CONSTITUTION AND BY-LAWS OF THE INTERNATIONAL SOCIETY FOR QUALITY-OF-LIFE STUDIES

(A Virginia Non-Profit, Non-Stock Corporation)

ARTICLE I - NAME, DEFINITION, OBJECTIVES AND FUNCTIONS

Name: The name of the Corporation is the "International Society for Quality-of-Life Studies". The Corporation may be referred to as "ISQOLS" or as the "Society". The motto of the Society is “exploring well-being and happiness”.

 

Definition of Quality-of-Life (QOL) Studies: Quality-of-life (QOL) studies are defined as research across multidisciplinary fields which commonly include (but are not restricted to) social, psychological, economic, health, philosophical, art, environmental, managerial and political sciences that focus on the enhancement of QOL and well-being of a person or a society or nation. The study of well-being history also contributes significantly to advancing an understanding of the dynamics of QOL over time. This can take the form of a micro or macro focus (e.g. an individual, a household, a population segment/sector, an organization, a community, an industry, a country, an environment, a region or the broader global world etc.). Central to most QOL studies are QOL indicators. QOL indicators may be global/general or related to specific life domains in nature. They may be concerned with and also include the subjective perceptions of objective life aspects, subjective well-being and happiness and/or with the relationship between both objective and subjective life aspects. For example, many QOL studies have focused on specific life domains which include the state and level of personal satisfaction of objective conditions such as personal health, job, marriage, family, neighborhood, and/or overall sense of well-being (e.g. overall satisfaction with life).

 

Objectives: The Society is an international scientific organization and shall function as a non-profit, charitable corporation whose purpose- is to provide a professional home to promote and encourage research and discussion, applied practice, , contributions to the research literature and teaching in QOL/well-being/happiness studies, encourage networking and collaborations among  academic scholars,  researchers, educators, practitioners in private and public sectors,  across a variety of academic and professional disciplines worldwide. It should be noted the Society is international in character and encourages cultural diversity in every respect.

The general objectives of the Society are:

• To provide an organization through which all academic and professional researchers interested in QOL/well-being/happiness studies may coordinate their efforts to advance the field of QOL/well-being/happiness studies within various disciplines and sectors.
• To assume leadership in academic circles (and/or to establish guidelines) for objective and scientific appraisals of the impact of products, programs, services, organizations, and/or institutions on the QOL/well-being/happiness in society and selected groups (e.g., population segments/sectors, communities, countries).
• To stimulate interdisciplinary research in QOL/well-being/happiness studies across a variety of academic and professional disciplines.
• To develop closer liaisons across academic and professional disciplines such as marketing, management, economics, sociology, psychology, communications, political science, philosophy, hospitality, housing, education, public administration, healthcare, environmental sciences, and related others where QOL/well-being/happiness research is being pursued.
• To encourage closer cooperation among scholars engaged in QOL/well-being/happiness studies in developing better measures and methods of QOL/well-being/happiness for various groups (at various levels of analyses) and better QOL/well-being/happiness intervention strategies and policies.
• To develop closer liaisons with the many organizations associated with QOL/well-being/happiness studies.
• To play a role of a social change agent to bring about polices to foster QOL/well-being/happiness of various segments of society, especially those considered disadvantaged and/or disenfranchised in society (e.g., the poor, the health challenged, the elderly, children, women, and members of sexual minority groups, and other socially vulnerable population groups).
• To encourage translation of QOL/well-being/happiness research into applied research that can easily guide policy making in all sectors of society (e.g., social policy, public policy, health policy, managerial policy, economic policy, educational policy, and environmental policy).

