THE MUNICIPAL ENGINEERS OF THE CITY OF NEW YORK
BY-LAWS OF THE SOCIETY
I - MEETINGS OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS
The
Board of Directors shall hold a meeting on the fourth Wednesday of each month or the nearest practicable day, except in June,
July and August, and it shall be held prior to the hour fixed for the meeting of the Society if both meetings occur on the
same day. The hour and place for all meetings shall be fixed by the President, who shall also have the power to call special
meetings of the Board whenever he deems them necessary or whenever so requested in writing by five of the Directors. (inconsistent with Constitution Article VIII Meetings Section 3 line 5)
II
- MEETINGS OF COMMITTEES
Meeting of each of the standing and special
committees shall be held whenever called by the respective committee chairman.
III - REPORTS OF COMMITTEES
Each
of the standing and special committees, excepting only the Committee on Nominations, Prizes, Scholarship, Publicity, Awards
and Wimmer Memorial, shall make a report to the Board of Directors at each of its meetings, including therein a statement
of the work accomplished and any recommendations for the upbuilding of the Society.
IV - ORDER OF BUSINESS FOR MEETINGS
1. Board Meetings I. Roll Call.
II. Reading of the Minutes.
III. Report
of the Executive Secretary.
IV. Report of the Treasurer.
V. Report of the Finance Committee.
VI. Approval of bills and authorization of payment.
VII.
Report of Publication Committee.
VIII. Report of Lecture Committee.
IX. Report of House Committee.
X. Report of Committee on Inspections.
XI.
Report of the Membership Committee.
XII. Election of members.
XIII. Report of Engineering Welfare Committee.
XIV.
Report of the Committee on Prizes. XV. Report of Special Committees.
XVI. Announcement of the appointment of committees
by President.
XVII. General Business.
XVIII. Adjournment.
2. Stated Meetings
of the Society
I. Declaration that letter ballot is closed.
II. Reading of the Minutes.
III. Announcements by the Executive Secretary.
IV. Appointment
of tellers on letter ballot
V. Annual report of Board of Directors (February meeting).
VI. Annual address by the President (Annual
Meeting).
VII. Presentation of prizes for papers (Annual Meeting).
VIII. Nominations for membership of the Nominating Committee
(May meeting).
IX. Election of the Nominating Committee (May meeting).
X. Report of the House Committee on the Annual Meeting
(September).
XI. Report of the Nominating Committee (Sept. meeting).
XII. Reports of Special Committees.
XIII. General Business.
XIV. Report
of tellers on letter ballot.
XV. Reading of paper and discussion.
XVI. Installation of officers (Annual Meeting).
XVII. Adjournment.
3. Special Meetings of the Society
I. Reading of the call for the
meeting.
II. Business for which the meeting was called.
III. Adjournment.
V - DUES
1. The Annual Dues for Members and for Affiliates of the Society shall be as established by the Board of Directors.
All Members retired prior to December 31, 1990 shall continue to pay one·half of the annual dues.
Vl- REPORT OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS
The Board of Directors shall present a
report to the Society at the February meeting. This report shall show the work done by the Society during the twelve months
ending on December 31 preceding, and it shall embody the reports of each of the officers and the chairman of each of standing
committees covering the same term.
VII - ANNUAL ADDRESS BY THE PRESIDENT
The retiring President shall make an address
at the Annual Meeting reviewing the progress of municipal engineering work in New York City and the work of the Society.
VIII - DUTIES OF THE EXECUTIVE SECRETARY
The Executive Secretary shall
carefully scrutinize all expenditures and use his best endeavor to secure economy in the administration of the Society. He
shall keep an inventory of all the property or the Society. He sha11 have charge of the Society's rooms and property and shall
supervise and direct the work of employees of the Society under his jurisdiction.
At each meeting or the Membership Committee
he shall present all applications for membership, together with such written information as he shall have received concerning
each applicant.
He shall have charge of the books of classified accounts of the Society and shall furnish the Board of Directors
at its monthly meeting with a written statement of receipts and expenses for the month; at such meetings he shall also submit
a list containing the names of members more than three months in arrears for dues, giving in the case of each member the full
period covered by his arrears.
His Books of accounts shall be open to the examination of the Finance Committee or its representative
at all reasonable times.
He shall transmit to the Chairman of the Finance Committee pending bills which have been incurred
by the Society with his certification that they are correct.
He shall prepare the Annual Report or the Board or Directors.
In
this report he shall also show the property acquired by the Society during the aforesaid period and the total membership and
the changes in it during the year. A copy of the portion of the report showing the financial transactions of the Society shall
be delivered to the Chairman of the Finance Committee at least ten days before the date of the February meeting.
