BYLAWS OF
THE SOCIETY FOR CZECHOSLOVAK PHILATELY, INC.
25 August 1999
Bylaw I – Membership
1A. Membership in the Society for Czechoslovak Philately, Inc. Shall be granted to any qualified collector or applicant in the following categories:
a. Regular member
b. Patron member
c. Honorary member
d. Youth member (under 18 years of age)
Membership shall take effect on the first day of the year in which dues are first paid. If dues are paid in the third or fourth quarter of the year, the new member has the option to apply them to the following year. If the new member chooses to apply dues to the current year of joining, he or she is entitled to all issues of TheSpecialist for that year.
Bylaw II – Board of Directors
2A. The Society shall be governed by a Board of Directors consisting of 15 members other than youth members. Five board members shall be elected every two years and each board member shall serve a term of six years. This new alignment of the Board of Directors will be implemented on a one (1) time basis during the election of 1991. Ten (10) members will be elected to the board instead of five (5). The five (5) candidates receiving the highest total of votes shall serve for six (6) years. The next five (5) candidates will serve a four (4) year term.
2B. The Board of Directors shall be elected by members in good standing in accordance with procedures stated in Bylaw 4.
2C. The Board shall convene at least once a year to transact the business of the Society, the date and location to be decided by the President. Eight (8) board members (including proxies) shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business. Any board member who fails to attend (2) successive board meetings without designating a proxy may have his/her seat declared vacant by the President.
2D. All terms of office shall commence upon certification of the winning candidates by the election committee. The terms of office of outgoing board members shall expire at that time. Following the election, the new Board (consisting of the ten (10) carry-over members and the five (5) newly-elected members) shall convene at the Society’s fall exhibition/convention or prior to December 31 of the election year, the date to be set by the current President.
2E. A board member who writes a philatelic article or letter for publication (other than in The Specialist), over his or her name as an officer or director of the Society shall make a disclaimer that the opinions presented are personal, and do not reflect or represent any official Society position. Failure to comply with this requirement may subject that member to forfeiture of his or her board membership for the remainder of the term at the discretion of the Board of Directors.
Bylaw III – Officers
3A. The President shall appoint the following staff positions – an editor, librarian, American Philatelic Society Representative, circuit manager, auditing chairman, and such other committee chairpersons and staff members as needed. Staff members need not be members of the Board, but must be members in good standing of the Society. One person may hold more than one appointed staff position. The President shall also appoint Society members to fill any vacancies that may occur on the Board for the unexpired term of office. Staff members may attend Board meetings and participate in discussions, but may not vote on decisions.
3B. The Vice-president shall assist the President by serving on at least two (2) staff positions and temporary assignments as determined by the President.
3C. The Secretary shall be in charge of all official correspondence between the Society and its members (past, present, and prospective), shall maintain a complete and current membership list, shall take minutes of all board meetings, and shall furnish a typed copy of the minutes to each board member prior to the next board meeting.
3D. The Treasurer shall maintain a bank account or accounts in the name of the Society and shall submit a written report on the financial status of the Society at all board meetings. As a part of this report, the Treasurer shall have available photocopies of all current bank statements of the Society since the last board meeting. The names of the President and Vice-president shall be added to all of the Society’s financial accounts.
3E. All outgoing officers and staff members shall transfer their records or portfolios to those succeeding them in their office and shall take time to explain or describe their portfolios to their successor.
Bylaw IV – Elections
4A. In January of the election year, the President and the Secretary (acting as an election committee) shall accept nomination of candidates to the Board.
4B. Candidates to the Board shall be members in good standing of the Society. They shall be nominated in writing by two (2) members of the Society (other than themselves) whose signatures shall be affixed to a nominating petition. They may be reelected to the Board without limitation. The President, Vice-president, Secretary, and Treasurer shall be elected for a term of two (2) years. The President and the Vice-president can only serve two (2) consecutive terms.
