Standing Rules

Updated as of May 2024

1. The annual dues for individual members are $15.00 and for institutional members, $18.00. The fee for life membership is $200.00. Adopted April 13, 1985. [Superseded April 15, 1989, by Rule 22.]

2. The Pennsylvania History editorial board shall consist of fifteen members chosen for terms of three years by the journal editor, with the approval of the Council. The terms of five members shall expire each year. Adopted April 13, 1985. Amended April 21, 2001, by clarifying which board and editor was meant.

3. The publications committee shall consist of five persons chosen for terms of five years by the president. The term of one member shall expire each year. It shall be the duty of the committee, with the approval of the Council, to select manuscripts and edit them into association publications. Adopted April 13, 1985. [Replaced October 16, 1998 by Rule 32.]

4. The membership committee shall consist of six persons chosen for terms of three years by the president. The terms of two members shall expire each year. It shall be the duty of the committee to carry out measures designed to encourage increased membership in the association. Adopted April 13, 1985. [Repealed April 15, 1989, by Rule 21.]

5. The history-in-the-schools committee shall consist of three persons chosen for terms of three years by the president. The term of one member shall expire each year. It shall be the duty of the committee to promote the effective teaching and study of history in the schools. Adopted April 13, 1985. [Repealed April 21, 1990, by Rule 24.]

6. The nominating committee shall consist of three persons, one of whom shall be the immediate past president, who shall act as chair. It shall be the duty of the nominating committee to present a slate of candidates to fill impending vacancies among the officers and elected members of the Council. Adopted April 13, 1985. Amended April 21, 2001, by replacing “chairman” with “chair.”

7. Persons chosen to committees (including the editorial boards) and membership on the Council shall be members of the association. Adopted April 13, 1985. [The minutes of this meeting state that “Council intends for membership in the Pennsylvania Historical Association to be required at the time of election to the Council or appointment to a committee (including the editorial boards) and for membership in the Association to continue during the period of service.”] Should continuing Council, committee, or board members fail to renew their annual memberships by the Spring Council meeting, their positions shall be deemed vacant and the appropriate procedures for electing or appointing replacements will be set into motion. Amended November 6, 1999. Amended April 21, 2001, by making the word “board” plural.

8. The business of the association shall be conducted according to the latest edition of Robert’s Rules of Order, in all cases except where they are in conflict with the constitution and standing rules of the association. Adopted April 13, 1985.

9. Under the constitution adopted on October 13, 1984, the terms of the president and vice-president now in office shall expire in October 1986, and the terms of the recording secretary, business secretary, and treasurer in October 1985. Adopted April 13, 1985. [Superseded April 16, 1988, by Rule 18.]

10. The president shall appoint a program committee and a local arrangement committee, each of such number of persons as the president shall deem appropriate, to prepare for and carry out each annual meeting of the association. Nonmembers shall be eligible for appointment to these two committees. Adopted April 13, 1985.

11. The executive director of the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission and the president of the Pennsylvania Federation of Historical Societies are the members of the Council who represent officially those bodies. The director and the president may designate one person, who is not already a member of the Council, to represent them, with full powers and duties, when they are not in attendance at Council meetings. Adopted June 14, 1986. [Portion relating to PFHS superseded April 11, 1992, by Rule 25.]

12. According to Article III, Section 4, of the constitution, the editors serve at the pleasure of the Council. At least once every five years of an editor’s tenure, the editor and the president, in consultation with the executive committee, shall confer to determine whether it is mutually advantageous and agreeable for the editor to continue in office. Adopted June 14, 1986. Amended April 21, 2001, to pluralize “editors.”

13. The Council authorizes the treasurer of the association to sign all checks and further authorizes the president to sign the same in the event the treasurer is incapacitated and only until such time as the treasurer or his or her successor shall resume the duties of the office. Adopted October 10, 1986.

14. The marketing committee shall consist of three persons chosen for terms of three years by the president. The term of one member shall expire each year. It shall be the duty of the committee to develop and carry out measures designed to secure prompt and maximum distribution of association publications. Adopted April 11, 1987. Repealed April 21, 2001.

15. The executive committee shall arrange for statements to be prepared by a certified public accountant in accordance with the compilation procedures prescribed by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and shall serve as advisory committee to the treasurer in all matters relating to this office. Adopted November 6, 1987. Amended November 7, 1997.1 Amended April 21, 2001, to replace “his office” with “this office.”

16. The Philip S. Klein Prize Committee shall consist of three persons chosen for the terms of three years by the president. The term of one member shall expire each year. It shall be the duty of the committee, within one year and with the approval of the Council, to develop award criteria and further, using these criteria, to select recipients of the award. According to the May 10, 1986 solicitation letter, the award is given “every second year for the best scholarly article published in Pennsylvania History.” Adopted November 6, 1987. [Superseded April 30, 1994, by Rule 26.]

