Southern Society for Philosophy and Psychology 

Officers' Handbook

(revised, February 2010)

Jump to:
Introduction
Office of the President
Office of the President-Elect
Office of the Secretary
Office of the Treasurer
Office of the Past President
Members of the Council
Annual Business Meeting
Co-Chairs of the Program Committee
Hotel Negotiator
Recruitment Committee
Richard M. Griffith Memorial Award Committee
Archives
Representatives to the Section Committees of the American Association for the Advancement of Science
Officers' Handbook Revisions

 

Introduction 

This Officers' Handbook of the Southern Society for Philosophy and Psychology was first adopted by action of the Council during the Fifty-Ninth Annual Meeting, Roanoke, Virginia, 23-25 March 1967. The material in it was compiled by Earl A. Alluisi during his tenure as Secretary, 1962-65. Extensive revisions were compiled in 1977 by Secretary L. B. Cebik, who converted the printed Handbook into more easily revised and updated computer files in 1985-86. In 1994, a special committee appointed by the Council undertook a complete update of the Handbook.  In 2010, a second special committee appointed by the Council again updated the Handbook.

The original Officers' Handbook has entered the Society's archives as a valuable record of the efforts of many members to convert oral tradition into a practical guide for the operation of a Society of some 700 plus members. The new format is intended to place vital information into the hands of every officer with minimal cost to the Society. It is available on the SSPP website on the page dedicated to listing the current officers of the Society and can be freely downloaded as a PDF file.  Council members are invited to submit additions and changes that reflect current practice or better ways to make the activities of the Society more profitable to all members. Send all proposed revisions to the Secretary in accord with Section 17 of this Handbook.

Office of the President

1.1

The Presidency of the Society is assumed automatically by the President-elect at the end of the Business Meeting held during the Annual Meeting at which a new President-elect is selected. The President holds office for approximately one year--from the end of the Business Meeting at which he assumes office until the end of the Business Meeting at the subsequent Annual Meeting.

1.2

It is the duty of the President to preside at all meetings of the Society and the Council, to countersign all contracts and instruments of the Society (except checks written by the Treasurer), and to exercise general supervision over the affairs of the Society. The President may direct the Secretary to poll the members of the Council on matters that must be decided prior to the regularly scheduled meeting of the Council (held the first day of the Annual Meeting), or he/she may call for an extraordinary meeting of the Council if he/she deems it necessary.

1.3

The President appoints the following special officers of the Society: the co-chairs of the local arrangements committee, the chair of the program committee in his/her discipline, the co-chairs of the membership committee, the co-chairs of the Griffith award committees, and representatives to the American Association for the Advancement of Science. Details of appointments appear in later sections of this Handbook.

1.4

By tradition, a special address is presented by the President at the Annual Meeting. The President introduces the representative of the host institution, if one has been designated, for a message of welcome, either at the Presidential Address or at the Joint Symposium.

1.5

By tradition, the President organizes the Joint Symposium and chairs this special session. The President endeavors to invite a notable speaker able to address matters of interest to both disciplines and has a budget of up to $2000 to cover the costs of travel and honoraria. The President ordinarily selects a philosopher and a psychologist to comment upon the main presentation. (See Section 7 of this Handbook for further details.)

1.6

The President presides at the Annual Business meeting, his/her final official duty being to present his/her successor to the membership at the end of this session.

1.7

It has been rumored that some Presidents have held a party in the Presidential suite after the dinner hour Friday nights at the Annual Meeting. This unconfirmed rumor also specifies that the location of the Presidential suite shall be the worst-guarded secret of the Society.

Office of the President-Elect

2.1

The President-elect is elected for a one-year term, after which he/she succeeds automatically to the Presidency of the Society. The President-elect assumes and performs the duties of the President in the event the current President should be absent or incapacitated.

2.2

During his/her term as President-elect, he/she serves as a member of the Council. He/she also appoints the chair of the Program Committee for his/her discipline. Otherwise, his/her principal duties are those related to assisting with making preliminary arrangements for the program and annual meeting to be held during the year of his/her Presidency. He/she may appoint co-chairs to the Committee on Local Arrangements for that meeting, but if he/she does so, he/she should make sure that the committees identify themselves with the year of the meeting they are planning in order to avoid confusion with the active committees for the up-coming Annual Meeting. In making any such appointments, the President-elect should also attend to traditions of the Society that fix certain appointments, such as those for the Co-Chairs of the Program Committee, the third member of the Program Committee, the Griffith Award Committee, and the Membership Committee (as described in later sections of this Handbook).

2.3

The President-elect has been empowered by the Council to assist in the development of the program for the Annual Meeting by soliciting from the members the names of possible invited speakers and to select an appropriate speaker for a special session at the next annual meeting at a cost not to exceed $2000.

2.4

The President-elect serves the President in any appropriate capacity they mutually deem of service to the Society.

Office of the Secretary

3.1

Term and responsibilities: The Secretary is elected for a term of three years. He/she takes office immediately following the annual meeting at which he/she is elected to office. His/her duties are to keep records of the Society and the Council, to correspond for and coordinate all the affairs of the Society and the Council, and to report to the Society and the Council.

3.2

Routine duties: Upon taking office, and immediately following each annual meeting, the Secretary has numerous routine duties, including the following:

3.2.1

Create new stationery, including on the letterhead the names and addresses of officers and the names of Council members. The Secretary has discretion in ordering print copies if necessary, but this is usually not necessary. A digital version of the stationery should be distributed by email to officers, members of Council, and Committee Chairs for use during official SSPP business.

3.2.2

Prepare and duplicate minutes of the Council meeting, and distribute copies--one to each officer and member of Council. These should be labeled "Draft only; Please send corrections." Revise the minutes if necessary. The final versions are to be circulated to all current Council members two weeks before the Council meeting.  This can be done by email as much as possible.

3.2.3

Prepare and file minutes of the annual business meeting (with a copy to each officer and the Past President). Include the number of members of the Society in attendance at the Annual Meeting as derived from the official register of the meeting.

