By Laws

ARTICLE I - NAME

REVISED 2011

The name of this Society shall, be the NORTH CENTRAL IOWA GENEALOGICAL SOCIETY.

ARTICLE II - OBJECTIVES

The objectives of this Society shall be:

To create and foster an interest in genealogy.
To preserve genealogical and historical data.
To aid individual members in compiling family genealogies.
To establish and maintain a genealogical library.
To furnish the Iowa Genealogical Society information for publication.
To cooperate with any group or individual interested in furthering genealogical research.
To establish and maintain a society website.
To establish and maintain an electronic obituary file for the nine county area.

The Society shall operate as a non-profit organization as required for tax exemption under the laws which apply.

ARTICLE III - MEMBERSHIP

Section 1. Membership in this Society shall be open to all persons interested in genealogical, biographical, or historical research.

Section 2. Membership shall be issued upon application and payment of the annual dues for the first year. .

Section 3. The dues shall be set by the Executive Board and recommended to the membership for approval. Dues shall become payable in advance October 1 and shall be paid on or before January 1 for the following year. (See Article VI Section 7.) Members not renewing prior to March 31 shall be dropped from membership.

Section 4. Paid membership includes copies of the newsletter Genie Bug issued during time of membership.

ARTICLE IV - OFFICERS

Section 1. The officers of this Society shall be President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, Librarian, Research Chair, Publicity Chair, Membership Chair, and Website Chair.

Section 2. Membership of at least one full year is required for eligibility to office.

Section 3. Officers shall be elected to serve one year or until their successors shall be elected, and their term of office shall begin at the close of the December meeting after they are elected. (See Article VI Section 7 for Treasurer.)

Section 4. No member shall be eligible to hold more than one office at a time.

ARTICLE V - NOMINATIONS AND ELECTIONS.

At the regular meeting in the month of October a nominating committee of three members shall be elected by the membership.

It shall be the duty of this committee to nominate a candidate for each office to be filled at the Annual Meeting in November.

Additional nominations from the floor shall be permitted.

ARTICLE VI - DUTIES OF THE OFFICERS

Section 1. The eight elected officers shall serve as the Executive Board and as the Budget Committee. (See Article VII Sections 1 and 4.) .

Section 2. The President shall be the presiding officer at meetings of the Society and serve as chairman of the Executive Board. He/She shall appoint committees, and shall be an ex officio member of committees (except the nominating committee).

Section 3. The Vice President shall assume the duties of the President whenever necessary.

The Vice President shall appoint a chairperson for the Program Committee from the candidates recommended by the nominating committee. The Programming Chair shall report committee activities to the Vice President. The Vice President shall have the power to recommend to the President, committees needed or recommend persons for specific committees. The Vice President shall be the ex officio leader of all committees with the exception of the nominating, library, publicity, and website committees, and like the President shall be an ex officio member of committees (except the nominating committee).

Section 4. The Secretary shall keep and read the minutes and shall provide a copy of the same to the President. He/She shall keep a record book in which all bylaws, special rules of order, standing rules, any amendments, committee assignments and copies of committee reports are entered and shall have the record book available at each meeting.

The Secretary shall be responsible for the courtesy correspondence and such other outgoing correspondence as the President may direct.

Section 5. The Research Chair shall undertake to answer requests for research help. The Research Chair will be responsible for control of the keys to the Society’s post office box. The Research Chair will receive and distribute incoming mail.

Section 6. The Publicity Chair shall send announcements of meetings, programs, workshops, and newsworthy events to the media in time for publication or broadcast before each such event. The Publicity Chair, prior to each meeting, will electronically send out a reminder of the up-coming meeting to society members. He/She shall promote the Society and its projects.

Section 7. The Treasurer shall serve as chairman of the Budget Committee.
(See Section 1 above and Article VII Section 4).

The Treasurer shall receive all monies of the Society and shall deposit the same to the checking and savings accounts of the Society.
The Treasurer shall pay all bills falling within the approved operating budget.
Unbudgeted major expenditures shall be recommended by the Executive Board and approved by the membership.
No. unauthorized bills shall be paid.
The Treasurer shall keep up-to-date records of the financial condition of the Society, shall report to the Society at regular meetings, and shall make the records available upon request.
He/She shall keep an up-to-date record of members who have paid their dues. Members whose dues are not paid within three months following the December 31 deadline shall automatically be dropped from membership in the Society. The Treasurer shall provide the Membership Chair/committee updated membership information.
The Treasurer shall close the books as of December 31, and shall promptly turn them over to the incoming treasurer.
The Treasurer shall serve as Chair of the Budget Committee.

Section 8. The Librarian shall serve as Chairman of the Library Committee.

The Librarian shall be responsible for marking the Society's library acquisitions, for cataloging, and for shelving or filing.

