Section 1. Membership is effective when dues are received.
a. Individuals dues are $ 10.00 per year.
b. Family dues are $15.00 per calendar year (2 adults per household). Additional
family members are $5.00 each.
c. Student (under 18 years of age) dues are $5.00.
d. Life membership is $150.00. Life membership fees shall be placed in a certificate
of deposit or similar financial instrument to produce interest to cover printing
and mailing costs of the member's newsletter.
Section 2. New members shall receive the applicable issues of the Newsletter
and, on request, a copy of the Constitution, By-Laws and/or a membership card.
Section 3. A sixty-day grace period shall be allowed for membership renewals.Article II - MEETINGS
Section 1. Regular meetings of the Society shall be held the second Tuesday of each month at 7:00 p.m. at the Brown County Public Library. Section 2. The annual meeting shall be held in January of each year.Article III - DUTIES OF OFFICERS
Section 1. All officers shall be paid-up members. The officers shall: a. Perform the duties outlined in these By-Laws and those assigned in the future. b. Report any new activity or information in their areas of responsibility which has occurred since the last meeting. c. Present an annual written report to the Society and file an original copy with the Secretary. The reports shall be given at the annual meeting following their term of office. d. Deliver to their successors all official material within ten days following the end of their term of office.
Section 2. The President shall preside at all meetings of the Society and
of the Board, and shall be ex-officio member of all committees except the
Nominating Committee. The President shall have the authority to sign checks.
a. The President may appoint an Historian whose term shall run concurrently
with the elected officers. The Historian shall compile and keep a record
of the activities, honors and achievements of the Society and its members.
b. The President may appoint a Publication Coordinator whose term shall run
concurrently with the elected officers. The Publication Coordinator shall
take care of matters concerned with the publications offered for sale by the
Society. These responsibilities include, but are not limited to: filling orders,
keeping records of such orders and the reproduction of the sale items.
c. The President shall appoint an Auditing Committee consisting of at least two
members at the December meeting to review the accounts of the Treasurer.
d. The President may appoint a Chairperson and committee members to serve on any
committee which may be needed.
Section 3. The Vice President shall assist the President and perform the duties of
the President in the absence or inability of that officer to serve. The Vice
President shall be responsible for planning the monthly programs and shall notify
the local papers in advance of each program.
Section 4. The Secretary shall record and read the minutes of the previous regular
meeting and previous Board meeting at their respective meetings and preserve
all minutes and reports.
a. The Secretary shall provide a copy of the minutes of the previous meeting to
the President at least one week before each meeting.
b. The Secretary shall attend to any routine correspondence of the Society.
Section 5. The Treasurer shall collect and record all dues and funds received
by the Society and shall pay all approved bills and accounts of the Society.
The Treasurer has the authority to sign checks.
a. The Treasurer shall keep an accurate record of all receipts and expenditures.
b. The Treasurer shall give a financial report at each monthly meeting.
c. The Treasurer's accounts shall be examined annually at the end of each fiscal
year-end by the Auditing Committee. This committee shall audit the books
and report their findings in a signed statement at the next monthly meeting.
The Treasurer shall deliver to the auditors the following items:
1. Check register
2. Bank statements and canceled checks
3. Ledger or computer printout
4. Paid bills and statements
5. Publications sales records
d. The Treasurer shall have the responsibility for keeping a current and correct
list of all members. The Treasurer shall provide an up-to-date quarterly
membership tally to the President, Vice President, Secretary and Editor.
e. The Treasurer shall print the labels for the mailing of the Newsletter.
f. The Treasurer shall send renewal membership notices each year by the first
week of March.
g. Periodically the Society should consider the necessity to bond the Treasurer
and President.
Section 6. The Librarian shall work with the Director of The Brown County Public
Library to catalogue all materials of the Society's library collection; keep
the material in good repair; maintain volunteer library hours; and report new
acquisitions to the Society.
Section 7. The Genealogist shall try to help individuals find answers to specific
inquiries. If necessary, the genealogist shall request assistance from other
members; shall develop a fee schedule with the help of Society membership for
charges for this assistance (e.g., the charge to copy material from books and
files pertinent to query and inquiry).
Section 8. The Newsletter Editor shall compile and have printed a Quarterly Newsletter
to be given to every member.