Note: The Secretary should prepare enough copies of the minutes of the Council Meeting and the Annual Business Meeting to provide them to the Council at the next year's Council Meeting and to provide the attending members with copies of the minutes of the preceding Annual Business Meeting. For all purposes, including Archives, about 15 copies of the Council minutes and 75 copies of the Business Meeting minutes will normally suffice. Since the Secretary will have circulated the minutes of the previous council meeting and the previous annual business meeting in advance, it is not necessary that these minutes be read at these meetings. The Secretary simply announces that the minutes have been circulated; he or she may highlight material from the minutes that may be pertinent to the present meeting.

3.2.4

Write a letter of congratulations to each newly elected Honorary Member for Life.

3.2.5

Write letters of thanks and appreciation to significant contributors to the success of the Annual Meeting, such as the sponsoring institution, the headquarters hotel, chairs and members of the program committee, chairs and members of the Griffith award committee, and chair and members of the committee on local arrangements.

3.2.6

Write a letter of appreciation to the President of the University (with a copy to the department head and the individual concerned) for each newly elected or retiring officer (President, Past president, President-elect, Secretary, Treasurer) and member of the Council, and for any change of status, such as the President-elect's installation as President of the Society.

3.2.7

Write a letter of appreciation to the President of the University (with a copy to the department head and the individual concerned) for each of the two Richard M. Griffith Memorial Award winners (one in philosophy and one in psychology each year). Coordinate with the Treasurer to provide checks and suitable mementos (engraved paperweights) for each winner. (See Section 4.3.3)

3.2.8

Prepare a "Report of the Annual Meeting" for publication in the American Psychologist and call for papers for the subsequent annual meeting for publication in the American Psychologist and Association for Psychological Science Observer; send a call for papers to the CFP portal of Philosophy Conferences (www.philosophyconferences.com). Prior reports can be used as models. Publication charges must be approved by the President or the Treasurer on authorization of the Council.

3.2.9

Changes of Secretaries: When a Secretary retires from office and a new Secretary assumes office, close coordination is necessary, especially with regard to the routine duties. Immediate post-meeting duties can be divided along the lines agreed to by both individuals.

3.3

Newsletters: Newsletters are posted to the SSPP website upon completion by the Secretary.  Newsletters are usually posted about Feb 28, August 30, and May 30.  

3.3.1

May Newsletter: The May Newsletter should be devoted to a relatively complete report of the Annual Meeting, including the dates, place, attendance, number and status of newly elected members, names of newly elected and retiring officers and members of Council, Griffith Award winners, necrology (if any), remarks by the President or Treasurer, notice of significant actions taken by Council or the membership, and any other appropriate items of news, such as the location and dates of the following year's Annual Meeting. The May Newsletter should also contain reminders to the members to notify the Secretary in the event of address changes, to pay dues promptly to save the cost of additional mailings by the Treasurer, and to recruit new members to the Society (with a link to the membership application form). The newsletter should also include a list of new members approved at the annual meeting, the names of any invited speakers for the next annual meeting, the titles of their topics, and an announcement of the Griffith Award competition.

3.3.2

August Newsletter: The August Newsletter is devoted to the topics of membership and the call of papers for the next Annual Meeting. It should include a notice of the Griffith Memorial Award call for papers. The contents of the newsletter proper should contain a reminder to members to recruit newly appointed members of their departments for membership in the Society. In addition, it should provide a basic call for papers, including the names and address of the co-chairs of the Program Committee. There should also be a call for papers eligible for the Griffith Award. Include any other appropriate news items. The newsletter should also announce any invited speakers and topics lined up for the next annual meeting.

3.3.3

February Newsletter: The February issue contains finalized annual meeting arrangements and program highlights, such as invited speakers and symposia.  Included are local hotel arrangements, the meeting registration form and information for registering on-line via the Society’s webpage.  Finally, the issue must include a nomination ballot listing the offices to be filled at the next Annual Meeting, along with the name and email address of the Past President to whom they should be sent by nominating members.

3.3.4

Program: Printing of the program may be handled by the Secretary, the Co-chairs of the Program Committee, or the Co-chairs of the Local Arrangements Committee, although typically it is done by the Secretary. It is the Secretary's duty to see that responsibility for the program is assumed at an early date. Whoever assumes final responsibility for printing and mailing, the Secretary must ensure the accuracy and completeness of listings and announcements (officers, members of Council, committees, etc.) in the frontispiece of the Program. Approximately 150 copies should be printed. The program should be posted online one month prior to the Annual Meeting if possible. Hard copies of the program are made available to all registered attendees of the annual meeting, invited speakers, and members in good standing who do not attend the meeting can request a hard copy be mailed to them.  See Sections 8.4.3 through 8.4.6 and Section 9.3 (II) for further information related to the program.

3.4

General duties: Among the general duties of the Secretary are the following:

3.4.1

The Secretary works with the Treasurer to maintain a digital membership directory.  The Treasurer provides all names, addresses, telephone numbers, and e-mail addresses. The Secretary is responsible for providing the Treasurer an up-to-date list of former officers, Honorary Life Members, current officers and members of council, and a copy of the constitution and bylaws, including the latest amendments.

3.4.2

The Secretary should keep an electronic file for stationery for his/her use and for the use of the officers, members of Council, and members of committees, as necessary and requested.

3.43

The Secretary must work closely with all the Society's officers, especially the President and the Treasurer. The Secretary and Treasurer must exchange information on all matters of membership, applications for membership, changes of address, and expenses of the Secretary's office. The Secretary should keep the President (and other officers) informed of all matters other than the routine by notification or by copying correspondence to the President.

3.4.4

The Newsletter is the official organ of the Society. The Secretary should use this means to keep the members informed on the actions of the Council and the Society and to provide them with items of news or interest.

3.4.5

The Secretary (often at the request of the President) usually provides information and instruction to the co-chairs of the committees (program, local arrangements, Griffith Award). He/she should also gather information for correcting and updating the Handbook and provide it to the Archivist for incorporation.