Functions:

• Provide an exchange of information about QOL/well-being/happiness studies to researchers in the various fields of science.
• Provide a forum for the presentation and discussion of problems in the field of QOL/well-being/happiness studies as may seem desirable and in keeping with the general purposes of the Society.
• Encourage the publication of original research dealing with QOL/well-being/happiness studies.
• Cooperate with other organizations and societies in activities that promote the objectives of the Society.
• Perform such activities as are necessary in order that the Society may serve as the recognized representative of the QOL/well-being/happiness studies in academic and professional circles.
• Contribute to the teaching of QOL/well-being/happiness studies (including QOL/well-being/happiness certification programs) across a variety of disciplines in all institutions of higher education and beyond.
• Translate research into action to enhance societal well-being, happiness, and quality of life.
• Undertake such other activities as may be compatible with the objectives of the society.

 

ARTICLE II - OFFICES

The principal office of the Society shall usually be located at the office of the Executive Director of the Society.

 

ARTICLE III - MEMBERS

General: Membership in the Society shall be open to all individuals interested in QOL/well-being/happiness studies and in furthering the conduct, creation, diffusion, and/or utilization of QOL/well-being/happiness research (knowledge) in socially responsible ways.

Designation of Classes of Members:

There shall be five (5) classes of Members of the Society, which are designated as follows:

• Regular Members. Any individual interested in furthering the purposes of the Society may apply for membership as a Regular Member upon filing with the Executive Director the Regular Member application form and the payment of dues applicable to Regular Members, if any. Regular membership is annual.
• Student Members. Any individual interested in furthering the purposes of the Society and currently enrolled in a graduate-level program in a college or university may become a Student Member upon filing with the Executive Director the Student Member application form and the payment of dues applicable to Student members, if any. Student membership dues are significantly lower than regular membership dues. Student membership is annual.
• Emeritus Members. Any individual who has been a regular member of ISQOLS for at least three years and is now retired from gainful employment, in poor health or, at any age and for other reasons, is not able to participate in the Society’s activites (travel to and participation in conferences, serving on committees, and the like)  may become an Emeritus Member upon filing with the Executive Director the Emeritus Member application form and the payment of dues applicable to Emeritus Members, if any. Emeritus membership dues are significantly lower than regular membership dues. Emeritus membership is annual.
• Charter Members. Any Regular, Student, or Emeritus member interested in furthering the purposes of the Society may apply for membership as a Charter Member (lifetime membership) upon filing with the Executive Director the Charter Member application form and the payment of dues applicable to Charter Members, if any. Charter membership dues are significantly higher than regular membership dues given that regular membership is annual but charter membership is lifetime.
• Institutional Members. Any public or private sector organization interested in furthering the purposes of the Society may apply for membership as an Institutional Member upon filing with the Executive Director the Institutional Member application form and the payment of dues applicable to Institutional Members, if any. Institutional membership dues are significantly higher than regular membership dues given that institutional membership provides membership benefits to multiple individuals within the member organization.

Voting Rights: All Members shall vote as one voting class or voting group referred to in these Bylaws as the "general membership"

Dues: The dues, if any, for Members shall be established by a 2/3 majority of the Board of Directors (with at least 25%) of the directors voting. Only those who have paid the applicable dues, if any, for the current year are considered Members of the Society. There will be an option for automatic renewal for membership dues.

Main Meeting: The main meeting of the Members shall be held annually.  The time and place of the main conference will be determined by the Executive Committee (see Article V for more information about the Executive Committee).

 

ARTICLE IV - BOARD OF DIRECTORS

General Powers: The Directors shall have power to amend the Society's bylaws. Amendments can be proposed by any Director, and all amendments have to ratified by a 2/3 majority vote (with at least 25% of the Directors voting). The vote may be conducted by electronic means  (e.g., e-mail, e-poll).

Number, Tenure, and Qualifications: The number of Board of Directors may vary from a minimum of 20 to a maximum of 30. Within such minimum and maximum, the number of Directors may be fixed or changed from time to time by the Board of Directors. Such minimum and/or maximum numbers of Directors may be increased or decreased from time to time by amendment to these Bylaws. In case that a member cannot complete their term (due to illness, death, or resignation), the Chair of the Board will nominate an individual from the Society’s general membership, and the nomination has to be ratified by a 2/3 majority vote of the entire board.

The Directors shall be elected for a two-year term. Directors shall be nominated by the Nominating Committee and shall be elected by the majority vote of the general membership.

