CONSTITUTION ---- BYLAWS
OF
Adopted
Amended
Amended
Amended
Amended January 15, 2006 (2005 Annual Meeting)
ARTICLE I NAME
The name of the corporation shall be
– “The
ARTICLE II PURPOSE
The main
purpose of the society shall be the discovery, preservation, and dissemination
of knowledge about the history of
1. To discover and collect any material which may help to establish or illustrate the history of the county or the state, their exploration, settlement, development, and activities in peace and war, and their progress in population, wealth, education, arts, science, agriculture, manufactures, trade and transportation, printed material such as histories, genealogies, biographies, descriptions, gazetteers, directories, newspapers, pamphlets, catalogues, circulars, handbills, programs and posters; manuscript material such as letters, diaries, journals, memoranda, reminiscences, rosters, service records, account books, charts, surveys and field books; and museum material such as pictures, photographs, paintings, portraits, scenes, aboriginal relics, and material objects illustrative of life, conditions, events, and activities in the past or the present.
2. To provide for the preservation of such material and for its accessibility, as far as may be feasible, to all who wish to examine or study it; to cooperate with officials in ensuring the preservation and accessibility of the records and archives of the county and its cities, towns, villages, and institutions; and to bring about the preservation of historic buildings, monuments and markers.
3. To disseminate historical information and arouse interest in the past by publishing historical material in the newspapers and otherwise; by holding meetings with addresses, lectures, papers and discussion; and by marking historical buildings, sites and trails.
ARTICLE III MEMBERSHIP
The membership of the Adams County Historical Society, Incorporated, shall be open to anyone. There shall be three membership classifications: Active, Honorary, and Gold Star.
Section 1: Active Members
Any
person interested in the history of
Members failing to pay their dues for one year after they become payable shall be dropped from the membership roll one month after the mailing of such default by the Treasurer of the Society.
Active members shall constitute the governing body of the Society from which all officers and committee members shall be chosen.
Section 2: Honorary Members
Honorary
Members shall consist of an unlimited number, determined by the amount of
donation and desire of the donator.
Non-residents of
Section 3: Gold Star Members
Gold Star Members shall consist of those members who have contributed the sum of $500.00 or more, in the calendar year to the work of the Society. They may then be awarded a lifetime membership. If they so desire, they may continue to be considered as active members.
ARTICLE IV DUES
Section 1: Dues shall be separated into two classifications: $25.00 per year for an individual membership and $100.00 per year for organizations/businesses.
Section 2: Gold Star and Honorary Members shall not be required to pay annual dues unless they wish to do so.
ARTICLE V MANAGEMENT
Section 1: The business and property of the Adams County Historical Society shall be managed by a Board of Trustees. This Board shall consist of eleven (11) members, three (3) from each of the County Commissioners Districts, plus two (2) members-at-large.
Section 2: The term of office of the Trustees shall be for three (3) years. To provide for continuity these elections shall be staggered in such a way as to provide the Society a way to replace only three Trustees in any given year.
Section 3: The Trustees of the Society shall be elected by a majority vote of the membership present at the annual meeting. This Board of Trustees shall meet immediately following the annual meeting and organize themselves by electing the following officers from their group: 1) President; 2) Vice President; 3) Secretary; 4) Treasurer. Such officers shall serve a term of one year.
Section 4: Six members or 51 percent of the non-vacant elected positions of the Board of Trustees shall constitute a quorum.
Section 5: Any vacancy on the Board of Trustees by reasons of death, resignation or removal for other reasons shall be filled by appointment of the President. Said appointment shall be ratified by a majority vote of the whole Board.
Section 6: Unexcused absence from four (4) consecutive meetings shall be due cause for removal of a Trustee.
ARTICLE VI DUTIES OF OFFICERS
Section 1: President
The President of the Board of Trustees shall supervise all activities of the corporation; execute all instruments in its behalf; preside at all meetings of the Board of Trustees and of the membership of the corporation; call such meetings of the membership as shall be deemed necessary, other than the annual meeting of the membership; and perform such other duties usually inherent in such office.
Section 2: Vice President
The Vice President of the Board of Trustees shall act for the President in his absence and perform such other acts as the President may direct.
Section 3: Secretary
It shall be the duty of the Secretary to keep records of the Board of Trustees and of the corporation.
Section 4: Treasurer
It shall be the duty of the Treasurer to receive and be accountable for all funds belonging to the corporation; pay all obligations incurred by the corporation which payment is authorized by the Board of Trustees; issue membership cards; render an itemized financial accounting to the membership, in writing, at least once a year; and to perform such other acts as the President may direct.
ARTICLE VII MEETINGS
Section 1: Annual Meeting
The annual meeting of the Society shall be held on the third Sunday of October of each year.
Section 2: Monthly Meetings
Regular monthly meetings of the Board shall be held at the location and time selected by the Board. (Except for July, which shall be a vacation month.)
Section 3: Special Meetings
Special meetings may be called at any time upon the petition of five members, or upon due notice given by the President.
ARTICLE VIII DISPOSITION OF COLLECTIONS/FUNDS
In the event
that this Society shall find it necessary to suspend functions or operations,
all of the Society’s properties, records, funds shall be held in trust by
the
ARTICLE IX AMENDMENTS
These Bylaws/Constitution may be amended or changed only by a majority vote of those members attending an annual meeting.
Adopted by a majority vote of the members of the Society this 15th day of January, 2006.
/s/ Allan Koch
President
/s/ Irma E. Gfeller
Secretary