Maine Genealogical Society

As Amended at the Annual Meeting held 26 September 2009 at Bangor, Maine.
These bylaws are for historical purposes only. Current Bylaws can be found here.

 

Article I - Name

 

The name of this Society shall be the Maine Genealogical Society.

 

Article II - Purpose

 

The purposes of this Society are to collect, exchange, preserve, and publish genealogical records, related documents and information, and to promote and to encourage interest and scholarship in genealogy and family history of the State of Maine. These purposes are limited to those purposes specified in Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954.

 

Article III - Members And Obligations

 

1. By accepting membership in this Society, the member agrees to be bound by these bylaws in his/her relations with the Society and with other members of the Society.

 

2. Membership in this Society shall be open to all those interested in genealogy and family history who have paid their appropriate dues.

 

3. At the Annual Meeting of the Society, any change in dues shall be determined by vote of the membership attending, based on the recommendation of the Executive Committee.

 

4. Information obtained from the publications of the Society shall neither be copyrighted nor used for any commercial purpose without the written consent of the Executive Committee, the author, and/or the members concerned. Furthermore, the membership list or logo or any other symbol or property of the Society shall not be used for commercial purpose unless by consent of the membership or Executive Committee.

 

5. A person must be a paid member in good standing before voting on Society business or serving as a member of any committee.

 

6. A member may be suspended or expelled by the Executive Committee of the Society for conduct, which, in its opinion, is or has been detrimental to the Society.

 

Article IV - Officers And Directors

 

1. The officers of this Society shall consist of: President; Vice-President; Program Chairman; Recording Secretary; Treasurer; Membership Secretary; Research/Inquiries Secretary; Editor of The Maine Genealogist; and the Editor of the Maine Genealogical Society Newsletter. All Officers shall serve one-year terms. It shall also have six directors serving staggered three-year terms.

 

2. The President shall, whenever possible, attend all meetings of the membership and of the Executive Committee and shall be presiding officer at all Annual, Regular, and Special Meetings of the Society and Executive Committee. And, further, the President shall be a member ex-officio of all committees, but is not to be considered when determining a quorum with the exception of the nominating committee, where he/she is expected to be a participating member.

 

3. The Vice-President, during the absence or disability of the President, shall serve in the President's place. If the President cannot continue his/her other duties, the Vice-President shall become President and serve until the next annual election. When neither officer is present at a meeting of the Society or Executive Committee, the meeting shall be called to order by the next line officer, who shall preside until a Chairman is selected. The Vice-President shall undertake other such duties as shall from time to time be directed.

 

4. The Program Chairman shall be in charge of planning of state meetings and workshops.

 

5. The Recording Secretary shall be the Clerk of the Corporation. He/She shall, according to the laws of the State, make and/or keep accurate records of the proceedings of the Executive Committee, the Annual Meeting of the Society, and of other Society meetings. He/She shall have custody, except as otherwise provided, of all papers and reports that are ordered to be placed on file, and all documents and letters relating to the official business of the bodies. All proceedings, documents, and records shall be kept on file at a place designated by the Executive Committee.

 

6. The Treasurer shall receive all monies of the Society and shall deposit the monies into the appropriate accounts. He/She shall pay all bills submitted for payment by Society check in a timely manner. He/She shall keep monthly financial records on the status of the Society and shall forward a quarterly report to the Executive Committee. He/She shall give an annual financial report at the Annual Meeting of the Society membership.

 

7. The Membership Secretary shall receive and record all dues payments from members and forward such payments to the Treasurer. The Membership Secretary shall update and maintain membership records; arrange for collection of dues and/or registration fees at Society meetings and conferences; and make regular reports on the status of the membership as requested.

 

8. The Research/Inquiries Secretary shall receive and respond to all queries as shall come to the Society or shall direct them to as appropriate for response.

