About the Indiana Society of Professional Land Surveyors

Mission & Vision

MISSION
As a not-for-profit service organization, we seek growth and development of our profession. Our primary mission is to provide our membership a professional identity, professional guidelines and direction, educational services and to promote the interests of the profession. The philosophy of ISPLS is to encourage all who are in the surveying profession to value professional ethics in thought and deed, to maintain competency in performance of duties, to insure trustworthiness, to provide quality in work, and to constantly protect the public interest.


VISION
ISPLS is recognized by society, government and the profession as an organization of cohesiveness, professionalism, involvement in the community, and embracing of mentoring opportunities. Through an active membership, ISPLS is a respected voice in legislative activities. The society embraces and is involved in technology advances. The organization focuses on providing members with tangible and desirable benefits.

Code of Ethics

CODE
As Surveying and Mapping Professionals, we recognize that our ethical responsibilities extend to the public, to our clients and to our peers. Accordingly, we acknowledge the following elements to identify our basic values: integrity, competence, and social awareness. Surveying and Mapping Professionals uphold and advance these values by:

  • Supporting and participating in the continuing development of the surveying and mapping professions:

  • Serving with honesty, with forthrightness, and within their areas of skill:

  • Using their expertise for the enhancement of human welfare and for the stewardship of resources


CREED
As a Professional Surveyor, I dedicate my professional knowledge and skills to the advancement and betterment of human welfare. I pledge to give the utmost performance; to participate in none but honest enterprise; to live and work according to the laws of humankind and to the highest standards of professional conduct; to place service before profit, honor and standing of the profession before personal advantage, and the public welfare above all other considerations.

CANONS
In humility and with the need for divine guidance, I make this pledge: A Professional Surveyor should:

  • Refrain from conduct that is detrimental to the public;

  • Abide by the rules and regulations pertaining to the practice of land surveying within the licensing jurisdiction;

  • Accept assignments only in one’s area of professional competence;

  • Develop and communicate a professional analysis and opinion without bias or personal interest;

  • Maintain the confidential nature of the Surveyor-Client relationship;

  • Use care to avoid advertising or solicitation that is misleading or otherwise contrary to the public interest;

  • Maintain professional integrity when dealing with members of other professions.

Anti-Trust Statement

As a prologue to our meeting, please keep in mind that there are numerous state and federal laws that absolutely prohibit the exchange of information among competitors regarding price, refusals to deal, or agreements to proceed in certain anti-competitive respects, and that no such exchange of this information is either sanctioned by the Indiana Society of Professional Land Surveyors, nor will be tolerated, during our meeting. This is a very serious consideration and no deviation from this policy will be allowed. Your cooperation in this matter will be appreciated.

Self-Regulation and Code of Ethics

The Society must NOT:

  • Adopt regulation or policies that have price-fixing implications, such as prohibitions on advertising of prices, or that unreasonably restrict the ability of any member or group of members to compete.

  • Require members to refrain from dealing with a member who has violated the society’s code of ethics.

  • Enforce the code of ethics arbitrarily.

  • Impose unreasonably severe penalties for violation of a code of ethics.


Topics of Discussions That Must Be Avoided at Society Meetings

  • Current or future prices

  • What constitutes a “fair” profit level

  • Possible increases or decreases in prices Standardization or stabilization of prices

  • Pricing procedures

  • Cash discounts

  • Credit terms

  • Control of sales

  • Allocation of markets (Territories)

  • Refusal to deal with a corporation because of its pricing or distribution practices.

  • Whether or not the pricing practices of any industry member are unethical or constitute an unfair trade practice.

Constitution

ARTICLE I – NAME AND OBJECTIVES

  • The name of this organization shall be the Indiana Society of Professional Land Surveyors.

  • The Society is a non-profit organization whose objectives shall be the advancement, promotion, and protection of the profession of Land Surveying. The Society shall serve its members as a common agency of stimulation and guidance:

  • Promoting the common good and welfare of the land surveyor;

  • Establishing and maintaining high ethical standards and practices;

  • Encouraging professional practices;

  • Discouraging unethical and illegal practices and professional abuses;

  • Promoting public faith and dependence in land surveyors and their work through education, legislation, and public relations;

  • Becoming better acquainted with new techniques and procedures related to land  surveying;

  • Bringing about coordination and cooperation between the land surveying, engineering, architectural, and legal professions; and

  • Promoting and encouraging the education of those about to enter the profession of land surveying and the continuing education of those in the profession of land surveying


ARTICLE II – MEMBERSHIP
SECTION 1 – QUALIFICATIONS OF MEMBERS 
The members of this Corporation shall be those persons who: (a) shall have been accepted for Membership, upon the recommendation of the Membership Committee, by the Board of Directors by the vote of the  Majority of the Directors who were present at the meeting of said Board which was attended by a quorum of the Directors (b) shall be dues paying members with the exception of Life and Honorary members

SECTION 2 – ELIGIBILITY
Neither membership in, nor services provided by the organization will be denied to anyone on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, physical or mental handicap, age, sex, sexual preference, ancestry, or medical condition.

