SBAGS Bylaws
South Bend Area Genealogical Society
"Serving South Bend, Mishawaka and Surrounding Areas"
P.O. Box 11
Notre Dame, IN 46556



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South Bend Area Genealogical Society

 

The Society was conceived in 1975 by Laureen Bostedt and Fay Lies, with Prudence Michael and Carol Collins as advisors.  The first organized meeting was held January 22, 1976 in the Schuyler Colfax Auditorium of the South Bend Public Library under the direction of Jeanne Denham, President. South Bend Area Genealogical Society is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization.

 

BYLAWS

 

ARTICLE I.     NAME:

 

The name of the organization shall be the South Bend Area Genealogical Society.

 

ARTICLE II.    PURPOSE:

 

The purposes of this society are:

a.  To foster interest in the study of family history

b.  To collect and preserve genealogical knowledge and historical information

c.  To create research aids (in print and online) to allow for better access to that information

d.  To provide programs and publications for instruction in research methods, skill building and topics of historical interest

 

ARTICLE III.   MEMBERSHIP:

 

Membership is open to anyone interested in the purposes of the Society on payment of the annual dues and completion of the application form

 

Sec. 1. Classification:  The categories of membership shall be as follows:

a.  Individual membership: Upon the payment of annual dues individuals eighteen years or older may become members of the Society with all rights of membership, including a subscription to the Society quarterly.

b.  Youth membership - Upon the payment of annual dues individuals under the age of eighteen may become members of the Society and receive the Society quarterly, but do not retain the right to vote.

c.  Friend of the Society - libraries, businesses, historical societies, etc.: Any organization which supports the purposes of the Society and which has paid the annual dues shall be a non-voting member and receive the Society quarterly.

d.  Lifetime (Individuals Only):  Upon the payment of an amount determined by the board and specified in the Policies and Procedures Manual individuals eighteen years or older may become members of the Society with all rights of membership, including a subscription to the Society quarterly, and be excused from further paying annual dues.

 

Sec. 2. Dues:

a.  The monetary amount of membership dues will be determined annually by the Board after consideration of the financial status of the Society, and require a majority vote.

b.  Dues are payable annually. If dues for renewal are not received 30 days after the due date, members will be given notice of delinquency.  Membership will be terminated after 60 days delinquent.  See Policies and Procedures for Dues Fee Structure.

 

Sec. 3. Voting Rights

a.  Each individual or lifetime membership shall have one vote.

 

Sec. 4. Dismissal of Membership

a.  In any case where any member of the Society is deemed by the unanimous vote of the Board of Directors as a serious detriment to the Society that membership may be terminated by the Society.

 

ARTICLE IV.   OFFICERS:

 

Sec. 1. Number:

Officers of the Society shall be a President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, and a Vice President for Membership.

 

Sec. 2. Election:

All Officers shall be elected or re-elected from a slate prepared by the Nominating Committee at the direction of the Board of Directors.  Elections will take place every two years, at the November members meeting by electronic vote with installation at the January meeting (as provided in Article VI, Sec. 2., and Article IX, Sec. 1).

 

Sec. 3. Death, Inability or Unwillingness to Serve:

In the event of death, inability, or unwillingness of the President to complete the term of office, the Vice President shall assume all duties of that office.  In the event of death or incapacitation of other officers, the Society Board of Directors shall appoint a member to fill that position on an interim basis until the next scheduled general election.

 

Sec. 4. Eligibility

Any individual member in good standing may hold office.  The President shall have served previously on the Board of Directors.

 

Sec. 5. Term of Service

Officers and Directors shall serve for a two-year term, and they shall serve until their successors are elected and installed.  There is no limit on subsequent terms.

 

Sec. 6. Transfer of Records

Upon retiring from office, all officers shall deliver to their successors all records and other property belonging to the Society.

 

ARTICLE V.    DUTIES OF THE OFFICERS:

 

Sec. 1. President:

The President shall be the chief executive officer of the Society, and shall preside at all meetings of the Society, regular or special, and of the Board of Directors, and shall be an ex-officio member of all committees.  The President shall ensure fiscal integrity of the Society through instigation of an annual review of the Society's financial records. The President will share signatory authorization with the Treasurer on the Society banking account(s).

 

Sec. 2. Vice President:

The Vice President shall assist the President in carrying out the duties of that office, preside in the absence of, or at the request of the President, and succeed to the office of President for the unexpired term in the event of the inability, or unwillingness of the President to complete his/her term of office. The Vice President shall serve as Communications Coordinator actively promoting all meetings and programs of the South Bend Area Genealogical Society through both traditional and social media outlets.  The Vice President shall be responsible for the maintenance and updating of the Pertinent Data document for the Society.