17. The annual dues for sustaining members are $50: for contributing members, $100; and for family members (a husband and wife to receive one copy of the journal), $25. Adopted April 16, 1988. [Superseded April 15, 1989, by Rule 22.]

18. The terms of officers, members of the Council, and members of committees shall end on December 31 of the year in which their terms expire. Adopted April 16, 1988.

19. The Philip S. Klein Prize Committee shall use the following criteria in selecting recipients for the prize: overall quality of scholarship; significance of contribution to historical knowledge; significance of contribution to methodology; and style, presentation, and readability. The committee shall consider articles appearing in two volumes (eight numbers) of the journal. Adopted April 16, 1988. [Superseded April 30, 1994, by Rule 26.]

20. The immediate past president shall be invited to attend all meetings of the executive committee and participate in the discussions, but shall not be entitled to vote. Adopted October 21, 1988. [Repealed April 24, 2010]

21. Standing Rule number 4 is hereby repealed. Adopted April 15, 1989.

22. The annual dues for individual members are $20.00; for institutional members, $30.00; for sustaining members, $50.00; for contributory members, $100.00 and for life members, $300.00. Adopted April 15, 1989. [Superseded April 22, 1995, by Rule 27.]

23. The business secretary shall maintain a roster of life members of the Pennsylvania Historical Association, which shall include the date life membership was established and the amounts paid for it. The proceeds from this source shall be maintained permanently in the invested funds of the association and the income only used. At the end of each year the business secretary and the treasurer shall determine the amount in the invested funds which shall be identified as “The Life Membership Account.” Income generated by this account shall be applied annually to the General Account unless the business secretary and treasurer recommend and the Council approves otherwise. The sum to be assigned initially to this account upon the adoption of this standing rule shall be $2,500. Adopted April 21, 1990. Amended October 4, 1996.2

24. The history-in-educational institutions committee shall consist of five persons chosen for terms of five years by the president. The term of one member shall expire each year. It shall be the duty of the committee to promote teaching and study of history in the schools and in institutions of higher learning. To this end, it shall designate, from within the committee, two subcommittees each to be chaired by the committee chair. Standing rule #5 is hereby abolished. Adopted April 21, 1990. [Repealed April 30, 2011]

25. The Executive Director of the Pennsylvania Federation of Museum and Historical Organizations (or its successor) is the member of the council who represents that body. The director may designate one person, who is not already a member of the council, to represent the director, with full powers and duties, when he or she is not in attendance at the council meetings. Adopted April 11, 1992.

26. The Association will award two Philip S. Klein prizes, one for the best article appearing in Pennsylvania History and one for the best book on a topic related to the history of Pennsylvania, in alternate years.  Each prize shall carry an award of $500 paid from the Philip S. Klein Prize Fund; any additional earnings from the Fund shall be added to the principal.

(A) The Philip S. Klein Pennsylvania History Prize for the best scholarly article published in Pennsylvania History shall be awarded every odd-numbered year, beginning in 1987 (for the years 1985-1986).  A selection committee, the Klein Pennsylvania History Prize Committee, shall consist of three persons chosen by the president immediately following the awarding of the prize each odd-numbered year for a two-year term. The chairperson, when possible, should previously have served as a member of an earlier Klein Pennsylvania History Prize Committee.  Any member of the Committee who was an original reviewer for an eligible article will recuse themselves from judging that particular article.  The selection committee shall use the following criteria in selecting recipients for the prize: overall quality of scholarship; significance of contribution to historical knowledge; significance of contribution to methodology; and style, presentation, and readability.  The committee shall consider articles appearing in the two previous annual volumes (eight issues) of the journal.  In order to qualify, the article should be a scholarly academic essay with a text of at least 5,000 words, not including endnotes. In the cases of photography or art essays, 2,000 words.  The winner of the Crist Prize shall not be eligible for the Klein Prize.  The committee shall complete its work in time for the prize to be presented at the association’s annual meeting during the prize year. Notice of the award shall subsequently be placed on the Pennsylvania Historical Association’s website and social media accounts.

(B) The Philip S. Klein Book Prize for the best book on a topic that illuminates the history of Pennsylvania shall be awarded every even-numbered year, beginning in 1996 (for the years 1994-1995). A selection committee, the Klein Book Prize Committee, shall consist of three persons chosen by the president immediately following the awarding of the prize each even-numbered year for a two-year term. The chairperson, when possible, should previously have served as a member of an earlier Klein Book Prize Committee. The selection committee shall use the following criteria in selecting recipients for the prize: overall quality of scholarship; significance of contribution to historical knowledge; significance of contribution to methodology; and style, presentation, and readability. The committee shall consider books published during the two previous years. The committee shall complete its work in time for the prize to be presented at the association’s annual meeting during the prize year. Notice of the award shall subsequently be printed in Pennsylvania History. Adopted April 30, 1994. Amended April 22, 1995.3

27. The annual dues for individual members are $25.00; for student members, $15.00; for institutional members, $30.00; for sustaining members, $50.00; for contributory members, $100; and for life members, $350.00. Adopted April 22, 1995. [Superseded by Rule # 33, April 21, 2001.]

