulated to all members in good standing at least one month in advance. The quorum consists of those members in good standing present. Voting at Special Membership Meetings will be conducted in the same way as the General Assembly Membership Meeting.
6. EXECUTIVE
a) The day-to-day conduct of the Society is in the hands of the Executive, consisting of the following officers: President, Secretary, Membership Secretary, Treasurer, three (3) Members-at-Large, two (2) student and youth representatives, and two (2) scholar-activist representatives. The Journal Editor and Conference Committee Chair or nominee will be ex-officio members of the Executive.
b) All officers shall be elected by the General Assembly at the Membership Meeting. A majority of votes cast is required for election. If a position is not filled at the Membership Meeting, the Executive may appoint someone to that position.
c) The Executive will issue a call for nominations thirty (30) days before the General Assembly Membership Meeting on years when positions will be vacated. Nominations will also be accepted from the floor at the General Assembly Membership Meeting. A member of the Executive not seeking re-election will oversee the elections. The election of all positions will be conducted by secret ballot by members in attendance at the General Assembly Membership meeting unless uncontested.
d) The President, Secretary, Membership Secretary, Members-at-large, student and youth representatives, and scholar-activists are elected for two (2) year terms. The Treasurer is elected for a three (3) year term.
e) All Executive members take office July 1 in the year of their election.
7. DUTIES OF THE EXECUTIVE
a) The President shall chair all meetings of the Society. S/he shall appoint special committees in consultation with the Executive and provide overall direction and supervision to the Society and its Executive.
b) In the event of the absence of the President, the meeting will elect a temporary chair.
c) The Secretary shall record proceedings and resolutions of all meetings of the Society; receive and answer letters addressed to the Society; issue all notices of meetings; perform all duties pertaining to the office of Secretary.
d) The Membership Secretary shall convene and chair a committee, open to all members in good standing and appointed by the Executive, tasked with maintaining and updating the membership list; retaining, expanding and diversifying membership; and working to stabilise and increase membership and donation revenues. The Membership Secretary and sub-committee will ensure compliance with all relevant privacy legislation and protection of members’ data. The Membership Secretary will report to the Executive on the activities of the sub-committee and provide an annual report to the General Assembsly Membership meeting.
e) The Treasurer shall report on the condition of the treasury at all meetings of the Society; collect membership fees, donations and other incoming funds; keep the financial records; make payments on behalf of the Society; prepare a budget for submission to the Annual Membership Meeting; authorize expenses not exceeding 120% of the respective budgeted amount; request Executive approval for expenses exceeding this amount.
f) Members at Large, student and youth representatives, and scholar-activist representatives shall attend executive meetings regularly, contribute to its functions of deliberation and oversight and take up special tasks required for the working and advancement of the Society by mutual agreement with the rest of the Executive.
8. CONFERENCE COMMITTEE
a) The Conference Committee shall organize the annual Society conference, including issuing a Call for Papers, putting together a Program, and organizing conference logistics.
b) At each Annual Membership Meeting, after elections, the Executive will ask for volunteers to serve on the Conference Committee. A meeting will convene immediately following the Annual Membership meeting of those interested in serving on the Conference Committee. This meeting will be chaired by the President of the Society and the purpose will be to form a Steering Committee and to elect the Conference Chair(s). In the event that no volunteers arise at the meeting, the Executive will be tasked with forming a Committee after the close of Congress. Once formed, the Conference Committee is free to expand its membership by seeking additional volunteers.
9. JOURNAL EDITOR AND EDITORIAL BOARD
a) The Journal Editor and Editorial Board shall produce the Society’s journal, Socialist Studies / Études socialistes.
b) The Journal Editor will be appointed by the Executive for a term of three (3) years. Not less than six (6) months prior to a known vacancy, the Executive will issue a Call for Proposals from interested individuals (or Editorial Teams) to take up the Journal. The appointment of a new Editor (or Editorial Team) will be completed before March 31. Nothing precludes an Editor (or Editorial Team) from seeking successive appointments.
c) The Executive will approve the Journal Editorial Board on the advice of the Journal Editor. Nominations for the Editorial Board are open to members in good standing.
10. THE HIVE
a) The Hive shall consist of members in good standing who are normally identified at the Annual Membership Meeting.
b) Any Society member is eligible to be a member of the Hive.
c) Members can be appointed to the Hive at any time by the Executive.
d) The Hive will act as an advisory committee to the Executive and provide information about past practices while serving as a discussion forum to help in the Executive’s running of the Society.
e) Normally, the communications of the Hive are through e-mail correspondence.
11. AMENDMENTS
a) This constitution may be wholly or partly changed by a Membership Meeting. Acceptance requires a two-thirds majority of the final vote.
12. RULES OF ORDER
a) Subject to the provisions of this Constitution, “Robert’s Rules of Order” will be used for all meetings of the Membership, the Executive, and Committees.
13. DISSOLUTION
a) It is the unalterable provision of this Constitution that members shall have no interest in the property and assets of the Society, and that, if the Society dissolves, any property and assets remaining after satisfaction of its debts and liabilities shall be transferred to (a) charitable organization(s) whose principal objective is similar to the purposes of the Society, as listed in 2a).
b) Upon dissolution of the Society, the books, records and minutes of the Society shall be stored at an institution which would make the files accessible to researchers.
14. NUMBER, GENDER AND HEADINGS
a) Words importing the singular number include the plural, and vice versa, and words importing gender include all genders. b) Headings are inserted for the purposes of convenience only and shall not affect the interpretation of this Constitution.
Approved at the Annual Membership Meeting of 30 May 1981 and confirmed by mail-ballot in November 1981
Amended June 2, 2006 Congress of Humanities and Social Sciences Society for Socialist Studies AGM York University, Toronto, Ont. Canada. Download PDF of Constitution (1996 version).
Amended May 28, 2014 Congress of Humanities and Social Sciences Society for Socialist Studies AGM, Brock University, St. Catharines, Ont. Canada.
Amended June 1, 2016 Congress of Humanities and Social Sciences, Society for Socialist Studies AGM, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada.
Amended June 1, 2017 Congress of Humanities and Social Sciences, Society for Socialist Studies AGM, Ryerson University, Toronto, ON, Canada.
Amended June 6, 2019 Congress of Humanities and Social Sciences, Society for Socialist Studies AGM, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada.
Amended June 8, 2020 at the special online General Assembly Membership Meeting. (Zoom Meeting ID: 969 6312 1442)