CONSTITUTION
of the
PROMETHEUS SOCIETY
(as of March, 2015)
Last Updated on Thursday, 12 March 2015 13:49
The Constitution is the cornerstone of the Prometheus Society, providing the guidelines for the conduct of the Society’s business. It sets out the objectives of the organization, establishes membership criteria, defines the nominal roles and terms of office of the Officers, establishes election procedures, journal subscription fees, etc.
ARTICLE I – NAME AND PURPOSE
1. The organization shall be known as the Prometheus Society, otherwise referred to as the Society within this constitution.
2. The purposes of the Prometheus Society are:
a. To provide a forum for the exchange of ideas between members.
b. To promote understanding and friendship between members.
c. To foster intellectual freedom.
d. To assist in research relating to high intelligence and intelligence testing.
e. To encourage and assist the efforts of members to attain high levels of achievement in the arts, the sciences, and other fields of endeavor.
ARTICLE II – OFFICIAL ADDRESS AND AGENT
1. The official address of the Society is the same as that of its President.
2. For legal purposes, the agent-general of the Prometheus Society is the President.
3. In the event that the office of the President is vacant, the official address and agent of the Society shall follow the succession given in Article X, Section 1.
ARTICLE III – QUALIFICATIONS FOR MEMBERSHIP
1.
a. All members of the Prometheus Society as of December 1, 1996, are conclusively presumed to have satisfied the membership requirements, except as provided for in Art VII.
b. All members of the Prometheus Society who were properly admitted by the Membership Officer using the standards in force at the time on the basis of score reports accurately reflecting scores they themselves achieved are conclusively presumed to have satisfied Prometheus membership requirements.
2. Membership in the Prometheus Society is open to anyone who can provide satisfactory evidence of having received a score on an accepted IQ test that is equal to or greater than that received by the highest one thirty-thousandth of the general population. An accepted IQ test is defined as an IQ test that the Society has determined to be acceptable for admission purposes.
3. The President shall appoint a Membership Committee to rule on the acceptability of various IQ tests, to determine what minimum scores on each test qualify for admission, and to periodically review and make recommendations on admission standards in general.
4. The committee shall consist of the President, the Membership Officer, and at least three other members such that a majority of the other members are recognized as having experience in the field of psychometrics.
5. The committee shall propose to the membership specific guidelines on tests and test scores for the Membership Officer to follow. Upon ratification of these guidelines by membership vote as specified in Article IX, they shall become binding on the Membership Officer.
ARTICLE IV – APPLICATIONS FOR MEMBERSHIP
1. Prospective members shall submit a request for membership, including proof of qualification, to the Membership Officer.
2. The Membership Officer shall forward a recommendation for or against admitting the applicant based on the Membership Officer’s opinion as to the validity of the applicant’s qualifications. The recommendation, a copy of the request, and a copy of the evidence of qualification shall be sent to the Ombudsman.
3. The Membership Officer’s opinion shall stand unless the Ombudsman raises a formal objection within 15 days of receiving the recommendation and evidence. In this event the items of Section 2 and a statement by the Ombudsman shall be sent to all officers, and admission of the applicant will be determined by a vote of the officers except for the Membership Officer. The Membership Officer shall cast a vote only to break a tie.
4. The Membership Officer shall notify applicants of the acceptance or rejection of their applications. The Membership Officer shall send each accepted applicant a copy of the Society constitution as amended and a request for the items specified in Section 5.
5. Applicants invited to join the Society must remit the new member fee and prorated dues through the end of the calendar year to the Treasurer and send a signature card to the Editor within 45 days of the invitation.
6. Upon receiving the fee, dues, and signature card, the Membership Officer shall provide each new member with a letter of acceptance and welcome, and a copy of the most recently published membership list.
ARTICLE V – MEMBERSHIP FEES
1. There is a one-time-only $5.00 new member fee for each new member.
2. Annual dues shall be $25.00 for North American members and $35.00 for other members, the difference resulting from the higher mailing costs between North America and other areas. An online only version of the newsletter without hard copy shall be made available for members and subscribers at $10.00 anywhere in the world
3. All dues and fees are remitted to the Treasurer. Remittance must be in U. S. funds.
4. The Treasurer may waive all or part of the dues and the new member fees for members who make a written claim of financial hardship.
ARTICLE VI – RIGHTS AND OBLIGATIONS OF MEMBERSHIP
1. The rights of each member shall include:
a. The right to select and recall any officer.
b. The right to amend the constitution, to present proposals and suggestions, and to advocate for their acceptance as provided for in Article VIII
c. The right to receive the services and benefits of the Society, including the hard copy and/or on-line newsletter, except as provided in paragraphs VI 6 and VII 7.
d. The right to be protected from personal derogation, violation of privacy, or intimidation.
e. The right to due process in the functioning of the Society.
f. The right to present a Society-related dispute to the Ombudsman.
g. The right to examine Society records at any reasonable time except that any member’s test scores and personal finances shall be confidential and withheld from the membership and the public unless the affected member permits otherwise. However, test score information may be used in statistical summary form so long as such use does not allow identification of any member.
