Adopted October 31, 2012
Amended February 15, 2016
Article I — Name
The name of this organization shall be The Oregon Chapter of the Association for Contextual Behavioral Science (ACBS). The local chapter will be referred to the Oregon Chapter and the larger international Association as ACBS.
Article II — Purpose
The purpose of the Oregon Chapter shall be to foster the development of functional contextual cognitive and behavioral science and practice—such as Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)—so as to alleviate human suffering and advance human well being.
Specifically, the organization shall:
- Create a welcoming and inclusive community for professionals, students, and members of the public where the principles and practices of Contextual Behavioral Science (CBS) can be explored and further developed in a supportive, dynamic, and fun environment.
- Promote research and scholarship in Oregon that is focused on the development of a coherent and progressive science of human behavior that can address the challenges of the human condition.
- Function as a networking organization in Oregon for professionals across disciplines who embrace the principles and practices of CBS for the purposes of referrals as well as professional and scholarly collaboration.
- Organize and sponsor training events in Oregon to disseminate CBS principles and to provide opportunity for ongoing learning and skill development.
- Advise and influence political, legislative, and policy-making bodies with respect to matters pertaining to CBS in the state of Oregon.
- Organize and sponsor forums, conferences, newsletters, websites, listservs, and other such activities in Oregon for the accomplishment of the purposes of the organization.
- Bring together a multidisciplinary community of therapists, scholars, researchers, educators, and practitioners who will work in collegial, open, self-critical, non-discriminatory, and mutually supportive ways to promote and further CBS and its applications.
Article III — Membership
Categories of Membership
Members of the Oregon Chapter shall include any and all who are interested in the practice and advancement of CBS, with an emphasis on developing a diverse and multidisciplinary body of members. The proposed chapter is committed to supporting inclusivity and diversity among its members and its leadership, including, but not limited to, those of various cultural and ethnic backgrounds, sexual orientation, gender identity and socioeconomic status. Members may include therapists, researchers, other healthcare professionals, teachers, students, and members of the public.
All members of the Oregon Chapter must be members in good standing with ACBS.
Membership dues are set by the Board of Directors of ACBS and paid to the Association annually.
Members shall be regarded without discrimination on the basis of race, national or ethnic origin, religion, gender, sexual orientation, age, political affiliation, or mental or physical disability.
The types of membership shall be professional, student, and affiliate.
Professional members shall be entitled to the rights and privileges of the Oregon Chapter without restriction. The minimum standard for election to professional membership shall be completion of a terminal degree relevant to the purposes of the Association.
Student members shall be currently enrolled at the undergraduate or graduate level in an area of relevance to the purposes of the ACBS.
Affiliate members are any members of the public with interests in the purpose of ACBS.
Good Standing
To remain a member in good standing, an individual must remain current with their ACBS membership. The Chapter membership roster is updated on a quarterly basis. Individuals with an expired ACBS membership will be notified during a quarterly update that their membership is no longer in good standing. They are kept on for another quarter. If their membership remains expired by the next quarterly membership check, they are automatically removed from the OACBS membership list and listserv, and they are no longer permitted to vote. They may rejoin OACBS once their ACBS membership is in good standing again.
Voting
Each Professional, Affiliate, and Student member shall be entitled to one vote on all matters brought before the Oregon Chapter. There shall be no proxy voting.
Resignation of a member
Any member may resign at any time by informing the Secretary-Treasurer of their resignation.
A member, once resigned, may no longer vote.
A resigned member may rejoin the Chapter after satisfying the initial membership requirements.
Denial of Membership
For good cause, any person may be denied membership, even after satisfying the requirements of membership, by a two-thirds (2/3) vote of the Board of Directors.
Removal of a member
A member may be removed from the rolls of the Chapter by a two-thirds vote of the Board of Directors.
A member, once removed, may no longer vote and the member will not be allowed to rejoin the Chapter.
Removing a member is meant as a last resort measure and is not to be undertaken by the Board of Directors without good cause.