SECTION 3 – CLASSES OF MEMBERS
The members of this Corporation shall be classified as follows:

  • Professional Member

  • Associate

  • Affiliate

  • Student

  • Life

  • Sustaining

  • Honorary

  • Firm


SECTION 4 – QUALIFICATIONS AND PRIVILEGES
Qualifications and Privileges of Members shall be governed by the bylaws.

SECTION 5 – PROPERTY RIGHTS
No member as such shall have any right, title or interest in or to any Property of this Corporation. Upon the death or dissolution of any member or any other expiration of any membership or the expulsion of any member, no payment of any kind or amount shall become payable by this Corporation to the former member whose membership has expired or who or which has been expelled in the event of dissolution of this Corporation, the remaining Assets, if any, shall be distributed to an Organization or Organizations formed for the same or similar purposes as the Corporation.

SECTION 6 – DUES
Unless otherwise adopted by the Board of Directors, there shall be no entrance fee charged for admission to the Corporation. The Annual Dues for each fiscal year shall be payable immediately upon the receipt of the Dues Notice. Honorary and Life members shall not be subject to the payment of any dues assessed under the provision of this section.

Directors are to establish Annual Dues for all classes of membership based upon an Annual Balanced Budget. Annual Dues shall consist of monies being collected to meet each Fiscal Year’s financial obligations. Emergencies requiring additional funds (Special Assessments) shall not be considered when configuring the Annual Dues. In emergencies, during any Fiscal Year the approval to expend additional corporation funds up to 10% of the amount of the Annual Budget is authorized if approved by 100% of the Board. Emergency expenditures beyond the above 10% shall be submitted for Approval by mail vote of the majority of the entire voting members and on the condition that 100% of the voting members have been notified of the issue.

On any year, the Board shall not increase the Annual Dues more than 25% above the preceding year without an affirmative vote by mail of the majority of the entire voting membership. When the Board deems circumstances warrant, the Board shall submit a proposal to increase Annual Dues beyond the 25% limit or Special Assessment to the voting membership by mail vote with majority vote of the entire membership required for an approval.

Members having issues which require expenditure of Corporation Funds shall submit such issues to the Board for Budget consideration 60 days prior to a membership meeting. If the Board rejects such issue for the Budget reasons, the member may request that the issue be submitted to the membership at the next membership meeting with the voting to be in accordance with Article VIII.

ARTICLE III – OFFICERS

  • The Society shall have as its Officers: President, President-Elect, Vice-President, Secretary, Treasurer and Past President who shall be members of the Board of Directors. The Vice-President, Secretary and Treasurer shall be elected by the Board of Directors annually at the Organizational Meeting of the Board of Directors. The President Elect shall succeed to the office of the President and the President shall succeed to the office of Past-President at the close of the Annual Meeting of the membership. The President shall not serve consecutive terms.

  • An Executive Director or Executive Secretary may be employed by the Board of Directors to serve at the will and discretion of the Board of Directors.

  • The governing body of the Society shall be the Board of Directors (12 members) including the President of the Society. The Directors (except for the outgoing President, who shall automatically become a director as the Past-President for a one year term, and the President-Elect who shall succeed to the Office of President) shall be elected by the General Membership for a term of three years. The President of the Society shall serve as Chairman of the Board of Directors and shall only vote to cast the deciding vote in case of a tie vote.


ARTICLE IV – ELECTIONS
SECTION 1 – NOMINATIONS

  • The President shall appoint a Nominating Committee to be composed of three members, each of whom declares he does not seek directorship for the elective year in question. The Nominating Committee shall nominate two, if possible, or more, members for the office of President-Elect. Said slate shall be presented to the Board of Directors by August 21 of each year by the Secretary. Any member of the Corporation in good standing may be nominated as a candidate for President-Elect by petition, signed by at least 25 voting members in good standing and received by the Secretary no later than the last working day in August. The Secretary shall accept nominees for the Office of President-Elect at the first meeting in September.

  • The nominating Committee shall also nominate two, if possible, or more members for each of the open Directorship positions. Said slate shall be  reported to the Board of Directors by the Secretary by November 21st of each year. Any member of the corporation in good standing may be nominated as a candidate for Director by petition, signed by at least 25 voting members in good standing and received by the Secretary, no later than the last working day in November. The Secretary shall accept nominees for the Directorship  positions on the last working day in November.


