CONSTITUTION OF THE NASHVILLE PHILATELIC SOCIETY, INC.
ARTICLE I: NAME
The name of this organization shall be the Nashville Philatelic Society, Inc.
ARTICLE II: PURPOSE
Section 1. The purpose of this Society shall be primarily educational. It shall
seek to educate both its members and the public about philately and matters of
general knowledge related to philately. It shall foster friendship among
philatelists and assist its members in philatelic pursuits.
Section 2. The Society shall at all times maintain an attitude strictly
non-sectarian, non-partisan, and non-sectional, nor shall it take any part in
political issues or affairs of state. No resolutions of such a nature shall be
placed before the Society for consideration.
Section 3. The Society shall at all times endeavor to maintain its status as a
tax-exempt, non-profit organization, recognized as such by the Department of
Internal Revenue and the State of Tennessee.
(A) The purposes for which the Nashville Philatelic Society, Inc., is
organized are exclusively educational within the meaning of section
501-(c)-(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 or the corresponding
provision of any future United States Internal Revenue law.
(B) Notwithstanding any other provision of these articles, the Society shall
not carry on any activities not permitted to be carried on by an
organization exempt from federal income tax under section 501-(c)-(3) of
the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 or the corresponding provision of any
future United States Internal Revenue law.
(C) In the event of dissolution, the residual assets of the organization
will be turned over to one or more organizations which themselves are
tax-exempt under any prior or future Internal Revenue Code, or to the
federal, state; or local government for exclusive public purposes.
In the event of such dissolution, residual assets will be given to the American
Philatelic Society, provided that organization is recognized for such purposes
under the Internal Revenue Code at the time.
ARTICLE III: MEMBERSHIP
This Society shall not practice discrimination in reference to age, race, sex,
or creed. Any person of good character, interested in philately, shall be
eligible for membership in accordance with the procedures outlined in the bylaws.
There shall be the following classifications of membership:
(A) Regular members - persons aged 18 and above.
(B) Junior members - persons under age 18, with the consent of their
parents. Junior members shall have the right to vote on all matters.
(C) Life members - persons who have been members of the Society for 25 years
and have reached the age of 65. Life members shall be regular members
without being required to pay dues.
(D) Honorary members - persons who have performed meritorious service to the
Society or philately, after being recommended by the Executive Board and
approved by the members. Honorary members may not vote or hold office
and are not required to pay dues.
ARTICLE IV: OFFICERS
Section 1. The officers of the Society shall be: President, First Vice-president,
Second Vice-president, Secretary, Treasurer, Delegate-at-large, and Junior Vice-
president.
These officers shall constitute the Executive Board of the Society. All shall
be regular members except for the Junior Vice-president, who shall be a junior
member.
Section 2. The officers of the Society shall serve terms of two-years, from
January 1 through December 31 of the following year.
Section 3. Regular election of officers shall take place at the last meeting in
November, in election year, according to the procedures outlined in the bylaws.
ARTICLE V: MEETINGS
Section 1. Regular meetings of the Society shall be semi-monthly, on the second
and fourth Monday evenings of each month, except in December when only one
meeting - the Christmas party on the second Monday - will convene.
Section 2. The time and place of the meetings will be decided by the members
after recommendation by the Executive Board.
Section 3. The regular meeting on the fourth Monday of November, each year,
shall be the Society's annual meeting.
Section 4. Special meetings may be called by majority of the Executive Board
or by the petition of 6 regular members. Announcement of a special meeting must
be mailed to all the Society's membership at least 14 days in advance of the
meeting and must indicate the nature of business that will be conducted.
Section 5. At any meeting for the Society, the presence of 15 regular members
shall be required as a quorum for the conducting of business.
ARTICLE VI: AMENDMENTS
Amendments to this constitution shall be made only in accord with the following
provisions. Proposed amendments shall be submitted to the members at a regular
meeting, then announced to all the members by way of the monthly reminder, then
voted on at a meeting which is at least two meetings after most members have
received the announcement. The vote of two thirds of the members present and
voting shall be required for amendment.
BYLAWS OF THE NASHVILLE PHILATELIC SOCIETY, INC.
NAME
Section 1. In addition to its official name, required in all formal and legal
usage, the Society may also be unofficially referred to, for the general public
and media, as "The Nashville Stamp Club."
MEMBERSHIP
Section 2. Applications for membership shall be submitted to the Society's
secretary, accompanied by annual dues as defined below; they shall be read in
two successive regular meetings of the Society and voted on by the members after
second reading.
Section 3. Annual membership dues, covering the period January through December,
shall be $7.50, $4.00 for junior members. When a person joins after the first
quarter of the year, the dues will be reduced accordingly: $5.75 ($3.00 juniors)
during the second quarter; $4.00 ($2.00 juniors) during the third quarter; and
$2.00 ($1.00 juniors) during the last quarter. Dues for applications received
during the annual stamp show will not be prorated.
Members who were 65 years of age as of September 12, 1988, and had been
recognized as "life members" free from the responsibility of paying dues, are
not required to pay dues. Those in this category who do not quality under the
terms of Article III-C of the Constitution are encouraged to contribute the
annual dues.