3.4.6

The Secretary should aid the other officers in the conduct of their duties, reminding them as needed of appointments, duties, and responsibilities. He/she should prepare, with the President, the agenda for the meeting of the Council and for the Annual Business Meeting.

3.4.7

The Secretary should establish some method of reimbursement for his/her expenses. Whatever the exact method, the Treasurer must be provided with exact invoices to permit proper auditing of the Society's accounts. Among the methods that might be used are (1) a petty cash fund provided by the Treasurer, with itemized accounting of expenditures provided by the Secretary, (2) direct billing of the Treasurer on authorization of the Secretary (for large items such as program printing), and (3) payment by the Secretary from personal funds with reimbursement by the Treasurer upon the receipt of a billing from the Secretary. A newly elected Secretary should confer with the Treasurer immediately upon assuming office to establish a suitable procedure.

3.5

Records: The Secretary must maintain an orderly collection of files of Society business. The outgoing Secretary will send to the incoming Secretary all permanent records and materials, along with copies of essential forms, sample letters, carry-over materials, and operative Society folklore. All other materials will be sent to the Archivist for cataloging and addition to the Archives of the Society. In order to simplify as much as possible the Secretary's duties and to assist his/her organization of responsibilities, the following files are suggested:

3.5.1

Correspondence: An annual file to include all items except those relating to membership or to the routine letters listed in Sections 3.2.4 through 3.2.8.

3.5.2

Necrology: An annual file containing information pertaining to members who died during the year, to include (in accord with the Society's by-laws) a brief memorial.

3.5.3

Annual Meeting: An annual file including items to be brought before the Council or the membership (at the Annual Business Meeting), such as tentative agenda, copies of the minutes of the last Council and Business Meetings, and information on future meetings of the Society.

3.5.4

Minutes of the meeting of the Council: A permanent file to which minutes are added annually.

3.5.5

Minutes of the Annual Business Meeting: A permanent file to which minutes are added annually.

3.5.6

Prospective meeting places: An annual file that includes all correspondence regarding meeting places with hotels, future local arrangements committees, etc. Each invitation should be answered by letter with notification of the time and place at which the decision will be made, by whom, etc.

3.5.7

Ad hoc file(s): Annual files maintained by the Secretary as needed to include correspondence and other materials related to Society actions, resolutions, and other matters.

3.5.8

Appointment list: A current listing of officers, members of Council (and their terms of office), chairs and members of committees, representatives, etc., with mailing addresses, affiliations, fields, etc.

Office of the Treasurer

4.1

Term and Responsibilities: The Treasurer is elected for a term of three years. The Treasurer takes office immediately following the annual meeting at which he/she is elected to office. His/her duties are to collect money owed to the Society, to pay money owed by the Society, to keep a record of the Society's receipts and expenditures, and to report to Council and to the Society on the financial condition of the Society.

4.2

Receipts: The Society's income is principally derived from the dues of its members and associate members, from registration fees for the annual meeting, and from fees charged business firms for exhibit space during the annual meeting or advertisers on the Society’s webpage and annual meeting program.

4.2.1

Dues: Members are assessed dues annually at a rate established in Section 1 of the By-laws (currently $35.00 per year for members). Associate members are assessed dues for a three-year period (currently $15.00 per three years). Associate members may be renewed at that rate if they continue to be graduate students in good standing. If an Associate member applies for full membership, dues for the remaining years of Associate membership will be credited toward full membership. The Society's fiscal year extends from January 1^st until December 31st. Members become liable for dues as of the first day of the year.  All members in good standing who register for the annual meeting will automatically be assumed to have paid their yearly dues as part of their registration fee.  Subsequent to the annual meeting, the Treasurer will contact members who have not paid dues on at least two occasions.  In the first instance, an e-mail dues notice is sent.  In the second instance, an e-mail dues notice is sent and a hard copy dues notice is mailed to the member.  The Treasurer should record each member's dues payment on a receipt list as well as on the member's computer record. By action of the Council (Section 3 of the By-laws), members who have attained emeritus status are not liable for dues and should not be billed. It has been customary to regard members as not liable for dues in the Society year during which they gain emeritus status.

4.2.2

Delinquency: By action of the Council, members whose dues are three years in arrears are dropped from membership. It has been customary to continue billing delinquent members through the third year and to attach a special notice apprising the delinquent member of his/her situation in the third year's notice. In the event that the amount owed is not then paid, the Treasurer should drop the delinquent from the list of members. It has become customary to notify Council of those members about to be dropped. Section 2 of the By-laws provides that any former member whose membership was terminated because of failure to pay dues must upon re-election to membership, pay dues owed at the time membership was terminated.

4.2.3

Changes of address: Changes of name, address, or title; lost addresses; notices of death; etc., are frequently made known to the Treasurer through messages written on one or more of the various billings. All such information should be communicated to the Secretary as necessary, who will in turn notify the Treasurer of similar information made known to him/her. All such information should be entered into the records.

4.2.4

Membership applications: The Treasurer receives all new membership applications and initial dues payments. The Treasurer should ensure that these names and addresses are included in subsequent sets of labels for that year and in electronic mailing lists. Additionally, applications should be grouped alphabetically within class (e.g., member-philosophy, associate member-philosophy, etc.) for presentation to the membership committee prior to the Council meeting. The Treasurer acts on all applications in cases of clear acceptance or rejection of those applications.  Should questions arise about a potential new member, the Treasurer solicits input from the full Council before making a decision.  Applicants are notified as soon as possible about the decision regarding their application through e-mail correspondence.

4.2.5

Exhibitor's fees: Fees charged to business firms for rental of exhibit space at the annual meeting are negotiated by the Co-chairs of the Committee on Local Arrangements, as are any charges the hotel may make for such space. The Treasurer's duty is to receive and record payment of these fees.

4.3

Expenditures: The Treasurer is the only person authorized to spend the Society's money, i.e., to draw checks on the Society's checking account or to make withdrawals from the Society's savings accounts. Expenditures are guided by the annual budget approved by the Council and may be divided into two categories: expenses of officers and expenses of the annual meeting.

