Chicago Section History |
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The first preliminary meetings were held on September 13th and October 21st, 1924 in the Chemists Club Room at the City Club in downtown Chicago. A petition to form a section was submitted to National on October 29 and the first organizing meeting was held November 25th, There were nine members in attendance. The National Council unanimously approved the application for a Chicago Section on December 15, 1924 and all national members within a 150 mile radius of Chicago were made members of the Section. Those members within a 30 mile radius were asked to pay Section dues. The Chicago Section was the first section in AIChE. The first regular meeting of the Section was held on January 16, 1925 at the Western Society of Engineers office with six members present. A motion passed that a copy of the Petition of Chicago Members for a local section be included in the minutes. Petition of the Chicago Members of the AIChE for a local section dated October 29, 1924 “To the Council of AIChE. We, the undersigned members of the AIChE, do hereby petition the Council for its approval of the formation at Chicago, IL of a Local Section, in accordance with the proposed Amendment to the Constitution of the Institute, as set forth on page 12 of Bulletin No. 25 – the Proceedings of the Fourteenth Semi-Annual Meeting. Respectfully Submitted,
Initially, dues were $3 per year (1925 dollars). The grandfather of the Chicago Section is Harry McCormack, a founder of the section and head of the Chemical Engineering department at the Illinois Institute of Technology. |
CHARTER – Chicago Section, AIChE |
ARTICLE I NameThis organization shall be known as the Chicago Section of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers. ARTICLE II PurposeThe purposes of the Section, a nonprofit scientific, educational and charitable organization, are the furtherance of the aims and purposes of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers and the advancement of the science of chemical engineering and of related sciences through (i) the education of members and nonmembers in the sciences, (ii) career guidance and financial assistance to students of the science, and (iii) encouragement of research in the science. ARTICLE III PowersThe Section shall have the power to do any lawful acts reasonable necessary or desirable to carry out the Section’s purposes and to protect the lawful rights and interests of its membership in connection therewith. ARTICLE IV GeneralSection 1. All matters properly brought in question shall be decided by a majority of the votes cast, except where the Charter or Bylaws provide for a greater ratio of favorable votes. Section 2. In the case of any question concerning the interpretation of any portion of the Charter or Bylaws, the decision of the Board of Directors of the Section shall be final unless it is superseded by a decision of the Council of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers. Section 3. The Section shall not be held responsible for unauthorized opinions of its members, no matter how or where expressed. Section 4. The Section does not consent to the use of its name for any purposes other than the objects stated in the Charter. ARTICLE V AmendmentsSection 1. All provisions of this Charter shall be subject to alteration or repeal and new provisions, not inconsistent with the Constitution of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers or any provision of law, may be made by the affirmative vote of a two thirds majority of the members entitled to vote in respect thereof, given at a regular meeting or at any special meeting, provided that the proposed alteration or repeal of the proposed new provision is included in the notice of such meeting. Section 2. All amendments to the provisions of this Charter shall be subject to approval by the Council of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers. Section 3. Amendments to the Charter may be proposed by the Board of Directors or by written petition of any twenty members in good standing. ARTICLE VI DissolutionSection 1. Upon the dissolution of the Section, any assets remaining thereafter shall be conveyed to the American Institute of Chemical Engineers. Section 2. In the event that the American Institute of Chemical Engineers is not then in existence or is not then exempt under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954 as amended, or under such successor provision of the Code as may be in effect at such time, the assets shall be conveyed to an organization dedicated to the perpetuation of objectives similar to those of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers and exempt under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954 as amended, or under such provision of the Code as may be in effect at such time. |
BYLAWS – Chicago Section, AIChE |
