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BY-LAWS AND CONSTITUTION |
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ARTICLE I Name Shall be the “Lapidary and Mineral Society of Central Connecticut” [Society].
ARTICLE II Policy This Society shall be non-sectarian, non-partisan and non-profit. This Society shall not discriminate on the basis of race, creed, color, sex or national origin.
ARTICLE III Objectives To promote, study and encourage interest in rocks, minerals, fossils and lapidary arts through meetings, a monthly bulletin, an annual show, and field trips. To be financially able through association to hire adequate meeting places and support the expense and correspondence incurred.
ARTICLE IV Membership Anyone interested in the objectives of the Society may become a member through payment of annual dues at any time to the Treasurer. Annual dues shall be: Individual $12.00, Family or Household $15.00 Those in arrears 2 months after the January meeting will lose their membership and shall be dropped from the manifest until dues are paid. Voting privileges shall be granted to all members 18 or more years of age. Conduct or attitude of a member becoming detrimental to the objectives of the Society or the welfare of the members may be warned or expelled by a majority vote of the Officers and Directors after a hearing of the offender has taken place.
ARTICLE V Officers, Board of Directors and Duties Officers shall be President, Vice President, Secretary, and Treasurer. The Board of Directors shall be the present Officers, the immediate past President, and 2 members at large. The Board’s chairperson shall be the Society President. Each Officer and Director shall hold office for a 2-year term. It is the President’s responsibility to preside over all Society business and over Society, Board of Directors’, and Executive Committee meetings; to appoint other committee chairs; and to appoint members to fill vacated offices (other than President) for the remaining term. It is the Vice-President’s responsibility to arrange for the regular meeting programs and assume the duties of the President, if necessary. It is the Secretary’s responsibility to keep the minutes of all meetings and to conduct the correspondence of the Society. It is the Treasurer’s responsibility to conduct all financial matters pertaining to the Society, to submit a report at each meeting, and to maintain a current manifest of all members’ postal and email addresses and phone numbers.
ARTICLE VI Election of Officers and Other Directors During the September meeting before expiration of Officer and other Director terms, the President will appoint a nominating committee of at least 3 members. The committee will seek nominees and take up ballots for nomination from the floor during the subsequent October meeting. A two-thirds majority vote of the eligible members at the subsequent November meeting shall elect each Officer and Director for the ensuing term. Officers and other Directors so elected shall assume office at the first meeting in January following their election.
ARTICLE VII Meetings and Quorum Requirements Unless arranged for and the members notified otherwise, Society meetings shall be held on the 4th Monday of the months of September through June. A quorum shall consist of 10 members.
ARTICLE VIII Executive Meetings The Executive Committee consists of the four Officers. The purpose of executive meetings shall be the general supervision of affairs of the Society and none of its acts shall conflict with action taken by the Society. The Officers of the Society, other Directors, and committee chairpersons should be present at these meetings. Committee chairpersons shall be nonvoting members. Executive meetings shall be held at the call of the President, or upon written request of four other members of the Board of Directors. At least four meetings shall be held annually. Three Officers shall constitute a quorum.
ARTICLE IX Other Committees Beside the Show Committee (see Article X) and Executive Committee, other standing committees with chairs appointed by the President shall be: The Field Trip committee’s duties are to arrange for the Society’s field trips. The Hospitality committee’s duties are to arrange for Society meeting refreshments. The Publications Committee’s duties are to produce the monthly “Chip ‘n’ Pick” newsletter and to maintain the web site. The Assets Committee’s duties are to store, maintain, track, and provide for use of the Society’s assets, such as projector, screen, display cases, rock splitter, sonic cleaner, and show supplies and equipment.
ARTICLE X Annual Show. To achieve its Article III objectives, the Society may hold an annual show that is open to the public. The show may consist of dealers, displays, exhibits, and/or lectures covering aspects of rocks, minerals, fossils, and lapidary arts. The Executive Committee is authorized to organize and execute the show. The Executive Committee may create a separate Show Committee, with the President or an appointee approved by the Executive Committee serving as chairperson, and charged with the following minimum responsibilities: Date & Facility. Select a date and select and contract a facility for the show. Unless otherwise approved by a vote of the membership, the show will be held on a weekend in late February or early March. Ideally the facility should be in central Connecticut at a convenient location relative to highways, have ample free parking and handicapped accessibility, have adequate utilities, have a large room with the capacity for at least 17 retail dealers plus a refreshments/Society tables/exhibits, an adjacent mineral dealer room, a wholesale dealer room, and a lecture room. The selected facility must be annually approved by a vote by the membership. Once approved, the facility will be sent a 1-year contract. Dealers. Select and contract dealers for the show. Dealers should be selected so that the show offers a diversity of rocks, minerals, fossils, lapidary arts, and related items for sale to the public. Beyond that selection criterion, preference may be given to dealers that are Society members and/or are locally based. Dealers selected by the committee must be annually approved by a vote by the membership. Once approved, the dealers will be sent a 1-year contract. Publicity. Provide publicity for the show. This includes creating and printing show flyers, postcards and road signs; maintaining the mailing list; updating the show website; and disseminating flyers and other promotional information to the approved dealers and the media as needed. Exhibits. Arrange for display cases, exhibits, and lecturers. Assist in set-up and take down of exhibits. Create criteria for and award prizes or stipends to displayers and exhibitors. Implementation. Carry out the show. Arrange for Society members to set up, staff, and break down the show. Organize the floor plan and lecture room, arrange for tables, utilities, and other necessary equipment and supplies. Provide dealer and other signs, club and dealer identification tags, hourly door prizes, grand prizes, free specimens and other supplies. Arrange for refreshments for dealers and members during show setup and breakdown and for the general public during the show.
ARTICLE XI Amendments Amending the Constitution and By-laws shall be by a two-thirds majority vote of eligible members present at a Society meeting. Amendments must be submitted to the membership at one Society meeting in advance of the vote.
ARTICLE XII Order of Meeting 1. Presiding officer calls meeting to order. 2. Reading of minutes of previous meeting. 3. Treasurer’s report. 4. Correspondence. 5. Committee reports. 6. Unfinished business. 7. New business. 8. Adjournment. 9. Refreshment. 10. Announcements and program. |