The Librarian may recommend purchases to the Library Committee and shall keep the membership informed of acquisitions.

The Librarian shall train persons to assist genealogical researchers in the use of the collections and shall schedule volunteer assistants.

The Librarian shall be responsible for making reservations for meeting places and for program arrangements for all regular meetings and special workshops of the Society.

Section 9.Membership Chair shall serve as chairperson of the membership committee.

Section 10.Website Chair shall serve as chairperson of the society’s website project (obituary project). The Website chair shall work with the society’s website with the assistance of the Website Consultant and website committee reporting all problems with the society’s website to the Website Consultant and President.

ARTICLE VII - BOARDS AND COMMITTEES

Section 1. The Executive Board shall be the nine elected officers enumerated in Article IV. The President shall chair the Executive Board, shall schedule regular meetings, may call special meetings, and must call a meeting upon written request of three board members.

The Executive Board shall recommend an operating budget for the year, prepared by the Budget Committee under the chairman- ship of the Treasurer, which shall then be submitted to the membership for approval.

The Executive Board shall have general supervision of the affairs of the Society between business meetings and may make recommendations to the Society.

The Board shall be subject to orders of the Society and none of its actions shall conflict with action taken by the Society. Four shall be a quorum for regular and called meetings of the Executive Board. The quorum shall be six when expenditures of over $1,000 are to be discussed, including the President.

The Executive Board shall have authority to fill vacancies which occur during unexpired terms of office.

Section 2. The Program Committee, shall plan programs for the meetings, workshops, and special events of the Society. The Program Chair will be responsible for notifying the Librarian of any special needs for the various programs scheduled, so the Librarian can make the needed arrangements.

Section 3. The Library Committee, under the chairmanship of the librarian, shall do such selection, preparation, processing and arrangement of library materials as will facilitate the development and use of the genealogical collection. They shall oversee the microform purchasing program. They shall assist researchers where possible. The committee shall respond to orders for the Society's publications and shall exchange our publications with other societies.

Section 4. The Budget Committee, under the chairmanship of the Treasurer, shall prepare an annual operating budget.

Section 5. The Membership Committee under the chairmanship of the Membership Chair (two to three persons) shall be appointed to maintain a roll call/attendance record of members, to greet guests and have them sign a guest book showing month of meeting, name and address of guest, and to supply name tags for members and guests. Their goal shall be to increase membership and participation in the Society. The membership committee shall keep an updated membership list in conjunction with the Treasurer.

Section 6. An Editor shall be appointed for the Genie Bug newsletter to be issued , in February, April, June, and October for distribution by mail or electronically.

Section 7. Publications Committee or committees shall be appointed as needed to collect, compile, and publish genealogical materials, either locally or in cooperation with the Iowa Genealogical Society.

Section 8. An Audit Committee shall be appointed to audit the books of the Society immediately following the December meeting and shall report at the January meeting.

Section 9. Nominating Committee (See Article V.)

Section 10. Website Committee (Obituary Project) to assist Website Chair in maintaining the society’s website.

Section 11. Other Committees may be appointed as deemed advisable for the growth and success of the Society.

ARTICLE VIII - MEETINGS

Meetings of the Society shall be held on the second Saturday of each month of the year except as the Executive Committee may make exception for a national holiday or to permit attendance at the State Conference or other genealogical event.

ARTICLE IX - LIBRARY

Section 1. The genealogical library shall be a major focus of the Society.

Section 2. The library collection shall be housed at the Mason City Public Library and shall be available for use in the library by members and library patrons alike.. The stamp of the Society shall be upon Society property. Books shall be cataloged and shelved by Dewey Decimal number. A Society card catalog shall be maintained and additional finding aids created. All of the. Society's books, microform collection, publications, and Surname Index shall be available for use in the genealogy area.

Section 3. In the event of the dissolution of the Society its library property and all other assets shall become the property of the Mason City Public library.

ARTICLE X - PARLIAMENTARY AUTHORITY

The rules contained in the current edition of Robert's Rules of Order Newly Revised shall govern the Society in all cases in 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 XI - AMENDMENT OF BY LAWS

These bylaws may be amended at any regular meeting of the Society by a two-thirds vote of those in attendance provided that the amendment has been submitted to the membership and a written copy posted in the genealogical library for perusal by members.

STANDING RULES

The first year of this Society will be from the time of organization until November 1973. All members joining the Society during the first year shall be considered charter members.
Regular meetings of the Society shall be held at the Mason City Public Library. A temporary change in place may be designated by the President if. necessary. A permanent change nay be made by vote of paid members at a regular meeting.
The regular meeting shall begin at 1:30 p.m.
All members of the Society shall keep filed with the Surname Index Chairman their ancestor charts.
Chairmen of committees shall be informed of meetings of the Executive Board and may attend but shall have no vote, with the exception of the positions named above in Article IV .