ARTICLE I JurisdictionThe “Chicago Area”, for the purpose of determining eligibility for membership in the Chicago Section of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers, shall consist of all of the following counties: Lake, McHenry, Kane, DuPage and Cook Counties in Illinois, and Lake County in Indiana. ARTICLE II MembershipSection 1. The membership of the Section shall be limited to FELLOWS, MEMBERS, ASSOCIATE MEMBERS, AFFILIATES, and STUDENT MEMBERS of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers, residing or engaged in business within the boundaries encompassed by the Section. Section 2. Nonmember chemical engineers may become LOCAL members of the Section for a period not to exceed two years. During this period, it is expected that LOCAL members will apply for one of the grades of membership in the American Institute of Chemical Engineers. Nothing in the Bylaw shall be construed to prevent members from bringing nonmembers guests to the meetings of the Section. STUDENT, AFFILIATES and LOCAL members may not hold office in the Section. Section 3. Members in good standing of any of the Founder Societies (American Institute of Mining, Metallurgical and Petroleum Engineers; American Society of Civil Engineers; American Society of Mechanical Engineers; Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers) may be members of the Section for an indefinite period without applying for membership in the American Institute of Chemical Engineers. Section 4. Any member of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers who resides and is engaged in business outside the boundaries of the Section and who desires to affiliated with the Section shall be eligible for membership and may become a member of the Section by application in writing to the Section Secretary. Section 5. All eligible members shall become members in good standing upon payment of prescribed annual Section dues. Section 6. Members of student chapters of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers shall become non-voting members of the Section, but shall receive no individual meeting notices. ARTICLE III Dues and FinancesSection 1. The fiscal year of the Section shall commence on July first and terminate on June thirtieth. Section 2. The annual dues for members of the Section and any regulations pertaining thereto shall be set by the Board of Directors. Section 3. Student members of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers shall not be required to pay dues to the Section. Section 4. The Section shall operate financially as a non-profit organization, as defined by existing local, state and federal laws. Section 5. The cost of meals and gratuities for each regular meeting shall be covered by charging each dining participant the same predetermined amount, with the following exception: All persons who are not dues-paying members in good standing of any Section of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers shall pay a premium per meal as set by the Board of Directors. Section 6. The amount of the Treasurer’s, Secretary’s and Chair of the House Committee’s bond shall be set at a minimum of $2,000 each. ARTICLE IV Officers and DirectorsSection 1. The officers of the Section shall be a Chair, a Chair-Elect, a Vice Chair-Program, a Secretary, and a Treasurer, each of whom must have been members of the Section in good standing for at least two successive fiscal years including the year in which their election is held. In addition, all officers and Directors-at-Large of the Section must be Fellows, Members, or Associate Members of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers. Only those members of the Section in good standing for the year of the election shall be allowed to nominate officers and vote in the election. The Chair shall have served at least one year on the Board of Directors before his is eligible to hold the Chairmanship. Section 2. The Chair shall be responsible for providing strategic directions and leadership in enhancing the effectiveness of the section toward meeting the goals of its members. The Chair or in his absence the Chair-Elect or in his absence the Treasurer shall preside at all meetings of the Section. Section 3. The Secretary shall keep a record of the proceedings of the Section and the meetings of the Board of Directors. He or she shall issue notices to all eligible persons. He or she shall provide to any member in good standing upon request an up-to-date copy of the Charter and Bylaws. Prior to the end of the fiscal year he or she shall make a report to the Secretary of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers on the activities of the Section during the past year. He or she shall perform all other duties usual to his or her office and may be allowed such sums for clerical assistance as may be approved by the Board. The Secretary shall annually review and maintain articles of incorporation of the Section with the State of Illinois. The Secretary shall be responsible for the coordination of the Communications Group and shall report to the Chair on its activities. Section 4. The Treasurer shall be responsible for the collection and disbursement of all funds as authorized by the Board of Directors. He or she shall prepare all financial reports required by the American Institute of Chemical Engineers, Internal Revenue Service and all other local, state and federal government agencies. The Treasurer shall be responsible for the coordination of the Professional Development Group and shall report to the Chair on its activities. Section 5. The Vice Chair-Program shall serve as the Chair of the Program Committee. The Vice Chair-Program shall be responsible for the coordination of the Program Group and shall report to the Chair on its activities. Section 6. There shall be a Board of Directors consisting of all the officers of the Section, the immediate Past Chair, three Directors-at-Large and the Chairs of the standing committees. This Board shall conduct all the affairs of the Section not otherwise specifically provided for in the Bylaws. The Board shall hold at least four regular meetings per year and at all times be subject to call by the Chair or by any five of its members. The Board shall set the places and times of its meetings. The minutes of the meeting of the Board shall be read with the minutes of the Section at all regular meetings of the Section. The Directors-at-Large