ARTICLE I: NAME
The name of this corporation shall be the “American Society of Group Psychotherapy and Psychodrama,” which is hereinafter called “ASGPP” or “the Society.” The Society is incorporated in the State of New York as a not-for-profit corporation.
ARTICLE II: PURPOSE
The purposes of the Society are:
- to foster the national and international cooperation of all who are concerned with the theories and practice of psychodrama, sociometry, and group psychotherapy;
- to encourage and promote professional training in psychodrama, sociometry, group psychotherapy, and related fields;
- to promote the application of theories and methods of psychodrama, sociometry and group psychotherapy in professional disciplines concerned with the well-being of individuals, groups, families, organizations and society;
- to disseminate information about psychodrama, sociometry, group psychotherapy and their applications to the general public, other professionals, and public policy
makers; - to promote and publish research in psychodrama, sociometry, group psychotherapy, and related fields;
- to maintain a code of professional standards relevant to the purposes of the Society;
- To maintain and encourage international psychodrama, group psychotherapy, and sociometry and foster positive relationships with groups which share our purposes
around the world; - To foster respect for the profession of psychodrama, group psychotherapy and sociometry.
ARTICLE III: MEMBERSHIP
SECTION 1. General Considerations
Membership in the Society represents a commitment to its purposes and standards and is not an endorsement of professional competence.
SECTION 2. Categories of Membership
There shall be the following categories of members: Student, Regular, Fellow, Retiree and Honorary. The Executive Council may create additional categories of membership for good cause.
SECTION 3. Student Members
Any person who can demonstrate enrollment at least half time in a college or university may become and remain a Student Member as long as annual verification of continuing student status is provided. Student members in good standing shall be eligible to vote at meetings and other proceedings of the Society. They shall be eligible for appointment to committees, but not for nomination to elected positions.
SECTION 4. Regular Members
Any person who supports the aims and standards of the Society shall be eligible to become a Regular Member. The application process shall be described in the Operations and Procedures Manual of the Executive Council.
(a) Young Professionals (no longer students, under 30 years of age) shall be regular members.
Members in good standing shall be eligible to vote at meetings and other proceedings of the Society. All Regular Members in good standing may chair and serve on committees and seek nomination for all elected positions. Membership in good standing shall depend upon being free of revocation or suspension of license and of negative professional sanctions or other negative sanctions. A certification of professional good standing by the applicant shall be part of all applications for membership in the Society
In order to be eligible for office or leadership roles at ASGPP a person must be a member of the organization for at least a full year’s time.
SECTION 5: Fellows
Anyone who has been an active member of the Society for five or more consecutive years and has made a significant contribution to the field or to the Society may be made a Fellow by a vote of two thirds of the Executive Council.
SECTION 6: Retirees
Any person is eligible who is fully retired from active practice. Annual dues will be fifty percent of the regular membership dues.
SECTION 7: Honorary Members
Any person who has significant accomplishments in any field related to those of primary concern to members of this Society may be nominated for Honorary Membership and approved by a two-thirds vote of the Executive Council.
Honorary Members shall be eligible to participate in the affairs of the Society, but shall not be eligible to vote or hold elected office.
SECTION 8: Dues
Annual dues shall be set by the Executive Council. Only those whose dues are currently paid shall be entitled to the privileges of members in good standing. After becoming
delinquent in dues for a six months’ period, an individual shall be automatically dropped from membership. Upon payment of current dues, that member shall be reinstated. The Executive Council may waive or reduce dues in a particular hardship situation.
SECTION 9: Resignation of Members
By submitting a written notice, any member may resign from the Society at any time without jeopardizing reinstatement.
SECTION 10: Removal of Members
Any member whose actions are inconsistent with the objectives or standards of the Society shall be subject to censure or removal from membership by a vote of two thirds of the Executive Council upon recommendation of the Professional Standards Committee.
Any member may propose the censure or removal of another member of the Society to the Professional Standards Committee, which shall present its findings to the Executive Council. That member shall be entitled to at least thirty days written notice by registered mail of the meetings of the Professional Standards Committee and the Executive Council at which such removal is to be voted upon. The member shall be entitled to appear before, and be heard at, such meetings.