Article IV — Officers, Duties, and Terms of Office
The officers of the Oregon Chapter shall consist of a President, President-Elect, Past President, Secretary-Treasurer, a student representative, and one Member-at-Large of the Board of Directors. Each shall perform the usual duties of the respective office and specific duties provided elsewhere in these Bylaws or as assigned by the Board of Directors. Elections for officers shall be held every year. The President, President-Elect, and student representative shall each serve a one-year term and may not hold any other elected office within the Oregon Chapter. The Member-at-Large shall be elected every two years. The Secretary-Treasurer shall serve a three year term.
Candidates for offices shall be Members of the Oregon Chapter. Officers shall be elected by ballot to Members.
The Past-President shall fulfill the duties of the President in case of the President’s absence, incapacity, or resignation. In the event of the President’s resignation, or lengthy absence or incapacity, the Board of Directors may, by a two-thirds vote, provide for an election of a new President before the normal voting cycle. In such a case, the Past-President shall serve as President until the new President takes office.
Vacancies: If the office of President-Elect becomes vacant, a special election will be held, and the elected candidate will take over the position. If the office of Secretary-Treasurer becomes vacant with more than one year remaining in the term, a special election will be held, and the elected candidate will serve the remainder of the term. If the office of Secretary-Treasurer becomes vacant with less than one year remaining in the term of office, the Board may appoint a voting member of the Chapter to fill the position for the balance of the term. If no candidates run for one or more Board roles in an election, the current President, in consultation with the Board, is empowered to decide upon a reasonable course of action to address potential unfilled roles.
Article V — Committees
The President, President-Elect, Past-President, Secretary-Treasurer, Student representative, and Member-at-Large shall constitute the voting members of the Board of Directors.
In the event of a tied vote on any issue presented to the Board, the President will cast the deciding vote.
The Committees of the Oregon Chapter shall consist of such standing Committees as may be provided by these Bylaws and such special Committees as may be established by the Board of Directors.
The Board of Directors shall have general supervision of the affairs of the Oregon Chapter, performing the duties and abiding by the limitations specified in these Bylaws. Actions of the Board of Directors affecting Chapter policy are subject to approval by a majority vote of the Members voting at the annual meeting, or by a special email ballot as decided upon by the Board of Directors. A request for an email ballot of the membership of the Chapter may be initiated either by the Board of Directors or by five percent (5%) of the Members, at which point, an email ballot shall be circulated to the membership. Results of an email ballot of the membership constitute the final authority of the Chapter.
The Membership Committee shall be selected by the Board of Directors with a chair appointed by the President and approved by the Board of Directors. It shall be the responsibility of this Committee to secure and review evidence concerning the membership qualifications of all candidates for membership or changes of membership status.
The Election Committee shall be selected by the Board of Directors, with a chair appointed by the President and approved by the Board of Directors. The Election Committee shall secure nominations by ballot from the Members and shall ascertain whether the nominees are qualified and willing to serve if elected. Only 2 candidates may run for each Board role in an election cycle. If more than 2 people elect to run for a particular Board role, the Election Committee shall choose 2 candidates to be on the ballot, so as not to dilute the power of the voting process. The Election Committee shall be responsible for making a preferential count of the election ballots and reporting the results to the Board of Directors.
Article VI — Activities
The Oregon Chapter may hold periodic meetings—no less than annually—for the transaction of business and presentations regarding developments in contextual behavioral science, application, and the advancement of human welfare. Activities of the Chapter may include, but are not limited to the following:
- Peer supervision groups
- Study groups/Book clubs
- Workshops, conferences, and other professional trainings
- Social networking events
- Website development and newsletter distribution
- Coordination with international ACBS organization
- Collaborations with other regional state chapters
The Board of Directors may provide for the formation and dissolution of student affiliate groups, special interest groups, and other units within the Association.
Article VII — Rules of Procedure
The rules contained in the edition of Robert’s Rules of Order (Newly Revised) shall govern the Chapter in all cases to which they are applicable and in which they are not inconsistent with these Bylaws and any special rules of order the Chapter may adopt.
Article VIII — Amendments
These Bylaws may be amended by a two-thirds vote of Members who reply to an email ballot sent to the total membership. Bylaws amendments may be initiated by the Board of Directors or by petition of five percent (5%) of the total membership.
Article IX — Dissolution
In the event of the dissolution or termination of the Oregon Chapter, all of the assets and title to and possession of the property of the Chapter shall pass to one or more non-profit scientific and professional organization.