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The "Old Courthouse" on Main Street, Middletown, Conn. The Greek Revival style building was completed in 1832, replacing an earlier courthouse (on Court & Pearl Sts.) built in 1786. The "Old Courthouse" was torn down in 1893, and a new city hall was built on the site. The c. 1890 photo of the row of buildings includes the Custom House at the far right, built in 1834 and torn down in 1916 to make way for a new post office.
The following are the SMFSD organizational bylaws as revised and adopted November 1, 2004, and amended in December 2009: The name of this Society shall be The Society of Middletown First Settlers Descendants 1650-1700. Section 1. The purpose of this fraternal, social, and charitable, not for profit organization is to celebrate the settlement of the town of Middletown by those settlers who are listed on the plaque that was installed on the Founders Rock in 1900. Article III - MembershipSection 1. Membership shall be open to any person who is descended from someone who settled between 1650 and 1700 in the area described as Middletown, Connecticut. Membership classes shall be Charter (CM), Annual (AM), Life (LCM or LM), Honorary (HM), and Associate (ASM). Membership classes other than Honorary and Associate shall include member, member's spouse, and their children under the age of 19 years. Only one vote per membership shall be allowed. Section 2. Charter members shall be members who paid their dues on or before October 30, 2000 and shall be limited to descendants of Middletown's 23 first male settlers as listed here:
Article IV - OfficersSection 1. The officers of this Society shall be President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, Historian, and Registrar. An officer may hold more than one office. Section 2. The term of office shall be six years. Officers shall take office on November 1 following their election and shall serve until their successor is elected and seated. The President, Secretary, and Registrar shall be elected at one triennial meeting of the Society and the Vice President, Treasurer, and Historian shall be elected at the subsequent triennial meeting with elections alternating thereafter in the same manner. Section 3. A nominating committee of three voting members shall be appointed by the Commander to fill the offices due to become vacant by reason of expiration of term of office. They will submit one candidate for each office whose term is due to expire. Other nominations by members may be submitted to the President in writing, at least 60 days prior to a triennial meeting, provided the person being nominated is in good standing and has consented to the nomination. The names of all nominees will be sent to members at least thirty days prior to the meeting immediately preceding the date the term expires. A positive vote of a majority of all votes cast shall constitute election. Section 4. For removal from office an incumbent officer will be sent a registered letter stating the reasons for the proposed removal. The officer will be requested to respond in writing within two weeks by return registered mail to the President (or the Vice President if the President is the officer proposed to be removed). This removal proposal may be initiated by unanimous vote of the other officers or by a petition submitted and signed by 10% of the total eligible membership of the Society as of the previous meeting. Following a formal opportunity for the officer to be heard, a positive 2/3 vote of the eligible membership shall determine disposition.Article V - Duties of OfficersSection 1. The President shall have general supervision of the affairs of the Society, preside over meetings of the Society, shall represent the Society at public affairs, shall appoint committee members, shall fill vacancies of office, shall sign all membership certificates. Section 2. The Vice President shall in the absence or inability of the President assume the duties of that office, shall perform the duties assigned by the President, shall serve for the unexpired term in the event of the resignation, removal, or death of the President. Section 3. The Secretary shall keep a record of the proceedings of the meetings of the Society, shall send a copy of those proceedings to all officers of the Society, and shall keep an accurate record of the membership rolls. In the absence of the President and Vice President the Secretary shall call the meeting to order and shall preside until the immediate election of a chairman pro tem. The Secretary shall prepare and mail membership certificates or dues cards acknowledging all such payments. Section 4. The Treasurer shall have custody of and responsibility for the funds of the Society, shall deposit same in a bank account approved by the officers of the Society, shall collect and deposit application fees, annual dues and life membership fees, pay authorized bills and perform the normal duties of a Treasurer. Section 5. The Registrar shall examine all application papers for the purpose of verifying the genealogical data, approve the same or report any discrepancies or changes to be made to the applicant. Section 6. The Historian shall collect historical data of the Society and will deposit this data in the Society archives at the Godfrey Library in Middletown, Connecticut.Article VI - MeetingsSection 1. Regular meetings of the Society shall be