4.3.1

Expenses of officers: The Treasurer will issue Society checks to pay the expenses of his/her office for the printing and mailing of bills for dues and will issue checks to pay such bills of other officers (principally the Secretary) as they submit invoices or other appropriate documents or accountings to him/her for the expenses of their offices.

4.3.2

Expenses of the annual meeting: The expenses of the annual meeting are incurred in the Society's name by the Secretary, the Co-chairs of the Program Committee, the Co-chairs of the Committee on Local Arrangements and the Archivists. The Treasurer should coordinate the expenditures, for example, by giving notice concerning the amounts budgeted for printing the programs, for honoraria, etc. The Treasurer should be notified of any bills that he/she will receive directly from hotels, suppliers, printing firms, etc., by the person who authorized the expenditure. Where expenses are incurred directly by any committee member or officer, he/she should submit to the Treasurer a request for reimbursement, itemizing therein with reasonable detail the amounts spent and the goods or services purchased. Where honoraria or expenses are to be paid to invited speakers or discussants, the individual making the arrangements (ordinarily the Co-chair of the Program Committee or the President) should submit a memorandum to the Treasurer stating what sums should be paid, to whom, and for what purposes. (Courtesy and the Society's good name demand that this memorandum be submitted promptly.) All memoranda and requests for reimbursement must be signed by the person submitting them.

4.3.3

Griffith Award Checks: If the Griffith Award winners are present at the Annual Business meeting, they are awarded their checks when they are recognized. The Treasurer should prepare checks for the winners in advance of the Business meeting. The checks are given to the Award Chairs who make the announcement. If the winner is not present, then the Treasurer sends the winner the check by mail. The Treasurer reimburses the Secretary, who prepares the mementos (engraved paperweights). (See Section 3.2.7)

4.4

Accounts, Records, and Reports: The Treasurer is responsible for the maintenance of the Society's accounts, fiscal records, and fiscal reports.

4.4.1

Accounts: The Society maintains a checking account for current expenses and savings accounts for reserves and special expenditures. The Treasurer should allocate portions of the Society's assets to each account in accord with the anticipated revenues and expenditures as estimated from the annual budget and recent annual reports of the Treasurer.

4.4.2

Fiscal records: The ledger should be based on the Society's fiscal year, i.e., from January 1^st until December 31st.

4.4.3

Treasurer's report: Before the annual meeting, the Treasurer should prepare and duplicate the annual report. This report should list the Society's beginning balance, receipts, expenditures, and ending balance, and it should include a budget for the coming year with estimates of receipts and expenditures. The budget and annual report are submitted both to the Council at its annual meeting and to the membership at the business session. Because the report contains recommendations, there should be a motion to "adopt the report and its recommendations."

4.4.4

Audit: Section 3, Article V of the Constitution states the requirement for an annual audit of the Treasurer's records. This requirement has been met in a variety of ways. For example, the Treasurer may appoint an Auditing Committee composed of a member of the Council and one other member of the Society, at least one of whom can verify the bank balances. The Auditing Committee should be appointed well in advance of the annual meeting and should be furnished with the ledger, bank records, deposit slips, cancelled checks, and any other items required to verify the Treasurer's report. The Treasurer may also appoint an Auditing Committee of members from his/her local area to perform the same function, subject to challenge by the Council. In either case, the Treasurer should prepare an auditor's report to simplify for the Auditing Committee the organization of materials. The Auditing Committee reports the results of its audit, in writing, to the Council.

4.5

Membership Information: The Treasurer is responsible for maintaining the current membership list. The Treasurer shall provide this information or mailing labels based on this information to the Secretary or to other members whenever needed.

 4.5.1

Membership Directory: The Treasurer should provide to all members who request it a Membership Directory.  The Directory should contain member names, addresses, telephone numbers, and e-mail addresses. The Treasurer shall provide to the Archivist/Webmaster at least annually a current list of members for posting at the SSPP Web site. The Secretary is responsible for providing the Treasurer an up-to-date list of former officers, Honorary Life Members, current officers and members of council, and a copy of the constitution and bylaws, including the latest amendments for inclusion in the Directory.

4.6

Federal Business Tax Returns: The Society's Employer Identification Number is 27-0919976. The Society has been incorporated in the state of Georgia and is in the process of obtaining tax exempt status. 

Office of the Past President

5.1

The President, upon presentation of the President-elect as his/her successor at the end of the Annual Business Meeting, automatically becomes Past President. The Past President serves until replaced by a new Past President at the end of the Business Meeting of the subsequent Annual Meeting.

5.2

Duties of the Past President include the following:

1. The Past President serves ex officio as a member of the Council.

2. The Past President introduces the President at the session of the Annual Meeting devoted to the Presidential Address.

3. The Past President normally chairs his/her section of the Griffith Award Committee duties for the two years following his/her tenure as President.

4. The Past President receives nominations from the membership for the offices of the Society. He/she reports these nominations to the Council, which acts as a nominations committee-of-the-whole (per Article III, Section 3, of the Constitution). The member receiving the greatest number of votes for a given office is automatically nominated for that office; council then chooses a second nominee.

5.3

The Past President serves the President as may be beneficial to the Society and its Annual Meeting. In past years, such service has included chairing special committees, chairing the Joint Symposium, and other special assignments.

Members of the Council

6.1

Each year the membership elects one philosopher and one psychologist to a three-year term on the Council. The Council member takes office immediately following the Annual Business Meeting at which he/she was elected.

6.2

Final responsibility for organizing and directing the interests and activities of the Society rests with the Council. Members meet with the Council, serve on committees as appointed by the President, and advise the President and other officers on the conduct of the affairs of the Society.

6.3

The Council meets at least once per year, normally at the Annual Meeting on the first morning or the first evening. The Council's business regularly includes receiving and approving the Secretary's and Treasurer's reports, nominating officers and council members for the subsequent year, recommending new members and honorary life members to the membership, selecting sites for subsequent meetings, considering resolutions, policies, and amendments to the By-laws and the Constitution of the Society, and such other matters as officers and members may wish to discuss. The Council conducts its meeting in accord with the following generalized agenda.