ARTICLE IV: MEETINGS OF THE SOCIETY
SECTION 1. General
An Annual Business Meeting of the membership shall be held at a time and place to be determined by the Executive Council.
The principal purposes of the Annual Business Meeting shall be: induction of officers and Executive Council Members, presentation of committee reports, discussion of
Society issues and policies in order to develop a sense of the opinion of those attending, voting on matters that have been given appropriate prior consideration and such other business as shall be presented by the Executive Council or the Executive Committee.
SECTION 2. Notice
All members shall be notified of the date of the Annual Business Meeting at least sixty days in advance of the meeting.
SECTION 3. Quorum
A quorum shall be the number of voting members in attendance at the Annual Business Meeting. In hybrid meetings, zoom attendance will count toward a quorum.
SECTION 4. Voting
Each voting member whose dues are paid shall be entitled to one vote.
SECTION 5. Attendance
The Annual Business Meeting shall not be limited to members of the Society. However, only members in good standing are entitled to vote.
SECTION 6. Procedure
The most recent edition of Henry Robert’s Rules of Order shall apply to all questions of procedure and parliamentary law now specified in these Bylaws or subsequently
established. Policy decisions at any meeting of the Society shall be by a simple majority of those present and entitled to vote.
SECTION 7. Mail Ballots
The Executive Council may conduct elections via electronic or mail ballots of the membership at its discretion between Annual Business Meetings.
SECTION 8. Special Meetings
Special meetings of the members of the Society may be called at any time by the President or by a call signed by a majority of the Executive Council, and shall be announced to the membership at least one month prior to the date of such a meeting.
ARTICLE V: EXECUTIVE COUNCIL
SECTION 1. Membership
The management of the Society and its affairs shall be entrusted to an Executive Council consisting of the officers and seven additional members of the Society. All applicants for membership in the Executive Council shall certify that they are free of censure or other cloud on their professional standing. One of the seven seats on the Executive Council may be filled by an international member. The Executive Council will designate a Parliamentarian from among its members to be consulted in instances of procedural disagreement.
SECTION 2. Duties
The Executive Council shall establish major administrative policies governing the affairs of the Society, plan for and implement measures for the Society’s growth and
development, direct the Society’s programs, and have such powers and duties as are not otherwise provided for in these Bylaws, but are consistent with them.
The Executive Council may engage executive and professional personnel to administer the affairs of the Society. The responsibilities and duties of each administrative position shall be determined by the Leadership Committee of the Council, and each person so appointed shall function under its general direction and supervision.
The Executive Council shall be responsible for the business and financial affairs of the Society, establish and terminate special committees as necessary; take action on the
recommendations of its committees; approve Presidential appointments to unexpected vacancies in all offices, the Executive Council, and its standing committees; remove for cause members of the Society, elected Officers, and Executive Council members as provided for in these Bylaws; establish and oversee interest groups of the Society,
ensuring that they follow guidelines set by the Council; see to the maintenance of an archives containing records, documents, and memorabilia of the Society; and periodically review these Bylaws and initiate a process to amend them as necessary.
SECTION 3. Administrator
The Administrator of the Society shall not be a member of the Society nor family member of a member of the Society nor hold committee positions in the Society, nor a
current trainee of a member of the Society.
The resource of ASGPP’s Administrator is precious and valuable and necessarily limited by budgetary concerns. The first business of the Administrator is always the projects approved by the Executive Council and the routine regimen of the Society. After all that is taken care of and accomplished satisfactorily, other tasks may be requested by committee chairs, conference chairs or others, but all should be aware that additional duties will only be added to Administration if they are carefully limited and respectful of the overall needs of the organization. In specific, if Admin is asked to do something unusual that will take more than 2 hours, Admin should ask for direction from the EC or the President and Treasurer before taking those projects on.
SECTION 4. Terms
Terms of Executive Council members shall be three years. No Council member shall be eligible to serve for more than two successive three year terms. After serving two successive terms, an Executive Council member must retire from service on the Council for one full year before seeking further election as a Council member.
SECTION 5. Vacancies
A vacancy occurring during the first two years of a Council member’s term shall be filled by appointment of the President with the approval of a majority of the Executive Council. A vacancy occurring in the third year of a term shall remain unfilled until the next election.