2. Members’ rights may not be abrogated, nor shall they be lost even if not fully exercised, nor may these rights be surrendered or bargained away, nor may anyone be permitted to violate these rights. The Society shall act promptly and diligently to protect and maintain these rights.
3. Members shall pay all required fees by due dates as set forth by the Treasurer.
4. Members shall notify the Treasurer of any change of address and shall allow their names and addresses to be published in Society publications.
5. Members agree to abide by the constitution of The Prometheus Society.
ARTICLE VII – TERMINATION OF MEMBERSHIP OR SUSPENSION OF MEMBERSHIP PRIVILEGES
1. A member may resign for any reason by sending a signed and dated notice of resignation to the Membership Officer. The Membership Officer shall notify all the other officers of the resignation.
2. Members may be dropped from membership in the Society for failure to pay annual dues so that they are received within 45 days of the Treasurer’s request for such dues, and members may be expelled from the Society for the following reasons:
a. Proof of fraud in obtaining admission to the Society.
b. Conduct tending to bring the Society into severe disrepute.
c. Severe or repeated violation of other members’ rights.
d. Failure of an outgoing officer to provide Society records to his or her successor within 15 days of identification of this successor.
3. A member liable to expulsion shall be notified of this fact by the Membership Officer. Within 30 days of the mailing of this notice, the member shall have the right to present a written defense to the officers of the Society. After the 30 day period has expired, the expulsion proposal and written defense (if any) shall be presented in the newsletter and members shall vote on the expulsion following the procedures set forth in Article IX, Section 3.
4. No member shall be deprived of full membership rights nor full access to the resources of the Society until the member has lost a vote of the membership on his or her expulsion, except as provided in paragraphs VI 6 and VII 7.
5. A member may appeal a vote for expulsion, to the general membership of the Society. The member may request a membership vote and present a written defense of not more than four pages in the next newsletter. The newsletter in which the member has had the opportunity to publish a defense shall be accompanied by a ballot to be returned to the Membership Officer within 14 days. A two-thirds majority of all votes cast shall result in the expulsion of the member.
6. The e-mail lists maintained by Prometheus shall be under the aegis of the Officers of the Society. The Officers may from time to time establish guidelines for the lists with the purpose of maintaining civility and protecting members from derogation, as required by paragraph 1 d.
7.
a. Participants who violate the guidelines established for the e-mail lists may be suspended from any email list of the Society for not more than 30 consecutive days by a majority vote of the Officers; for not more than 7 days at the discretion of the Internet Officer.
b. Those who violate the guidelines repeatedly may be suspended for periods longer than 30 consecutive days by majority vote of the officers, but will have the right to appeal the suspension to those members participating in the relevant list. A majority vote of those members is required to overturn the suspension.
ARTICLE VIII – MEMBERSHIP MEETINGS
1. The official meeting place for conducting Society business is the Prometheus website, and such other places as the Officers shall designate from time to time.
2. At any time, any five members may propose a vote amending this constitution or directing any Officer or the Officers in general to implement any policy.
3. The Editor shall post all proposals to vote on Society business, exactly as received, on the website or designated email list, provided such proposals do not exceed 1000 words in length, in which case the Editor may exercise his or her judgment in how to proceed in bringing the matter before the membership.
4. At least 15 days shall intervene between the posting of any proposal and the official call for a vote on the proposal, to allow time for comment by the membership.
5. Proposals shall be adopted by a majority of the votes cast except as otherwise provided in this constitution.
ARTICLE IX – VOTING PROCEDURES
1. A member may mark only one ballot per election.
2. The Treasurer shall tabulate the votes, including the votes cast online, and e-mail ballots received directly, and make a written report by email to the Editor not more than 7 days after receiving the mail ballots from the Editor.
3. A majority of the valid votes cast shall decide an issue on the ballot except where stated otherwise in this constitution.
4. Proxy votes are not allowed.
5. Online voting shall be by means of registering a vote in a secure fashion designated by the Officers. The Officers shall insure that the online voting procedure preserves the anonymity of the voters, and that it is secure both against unauthorized voting and multiple voting. The Treasurer shall be in charge of administering the online voting procedure.
ARTICLE X – OFFICERS
1. The following Officers shall be elected during each odd-numbered calendar year: President, Editor, Membership Officer, Treasurer, Internet Officer, and Ombudsman. The order in which the officers are listed in this section is the official order of succession.
