OGS Bylaws

Olympia Genealogical Society
Bylaws
Revised 11 October 2018

ARTICLE I -- Name
The name of this organization is the Olympia Genealogical Society, hereinafter referred to as the Society or OGS.

ARTICLE II – Purpose

Section 1. The purpose of this Society is to promote the study, interest and research of family and local histories and to encourage assistance, cooperation and guidance to members, friends, and the community.

Section 2. The Olympia Genealogical Society is organized exclusively for the educational purposes within the meaning of Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code.

ARTICLE III – Articles of Organization
The articles of organization of the Olympia Genealogical Society, a non-profit corporation, include (a.) the bylaws of this organization and (b.) the certificate of incorporation of this organization.

ARTICLE IV – Genealogist’s Code of Ethics
In order to protect the integrity of public records and library books, I am ethically bound and hereby agree:

That I will treat with the greatest care and respect all public records and library books which may be made available for my use.

That I will speak with courtesy to all employees of a vital records office or of a public library when requesting to see any vital records or library book, and that when finished with such record or book, I shall express my thanks to the person attending to my requests.

That I will not tear, erase, mark or remove any public record or library book and will refrain from mutilation, defacing or otherwise destroying any part of such public record or library book.

That when I have finished viewing any public record or library book, I will return it to the proper or designated place.

ARTICLE V – Membership and Dues

Section 1. Any person interested in genealogical research may become a member upon payment of prescribed dues to the Society and agreement to abide by its purposes and the Genealogist’s Code of Ethics. Those persons and organizations that have paid the prescribed dues together with the life and special life members as defined below will make up the membership of the Society.

Section 2. The fiscal year and the membership year of this society shall be from September 1 through August 31.

Section 3. The annual dues shall be determined by the Board of Directors and shall be payable by November 1 of each year.

Section 4. New members joining between June 1 and August 31 will become members in the current year, but their initial annual dues payment will be applied to the coming year.

Section 5. New members joining between March 1 and May 31 need only pay half the annual dues for the current year.

Section 6. A member in good standing is one who has paid any applicable dues for the current year and has been abiding by the Society’s purposes, policies and the Genealogist’s Code of Ethics.

Section 7. Each individual OGS member shall be entitled to vote, hold office, take part in the business of the Society, have logon credentials for the OGS website, and be on the contact list for OGS.

Section 8. Membership in this Society shall consist of the following categories:
a. A charter member is one who joined the Society between May 1974 and December 1974 and continues to be a member in good standing. This category is used in combination with one of the other categories below.
b. Individual: A person or organization who has paid the prescribed annual dues for this category.
c. Family: Two or more persons residing in the same household who pay the prescribed annual dues for this category. Each person is entitled to full Society participation.
d. A life member is a charter member in good standing who has reached their 80th birthday. There are no annual dues for life members.
e. A special life member is a member selected by the Board of Directors for meritorious service to the Society. There are no annual dues for special life members.

Article VI – Officers and Their Election

Section 1. Officers:
a. Only members of the Society in good standing shall be eligible to serve as an officer.
b. The officers of this organization shall consist of a president, a vice-president, a secretary and a treasurer.
c. These officers shall constitute the Executive Committee.
d. Officers shall assume their official duties beginning at the June Board of Directors meeting and shall serve for a term of one year.

Section 2. Nominating Committee:
a. There shall be a nominating committee composed of no less than three (3) members in good standing and no more than five (5) members in good standing. The committee shall be elected by the Society members at a regular meeting, at least two (2) months prior to the election of officers. The committee shall select its own chair.
b. The nominating committee shall nominate an eligible person for each office to be filled and report its nominees at or before the regular meeting in June. Additional nominations may be made from the floor at the June meeting.
c. Only those persons who have signified their consent to serve if elected shall be nominated for or elected to such office.
d. The nominating committee shall be responsible for the ballots, should they be necessary.

Section 3. Vacancies:
a. A vacancy occurring in any office shall be filled for the unexpired term in the following manner:
b. In the event the office of president is vacated, the vice-president will succeed to the higher office.
c. Vacancies in all offices other than president shall be filled by election of the Board of Directors at a regular meeting of that body.

Article VII – Duties of Officers

Section 1. The president shall:
a. preside at all meetings of the Society, the Board of Directors, and the Executive Committee;
b. appoint chairs of the various committees and other positions and coordinate the work of the officers and committees of the association;
c. be a member ex-officio of all committees except the nominating committee;
d. be an authorized signatory on society bank accounts;
e. perform the usual duties pertaining to the office of president and such other duties as may be prescribed in these bylaws or assigned by the organization.

Section 2. The vice-president shall:
a. serve as program chair to provide a speaker or speakers for each of the general meetings of the Society from September through June;
b. assist the president in the performance of the president’s duties and assume them in the president’s absence or inability to serve.
c. be an authorized signatory on society bank accounts if deemed necessary or desirable by the Board.