ARTICLE V – COMMITTEES
The President shall appoint all committees and instruct them in their duties.  Appointed committees shall function as instructed and make their report in writing to the Board of Directors and membership from time to time as directed.

ARTICLE VI – MEETINGS

  • An annual membership meeting shall be held each year during the annual convention at a time and place determined by the Board of Directors.

  • Additional membership meetings shall occur during the year as announced by the Board of Directors, such notice being given at least 30 days prior to the meeting.

  • All society meetings shall be governed by Roberts Rules of Order-Newly Revised.


ARTICLE VII – NATIONAL AFFILIATION
This Society shall be affiliated with the National Society of Professional Surveyors (NSPS) and the Great Lakes Regional Council of NSPS.

ARTICLE VIII – AMENDMENTS

  • Amendments or additions to this Constitution may only occur at a meeting as provided in Article VI.

  • Amendments or additions to this Constitution must be approved by a vote of two thirds (2/3) of the Board of Directors, and ratified by vote of two thirds (2/3) of the General Membership members voting.


ARTICLE IX – BYLAWS
SECTION 1 – BYLAWS DEFINED 
Such bylaws as are essential to the conduct of the affairs of the Society may be enacted from time to time at the discretion of the Board of Directors. The Secretary shall keep a record of all bylaws which shall be available for Inspection by the members.

SECTION 2 – AMENDMENTS BY THE MEMBERSHIP
These bylaws, or any part thereof, may be altered or repealed, or new bylaws may be adopted in lieu thereof, at any Annual Meeting by the Affirmative vote of two thirds of the eligible voting members present at said Annual Meeting. Written notice of any intended alteration, repeal, or new bylaws shall be given to the membership at least thirty (30) days prior to the Annual Meeting at which such change is proposed to be considered.

SECTION 3 – AMENDMENTS RELATING TO THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS 
Should any Amendments to the bylaws relating to the number, qualification, or term of office or powers of the Board of Directors be proposed by a director or member of this Corporation, it shall first be submitted to the Board of Directors and upon its approval submitted to the next Annual Meeting of the General Membership members for ratification of the Board’s approval or submitted to the members at a special meeting of the members as called by the Board of Directors provided in Article VIII of this constitution.

ARTICLE X – LOCAL CHAPTERS
The Board of Directors shall have the power to establish local chapters as per the bylaws.

Passed by General Membership January 17, 2008.

Bylaws

ARTICLE I MEMBERS
SECTION 1 – QUALIFICATION OF MEMBERS
The members of this Corporation shall be those persons who:

  • shall be eligible for Membership under provisions of Section 3

  • shall have been accepted for Membership upon the recommendation of the Membership Committee by the Board of Directors by the vote of the majority of the Directors who were present at the meeting of said Board which is attended by a quorum of the Directors.


SECTION 2 – CLASSES OF MEMBERS
The members of this Corporation shall be classified as follows:

  • Professional Member

  • Associate

  • Affiliate

  • Student

  • Life

  • Sustaining

  • Honorary

  • Firm


SECTION 3 – QUALIFICATIONS AND PRIVILEGES

  • PROFESSIONAL MEMBER: A Professional Member of this Corporation shall be limited to Registered Land Surveyors in good standing with the Indiana State Board of Registration for Land Surveyors. A Professional Member shall be eligible to vote, hold office and to participate fully in the affairs of the corporation.

  • ASSOCIATE: An Associate membership will be granted to those non-registered individuals who are actively engaged in support of the practice of land surveying. An Associate Member is entitled to vote and participate fully in the affairs of the Corporation but shall not be entitled to hold office. Associate Members shall, at such time that they become Registered Land Surveyors in good standing with the Indiana State Board of Registration for Land Surveyors, become Professional Members without further vote of the Board of Directors of this Corporation.

  • AFFILIATE: An Affiliate membership will be granted to those individuals who qualify under the following provisions:

  • Anyone who is affiliated with the Land Surveying profession or 

  • Any Non-Resident who is registered and in good standing as a Land Surveyor in a state other than Indiana. An Affiliate Member is not entitled to vote, or to hold office but will receive newsletters and be invited to participate in meetings.

  • STUDENT: A Student membership will be granted to those non-registered individuals who are endeavoring to make surveying their chosen career and who are enrolled as a full time student as defined by the university or school they are attending. Membership in this class shall not exceed a total of (5) years. A Student Member is not entitled to vote or hold office, but will receive newsletters and be invited to participate in meeting

  • LIFE: Any person holding Professional Member status shall be eligible to petition the Board of Directors to change his membership to that of a Life Member. If the Board of Directors finds that the Professional Member so petitioning has reached the age of 65 years and has been a Professional Member (or Member before July 1, 1999) of this Corporation for at least a total of twenty (20) years, it shall grant the petition and the Professional Member will become a Life Member. If the Board of Directors finds that the Professional Member so petitioning has not fulfilled the above requirements, the Board may grant a petition if it finds that the Professional Member has retired from active practice for reasons of health and is no longer engaged in Land Surveying. Life Members shall be furnished with a Life Membership card and Certificate and such membership shall take effect upon approval by the Board of Directors. Life Members shall not be subject to payment of dues, but shall enjoy all the rights and privileges of full Professional Member status in this Corporation.

