Bylaws
ARTICLE I
NAME: The name of this organization shall be the North Stonington Historical Society, Inc.
ARTICLE II
OBJECTIVES: The objectives of the Society are:
1. To perptuate the history of the town of North Stonington, to
encourage the study of the history of the town and to preserve manuscript materials and relics relating to that history.
2. To acquire and maintain a museum of local town history.
3. To mark and/or render assistance in the preservation and restoration of local historical sites within the town.
4. To sponsor or participate in historical and civic projects for the population within the town.
5. To actively stimulate the study of local histories in the schools.
ARTICLE III
MEMBERSHIP: The membership of the society shall consist of the following classifications.
1. Charter Member: Any person who joins the North Stonington Historical Society during the first official year willl be considered a charter member of the Society.
2. Life Member: A person who joins the Society upon payment of dues amounting to $500 will be a member for life, without further payment of annual dues.
3. Sustaining Member: A person who joins the Society upon payment of annual dues amounting to $50. will be a sustaining member for that fiscal year in the furtherance of the society's objectives through monetary assistance.
4. Active Member: A person who joins the Society upon payment of annual dues amounting to $20. will be an active member for the fiscal year.
5. Family Membership: A family (comprising parents and their children) which joins the Society upon payment of annual dues amounting to $25. will each be considered active members for that fiscal year.
6. Youth Member: A person who joins the Society upon payment of annual dues amounting to $5., prior to his 19th birthday, will be a youth member for that fiscal year.
7. Senior Citizen: A person 65 years of age or older upon payment of annual dues amounting to $15. will be an active member for that fiscal year.
8. Honorary Member: A person who in the Society's opinion has made a significant contribution to the furtherance of the aims of this Society, or to the town of North Stonington, may be elected to Honorary Membership for life by the Board of Trustees, without payment of dues.
9. Continuing Member: A person who is called upon to serve in the non-regular Armed Services of the United States will be continued throughout his active duty in the same status as his current membership without further payment of dues.
10. Corporate Member: A corporation which advertises in our Newsletter or donates $100. Or more to the Society will be considered a corporate member for that fiscal year.
ARTICLE IV
GOVERNING BODY: The governing body of the North Stonington Historical Society shall be the Board of Trustees, which is empowered to conduct its affairs. The Board shall consist of eighteen members, elected by a majority of the members present at the terminal regular meeting of the Society for each fiscal year, subject to the following.
1. Trustees must be eligible members of the Society.
2. The initial election of the Trustees will consist of six members for one year, six members for two years, and six members for three years.
3. Commencing with the termination of office for the one-year trustees, the members of the Society will annually elect six trustees to serve for a period of three years.
4. The Trustees elected at the terminal general meeting of the Society for a given fiscal year will then commence serving at the beginning of the next consecutive fiscal year.
5. Executive sessions of the Board of Trustees will require two-thirds of the members of the Board to be present. I.E. twelve Trustees
6. An affirmative vote of the majority of the Board of Trustees, i.e. ten Trustees, must concur to authorize the annual budget, to elect officers, or to make officer appointments.
7. The Board of Trustees is specifically empowered to appoint an eligible member of the Society as a Trustee to fill a vacancy to the limit of the unexpired term, in the event an elected Trustee resigns or becomes incapacitated or ineligible to serve.
ARTICLE V
OFFICERS: The four primary officers of the North Stonington historical Society shall be elected by the Board of Trustees from within the eighteen members of the Board. These offices shall be filled annually at the beginning of each fiscal year as follows:
1. President: The president shall be the presiding officer of the Board of Trustees and executive officer of the Society.
2. Vice-President: The Vice- President shall act as presiding officer and executive officer in the absence of the President.
3. Secretary: The Secretary shall be the custodian of all records and business papers, other than finance, pertaining to the Society and the Board.
4. Treasurer: The Treasurer shall be the custodian of all financial records of the Society and shall effect disbursements in accordance with directives of the executive officer acting in consonance with the Board of Trustees. He shall be bonded, at the Society's expense, in an amount deemed appropriate by the Board.
5. Additional: Additional officers may be appointed by the President, with concurrence of the Board of Trustees, from within the board or membership at large, to fulfill the needs of the Society, and at such time a requirement exists. Each appointment will be for the current fiscal year.
a. Corresponding Secretary
b. Assistant Treasurer
c. League Delegate
d. Historian(s)
e. Curator(s)
f. Librarian(s)
6. Duties: The duties and responsibilities of elected and appointed officers of the Society shall be specified by the Board of Trustees.
ARTICLE VI
COMMITTEES: The President is empowered to appoint both standing and special committees, Precepts will be prepared to guide each committee in its functions.
1. Standing Committees: Standing Committees shall be appointed to serve at the pleasure of the President and shall consist of, but not limited to the following:
a. Program
b. Finance
c. Building and Grounds
d. Nominating
e. Newsletter
f. Hospitality
g. Steering
h. Curatorial
i. Website
2. Special Committees: The Special Committees shall be appointed to serve for a term deemed appropriate to carry out the subject matter specifically entrusted thereto.
ARTICLE VII
MEETINGS: 1. The North Stonington Historical Society shall hold at least four regular meetings of its membership each fiscal year and one within every quarter. The regular meeting held in the fourth quarter of the fiscal year will be the annual meeting.
2. Special meetings deemed appropriate by the Board of Trustees shall be called for by the President of the Society . The fiscal year starts July 1.
ARTICLE VIII
AMENDMENTS: The bylaws of the North Stonington Historical Society may be altered or amended by the affirmative vote of a two-thirds majority of the members present at the annual or any special meeting of the corporation. Notification of this meeting shall present the proposed changed in the Bylaws as a part of the business to be transacted and shall be mailed by U.S. mail two to six weeks prior to the meeting to all members. I.E. newsletter.