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Shirley Historical Society Constitution and By-Laws
Article 1. Name
This organization shall be known as the Shirley Historical Society.
Article 2. Object
The object of the Society shall be to collect and preserve historical
relics, books,
manuscripts, pamphlets, biographies, and anecdotes; to own property; to
promote
research into and education about Shirley history; to prepare and
present papers on
such subjects; and to mount appropriate markers, tablets, or
inscriptions at the sites of
historical events.
Article 3. Membership
Open to all interested upon payment of dues.
Article 4. Officers
The officers shall be President, Vice-President, Secretary, and
Treasurer. All officers
shall be elected for one-year terms at the annual meeting by the
membership of the
Society, and shall serve no more than four consecutive terms or until a
successor is
elected. The duties of all officers shall include supporting the work
of the Society and
encouraging others to join.
The duties of the President shall be to
- Preside over regular meetings, Board meetings, and special
meetings
- Appoint members to committees
- Be an ex-officio member of all Society committees
- Promote fund raising projects and appoint workers to carry them
out
- Represent the Society at public functions
- Check with the Curator twice a month regarding mail and current
issues
- Coordinate information for semi-annual newsletters
- Appoint a Nominating Committee
- Chair the Development Committee
The duties of the Vice-President shall be to
- Preside over meetings in the absence of the President
- Serve as chairman of the Program Committee
- Produce the annual program brochure
- Represent the Society at public functions at the request of the
President
The duties of the Secretary shall be to
- Take minutes at regular meetings and Board meetings
- Write thank you notes for donations of money and artifacts
- Check with the Curator twice a month for mail
The duties of the Treasurer shall be to
- Check with Curator twice a month to get bills and deposits
- Pay regular monthly bills upon receipt of written requests
- Get approval from Board of Directors for special purchases
in excess of $200 and from the Society for special purchases over $500
- Maintain records of receipts and bills paid
- Maintain list of paid members
- Give current copy of paid membership list to Membership Chairman
- Notify the board of budget problems
- Report to the Society at regular meetings
- Prepare annual reports as required by the state
Article 5. Auditor
The Auditor will be elected annually by the membership of the Society
at the annual
meeting.
The duties of the Auditor shall be to
- Check the treasurers records at the end of the fiscal year
or at any other time if requested by the Board
Article 6. Fiscal Year
The Society's fiscal year will run from January 1 through December 31.
Article 7. Curator
The Curator shall be appointed by the Board of Directors.
The duties of the Curator shall be to
- Handle the mail
- Open the Museum at agreed hours
- Prepare displays for the Museum
- Answer requests for research information as time allows
- Accept gifts on behalf of the Society
- Accession new artifacts
- Care for the museum collections
- Represent the Society at the request of the President
- Get permission from the Board Of Directors for expenditures over
$200
- Coordinate work of museum volunteers
Article 8. Board of Directors
The Board of Directors shall consist of nine (9) members, consisting of
the four (4)
officers of the Society, and five (5) members-at-large to be elected by
the membership
of the Society at the annual meeting. All shall be voting members. The
Curator shall be
an ex officio member of the Board but will not be a voting member. The
five (5)
Directors-at-large shall be elected for three (3) year terms on a
rotating basis. The
Board shall meet at the call of the President or any three Board
members. In case of
emergency expenditure or decision, any officer may conduct a telephone
poll of the
Board and get the approval of at least five (5) Directors.
The duties of the Board of Directors shall be to
- Oversee the business of the Society
- Present budget recommendations to the Society
- Conduct necessary Society business that occurs between regular
meetings
- Fill any vacancy that may occur among the Officers or Board of
Directors for
the remainder of the year
- Evaluate and recommend fund raising projects to the Society
- Evaluate and recommend major building related projects to the
Society
- Approve policies as necessary and appropriate
- Grant permission for use of the Museum building for appropriate
purposes, having the option of charging an appropriate fee
- Develop long-range goals for the Society
- Unless otherwise stated in these Bylaws, all decisions by the
Board of Directors shall
be by majority vote.
Article 9. Meetings
The annual meeting of the Society shall be the second Friday evening in
November.
Regular meetings will be held every two months on the second Friday
evening or the
second Sunday afternoon of January, March, May, July, and September.
Special
meetings may be called by the President or by any four (4) Directors or
by ten (10)
members. Ten (10) days written notice must be given for a special
meeting.
Article 10. Dues
Dues shall be -
Student (up to age 18): $10.00;
Senior (age 62 and above): $10.00;
Individual: $20.00;
Family: $35.00;
Contributing: $50.00;
Corporate: $100.00
Article 11. Committees
All committees shall be appointed by the President. Standing committees
shall be the
Building Committee, Development Committee, Membership Committee, and
Publicity
Committee.
Building Committee
- Maintain grounds in the summer
- Shovel the walk and plow the driveway in the winter
- Sand walks and driveway as needed
- Keep water pipes heated during freezing weather
- Dispose of trash regularly
- Sweep, dust, and wash floors regularly
- Do minor repairs
- Oversee general condition of the property
- Recommend major property improvements to the Board
Development Committee
- Propose long-term goals for the betterment of the Society's
financial
position
- Implement fund-raising projects to achieve the Society's
financial goals
Membership committee
- Keep a current list of active and non-active members, including
phone
numbers of active members
- Help with mailing of annual programs and newsletters
- Mail postcard reminders of meetings to all members
- Enlist refreshment chairmen for meetings
- Contact bakers and cooks for fund-raising events
- Arrange donations of food for annual pot-luck supper
- Prepare dues reminders and. send out paid membership cards
- Propose methods of recruiting new members and of increasing
attendance at meetings
Publicity Committee
- Produce spring and fall newsletters
- Send announcements of meetings and programs to local newspapers
- Send follow-up articles reporting on programs to local newspapers
- Provide publicity for fund-raising events
Committees such as the following will be formed as the need arises:
Program,
Nominating, Special Project. They shall be terminated when they have
completed their
task.
Article 12. Quorum
A quorum of the Society shall be fifteen (15) to conduct any business
related to the
Society; and a quorum of the Board of Directors shall be five (5).
Article 13. Amendments
The By-laws may be amended at any regular meeting or at the annual
meeting by two-thirds vote of the members present provided notice of
the proposed
amendments has been included in the notice of the meeting mailed to the
members at
least ten (10) days before the date of the meeting.
Article 14. Gifts
Gifts may be received by the Board of Directors with the understanding
that said gift or
gifts may be kept for the Society or used for its benefit. Gifts to the
museum
collections may be received by the Curator or any officer or Board
member on behalf of
the Society, under the guidelines of the Collections Policy.
This copy of the by-laws is current as of September 9, 2007.
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