  • SUSTAINING: Any individual, partnership, or corporation who or which are engaged either in the manufacture or distribution of Land Surveying instruments or equipment, or in the compilation or reproduction of maps, or in the performance of services for Land Surveyors, shall be eligible for Sustaining membership in this Corporation. A Sustaining Member is not entitled to vote or hold office, but will receive the newsletter and other benefits, as approved by the Board of Directors, and will be invited to participate in meetings.

  • HONORARY: Any member of this Corporation may propose to the Board of Directors the name of any individual for Honorary Membership. The individual proposed for Honorary membership may or may not be a Registered Land Surveyor, but shall be chosen for contribution either to the professional interest of the Corporation or by such acts of distinction to the government or the public. Such designation requires the approval of two-thirds (2/3) of the Board of Directors. Honorary Members shall be exempt from payment of any dues and shall be entitled to all privileges except the right to vote or hold office.

  • FIRM: Those Firms who have Professional Members who are actively engaged as consultants in the field of Land Surveying in Indiana are eligible for Firm Member status. The dues for a Firm Member shall be calculated on the basis of the number of personnel, including principals, registered surveyors, designers, draftsmen, technicians, (excluding part-time employees), clerical and all other employees on the firm’s payroll for the past calendar year. In the case of a multidiscipline Engineering-Land Surveying firm, the prorated portion of personnel concerned with, or in general support of the Land Surveying function shall be counted.


SECTION 4 – EXPIRATION
Each class of membership in the Corporation shall automatically and without any notice or hearing or other action by anyone, expire on the thirtieth (30) day of June of the year in which such member shall have failed to pay the annual dues payable by the member for such year, unless such member shall have paid said dues on or before the thirty-first (31) day of August. The Board of Directors may in its discretion, suspend members becoming unreasonably delinquent and may reinstate delinquent members.

SECTION 5 – EXPULSION
If and when the Ethics Committee shall notify the Treasurer that any member either (1) has ceased to be eligible for membership in the class in which he is a member, or (2) has been found guilty of any felony, or (3) has violated any provision of any Code of Ethics adopted by this Corporation, or (4) has willfully or repeatedly obstructed any purpose or proper activity of the Corporation or (5) has been guilty of any other conduct detrimental to either this Corporation or the Profession of Land Surveying, then the Secretary shall mail, by Registered or Certified mail, return receipt, to said member written notice (specifying one or more of said grounds for expulsion) that said member will automatically and without further Notice or Hearing or other Action by anyone, be expelled from membership in this Corporation on the thirtieth (30th) days following the date of the mailing of such notice unless said member shall show cause, in a written statement delivered to the Secretary within (30) days following the date of mailing why said member should not be expelled from membership. If and when the Secretary shall have received any such written statement of cause, he shall notify said member of the time and place of the next meeting of the Board of Directors when and where said member may be heard with respect to their or its expulsion. After said hearing, said member may be expelled by the Board of Directors, said expulsion may be appealed to the next Annual Meeting of the members held not earlier than (30) days after such expulsion and such expelled member may be reinstated by votes of two-thirds (2/3) of the members who vote on a Motion to reinstate the former member.

SECTION 6 – PROPERTY RIGHTS
No member as such shall have any right, title or interest in or to any Property of this Corporation. Upon the death or dissolution of any member or any other expiration of any membership or the expulsion of any member, no payment of any kind or amount shall become payable by this Corporation to the former member whose membership has expired or who or which has been expelled in the event of dissolution of this Corporation, the remaining Assets, if any, shall be distributed to an Organization or Organizations formed for the same or similar purposes as this Corporation.