held every three years in Middletown at the time and place selected at the previous meeting. Section 2. Special meetings of the Society may be called by a majority of the Officers or by 10% of the eligible members submitting a petition to the President. Decisions made at special meetings will not become effective until ratified by a 2/3 vote of members voting by mail within thirty days following said meeting. Section 3. Officers shall meet at their discretion and meetings may be held via teleconference or other electronic media.Article VII - CommitteesSection 1. A membership committee consisting of a liaison from each family group represented by the Society shall be formed. The Chairman shall be appointed by the President. The duties of the liaison will be to recruit others in the family group, to gather genealogical data from group members and to assist with communication between the group and the Officers. Section 2. Other committees will be determined as necessary from time-to-time by the Officers of the Society.Article VIII - DissolutionAlthough the period of duration of the Society is perpetual, if for any reason the Society is to be dissolved or otherwise terminated, no part of the property of the Society, or any of the proceeds shall be distributed to or inure to the benefit of any of the Officers or members of the Society. They shall be distributed to the Godfrey Library or its successors. Article IX - AuthorityRobert's Rules of Order, Newly Revised shall be the parliamentary authority governing the conduct of the Society, where not otherwise provided for by these Bylaws. Article X - AmendmentsThese Bylaws may be amended by two-thirds of the votes cast by members voting provided that a copy of the proposed amendments has been sent to each of the current members of Society at least 30 days before the Society meeting. As amended and approved, effective November 1, 2004; and amended in December 2009. Bylaw changes by vote of membership, Dec. 2009We will update our list of pre-1700 settlers from time to time based on substantiated research. See Article III, Membership Section 3. The term "President" will replace the title of "Commander" and the term "Vice-President" will replace "Deputy Commander." See changes throughout the Bylaws.Bylaw changes by vote of membership, June 2013Dues and fees shall be as set by the Officers and are payable annually to be effective from January to the end of the calendar year. A member who has not paid dues by February 28 of the then current year shall be in arrears and ineligible to vote. (Adopted by vote of the membership June 17, 2013.) See Article III, Section 7. SMFSD PoliciesAdopted by the board Dec. 8, 2007: Any individual whom the Registrar declares a new member of the organization between June 1 and November 1, and who has paid one year's annual dues, will be considered paid up through Oct. 31 of the following year. The membership date is the date the Registrar notifies the other officers of the individual's acceptance - typically, the date an email is sent to that effect. This dues policy will accompany any copy of the Bylaws distributed in the future. The Secretary will keep a log of board votes taken by email to supplement our minutes. Adopted by the board Aug. 28, 2009 at the Triennial Meeting: At the discretion of the board, the Editor of the Newsletter (currently The Middler), the Webmaster, and the coordinator of liaisons may be appointed to serve on the board in an advisory position. A past board member who has shown particular value to the Society may be named as a member at large. They will have voting rights. No more than four advisory board members may serve at any one time. The whole board will be called the Administrative board. The Officers of the Society will be called the Executive Board and will have the power to conduct meetings independently as needed to quickly manage affairs as per article VI Section 3. Adopted by the board Aug. 28, 2009 at the Triennial Meeting: The Treasurer, President, and Vice President will be designated to sign checks. If the treasurer is not available when a check is needed, either of the other two may sign the check. They will be the designated signers on the bank’s records. Only one signature will be required on the check. Adopted by the board March 30, 2012 by board vote: Dues & fee schedule: Initial one time administration fee - $10.00; annual dues - $20.00; each supplemental ancestor (one time) - $10.00; associate (non-lineage) annual dues - $20.00; lifetime membership - up to age 50 - $300.00, age 50-70 - $200.00, over age 70 - $100.00. For each initial administration fee paid and for each supplemental ancestor fee paid, a certificate will be issued to the applicant. Adopted by the board April 6, 2012 by board vote: Children under age 19 living in the same household with a paid up-to-date member are considered members also and need not pay annual dues. (Bylaws Article III Membership, Section 1.) If the family wishes to have a membership certificate made for a minor, they may pay a one-time administration fee of $10.00 to receive it. Minors under 19 are eligible to be junior members even if one of their parents is not a member. For junior membership to be granted and a certificate issued, descent from an original settler of Middletown must be proven. A one-time administration fee of $10.00 and the payment of annual dues of $10.00 will be required. |