IX - DUTIES OF THE TREASURER
The Treasurer is authorized to pay the
Executive Secretary, upon his order duly countersigned by the Chairman of the Finance Committee such sums as may be necessary
for defraying the necessary small expenses of the Society which cannot be otherwise provided for; in each case the requisition
shall show the items for which the money is required.
He shall also pay monthly the salaries of all regular employees of the Society upon
receipt of a payroll from the Executive Secretary giving the name of the employee and the amount due, the correctness of it
being duly certified by the Executive Secretary and the Chairman of the Finance Committee the former also certifying that
the employment of the persons named and the rate of payment have been regularly authorized by the Board of Directors.
All other accounts shall be paid by him promptly upon the presentation of the bill and notification by the Executive Secretary
with his certification that it is correct and has been approved by the Board of Directors.
Upon payment of a bill or upon
making any disbursement authorized by the Constitution or By-Laws he shall notify the Executive Secretary, giving the date
and amount. He shall keep one set of books showing all of the receipts and disbursements, the date of each, the names of all
persons to whom payment is made and the nature of the services or material paid for. All receipts and vouchers for payment
shall be retained by the Treasurer and together with his books shall at all reasonable times be subject to the inspection
of the Finance Committee or its representative.
He shall present a report in writing at each of (he month)y meetings of the Board of
Directors stating the cash balance at the date of the previous report, the receipts and disbursements since that date and
the cash on hand at the date of the meeting. His report shall also show the name of the institution where the balance is deposited.
At
the February meeting he shall also present a statement showing the receipts and disbursements for the twelve months preceding
January I and the balance on hand at the beginning and close of the year. A copy of this report shall be delivered to the
Finance Committee at least ten days before the date of the February meeting.
All checks issued by the Society shall bear signatures
of two of the following three officers: President, Executive Secretary, Treasurer.
X- COMMITTEE ON ENGINEERING WELFARE
The Committee on Engineering Welfare shall be composed of five members. It shall be
the duty of this Committee to promote the welfare and professional standing of engineers and to investigate and report on
any matters referred to it by the President or by the Board of Directors.
XI - FINANCE COMMITTEE
The Finance Committee shall be composed of at 1east five members. It shall have general
supervision of the financial affairs of the Society and shall advise the Board of Directors as to the investment of money
and the handling of the finances of the Society. It shall examine and submit to the Board of Directors all bills which have
been incurred and which have been presented and shall indicate on each its approval or disapproval. It shall examine the books
of the Executive Secretary and Treasurer at such times as it may deem proper and upon the approval of the Board of Directors
it may employ an expert accountant for this purpose. It shall countersign by one of its members all requests for payment
by the Treasurer and all payrolls of the Society.
It shall submit to the Executive Secretary a written report at the January meeting of
the Board embodying in it a report upon the accounts of the Executive Secretary and Treasurer for the year ending December
31 immediately preceding. It shall also examine and report to the Board upon the accounts or an outgoing treasurer.
XII - MEMBERSHIP COMMITTEE
The Membership Committee shall be composed
of at least five members. It shall develop and implement member recruitment and retention efforts. It shall carefully consider
the qualifications and desirability of all applicants for membership in the Society. It shall make a report at each monthly
meeting of the Board of Directors giving the name, title and place of employment of each candidate whose application has been
examined; it shall also submit the papers connected with each application and a list of the names of those whom it unanimously
recommends for membership. It shall review dues records and contact members whose dues are overdue by three months. At the
January meeting it shall present a report to the Secretary showing the work accomplished during the year.
XIII- PUBLICATION COMMITTEE
The Publication Committee shall consist
of at least five members. It shall have charge of the publication of the Society containing the papers presented during the
year and the discussions, the annual address of the President, the reports upon works visited by the Society during the year
and the final reports of special committees on professional subjects. All such papers and reports shall be placed in its custody
by the Executive Secretary at as early a date as practicable and they shall be revised and edited by the Chairman for publication.
Each
paper shall be printed as soon as possible after being presented before the Society. An opportunity shall be afforded to the
authors to review their material before publication.
It shall be empowered to select an advertising agent, subject to the approval of the
Board. All business connected with this publication shall be attended to by this Committee subject to the oversight and direction
of the Board of Directors, except that all sales of the publication shall be made by the Executive Secretary. All collections
of money made by the Committee shall be transmitted promptly to the Secretary with a statement to show its source, and that
officer shall thereupon countersign the receipt given for the payment. The Committee shall transmit to the Board of Directors
at its monthly meeting a report concerning the progress of the work entrusted to it and its annual report shall be submitted
to the Executive Secretary at the January meeting and shall embody a complete statement of the
work done during the year and an account of the money expended and collected by it.
XIV - LECTURE COMMITTEE
The Lecture Committee shall be composed of at least three members. It shall be responsible
for the presentation of a technical paper at each of the stated meetings of the Society and for the stimulation of the discussion.
