Section 1. Name: This Association will be known as the WESTERN SECTION, AMERICAN SOCIETY OF ANIMAL SCIENCE (Western Section).

Section 2. Mission: Western Section shall further the mission outlined in Article I, Section 2, of the Constitution of the American Society of Animal Science (ASAS), with a specific mission that Western Section shall "advance animal agriculture research and education in Western North America by providing a forum to develop and communicate scientific and technical knowledge to enhance economic and ecological sustainability."

Section 3. Activities: The activities of Western Section will include those of ASAS as outlined in Article I, Section 3 of the Constitution of ASAS. Western Section also will: 1) hold an annual meeting, 2) publish an official Proceedings of the annual meeting, 3) promote recognition of members through an awards program that includes awards for Young Scientist, Extension, Distinguished Teacher, Distinguished Service, and other categories as established by the membership, and 4) instigate other activities as defined by the executive committee or the membership that will further the mission of Western Section.

Section 1. Eligibility: Persons are qualified for membership in the Western Section as identified under Article II, Section 1 and Article V of the Constitution of ASAS and further defined in Article I of the ASAS Bylaws.

Section 2. Eligibility for Elective Office, Awards, and Graduate Student Paper Competition: Any member who is located in the geographical region designated by the Bylaws of ASAS as part of the Western Section will be automatically eligible for election to office in the Western Section and nomination for Western Section awards unless that individual has chosen to be considered a member of another geographical section of ASAS in accordance with ASAS Bylaws regarding sectional membership. Any member who is not in the geographical region outlined as part of the Western Section by the ASAS Bylaws regarding membership, but who has chosen to be a member of the Western Section according to ASAS bylaws regarding sectional membership, will be eligible for election to office and nomination for awards in the Western Section after a period of four years of membership in the Western Section. Graduate Student members located in the geographical region designated as part of the Western Section are eligible for participation in the Graduate Student Paper Competition. Graduate students outside the geographical region outlined as part of the Western Section by the ASAS Bylaws regarding membership will be eligible to participate in the Graduate Student Paper Competition provided that individual has chosen to be considered a member of the Western Section in accordance with ASAS Bylaws regarding sectional membership at the time of abstract submission. The Western Section Applied Animal Science Award will be open to those papers published in the Western Section Proceedings.

Section 3. Membership Dues: Membership dues will be fixed by the Board of Directors of the ASAS, as described in the ASAS Constitution and Bylaws.

Section 1. Officers: The officers of the Western Section will consist of the President, President-Elect, and Secretary-Treasurer. These three officers, in addition to the immediate Past-President, the Chair of the Advisory and Coordinating Committee (appointed), the Industry member (elected), and the national ASAS Director from Western Section (elected), will serve as the Executive Committee of the Western Section.

Section 2. Term of Office: The term of office for Secretary-Treasurer, President-Elect, and President will be one year effective at the end of the annual meeting of the Western Section in the year in which the individual is elected and continue through the next annual meeting. The term of office for the Chair of the Advisory and Coordinating Committee (appointed) will be for one year and the term of office for the Industry member (elected), and the national ASAS Director, Western Section (elected) will be for three years. In the absence of other provisions for succession, all officers and directors will serve until their successors are duly elected or appointed.

Section 3. Duties of Officers and Appointed and Elected Officials: The President will serve as Chair of the Western Section Business Meeting and of the Executive Committee. The President will appoint all standing committees and perform such other duties as are customarily required of a president.

The President-Elect will assume the duties of the President in cases in which the President is unable to act and will be the chairman of the awards committee.

The Secretary-Treasurer will be responsible for the financial records of the Western Section in collaboration with the Business Manager of ASAS. The Secretary-Treasurer will be responsible for mailing notices of meetings, requests for papers to be considered for the meeting program, publication of the proceedings, arrangements for annual meetings, and correspondence relating to business of the Western Section.

The national ASAS Director, Western Section, will represent the Western Section at all ASAS Board of Directors meetings.

The chairman of the Advisory and Coordinating committee shall convene meetings of that committee at the annual meeting and at other times as appropriate and, along with the Western Section Industry member, shall represent the interests of the membership at all executive committee meetings.

Officers and other elected officials will be elected by mail and/or electronic ballot of the membership at a time designated by the Western Section Executive Committee. The President will appoint a nominating committee that will recommend a slate of potential candidates to be placed on the mail and/or electronic ballot. To be elected, a nominee must receive a majority (greater than 50%) of the votes tabulated from ballots returned by the membership. The nominating committee will tabulate and certify the results of all elections. The Executive Committee will vote to break any ties that might occur.

The Western Section will hold an annual meeting, which will include a business meeting, at a time and place to be selected by the Executive Committee. The Executive Committee will be responsible for the program and other necessary arrangements for the meeting. The Executive Committee will have the authority to cancel an annual meeting if circumstances make such action necessary or desirable and will have the authority to set a registration fee. The members in attendance at the annual business meeting will constitute a quorum for transacting business of the Western Section.

Standing committees, special committees, and program committees will be appointed as considered necessary by the President. The President will be responsible for notifying persons selected of their appointments to committees and for making replacements in the event that selected persons are unable to serve.

Amendments proposed to the Constitution of the Western Section may originate from the Western Section Executive Committee or may be proposed by a petition signed by at least 10 qualified members of the Western Section. The Secretary-Treasurer must notify the membership of the Western Section of proposed changes at least 30 days before action on such changes can be taken. Changes to the Constitution can be approved by mail and/or electronic ballot or by a vote at the annual Business Meeting of the Western Section. A change will be approved only if two-thirds of the mail and/or electronic ballots returned approve the change or if two-thirds of the members in attendance at the annual business meeting approve the change by vote.