Regular Meetings: The Board of Directors shall meet at the main meeting of the Members. The purpose of the regular meeting shall be to (1) review the Society's bylaws and suggest appropriate changes and (2) conduct such business as indicated on an agenda prepared by either the President or the Executive Director

Special Meetings: Special meetings of the Directors may be called by or at the request of the President or any five Directors entitled to vote at such meetings. The person or persons authorized to call special meetings of the Directors may fix the time and place for holding any special meeting of the Directors called by them. Notice of a special meeting shall be announced to all Directors at least 7 days in advance of the meeting and shall state the purpose of the meeting. The meeting can be conducted by electronic means.

Chair of the Board: At the annual meeting of the Society, members of the board shall nominate one of its members to serve as chairperson. The nomination shall be seconded, and the nominee shall assume the chair when elected by a 2/3 majority of the board members. The chairperson shall serve for a period of two years only. The role of the chairperson is to coordinate the business affairs of the board.

Removal: Any Board member may be removed by a 2/3 majority vote of the Directors whenever in their judgment the best interests of the Society would be served.

 

ARTICLE V -OFFICERS

Executive Committee: The Executive Committee shall consist of the five most recent past presidents of the Society, the current President, the President-Elect, the Executive Director, the chair of the Board of Directors, the past chair of the Board of Director, the Vice-President for Membership/Publicity, the Vice-President for Publications, the Vice-President for Programs, the Vice-President for Academic Affairs, the Vice-President for Professional Affairs, the Vice-President for External Affairs, the Vice-President for Finance, the Director of Development, the Investment Director, and the chairs of all the ad hoc committees formed by the current President. The Executive Committee shall act as the governing body of the society and may exercise authority for all matters, except for those matters specifically assigned to the Board of Directors under the Society's Bylaws and except for those matters requiring the action of the Board of Directors or Members under the laws of the State of Virginia. The Executive Committee shall promptly inform the Board of Directors of all decisions made by the Executive Committee.

Nominating Committee: The Nominating Committee is a committee chaired by the Vice-President (VP) for External Affairs. The committee should be composed of 3-5 members of the Board of Directors who are nominated directly by VP-External Affairs and ratified by a majority vote of the Executive Committee (with at least 25% of the Officers voting) for each nominee. The Nominating Committee makes nominations to the following positions/awards:

• The President-elect
• Board of directors
• Awards for Research Fellows
• The Distinguished QOL Researcher Award
• The Distinguished Service Award,
• The Young Scholar Award in QOL/Well-Being/Happiness Research, and
• The Award for the Betterment of Human Condition.

The Nominating Committee shall follow the criteria agreed to by the Executive Committee in making its nominations for the above-described positions and awards. These positions shall be ratified by the general membership of the Society (with at least 10% of the members voting). In contrast, the awards shall be ratified by a majority vote of the Board of Directors (with at least 25% of the Board members voting).

Other Committees: The Executive Committee may establish such other standing committees as it shall deem advisable. The President shall appoint the Directors or Members to serve on such standing committees, each of which shall consist of two (2) or more Directors (or Members).

Place of Meetings: The Executive Committee may hold its meetings at the main conference of the Society or some other place, independent of the main conference. Meetings can be conducted electronically. The President and Executive Director, in consultation with other officers of the Society, will make the final determination of the meeting time and place.

Officers: The officers of the Society shall be President, Past President (five most recent presidents), President-Elect, Executive Director, Vice-President for Membership/Publicity, Vice-President for Publications, Vice-President for Programs,  Vice-President for Academic Affairs, Vice-President for Professional Affairs, Vice-President for External Affairs, and Vice-President for Finance, the Director of Development, and the Investment Director .  It is the President’s perogative to decide whether the VP positions should be staffed by one or two persons per position. The same applies for the positions of the Director of Development and Director of Investment.

