SHCY MISSION STATEMENT

The SHCY was founded to promote the history of children and youth. 

The organization (1) supports research about childhood, youth cultures, and the experience of young people across diverse times and places; (2) fosters study across disciplinary and methodological boundaries; (3) provides venues for scholars to communicate with one another; and (4) promotes excellence in scholarship.

Membership is open to all individuals as well as to cultural and educational institutions. 

SHCY resources for scholars include regular conferences, an email discussion list, a website, and publications

BY-LAWS

 Article I
The name of the organization is the Society for the History of Children and Youth (SHCY)

Article II
Section 1. Membership in the Society for the History of Children and Youth is open to all scholars and graduate students who study the lives of children and youth in the past.

Section 2. Membership dues and terms shall be established by the Executive Committee. Dates of membership will run for a calendar year. Only members whose dues are up to date will be allowed to vote in any Society election or to participate at Society conferences. Members are responsible for informing the secretary-treasurer of changes in their email or ground mail addresses

Article III
The Society for the History of Children and Youth convenes regularly at locations chosen by the Executive Committee in conjunction with a Program Committee appointed by the President.

Article IV 
Section 1.  The officers of the Society for the History of Children and Youth are:  President, Vice-President/President-Elect, Liaison to H-Net, and Secretary-Treasurer. The officers shall be members of the Society for the History of Children and Youth.

Section 2: The Executive Committee will govern the organization.  Voting members of the Executive Committee include the President, Vice-President/President Elect, immediate past-president and eight at-large members of the Society. At least one member of the executive committee must be a graduate student at the time of election.  No more than three at large members of the executive committee (not including the graduate student representative) can reside in the same country during any two-year period.

The Secretary-Treasurer and Liaison to H-Net will serve as non-voting members of the Executive Committee.   The President and President-Elect will serve two-year terms.  At-large members of the Executive Committee will serve four years terms.   The Secretary-Treasurer and Liaison to H-Net shall serve at the pleasure of the Executive Committee.  In the event of an unexpired term, the President in consultation with the Executive Committee is empowered to appoint a member of the society to complete the term.

Section 3: Elections for President, Vice-President/President Elect, and at-large members of the Executive Committee will be elected in odd numbered years.   Elections for three positions on the Executive Committee will be held every four years beginning in 2001; elections for the other two positions will be held every four years beginning in 2003.  Elections will be held electronically prior to the biennial conference.  Six months prior to an election, the President will appoint a Nominating Committee, which will solicit nominations and applications from the general membership.  The Nominating Committee will select at least one candidate for Vice-President/President Elect and no fewer than one candidate for each at large position on the Executive Committee.  The names and brief biographies of the candidates will be emailed to members no later than one-month prior to the deadline for voting in the election.  The nominating committee must ensure that each candidate has agreed to serve if elected.  New officers will be announced via email.  Newly elected officers assume their duties at the conference following the election.

Section 4:  The Executive Committee convenes at a time convenient to all Executive Committee members.  They may also "meet" at the President's request via conference call or email.  A majority of the Executive Committee must be in attendance to constitute a quorum.  Duties of the Executive Committee generally include routine governance of the Organization and such specific assignments as assisting with the preparation of the agenda for the annual meeting and naming the Secretary-Treasurer and members of the Executive Committee as terms expire or vacancies occur.

Section 5:  The professional residence of the Secretary-Treasurer determines the headquarters of the Society for the History of Children and Youth.  A prospective Secretary-Treasurer must submit a letter signed by the candidate and by his or her appropriate supervisor demonstrating the commitment and support of the host institution or department and his or her personal commitment to provide an office as well as filing, stenographic, and computer services. It is the responsibility of the Secretary-Treasurer to maintain membership files, correspondence files, take and distribute minutes of Executive Committee meetings, maintain a Society web site, and maintain and submit an biennial report on Society finances.

Section 6:  Duties of the President include but are not limited to appointment of committees, preparation of the agenda for the Executive Committee meeting, and conducting the Executive Council meeting and the annual business meeting of the SHCY. The President, with the Executive Council serving in an advisory capacity, acts as official spokesperson of the SHCY.

Section 7:  Duties of the Vice-President/President Elect include but are not limited to planning the business meetings in cooperation with the President and serving on the program and any other committees appointed by the President.  The Vice-President/President Elect will also serve as Acting President if the President is unable to perform his or her duties.

Article V
Amendments to this document must be approved by the Membership.  They may be initiated by a simple majority of the Executive Committee or a petition from one-half of the Membership.  Approval requires support of two-thirds of the Membership, in assembly or by correspondence, who cast votes.

Article VI
This document becomes effective if approved by the Executive Committee and by the membership at the 2001 meeting in Milwaukee, or by some other procedure to be determined by the Executive Committee.  Implementation of provisions herein will commence immediately upon ratification.

Ratified in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA, July 28, 2001.

Amended in Baltimore, Maryland, USA,  June 28, 2003.

Amended in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA, August 6, 2005

Amended in Norrköping, Sweden, June 2007.

Signed by James Marten
Secretary-Treasurer, SHCY
March 10, 2008

 The Society for the History of Children and Youth is hosted by Marquette University

To submit comments about the website contact: Kriste Lindenmeyer
lindenme@umbc.edu