shall be responsible for the coordination of the Public Outreach Group and shall report to the Chair on its activities. Section 7. The Chair-Elect shall be responsible for the coordination of the Awards Group and shall report to the Chair on its activities. ARTICLE V ElectionsSection 1. All officers and Directors-at-Large shall be elected the annual meeting and shall take office on July 1. All officers and Directors-at-Large must be members of the Section in good standing for at least two successive fiscal years including the year in which their election is held, and be Fellows, Members, or Associate Members of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers. All officers shall hold office for one year or until their successors are duly elected or appointed and take office. The Chair-Elect shall succeed the Chair. All Directors-at-Large shall hold office for three years or until their successors are duly elected or appointed and take office. One Director-at-Large shall be elected annually to serve for three years. At least two weeks before the January meeting, the Chair shall appoint a Nominating Committee of three members in good standing of the Section. The Chair shall announce his appointments to the membership at the January meeting. With the call for the March meeting, the Secretary shall send to each member of the Section in good standing a nominating ballot on which the member may show his or her suggestion for one nominee for each office and for Director-at-Large. All such nominating ballots which are returned to the Secretary at the close of the March meeting shall be delivered to the Nominating Committee immediately. With these ballots as a guide, the Nominating Committee shall draw up a list of nominees of not less than one or more than three for each office and for the Director-at-Large. All nominees for officers and Directors-at-Large proposed by the Nominating Committee must be members of the Section in good standing for at least two successive fiscal years including the year in which they are nominated, and be Fellows, Members or Associate Members of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers. The list of nominees, along with appropriate background information, shall be presented to the members as part of the written notice of the annual meeting. With the written notice to the April meeting, members shall be notified that they may obtain absentee ballots, if they expect to be absent from the annual meeting, by requesting them in writing from the Secretary. Absentee ballots, which shall consist of a list of the nominations by the Nominating Committee, an inner unsigned envelope, and an outer signed envelope, shall be mailed to members at the time of the notice of the annual meeting, and must be returned to the Secretary prior to the annual meeting. At the annual meeting the Chair shall appoint two tellers to conduct the election. The Chair shall read the slate of the Nominating Committee and shall then ask if there are additional nominations from the floor for each office in succession. Any nominees from the floor for officers or Directors-at-Large must be members of the Section in good standing for at least two fiscal years including the year in which they are nominated, and be Fellows, Members, or Associate Members of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers. A member may be nominated for only one office. The election shall be by written ballot of members in good standing, unless a motion for a voice vote is carried by a two-thirds majority of the members in good standing present. In the case of a written ballot, a majority of votes cast for any office shall be necessary to elect; any necessary reballot shall be between the two nominees receiving the most votes on the initial ballot. Absentee ballots shall be counted in the initial ballot, and where applicable, in any reballot necessary to give a majority vote. The nominating ballots and electing ballots shall be delivered to the Secretary who shall preserve them until the next election shall have been held and shall then destroy them. When an election by voice vote has been mandated, each office shall be voted upon separately. The chair will announce in alphabetical order, the list of candidates for an office. He or she shall then call for a vote to approve the first candidate. A majority based on the total number of members in good standing present plus the number of absentee ballots received by the Secretary is needed for election. If a majority votes in the affirmative, the candidate is elected. If not, the chair passes on to the next candidate on the list. The Secretary shall minute the results of each election. In the event that a voice vote fails to elect any candidate for an office, then a written ballot shall be conducted for that office. Immediately following the election, the Secretary shall forward the names of the newly elected officers to the Secretary of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers. Section 2. In case any vacancy occurs in any elective office, the Board shall appoint some eligible member in good standing to fill the said office for the balance of the service year. An appointee for the remaining term of the Chair- Elect shall be called Chair-Elect Protem but shall not automatically succeed the Chair the following year. Rather, a new Chair shall be elected at the next annual election. The Chair-Elect Protem appointed as above shall assume all other responsibilities of the office of Chair-Elect specified in the Constitution and Bylaws. Section 3. No member in good standing shall be eligible to hold more than one office in the Section at any one