SECTION 6. Regular Meetings
The Executive Council shall meet at the Annual Meeting and at least one other time each year as designated by the President. The Executive Council may also conduct business via any electronic means appropriate.
SECTION 7. Special Meetings
Special meetings of the Executive Council may be called by the President or by the written request of one third of the Council.
SECTION 8. Conference Calls
At its discretion, the Executive Council or the Executive Committee may conduct business in a conference call or via any electronic means appropriate. Such a call shall be considered a meeting of the Executive Council or the Executive Committee.
SECTION 9. Notice of Meetings
Notice shall be given by electronic means to each Executive Council member at least two weeks before the time of a special meeting except in an emergency. No business
shall be transacted at a special meeting of the Executive Council other than that set forth in the notice thereof.
SECTION 10. Quorum
At all meetings of the Executive Council, a majority of the Council members shall be necessary and sufficient to constitute a quorum for the transaction of business. An act
of a majority of Council members present shall be an act of the Executive Council, except where a greater number is specifically required by these Bylaws.
SECTION 11. Procedure
The Executive Council (EC) shall establish an Operations and Procedures Manual to assist in governing the Society. The Committees will draft their rules, policies, and
procedures and submit them to the EC for approval. Once approved, the Committee rules, policies and procedures will be part of the Operations Manual. The Operations
Manual will be maintained online for members to consult. For inclusion in this Manual, a resolution must be adopted and approved by the Executive Council.
SECTION 12. Report to Members
All actions of the Executive Council shall be reported to the members in a timely fashion, and posted on the website within two weeks. At a minimum such actions shall be reported to the members at least once annually.
ARTICLE VI: STANDING COMMITTEES
The standing committees of the Executive Council shall be the Leadership Committee, the Nominating Committee, the Professional Standards Committee, the Awards
Committee, the Conference Committee, the Publications Committee, and the Membership Committee. Each committee may propose its policies and procedures, submitting these to the Executive Council for approval, and if approved finalizing them into Committee Policies and Procedures available to the membership as part of the
Operations Manual. Each Committee shall have a member of the EC either as a co-chair or as a liaison to the EC. To chair a committee a person must have been a member of that committee for one year at least.
SECTION 1. Leadership Committee
The Leadership Committee shall be composed of the officers of the Society.
The Leadership Committee shall implement the policies of the Executive Council and initiate ideas for its consideration; conduct the routine operations of the Society between Executive Council meetings; act in an emergency on behalf of the Executive Council; monitor and implement plans for the development of the Society; oversee the work of Council committees and persons employed in administrative roles and exercise the powers of the Executive Council between its meetings, subject to ratification by the Executive Council at its next meeting.
SECTION 2. Nominating Committee
The Nominating Committee shall consist of five members. Two of these members, including the Chair shall be appointed by the President. Three members shall be elected by the membership. The elected members shall serve staggered three-year terms and may stand for immediate re-election once. The President shall annually appoint the Chair.
The Nominating Committee shall annually submit a Call for Nominations to the membership, prepare a slate of nominations for Executive Council members and Officers in accordance with these Bylaws, submit the slate to the membership, supervise the election, and report the results in a timely manner.
The Nominating Committee shall research each nominee to ascertain meeting the criteria for the award and have no negative sanctions or clouds on their professional standing.
SECTION 3. Professional Standards Committee
The Professional Standards Committee shall consist of three members elected by the members of the Society. No member of the PSC shall have less than 5 years in ASGPP in good standing. In addition, the President may appoint a fourth alternate member to serve in cases where one of the three elected members is unable to serve for any reason. Its members shall serve staggered three-year terms. Its members shall serve staggered three-year terms and may stand for immediate re-election once. The
President shall annually appoint the Chair from among its members. The Professional Standards Committee will be guided by the American Psychological Association Code of Ethics. If more than two members of the PSC are unable to serve in a particular instance, the Chair of the Committee may appoint a pro tem committee member.