Article IV - EXECUTIVE BOARD
Section 1. The Executive Board shall meet when necessary to transact business of the society in the interim between its regular meetings and make a report at the next regular Society meeting. a. A simple majority of the Board shall constitute a quorum. b. Regular Board meetings shall be open to the Society memberships. c. Special meetings of the Board may be called as needed by the President or by a majority of the Board members, provided all Board members are notified.Article V - STANDING COMMITTEES
Section 1. The following committees may be established as needed by the President. Committee members may be recommended by the Committee Chairperson. a. The Membership Committee shall promote membership by seeking new members and encouraging renewals; by phoning or emailing local members to remind them about the next >meeting; and handle room setup (table, chairs, nametags. refreshments, etc). b. The Publication Committee shall handle any publication done by the Society. The Publication Coordinator shall serve as Chairperson. c. The Library Committee shall select, acquire, maintain genealogical materials for the library and serve as consultants at the Brown County Public Library on a volunteer basis. The Librarian shall serve as Chairperson. d. The Cemetery Committee shall handle matters dealing with cemeteries in Brown County, and give advice on forming and operating a cemetery association. e. The Finance Committee shall determine financial requirements which shall be approved at a regular meeting of the Society. The Treasurer shall serve as Chairperson.Article VI - ELECTIONS
Section 1. The President shall appoint a Nominating Committee consisting of three members at the October meeting of the Society. Section 2. The Nominating Committee shall select one nominee for each office to be filled. The Committee shall report the slate of officers in writing at the November meeting. Characteristics of satisfactory candidates should include: regular meeting attendance, enthusiastic support of genealogy and the Society, as well as participation in society projects as a volunteer. Section 3. Officers shall be elected by a simple majority vote of the members present at the December meeting. Nominations may be made from the floor. Only those who have consented to serve, if elected, shall be eligible for nomination either by the Committee or from the floor. Section 4. A vacancy occurring in any office shall be filled forthe unexpired term by a member elected by a majority vote of the Executive Board.Article VII - PUBLICATIONS
Section 1. The Society shall publish a quarterly newsletter reporting the activities of the Society and pertinent Brown County genealogical information. The Spring issue should be published in March, the Summer issue in June, the Fall issue in September and the Winter issue in December. The Logo designed by Brown County Artist Kenneth J. Reeve will be on the front page of each issue. Members will receive their copy at a regularly scheduled meeting; otherwise, a copy will be mailed.Article VIII - FISCAL YEAR
Section 1. The Society's fiscal year shall be from January 1 to December 31.Article IX - PARLIAMENTARY PROCEDURE
Section 1. Robert's rules of Order may be modified so that a brief discussion of a topic may precede the making of a motion. The order of the meeting may be: Call to order; Reports; Old business; New business; Announcements; Sharing; Adjournment.Article X - DEPORTMENT
Section 1. A member of the Brown County Genealogical Society, Inc. can expect civility, courtesy and respect from every other member.Article XI - UNLICENSED GAMING
Section 1. The Society shall not conduct any unlicensed gaming events, such as, bingo games, raffles, charity game night, etc.Article XI - CHARTER MEMBERS
Section 1. Persons who were members of the organization during the 1987 fiscal year are charter members. The group was first formed in October 1986. The founder and first President was Gladys M. Tratebas. Charter members are as follows: LOCAL MEMBERS Jeri Blackwell Linda Brown Marguerita E. Grimm Madge Harlan Lowell & Marcy Joslin Dale & Marguerite Kelley Keith King Russell King Shelley Law Maude Mings Allen & Ruth Pickard Mary Pelton Kenneth & Helen Reeve Linda, Arthur & Mae Robertson Rosella Smith Gladys Tratebas Betty Van Derbilt Hazel Zimmerman NON-LOCAL MEMBERS Roberta R. Amundsen Delores M. Brenenstall Juanita Burge Larry Ronald Fleener Mary Gausman Shirley Hannaford Kathleen M. Kinstler Lorene Bond Prewitt Gerald C. Storts Carolyne Stultze E. Lyle & Helen A. Tabor Merlin P. Whiteman Linda Anne Zablatnik 12 January 2010RETURN to B. C. G. S. Page
>