The Maine Archaeological Society has received an anonymous gift for publications in archaeology. The impetus for the Endowed Publication Fund is to provide incentive for and means of bringing worthy information relevant to or about Maine archaeology to publication. One of the hopes is that the Fund will provide incentive to revise or otherwise prepare valuable information in existing contract reports for dissemination in journals, monographs, or popular publications (e.g., MAS Bulletin, America Antiquity, Occasional Publications in Maine Archaeology).

     The endowment will grow to about $45,000 during the next three years and will provide approximately $2,000 annually as author incentive money to complete or undertake writing projects that are worthy of publication. The MAS has already formed an Endowed Publication Fund Committee and has established bylaws to define purpose, membership, and power of the Committee.

     Prospective authors will enter into a publication contract with the MAS to provide final copy for an article or a monograph to be determined ready for publication by the Committee. The Committe is composed of MAS officers and trustees. The amount of the compensation is based on a fees schedule dependent on the length and type of publication being submitted.

     The Endowed Publication Fund presents an extraordinary opportunity for disseminating archaeolgical data relevant to Maine history and prehistory in both scientific and public forums. For the time being, more information about the fund can be obtained from Rick Will (667-4055 or willarc@acadia.net).

Bylaws of the Maine Archaeological Society Endowed Publication Fund Committee

I. Name
The name of the committee shall be the Maine Archaeological Society Endowed Publication Fund Committee, hereinafter the "Committee." However, the name may be changed if the endowment fund is named at a future date.

II. Purpose
The purpose of the Committe is to provide incentive for and means of bringing worthy information about Maine archaeolgy or relevant to Maine Archaeology to publication.

III. Membership
The Publications Committee shall consist of seven members, all of whom shall be officers or trustees of the Maine Archaeological Society. Five of the members shall be ex-officio: the President, the First or Second Vice-President, the Bulletin Assistant Editor, and the Newsletter Editor. The First or Second Vice-President member of the committee, and two other members of the committee will be chosen by vote of the Officers and Trustees of the Maine Archaeological Society.

IV. Terms
The term of appointment to Publications Committee shall be at the pleasure of the Officers and Trustees of the Maine Archaeological Society, except that Committee members may resign at any time. Ex-officio officers who are members of the Publications Committee are no longer members of Publications Committee when they resign or are replaced in their Maine Arcaeological Society offices.

V. Officers of the Committee
The Chairman of the Committee shall be the ex-officio Maine Archaeological Society President, or in his/her absence or at his/her pleasure the ex-officio Maine Archaeological Society Vice-President Member of the Committee. The Committee will appoint a member to act as Secretary for the meeting or for a term specified in the Committee minutes.

VI. Schedule of Meetings
Meetings will be called at the pleasure of the President or Vice-President ex-officio member of the Committee, with at least 10 days notice to all Committee members.

VII. Quorum
A quorum for conducting Committee business shall be at least 5 members of the Committee.

VIII. Decisions by the Committee
Decisions by the Committee must be made by majority vote. Business will generally be conducted following Roberts Rules of Order, except that written votes may be allowed on items previously discussed at a meeting of the Committee. Any Committee member who is an author or co-author of a manuscript being considered by the Committee must excuse himself or herself from discussions and votes pertaining to that manuscript, except that he/she may present descriptive material about the manuscript to the Committee at the Committee's request.

IX. Power to Enter into Contracts
In establishing the Publications committe, the Maine Archaeological Society Officers and Trustees delegate to the Committee the power to negotiate and conclude manuscript preparation contracts with professional, avocational, or student archaeologists that will specify the topic, quality, and style of a manuscript; approximate number length, nature, quality and approximate number of illustrations; target publication; deadline; and authorship (first author, co-authors). The President or Vice-President (ex-officio) member of the Committee shall be the signatory on the contract for the Maine Archaeological Society. All authors (including co-authors) must also sign the contract, and the contract willspecift payment amounts to the author or each co-author. Copyright will rest with the author(s) pending publication of the manuscript.

X. Power to Expend Fund Income
In establishing the Publications committe, the Maine Archaeological Society Officers and Trustees delegate to the Committee the power to expend income from the endowed Publication Fund such that the balance maintained at no less than $15,000 during the year 2000, $30,000 during the year 2001, and $45,000 for the years thereafter. Expenditures from the fund may be ordered in writing by vote of the Committee, and issued on checks signed by the Maine archaeological Society accountant, or Treasurer or other officer normally having signatory power on Maine Archaeological Society bank accounts.

XI. Nature of Expenditures
At least half of the expenditures from the fund must be made as incentive payments to authors to produce publishable manuscripts pertaining to Maine archaeology. The remainder of the expenditures may be made for related publication costs such as artwork, professional copyediting, typesetting, and printing. Up to 10% of the fund income may be transferred to Maine Archaeological Society general fund annually to pay for bookkeeping services.

XII. Schedule of Payments
The Committee may formulate and publish a schedule of payments to authors for different types of manuscripts, except that no total payment for any kind of manuscript may exceed $1000 without an assenting vote by the Officers and Trustees of the Maine Archaeological Society at a regular business meeting.