We are thrilled to report that we have drafted Bylaws for the World Mummy Studies Society! We are pleased to share them with you (click here to view bylaws).

At the Congress in Cusco, we will vote in person and virtually on these bylaws, and on any amendments that arise from among our members. Please read further below to learn more about this process.

The attached Bylaws consist largely of legal language that will facilitate the incorporation of our organization as a US nonprofit organization. This ensures that our organization has access to free digital organizational tools and that members’ fees and donations are protected: that is, that they are used for the educational and research purposes of our organization. US nonprofit status also ensures that monies paid to our organization are tax-deductible.

The membership will note that the initial Board includes the individuals elected by the membership to the transition team (formerly called the Junior Board), along with Abert Zink and Jane Buikstra. The transition team, elected by the membership after the last meeting in Bolzano, are designated to provide continuity, and Drs. Zink and Buikstra are members of the earlier board who have also been heavily involved in the transition and have indicated a willingness to serve during this period of early organizational development. Their historical knowledge of the PPA and other similar organizations will be a significant resource in this nascent organizational stage of the WMSS. Transition team member Katherine Van Schaik is listed as the incorporator as she works and resides in the state of Tennessee, the state in which the nonprofit organization will be established. This is a legal necessity in order to achieve nonprofit status.

On August 10, 2025, voting on the bylaws and proposed amendments will be available electronically. At 4 PM Cusco time on August 14, 2025, voting will close. On August 10, 2025, all dues-paying members of the WMSS will receive a unique email link and code, which they may use to vote. Inaugural members are already members. Those who did not seek an inaugural membership may pay for a single year of membership; fees are listed here. Note that you do NOT have to be in attendance at the Congress in Cusco in order to vote. However, you must have paid your dues by August 10, 2025, in order to vote on the bylaws.

Therefore, please ensure that you have paid your dues by August 10, 2025. Details on dues payments are provided below. Please note that, as our organization does not yet have a bank account, the law firm Baker Donelson is acting as the recipient of these dues; they are holding the funds in a special account that will then be transferred to our organization’s nonprofit account, when it is ready (after we, as a group, have voted on the bylaws).