It shall present an annual report to the Executive Secretary at the January meeting.
XV - HOUSE COMMITTEE
The House Committee shall be composed of at least five members. It shall be the duty
of this Committee, under the direction of the Board of Directors, to select a proper place for holding the monthly meetings
of the Society, to supervise the furnishing of the co11ations, to promote the sociabi1ity of the members and guests attending
all meetings and to have charge of the selection and furnishing of the rooms. It shall also provide opportunities for acquaintance
and sociability at all times and places within its discretion and power. It shall have charge of the arrangements for the
Annual Meeting and shall report its recommendations for it to the Board at its May meeting, and if the Board so directs the
Committee shall perfect the arrangements and report upon them in detail to the Board at the September meeting. It shall present
an annual report to the Executive Secretary at the January meeting of the Board.
XVI - COMMITTEE ON INSPECTIONS
The President shall appoint
a Committee on Inspections whose duty it shall be to arrange for frequent visits of the members of the Society to various
municipal and other engineering works in progress which will be of interest to the members. This Committee shall be composed
of at least five members of the Society, and shall be empowered to add temporarily to its membership a member of the Society
who is connected or familiar with the work to be visited, such temporary member of the Committee to have no voice in its work
except insofar as it relates to the special visit for which the appointment was made. The Committee shall
advise the Executive Secretary of all visits arranged for and the dates fixed for them, and if they be approved by the Board,
the former officer shall notify the membership at large.
The Committee sha11 prepare or have prepared a brief account
of all works examined and shall transmit it promptly to the Executive Secretary, who shall deliver it to the Chairman of the
Publication Committee for insertion in the publication. The Committee shall submit a report at each of
the monthly meetings of the Board of Directors and shall make an annual report for presentation to the Executive Secretary
at the January meeting.
XVII - COMMITTEE ON PRIZES
For the purpose of stimulating a healthy rivalry in the preparation of papers and to
encourage members to present valuab1e data to the Society, the Board of Directors shall appropriate annually a sum of not
1ess than twenty-five dollars to be used for the purchase of a prize to be given to the writer of the paper deemed by the
Committee on Prizes to be the most meritorious of the year. This prize shall be a scroll, pin or pendant of a design approved
by the Society.
The Committee on Prizes shall be composed of at least three members and shall be appointed by the President, but
no member of this Committee shall be a member of the Committee on Publication or the Lecture Committee. This Committee shall
report at an appropriate meeting of the Board of Directors, giving the name of the author of the paper presented in the preceding
calendar year which it deems to be the most meritorious in promoting engineering knowledge. To the author of this paper the
prize fixed by the Board shall be presented at the Annual Meeting of the Society or at another suitable meeting or function
of the Society.
In addition, the Committee of Prizes shall have the jurisdiction over the selection of the Municipal Project of the
Year. This award may be made annually to the appropriate City agency or Authority if the Committee deems a project worthy
of such a high honor. The project must include major substantial input by, and indicate initiative, ingenuity and engineering
skills of City engineers and architects. The selected project must reflect a high quality engineering or architectural endeavor
relating to either a physical structure, infrastructure, a unique study or a concept of a research effort. The Committee shall
report its recommendation at the September or any other appropriate Board of Directors meeting. Suitable certificate(s) or
plaques(s) shall be presented at the Annual Dinner Dance meeting or at any other suitable meeting or function of the society.
The
Board of Directors may appropriate annually a sum to be used for the purchase of suitable cenificate(s) or plaque(s).
The Committee
shall also have jurisdiction over the awarding of any other prizes which may be provided except the Municipal Engineer or
Architect of the Year and the Young Municipal Engineer or Architect of the Year Award.
XVIII- AWARDS COMMITTEE
FOR THE NOMINATIO OF THE MUNICIPAL ENGINEER OR ARCHITECT Of THE YEAR
This Committee shall nominate the Municipa1 Engineer or Architect of the Year,
selected for his/her dedication and outstanding performance in the promotion and advancement of the various engineering and
architectural disciplines employed in the Government of the City of New York.
This Committee shall consist of the President
of the Society, all those honored in previous years as the Municipal Engineer or Municipal Architect of the Year who have
remained active in the Society by attending at least five meeting in the prior two (2) years and three (3) members in good
standing to be designated by the President of the Society.
The Committee recommendation shall be by majority vote.
The Committee
recommendation shall be limited to members in good standing of the Municipal Engineers of the City of New York.
IX
- AWARDS COMMITTEE FOR THE NOMINATION OF THE YOUNG MUNICIPAL ENGINEER OR ARCHITECT OF THE YEAR
This Committee shall nominate the Young Municipal Engineer or Architect of the Year, selected for
his/her dedication and outstanding performance in the promotion and advancement of the various engineering and architectural
disciplines employed in the Government of the City of New York.
