BYLAWS of HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION OF TOBYHANNA TOWNSHIP
As Amended by Approval of the General Membership, August 14, 2014
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Article I. Name | Article II. Purpose | Article III. Membership | Article IV. Officers and Board of Directors | Article V. Duties and Responsibilities
Article VI. Meetings | Article VII. Standing Committees | Article VIII. Fulfillment of Unexpired Terms | Article IX. Dissolution
Article X. Parliamentary Authority | Article XI. Amendments to these Bylaws
Article 1. Name
The name of this organization shall be Historical Association of Tobyhanna Township. (HATT)
Article II. Purpose
This organization is organized exclusively for the advancement of educational purposes, under section 501 (c) (3) of the Internal Revenue Code or corresponding section of any future federal tax code, using lectures, research, identification and preservation of the history of Tobyhanna Township, and the establishment of a museum to facilitate the advancement of this education.
Article III. Membership
Section 1. Persons desiring to join HATT shall complete an appropriate application form and submit it to the treasurer along with dues for the then current year.
Section 2. Classes of Membership
- Active Members — dues paying members actively participating in the organization.
- Sponsor Members — those providing donations (cash or services) greater than the Annual Dues and who are not active in the organization. Board of Directors approval is necessary, reviewed annually.
- Courtesy Members- those so designated by the Board of Directors, reviewed annually.
Dues shall be set by the Board of Directors but for not less than $10.00 per person, $15.00 per family, per year.
Section 4. Membership Year
- The Membership Year is defined as the calendar year.
- Annual dues are to be paid by Members in January
- Any member who does not pay the annual dues by June 30th will be deleted from the membership roll.
- Any new membership paid between October 1 and December 31 will be considered paid in full for the subsequent membership year.
A quorum for membership meetings shall consist of not fewer than 25 active members in good standing.
Article IV. Officers and Board of Directors
Section 1. Officers
The officers of HATT shall be:
- President
- Vice-President
- Secretary (Corresponding and Recording)
- Treasurer
The Board of Directors shall consist of the President, Vice-President, Secretary, Treasurer, three members at large (Directors) at least one of whom shall be elected each year and the immediate past-President.
Section 3. Officers and Directors
Officers and Directors shall be elected by a plurality of members present and voting at the annual meeting of members.
Article V. Duties and Responsibilities
Section 1. President
The President shall preside at all meetings. The President shall serve as ex-officio member of all standing committees. The President shall appoint a chairman for each standing committee. The President shall appoint a Nominating Committee and an Audit Committee at the June Meeting of HATT.
Section 2. Vice-President
The Vice-President shall assume the duties of the President in the absence of the President. The Vice-President shall perform such other duties assigned by the President.
Section 3. Secretary (Corresponding and Recording)
The Secretary shall keep minutes of all regular meetings of the members and the Board of Directors meetings. The Secretary shall be responsible for all official correspondence of HATT. The Secretary shall perform such other duties as may be directed.
Section 4. Treasurer
The Treasurer shall keep all financial transactions of HATT. The Treasurer shall make timely deposits of all monies in an appropriate banking institution and make financial reports at regular meetings of HATT. The Treasurer shall file all required Federal, State and Local tax documents as required by law.
Section 5. Board of Directors
The Board of Directors shall determine the amount of the annual dues and establish an annual budget. They shall meet at least four times annually to oversee the purpose and progress of the association, conduct all the business of HATT and make reports and/or recommendations to the membership. All financial actions conducted by the Board must be approved by a majority of the Board.
Section 6. Board Quorum
A quorum of five Board members is necessary to have an official meeting and conduct official business. Attendance may be via electronically- telephone, video transmission, or any method that provides for two-way, live communications.
Section 7. The Audit Committee
The Audit Committee shall perform an examination of the financial records of HATT and present a report at the annual meeting of members.
Section 8. The Nominating Committee
The Nominating Committee shall present a slate of officers and directors at the August meeting. Nominations may be made from the floor. Voting shall take place at the annual meeting and the officers and directors elected shall assume their duties upon election. No officer or director shall serve more than two consecutive terms for the same position. The term for officers shall be two years. Director’s terms will be three years.
Article VI. Meetings
HATT shall hold monthly membership meetings except in December, January, February and March unless otherwise notified. The Annual Membership Meeting shall be held each September.
Article VII. Standing Committees
There shall be standing committees as follows:
Membership — Shall be responsible for keeping a record of members and guests at each meeting, and confirm in writing to each member receipt of their paid dues. The membership committee shall encourage recruitment of new members.
Program — Shall be responsible for planning programs of interest for meetings between April and November.
Activities — Shall be responsible for coordinating all non-monthly membership meeting activities and events, such as field trips, bus trips, Community Day, Memorial Day Parade and other activities for which HATT either conducts, sponsors or participates in.
Publicity — shall prepare news releases, articles for publications in various media to promote HATT and announcement signs for posting within the community.
Website Coordinator — Shall manage the content of the website and direct the contracted website service company to keep all information current, including the calendar, announcements, and meeting minutes. The coordinator will encourage, and approve content entries, which are relevant to the history of our area.
Research — Shall encourage members collectively and individually to research and document the history of Tobyhanna Township. This shall be through several methods, including digital archiving, collection of oral histories and through the collection and cataloging of materials, as well as the preparation of written historical accounts.
Nominating Committee — As outlined in Article V, Section 1.
Article VIII. Fulfillment of Unexpired Terms
Section 1. Should an Officer or Director be unable to serve the entire elected Term for more than six months, the President shall appoint a nominating committee to recommend nominee(s). The nominee(s) shall be presented to the members at a monthly membership meeting, at which time further nominations shall be requested from the floor. At the next month’s membership meeting the President will then conduct an election. The elected person will immediately assume the post to serve out the balance of term.
Section 2. If the balance of an unfulfilled term is less than six months, the President shall appoint a member who will immediately assume the duties until the next annual membership meeting.
Article IX. Dissolution
Upon the dissolution of this organization, assets shall be used to pay off any indebtedness. Thereafter all remaining assets shall be distributed for one or more exempt purposes within the meaning of section 501(c) (3) of the Internal Revenue Code, or corresponding section of any future federal tax code, or shall be distributed to the federal government, or to a state or local government, for a public purpose.
Article X. Parliamentary Authority
In general, Roberts Rules of Order (current edition) shall govern procedures within the organization provided they are not inconsistent with the contents of these Bylaws.
Article XI. Amendments to these Bylaws
In order to amend the Bylaws, notice must be sent to the members at least two weeks prior to the vote. Any changes to the Bylaws shall require a majority of members voting and present at the meeting designated for that purpose.
As amended by approval of the General Membership August 14, 2014