The President position is a two-year term elected by the general membership (majority vote). The President-elect becomes the incoming President after the term of the outgoing president expires. The President-elect is nominated by the Nominating Committee. The President presides at all meetings of the Society and is the Chair of the Executive Committee. S/he appoints the Executive Director, Director of Development, and all necessary ad hoc committees that s/he sees fit. The President selects chairpersons for the ad hoc committees, and the chairpersons of the ad hoc committees seek volunteers for committee members. The President guides and coordinates the activities of the Society.

The President-Elect is the position of the person elected by the general membership to assume the presidency after the completion of the term of the current president. The President-Elect is responsible for nominating the officers that will serve on the Executive Committee in his/her term of office. The President-Elect participates in all Executive Committee meetings and has full voting privileges.

The Past President is the position of the immediate-past president and the preceding four presidencies. Past Presidents participate in all Executive Committee meetings and have full voting privileges.

The Vice-President of Finance position is a two-year term elected by the general membership (majority vote). The Vice-President of Finance is nominated by the President-Elect. S/he has the responsibilty to oversee Society’s finances. Specifically, the Executive Director serves as the Society’s Treasurer and reports directly to the Vice-President of Finance as well as to the President. The Vice-President of Finance performs financial audits to ensure financial integrity. S/he may choose to work with auditors or audit firms to perform this task, if deemed necessary. Furthermore, the VP-Finance, through the person of the President, has the responsibility of overseeing the development and implementation of the annual budget. The VP-Finance appoints a Director of Investment who oversees all investment activities of the Society. The VP-Finance also works closely with the Executive Director as well as the Director of Development; however, both positions are appointed directly by the President, hence they report directly to the President. The VP-Finance is also responsible to report on the finances of the society at the annual meetings of the Board of Directors.

The Vice-President for Membership/Publicity position is a two-year term elected by the general membership (majority vote). The Vice-President for Membership is nominated by the President-Elect. S/he has the responsibility for attainment of membership goals and adherence to membership standards. The Vice-President for Membership may form ad hoc committees to help him/her with membership/publicity tasks. Examples of ad hoc committees may involve separate membership committees for North America, Latin America, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, the former Soviet Republics, the Middle East, Africa, Australia, and New Zealand, and Asia. Furthermore, this position calls for publicizing all programs and services provided by the Society. For example, the Vice-President for Membership/Publicity shall publicize each conference or program to the press and make arrangements with various publishers to exhibit their books at each conference (and also make arrangements with book exhibitors to sponsor conference events such as banquets, coffee breaks, and awards). The VP-Membership/Publicity is responsible for the use ISQOLS/MIQOLS (Management Institute for Quality-of-Life Studies) Indicators Toolbox (and/or other data sources) to prepare periodic (e.g., quarterly) brief indicators reports related to current and important policy issues directly related to the society’s mission. The reports will be posted on ISQOLS website, inserted in ISQOLS Newsletter, and sent to the news media for further dissemination to the general public.

The Vice-President for Publications position is a two-year term elected by the general membership (majority vote). The Vice-President for Publications is nominated by the President-Elect. S/he has the responsibility for attainment of publications goals and adherence to publications standards. The primary publication goal is the development and/or maintenance of journals, book series, newsletters, monographs, and bibliographic materials unique to QOL/well-being/happiness studies. S/he may form ad hoc committees to help him/her with the publication tasks. Examples of ad hoc committees may include a Newsletter Committee, Journals Committee, Monograph Series Committee, Bibliography Committee, etc.

The Vice-President for Programs position is a two-year term elected by the general membership (majority vote). The Vice-President for Programs is nominated by the President-Elect. S/he has the responsibility for attainment of program goals and adherence to program standards. Programs are defined as conferences, workshops, seminars, webinars, certification programs, and other networking/education-related events. S/he may form ad hoc committees to help him/her with program tasks. Examples of ad hoc committees may include the Annual Conference, Specialty Conferences, Regional Conferences, etc.