2. When more than two candidates are running for an office, or when more than two alternative proposals covering the same subject matter are voted on simultaneously, a preferential ballot shall be used. If there is not a majority according to first-place votes, the candidate or proposal receiving the fewest first-place votes shall be eliminated, with the ballots indicating this first place choice redistributed according to their second-place choices, etc., until a majority vote emerges. If there is a tie for any office or proposal, it is broken by a vote of the previous Officers. The Treasurer shall cast a vote only in case there is a tie vote among the other Officers.
3. The President shall act as the coordinator of activities of The Prometheus Society, answer inquiries which are not within the jurisdiction of the Officers, and be the official representative of the Society to the public. The President may appoint members individually or to a committee for the purpose of carrying out various functions. Appointed members serve at the discretion of the President. A committee chair shall report to the President unless otherwise directed by the President.
4. The Editor shall publish the newsletter of the Society at least ten times each calendar year. The newsletter shall contain all official business of the Society and such additional material as may be of interest to the members. The Editor is responsible for administering the election process of the Society. The Editor shall include a list of all current members in the May issue of the newsletter of each calendar year. The Editor shall furnish the Membership Officer, and shall make available to all interested parties, up-to-date copies of the constitution as amended.
5. The Membership Officer shall be responsible for administering the procedures pertaining to the admission and expulsion of members. The Membership Officer is responsible for maintaining membership records and for providing information to prospective applicants. The Membership Officer is in charge of the Society’s efforts to recruit new members.
6. The Treasurer is in charge of collecting, disbursing, and safeguarding the Society’s funds. The Treasurer shall disburse funds for routine and necessary expenses within 15 days, and for other purposes as directed by a majority vote of the Officers. The Treasurer shall perform the duties relating to Society elections as stated in this constitution. The Treasurer shall submit a report to the Editor by the 1st of May of each calendar year summarizing the financial activities of the previous year. The report shall be published in the next newsletter.
7. The Internet Officer shall be responsible for maintaining an official website for the Society and for administering an electronic mailing list, which shall be made available to Prometheus Society members and subscribers.
8. The Ombudsman shall investigate complaints regarding the Society-related activity of any member or officer, report findings and recommendations to those involved, and assist in reaching an equitable settlement. All official records of the Society relating to the dispute under investigation shall be made available to the Ombudsman. The Editor shall publish in the newsletter the findings and recommendations of the Ombudsman, and shall administer a vote on the dispute if the Ombudsman so requests.
9. In the case of the incapacity, resignation, or recall of the President, the duties of the President shall be performed by the next available officer in the order of succession given in Article X, Section 1. An election for the office of President shall be held within 90 days of the date the vacancy was created.
10. In the case of the incapacity, resignation, or recall of an officer other than the President, the President shall appoint a member to the vacated office. At the discretion of the President or at the request of at least 25 percent of the membership, a special election for the vacated office shall be held within 90 days of the request for the election.
11. For legal purposes, the officers of the Society shall also be the board of directors.
12. An Officer must be a member of the Society. However, the President may appoint non-members to perform certain functions, such as an expert to supervise testing, an attorney to represent the Society in legal matters, an accountant to audit the books, etc.
13. Members may place their own names in nomination for an office. Members nominated for an office by another member have the right to decline the nomination. Nominations are submitted to the Editor.
14. A candidate may publish in the newsletter a statement of qualifications of up to one page in length.
15. An Officer shall be recalled by a majority vote of all votes cast. A recall vote shall proceed when the Editor receives a valid petition signed by 15 percent of the membership. The Officer subject to recall may publish a defense of up to three pages in the first available newsletter. Ballots are then mailed to the members and must be returned to the Editor within 15 days. Not more than three days after the end of the 15-day period, the Editor shall notify the other officers of the outcome of the recall vote. The officer is removed from the office at this time if the outcome of the vote favors recall. If the Editor is being recalled, the Treasurer replaces the Editor in all functions relating to the recall process.
16. When an Officer leaves office for any reason, the Officer shall transfer all Society records and materials to the succeeding officer within 15 days of notification of a successor.
17. No member shall hold more than two offices simultaneously. No member shall hold the office of Ombudsman and any other office simultaneously.
ARTICLE XI – AMENDMENTS
1. A member may propose an amendment to the constitution by submitting the proposed amendment for publication in the newsletter.
2. An amendment is approved upon receiving two-thirds of the votes cast.
ARTICLE XII – MOVING PROMETHEUS ONLINE
1. All references to the newsletter in the Constitution shall be taken to include the substitution of an appropriate online form of the newsletter.
NOTES:
The Constitution is the cornerstone of the Prometheus Society, providing the guidelines for the conduct of the Society’s business. It sets out the objectives of the organization, establishes membership criteria, defines the nominal roles and terms of office of the officers, establishes election procedures, journal subscription fees, etc.