Constitution and By-Laws 
of Overseas Chinese Environmental Engineers & Scientists Association

ARTICLE I: NAME

The name of this association shall be "Overseas Chinese Environmental Engineers & Scientists Association", hereinafter referred to as "OCEESA".

ARTICLE II: PURPOSE

The objectives of OCEESA shall be:

1, To encourage the advancement of environmental engineering in all areas.

2. To promote research in environmental engineering and science.

3. To improve the qualifications and usefulness of OCEESA members.

4. To encourage professional contacts among OCEESA members.

5. To promote interactions with other scientific communities.

6. To strive for international recognition by our professional peers.

7. To assist members in the professional development or educational training.

ARTICLE III: COMPOSITION OF THE ASSOCIATION

The Association shall be composed of members who in turn may be members of its Division and/or its local Sections. It shall have officers and employees as are necessary to effectuate its purposes.

ARTICLE IV: MEMBERSHIP

Section 1. OCEESA membership shall include regular members, student members, affiliate members, corporate members, honorary members and non-resident members of OCEESA.

Section 2. An Admission Committee shall consist of all members of the Executive Council of the Association. This Committee shall admit all new members, student members, affiliate members, and corporation members, and approve all honorary members, and non-resident members of OCEESA.

Section 3. Regular members of OCEESA shall be those of Chinese descent residing in North American Continent, who are interested in the objectives of the Association, and who are working in environmental engineering and science, and other related professions. Regular members are entitled to all membership privileges. Officers shall be elected among those regular members who are citizens or permanent residents of countries in North American Continent.

Section 4. Graduate student members shall be graduate students of Chinese descent studying

and actively doing research in environmental engineering and science and other related fields at an institution of higher education in North American Continent. They must have the signature of their major professor to certify membership. Student members shall have voting privileges and shall receive the OCEESA Journal.

Section 5. Affiliate members shall be those, who are not eligible for membership of regular members and student members but who are interested in and supportive of the objectives of OCEESA. An affiliate member shall not vote on OCEESA matters or hold an office of OCEESA; otherwise an affiliate member shall be entitled to all other membership privileges.

Section 6. Any firm, association, corporation, or institution or subdivision thereof desiring to support the objectives and programs of OCEESA may become a corporate member of OCEESA. A corporate member shall be entitled to none of the membership privileges.

Section 7. Honorary life members shall be those of OCEESA members retiring from their regular jobs in environmental engineering and science and other related fields. Honorary life members are entitled to all membership privileges except receiving OCEESA Journal and holding an elected office of OCEESA.

Section 8. Non-resident members shall be OCEESA members of any grade returned to homeland China or their residence outside of North American Continent. Non-resident members shall be entitled to none of the membership privileges. However, a non-resident member is entitled to receiving OCEESA Journal upon payment of regular member dues.

Section 9. All regular members, student members, affiliate members, corporate members, honorary members and non-resident members shall pay dues as described in the By-Laws.

Section 10. Voting privileges shall be limited to members in good standing and as described in Article IV with each member having one vote.

ARTICLE V: OFFICERS

Section 1. The officers of OCEESA shall be a President, a Vice President, a Secretary/Treasurer, Directors and Executive Director. The officers except the Executive Director shall be elected by the members according to procedures described by the By-Laws. The officers shall make up the Executive Council of the Association, chaired by the President of the Association. Retiring President shall be the ex-offico member of the Executive Council following his/her retirement, for a term of one year beginning January 1 of the year.

Section 2. The duties of officers of CCEESA are listed below:

1. The President shall be the chief officer of OCEESA, shall have general and active management of the business of OCEESA and shall see that all resolutions of the Association are put into effect. The term of presidency shall be one year beginning January 1 of the year.

2. The Vice President, in the absence of the President, performs the duties and exercises the power of the President. The Vice President shall be the President-Elect of OCEESA. The term for Vice President shall be one year beginning January 1 of the year.