Agenda for Council Meeting

1. The President calls the meeting to order by signaling for attention and announcing "The meeting will come to order." He/she then asks the Secretary to present the minutes of the previous meeting.

2. Since the Secretary will have circulated the minutes of the previous council meeting in advance, it is not necessary for the minutes to be read. The Secretary simply announces that the minutes have been circulated; he or she may highlight material from the minutes that may be pertinent to the present meeting. The President then asks "Are there any corrections to the minutes?" If there are no corrections, the President announces, "There being no corrections, the minutes are approved as read." If there are corrections, the President should attempt to process them by general consent; if that fails, they should be treated as amendments to the implied main motion of approving the minutes. When the amendments have been decided, the President announces, "If there are no further corrections, the minutes are approved as corrected (or amended)" or he/she may take a vote on approving the minutes as amended.

3. The President then calls for the reports of the officers, beginning with his or her own report.

3.1 If the report contains no recommendations but only facts and opinions, there may be a motion to "adopt the report," though this is not necessary; preferably the meeting just moves on to the next report. Typically a motion to adopt a report containing no recommendations is made only if the members wish to endorse the entire report strongly. If the report includes recommendations, there should be a motion "to adopt the report and the recommendations." A common error is, after a report has been read, to move that it be "received," whereas the fact that it has been read shows it has already been received. Another common mistake is to move that the report "be accepted" (which, according to Robert's Rules, is an unclear term).

3.2 The Secretary presents his/her report. The comments in 3.1 concerning motions to adopt a report apply. Before the annual meeting, the Secretary should prepare and duplicate the annual report.  The Secretary can also include information concerning activities of the previous year that have been submitted by the co-archivists.

3.3 The Treasurer presents his/her report. The comments in 3.1 concerning motions to adopt a report apply. Before the annual meeting, the Treasurer should prepare and duplicate the annual report. This report should list the Society's beginning balance, receipts, expenditures, and ending balance, and it should include a budget for the coming year with estimates of receipts and expenditures. The budget and annual report are submitted both to the Council at its annual meeting and to the membership at the business session.

4. Committee Reports. The comment in 3.1 above concerning motions to adopt a report applies to all committee reports.

4.1 The Hotel Negotiator reports on the number of members registered for the annual meeting, the number of hotel rooms occupied by meeting participants, the quality of hotel accommodations, local publicity for the meeting, and any complications that may have arisen. The report also may also include recommendations for future local arrangements.

4.2 Membership Reports

5. The Treasurer will present a roll of new members accepted into the Society between the last annual meeting and the current annual meeting.  Full membership in philosophy usually requires a Ph.D. in philosophy and professional involvement in either teaching or research in philosophy. Associate membership usually requires not fewer than two years of graduate study or evidence of substantial interest and competence in philosophy. Persons without a Ph.D. are eligible for associate membership with the expectation that they can be advanced to full membership after three years of teaching or research.

6. The Secretary announces the names of members who have died in the last year and indicates which of those will receive memorial minutes at the business meeting. The Secretary then reports any nominations for Honorary Life Membership. Nominations require unanimous approval before being recommended to the membership for a vote at the business meeting.

7. The Past-President presents the tally of nominations. The member receiving the greatest number of votes for a given office is automatically nominated for that office; council then chooses a second nominee.

8. The Secretary reports on whether any changes should be made to the Officers' Handbook or to the Constitution.

9. Old business refers to three possible items. First, any motions actually pending when the previous meeting adjourned. Second, any motions that were unfinished business at the previous meeting but not reached before adjournment. Third, any motions set as general orders (by postponement, by an adopted agenda, or otherwise) for the previous meeting but not reached before adjournment. The President should announce any items of unfinished business of which he/she is aware; he/she should not inquire, "Is there any unfinished business?" and should not accede to members' claim that certain items of new business are actually items of old business because the general topic was previously discussed at some time in the history of the organization.

10. New Business regularly includes voting on the operating budget for the coming two years, deciding on the new meeting place, and approving or disapproving of Officers' Handbook or constitution changes. Any other anticipated business should be indicated on the agendas circulated in advance of the meeting, though the category "other" is intended to cover items that come up at the last minute. Before closing New Business, the President should inquire, "Is there any new business or are there any announcements?" The President shall report on council actions at the Business Meeting.

11. If there is no other new business, the President declares the meeting adjourned.

Annual Business Meeting

7.1

In accord with Section 1.1 of this Handbook, the President presides at the Annual Business meeting and conducts the Society's business in accord with the following agenda and annotations.

Agenda

1. The President calls the meeting to order by signaling for attention and announcing "The meeting will come to order." He/she announces that the agenda and officer's reports are available at the entrance of the meeting room if members have not picked them up already, and calls upon the Secretary to present the minutes of the previous meeting.

2. After giving sufficient time for members to review the minutes, the President asks "Are there any corrections to the minutes?" If there are no corrections, the President announces, "There being no corrections, the minutes are approved as read." If there are corrections, the President should attempt to process them by general consent; if that fails, they should be treated as amendments to the implied main motion of approving the minutes. When the amendments have been decided, the chair announces, "If there are no further corrections, the minutes are approved as corrected (or amended)" or he/she may take a vote on approving the minutes as amended. The President then calls upon officers and committee chairs to present their reports.

3. The Past President announces recipients of the Student Travel Awards.

4. The Griffith Award Chairs begin by announcing the members of the Griffith Committee, indicating which of those members are former Griffith winners. The Chairs then announce the winners in their respective disciplines. The chair asks the winner to stand if she or he is present at the meeting; if the winner is present, he or she is asked to come up to receive the award check.

5.  The Secretary prepares a ballot containing the names in alphabetical order of the nominees for officers and council members as the President announces them. A vote is taken. The local arrangements chair or hotel negotiator usually distributes and collects the ballots. The results are counted and the names of those elected are announced before the meeting adjourns.