The Administrator shall among other duties, maintain a secure and confidential mailbox for the Professional Standards Committee to which only its members have access. It is very important that complaints and responses and other case-related correspondence of the Professional Standards Committee be secure and confidential. This secure
mailbox is the place that complaints of professional misconduct should be made. Its address shall be shown on the website.
When a complaint in writing has been made to the PSC, the PSC must assure that its members are unbiased and capable of making an impartial decision in the matter. Any
member of the Society who has reason to believe that this is not the case may make a motion to recuse one or more members of the PSC, stating the reasons for doing so. All such communications shall be made to the PSC secure mailbox in confidence.
The PSC shall make every effort to notify those involved in any complaint of how it plans to proceed and what will be involved in the Committee’s considerations of the complaint. Such notice will be promptly given.
SECTION 4. Awards Committee
The Executive Council will establish criteria for each award. The Awards Committee will investigate the nominations for awards. ASGPP members vote for a recipient in each category except the Executive Council Award, which will be decided by the Executive Council, and the President’s Award, which will be decided by the President. The Awards Committee will exercise due diligence with respect to the professional history of any Awards nominee before making recommendations for Awards.
The Executive Council may choose to revoke an award should it become known that the recipient has been convicted of a criminal offense, or confirmed to have engaged in unethical conduct, or engaged in conduct inconsistent with the award, or ASGPP is in possession of information that the recipient would have been ineligible with the terms of the prize, whereby the ongoing association with the recipient will negatively reflect on the ASGPP. Confirmation of such conduct must come in the form of a formal governmental, judicial, or institutional finding, such as an investigation by a university’s ethics committee, or an admission by the individual.
SECTION 5. Publications Committee
The Publications Committee shall be comprised of a least three members, with the editor of the newsletter and Editorial Board of the Journal as ex-officio and will oversee
the administration of our professional Journal and Newsletter, work in conjunction with the Managing Editor and Editorial Board to set policy and guidelines, and all official publications of the Society to ensure they meet agreed upon guidelines for quality, content and design. All other responsibilities will be described in the Operations and Procedures Manual.
SECTION 6. Conference Committee
The Conference Committee shall organize and promote the annual conference within limits set by the Executive Council. The Conference Committee shall assure that all
presenters at the Society’s conferences are in professional good standing, and not under any clouds of licensure or other negative sanction.
SECTION 7. Finance Committee
The Finance Committee. Shall supervise the accounting, expenditures, income, budgeting and other fiscal matters of the Society and shall Serve with the Treasurer of the Society to maintain the fiscal well being of the Society.
SECTION 8. Membership Committee
Membership Committee will develop and implement policies and activities to retain prior members and gain new ones.
SECTION 9. Special Committees
Special committees, their members, and chairpersons shall be appointed, abolished, and dissolved by the President with the approval of the Executive Council.
ARTICLE VII: OFFICERS
SECTION 1. Membership
The elected officers of the Society shall be: President, Vice President, Treasurer, and Secretary. They shall assume office at the end of the Annual Business Meeting following their election and shall hold office for the term specified, or until their successors are elected. Any member of the Society who has served as a member of the Executive Council shall be eligible for nomination as an officer.
SECTION 2. President
A. Term
The term of office shall be three years. The occupant of this office may run for immediate re-election once. In the event of a vacancy in the office of President, the Vice
President shall automatically assume the office of President and complete that President’s term in addition to the Vice President’s original term of election until a pro tem Vice President may be appointed. In the event that the Vice President is unable to fill this position, an Acting President shall be elected by the Executive Council to serve
until the next election. A retiring President shall not be eligible to run for office or the Executive Council until one year has elapsed following the expiration of the term of
office.
B. Duties
The President shall preside at all meetings of the Society, the Executive Council, and its Leadership Committee; serve as an ex officio member of all committees except the
Professional Standards Committee; appoint committees subject to the approval of the Council; schedule meetings of the Executive Council; exercise general charge and supervision of the affairs of the Society; represent the Society, or designate such a representative, at the meetings of other organizations; and perform such other duties as
are incident to this office or as may be properly assigned by actions of the Society or the Executive Council at duly constituted meetings.