3. Under the direction of the President, the Secretary/Treasurer shall be responsible for all official correspondence, admission, the finances of OCEESA, shall keep all official files and documents, and shall perform such other duties assigned by the President. The term of the Secretary/Treasurer shall be one year beginning January 1 of the year.

4. The Directors shall be responsible for assisting the President in implementing resolutions, obtaining manuscripts and news items for OCEESA Journal, and nominating candidates for OCEESA officers. The term of the Director shall be two years beginning January 1 of the year. There shall be three (3) Directors elected every year. There shall be six (6) Directors in total.

5. The Executive Director/Editor-in-Chief of OCEESA Journal is appointed by the President. There is no set term limit for the Executive Director/Editor-in-Chief of OCEESA Journal. The Executive Director is responsible of the operation of OCEESA headquarters office including publishing of OCEESA Journal and OCEESA Directory, receiving membership dues, and processing OCEESA Best Paper Awards competition.

Section 3. No officer of OCEESA may serve more than one term of the same office.

ARTICLE VI: COMMITTEES

Section-l. The President shall appoint chairman and/or members of standing and ad hoc committees on matters such as admission, nomination, publicity, international affairs, and other operations of the programs of OCEESA.

Section 2. Officers of OCEESA may appoint chairmen and members of subcommittees on matters related to their duties and responsibilities of their offices.

ARTICLE VII: MEETINGS

Section 1. OCEESA shall hold annual meetings and such other meetings as are necessary to carry out its objectives. The time and place of all meetings shall be selected by the Executive Council as proposed in the By-Laws, and notices thereof shall be sent by the Secretary to each member of OCEESA or shall be published in the OCEESA Journal at least two weeks prior to the date of said meeting.

Section 2. At any meeting of OCEESA twelve (12) members shall constitute a quorum.

ARTICLE VIII: LOCAL CHAPTERS AND DIVISIONS

Section 1. Upon the request of not fewer than 12 members of OCEESA residing within the

area defined in their request, the Executive Council may establish a Local Chapter.

Section 2. Members of OCEESA with a common interest in a particular scientific field of the Association, upon the authorization of Executive Council, may organize a group to be known as a Division of the Association.

Section 3. Local Chapters and Divisions shall be governed by the Constitution, By-Laws, Rule, and Policies established by the Executive Council of the Association.

ARTICLE IX. POLICIES

OCEESA will operate in a non-political, non-partisan, and non-sectarian manner.

Section 1. ln the event of dissolution of OCEESA the Executive Council shall with the approval of the two-thirds majority of the membership, after paying must debts, distribute the remaining assets to any of the organizations with like purposes or to organizations formed and operated exclusively for literary, and educational purposes as shall, at that time, qualify as exempt organizations under Section 501 (c) (3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954, or under any section amendatory thereof, supplemental thereto, or substituted therefor. Any such dissolution shall be accomplished pursuant to the laws of the State of Ohio.

Section 2. This Article of Constitution and By-Laws is not amendable during the existence of OCEESA.

ARTICLE XI: BY LAWS

The Executive Council shall make such By-Laws not in conflict with this Constitution as may be necessary for the proper government of the Association. Such By-Laws shall require the approval of the membership by a majority vote.

ARTICLE XII: AMENDMENTS

The Constitution and By-Laws may be amended, altered, or repealed at annual meetings of the general membership with quorum by a two-thirds majority of those members present and voting, provided that no amendment is contrary to the provisions set forth in Section 501 (c) (3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954, and provided that prior written notice of the proposed changes has been given in the notice of said meeting not less than 30 days .prior to the annual meeting of the general membership. The request for the proposed changes with written endorsement of at least ten per cent (10%) of the general membership shall be filed with the Secretary of OCEESA not less than 45 days before the date of said meeting.

By-Laws

BY-LAW 1. MEMBERSHIP DUES

Section 1. The membership year shall be from January 1 to December 31, inclusive.

Section 2. The dues for various classification of membership are as follows:

Regular Member $ 25.00 annually

Graduate Student Member $ 15.00 annually

Affiliate Member $ 25.00 annually

Corporate Member $100.00 annually

Honorary Life Member Free

Non-Resident Member Free

The fiscal year is from January 1 to December 31.