The Vice-President for Academic Affairs position is a two-year term elected by the general membership (majority vote). The Vice-President for Academic Affairs is nominated by the President-Elect. S/he has the responsibility for stimulating doctoral-program student involvement with the Society. Tasks may include managing the Dissertation Contest conducted at the Society's conferences, coordinating with the Vice-President for Membership to recruit doctoral students to the Society, among others. S/he may form ad hoc committees to help him/her with the tasks of academic affairs.

The Vice President for Professional Affairs position is a two-year term elected by the general membership (majority vote). The Vice-President for Professional Affairs is nominated by the President-Elect. S/he has the responsibility for establishing relationships with other academic and professional organizations that should benefit the general membership of the Society and enhance the Society’s credibility among QOL/well-being/happiness researchers and other stakeholder groups. S/he may form ad hoc committees to help him/her with the tasks of this position.

The Vice-President for External Affairs position is a two-year term elected by the general membership (majority vote). The Vice-President for External Affairs is nominated by the President-Elect. S/he has the responsibility for nominating several (3-5) Directors to form the Nominating Committee (see responsibilities of the Nominating Committee above). The VP-External Affairs provides leadership to this committee in identifying nominees for the : President-Elect and Board members positions and the Society’s awards (Research Fellows Awards, the Distinguished QOL Researcher Award, the Distinguished Service Award, and the Award for the Betterment of the Human Condition).

The Executive Director position is a five-year term appointed by the President and ratified by the Executive Committee (by a majority vote with at least 25% of the members voting). The term is renewable. S/he oversees all day-to-day operations of the Society, including the treasurer's duties and responsibilities. The Executive Director participates in all Executive Committee meetings but does not have voting privileges. The Executive Director shall maintain the Membership list of the Society, and is responsible for conducting all elections. S/he shall perform such other duties as may be assigned to him or her by the President and/or other members of the Executive Committee, especially the Vice-President for Finance who oversees the Society’s finances. It is customary for the Executive Director to serve several terms to capitalize on institutional memory. An important role of the Executive Director is to maintain the society’s website. The Director must possess professional organizational management skills and experience. This is a professional staff position, with compensation. Optimally, the Executive Director shall be staffed by a professional in the U.S. to maintain stability and continuity of the organization, albeit under exceptional circumstances other arrangements may be made.  Furthermore, given the fact ISQOLS is a US chartered nonprofit organization it is more efficient and effective to have the Society managed by a professional familiar with U.S. taxation laws working with an accounting firm also housed in the U.S.. As such the business office should be located where the Executive Director is based.

The Director of Development position is a two-year term appointed by the president and ratified by the Board (by a majority vote with at least 25% of the members voting). S/he has the responsibility for involving business firms and government agencies in providing financial and other support for research undertaken by the members of the Society and the Society itself. S/he may form a committee to assist with the aforementioned responsibilities. S/he should closely coordinate with the President and the Executive Director regarding development activities. Because this is an appointed position, the Director of Development does not have voting privileges. The Director of Development reports directly to the President. It should be noted because fund raising requires extra sensitivity and confidentialty no official reports or actions undertaken by the Develeopment Director shall be disseminated to others, with the exception of interim reports to the President, until pending arrangements related to specific matters have been finalized.  Furthermore, the Director of Development shall assume exclusive responsibility for the identification and nomination of persons or organizations for special recognition in the form of named endowments.

The Director of Investment position is a two-year term appointed by the Vice President of Finance and ratified by the Board (by a majority vote with at least 25% of the members voting). S/he has the responsibility for managing all investment funds for the Society. S/he may form a committee to assist with the aforementioned responsibilities. S/he reports directly to the VP-Finance but works closely with the Director of Development, the Executive Director, and the President regarding development activities that involve investments. Because this is an appointed position, the Director of Investment does not have voting privileges. The Director of Investment reports directly to the VP-Finance. It should be noted that only the income generated from a specific investment fund may be used to support the goals and objectives associated with that fund and may not used to supplement the operating budget. Moreover, dividends from any specific endowment fund should only be used to achieve the objectives of the fund after a 5-7 years hiatus (to allow the fund to mature).  The Director of Investment, in consultation with the VP Finance, however, does have the authority to move quickly on investments for which a rapid response is needed.

