Constitution of the Central Michigan Lapidary and Mineral Society
ARTICLE I - Name
The NAME of this Society shall be: Central Michigan Lapidary and Mineral Society.
ARTICLE II - Purpose
The purposes of the Society shall be:
(1) To promote interest and increased knowledge in the field of earth sciences to include but not limited to mineralogy, geology, archaeology, paleontology, and the lapidary arts.
(2) To publish articles and information pertaining to these fields.
(3) To encourage the responsible and safe collecting of specimens in these fields, and their display.
(4) To arrange trips of mineralogical, geological or lapidary interest.
(5) The Society shall be a non-profit organization.
ARTICLE III - Membership
Section 1. Membership shall be open to persons interested in the activities listed in Article II.
Section 2. There shall be four classes of Membership, the first three of which shall be voting members:
(a) Regular members shall consist of those persons approved by the vote of the Board, and whose dues are currently paid.
(b) Student Members shall be under the age of 18 years and shall be elected by the same procedure as Regular Members. No one below the age of twelve years shall be admitted as a member unless a responsible adult accompanies him/her to all society activities.
(c) Life Membership shall be granted to those members reaching the age of sixty-five years with membership for 25 years, or as otherwise stated in the By-Laws. As of January 1, 2003, Life Membership shall no longer be granted. Life membership attained before January 1, 2003, shall remain in effect.
(d) Honorary Members:
Honorary Membership may be conferred upon individuals deemed worthy of such consideration, and who have shown an active interest in the Society. Such membership will be considered by the Board of Directors, which will present the matter before the Society. A two-thirds vote of the voting members present at a regular meeting shall be required for acceptance.
ARTICLE IV - Officers
Section 1. The Officers of the Society shall be: President, Vice-President, Recording Secretary, Corresponding Secretary and Treasurer elected for a term of one year each, three Directors elected for terms of three years each (one to be elected each year), Liaison Officer and Roster Secretary who shall have continuing appointments by the President subject to approval by the Board. In case of vacancy of a Liaison Officer or Roster Secretary it shall be filled by an appointment by the President subject to approval by the Board. The immediate Past-President shall serve one year as an Officer.
Section 2. Elective officers shall be nominated by a committee as provided in Article VII, Section 13. Additional nominees for any of the offices of the Society may be presented to the Society equally with the nominations made by the Nominating Committee at the October meeting, provided that permission of the nominee has been obtained.
Section 3. The elective officers named in Section 1 above shall be elected at the regular meeting in November of each year, and shall take office immediately following the report of the retiring President at the Annual Meeting in December. No person shall hold more than one elective office concurrently.
ARTICLE V - Duties of Officers
Section 1. The President shall preside of all meetings of the Board of directors, and shall perform such duties as usually pertain to that office. The President is an ex-officio member of all committees.
Section 2. The Vice-President shall perform all duties of the President in the absence or disability of the President, and shall be in charge of programs.
Section 3. The Recording Secretary shall keep a record of all meetings of the Society and of the Board of Directors.
Section 4. The Corresponding Secretary shall notify members of special meetings, and the public of general meetings and events, send cards to society members who are ill, and perform all other duties pertaining to the office.
Section 5. The Roster Secretary shall collect all dues, maintain an accurate list of all members with their addresses, provide such list to the editor as it is made, and forward to the Treasurer all dues received. All dues collected after November 30 shall be held by the Roster Secretary until the new Treasurer takes over the books. An effort should be made to keep the same person as Roster Secretary between the months of October and March.
Section 6. If needed, any Secretary may select an assistant.
Section 7. The Treasurer shall take charge of all funds of the Society, make disbursements as authorized by the Board of Directors, and perform all duties pertaining to that office. The Treasurer shall appoint two members as alternates to transact treasurers business in his/her absence with the approval of the Board. The Treasurer is an ex-officio member of the Finance Committee.
Section 8. The Liaison Officer shall have his/her address as the permanent mailing address for the Society, promptly distribute all mail received to proper persons, relay all information from various federations to the Board of Directors and the Society, inform all officers and committee chairpersons of their respective duties, maintain a record of all society property and keep on file all pertinent reports, correspondence, etc., of Society business from its inception.
