Constitution &

Ethics

Constitution & Bylaws

Constitution

  • The name of the association shall be the Saskatchewan Association of Professional Archaeologists.

  • The goal of the Association, as a professional organization, is to facilitate the development of the archaeological profession within the province of Saskatchewan. The association does this by ensuring that its members act in a responsible and ethical manner towards heritage resources and the members of the public that it serves. The association also seeks to ensure that the full contribution of the profession is recognized.

    Furthermore, the Association recognizes that the growth of the discipline of archaeology in Saskatchewan has been a cooperative effort between members of the professional and the avocational community. The Association seeks to maintain and encourage this cooperative effort.

  • The Association shall levy, administer and disburse dues and other moneys to achieve its goals. Funds will be directed primarily towards the operation of the Association, as well as to research and lobbying efforts. Funds also will be expended to assist in holding Association meetings.

    The Association shall have the power to publish newsletters or reports for the benefits of its members, as well as to pursue other member benefits.

    The Association also shall have the power to:

    1. draft and forward position papers on matters dealing with archaeology to any agency or individual it deems appropriate;

    2. lobby on issues relating to archaeology;

    3. censure or remove from the membership any member who contravenes the goals of the association.

  • The Association recognizes two classes of members, Regular Members and Associate Members. Residents of any province or country may apply for either class of membership provided that:

    1. they are in sympathy with the goals of the Association;

    2. that they agree to abide by the code of ethics adopted by the general membership;

    3. they meet the membership criteria set forth in the Bylaws of the Association.

  • The Executive of the Association shall consist of a President, a Past President, a Vice-President, a Secretary, and a Treasurer. The term of office for the President shall be two years; the term of office for all remaining executive positions shall be one year.

    The Executive may from time to time form committees to assist the Association in carrying out its goals. Committee chairpersons will report to the executive board but will not have executive voting rights.

    All elected terms shall run concurrently with the fiscal year.

  • The Association shall meet at least semi-annually to foster the exchange of information amongst its members. Each general meeting shall be enacted according to "Robert's Rules of Order", latest edition, within the boundaries set by the Association's Constitution and Bylaws. The attending membership shall constitute a quorum.

    Meetings of the Association shall be open to any person with an interest in the proceedings. However, any meeting or portion thereof can be closed to all but the membership if a request to do so is presented to the chair. The meeting will be declared open again at the discretion of the chair.

    As the proceedings will not be recorded after a request for closure, such requests can not be entertained during elections, during the reading of the Secretary-Treasurer's Report, or at other times when minutes are required under the "Non-Profit Corporations Act".

  • Motions to amend the Constitution and attendant ballots shall be mailed to the membership at least one month prior to the counting of the ballots. Ballots shall be returned to the Secretary-Treasurer of the Association. Changes to the Constitution shall be passed by a two-thirds majority of the returned votes. Changes in the Bylaws shall be passed by a simple majority of votes at a general meeting or of returned votes in a mailed ballot.

Bylaws

  • Membership in the Association is initiated through written application to the Secretary-Treasurer. This application shall indicate that the applicant meets the qualifications for the selected membership category. Membership in the Association begins with acceptance of the member's qualifications by the Secretary/Treasurer.

    Except for Honourary Life Members, membership in the Association is maintained through the payment of annual membership dues.

    (1) Grandfather Clause
    Members of the Association who were in good standing prior to the adoption of the present constitution may elect to continue as regular members or associate members without further application within a period of one year from the date of passage of said constitution. The choice of membership category shall be indicated with the payment of annual membership dues.


    (2) Regular Members
    Regular members of the Association must:

    • have an undergraduate degree in archaeology or anthropology;

    • be fully or partially employed in archaeology; and

    • be sponsored by a regular member of the Association. Each regular member has one vote, which may be submitted in writing.

    (3) Associate Members
    Associate members must have an undergraduate degree in archaeology or anthropology or equivalency as determined by the executive. Associate members may not vote or hold office.