Removal: Any officer or agent of the Society may be removed by a 2/3 majority vote of the Directors whenever in their judgment the best interests of the Society would be served.

Vacancies: A vacancy in any office because of death, resignation, removal, disqualification or otherwise, may be filled by Members of the Society as appointed by the President. If the President cannot take on this task (e.g., death, illness, or resignation of the President), the President-Elect shall assume this responsibility. In case that the President-Elect may not be in a position to serve, the Immediate-Past President shall assume responsibility.

Compensation: Officers as such shall not receive any compensation for their services as officers, but the Executive Committee may, by resolution, authorize reimbursement of expenses incurred in the performance of their duties. However, the Executive Director position shall be compensated. The terms of the compensation have to be formalized by the President and ratified by the remaining members of the Executive Committee by a majority vote. The Director of Development as well as the Director of Investment are positions that may be compensated. If compensation is deemed appropriate and necessary then the terms of the compensation have to be formalized by the President and ratified by the remaining members of the Executive Committee by a majority vote. .

 

ARTICLE VI - CONTRACTS, LOANS, CHECKS AND DEPOSITS

Contracts: The President may authorize any officer or officers, agent or agents, to enter into any contract or execute and deliver any instrument in the name of and on behalf of the Society, and such authority may be general or confined to specific instances.

Loans: No loans shall be contracted on behalf of the Society and no evidences of indebtedness shall be issued in its name unless authorized by a resolution of the President, Executive Director, and Vice-President for Finance. Such authority may be general or confined to specific instances. If and when loans are made it is the responsibility of the President and the VP-Finance to inform the entire Executive Committee of such action.

Checks, Drafts, Etc.: All checks, drafts, or other orders for the payment of money, notes, or other evidences of indebtedness issued in the name of the Society, shall be signed only by either the Executive Director and/or the President.

Deposits: All funds of the Society not otherwise employed shall be deposited from time to time to the credit of the Society in such banks, trust companies, or other depositories as the Director of Investment, President, Executive Director, and Vice President for Finance may select.

Acceptance of Gifts: The Board of Directors or any officer or officers or agent or agents of the Society to whom such authority may be delegated by the Executive Committee, may accept on behalf of the Society any contribution, gift, bequest or devise for the general purposes or of any special purpose of the Society.

 

ARTICLE VII - FISCAL YEAR

The fiscal year of the Corporation shall end on the 31st day of December in each year.

 

ARTICLE VIII - SEAL

The Society may have a seal in the appropriate form, which seal, if one is required, shall be kept by the Executive Director and which may be affixed to formal documents executed in the name of the Society to which by law or custom the corporate seal is required to be affixed or is customarily affixed.

 

ARTICLE IX - INDEMNIFICATION

The Society shall indemnify its Directors and officers in the manner, against the matters, and to the full extent provided and permitted by Article 9, Chapter 10 of Title 13.1 of the Code of Virginia of 1950, as amended.

 

ARTICLE X - NON-DISCRIMINATION

The Society shall in no way discriminate against any person because of race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, color, or national or ethnic origin, in the conduct of any of the Society's activities (including, but not limited to, the selection or hiring of employees and contractors and the selection of those admitted to the Society's programs and activities).

 

ARTICLE XI - RELATIONS WITH OTHER ORGANIZATIONS

To achieve its objectives, the Society is encouraged to form cooperative relationships with other professional societies involving managerial (policy), behavioral, social, medical, and environmental sciences that have vested interest in QOL/well-being/happiness research.

 

ARTICLE XII – HONORS AND AWARDS

Young Scholar Award in QOL/Well-Being/Happiness Research: Up to three scholars may be nominated and all accepted nominees may receive this award per main conference. The basic requirement for eligibility to be designated a Young Scholar shall be evidence of a substantial contribution to QOL/well-being/happiness research and has completed his/her doctoral work during the last seven years. The designation of The Young Scholar of ISQOLS is determined by a simple majority of the Board of Directors (with at least 25% of the Directors voting). Nominations for Young Scholars are made through the Nominating Committee.