SECTION 7 – DUES
Unless otherwise adopted by the Board of Directors, there shall be no entrance fee charged for admission to the Corporation. The Annual Dues for each fiscal year shall be payable immediately upon receipt of the Dues Notice. Honorary and Life members shall not be subject to the payment of any dues assessed under the provision of this section. Directors are to establish Annual Dues for all classes of membership based upon an Annual Balanced Budget. Annual Dues shall consist of monies being collected to meet each Fiscal Year’s financial obligations. Emergencies requiring additional funds (Special Assessments) shall not be considered Annual Dues. In emergencies, during any Fiscal Year the approval to expend additional corporation funds up to 10% of the amount of the Annual Budget is authorized if approved by 100% of the Board. Emergency expenditures beyond the above 10% shall be submitted for approval by mail vote of the majority of the entire voting members and on the condition that 100% of the voting members have been notified of the issue.  On any year, the Board shall not increase the Annual Dues more than 25% above the preceding year without an affirmative vote by mail of the majority of the entire voting membership. When the Board deems circumstances warrant, the Board shall submit a proposal to increase Annual Dues beyond the above limit or Special Assessment to the voting membership by mail vote with majority vote required for an approval. Members having issues which require expenditure of Corporation Funds shall submit such issue to the Board for Budget consideration 60 days prior to a membership meeting. If the Board rejects such issue for the Budget reasons, the member may request that the issue be submitted to the membership at the next membership meeting with the voting to be in accordance with Section 3 of Article 2.

ARTICLE II MEMBERSHIP MEETING
SECTION 1 – ANNUAL MEETING
An annual meeting of the members of this Corporation shall be held once in each fiscal year at such an hour and on such date and at such place as shall have been determined by the Board of Directors.

SECTION 2 – ADDITIONAL MEETINGS
Additional Meetings of the membership may be called by the Board of Directors, and shall be called by the Board of Directors, upon the written request of fifty (50) voting members. The Secretary shall cause written notice of the hour, date, place and purpose(s) of each additional meeting to be mailed to each member not less than ten (10) or more than thirty (30) days before such meeting. No Business shall be transacted at any additional meeting other than that which is designated in the purpose(s) of said meeting as set forth in the call and notice of said meeting.

SECTION 3 – CONDUCT OF MEETINGS
All meetings of the membership shall be presided over by the President, or if he/she is not present, by the Vice-President or, if he/she is not present, by the Secretary or, if he/she is not present, by the Treasurer or, if none of the officers are present, by a chairman to be chosen at the meeting. The Secretary of the Corporation, or, in their absence, a person chosen at the meeting, shall act as Secretary of the Meeting. On all matters coming to a vote, each Professional Member, Associate Member and Life Member shall be entitled to one vote and all questions shall be decided by a majority vote of the voting members present, unless otherwise provided by Law, the Articles of Incorporation, or by these bylaws. All meetings shall be in accordance with “Robert’s Rules of Order-Revised.” At such meetings of the membership, NO MOTION, which requires the expenditure of corporation funds which has not previously been submitted to the Board will be valid unless at such meeting a minimum of two-thirds (2/3) of eligible voting members are in attendance at the membership meeting.

ARTICLE III BOARD OF DIRECTORS
SECTION 1 – DUTIES OF BOARD OF DIRECTORS
The Board of Directors shall have vested in it the Government of the Corporation and its control of the Corporation’s property.

SECTION 2 – NUMBER AND TERM OF OFFICE
The Board of Directors shall consist of twelve (12) members elected at large. In Annual Elections, Four (4) shall be elected for three (3) year terms and it is the intent of this provision that Four (4) members shall be eligible to change on the Board of Directors each annualized period. The newly elected Board of Directors shall assume all its duties at the conclusion of the next Annual Meeting following the election.

SECTION 3 – QUORUM AND MANNER OF ACTING
A majority of the members of the Board of Directors then in office shall constitute a Quorum at any meeting and the act of a majority of the members present at any meeting at which a quorum is present shall be the act of the Board of Directors. A Director may participate in a meeting by means of a conference telephone or similar communications equipment by means of which all persons participating in the meeting can hear each other, and such participation shall constitute presence at a meeting. The Board of Directors may also act in writing without a meeting, in which case the act of a majority of the members shall be the act of the Board of Directors, provided that such writings shall be filed with the minutes of the proceedings of the Board of Directors.

SECTION 4 – NO VOTING BY DIRECTOR HAVING INTEREST
No Director having any personal interest which might conflict with the interest of the Corporation in any matter coming before its Board of Directors shall vote as a Director in such matter.

SECTION 5 – VACANCIES
Whenever any vacancy shall have occurred in the Board of Directors by reason of death, resignation, removal, increase in the number of Directors or otherwise, a majority of the Directors then in office shall fill such vacancy at any meeting, and the person so elected shall be a Director until his successor is elected. The resignation of a Director shall be effective upon its receipt by the Corporation or a subsequent time as set forth in the notice of resignation. A director may be removed, with or without cause by a two-thirds (2/3) vote of the remaining Directors, provided however, that non-payment of dues in accordance with provisions of Article I, Section 4, shall result in automatic suspension.