Section 9. In the event of prolonged absences or three consecutive unexcused absences for any reason or inability of any of the elected officers, other than the President, to perform his/her duties, the Board of Directors shall appoint a substitute who shall act during that period.
In the event of a vacancy in any of the elected offices, other than the Presidency, the Board of Directors shall fill the vacancy for the remaining term of office.
ARTICLE VI - Board of Directors
The Board of Directors shall have, subject to the provisions of the Constitution and By-Laws, general charge of all the affairs, funds, and property of the Society. Majority of the Board shall constitute a quorum unless otherwise specified.
Section 1. The Board of Directors shall consist of the Officers listed in Article IV, Section 1, chairpersons of permanent committees, and any other voting chairperson so designated in Article VII.
Section 2. The members of the Board of Directors shall attend all board meetings unless excused.
Section 3. In the event of prolonged absences or three consecutive unexcused absences for any reason or inability of any of the Board of Directors to perform his/her duties, the remaining Board of Directors shall appoint a substitute who shall act during that period.
In the event of a vacancy in the Board of Directors the remaining Board of Directors shall fill the vacancy for the remaining term of office.
ARTICLE VII - Committees
Section 1.
There shall be eight permanent committees: Membership, Field Trip, Publications, Education, Library, Display, Finance, and Community Outreach. These committee chairpersons shall be appointed by the President for a term of one year and shall be responsible to the Board of Directors. If, and when, the Society approves holding a Gem and Mineral Show, the President shall also appoint a Show Chairperson for the term of one year. All Chairpersons shall be voting members of the Board of Directors and shall be responsible to the Board of Directors.
Section 2. The Membership Committee shall:
(a) Arrange for and propose such persons for membership as will contribute to a healthy and active Society,
(b) Issue a receipt for dues received,
(c) Record and present all applications for membership, with recommendations, to the Board of Directors for final action,
(d) Forward to the Roster Secretary all applications received, with the accompanying dues, after Board acceptance, and
(e) Be responsible for the welcoming duties to members and guests.
Section 3. The Field Trip Committee shall
(a) Investigate localities and determine field trips,
(b) Make all necessary arrangements with the proper authorities,
(c) Secure guides and provide information regarding the objectives of any trip,
(d) Instruct the membership regarding hazards, safety, and anti-litter restrictions; and,
(e) Enforce compliance by the visiting group with proper precautions and ethical conduct.
Section 4. The Publications committee shall be responsible for:
(a) The monthly newsletter which shall carry notices of the meetings and current activities of the Society.
(b) The Directory of Members. This publication shall be issued annually, it shall contain a list of
(1) All members in good standing, classified in accordance with Article III,
(2) The officers and committee chairpersons, and
(3) The past presidents with year served.
(c) Any additional publications needed by the Society.
The Publications Chairperson shall have full authority for the content of all publications within the limits of the Constitution.
Section 5. The Education Committee shall promote increased knowledge of the earth sciences by
(a) Ascertaining the needs and wishes of the membership with regard to courses of instruction,
(b) Sponsoring and organizing such special courses,
(c) Educating members through instructional articles in the newsletter and/or presentations at general meetings, and
(d) Informing the membership of regional educational opportunities.
Section 6. The Community Outreach Committee shall:
(a) Inform general public of activities of the Society by articles and notices in the media to keep the public aware of the existence and purpose of the society,
(b) Promote earth science education through talks, exhibits and /or demonstrations to schools and organizations, and
(c) Inform the public of regional education opportunities in the earth sciences.
Section 7. The Library Committee shall carry on all operations of the Library of the Society, including the purchase of new accessions.
Section 8. The Display Committee shall be responsible for:
(a) Maintaining the permanent display case,
(b) Exhibiting on behalf of the Society at shows,
(c) Notifying members of area shows and enlisting members to display at these functions, and
(d) The acquisition and care of display specimens belonging to the Society.
Section 9. The Finance Committee shall be responsible for
(a) Preparing a budget for the succeeding year, and
(b) Making recommendations to the Board for specific projects requiring funding.
