2023 Proposed Amendments to the CBA Constitution and By-Laws

Rationale: In 2016, the CBA members approved the motion to create “a new fee structure for graduate students. “ The Graduate Student dues structure created currently falls under the Associate Member category. The proposal is to establish Graduate Student as a separate member category with separate privileges.

MOTION 
That “Graduate Student” be added to Article III Section 1 of the Constitution to read “The membership in this Association shall consist of Full Members, Associate Members, Graduate Student Members, and Sustaining Members….” and in so doing, amend the By-Laws:

• current 2.1.3., 2.1.4., and 2.1.5 be renamed so that the following may be added
  “2.1.3 Candidates for Graduate Student Membership shall be engaged in post-baccalaureate studies in biblical or allied fields.’
• “Graduate Student” added to current 2.1.3 (renamed 2.1.4.) and 3.2 to read respectively
  “Candidates for either Full Membership, or Associate, or Graduate Student Membership must be,,,” and  “Attendance at annual general meetings of the Association shall be open to Full, Associate, and Graduate Student Members and to those persons…”.

Rationale: Until now, only Full members are allowed to present papers at the Annual General Meeting. With this proposal, it is likely we will see more participation by this membership group at the AGM. They will still have to go through the same vetting process as other papers currently do and must meet the same standards.

MOTION
That “and may present papers at those meetings” be added to By-Law 2.2.2. to read: ”Associate Members may attend annual general meetings and may present papers at those meetings, without the right to vote.”

Rationale: In 2014, Paulist Press proposed a series of biblical studies in partnership with CBA. CBA created an Editorial Board that provided the manuscripts. Paulist Press published and marketed the series and CBA received royalties. After publishing seven volumes, Paulist Press may decide not to continue with the series. If CBA takes on the publishing of the series, or we seek a new publisher, the proposal is to include the General Editor and Editorial Board in the Constitution and By-Laws as are the other CBA publications. 

MOTION
That the Constitution and By-Laws be amended to include the General Editor and Editorial Board of the Biblical Studies Series from the CBA (BSSCBA) in the following manner:

• the addition of “the General Editor of the Biblical Studies Series from the CBA (BSSCBA)”  to Article IV Section 2 to read “Between annual general meetings the Association shall be governed by an Executive Board consisting of the Chair, the President, the immediate Past President, the Vice-President, the Executive Director (ex officio, non-voting), the General Editor of The Catholic Biblical Quarterly (CBQ), the General Editor of Old Testament Abstracts (OTA), the General Editor of the Catholic Biblical Quarterly Monograph Series (CBQMS) and Catholic Biblical Quarterly Imprints (CBQI), the General Editor of the Biblical Studies Series from the CBA (BSSCBA),  the Chair of the Committee on Finance and Investment, and four Consultors who serve as non-officer members.
• the addition of the following to Constitution Article V 
  Section 8: The duties of the General Editor of the Biblical Studies Series of CBA shall be:
  (a) To serve as Chair of the BSSCBA Editorial Board; 
  (b) To accept, after due consultation with members of the Editorial Board, manuscripts for the BSSCBA and to prepare them for publication.
• the current Constitution Article VI, Section 3 be renamed Section 4, so that the following may be added
  Section 3. Members of the BSSCBA Editorial Board shall be duly elected as specified in the By-laws and serve under the direction of the General Editor of BSSCBA; their function shall be to assist the General Editor in planning and developing the series.
• the current sections By-Laws 3.5.8. and 3.5.9. be renamed so that the following be added: 3.5.8. At each annual general meeting at least two Associate Editors of the BSSCBA, upon recommendation by the Editorial Board, shall be elected by the majority vote of the Full Members for a term of four years. Associate Editors may not serve more than two consecutive terms.

The major task of the CBA is to maintain and grow its current membership. This membership growth should include those who are both in the US but also outside of these borders in locations such as Africa, Europe, Central and South America and the Indo-Pacific region, in particular Australia. This committee would assist the Executive Director in developing strategies to reach these various regions through a variety of means.

That the Constitution and By-Laws be amended to include the Committee on Membership and CBA Development in the following manner:

• current Constitution Article VIII, Section be renamed to add the following:
  “There shall be a Committee on Membership Recruitment and CBA Development consisting of four members duly selected as determined by the By-laws. This committee shall explore and develop possible ways to grow the membership of CBA and how the CBA can best serve its members and the Church.”
• current By-Laws 4.4.9. be renamed to include the following:
  “Committee on Membership and CBA Development
  The Membership and CBA Development shall consist of four members, including the member proposed as Chair, who are elected by majority vote of the Full Members present and voting at the Business Session of the annual general meeting. The term for such appointments is for three years and members may normally be re-elected for two extra terms."

Rationale: The SBL no longer supports regional meetings. Several regions have reached out to the CBA for support. The coordination and oversight of these meetings is more than the CBA Office can manage. This Committee would assist the Executive Director plan and implement new meetings as the need arises in various regions.

MOTION
That the Constitution and By-Laws be amended to include the Committee on CBA Regional Meetings in the following manner:

• current Constitution Article VIII, Section 9 be renamed to add the following:
  “There shall be a Committee on CBA Regional Meetings consisting of the Executive Director (ex officio) and six members duly selected as determined by the By-laws. This committee shall be responsible for planning and administering the Regional Meetings of the Association and other programmatic activities, other than the annual general meeting, in support of its mission."
• By-Law 4.4.10 added:
  “Committee on CBA Regional Meetings
  

  The CBA Regional Meetings shall consist of the Executive Director (ex officio) and six other members, including the member proposed as Chair, who are elected by majority vote of the Full Members present and voting at the Business Session of the annual general meeting. The term for such appointments is for three years and members may normally be re-elected for two extra terms."