    (4) Honourary Life Members
    Honourary Life Members are a special class of Associate Members. These are members who have made a contribution to Saskatchewan Archaeology, and still maintain an active interest in the society even though they are no longer employed in archaeology in the province. Honourary Life Member status is awarded through a unanimous vote at any regularly constituted meeting of the Association.

    Honourary Life Members are not required to pay annual membership dues.

  • At or sometime following the fall meeting, the executive shall appoint a nominating committee of two members, at least one of who shall be a Regular Member. The nominating committee will present a nomination for each executive position. Further nominations will be received from the membership until such time as a motion to close nominations is carried.

    Elections, where required, shall take place by secret ballot at the annual business meeting.

  • (1) PRESIDENT
    The President shall call and chair all executive and business meetings. The President is empowered to appoint or reappoint all committee's or chairpersons and is authorized to establish committees which are deemed necessary to the attainment of the Association's goals. The President shall seek the advice of the Executive where appropriate. The President is an ex officio member of all committees.

    Where so directed by the membership, the President shall direct the attention of the Executive or appointed committees to specific topics of concern to the Association and shall ensure that a written report of the topic is presented to the membership prior to or at the time of, the next general meeting. The President or a representative may initiate negotiations with other societies, funding organizations, government agencies and other bodies having an interest or potential bearing upon the role of archaeology as outlined in Article II of the Constitution. The president may sign contracts and financial disbursements.The President can authorize expenditures beyond those set forth on the budget with the concurrence of a majority of the Executive.

    In the event of the death or resignation of any of the executive officers, the President, with the consent of the executive, shall appoint a replacement who will hold office until the annual election of officers.

    (2) VICE-PRESIDENT
    The Vice-President shall act upon the request of the President in the formation of committees or other devices necessary for the effective functioning of the Association. The Vice-President shall assume the duties of the President in the event of the latter's absence.

    (4) SECRETARY
    The Secretary shall be in charge of the administrative matters resulting from any regular meeting or the actions of the Executive. The Secretary shall maintain a list of members of the Association, correspond with the membership, and report and provide copies of minutes of meetings.

    (5) TREASURER
    The Treasurer may sign financial disbursements. The Treasurer, as chief accounting officer for the Association, shall record and administer all financial transactions of the Association and shall arrange for an annual audit where required. The Treasurer shall prepare an annual written report outlining the financial position of the Association and the proposed budget for the ensuing year. The Treasurer's report shall be approved by the executive and presented to the Membership for adoption at the annual business meeting.

    (6) WEB MASTER
    Reporting to the executive, the Web Master shall be in charge of maintaining the web page of the Association. The Web Master shall ensure that the web page is functioning properly and that it is regularly updated to include information pertinent to the membership. The Web Master shall prepare an annual written report outlining the status of the web page.

    (3) PAST PRESIDENT
    The Past President shall remain on the Executive for one year after their term as President has been completed. The Past President-Elect has executive voting rights and shall act upon the request of the President in the formation of committees or other devices necessary for the effective functioning of the Association.

  • The fiscal year of the Association will be from April 1 to March 31 annual. Funds from the annual dues and other sources shall be administered by the Secretary-Treasurer and shall be available for all expenses consistent with the goals and the approved budget of the Association. Changes in the annual dues shall be passed by a simple majority vote at the annual business meeting.

  • The annual business meeting shall be held within the last two months of the fiscal year. Thirty days notice must be given to all members prior to the annual business meeting.

  • The Association shall maintain chapter status in the Saskatchewan Archaeological Society and shall encourage its membership to be members of the Saskatchewan Archaeological Society.

  • All assets and records of the Association shall be donated to the Saskatchewan Archaeological Society upon dissolution.

  • Amendments to the Bylaws of the Association shall follow the procedure outlined in Article VII of the Constitution.

NOTE:

Revisions to the Constitution & Bylaws are currently underway. If you are a member of the Saskatchewan Association of Professional Archaeologists and have suggestions or comments on the DRAFT document, or if you would like to receive a copy of the DRAFT document, email us as sapaexec@gmail.com.