6. The Treasurer presents his or her report.

6.1  Membership

6.1.1 The Treasurer reports the new membership roll.

6.1.2 The Secretary reads the names of applicants for Honorary Life Member status.  Recommendations for Honorary Life Members must receive unanimous approval to carry. The Secretary then presents the necrology and calls upon those who have prepared memorial minutes to read them. A few moments of silence follow the minutes; the Secretary then thanks those who presented them.

6.2  The Treasurer presents his or her budget report, including the number of registrants for the annual meeting and at the hotel.  If the report contains no recommendations but only facts and opinions, there may be a motion to "adopt the report," though this is not necessary. Typically a motion to adopt a report containing no recommendations is made only if the members wishes to endorse the entire report strongly. If the report includes recommendations, there should be a motion "to adopt the report and the recommendations."

A common error is, after a report has been read, to move that it be "received", whereas the fact that it has been read shows it has already been received. Another mistake is to move that the report "be accepted" (which, according to Robert's Rules, is an unclear term)..

Before the annual meeting, the Treasurer should prepare and duplicate the annual report. This report should list the Society's beginning balance, receipts, expenditures, and ending balance, and it should include a budget for the coming year with estimates of receipts and expenditures. The budget and annual report are submitted both to the Council at its annual meeting and to the membership at the business session.

7. The President reports on election results.

8.  The Resolutions Chair presents any resolutions.

9. Old business refers to three possible items. First, any motions actually pending when the previous meeting adjourned. Second, any motions that were unfinished business at the previous meeting but not reached before adjournment. Third, any motions set as general orders (by postponement, by an adopted agenda, or otherwise) for the previous meeting but not reached before adjournment.

10. New Business typically is covered by announcing the new meeting place, voting on the operating budget for the coming two years, and presenting any issues arising from Council that may require the action of the members. The President should then inquire, "Is there any new business or are there any announcements from the floor?" This portion of the meeting allows members to present new items of business or to make announcements.

10.1. The President announces the dates and location of the next year's meeting and then asks the Secretary if he/she has any announcements.

10.2 The Secretary makes any announcements that seem appropriate, such as announcing the program chairs for the next meeting, any program highlights, and the deadline for submissions.

10.3 The President then reports on motions passed by council.

11. The President introduces the new President.

12. The sole responsibility of the new President at this time is to adjourn the meeting. However, the new President may also take this occasion to invite members to the next annual meeting over which he or she will preside, announce his or her invited speaker for the joint Saturday morning session, and remind members of any Saturday afternoon joint session that may be arranged to follow the Business Meeting.

Co-Chairs of the Program Committee

8.1

General Responsibilities: The Program Committee is divided into two sections, a Philosophy Program Committee and a Psychology Program Committee, each headed by its own co-chair, appointed by the President and President-elect for their respective disciplines. Each co-chair can recruit an assistant co-chair or additional individuals to serve on the respective program committee. Normally, the assistant co-chair becomes the co-chair of his/her section in the succeeding year. Obviously, the two co-chairs have to work closely on some matters, and they must coordinate their work with other officers and committees (especially the Secretary, the Treasurer, and the Hotel Negotiator).  Co-chairs should consult the SSPP Guide for Annual Program Chairs, prepared by the Secretary.

8.2

The Annual Program: There are three standard joint sessions: the Presidential Address (including any message of welcome from the host institution and an introduction by the Past President), the President's speaker, and (ordinarily) the symposium co-sponsored by the Philosophy and Psychology Program Committees. The Key Barkley symposia are scheduled as added sessions; consult with the archivists for program content. The Philosophy and Psychology co-chairs shall work closely together in planning any Saturday afternoon session, sometimes inviting a mutually agreed upon speaker or speakers and respondents.  In recent years, there have been 6 concurrent sessions divided between philosophy and psychology programs as needed.  An example is outlined below.

Format of meeting:

Thursday morning       Council Meeting (9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.)

Thursday noon            Concurrent sessions begin

Thursday evening        (consider informal social hour in hotel bar)

Friday  afternoon         President’s Talk (5:00-6:00 p.m.)                   

Saturday                      Concurrent sessions (8:30 or 9:00 – 11:00 a.m.)

  Business meeting (11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.)

                                      Concurrent sessions continue 1:00 – 2:00; 4:00 – 6:00 p.m.

                                       President’s Invited Speaker (2:00-4:00 p.m.)

President’s Reception (9:00 –11:00 p.m.)

8.2.1

Variations in format: The Program Committees may deviate from this format as they deem necessary after full coordination between the disciplines. The following list of potential changes represents possibilities derived from past experience.

Unused sessions in one discipline in any time block may be given to the other discipline; e.g., an unused second philosophy 3-4:30 PM Friday session may become a third psychology session in this time period.

8.3

Joint symposia and special sessions: The Co-chairs of the Program Committee should coordinate with the President, who usually establishes the subject and speakers for the Saturday morning joint symposium. The Co-chairs should also coordinate with the President-elect to determine the subject, content, and timing of any special sessions that he/she may be developing. Commensurate with the number of acceptable papers, the Co-chairs and members of the Program Committees may develop or receive member suggestions for further special sessions and symposia. Symposia of interest to and involving members from both disciplines are always welcome and encouraged.

8.4

Specific duties: Among the specific duties of the Program Committees are the following items.

8.4.1 Conflict avoidance: Coordinate early and often with the sister-committee to ensure a total absence of conflicts. At an early date, outline the times set aside for various topics in order to minimize conflict. Give special attention to joint sessions and symposia.

8.4.2 Coordination with other officers: Coordinate with the Secretary to ensure that proper information goes out in the Newsletters, especially in the official call for papers. Clearly call for joint session ideas. State deadlines for abstracts and papers in the early and official call.  Coordinate with the Secretary and the Hotel Negotiator for the assignment of rooms for all sessions.

8.4.3 Program printing: Coordinate with the Secretary to determine precisely the person who will be responsible for having programs printed and posted on the Society webpage. The Program Committees should select a member or one of the Chairs to assume final responsibility for providing that person with complete information in final form in time for final typing and proofreading. The Secretary should furnish information on various officers, committees, and other members listed in the program. The Hotel Negotiator should furnish information on meeting rooms, special arrangements for exhibits or placement services, announcements, etc., including (if possible) a map of the hotel meeting room floor for reproduction in the program. Recent programs have provided a brief summary listing of sessions. See Sections 3.3.4 and 8.3 (II) for further information related to the program.