SECTION 6 – MEETINGS
Meetings of the Board of Directors may be called by the President. Notice of the time and place as well as the Agenda of the meeting shall be given to each member of the Board of Directors at least ten (10) days in advance along with a meeting agenda. Any two (2) members of the Board of Directors may call such meetings by a written request to the Secretary who shall notify each member of the Board of Directors in the manner provided in this Section.

ARTICLE IV OFFICERS
SECTION 1 – ELECTION
The newly elected Board of Directors shall hold an organizational meeting each year prior to the Annual meeting to elect from the newly elected Board of Directors, a Vice President, Secretary and Treasurer. The Board of Directors shall also elect a Delegate and an Alternate Delegate to National Society of Professional Surveyors, a member organization of the American Congress on Surveying and Mapping, for a term of three years, both of whom may or may not be a member of the Board of Directors. However, said Delegate and Alternate shall be members in good standing as provided in Article I, Section 3 of these bylaws. If the delegate is not a member of the Board of Directors, he/she shall attend the Board of Directors meetings.

SECTION 2 – TERM OF OFFICE
The term of office of all Officers shall be one year but any Officer may be removed from Office at any meeting of the Board of Directors by the affirmative vote of two-thirds of the Directors then in office. Whenever it is the judgment of the Board that the Business interest of the Corporation shall be served thereby, the Board of Directors shall have power to fill any vacancies in any office occurring for whatever reason.

SECTION 3 – PRESIDENT
The President shall be a Director and the principal officer of the Corporation and guide its functions. He shall preside at all meetings of the membership and the Board of Directors. He shall have no vote in any matter coming before the Board of Directors, provided however, in the event of a tie vote, he shall cast the deciding vote. He shall provide the Secretary with a copy of all official correspondence which he may conduct for the permanent record of the Corporation. The President shall not serve two consecutive terms.

SECTION 4 – VICE PRESIDENT
The Vice President shall be a Director and shall in the absence or disability of the President perform the duties and exercise the powers of the President and shall perform such other duties as the Board of Directors shall prescribe. The Vice President shall also be the parliamentarian of the Corporation and in all matters of parliamentary procedures coming before the Board of Directors, the Vice President shall be the deciding vote.

SECTION 5 – SECRETARY
The Secretary shall be a Director and shall take or supervise the taking of complete minutes of the members and of the Board of Directors. He shall have custody of the Corporation’s minute book and of its Corporate Seal, if any, and submit to the Annual Meeting of the members a report covering the Business of this Corporation for the previous fiscal year and showing the condition of this Corporation at the close of said year and give or cause to be given all notices as required by these Bylaws.

SECTION 6 – TREASURER
The Treasurer shall be a Director and shall have custody of and account for all funds and property of this Corporation. The Treasurer shall keep complete books and record all financial transactions of this Corporation. The Treasurer shall be the Chairman of the Finance Committee and shall perform such additional duties as may be required of him/her by the Board of Directors. The Treasurer shall provide the financial information to the Secretary for inclusion in the report on the Business of this Corporation to the Annual Meeting. The Treasurer shall provide for an annual audit.

SECTION 7 – PRESIDENT-ELECT
The President-Elect shall be a Director and shall acquaint himself or herself with the duties of the President and shall appoint his/her committees and designate the chairman of each committee for the coming year, and shall present them at the Annual Meeting.

SECTION 8 – PAST-PRESIDENT
The Past-President shall be a director for a period of one year.

SECTION 9 – NOMINATIONS
The President shall appoint a Nominating Committee to be composed of three members, each of whom declares he does not seek directorship for the elective year in question. The Nominating Committee shall nominate two or more (if possible) members for the office of President-Elect. Said slate shall be presented to the Board of Directors by August 21st of each year. Any member of the Corporation in good standing may be nominated as a candidate for President-Elect by petition, signed by at least 25 voting members in good standing and received by the Secretary no later than the last day in August. The Board of Directors shall accept nominees for the Office of President-Elect at the first meeting in September. The nominating Committee shall also nominate two or more (if possible) members for each of the three remaining Directorship positions. Said slate shall be reported to the Board of Directors by the Secretary by November 21st of each year. Any member of the corporation in good standing may be nominated as a candidate for Director by petition, signed by at least 25 voting members in good standing and received by the Secretary, no later than the last day in November. The Board of Directors shall accept nominees for the Directorship positions on the last day in November. If the new President-Elect comes from the Board of Directors, then his/her director position shall end and the President-Elect shall be a director as President-Elect.