4C. The election committee shall contact the nominees for their acceptance, and the nominators shall be notified of the nominee’s decisions. Nominations shall close on the last day of January of the election year.
4D. The names of all persons nominated for the Board shall be placed on the ballot which shall be published and sent to all members in the March/April issue of The Specialist. Members shall send their voted ballots to the election committee postmarked no later than April 1st of the election year. The election committee shall count the ballots and certify the winners. The election committee shall notify all candidates of the number of votes each candidate received. The winners shall be published in the May/June issue of The Specialist.
Bylaw V – Chapters and Sections
5A. Local chapters and sections of study groups may be established in response to a request submitted in writing to the Secretary and signed by at least three (3) members of the Society.
5B. Local chapters and sections may elect their own officers and committees, assess their own dues, manage their own funds, and vote any rules and regulations to govern themselves which do no t conflict with the Society’s Bylaws or undermine the best interests of the Society.
5C. Local chapters and sections shall submit a report of their activities and finances to the President as he may direct.
Bylaw VI – Convention and Exhibition
6A. There shall be at least one (1) annual convention and exhibition of the Society in participation with a national stamp show for the presentation of lectures, seminars, transactions of business, and exhibition of philatelic material. The date and location of the convention/exhibition shall be submitted by the President for the Board’s approval some time before the end of the prior year.
Bylaw VII – Society Publication
7A. The official publication of the Society shall be called The Czechoslovak Specialist and shall be published periodically not less that six (6) times a year.
7B. Each member in good standing shall receive one (1) copy of every issue of The Specialist. Patron members will receive a bound copy of The Specialist.
7C. A complete up-to-date membership roster shall be published in The Specialist annually.
7D. The Editor shall submit an annual budget to the Board, because this is generally the largest expense of the Society.
Bylaw VIII – Committees and Divisions
8A. The Board may (by simple majority vote) at any time form committees or divisions within the Society to govern or provide services to the membership. Rules governing these entities will also be determined by the Board. The committees or divisions formed shall be identified and functions described in The Specialist as soon as possible.
Bylaw IX – Library
9A. The Society shall own and maintain a library for the benefit of its members. The material shall be available to the members on a loan basis according to the terms set forth by the Board.
9B. The Board shall allot funds to the Librarian each year for the purchase of books and material necessary to keep the library current.
9C. The Librarian shall submit as annual financial statement concerning the library at the annual board meeting.
9D. The Librarian shall also function as the Society Archivist.
Bylaw X – Membership Dues
10A. Membership dues shall be assessed annually by the Board for each category of membership except honorary members who are exempt from dues.
10B. Any member who fails to pay dues before the end of February will be automatically dropped from membership. Any member renewing membership after the end of February will be required to pay a three dollar ($3) reinstatement fee in addition to the dues.
Bylaw XI – Disciplinary action
11A. The Board of Directors may take whatever disciplinary action it deems appropriate against any member for cause. This action can only be taken by two-thirds (2/3rds) majority vote of the Board of Directors.
Bylaw XII – Amendments
12A. Any proposed change in the Bylaws shall be presented to the Board by any two (2) board members and signed by them. Such proposed changes approved by the Board shall be published in The Specialist within four (4) months of adoption.
Bylaw XIII – Termination
13A. The Society may be dissolved only by the unanimous vote of the entire Board of Directors. The Board will satisfy all debts and liabilities out of the corporate assets. The Board shall dispose of all the remaining assets of the corporation exclusively for the purposes of the corporation in such manner, or to such organization or organizations organized and operated exclusively for charitable, educational, religious, or scientific purposes as shall as the time qualify as an exempt organization or organizations under section 501c(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 (or the corresponding provision of any future United States disposed of by the Court of Common Please of the county in which the principal office of the corporation is then located, exclusively for such purposes or to such organizations or organizations, as such court shall determine, which are organized and operated exclusively for such purposes.