Adopted

Revised: November 6,1992
Revised: March 11, 1994
Revised: March 6, 1998
Revised: November 19, 2004

Code of Ethics

  • To abide by a system of morals is a societal duty that transcends the borders of all professions. Professional archaeologists have a duty to advance their professional skills and knowledge continually, to conduct their activities with integrity, and to expose, without fear or favour, unprofessional or dishonest conduct by any other member of the profession.

  • Since the public funds and consumes much of the archaeologist's work and since they (as government or private individuals) control much of the resource, the duty of the professional archaeologist to the public is more important and must be maintained through ethical conduct.


    Professional archaeologists shall:

    • Ensure that, where appropriate, research results are made accessible to the public in a reasonable length of time in an easily understandable fashion.

    • Actively support, and where possible, initiate the conservation of archaeological resources.

    • Endeavour to maintain the public's regard for the profession by not knowingly making, and by refuting , misleading statements about archaeology.

    • Encourage the public to comply with heritage legislation.

    • Not misrepresenting themselves by false credentials on accomplishments or make false claims about the expertise of the discipline.

    • Support and comply with the UNESCO Convention on the means of prohibiting and preventing the illicit import, export, and transfer of cultural property.

    • Not work on land held privately, corporately, or in trust without obtaining permission and approval from the owners or trustees.

  • Since much of Saskatchewan Archaeology deals with culture histories of First Nations peoples, First Nations peoples have special interest in the conduct of archaeology in this province. Beyond their obligations to First Nations as members of the public, the professional archaeologist must respect and accommodate these special concerns. Also, professional archaeologists have a responsibility to use their research results to foster better understanding and tolerance among cultures.


    Professional archaeologists shall:

    • Not deliberately excavate, or be party to the excavation of First Nations burials, or other sacred site without appropriate consultation with the Native community.

    • Not carry out archaeological research on reserve land without band permission and approval.

    • Not investigate sites without due regard for objections by the First Nations community and actively support the preservation of sites of significance for them, where possible.

    • Ensure that, where appropriate, research results are made accessible to First Nations in a reasonable length of time in an understandable fashion.

  • Professional archaeologists shall:

    • Act for their employer as a faithful agent or trustee and shall regard as confidential any information obtained as business affairs, methods or processes of their employers.

    • Refuse to comply with any request or demand from their employer which conflicts with legislation and policies relevant to the conduct of archaeological work.

    • Comply with all legislation regulating terms of employment and labour standards.

    • Pay fair wages and benefits of work performed by employees.

    • Not subject workers to unnecessary hardships.

    • Set reasonable goals and standards for work performance.

    • Encourage workers to improve their skills and knowledge.

    • Give appropriate credit for all archaeological work performed.

    • Accurately, and without undue delay, prepare and properly disseminate a description of research done and its results.

    • Know and comply with all laws and policies applicable to their archaeological research as well as with any relevant procedures promulgated by the Saskatchewan Association of Professional Archaeologists.

    • Report knowledge of violations of this code to the Executive of the Saskatchewan Association of Professional Archaeologists.

    • Not undertake archaeological field investigations unless reasonably prompt, appropriate analysis and reporting can be undertaken.

  • Professional archaeologists act towards others in the profession in the spirit of fairness and consideration.


    Professional archaeologists shall:

    • Give credit for work done by others.

    • Uphold the principle of appropriate remuneration for archaeological work.

    • Communicate and co-operate with colleagues by fulfilling reasonable requests for archaeological information.

    • Support the principle of equitable competition and not use fraudulent practices or misuse their employment positions for personal gain.

    • Not falsely or maliciously attempt to injure the reputation of another professional archaeologist.

    • Not commit plagiarism in oral or written communication.

    • Actively support colleagues abiding by this code, especially in the face of conflicts with other interests.

NOTE:

Revisions to the Code of Ethics are currently underway. If you are a member of the Saskatchewan Association of Professional Archaeologists and have suggestions or comments on the DRAFT document, or if you would like to receive a copy of the DRAFT document, email us as sapaexec@gmail.com.

Adopted October 13, 1990