28. Invitations for annual meetings must be accompanied by the identification of a local arrangements chairperson before they will be accepted by Council. The Council will make every effort to book annual meeting locations at least four years in advance. The Council will also make every effort to announce regularly in Pennsylvania History the locations and dates for the next three annual meetings and at least the location of the meeting four years away. Choice of a Thursday-Friday or Friday-Saturday meeting schedule should remain flexible to allow planners to adjust for local circumstances. Adopted April 22, 1995.

29. The association’s journal shall be titled Pennsylvania History: A Journal of Mid-Atlantic Studies. Adopted March 23, 1996.

30. There shall be a Committee on Women and Minorities to provide a forum for issues of professional concern and to promote ongoing recruitment, participation and scholarship. The Committee shall consist of six persons chosen by the president to staggered three-year terms; in addition, the editor of Pennsylvania History shall be, ex officio, a member of the committee. Adopted October 4, 1996. [Repealed April 30, 2011.]

31. The Robert G. Crist Prize for the outstanding article illuminating the history of Pennsylvania published by a graduate student in Pennsylvania History may be awarded every odd-numbered year, beginning in 1997 (for the years 1995-96).  Selection shall be made by the Klein Pennsylvania History Prize Committee, according to the procedures and criteria specified for the Klein Pennsylvania History Prize in Standing Rule # 26A.  In the case of co-authorships of eligible Crist Prize entries where one author is an established academic and the other is a graduate student, it will only be eligible for the Klein Prize.  The prize shall be one year’s complimentary subscription to Pennsylvania History and an award of $100 paid from the Robert G. Crist Prize Fund; any additional earnings from the Fund shall be added to the principal.  Adopted April 26, 1997. Amended April 29, 2000. Amended October 18, 2002. Amended April 30, 2022. 4

32. The Editor or Editors of the Pennsylvania History Series shall be elected by Council and shall serve at its pleasure; at least once every five years during the editor’s tenure, the editor and president, in consultation with the executive committee, shall confer to determine whether it is mutually advantageous and agreeable for the editor to continue in office. The editor/s shall be advised and assisted by an editorial board of six members chosen for terms of two years by the editor/s with the approval of the Council. The terms of three members shall expire each year. Authors and subjects of books and proposed changes in the purpose or audience of the series shall be submitted to Council for approval. Adopted October 16, 1998; amended October 8, 2015; amended April 23, 2016.5

33. The annual dues for individual members are $30.00; for student members, $15.00; for institutional members, $35.00; for sustaining members, $50.00; for contributing members, $100.00; and for life members, $1500.00. Adopted April 21, 2001. Amended October 24, 2003.6 [Superseded by rule # 37, January 1, 2009.]

34. All participants on the annual meeting program shall be PHA members, with the exception that the Program Committee may invite non-member guests to enhance the program or to provide special expertise or perspectives. Adopted April 27, 2002.

35. The president and treasurer are the two persons authorized to have access to the PHA safe deposit box(es) and to be signatories for certificates of deposit. Adopted October 24, 2003.

36. Prices for books in the Pennsylvania History Series shall be established by the editor/s in consultation with the president, business secretary and treasurer taking into account production costs, distribution methods, and anticipated sales. The editor/s shall report new and revised prices for information at the next meeting of Council. Adopted October 24, 2003; amended October 8, 2015.7

37. The annual dues for individual members are $40.00; for student members, $30.00; for institutional members, $50.00; for sustaining members, $75.00; for contributing members, $100.00; for life members, $2000.00. International rates for individuals are $55.00; for institutions, $65.00 [effective January 1, 2009]. Adopted October 19, 2007. [Superseded by rule #38, October 14, 2010.]

38. The annual dues for individual members are $40.00 (print or on-line subscriptions); individual print+on-line subscriptions, $56; for student members, $30.00 (print only); for institutional members, $50.00 (print or on-line subscriptions); institutional print+on-line subscriptions, $70; for sustaining members, $75.00; for contributing members, $100.00; for life members, $2000.00. International rates for individuals are $55.00 (print or on-line subscriptions); international print+on-line subscriptions, $70; for international institutions, $65.00 (print or on-line subscriptions); international institutions print+on-line subscriptions, $80. Adopted October 14, 2010. [Superseded by rule #41, October 17, 2013.]