 

Article V - Elections

 

Election of officers and directors shall be held in the fall of each year and shall be conducted either by vote of the membership at the Annual Meeting or by paper ballot mailed to each member. If conducted by mail, the ballot shall list the names of candidates submitted by the Nominating Committee, shall contain a brief biography of each candidate, shall make provision for write-in candidates, and shall state the date by which ballots must be postmarked in order to be counted. The Executive Committee shall tabulate the ballots and announce the results. The term of office of each officer and the directors shall run from 1 January through 31 December. In case of resignation or death of an officer or director, the Executive Committee shall appoint a member to fill out the term of that office.

 

Article VI - State Meetings

 

1. The Annual Meeting of the Society shall be held in the fall of each year at a time and place determined by the Executive Committee. The agenda for the transaction of business shall include, but is not limited to, the following items: Minutes of the previous Annual Meeting, Reports of the Treasurer and Membership Secretary, Committee Reports, and Reports of Periodical Editors.

 

2. Other meetings of the membership of the Society may be held at any time by order of the Executive Committee or by the written request to the Reporting Secretary from seven or more members in good standing.

 

3. Notices of all meetings shall be mailed in a timely fashion to the membership either as a part of the Newsletter, or by special mailing.

 

4. A quorum for the transaction of business at any membership meeting shall be twenty members in good standing in addition to three members of the Executive Committee.

 

5. Where applicable, and not inconsistent with the bylaws of this Society, meetings will be conducted as prescribed in a contemporary edition of Robert's Rules of Order.

 

Article VII - Executive Committee

 

1. The Executive Committee shall consist of the officers and directors of the Society and each Chapter President or officially designated chapter representative, provided such chapter member is a member of the Society. Seven of the above shall constitute a business quorum.

 

2. The Executive Committee is authorized to establish Standing Committees, and the President is authorized to establish special temporary committees. The Chairman of all committees shall be appointed by the Society President.

 

3. Written notices of all Executive Meetings shall be sent to Executive Committee members at least seven days prior to the scheduled meeting. The seven days notice may be waived in the event that an emergency meeting is required, but formal notification shall be in writing.

 

4. Any director having been absent without excuse from three consecutive meetings of the Executive Committee shall be deemed to have voluntarily resigned his or her office. At the third missed meeting the Executive Committee may decide to replace that director and, if it so decides, the President, with the advice of the Executive Committee, shall appoint his or her replacement to fill the remainder of the unexpired term. Should there be more than one year remaining of the term of the replaced director, the person appointed shall be presented at the next general meeting of the society for confirmation by vote of the assembled members. Prior to the vote, nominations to fill the unexpired term shall be permitted.

 

Article VIII - Donations, Bequests And Income

 

1. All sums received by the Society as donations or bequests (unless the donors or testators shall otherwise prescribe), all annual dues, all rents, and all income from investments may be applied to the current expenses of the Society at the discretion of the Executive Committee.

 

2. The income derived from the investment of the general and the permanent funds shall be prorated to those funds, except where particular funds are required by the terms of the gift or bequest to be kept as separate investments.

 

Article IX - Chapters

 

1. Chapters of the Maine Genealogical Society may be established by ten members making application to the Executive Committee of the Maine Genealogical Society.

 

2. Chapters may and are encouraged to have meetings in their local areas, thus allowing a greater participation by the genealogists who would be unable to travel distances to attend state meetings.

 

3. Chapters function under policies and procedures consistent with those of the Maine Genealogical Society. They are encouraged to elect Officers on a calendar year basis.

 

Article X - Organization

 

1. This Society is organized exclusively for charitable and educational purposes within the meaning of Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954.

 

2. No part of the net earnings of the Society shall inure to the benefit of any member, officer, or other private person. No substantial part of the activities shall be carried on for propaganda or otherwise attempting to influence legislation.

 

Article XI - Dissolution

 

1. In the event of dissolution, the assets of this Society will be distributed to a non-profit genealogical or historical organization, within the meaning of Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954.

 

2. No part of the assets upon dissolution shall inure to the benefit of any member, officer or other private person.

 

Article XII - Amendments

 

These bylaws may be amended at any lawful meeting of the Society by a two-thirds vote of the members present, provided that a statement of the general nature of the amendments has been included in the notice of the meeting.