A Young Engineer or Architect is one who has graduated
from an accredited Engineering or Architecture program and subsequent to graduation has Engineering or Architectural experience
for nor less that five (5) nor more than ten (10) years.
This Committee shall consist of at least seven members, the majority of whom shall not
be members of the Board of Directors. The Committee recommendation shall be by majority vote. The Committee recommendation
need not be limited to members in good standing of the Municipal Engineers of New York.
XX - SCHOLARSHIPS COMMITTEE
Within two
weeks after the annual meeting of the Society, the President shall appoint at least four members and a chairman to the Scholarships
Committee. This Committee shall manage all aspects of the Society's scholarship program (including Peggy Cornell Benline Scholarships).
The Committee shall publicize the scholarships, invite applicants, interview promising applicants and inform the Board of
its se1ections, if any, at the appropriate Board meeting. The Committee shall prepare a press release for distribution by
the Publicity Committee. The Executive Secretary shall be responsible for forwarding the scholarship checks directly to the
recipients' colleges. The Committee shall invite the scholarship recipient(s) to a suitable award function, as the Society's
guest, at which appropriate certificate(s) shall be presented to the recipient(s). The Committee shall submit an annual report
to the Executive Secretary at the January Board Meeting. The report shall embody complete statement or the work done during
the year and an accounting of the money expended.
XXI
- PUBLICITY COMMITTEE
Within two weeks of the annual meeting
of the Society, the President shall appoint at least six members and a Chairman of the Publicity Committee. It shall widely
disseminate to the public, industry, agencies, members and media information concerning all major, activities of the society.
It shall prepare and distribute suitable posters, flyers and press advisory bulletins where appropriate. The Committee shall
submit its annual report at the January Board meering describing it past years' efforts and expenditures.
XXII - WIMMER MEMORIAL COMMITTEE
Within two weeks of the annual meeting of the Society, the President shall appoint at least five members and a Chairman
to the Wimmer Memorial Committee. Its function shall be to organize a major annual event (special lecture, reception, seminar,
forum or panel) to honor Mr. Robert A. Wimmer, a charter member of the Society, who had bequeathed a generous sum to the Society.
At the January Board meeting-, the Committee shall submit it annual report stating its activities and expenditures.
XXIII - ELECTION OF MEMBERS
Application of all candidates for membership recommended by the Membership Committee shall be submitted to the Board
of Directors in session which shall vote by individual ballot. All information furnished to the Board concerning applicants
shall be deemed strictly confidential.
The Chair of the Membership Committee shall report to the Society at its next meeting
the names of all candidates elected by the Board of Directors and an open ballot shall then be taken to confirm or reject
the election.
The successful candidate for election shall be notified by the Executive Secretary.
XXIV - PUBLICATIONS
One publication,
to be known as the "MUN'ICIPAL ENGINEERS JOURNAL," shall be issued quarter-annually or as may be indicated by the
Board of Directors. As soon after the annual meeting as may be feasible, the Journal shall contain the Annual Report of the
Municipal Engineers of the City of New York and a list of officers and committees for the current year. The Journal shall,
at such times as ordered by the Board of Directors, contain the Constitution, the By-Laws, a list of members, a list of all
past officers, and a list of the authors who have won the Society prizes each year. The Constitution, By-Laws, List of Members,
List of Officers and Committees and the Annual Report shall be edited by the Executive Secretary. The list of members shall
be arranged alphabetically, and shall give the full name of the member, his/her title, the names of the department
and borough with which he/she is connected, and his/her home and business addresses.
The Journal shall contain the annual address
of the President. the final reports of all special committees appointed to investigate professional subjects. and, within
the discretion of the Publication Committee, the papers, discussions and descriptions of works visited by the Society.
XXV - BADGE
The badge of
the Society shall be an enameled gold button, pin or pendant bearing the name of the Society and the Seal of the City of New
York or a portion thereof. Badges will be presented to all new members.
XXVI-
CERTIFICATE OF MEMBERSHIP
Upon application by any member to the Executive
Secretary and the payment of the costs thereof, the Society shall issue an embossed certificate of membership signed by its
President and Executive Secretary. This certificate shall give the name of the member, the date of his membership and the
date of issue. Any member expelled from the Society shall at once return his certificate to the Secretary.
XXVII - EMPLOYEES
The Board of Directors shall appoint the employees of the Society and fix the salaries
or other compensations of all officers and employees.
XXVIII-
FORMS
The
Board of Directors shall prescribe and adopt forms for the transaction of all current business of the Society.
Adopted by the Board of Directors July 8, 1903 and approved by the Society September
30, 1903.
Amended - November 19, 1975
Amendments adopted by the Board of Directors September 12, 1990 and approved by the
Society January 23. 1991.