BY-LAWS
As amended: September 1994
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Article I:
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Officers’ Duties
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President: The president shall preside at meetings of the Society and the executive board. He shall act as public-liaison for the Society, and contact for other astronomical societies. He provides direction for Society activities, shapes, with other officers and trustees, Society policy, and oversees the activities of officers, Society committees, and special projects. He calls officers meetings , or effects some other means of communication within a reasonably short time after the last Society meeting, for the purpose of discussing Society business or policy and providing information for the publication of the next Society newsletter. He may request the presence of other members as necessary at these meetings.
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Vice-President: The vice-president acts as president in the absence of the president at Society and committee activities. He sets, with the president the agenda of Society and special meetings. He may choose to establish a program committee for his assistance, but he must assure that informative and or entertaining programs are presented at Society and special meetings. He determines, with the president that the public are made aware of the Society and special meetings and public observations.
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Secretary: The secretary collects the minutes of each meeting and incorporates them in a manner that facilitates their utilization in the preparation of the Society business and publication in the Societies newsletter. He also acts as, or appoints the Society’s newsletter editor, and determines that the newsletter is published in a timely manner. He may appoint a committee in service to the editor. The secretary maintains the society’s business records, provides the society’s official correspondence and maintains this constitution in a timely fashion. The secretary presides at Society meetings in the absence of the president and vice-president.
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Treasure: The treasure receives and records membership dues, and notifies the society’s newsletter editor of any new members joining. He shall maintain a listing of members, showing their names, addresses and telephone numbers and shall enter the list into the newsletter at least once a year. He also maintains records of all transactions involving Society funds, including donations, expenditures fees, interest, members’ through-the-Society subscriptions etc. He advises the officers and, or trustees on financial matters, and shall provide a written financial report at a Society meeting or in the Society’s newsletter quarterly. He writes Society checks when required, and reimburses the Society’s newsletter-editor and historian for expenses incurred in the publication of the Society’s newsletter and scrapbook. He may spend, under the direction of the Society’s president, with the agreement of the executive board, up to $50/quarterly without the membership’s voting consent for items not having to do with the Society’s newsletter, subscriptions or scrapbook.
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Article II:
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Trustee’s Duties
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Librarian: The librarian shall maintain in good condition the Society’s books, magazines pamphlets, slides, tapes, charts, and other reference materials in his possession He shall allow membership access to these materials to the degree that it is reasonable. He may designate others to assist in the storage of these materials. He shall maintain lists of those members borrowing these materials, and shall retrieve these borrowed materials when the borrowing member’s membership expires, when another member has requested to borrow these materials, and after a reasonable period has passed. He shall maintain a borrowers list of the Society’s observing equipment until the position of observatory director is established He shall accept donations to the library on behalf of the society and shall acknowledge them in the newsletter. He shall maintain a list of materials in the library and shall, at least once a year, enter the list into the newsletter. He shall present said list for use to the attending members at each Society meeting. No property donated to orpurchased by the Society, excepting general office supplies shall be disposed of without the voted consent of a majority of the entire Society membership.
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Historian: The historian shall maintain a scrapbook in good condition presenting pictures documents, newspaper clippings, writings, etc. of the Society’s history that is of interest to the membership. The historian shall accept historical items donations on behalf of the Society and shall acknowledge them in the newsletter. The historian shall bring the scrapbook to each regularly scheduled Society meeting. No property donated to or purchased by the Society excepting general office supplies shall be disposed of without the voted consent of a majority of the entire Society membership.
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Article III:
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Dues
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The basic term of dues for membership shall be one year, covering a period from May I of one year through April 30 of the next year, and dues shall be payable by May 3 I for the fiscal year. Dues for new memberships shall be prorated based on the dues-fee for one year of membership and the date of the Society’s reception of payment. Categories of increased-term membership may be established with an appropriated dues-fee not necessarily based on the current practice. Current dues-fees shall be published in each month’s Society newsletter. The Society may raise the cost of membership dues after the affirmation of a majority vote held among the attending members at a regularly scheduled Society meeting. Prior announcement of the voting at the meeting shall have been given in the Society’s newsletter. The new dues rate shall be noted in the following Society newsletter.
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Article IV:
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Officers’ Election
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Section l: An elections committee, made up of three members not desiring to be officers, shall be appointed by the president at the Society’s meeting for the month of January. The committee shall tabulate nominations made by the membership for the various officers positions, and the committee shall evaluate these potential candidates for their willingness and qualifications to serve, and their telephone numbers shall be published in the Februarynewsletter.
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Section2: The elections committee shall announce their final listings of candidates at the Society’s February meeting and the list shall be published in the Society’s March newsletter.
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Section3: Voting shall take place at the Society’s March meeting. The candidate for a given office with the greatest tally of votes shall be declared the winner, and the results shall be published in the April newsletter. Tie votes will be settled promptly by run-off.
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Section 4: All candidates for officer positions must verify that they have, and will continue to have throughout their term of office, telephone service at their place of residence.
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Section5: The new officers will have their names, addresses and telephone numbers published each month in the Society’s newsletter starting at the beginning of their terms and continuing as long as they actively serve in those official capacities.
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Section 6: The currently-serving officers shall work with the newly-elected officers to establish an outline for the next term-year for the Society, showing schedule of meetings, programs, and observations as best as can then be determined. The final outline shall be published in the Society’s May newsletter of the term-year. The program and date of the May meeting shall have been announced in the previous April’s newsletter.
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Article V:
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Founders Meeting
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The Society shall acknowledge its Founders, and those in the Society’s history that have given important service to the Society, at its August meeting. The Society’s historian shall make a presentation on the Society’s founding and other important historical events of the Society. Other activities commensurate with the occasion shall be carried out with the intent of demonstrating the Society’s appreciation of those that have participated in its organization and growth.
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Article VI:
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Amendments
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These by-laws may be amended at any regular meeting of the Society with a two-thirds vote of the attending members.
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Article VII:
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Establishment
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This Constitution shall be considered established as the document governing the procedures of the Forsyth Astronomical Society on the affirmation of a 2/3 voting majority of the entire membership of the Society. This date of affirmation of May 20, 1992 is duly noted, and this document, as constitution, is established of this date. Any other pre-existing constitution of this Society is, hereby declared null and void. We, the currently serving officers of this Society, verify that this is true:
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President: Stan R. Griffin
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Vice-President: Vacant
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Secretary: Jeff Poplin
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Treasurer: William Sonntag
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Witnesses: David Morgan and Rick Blakely
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FORSYTH ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY
Life Member Policy
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Members of the Forsyth Astronomical Society may purchase Life Membership in the Society with the following provisions:
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1. Purchase of a Life Membership is open to any current Regular Member of FAS.
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2. Purchase of the Life Membership shall be at a cost of 15 times the current regular Membership dues rate at the time of the purchase.
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3. Life members will be entitled to all benefits of a regular member, including but not limited to:
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a. receiving a subscription to the Society newsletter
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b. receiving one vote on all matters voted upon by the Society
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c. having all family members participate in all FAS activities
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d. qualifying for magazine and book discounts, and any other such benefits
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4. Life Members will NOT pay regular annual membership dues. Life Members are excused from membership for the remainder of their life.
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5. The Life Membership will terminate upon the death of the member. Benefits of Life Membership will NOT transfer to other family members.
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6. Life Members are NOT excused from any fees or assessments charged to other members except for the annual membership dues.
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FORSYTH ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY