Revised July 25, 2006

I. PURPOSE

The RCHS was established by the International Sociological Association (ISA) in order to develop international contacts among scholars engaged in studying the history of sociology, to promote research in this field, and to encourage the international dissemination of such research. To this end the RCHS organizes international conferences and seminars, and publishes a Newsletter which is circulated to all members.

II. MEMBERSHIP

(i) Membership in the RCHS is open to all scholars who have demonstrated their interest in the area through teaching and/or research activities.
(ii) An individual becomes a member with full voting rights upon acceptance of his/her application by the Secretary of the RCHS and payment of dues.
(iii) Dues, as determined by the Executive Council from time to time, are payable through ISA or to the Secretary of the RCHS by whatever alternative mechanism s/he specifies.

III. MEETINGS

The RCHS will organize conference sessions and a business meeting on the occasion of the quadrennial World Congress of Sociology, and one or more other conferences in the intervals between World Congresses.

IV. GOVERNING BODY

(i) An Executive Council, consisting of a President, two Vice-Presidents, a Secretary, and 10 members, shall be the executive organ of the RCHS.
(ii) The Executive Council shall be elected from and by the membership. Only those members who are also currently members of the ISA are eligible for election, and to remain members of the EC they must remain paid-up members of both RCHS and ISA. If their paid membership lapses they shall first be sent a reminder, and shall only cease to be EC members if they fail to act upon that within a month.
(iii) The Secretary shall be responsible, in consultation with the President, for the routine administrative work of the RC, including the organisation of its conference programmes, the production of its newsletter and reporting to ISA, and shall also be responsible for its financial affairs. S/he shall make a general report and a report on the financial situation of the RC to each business meeting. Business meetings shall be chaired by the President if present, or by the Secretary. Interim conferences will have a local organiser who will liaise with the Secretary to plan the meeting's activities.

V. ELECTIONS

(i) Election of the Executive Council shall be by mail ballot conducted during the year preceding the World Congress.
(ii) The Secretary will invite nominations, which may be self-nominations or nomination by another member in good standing; candidates nominated by other members must also indicate their consent to stand. All formally eligible members nominated shall be presented as candidates for election.
(iii) Ballots will be sent to the members on the Secretary's list of members in good standing.
(iv) The candidate receiving the highest number of votes cast will be deemed elected to each office.
(v) An election shall be valid if more than one third of the membership votes.
(vi) The term of office shall be 4 years. The President and the Vice-Presidents shall not be eligible for re-election to the same office for the immediately succeeding term. The other members of the Executive Council may continue in office for a second term, if nominated and re-elected. After two consecutive terms of service, they are eligible to continue to serve in the Council only in the office of President and Vice-President. After a term without service in office, members are again eligible for election to any office.
(vii) If a vacancy arises for any reason, it shall be filled as follows. For the Presidency, the Vice-President who received the highest votes at the last election shall succeed if s/he is willing; if not, the other Vice-President shall succeed if willing. If neither is willing, an election will proceed as for the Secretaryship. For the Secretaryship, nominations will be invited immediately, and if an election is required ballot forms will be sent out after a month. For Vice-Presidencies, the member of the Executive Council who received the highest votes at the last election shall succeed. For members of the Executive Council, if at the last election there were other candidates the defeated candidate who received the highest votes and remains willing shall fill the vacancy. If there are no such defeated candidates, an election will proceed as for the officerships.
(viii) Where vacancies are filled as in (vii) above, those filling them shall be deemed, for the purpose of clause (vi) above, to have served a full term if their service started more than two years before the next World Congress, but not to have served a term at all if their service started two years or less before that.

VI. REPRESENTATION ON THE ISA RESEARCH COUNCIL

The President of the RCHS shall be its delegate to the Research Council, with the Secretary or, if s/he is not available, any other member of the EC as alternate.

VII. REVISION OF THE STATUTES

(i) Proposals for the revision of these Statutes may be submitted to the membership upon petition of twenty members to the President, or a resolution of the Executive Council.
(ii) Revision requires approval by a majority (51 per cent) of the whole membership in a mail ballot.