BEAUFORT COUNTY GENEALOGICAL SOCIETY

                                                  BY-LAWS

 

 

ARTICLE I.   NAME

 

(1) The name of this non-profit corporation is the Beaufort County Genealogical Society.

 

(2) This Corporation is organized under the provisions of Internal Revenue Code 501 (c) (3).

 

 

ARTICLE II.  PURPOSES   The purposes of this Corporation shall be:

 

(1) To maintain an association of persons interested in the research of family histories associated with Beaufort and surrounding counties.

 

(2) To promote information concerning laws preventing desecration of cemeteries and aid in the recording of cemetery sites.

 

(3) To establish and maintain records of genealogical resources.

 

(4) To encourage genealogical activity, including but not limited to education, research, and publication.

 

(5) To accumulate, index and file cemetery and family records in order to facilitate easy retrieval and to make them accessible to researchers.

 

(6) To publish appropriate materials as approved by the Beaufort County Genealogical Society.

 

(7) To encourage the exchange of information with other genealogical/historical organizations.

 

(8) To enter into any other activities in furtherance of these and other similar purposes which may be directed by the Corporation's Directors, and which are not inconsistent with this Corporation's organization under the appropriate Sections of the Internal Revenue Code, and the Non-Profit Corporations Act of North Carolina.

 

 

ARTICLE III.            MEMBERSHIP

 

(1) Membership shall be open to all individuals interested in assisting in the achievement of the purposes outlined herein; and the number of memberships shall be unlimited unless otherwise specified by the Board of Directors.  Application for membership shall be made to the Corresponding Secretary.

 

(2) Types of Membership.  Regular membership shall entitle the member to attend meetings, and to join with other members collectively and individually to carry out the purposes of the Corporation.

 

(3) Membership dues.  There are does for admission as a member.  Dues for members shall be $10.00 annually.

 

(4) Term of Membership.  The term of membership of each member shall continue from year to year upon payment by such member of dues required.

 

(5) Maintenance of Membership Rolls.  The Recording Secretary shall be responsible for maintaining a roll of the names and addresses of members.  The Corresponding Secretary will furnish the name and address of every new member to the Recording Secretary, along with membership fees.  The Recording Secretary will use this information for maintenance of the membership rolls.  Further, the Recording Secretary shall ensure that all fees and monies received shall be turned over to the Treasurer.  The Corresponding Secretary shall maintain a list of members.  The two Secretaries shall compare and reconcile their lists of members at the beginning of each quarter of the year and any discrepancies shall be submitted to the Corporation at the next regular meeting of the members.

 

(6) Resignation of Members.  Members shall be deemed to have resigned if they do not re-affirm their memberships when requested to do so, as provided in sub-paragraph (4) supra.  Additionally, any member may resign from the membership of the Corporation by delivering a written resignation to the Board of Directors, which shall furnish such information to the Secretaries.

 

(7) Memberships are non-transferable.

 

(8) Rights of Members.  The right of a member to vote and all his rights, title and interest in or to the corporation shall cease on the termination of his membership.  No member shall be entitled to share in the distribution of the corporate assets upon the dissolution of the corporation, but in such event the assets shall be distributed as provided by law in North Carolina General Statutes, Sec. 55A, Non-Profit Corporation Act, with all monies in the treasury after all debts have been settled, to be contributed to the George H. & Laura E. Brown Public Library for the purchase of materials for genealogical research.

 

 

ARTICLE IV.            MEMBERSHIP MEETINGS

 

(1) Annual.  There shall be a general meeting of all members, held on the first Wednesday of November of each year.  Notice of the annual meeting shall be given to members at least 10 days prior to the meeting, specifying the time and place of such meeting.  This notice may be given by publication in newspapers of general circulation in the Beaufort County area.

 

(2) Monthly Meetings.  Monthly meetings shall be held at 7:00 pm on the first Tuesday of each month in the North Carolina History Room of the George H. & Laura E. Brown Library and at other areas within Beaufort County on a periodic basis, with the time and place of each subsequent monthly meeting or suspension thereof, subject to a vote of a majority of the members present at a regular monthly meeting, or by a vote of the Board of Directors.  Notice of any change in the time or place of the regular monthly meeting shall be given as required under sub-paragraph (1) supra.

 

(3) Special Meetings.  Special meetings of the members may be called by the Board of Directors, by the President, or upon request of six members.  Notice of such special meeting shall be the same as above, except that the purpose(s) of such meetings shall be stated in the Notice.

 

(4) Voting.  At every meeting of members, each member present shall be entitled to one vote on every issue submitted to a vote.  All elections shall be held and all questions decided by a majority vote of the members present, provided that one must have been a member for a minimum of a month or since the last regular monthly meeting to qualify to vote in elections for officers or for members of the Board of Directors.

 

 

ARTICLE V.  BOARD OF DIRECTORS

 

(1) Membership.  The first Board of Directors shall consist of those persons named in the Articles of Incorporation.  There shall continue to be five members of the Board of Directors until such time as these By-Laws might be amended to provide otherwise.  The term of office shall be three years.  These members shall serve staggered terms with two directors serving for three years, two directors serving for two years, and one director serving for one year.  Terms for the original members of the Board of Directors shall be determined by drawing by lot; thereafter, membership on the Board of Directors shall be by election when a member shall have served his term, and a vacancy is anticipated.

 

(2) Duties.  It shall be the duty of the Board of Directors to establish policy consistent with the objectives of the Corporation and the Statues under which it is organized; to promulgate such policy to the Officers and the membership and to require reports that will ensure that their policies are being adhered to.

 

(3) Vacancies.  Regular vacancies on the Board of Directors shall be filled by election.  Other vacancies occurring, such as by resignation or inability to serve, shall be filled temporarily by a qualified member of the Corporation, selected by a vote of the Officers of the Corporation.  If the vacancy becomes apparent at a general meeting of the membership, then, members qualified to vote in elections may nominate and elect a member to fill the unexpired term, or upon a motion, seconded and carried, may delay a vote until a subsequent meeting.

 

(4) Meetings.  The Board of Directors shall meet at least once each quarter; and in addition, when requested to meet by the President in order to carry on the regular business of the Corporation.

 

(5) Quorum.  Three members of the Board of Directors shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business.

 

ARTICLE VI.            OFFICERS.

 

(1) Number.  The officers of the Beaufort County Genealogical Society shall be a President, Vice-President, Recording Secretary, Corresponding Secretary, and Treasurer.

 

(2) Election and Tenure of Office.  The officers shall be elected from the membership at each annual meeting in November.  They shall be installed at the January meeting and shall assume their duties upon installation.  They shall serve for one year, or until their successors shall have been elected and assume their duties.

 

(3) Duties:

            President.  The President shall preside at all meetings of the members, shall direct the day to day on-going operations of the corporation, and shall perform such other duties as are common to his office.  Additionally, he shall co-sign all checks with the Treasurer.

            Vice-President.  The Vice-President shall perform the duties of the President in his absence or temporary inability to serve.

            Recording Secretary.  The Recording Secretary shall keep a record of the proceedings of the Corporation, shall maintain the membership rolls, shall record all monies received from the Corresponding Secretary as well as monies received from any source, and shall turn over such monies to the Treasurer immediately.  Further, the Recording Secretary shall perform such other duties as he might be assigned by the President, or might be required by these By-Laws.

            Corresponding Secretary.  The Corresponding Secretary shall handle the correspondence as directed by the President.  He shall receive all applications for membership as well as monies for dues.  He shall maintain a list of members and their names and addresses.  He shall furnish the Recording Secretary with the names and addresses of all members and turn over to the Recording Secretary all monies received from whatever sources.

            Treasurer.  The Treasurer will be responsible for maintaining detailed records of all receipts and expenditures of money by the Corporation.  All monies coming to the Corporation will be turned over to the Treasurer, who will record them and deposit them immediately in the Corporation's account at the Bank designated by the President.  He shall disburse all monies at the request or direction of the President, and shall co-sign all checks.  He shall file a photocopy of each monthly bank statement and an itemization of each receipt and disbursement with the Recording Secretary, who will file it with the minutes of the monthly meetings.

 

 

ARTICLE VII.           ELECTIONS.

 

(1) Nominations.  A Nominating Committee shall be elected at the September monthly meeting to present in October a slate of candidates for Offices and for all seats on the Board of Directors which will become vacant, and which will be voted upon at the annual November meeting.  Candidates must be a member in good standing to qualify for election as an Officer.  In addition to the slate of candidates offered by the Nominating Committee, nominations may be made from the floor.

 

(2) Elections.  Elections shall be held at the Annual Meeting in November, and election shall be by majority vote of qualified members present and voting.

 

 

ARTICLE VIII.         FISCAL YEAR.

 

(1) The Fiscal Year of Beaufort County Genealogical Society shall be from 1 January to 31 December.

 

 

 

 

ARTICLE IX.            PROHIBITION AGAINST SHARING IN CORPORATE EARNINGS.

 

(1) No member, director, officer, employee, member of a board or a committee, or any other private individual shall receive at any time any of the net earnings or a pecuniary profit from the operations of this corporation, provided that this shall not prevent the payment to any such person of such reasonable compensation for services rendered to or for the Corporation in effecting any of its purposes as shall be fixed by the Board of Directors.

 

 

ARTICLE X.  AMENDMENTS.

 

(1) These By-Laws may be amended at any regular meeting of the members of the Corporation, by a two-thirds vote of those present and voting, provided that the amendment has been submitted in writing at the previous meeting.

 

 

AMENDMENT TO BY-LAWS

 

The By-Laws of the Beaufort County Genealogical Society are amended to read as follows:

 

ARTICLE III.            MEMBERSHIP

 

(2) Types of Membership.  Individual and Family (2 members at same address) Memberships shall entitle the members to attend meetings and to join with other members collectively and individually to carry out the purposes to the Corporation.  Family memberships will receive only one issue of Pamteco Tracings and only one mailing notice while having full voting rights and 2 free queries for each member annually.

 

(3) Membership dues.  There are dues for admission as a member.  Individual dues shall be $10.00 annually and Family membership shall be $15.00 annually.

 

Submitted by Louise Cowell 7 Feb 1989.

Approved March 1989.

 

ARTICLE V.  BOARD OF DIRECTORS

 

(1) Membership.  The Board of Directors shall consist of five members.  Of these five members, two shall serve terms of three years each; one shall serve a term of two years; and two shall serve terms of one year each.

              (a) The current President of the Beaufort County Genealogical Society shall serve on the Board of Directors, but shall not serve as Chairman of the Board.

              (b) The immediate past President shall be appointed to a term of not less than one year on the Board of Directors if not already serving on that body.

 

Submitted by Nominating Committee 1-4-94.

Approved 2-1-94.

                                    ADMENDMENTS TO BY-LAWS-continued

 

The By-Laws of the Beaufort County Genealogical Society are amended to read as follows:

 

ARTICLE V.  BOARD OF DIRECTORS

 

(4)  Meetings.  The Board of Directors shall meet at a minimum of once per calendar year, and additionally when requested to meet by the President.  A meeting of the Board of Directors may also be called at the request of two or more directors of the current Board.

 

Submitted by John H. Oden, III 1-4-94.

Approved 2-1-94.