Section 3. The secretary shall:
a. record the proceedings of the general meetings of the Society, the Board of Directors and the Executive Committee;
b. give notice of special meetings;
c. conduct correspondence of the Society;
d. maintain the Society files including a current copy of these bylaws and other policies of the Society;
e. be an authorized signatory on society bank accounts if deemed necessary or desirable by the Board;
f. assume the duties of the president in the absence of both the president and the vice-president.

Section 4. The treasurer shall:
a. have custody of all funds of the Society, depositing all monies in the appropriate bank accounts approved by the Board of Directors;
b. keep a full and accurate account of receipts and expenditures;
c. make appropriate disbursements in a timely manner;
d. present a financial statement at every meeting of the Society and the Board of Directors, and at other times as requested by the Board;
e. prepare a budget to be approved by the Board of Directors prior to the September general meeting membership meeting;
f. submit the books annually for audit by an auditing committee selected by the Board of Directors at least one month following the June Board of Directors meeting at which officers assume their duties;
g. be an authorized signatory on society bank accounts.

Article VIII – Board of Directors

Section 1. The Board of Directors shall consist of the elected officers of the Society, the immediate pastpresident, and all appointed positions and committee chairs. The president shall appoint the committee chairs and other non-elected positions with the assistance of the officers of the Society.

Section 2. Duties of the Board of Directors shall be:
a. to transact necessary business in the intervals between Society meetings and have general supervision of the affairs of the Society;
b. fix the time and place of meetings, make recommendations to the Society, and perform such other duties as are specified in these bylaws.

Section 3. The Board of Directors shall be subject to the orders of the Society, and none of its acts shall conflict with action taken by the Society.

Section 4. A member of the Olympia Timberland Library staff and the director of the Family History Center may be invited to attend meetings of the Board of Directors to act as liaisons between our Society and the library and the center.

ARTICLE IX – Appointed Positions and Committees

Section 1. Only members of the Society in good standing shall be eligible to serve in any appointed positions.

Section 2. The Board of Directors may create such appointed positions and standing committees as it may deem necessary to promote the purposes and carry on the work of the Society. The term of each appointed position or committee chair shall be one (1) year or until the selection of a successor.

Section 3. Chairs shall present a plan of work to the Board of Directors for approval. No committee work shall be undertaken without the consent of the Board of Directors.

Section 4. The power to form special committees and appoint or elect their members rests with the president with the approval of the Board of Directors.

ARTICLE X – Meetings

Section 1. Society Meetings:
a. Society meetings will be held the second Thursday of each month from September through June at a suitable site designated by the Board of Directors.
b. The annual meeting shall be held in June.
c. Ten percent (10%) of the membership shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business in any meeting of this organization.

Section 2. Meetings of the Board of Directors:
a. Unless otherwise ordered by the Board, regular meetings of the Board shall be held from August through June, inclusive, at a time and place to be determined by the president and/or elected officers.
b. Special meetings of the Board may be called by the president and shall be called upon the request of at least three (3) members of the Board.
c. A quorum to transact business of the Board of Directors shall consist of at least (5) board members.

Section 3. The Society, the Board of Directors, or any committee designated by the President may conduct business in person or by electronic means.

Section 4. Members may participate in designated electronic meetings by means of conference telephone or similar communications equipment by which all persons participating in the meeting can communicate with each other. Participation via electronic means in a designated electronic meeting pursuant to this section shall constitute presence at such meeting.

Section 5. Voting may be conducted via email, online survey, or other electronic means. Any such voting shall be conducted with appropriate notice to those eligible to vote.

Section 6. Workshops, seminars and other meetings may be held as designated by the Board of Directors.

ARTICLE XI - Parliamentary Authority
The rules contained in the current edition of Robert’s Rules of Order Newly Revised shall govern this Society in all cases in which they are applicable and not in conflict with these bylaws, any special rules of order the Society may adopt, or the articles of incorporation.

ARTICLE XII – Amendments

Section 1. These bylaws may be amended at any regular meeting of the association by a two-thirds vote of the members present and voting, provided that notice of the amendment has been given at the previous regular meeting.

Section 2. A committee may be appointed to submit a revised set of bylaws as a substitute for the existing bylaws by a majority vote at a meeting of the Society, or by a two-thirds vote of the Board of Directors. The requirements for adoption of a revised set of bylaws shall be the same as in the case of an amendment.

ARTICLE XIII - Dissolution

Section 1. The dissolution of the Olympia Genealogical Society must be made by a majority of those members present at a meeting called specifically for that purpose.

Section 2. Upon dissolution of the Society, the officers who serve as the Executive Committee shall, after payment of or making provisions for the payment of all liabilities of the Society, transfer all remaining assets to another like organization. No funds shall be distributed to individual members.

Revised 11 October 2018