Article1. Short Titles and Name
The name of this organization shall be the Philadelphia Science Forum, and may be referred to as PSF. Any names associated with PSF may not be used without the written consent of the Standing Board.
Article 2. Objectives and Purposes
PSF is a non-profit and non-political organization initiated at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia of the United States. The primary purpose of PSF is to provide a platform for exchanging and fostering scientific and technological knowledge and ideas, for facilitating collaborations and bridging the gap between scientific research and industry by:
- providing a forum for the interchange of scientific and technical knowledge;
- fostering career growth and development of members.
Article 3. Membership
Section 1. Members. Any individual or organization who supports the objectives of PSF and is willing to contribute to the achievement of those objectives, and who has an interest in science and technology, is eligible for membership. Members include local members and corresponding members out of Philadelphia.
Section 2. Admission to membership. Any individual or organization meeting the requirements in Section 1 of this Article shall be admitted to membership in PSF upon completion of administrative processing of any required application accompanied by the payment of the required dues.
Section 3. Membership rights, benefits and services. Each member shall have the following rights, benefits and services:
- participating in and supporting PSF activities;
- discussion and suggestions about the events to be held by PSF;
- facilitating exchange of knowledge in the public domain and inviting new members;
- voting and being voted: members have the right to reject the Standing Board’s decisions defined within this Bylaw by at least 51% vote of members present or by responding within two weeks of the announcement from the Standing Board in any way that could be recorded;
The Standing Board may amend membership benefits and services as it deems necessary or desirable in furtherance of PSF purposes.
Section 4. Release of PSF. PSF is released from any personal faults of the members including but not limited to the law breaching and bankruptcy.
Article 4. Standing Board
Section 1. Duties. The Standing Board shall
- resolve any issues regarding the Bylaw and PSF policies/procedures
- be responsible for long-term strategic planning and major structure changes of PSF, including but not limited to organizational development, long-term financial planning, and annually election of service members like treasurer, public relationship representative and web manager;
- be responsible for the management of PSF daily affairs including but not limited to the speaker invitation, conference room reservation and seminar presiding.
- attend Board meetings as required by this Bylaw to ensure that the purpose of this corporation is achieved;
Section 2. Rotating Executive Board. All board members will take turn to be executive board members for at least one month, during which they will be the main board members who take charge of the duties listed in Section 1 of this Article.
Section 3. Eligibility. Every PSF member is eligible to become a member of the Standing Board if he/she is willing to take the duties in Section 1 of this Article during his/her rotation as executive board, unless he/she is impeached by at least three members and the Standing Board decides to expel him/her after investigation.
Section 4. Decision. Any decision of the Standing Board listed in this Bylaw has to be approved by two-thirds of the vote of board members present or responding within one week of the initial notice in any way that could be recorded.
Article 5. Finances
Financial regulations shall be established and followed. Funds for PSF activities shall be obtained from public donations, membership dues and other sources approved by the Standing Board. PSF adopts “yearly balanced budget” policy. Treasurer shall prepare an annual budget for review and approval by the Standing Board for PSF fiscal year.
Article 6. Prohibitions
The rules contained in the current edition of this Bylaw shall govern PSF in all cases to which they are applicable. All activities carried out by PSF and active individual members shall not be against the local laws and the laws of the United States. Due to the possible conflict of interest, no member is allowed to disclose the speaker’s contents to a third part other than the speaker and PSF without the written consent of speaker. No member is allowed to use PSF for his/her personal or party’s interest without the written consent of the Standing Board.
Article 7. Advisory Board.
Any reputable or senior person is welcome to be the Advisory Board of PSF, if he/she is willing to support or facilitate the development of PSF. Any PSF member has the right and is encouraged to nominate and invite an advisor. Any advisor of PSF is not responsible for any misconduct of any PSF member.
Article 8. Interpretation and Amendment of the Bylaw.
Section 1. Interpretation. The interpretation of the Bylaw is the privilege of the Standing Board unless the members overrule the Board by 51% majority.
Section 2. Amendment. This Bylaw may be altered, amended, or repealed by approval of the Standing Board or the members present by at least 51%.