time. Section 4. The Chair shall be ineligible to succeed himself. ARTICLE VI CommitteesSection 1. There shall be an Executive Committee consisting of the Elected officers of the Section. The duties of the Executive Committee shall be to present meaningful considered proposals to the Board of Directors for action by discussing complex policy questions and screening of many of the miscellaneous ideas and proposals made to the Chicago Section. Particular Committee Chairs can be invited to attend particular Executive Committee meetings. Section 2. Standing Committees. There shall be eighteen Standing Committees, grouped in threes, with each group being overseen by an elected officer of the section. The Public Outreach Group will be overseen by the three Directors at Large, and shall consist of the following committees: Career Guidance, Government Interaction, and Public Relations. The Awards Group will be overseen by the Chair Elect, and shall consist of the following committees: Thiele Award, Awards & Nominations, and Sponsorship. The Program Group will be overseen by the Vice-Chair, and shall consist of the consist of the following committees: House, Meeting Program, and Symposium. The Professional Development Group will be overseen by the Treasurer, and shall consist of the following committees: Continuing Education, Job Posting, and Professional Development. The Communications Group shall be overseen by the Secretary, and shall consist of the following committees: Publicity, Membership/Welcoming, and Constitution & By-Laws. The Liaisons Group shall be overseen by the Past Chair, and shall consist of the following committees: Industrial Liaisons, Academic Liaisons, and Government Liaisons. Chairs of the Standing Committees shall be appointed by the Section Chair. The duties of the Standing Committees shall be as follows: The Career Guidance Committee shall 1) promote vocational guidance activities for students (K through college), parents and guidance counselors in the Chicago area with respect to engineering in general and chemical engineering in particular, and 2) maintain a Speakers’ Bureau and arrange speaking engagements on chemical engineering topics by qualified Section members, 3) participate in the ACS sponsored Chemistry Day, 4) participate in Engineers Week festivities, 5) offer to assist the AIChE student sections at the local universities, 6) encourage students to attend section meetings, 7) assist the Awards and Nominations Committee in obtaining nominations for the McCormack Awards. The Government Interaction Committee shall monitor government activities focusing on the issues that could impact chemical engineers, and coordinate Chicago Section activities in this regard to provide advice and guidance to local, state and national governments in the areas involving chemical engineering knowledge. The Government Interaction Committee shall cooperate with the Public Relations and Publicity Committees and to educate the public, news media and Chicago Section members on current issues of technical and professional concerns by presenting a fair exposition of pertinent facts. The Public Relations Committee shall 1) disseminate information about AIChE and events to the press and public, 2) report section activities to CEP/Extra, 3) work with the Government Interaction Committee to serve as a technical resource not only to governing bodies but to the press and community groups as well, and 4) prepare and distribute a monthly press release on the section meeting. The Awards and Nominations Committee shall nominate candidates for national offices and awards, nominate candidates for Fellow, and handle any other special awards or nominations not specified under any other section. The Thiele Award Committee may select one qualified candidate as the result of a screening process in which at least three individuals have been evaluated for this award. The decision for the Thiele Award shall be completed by February 1st to insure presentation at a spring meeting. The Sponsorship Committee shall determine the minimum amount of sponsorship funds needed from the fiscal budget and maintain a system of contacting Chicago area companies for sponsorships. The House Committee shall arrange for meeting quarters for the Section and shall provide any necessary equipment for the conduct of the meeting; shall submit meeting location and menu to the Publicity Committee and the Public Relations Committee; shall coordinate February’s Annual Social Event; shall collect money at meetings and register attendees; keep a log of meeting locations to be used as a metric to determine future meeting locations; prepare pre-registration lists. The Program Committee shall arrange programs and secure speakers for the meetings of the Section. The Symposium Committee shall be formed at the discretion of the Chair to coordinate a Symposium. The Continuing Education Committee shall identify local seminars and programs that may be of interest to a large percentage of the members and communicate this information to the Publicity Committee; make course, symposium, and/or PE review course recommendations to the board from the National AIChE list of continuing education programs. The Job Posting Committee shall maintain a list of and communications with local recruiters (both professional recruiters and human resource representatives); compile monthly job postings and submit to the Publicity Committee; bring the monthly job postings to the section meetings. The Professional Development Committee shall coordinate pre-meeting speakers to feature the latest developments in employment practices, stress management, resume writing, job