8.4.5 Flexibility: Do not be surprised if some participants and session chairs withdraw before the Annual Meeting; just hope that they notify you before the program is printed. In any event, keep a list of some member-friends you can call upon as substitute chairs. The submission form for papers should also contain space for members interested in chairing sessions to submit their names.

8.4.6 Printing schedule: Program chairs should send their completed programs in MS Word format to the person in charge of printing the program, usually the Secretary, six weeks prior to the meeting. It is imperative that the program chairs meet this deadline in order to allow sufficient time to merge the various components of the program, for proof the entire document, print the program, and prepare it for posting prior to the meeting.

8.4.7 Notification to submitters: Notify by email each submitter upon receipt of a paper or abstract and again upon acceptance or rejection. When the program schedule is finalized, it is also recommended that notifications be sent to presenters that indicate the time and room for which the paper is scheduled. In addition, notify chairs of their selection and their assigned session, time, and room.

8.4.8 Correspondence: The Co-chairs of the Program Committee generally coordinate most of their work by email or phone. It is good practice to copy the President, President-elect, Secretary, and Treasurer on all correspondence other than routine notifications. Where significant arrangements have been made by e-mail, phone, or letter, send a summary note describing them to all officers and, if apt, to the Hotel Negotiator. The duties for preparing an annual meeting are shared by the Secretary, the Hotel Negotiator, Program Committees, the Treasurer, the President, and the President-elect. Different aspects of organization and preparation may be assigned to different persons or committees from one year to the next. The success of the annual meeting will be directly proportional to the effectiveness of coordination among all concerned parties.

Hotel Negotiator

9.1

The Hotel Negotiator is appointed or volunteers on a yearly basis dependent on approval of the Council.  The Hotel Negotiator is the Society's principal agent in dealing with hotels.

9.2

At least two years before a meeting, the Hotel Negotiator should inspect several hotels in the city in which the Society will meet. The Hotel Negotiator will describe the Society's needs (space, room rates, complimentary rooms) to the sales manager and will solicit contracts from two or three hotels.

9.3

The Hotel Negotiator will compare the contracts and other factors and typically will present at least two proposals to the Council. The Hotel Negotiator normally will make a recommendation to the Council.

9.4

The Hotel Negotiator may seek a series of contracts with a single hotel or may seek a contract for a single year depending upon the site and past experience with the hotels in a city.

9.5

The number of sleeping rooms varies from night to night during the meeting, but the following numbers are estimates of typical requirements.

Approximately 20 rooms are required for Wednesday.
Approximately 100 rooms are required for Thursday and Friday.
Approximately 40 rooms are required for Saturday.

9.6

The Society prefers contiguous meeting space, and the number of meeting rooms is indicated below as one example.

Thursday: Seven meeting rooms, arranged theater style accommodating 30 to 40 people, are needed from 10:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. A single conference room, accommodating 12 people, is needed from 7:00 p.m. until 12:00 a.m.

Friday: Seven meeting rooms, arranged theater style accommodating 30 to 40 people, are needed from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. A large assembly room, arranged theater style, is needed from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. A room for a cocktail party is needed for approximately one hour immediately after the presidential address.

Saturday: A large assembly room, arranged theater style, is needed from 9:00 a.m. until 12:00 p.m. Four meeting rooms to accommodate 30 to 40 people are required 12:00 pm until 6:00 pm.

A registration area near the meeting rooms is needed throughout the meeting.

9.7

The Hotel Negotiator should obtain as many of the following items as possible.

Complimentary rooms or suites should be obtained for distribution as elected by the Council to officers or invited speakers

Upgrades and/or complimentary room-nights should be obtained for the President if possible.

The same rate for single and double rooms should be obtained, and if that is impossible, the difference in rates should be small.

9.8

A copy of the applicable contracts, agreements, and arrangements with the hotel chosen as the site of the annual meeting should be forwarded to the President, Secretary, and Treasurer.  The Hotel Negotiator should be available throughout the meeting to act as a contact person between the Council and attendees and the hotel that hosts the meeting to ensure that all agreements are fulfilled.

Recruitment Committee

10.1

The Recruitment Committee is composed of the four members of Council with most seniority, two from Philosophy and two from Psychology. The chair of the Philosophy Recruitment Committee shall be the senior-most philosopher of the Committee and the chair of the Psychology Recruitment Committee shall be the senior-most psychologist of the Committee. The members of the Committee assume their responsibilities immediately after the annual meeting at which they were appointed.

10.2

The chairs of the Recruitment Committee are responsible for distributing a call for papers to departments across the country in September. The call for papers should give a brief description of the Society and highlight speakers for the upcoming annual meeting. The purpose of this action is to encourage submissions and put the Society's funds for invited speakers to effective use. The mailing should include an announcement of the Griffith Award competition and a membership form.

10.3

The Recruitment Committee Chairs report annually to the Council on their recruitment efforts. This includes reporting on their mailings promoting the annual meeting and the method of distribution, and providing council members with samples of publicity flyers that were distributed. The samples should also be submitted to the Archives Committee.

Richard M. Griffith Memorial Award Committee

11.1

The President annually appoints chairs for Philosophy and for Psychology to the Griffith Award Committee. In recent years, the Society has usually appointed the most recent Past President to chair this committee. The chair then selects the other members of the three-person committee. Although any member of the Society may serve on this committee, chairs have often appointed past presidents; although the ineligibility of past winners of the award to repeat has made the appointment of a recent past winner to the committee a valuable experience for a younger member of the Society.

11.2

The Griffith Award Committee chair receives copies of all papers submitted for consideration, along with forms establishing the submitter's eligibility. The chair distributes copies to other committee members for reading and evaluation. The chair advises the program chair of the papers submitted so that the program schedule can avoid, insofar as possible, the simultaneous presentation of Griffith submissions. The committee will arrange for at least one member to hear each paper as it is read and to evaluate both the paper and the responses of the presenter to audience questions.

