ICGS By-Laws

ARTICLE l: NAME

The name of this organization shall be "Ingham County Genealogical Society"

ARTICLE ll: OBJECTS

The objects and purposes for which this Society is formed are to do any and all things herein set forth:

Section 1. To preserve and make available for research the genealogical records of our members.

Section 2. To encourage and assist the study of family history, to promote the exchange of knowledge, and to encourage the deposit of genealogical records.

Section 3. To cooperate with other genealogical groups and societies and to assist the area libraries in expanding and publicizing their genealogical holdings.

Section 4. To publish materials of interest and use to genealogists.

Section 5. Any other legal educational activity.

ARTICLE III: BASIS OF ORGANIZATION

Section 1. The Ingham County Genealogical Society shall be conducted as an independent non-profit organization.

Section 2. The operating expenses of the Society shall be covered by membership dues, service charges, donations, and fund-raising activities approved by the Society.

Section 3. All facilities of the Society shall be available equally to members in good standing. For the purpose of this section, a member in good standing is defined as one who is current in payment of dues and not subject to disciplinary action.

ARTICLE IV: MEMBERSHIP

Section 1. Any person interested in genealogy, history, or biography, either amateur or professional, may become a member of the Society.

Section 2. Membership shall be either Active, Honorary, or Associate.

Section 3. Active members only shall vote, hold office, and serve on committees.

Section 4. Active membership (open only to individuals) shall be obtained by the payment of dues, the amount of which shall be determined by vote of the Society. Annual dues shall be payable at the Sept. meeting of the Society, and any member failing to pay the dues following the expiration of the paid-up membership shall be notified in writing of the delinquency. If the dues are unpaid by December 31, the member shall be dropped from membership. Dues from new members paid after June 1 will apply to the new fiscal year.

Section 5. Honorary membership (without dues) shall be conferred by a two-thirds (2/3) vote of the active membership present at a regular meeting of the Society.

Section 6. Associate membership (without vote) shall be available to organizations upon payment of regular annual dues.

Section 7. All records and data compiled by the Society shall be accessible to members. Members using such data in publications shall make acknowledgment of the source. The Society is entitled to authorize publication of any material in its holdings.

ARTICLE V: FISCAL YEAR -
The fiscal year shall begin October 1, and end September 30 of the following year.

ARTICLE VI: OFFICERS

Section 1. The officers of the Society shall be the President, Vice President, Recording Secretary, Membership Secretary, Treasurer, Librarian, and two Trustees. Any additional officers as may be deemed necessary shall be elected by a majority vote at any regular business meeting.

Section 2. The President will appoint a nominating committee June 1. This committee will nominate candidates for the offices to be filled for the next fiscal year, and report to the members in August. Additional nominations from the floor will be permitted with approval of the persons so nominated.

Section 3. All officers shall be elected annually at the September meeting and shall take office as of October 1, and continue in office for one year or until their successors are elected and qualify.

Section 4. A majority of all votes cast shall be necessary to constitute an election.

Section 5. Vacancies in office, other than the President, shall be filled by appointment of the President to fill out the unexpired term, with the approval of the Executive Board. In case of a vacancy in the office of the President, the Vice President shall become President.

ARTICLE Vll: EXECUTIVE BOARD

Section 1. Current elected officers and the immediate Past President shall constitute the Executive Board.

Section 2. The Executive Board shall have general supervision of the affairs of the society except as limited herein. The Executive Board shall be subject to the orders of the Society.

Section 3. The Executive Board will meet at the call of the President.

ARTICLE Vlll: DUTIES OF OFFICERS

Section 1. The duties of officers shall be such as are indicated by their respective titles, and such as are specified in these by-laws.

Section 2. The President shall, upon election to office, appoint all standing committees. The President shall be ex-officio as a member of all committees without right to vote. The President shall be authorized to sign checks in case of absence or disability of the Treasurer. The President presides at all general, special, and Executive Board Meetings.

Section 3. The Vice-President shall act as chairperson of the Program Committee and in the absence of the President shall assume all the duties and authorities of that office.

Section 4. The Recording Secretary shall conduct general correspondence of the Society and record minutes of the regular and Executive Board meetings.

Section 5. The Membership Secretary shall keep an accurate record of all members, give due notice of all meetings, and act as chairperson of the Membership Committee.

Section 6. The Treasurer shall receive all dues and other monies, attend to all disbursements, and keep all the account of the society.

Section 7. The Librarian shall be responsible for the contents and operation of the Society's Reference Room.

Section 8. Trustees shall review bills, and audit the accounts every six months.

Section 9. All officers, upon retiring from office, shall deliver to their successors, all records and other property belong to the Society.

ARTICLE lX: COMMITTEES AND SPECIAL OFFICERS

Section 1. There shall be standing committees, namely Computer, Social, Program, Publicity, Fund-raising, Publications, and Newsletter.

Section 2. The chairperson of each standing committee shall, by November 1, file with the President an annual report of the committee's activities for the preceding membership year.

Section 3. The President shall appoint special committees as necessary.

Section 4. The President shall appoint a Historian (to collect and file documents and other material pertaining to the history of the Society), Michigan Genealogical Council Representatives and Alternates (to attend meetings of the Michigan Council and make reports thereof at the regular meeting of the Society) and a Delegate to the Federation of Genealogical Societies.

ARTICLE X: MEETINGS

Section 1. There shall be at least eight meetings of the society per year, at the direction of the Executive Board.

Section 2. Special meetings may be called by the President or upon request of three members of the Executive Board.

Section 3. The practice of absentee or proxy voting shall not be followed by this Society.

ARTICLE Xl: QUORUM

Section 1: A quorum for the purpose of business transactions, at any meeting of the general membership shall be composed of not less than twenty active members.

Section 2: A quorum for the purpose of business transactions, at any meeting of the Executive Board shall be composed of not less than 5 (Five) Board Members.

Section 3: A quorum is not required for Committees.

ARTICLE Xll: ORDER OF BUSINESS -

The order of business of all meetings shall be as follows:

a. Call to ordernbsp;

b. Approval of the minutesbsp;

c. Reports of officers

d. Reports of committees

e. Unfinished business

f. New business

g. Election of officers (annually)

ARTICLE Xlll: PARLIAMENTARY AUTHORITY

The rules contained in the latest edition of "Robert's Rules of Order Newly Revised" shall govern the society.

ARTICLE XlV: AMENDMENTS

These by-laws may be adopted, amended or repealed at any regular meeting by a two-thirds (2/3) vote of the members present and voting, providing proposed amendments shall have been submitted to the membership in writing at least 10 days prior to the meeting at which voted upon.

ARTICLE XV: DISSOLUTION

In the event of the dissolution of this Society, its assets, both financial and material, shall be transferred to another 501(c)(3) organization as may be decided at the last general meeting or the last meeting of the Executive Board, provided that items on loan to the Society will be returned to the owners or lenders; but such assets shall not in any event be divided among the members of the Society at any time.

RESIDENT AGENT - Ernest Pardee

INGHAM COUNTY GENEALOGICAL SOCIETY

Founded - August, 1995

Incorporated - October 25, 1996

These By-Laws, as above written

Adopted - November 8, 1995

Revised - July 8, 1999

Revised - October 12, 2006

Revised - February 9, 2012

Revised - February 14, 2013

Revised - September 11, 2014