Constitution
Constitution of the Schenectady County Historical Society
Adopted April 12, 2008
ARTICLE I
This Society shall be known as “The Schenectady County Historical Society,” which is located at 32 Washington Avenue, Schenectady, New York, 12305.
ARTICLE II
The purposes of the Society shall be:
1. To promote and encourage original historical research.
2. To disseminate a greater knowledge of the history of the State of New York and particularly of Schenectady County
3. To gather, preserve, display, and make available for study artifacts, books, manuscripts, papers, photographs and other records and materials relating to the early and current history of Schenectady County and of the surrounding area.
4. To encourage the suitable marking of places of historic interest.
5. To acquire by purchase, gifts, devise, or otherwise the title to or the custody and control of historic sites and structures.
ARTICLE III
MEMBERS
Members of the Society shall be of eight (8) categories: individual, family, donor, sponsor, benefactor, patron, life, honorary. Only members in good standing shall have the right to vote or hold office. All persons interested in history and in sympathy with the purposes of the Society shall be eligible for membership.
ARTICLE IV
AFFILIATES
Groups or organizations interested in Schenectady County history, and situated in any section of the County, may affiliate with the Society with the approval of and under such conditions as may be set by the Board of Trustees.
ARTICLE V
MANAGEMENT
1. The property of the Society shall be vested in, and the affairs of the Society conducted by a Board of Trustees, to be elected by the members of the Society.
2. The Board of Trustees shall consist of twenty-four (24) elected Trustees, all of whom shall be members, and who so far as possible shall be representative of the City of Schenectady, the Villages of Scotia and Delanson, and the five Towns of Schenectady County: Duanesburg, Glenville, Niskayuna, Princetown, and Rotterdam. Eight Trustees shall be elected at each annual meeting of the Society to serve for three (3) years.
3. Vacancies in the Board of Trustees shall be filled by the remaining members of the Board, the appointee to hold office until the next annual meeting of the Society at which time a Trustee shall be regularly elected by the members to fill the unexpired term.
4. The Board of Trustees shall have no power to bind the Society to any expenditure of money beyond the resources of the Society except by a two-thirds vote of the entire Board of Trustees.
ARTICLE VI
OFFICERS
1. The officers of the Society shall consist of a President, Vice President, Treasurer, Assistant Treasurer, and Secretary, all of whom shall be elected by the membership at the annual meeting of the Society. All officers with the exception of the Assistant Treasurer must be Trustees. Officers shall serve for one year or until their successors are elected.
2. Vacancies in any office shall be filled by the Board of Trustees.
3. The Board of Trustees may appoint such agents and delegate to them such authority as it sees fit.
ARTICLE VII
COMMITTEES
1. The standing committees of the Society shall be as specified in its By-Laws.
2. The President of the Society shall appoint such other committees as are deemed necessary to carry out the work of the Society.
3. The President of the Society shall appoint the chair and members of all committees in accord with any restriction cited in the By-Laws within thirty days after the date of the annual meeting of the Society.
ARTICLE VIII
DUES
1. Each person who wishes membership in the Society shall pay into the treasury the annual dues specified in the By-Laws for the category that they wish to join.
2. Any eligible person may become a life member of the Society upon payment at one time of the amount specified in the By-Laws.
ARTICLE IX
MEETINGS
1. The annual meeting of the Society shall be held in April of each year. Notice thereof shall be sent to each each member at least ten days prior to the date of the meeting, along with a proxy form returnable prior to the start of the meeting which, if submitted by the member, must specify either the Secretary or such other adult expected to be present who may act on behalf of the absent member.
2. Special meetings of the Society may be called at any time by the President or the Board of Trustees, or upon the written request of at least ten members of the Society.
3. The quorum for the transaction of business at any Annual or special meeting of the Society shall be the lesser of 100 and 10% of the membership of the Society, such quorum to be the aggregate of all members present and the number of valid proxies certified by the Secretary as having been received in advance of the exact time of the meeting.
ARTICLE X
SEAL
The seal of the Society shall bear the words “The Schenectady County Historical Society – 1905″ inscribed in a marginal circle, surrounding a device representative of the early history of Schenectady County.
ARTICLE Xl
AMENDMENTS
Amendments to this Constitution may be made at any duly constituted meeting of the Society by a two-thirds vote of the members present in person or by proxy. Notice of the proposed amendment must have been mailed to each member at least ten (10) days before the day on which action thereon is to be taken, and a copy thereof posted at Society headquarters.
ARTICLE XII
In the event of the dissolution of the Society, any assets of whatever kind remaining after the payment of all debts and liabilities of the Society shall be transferred in accordance with the decision of the Board of Trustees to such organizations having purposes and objectives similar to those of the Society.