SECTION 10 – ELECTIONS

  • Elections of President-Elect and Directorship positions will be conducted electronically through a “Members Only” section of the ISPLS website. All voting members shall cast their vote prior to the deadline stated for each election, with the date that the vote is cast being specified on the electronic response. An electronic report shall be downloaded by the Secretary or other designated person witnessed by the Nominations Committee after the specified voting deadline. The Nominations Committee shall verify the votes cast. All votes cast shall be kept confidential.   In the event that a voting member does not have access to online services or elects to not receive their ballot electronically, a letter ballot, bearing the names of the nominees, together with a return envelope shall be mailed by the Secretary or other designated person to the voting member prior to the deadline stated below for each election. The voting member requesting a letter ballot must contact the ISPLS office prior the start of electronic voting. Only ballots returned to the Corporation’s Administrative Offices and postmarked prior to the deadline stated for each election shall be counted. The unopened ballots shall be delivered to the Nominations Committee. The Nominations Committee shall count the votes cast, add this to the verified electronic votes and shall determine, based upon which nominee received the greatest number of votes cast, which of the nominees shall fill the positions.

  • Ballots bearing the name of the nominees for President-Elect shall be sent by the Secretary to all voting members by October. Only Ballots received by the Secretary at the Corporation’s Administrative Offices prior to October 21st shall be counted. The Ballots shall be delivered to the Nominating Committee as appointed by the President. The Nominating Committee shall count the votes cast for President Elect and shall determine based on which nominee received the greatest number of votes cast, which of the nominees will fill the Office of the President-Elect. The results of the tally shall be reported by letter to the Board of Directors and each nominee by November 7.

  • Ballots bearing the names of the nominees for the three (3) remaining Directorship positions shall be sent by the Secretary to all voting members by December 5th. Only Ballots received by the Secretary at the Corporation’s Administrative Offices prior to December 31st shall be counted. Such date shall be specified on the Ballot. The Ballots shall be delivered to the Nominating Committee as appointed by the President. The Nominating Committee shall count the votes cast for Directors and shall determine based upon which nominee received the greatest number of votes cast, which of the nominees shall fill the vacant Directorship positions. The results of the tally shall be reported to the Board of Directors and each nominee no later than January 7th. The Board of Directors are authorized and empowered to make rules and regulations covering nominations and elections not inconsistent with these Bylaws.

  • In the event of a tie vote for any position, the Board of Directors shall vote by secret ballot to elect a candidate. The President shall also submit a secret ballot to be counted only to break a tie vote among the Board Members.


SECTION 11 – ASSUMPTION OF DUTIES
The newly elected officers shall assume their duties at the conclusion of the next Annual Meeting following the elections. In years when the annual convention is not held in the month of January, the newly elected Board of Directors and it’s officers shall take office on the first official Board of Directors meeting in January.

SECTION 12 – PAST PRESIDENTS COUNCIL
A Past Presidents Council shall be established as a Standing Committee of the Society. The immediate Past President shall be Chairman of the Council. In the event the immediate Past President cannot serve as Chairman or does not wish to serve as Chairman of the Council, the members of the Council shall elect one of their members of the Council to serve as Chairman for the present year. The membership of the Council shall be composed of any Past Presidents who may wish to serve on the Council and is either a full member or Life Member of the Society. The duties of the Council shall be as follows:

  • Provide short-range and long-range planning and guidance for the Society and make recommendations to the Board of Directors.

  • Encourage completion of the previously initiated programs.

  • Appoint a committee from the Council members to provide guidance in addressing any ethical disputes between members of the Society.

  • Provide guidance and mentoring for any member of the Society having difficulty with the Standards of Practice.

  • Provide guidance and advice to the Board of Directors when requested to do so.


ARTICLE V COMMITTEES
SECTION 1 – GENERAL PROVISION
The Board of Directors shall determine the standing and special Committees of the Corporation which shall be constituted and shall define the powers and duties of same, and it may at any time abolish any standing or special Committees so constituted.

SECTION 2 – APPOINTMENT OF COMMITTEE
The President, with the advice and consent of the Board of Directors, shall appoint the members of all Committees and designate the Chairman of each and instruct such Committees in their duties. Meetings of Committees may be called at any time by the President or the Chairman of the Committees.

SECTION 3 – REPORTS
All Committees shall make reports periodically to the Board of Directors and at the Annual Meeting of the Corporation to the membership. Such reports are to be in writing.

ARTICLE VI CHAPTERS
SECTION 1 – FORMATION OF LOCAL CHAPTERS

  • (a) Whenever any members of the Society in any county desire to form a local chapter they shall present their request, in writing, to the Board of Directors. This request shall contain the signatures of the members desiring to form the Chapter and the Area in which it desires to operate. If the Board finds that the signatures submitted are two-thirds, or more of the eligible voting members of the Society in that Area, the Board shall grant permission to form the requested Chapter. In the event the Board finds that the signatures submitted are less than two-thirds of the eligible voting members of the Society in that Area, the Board shall exercise its discretion in determining whether or not to grant permission to form the Chapter.
    (b) Two or more counties may join in forming one Chapter but the membership requirements of (a) will apply to each individual county.
    (c) Membership and membership status in Local Chapters shall be governed by the same criteria as set forth in Article II.