11.3

The chairs of each committee devise a method for the evaluation of the papers that is agreeable to other committee members. Most recent methods have included the following steps:

1. Initial reading of the papers and composite ranking via correspondence with the chair. This phase may include an exchange of comments by the readers and selection of the most promising subgroup of submitted papers.

2. Prior to the beginning of the Annual Meeting, selection of papers sessions to be attended by any or all members of the committee. The most promising papers, at least, should be attended by all members of the committee.

3. Discussion, evaluation, and determination of the winning paper between the final session Friday and the Business Meeting Saturday.

11.4

The Griffith Award Committees select one philosopher and one psychologist for the award each year. No ties are permitted. The chairs announce the winner at the Annual Business Meeting. Each chair begins by announcing the members of the Griffith Committee, indicating which of those members are former Griffith winners. The chair then announces the winner in his/her discipline. The chair asks the winner to stand if she or he is present at the meeting; if the winner is present, he or she is asked to come up to receive the award check. The chairs forward a copy of the winning paper for each discipline to the Archivist.

Archives

12.1

The Society maintains the archives of its significant materials at the University of Virginia Library. The archives include minutes of Annual Meetings of the Council and Annual Business Meetings, Presidential Addresses, Griffith and Junior Award winners and their presentations, membership lists, programs of past meetings, studies and reports of the Society and committees appointed by the President, important correspondence, and other items which illumine the history of the society and the disciplines it enfolds.

12.2

In order to ensure the continued maintenance of the archives in good order and to make them accessible to the membership, the President will appoint co-Archivists from each of the Society's disciplines. Ordinarily, these appointments will come from each of the Society's disciplines. For the sake of continuity, these appointments will be for an indefinite term. Reappointment will occur upon resignation from the post or the Society, nonrenewal of membership in the Society, or upon other indication of a lack of interest in the work.

12.3

The duties of the Archivists of the Society will include, but not be limited to, the following:

1. To coordinate all necessary matters related to the preservation of the archives at the University of Virginia;

2. To order and structure the materials in the archives, with the assistance of the professional archivists of the University of Virginia Library, in order to facilitate access to them;

3. To gather materials from the membership of the Society and from other sources to increase the useful materials of the archives;

4. To develop means of maintaining an immediately accessible file of materials for the membership's use;

5. To determine what materials ought now and in the future to be kept in the archives and to arrange for their gathering and shipment to the archives; and

6. To make use of the archives in order to report to the Society and to other groups significant information.

12.4

The co-Archivists, or their appointee, shall be responsible for creating or submitting relevant material to the Society web site, to contain important information about the Society for use by members and prospective members, as well as disciplinary colleagues in other areas of the country.

12.5

The co-Archivists shall be responsible for making any arrangements associated with publication of Society documents, including Presidential papers, other papers delivered at Annual meeting, and other significant documents developed by the Society. Arrangements may include the appointment of editors and writers for such publications, negotiation with publishers, and other work associated with publication. Any proceeds resulting from the publication of SSPP materials shall be placed in the Society's Treasury.

12.6

The Treasurer will maintain a small budget allocation to defray the costs of copying documents, travel to the archives, and other expenses incurred by the co-Archivists.

12.7

The co-Archivists will report annually to the Council on the status of the archives, on activities of the archivists, and on any historical sessions held at the annual meeting.

Representatives to the Section Committees of the American Association for the Advancement of Science

13.1

A society affiliated with the AAAS may request enrollment in up to five sections that parallel the interests of the society. Upon approval by the respective section committees, an affiliate may appoint one representative to the section committee of each section in which it is enrolled. The sections that have been determined to be appropriate for this Society are Section J (Psychology) and Section L (History and Philosophy of Science).

13.2

When an appointment of a representative is necessary, the President will endeavor to appoint a member psychologist as the Society's representative to Section J and a member philosopher as the Society's representative to Section L. It is recognized, however, that from time to time, the disciplinary origin of the representatives may have to be ignored in favor of other considerations. An appointed representative must be a member of the AAAS as well as a member of the Society. In accord with the constitution and by-laws of the AAAS, the term of a representative will be for three years, beginning and ending on January 8. Representatives may be reappointed.

13.3

The duties of the Society's representatives to the AAAS section committees include, but are not limited to, the following:

1. To attend the annual and special meetings of the section committee and there represent the interests of the Society;

2. To participate in the election of section officers in accordance with the AAAS constitution and by-laws;

3. To report to the Society's Council and President actions of the AAAS that are of potential interest to the members of the Society;

4. To report to the AAAS, through the section, actions of the Society that are of potential interest to the AAAS.

Officers' Handbook Revisions

14.1

The Society maintains this Officers' Handbook as a general guide to the operation of SSPP. The Handbook incorporates the traditions of the Society, as well as the best thinking of recent officers and Committee Chairs on the best way to conduct the Society's business and the most effective ways for various officials to interact. It is designed to guide, not to bind, and changing circumstances will require innovative solutions to new problems. Wherever relevant, those solutions should enter this Handbook as revisions.

14.2

The Handbook is maintained on computer and on paper by the Archivist for Philosophy, who makes copies available to the webmaster for posting on the Society’s website.

14.3

Revision of the Handbook should be a regular and annual activity. Any officer or committee chair may suggest additions, deletions, or amendments to the Handbook. Revisions should be accomplished according to the following procedure:

1. Any revision should normally be submitted to the Secretary no later than February 1 of the current year. The Secretary will accumulate revisions and distribute them to the members of the Council for review prior to the annual meeting.

2. At the annual meeting, as part of its regular agenda, the Council will consider and approve, disapprove, or modify all revisions to the Handbook.  The Council may also conduct the business of modifying the Handbook throughout the year via email correspondence.

3. The Secretary will transmit all revisions of the Handbook to the Archivist for Philosophy immediately following the annual meeting. The Archivist will incorporate the revisions into the master files and return a revised Handbook to the Secretary for posting on the Society website.