essentials, employee fairness, and related topics. The Publicity Committee shall disseminate information to the section members through the preparation periodically of the newsletter. The Constitution and Bylaws Committee shall formulate and submit to the Board amendments to the Constitution and Bylaws suggested by the Board or by petition from the membership, shall be responsible for the consistency of the Constitution and Bylaws as a result of any changes, and for the conformation of same to the Constitution of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers. The Committee may suggest any changes to keep the Constitution and Bylaws up to date, and shall, from time to time, review them for this purpose. The Membership Committee shall 1) endeavor to maintain contacts with chemical engineers in the Chicago area to promote membership in the American Institute of Chemical Engineers and the Chicago Section and to encourage attendance at meetings and events of the Section. 2) obtain membership lists from the American Institute of Chemical Engineers for use by the Publicity Committee for distribution of the newsletter, and 3) review and recommend action upon requests for the use of the membership lists for distribution of educational material by parties other than the Chicago Section. It shall also serve as a hospitality committee and promote friendship and acquaintance among members of the Section and guests. The Industrial Liaison Committee shall maintain and expand the Industrial Liaison program by 1) monitoring the activities of the liaisons currently in place to ensure that meeting notices are being distributed; 2) identify companies where there is no liaison and work to get more active involvement from that company; 3) pole liaisons to determine areas of interest and/or need specific to that company and/or industry. The Academic Liaison Committee shall coordinate the one monthly meeting that is held each year at one of the area universities with a chemical engineering department; work identify the development needs of both students and faculty at the college level. The Government Liaison Committee shall identify specific program needs of those members in government service; shall recommend to the Program Committee and the House Committee programs and locations that are of interest and convenience to the government sector. Section 3. Insofar as possible, Section members serving on National Committees of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers shall be asked to serve on the corresponding Section committees, not necessarily as Chair, to integrate national and local activities. Preferably, appointments should be made for more than one year. Section 4. The Chair may appoint any other ad hoc committees he or she considers necessary during the course of the year. ARTICLE VII MeetingsSection 1. There shall be at least four meetings of the Section each year, one of which shall be the Annual Meeting. The Board of Directors shall determine the date and place of the meetings. Section 2. Written notices of regular and special meetings of the Section shall be sent to all eligible members for a minimum of two regular meetings during the year. The remainder of such notices shall be sent only to members in good standing. Section 3. One meeting, designated as the annual meeting, shall be held in May of each year. Section 4. Special meetings may be called by the Chair, by any five members of the Board of Directors, or by written petition to the Chair by any twenty members in good standing and shall be for business purposes only. Section 5. A quorum for the transaction of business at any regular meeting of the Section shall consist of fifty members in good standing. Section 6. A quorum for the transaction of business at any regular or special meeting of the Board of Directors shall consist of ten members of the Board including the Chair. The Chair shall be entitled to a vote on the business coming before the Board. Section 7. For the purpose of establishing a quorum at a Board of Directors’ meetings, the chair of any Standing Committee may appoint an alternate to act and vote in his place for a specific Board meeting which the Committee Chair cannot attend. ARTICLE VIII Order of BusinessSection 1. The business of the Section shall be transacted according to Robert’s Rules of Order, Revised Edition. Section 2. The regular order of business at the regular meeting of the Section shall be as follows:
Section 3. The regular order of business for any meeting may be altered by the Chair, with the consent of a majority of the members in good standing present. ARTICLE IX AmendmentsSection 1. All changes in the Bylaws may be made at any regular or special meeting of the Section by a two-thirds majority vote of the membership in good standing in attendance. Section 2. All changes in the Bylaws may be made by the Board of Directors at any regular or special meeting of the Board by a two-thirds majority vote of the Board members present. Section 3. The members of the Section shall be notified of all changes in the Bylaws both by announcement at the next regular meeting the Section following such change and in the next written notice of a meeting of the Section. Section 4. Any change in the Bylaws made by the Board of Directors may be nullified at the next regular meeting after written notice of a change has been given to the membership by a two-thirds majority vote of quorum of members in good standing. Section 5. All amendments to these Bylaws shall be subject to approval by the Council of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers. |
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