BY-LAW 2. ELECTION OF OFFICERS

Section 1. Newly elected officers shall take office on January 1. Retiring officers shall leave office on December 31. Retiring President shall be the ex-officio member of the Executive Council following his/her retirement, for a term of one year beginning January 1 of the year.

Section 2. Nominations Committee shall consist of chairman and other members of Executive Council of OCEESA. It shall be the duty of this Committee to nominate one or more candidates for each office. The nominations shall be published by mail or announced in the OCEESA Journal, which is sent to its members. All nominees shall be "regular members" in good standing, as described in Article IV of OCEESA Constitution, who have paid their membership dues for the current year.

Section 3. Any additional nominations can be made from the OCEESA members, but each nomination from the members must be seconded by at least ten members, in accordance with the procedure that is used by the Nominations Committee to nominate other candidates.

Section 4. From these nominations the Secretary of OCEESA shall make up a ballot placing the names of the candidates for each office in alphabetical order on the ballot, which shall be sent by OCEESA office to each paid member no later than December 1. No nominee shall have his/her name placed on the ballot whose consent to serve has not first been obtained by the Nominations Committee or by the Secretary.

Section 5. Members may vote for one candidate for each office for the President, Vice President and Secretary/Treasurer. From the slate of candidates for the offices of Directors, each member may vote for not more than the number of offices to be filled.

Section 6. All ballot must be returned to the OCEESA office no later than December 31. To be counted, each ballot shall be sealed in an envelope on which shall appear the name of the member, including both signature and the printed or typewritten name. The OCEESA office shall check each name against the membership list and call the attention of the Nominations Committee to any discrepancy. Sealed ballot envelopes, which is to be placed inside the mailing envelope, or ballots bearing the name of the member shall invalidate such ballots.

Section 7. The candidate receiving the highest number of votes for each office shall be declared elected. In case of a tie, a run-off election by mail ballot will be held to elect the winner.

Section 8. The election results shall be reported by the Secretary to the members of OCEESA in the January issue of OCEESA Journal.

Section 9. Vacancies in office during the year shall be filled by appointment by the Executive Council.

Section 10. Any officer or committee chairman who shall fail to properly perform the duties of his/her office or shall act in a manner tending to bring discredit to the OCEESA may be removed from office by a two-thirds majority vote of the elected members of the Executive Council. Due notice of the anticipated action shall be given at least one month in advance of this meeting of the Executive Council, at which time the accused shall have full opportunity to be heard. The Secretary of the OCEESA shall conduct the vote by secret ballot. If the President is the officer whose removal is being considered, he/shall not preside over the Executive Council during the consideration of this item of business. Any elected officer removed from office under the provisions of this Section shall have the right to appeal to a duly constituted OCEESA meeting, at which a two-thirds majority vote is required to reverse the decision of the Executive Council.

BY-LAW 3. ANNUAL MEETINGS

The OCEESA annual meetings may be scheduled to coincide with the annual Purdue Industrial Waste Conference held at Purdue University, West Lafayette, in May of each year, or at the time and place determined by the Executive Council.

BY-LAW 4. OCEESA JOURNAL

Section 1. OCEESA Journal shall be the official publication of the Association. It shall be published at least twice a year or quarterly if possible. Journal editor-in-chief, with the assistance of the associate editors and the editorial board, shall be responsible for the review, editing and publication of the OCEESA Journal. All officers of the Executive Council of the OCEESA shall be responsible for the soliciting and writing of manuscripts and OCEESA news items for publication in the OCEESA Journal. Journal editor-in-chief is appointed by the President.

Section 2. OCEESA Journal (ISSN 1072-7248) is published by the National Technical Information Service (NTIS), U.S. Dept. of Commerce, 5285 Port Royal Rd, Springfield, Virginia 22161, USA (Technical Reports-Project No. L8301001). The order information can be found in the U.S. Government Report Announcement and Index. OCEESA does not accept subscription of OCEESA Journal from non-members.