The Treasurer shall be an ex-officio member of this committee.
Section 10. The Show Committee shall consist of the Chairperson and any committee members appointed by the Chairperson as needed. This committee shall:
(a) Plan and conduct a Gem and Mineral Show,
(b) Submit a budget by the February Board Meeting for approval by the Board of Directors, and
(c) Submit a final accounting and report to the Board of Directors and to the Society no later than the second meeting of each, following the Show.
Section 11. All above named Committee Chairpersons may appoint committee members at any time.
Section 12. Special Committees may be appointed by the President from time to time for any purpose.
Section 13. Committee Chairpersons shall maintain an inventory of major items of Society property in their possession, and shall give a copy of such list to the Liaison Officer at the November Board meeting.
Section 14. A Nominating Committee for elective officers shall consist of five members of the Society, one of whom shall have served on the Nominating Committee of the previous year. This committee shall be appointed by the President at the June meeting and shall report its slate of officers at the October meeting. The Nominating Committee shall assure itself that its nominees will be willing to serve if elected.
Section 15. At the November Board meeting the President shall appoint an Auditing Committee of two members, whose duties shall be to audit the books of the Treasurer as of December 31, and furnish copies of their report to the President, the Recording Secretary, and the Treasurer, no later than one week prior to the January Regular Meeting.
ARTICLE VIII - Dues and Fees
Section 1. The regular dues and fees of the Society shall be as set forth in the By-Laws.
Section 2. Special assessments shall be levied only in case of emergency and then only by a three-quarters vote of the members voting at any regular meeting. In the event of any special assessment, all members must be notified so they may vote accordingly.
ARTICLE IX - Meetings
Section 1. Meetings shall be held as provided for in the By-Laws
Section 2. The regular December meeting of the Society shall be the Annual Meeting
Section 3. The Board of directors shall meet at the call of the President or the Vice-President in case of disability or absence of the President. Notices of the meeting of the Board of Directors may be given in any way convenient.
ARTICLE X - Reports
The President and Treasurer shall present annual reports to the Society at the Annual Meeting.
ARTICLE XI - Affiliations
Section 1. The Society may form affiliations with other societies of similar interests or objectives.
Section 2. Any proposed affiliation of the Society under Section 1 immediately above, approved by the Board of Directors, shall be referred to the membership at any regular meeting. Notice of the proposed affiliation shall be sent to all members, and a vote upon the proposal shall be taken at the next regular meeting. A two-thirds vote of the voting members present at the meeting shall be necessary for approval.
Section 3. Termination of any affiliation under this article shall follow the procedure outlined in Section 2 for affiliation.
ARTICLE XII - Amendments
Section 1. An amendment to the Constitution may be proposed by any voting member of the Society by written communication to the Recording Secretary, endorsed by a number of voting members equal to not less than five percent of the voting members as listed in the current Directory.
Section 2. An amendment to the Constitution may be proposed by a majority of all the members of the Board of directors.
Section 3. A proposed amendment to the Constitution shall be submitted to a committee consisting of the President, Recording Secretary, and Vice-President, for review of form and adjustment to the remainder of the Constitution prior to submission to the Society.
Section 4. The proposed amendment, in the form approved by the Committee under Section 3, shall be presented to the society by the President not later than the third regular meeting following submission to the Committee.
Section 5. A two-thirds vote of the members voting at any regular meeting of the Society succeeding publishing of the written notice in the newsletter shall be necessary for the approval of an amendment to or revision of the Constitution.
Section 6. By-Laws regulating the amounts of money to be paid as dues or fees shall be amended by the same procedure as for amendments to the Constitution. Other By-Laws may be amended in accordance with the procedure of Sections 1, 2, and 3 of Article XII, except that the affirmative vote of a majority of the Board of Directors shall be sufficient for adoption.
ARTICLE XIII - Adoption of Constitution and By-Laws
This revised Constitution and the accompanying Articles I through VII of the By-Laws shall take effect as of the Annual Meeting succeeding adoption by the membership. Any amendments shall take effect on the first day of the next calendar month succeeding adoption.