 

Sec. 3. Secretary:

The Secretary shall keep an accurate record of all meetings of the Board of Directors and present the minutes of previous meetings for approval. In addition, the Secretary will be responsible for ensuring a summary of the monthly member program is submitted to the Editor of the Quarterly Newsletter for inclusion in the next newsletter. This responsibility may be delegated. The Secretary will also hold the title of Society Archivist and shall be responsible for maintaining records held in the Society office.

 

Sec. 4. Treasurer:

The Treasurer shall be the chief financial officer of the Society, and shall keep an accurate account of the assets and liabilities of the Society. The Treasurer shall be responsible for all receipts and disbursements, paying yearly membership dues to the National Genealogical Society, Federation of Genealogical Societies, and the Indiana Genealogical Society, and shall maintain all financial records required by law for non-profit organizations as defined in Federal and State of Indiana internal revenue codes. The Treasurer shall also file Federal tax Form 990-N and the Indiana state form NP- 20 as required for non-profit, and maintain records required for 501(c)(3) status. The Treasurer shall prepare and present monthly and annual statements to the Society, shall submit a year-end financial statement to the Editor of the Quarterly Newsletter for inclusion in the next newsletter, and shall submit to an annual review of Society financial records as defined by Article V., Sec. 1. The Treasurer will share signatory authorization with the President on the Society banking account(s).

 

Sec. 5. Vice President of Membership:

The Vice President of Membership shall process membership applications and collect dues to be given to the Treasurer for deposit. The Vice President of Membership shall maintain an up-to-date membership roster, including contact information to be used in the mailing of the Quarterly Newsletter, send a "welcome letter" to all new members and be responsible for contacting members whose memberships are past due. The Vice President of Membership, with the assistance of the Editor of the Quarterly Newsletter, will coordinate the printing and mailing of the Society's Quarterly Newsletter and shall maintain a file of back issues to be sent when appropriately requested.

 

ARTICLE VI.   BOARD OF DIRECTORS:

 

Sec. 1. Personnel:

The Board of Directors shall consist of the Officers, the Editor of the Quarterly Newsletter, Webmaster and at least five additional Members-At-Large.

 

Sec. 2. Election:

The  Members-at-Large shall be elected, or re- elected, from a slate prepared by the Nominating Committee at the direction of the Board of Directors. Elections will take place every two years at the November members’ meeting by electronic vote of the membership with installation at the January meeting.

 

Sec. 3. Appointments:

The Board of Directors shall appoint the following positions:

a.  Editor of the Quarterly Newsletter. The Editor shall be responsible for publishing the official newsletter of the Society four times per year. The Editor shall be responsible for collecting and receiving materials to be considered for publication in the Society newsletter and any items specifically requested by the Board of Directors.

b.  Webmaster. The Webmaster will be responsible for the maintenance and updating of the SBAGS website and on-line databases and other duties as specifically requested by the board.

 

Sec. 4. Meetings:

The Board will meet at least six times a year prior to the monthly member program to conduct the business affairs of the Society.

 

Sec. 5. Quorum:

Quorum is defined as a simple majority of serving board members.

 

Sec. 6. Recusal.

Board members shall recuse themselves from any matter in which the member has a conflict of interest.

 

ARTICLE VII.  DUTIES OF THE BOARD: MEMBERS-AT-LARGE:

 

Each of the Members-At-Large shall be responsible for participating in at least one of the five standing committees. Each Committee Chair shall report to the Board of Directors prior to the regularly scheduled board meetings detailing the activities of the committee, if any, since the last regularly scheduled board meeting.

 

Sec. 1. PROGRAM COMMITTEE:

The Program Committee shall be responsible for setting the yearly program agenda for the monthly member programs, suggesting topics and locating speakers. The Committee will look for opportunities to work with area groups and associations to conduct workshops and programs for the community. The Program Committee shall assist the Spring Conference Committee as needed.

 

Sec. 2. SPRING CONFERENCE COMMITTEE:

The Spring Conference Committee shall be responsible for all facets of the yearly conference, including locating the speaker, selecting the program topics, arranging for meeting rooms, catering, registration of vendor tables, and collecting of entry fees. The Committee is responsible for all advertising for the conference, recruiting volunteers to help at the conference, and for coordinating volunteer efforts.

 

Sec. 3. GRANT COMMITTEE:

The Grant Committee shall research available grants for genealogical records preservation or board activities. The Committee shall be responsible for recommending grants to the Board of Directors and for completing applications for said grants. The Committee shall maintain a report of each ongoing grant project and report to the Board of Directors the progress of each project. The Grant Committee shall explore opportunities to support local groups by creating and suggesting ways to fund a South Bend Area Genealogical Society grant fund. The Grant Committee shall work with the Project Committee to locate available funds to support project objectives.