39. There shall be a Committee for Advocacy and Outreach, chaired by a current member of Council who is appointed by the president, and consist of three to five persons. It shall be the duty of the committee to engage the Association in advocacy for the promotion, learning, and teaching of Pennsylvania’s history, and to coordinate and collaborate with historical institutions, agencies, and organizations, which likewise promote the learning and teaching of Pennsylvania’s history. Adopted April 30, 2011.

40. There shall be a Standing Rule on Diversity*
The Pennsylvania Historical Association (PHA) is committed in principle and action to fostering diversity within the history profession. The PHA advocates the inclusion of all who wish to join, participate, and have a voice in the organization. The PHA will make concerted efforts to promote understanding, sensitivity, and respect for the range of cultures, abilities, and human identities in the historical past and contemporary society. The PHA is dedicated to inclusiveness in its leadership and membership.

Criteria for elected and appointed office within the PHA shall be consistent with the goals and purposes of the Association. The PHA will bring together and represent historians from multiple work settings and a wide array of chronological, geographical, and topical specializations.

All nominations and appointments shall be consistent with the principle of diversity outlined above including such considerations as:

  • Work context (secondary schools, two-year and four-year colleges, graduate institutions, public history, and independent research)
  • Gender
  • Race
  • Ethnicity
  • Age
  • Sexual Orientation
  • Disability
  • Employment status (full-time, part-time, temporary, and retired)
  • Rank (junior, senior, and contingent faculty) Adopted April 30, 2011.

* Adapted from the Organization of American Historians “Statement on Diversity” and the American Historical Association’s “Statement on Diversity in AHA Nominations and Appointments.”

41. The annual dues for individual members are $50.00; for student members, $30.00; for senior/retired members, $30.00; for institutional members (includes historical societies, public libraries, museums), $50.00; for sustaining members, $75.00; for contributing members, $100.00; for life members, $2000.00. International rates for individuals are $65.00. [effective January 1, 2014] Adopted October 17, 2013.

42. There shall be a Standing Rule on Professional Ethics.
The Pennsylvania Historical Association (PHA) is committed in principle and action to professional integrity and endorses the American Historical Association’s Statement on Standards of Professional Conduct. Adopted April 25, 2015.

43. The Association shall award the Pencak Paper Prize for the best undergraduate paper on Pennsylvania or Mid-Atlantic history submitted by a faculty advisor. The prize shall carry an award of $150, paid from the Pencak Prize Fund. A selection committee, the Pencak Prize Committee, shall consist of three persons chosen by the president. The selection committee shall use the following criteria in selecting recipients: quality of scholarship, style, presentation, and readability. The committee shall complete its work in time for the prize to be presented at the association’s annual meeting during the prize year. Notice of the award shall subsequently be placed on the Association’s website and social media accounts. The winning paper shall be considered for publication in Pennsylvania History. Adopted October 26, 2023.

44. The Association shall award the Irwin R. Marcus Prize for the best National History Day Senior Paper on Pennsylvania history. The prize shall carry an award of $100, paid from the Irwin R. Marcus Prize Fund. A selection committee, the Irwin R. Marcus Prize Committee, shall consist of three persons chosen by the president. The selection committee shall use the following criteria in selecting recipients: quality of scholarship, style, presentation, and readability. The committee shall complete its work in time for the prize to be presented at the association’s annual meeting during the prize year. Notice of the award shall subsequently be placed on the Association’s website and social media accounts. Adopted October 26, 2023.

Footnotes

  1. Prior to the 1997 amendment, the rule called for the executive committee to arrange for “regular audits of the books of the association.”
  2. Prior to the 1996 amendment, the treasurer and business secretary were to recommend annually how the income was to be used.
  3. Prior to 1995 amendment, language relating to the composition of the committees read: “…shall consist of three persons chosen for terms of three years by the president; the term of one member shall expire each year.” The 2022 amendment added the recusal language for journal reviewers, established the length requirement, established the Crist Prize restriction, and replaced the announcement in the journal with a digital announcement.
  4. Originally worded: “The Robert G. Crist Pennsylvania History Prize for the outstanding article published by a graduate student in Pennsylvania History may be awarded…”; the wording was changed in 2000 to “in the four issues of Pennsylvania History or its annual supplement Explorations in Early American Culture”; reference to Explorations in Early American Culture was dropped and final phrase “paid from the return…” added on October 18, 2002. The 2022 amendment added the “co-authorship” language.
  5. Originally worded: “The Editor of the Pennsylvania History Studies Series …”; editorial board of “nine members”; “the terms of three members shall expire each year.”
  6. Prior to the 24 October 2003 amendment, life membership was $500.
  7. Originally worded: “Prices for the Pennsylvania History Studies Series shall be established by the editor, business secretary, and treasurer, after consultation taking into account production costs and anticipated sales; the editor shall report new and revised prices for information at the next meeting of Council.”