  • The Secretary of the Local Chapter shall provide the Secretary of this Society with the names and addresses of all officers and members of the Local Chapter at least once during each calendar year. In the event it is determined that the membership list of a Local Chapter consists of less than one-third of the voting members then residing in the area, the Board of Directors of this Society may, in its discretion, terminate the Local Chapter status.

  • The dues due to the ISPLS shall be collected by this Society, but any dues set by the Local Chapter shall be collected by the Chapter.

  • A county desiring to withdraw from a Local Chapter or to join another existing chapter or to form one of its own may do so by following the same procedure as outline in Section 1 of this article.

  • A Student Chapter may be established at any educational institution in Indiana upon the submission of a written petition to the Board of Directors of this Society if the Board finds that sufficient student members of the Society at the educational institution desire such a Student Chapter and if the Board of Directors deems that the best interests of both the educational institution and this Society will be served by the formation of such a Student Chapter. The Board of Directors may terminate such a Student Chapter at any time for just cause.


SECTION 2 – PURPOSE
The purpose of the Chapters shall be to assist the society in fulfilling its objectives. The Chapter shall actively promote membership in the Society. The Chapter shall also provide fellowship, guidance and assistance to students and technicians seeking a place in the profession by encouraging them to participate in Chapter activities.

SECTION 3 – LOCAL CHAPTER STATUS
A local Chapter may conduct its business affairs, assess and collect dues, elect its officers, determine its organizational structure, appoint committees and conduct any business conductive to the profession of Land Surveying, provided however, that it shall undertake no project or engage in any activity in conflict with the Constitution and/or bylaws or Policies of the Corporation or in violation of any municipal or county ordinances, the Laws of the State of Indiana, or those of the United States of America. All voting members of any chapter shall be members of ISPLS.

SECTION 4 – MEETINGS
The Chapter shall hold at least two meetings throughout the year. A notice and Agenda of the meeting shall be mailed to the Chapter members and the Corporation President at least ten (10) days prior to the meeting.

SECTION 5 – ANNUAL REPORT
The Chapter shall present an Annual Report to the Society at the Annual Meeting containing; The names and addresses of all Officers and members: A summary of its activities and financial status.

SECTION 6 – WITHDRAWAL FROM A LOCAL CHAPTER
An area desiring to withdraw from a Local Chapter or to form a Chapter of its own may do so by following the same procedure as outlined in Section 1 of this Article. The Board of Directors of this Corporation may terminate or suspend a Chapter at any time for just cause.

ARTICLE VII NATIONAL AFFILIATION
This Corporation shall be affiliated with the National Society of Professional Surveyors, a member organization of the American Congress of Surveying and Mapping or its successors.

ARTICLE VIII FISCAL YEAR
The Fiscal Year of the Corporation shall begin on the 1st day of July and end on the 30th day of June of the following year.

ARTICLE IX AMENDMENTS
SECTION 1 – AMENDMENTS BY THE BOARD
These bylaws may be altered or repealed or new bylaws may be adopted in lieu thereof by the affirmative vote of two-thirds of the whole Board of Directors at any regular meeting of said Board or a special meeting of the Board if notice of the proposed alteration, repeal or substitution be contained in a notice to the Board of Directors at least ten (10) days prior to such meetings. Provided however, that the Board of Directors shall not make or alter any bylaws affixing their number, qualifications or term of office.

SECTION 2 – AMENDMENTS BY THE MEMBERSHIP
These bylaws, or any part thereof, may be altered or repealed, or new bylaws may be adopted in lieu thereof, at any Annual Meeting by the affirmative vote of two thirds of the eligible voting members present at said Annual Meeting. Written notice of any intended alteration, repeal, or new bylaws shall be given to the membership at least thirty (30) days prior to the Annual Meeting at which such change is proposed to be considered.

SECTION 3 – AMENDMENTS RELATING TO THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Should any Amendments to the bylaws relating to the number, qualification, or term of office or powers of the Board of Directors be proposed by a director or member of this Corporation, it shall first be submitted to the Board of Directors and upon its approval submitted to the next Annual Meeting of the General Membership members for ratification of the Board’s approval or submitted to the members at a special meeting of the members as called by the Board of Directors provided in Article 4 of these bylaws.


Adopted February 19, 1983 with an effective date of February 19, 1983.
Amended December 1998 with an effective date of July 1999.
Amended October 26, 2002 with an effective date of 1 July 2003.
Amended January 15, 2009 with an effective date of January 15, 2009.
Corrections approved by the Board of Directors and effective as of November 6, 2010.