 

Sec. 4. PROJECT COMMITTEE:

The Project Committee shall look for opportunities to index and preserve original genealogical records. The Committee shall suggest projects to the Board of Directors, maintain a current list of ongoing projects and pending and report each project's progress to the Board of Directors. Upon completion of a project, the Committee shall present a summary to the Editor of the Quarterly Newsletter. In addition, the Project Committee is responsible for recruiting volunteers for selected projects and should work closely with the Grant Committee in identifying potential grants available to support the project objective.

 

Sec. 5. RESEARCH COMMITTEE:

The Research Committee shall be responsible for acknowledging requests for research assistance received by the Society and providing said research assistance.

 

ARTICLE VIII. OTHER COMMITTEES

 

Sec. 1. APPOINTMENT:

The Board of Directors may create any other committee deemed necessary for the accomplishment of the business of the Society, and shall designate the chair of such a committee. This includes but is not limited to a Nominating Committee.

 

ARTICLE IX. MEETINGS OF THE SOCIETY:

 

Sec. 1. Election Meeting:

During a regular member program of the Society held in the month of November in even-numbered years, at a time and place determined by the Board of Directors, an election of the Officers and Directors shall be held. The purpose of the election shall be to elect the Officers and Directors of the Society for the coming two-year term of office.

a.  The Nominating Committee shall prepare a list of candidates to fill all offices, having first obtained the consent of each such candidate.  This list shall be recommended to the Society at the meeting preceding the election meeting.  Additional nominations may be made from the floor at this time.

b.  The Nominating Committee shall administer the election.  Ballots shall be distributed to all members in good standing.  A majority vote shall constitute election to office.

c.  To enable broader involvement in elections by the membership, voting by electronic methods shall be allowed after the list of candidates is announced and through the date of the November meeting.  See Policies and Procedures for methodology.

d.      Each member in good standing present at the November meeting shall have one vote.  No proxies will be accepted.

 

Sec. 2. Regular Program:

A minimum of eight (8) programs of the Society shall be held during the fiscal year (see Article X).

 

Sec. 3. Special Meeting:

A special meeting may be called by the Board of Directors at any time during the fiscal year (see Article X). The purpose of the meeting will be communicated to the membership electronically or in writing. Such meetings shall be conducted according to provisions governing quorum for election or regular meetings.

 

Sec. 4. Quorum:

For the purposes of conducting business, the members present (but not less than twenty) shall constitute a quorum.

 

ARTICLE X.    FISCAL POLICY:

 

Sec. 1. Fiscal Year

The fiscal year of the Society shall begin on January 1, and shall terminate on December 31.

 

Sec. 2. Operating Expenses

The operating expenses of the society shall be covered from collection of dues, donations, sales of publications, event admission, grant funding, and such additional functions as the membership may authorize.

 

Sec. 3. Expenditures

Expenditures in excess of $200 must be authorized by a majority of the Board of Directors.  Expenditures under $200 must be authorized by at least two (2) officers.  Recurring expenses will be authorized at the beginning of the fiscal year.

 

ARTICLE XI.   PARLIAMENTARY AUTHORITY:

 

The rules contained in the current edition of Robert’s Rules of Order Newly Revised, shall govern the Society in all cases to which they are applicable and in which they are not inconsistent with these bylaws and any special rules of order the Society may adopt.

 

ARTICLE XII.  AMENDMENTS:

 

Sec. 1. Amendments to the bylaws may be made as follows:

a.  The Bylaws of the Society shall be reviewed no longer than two years from the last review by a committee appointed by the Board of Directors.

b. Amendments to these bylaws may be proposed by the Board, a Bylaws Committee, or in writing by a member in good standing at any time.

c.  Any amendment originating outside the Bylaws Committee shall be submitted to that committee in writing for review and if adopted, for refinement into parliamentary language. 

 

Sec. 2. Proposed amendments shall be reported to the entire Society membership in writing at least three weeks prior to the meeting at which they will be considered.  Publication in the Quarterly Newsletter of the Society will constitute a written report.  Approval of amendments to the Bylaws requires a two-thirds vote at a regular Society meeting or by electronic vote of the membership.

 

Sec. 3. Amendments shall become effective upon adoption unless otherwise specified in the amendment(s.)

 

ARTICLE XIII. DISSOLUTION:

 

In the event of the dissolution of the Society, all funds and tangible assets or revenue from the sale of such assets, shall be distributed at the direction of the Board of Directors to an Indiana organization or organizations, exempt under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code and having similar objectives as the Society.

 

Bylaws Adopted April 11, 1992

Revised:          1996

                        2015

                        2008

                        2018

 

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