Fellow Award in QOL/Well-Being/Happiness Research : Up to three scholars may be nominated and all accepted nominees may receive this award per main conference. The basic requirement for eligibility to be designated a Research Fellow shall be evidence of a substantial contribution to QOL/well-being/happiness research. The designation of Research Fellow of ISQOLS is determined by a simple majority of the Board of Directors (with at least 25% of the Directors voting). Nominations for Fellows are made through the Nominating Committee.

Distinguished QOL Researcher Award: Up to five scholars can be nominated for this award but only one person can receive this award per main conference. The basic requirement for eligibility to be designated a Distinguished QOL Researcher shall be evidence of a lifetime and substantial contribution to QOL/well-being/happiness research. The designation of Distinguished QOL Research of ISQOLS is determined by a simple majority of the Board of Directors (with at least 25% of the Directors voting). Nominations for Distinguished QOL Researchers are made through the Nominating Committee.

Distinguished Service Award: Up to three past (or present) officers/directors can be nominated for this award and all accepted nominees may receive this award per main conference. The basic requirement for eligibility to be given a Distinguished Service Award is outstanding service to the Society in an official capacity (e.g., president). The designation of Distinguished Service person is determined by a simple majority of the Board of Directors (with at least 25% of the Directors voting). Nominations for the Distinguished Service Award are made through the Nominating Committee.

Award for the Betterment of the Human Condition: The basic requirement for eligibility for this award is significant accomplishment by an organization (private or public sector organization) to the development and use of QOL/well-being/happiness measures in the service of its constituency. The Nominating Committee led by the Vice-President for External Affairs scouts possible candidates for consideration. The selected candidate is nominated by the Nominating Committee and is selected by a simple majority vote of the Board of Directors (with at least 25% of the Directors voting).

Best Annual Social Indicators Research (SIR) Paper Award: The basic requirement for eligibility for the Best SIR Paper Award is selection of the best paper in the last year of SIR. This process is determined by requesting that the SIR Editor-in-Chief (in consultation with SIR Editorial Review Board) nominate one potential paper for the award. The nomination has to be approved by a simple majority vote of the Board of Directors (with at least 25% of the Directors voting).

Best Annual Journal of Happiness Studies (JOHS) Paper Award: The basic requirement for eligibility for the Best JHS Paper Award is selection of the best paper in the last year of JOHS. This process is determined by requesting that the JOHS Editor-in-Chief (in consultation with JOHS Editorial Review Board) nominate one potential paper for the award. The nomination has to be approved by a simple majority vote of the Board of Directors (with at least 25% of the Directors voting).

Best Annual Applied Research in Quality of Life (ARQOL) Paper Award: The basic requirement for eligibility for the Best ARQOL Paper Award is selection of the best paper in the last year of ARQOL. This process is determined by requesting that the ARQOL Editor-in-Chief (in consultation with ARQOL Editorial Review Board) nominate one potential paper for the award. The nomination has to be approved by a simple majority vote of the Board of Directors (with at least 25% of the Directors voting).

Best Annual Dissertation Award: A committee shall be formed prior to each of the Society’s main meeting for the purpose of reviewing and recommending an award for the “Best Dissertation” finished during the past two years on some aspect of QOL/well-being/happiness theory, research or practice. The Committee shall be chaired by the Vice-President for Academic Affairs. The nomination has to be approved by a simple majority vote of the Board of Directors (with at least 25% of the Directors voting).

Additional Honors and Awards: The Society may, at its discretion, name additional honors or awards from time to time. The nomination of such awards, though, must be approved by a majority vote of the Board of Directors (with at least 25% of the Directors voting).

 

ARTICLE XIII - AMENDMENTS

These Bylaws may be amended at any time by a 2/3 vote of the Board of Directors (with at least 25% of the members voting). The vote is to be conducted by mail (or other appropriate means such as e-polling) under conditions using anonymity. An amendment can be proposed by any Director at any time.