Jackson Purchase Historical Society

CONSTITUTION of the JACKSON PURCHASE HISTORICAL SOCIETY

Revised January 16, 2010

Article I – Name

This organization shall be called the Jackson Purchase Historical Society.

Article II – Purpose

Section 1.
The Society shall have as its purpose, within the region encompassing all the territory in the Chickasaw Purchase of 1818: (a) to promote interest and study in regional history; (b) to help preserve historical facts, memorabilia, and general heritage of this region; (c) to improve public understanding and appreciation for this area by participation in observances and dedications of local historical significance; and (d) to act as a resource for educational institutions.

Section 2.
No officer, committee or appointed member, or others of the general membership shall receive compensation or otherwise profit personally
from service to the Society or its related activities, which shall be confined to those described in Article II, Section 1. These activities are to be consistent with and limited to those intended for an educational
and literary organization within the meaning of section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Service Code.

Article III – Membership

Membership in the Jackson Purchase Historical Society shall be open to all who are interested in the history of this section of the country,
in the preservation of its heritage, and in fellowship with those of kindred interest. Membership shall be classified as (a) full-dues-paying members and (b) associate members who have the privilege of the floor but not of voting.

Article IV – Officers

The elected officers of this organization shall consist of a President, a Vice President,  a Secretary, a Treasurer and a Member-At-Large.

Article V – Duties of Officers

Section 1.

The President shall (a) preside at all meetings of the Society; (b) be ex-officio member of all committees; (c) vote only in the case of a tie in any Society or committee action; (d)
appoint standing and ad hoc committees subject to the Society Bylaws; and (e) serve as the executive officer of the Society.  The President shall act as Society Archivist who shall have the responsibility to collect, preserve, and safeguard the Society’s records and materials.  At the president’s discretion, responsibilities of the Society Archivist may be delegated to another.

Section 2.

The Vice President shall (a) perform the duties of the President in his/her absence; (b) render advice and assistance to the President when called upon; and (c) serve as program committee chair.  In the absence of a Vice President, the Society President shall fill this position by appointment.

Section 3.

The Secretary shall (a) conduct the official correspondence of the Society and related duties as directed by the President, and (b) make records of all Society meetings.  In the absence of a Secretary, the Society President shall fill this position by appointment.

Section 4.

The Treasurer will (a) issue calls and notices of meetings; (c) maintain records of membership rolls; and (d) receive and disburse the funds of the Society.  In the absence of a Treasurer, the Society President shall fill this position by appointment.

Section 5.

The member-at-Large shall be an ombudsman for the members of the Society and will serve as a source of general advice and counsel from the membership’s point of view.

Article VI – Executive Committee

The Executive Committee shall consist of all the elected officers of the Society, and the Immediate Past President. The duties of the Executive Committee shall be to (a) serve as a source of general advice and counsel to the President; (b) approve the financial expenditures of the Society; (c) authorize any publications of the Society and approve any necessary editor(s) and/or editorial board(s) as nominated by the President; and (d) supervise the distribution of all Society publications.  Any vacancies on the Executive Committee shall be filled by
Presidential appointment.

Article VII – Amendments
Section 1.
Proposed amendments to the Constitution must (a) be presented to the President and/or the Executive Committee at least thirty days prior to the date on which it is to be voted; and (b) be presented to the Society prior to the next two regular meetings following either approval by the Executive Committee or its presentation to the President and/or the Executive Committee over the endorsement of ten percent of the full-dues paying members of the Society.

Section 2.
Any proposed amendment of this Constitution (a) must be included in the membership notice of the regular meeting in which it is to be considered, and (b) may be adopted by a majority vote of the full-dues-paying members present.

ArticleVIII – Dissolution

In the event of a possible dissolution of the Society, assets shall be distributed for one or more exempt purposes within the meaning of section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, or the corresponding section of any future federal tax code, or shall be distributed to a state or local government for a public purpose. The Executive Committee shall make the final determination of this distribution, consistent with the requirements of the preceding sentence.

Constitution Revised January 16, 2010

BYLAWS of the JACKSON PURCHASE HISTORICAL SOCIETY

Revised January 16, 2010

Article I – Membership Dues

Annual dues for all categories
of membership in this Society, as defined in the current JPHS Journal, which is the official publication of the Jackson Purchase Historical Society, shall be set by the Executive Committee.

Article II – Committees
Section 1.

All standing and ad hoc committees, other than the Executive Committee, shall be appointed by the President. The standing committees are as follows in Sections 2 through 5.

Section 2.
The Membership Committee shall be responsible for retention of current members and recruitment
of new members.

Section 3.

The Nomination Committee shall be responsible for presenting a slate of officers at the last meeting
each year.

Section 4.

The Program Committee shall be responsible for program planning as well as program implementation and hospitality.

Section 5.

The Publicity Committee shall be responsible for publicity, public affairs, and public relations.

Article III

Elections
The election of officers shall be held at the last meeting of each fiscal year. New officers shall assume their duties at the beginning of the next fiscal year and their term of office shall be one fiscal year.

The election of Board of Directors members shall be held at the last meeting of each fiscal year. New Board members shall assume their duties at the beginning of the next fiscal year and their term of office shall be five (5) years.

Article IV – Fiscal Year
The fiscal year of the Society shall begin on August 1 and end on July 31.

Article V – Meetings
The number, time, and general nature of the Society meetings shall be determined by the President and the Executive Committee. The meeting programs shall be the responsibility of the Vice-President and the Program Committee.

Article VI – Meeting Notices

Reasonable and proper notification of all scheduled or special called meetings of the Society must be given to the total active membership.

Article VII – Amendment

These Bylaws may be amended by a simple majority of those members present and eligible to vote at any regular or called meeting of the Society.

Article VIII – Proceedings

Unless

otherwise provided in the Constitution and Bylaws, Roberts Rules of Order shall govern the organization and proceedings of the Society.

Bylaws Amended January 17, 2009