SECTION 3. Vice President
A. Term
The term of office shall be three years. The occupant of this office may run for immediate re-election once. The Vice President shall not automatically succeed to the Presidency upon completion of the President’s term. The Vice President must run for election to the Presidency, if so desired. In the event that the Vice President shall, for
any reason, be unable to complete the term, a special election shall be held as soon as possible to fill the unexpired portion of the term. Candidates to fill such vacancy shall have prior EC experience.
B. Duties
The Vice President shall be a member of the Executive Committee and an ex officio member of all committees except the Professional Standards Committee, and shall perform the functions of the President during any absence or incapacity.
SECTION 4. Secretary
A. Term
The term of office shall be three years and its occupant may stand for immediate re-election once. In the event that the Secretary is unable to complete the term, the President shall appoint a member of the Society who has served on the EC to fill this office until the next election.
B. Duties
The Secretary shall keep the minutes of the meetings of the Society, the Executive Council, and the Leadership Committee; make reports thereon; and perform such other
duties as are incident to this office or as may be properly determined by actions of the Society or its Executive Council at duly constituted meetings. The Secretary will in addition ensure that membership has access to all the governing documents of the Society via online publication at the ASGPP website.
SECTION 5. Treasurer
A. Term
The term of office shall be three years and its occupant may stand for immediate re-election once. In the event that the Treasurer is unable to complete the term, the President shall appoint a member of the Society to fill this office until the next election.
B. Duties
The Treasurer shall be the chief financial officer of the Society responsible for the supervision of all funds and property of the Society.
The Treasurer or any authorized agents shall receive, disburse, account for, and manage all monies of the Society under the general direction of the Council. The Treasurer shall submit an official budget and profit and loss statement once a year.
SECTION 6. Removal of Officers and Executive Council Members
Any officer or member of the Executive Council may be removed for cause at any time by a vote in writing of two thirds of the Council members at a regular or special meeting of the Council. Cause is hereby defined to be neglect of duty or conduct deleterious to the Society. The removal process may be initiated by any member of the Executive Council. Any member of the Council who misses two consecutive Council meetings is subject to removal from the Council and the vacancy filled in accordance with these Bylaws.
ARTICLE VIII: ELECTIONS
The Nominating Committee shall be charged with preparing a slate of nominations for Council members and Officers. A Call for Nominations shall be circulated to the
members annually. A petition signed by five percent of the membership shall automatically be added to the slate prepared by the Nominating Committee. All elections shall be conducted by secret ballot. Ballots shall be mailed or emailed at least sixty days prior to the Annual Business Meeting. Members shall be afforded a thirty day period within which to return their ballots. All elections shall be decided by a plurality vote of the mail ballots received. All further procedures shall be set forth in the Operations and Procedures Manual.
ARTICLE IX. AWARDING PROCEDURES
Candidates for awards must be nominated by a member of ASGPP. Awards Committee checks on the eligibility of the candidates and announces the eligible nominee for each category to the membership. No award may be given to anyone whose license to practice is under a cloud or defect of any kind. All ASGPP members may vote for winners in each category. Procedure for nominating and awarding as Fellows becomes the same as for all other awards, with no more than three fellow awards given annually. An ASGPP member who is a member of the Council, committee, editorial team, American Board of Examiners, etc. is eligible for an award when all other criteria are met.
ARTICLE X: INDEMNIFICATION
The Society may, to the fullest extent now or hereafter permitted by law, indemnify any person made, or threatened to be made, a party to any action or proceeding by reason of the fact that such person was a director, officer, committee member, chairperson, employee, or agent of the Corporation. This indemnification is intended to include any judgments, fines, amounts paid in settlements, and reasonable expenses, including attorney’s fees against such person, or their estate (in the event of death).
ARTICLE XI: DISTRIBUTION OF ASSETS
In the event of the termination, dissolution, or winding down of the affairs of the Society in any manner for any reason whatsoever, its remaining assets, if any, shall be distributed only to one or more organizations described in Section 501 (c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code.
ARTICLE XII: AMENDMENTS
Amendments to the Bylaws may be proposed by any member of the Society in writing to the EC. Amendments shall be approved by two thirds of the Executive Council and
ratified by a majority of the mail ballots received from members of the Society. Amendments so ratified shall become effective on the date established as the end of the period in which the ballots may be counted.