Section 4. Reminders that annual dues are owed shall be published in the
Society's monthly reminder at least once each during November, December, and
January each year. Members who have not paid dues by January 31 will be dropped
without further notice.
Section 5. Members who sponsor 5 new members during a given calendar year will
be exempt from dues during the following year. A member entitled to such
exemption shall present a written list of the names he has sponsored to the
secretary during the period that reminders of dues are being published.
Section 6. Any member who pays $250 dues within a calendar year shall be paid
up for the balance of his or her natural life, with all the privileges of
membership. Such funds shall be invested in an interest-bearing account, and
only the interest shall be used for regular expenses of the Society.
Section 7. A member who acts in such a way as to reflect discredit on the
Society may be dropped by recommendation of the Executive Board and majority
vote of the other members present and voting at a regular meeting. When the
Executive Board plans to recommend dropping a member from the Society, it shall
notify that member and give the member opportunity to speak in his own behalf
at the meeting before the vote to drop. The attempt to conduct business in the
name of the Society, without the expressed authority of the Society, shall be
considered one of such grounds for dropping a member.
MEETINGS
Section 8. The suggested order of business at a regular meeting of the Society
shall be:
Call to order
Reading and approval of the minutes
Introduction of visitors
Reading of applications for membership
Door prizes
Communications and announcements
Committee reports
Old business
New business
Adjournment for program.
DUTIES OF OFFICERS
Section 9. The President shall preside at all meetings; appoint committees not
otherwise provided for by the members; and serve as ex-officio member of all
committees except the nominating committee.
Section 10. The First Vice-president shall serve as program chairman for the
Society, preside in the absence of the President, and perform such other duties
as assigned by the President.
Section 11. The Second Vice-president shall serve as Director of the Society's
annual stamp show, preside in the absence of both the President and First Vice-
president, and perform such other duties as assigned by the President.
Section 12. The Secretary shall record the minutes of the meetings, maintain
the Society's general records, handle correspondence addressed to the Society
or as directed by the Society, receive dues and turn them over to the Treasurer,
maintain the Society's membership list, prepare membership cards for all members,
and perform such other duties as assigned by the President.
Section 13. The Junior Vice-president shall attempt to maintain contact with
junior members of the Society and represent the interests of junior members at
all meetings of the Executive Board and the Society.
Section 14. The Delegate-at-large shall attempt to represent the concerns of
all members who are not officers at all meetings of the Executive Board.
Section 15. The Treasurer will receive, hold, and expend all Society funds as
authorized by the Society, keep an orderly record of all receipts and expen-
ditures, and provide a quarterly report--with copies for all members present--
of all funds received and disbursed, in appropriate categories, since the
previous report, and reconciled with the previous and new balances. At the end
of each calendar year, the President of the Society shall appoint a committee
of three members to audit the Treasurer's records and report to the Society.
ELECTION OF OFFICERS
Section 16. Before regular election of officers, a nominating committee of five
members shall be named by the Society at its last regular meeting in September
of the election year. That committee shall nominate one member for each office,
announcing the nominations at the last regular meeting in October. The names of
the nominees shall be published and mailed to the members before the first
meeting in November, and the election shall take place during the last meeting
in November. Current officers shall not serve on the nominating committee, nor
shall the nominating committee nominate any of its members for office.
Section 17. Regular election shall be by secret ballot, with paper ballots
prepared in advance by the chair of the nominating committee and providing space
for others nominated from the floor. Ballots shall be counted by a committee of
three members, named by the President, who have not been nominated for office.
Section 18. Members who can not be present for the elections shall be invited
to submit absentee ballots, listing each office and the person voted for. These
ballots shall be mailed to the Society's official address inside sealed envelopes
marked "Election Ballot" and signed, the return address, on the outside. These
envelopes shall remain unopened until delivered by the Secretary to the
Committee that counts the ballots during the election. The committee shall
ensure, before opening the envelopes that the signee is eligible to vote, and
then shall open the envelopes and withdraw the ballots without associating them
with the names of the persons voting by absentee ballot.
Section 19. In the event of a vacancy in any office between regular elections,
the Executive Board shall serve as a nominating committee. The name of the
nominee shall be announced, and published in the monthly reminder, at least one
meeting before the election.
Section 20. Any officer may be removed from office, for sufficient cause, only
after the recommendation of the majority of the other members of the Executive
Board and the vote of the majority of those present and voting at a regular or
special meeting.
ANNUAL STAMP SHOW
Section 21. For the general direction and oversight of the Society's annual
stamp show the Society's Second Vice-president shall chair a Stamp Show
Committee to Include himself and five additional members whom he shall appoint.
Section 22. The Stamp Show Committee shall make the decisions for the annual
show. All contracts entered into and expenditures shall be approved by a two-
thirds majority of the Committee.
Section 23. After the annual show, the Treasurer shall give the Society a
detailed report of all income and expenditures. For this purpose, the Treasurer
shall receive a detailed accounting of all expenditures, with receipts, and a
detailed accounting of all income, including an itemized list of what was rented
by each dealer and the amount received.
DISBURSEMENTS
Section 24. Routine expenses less than $100 may be paid by the Treasurer, upon
approval of the President, provided they are necessary for activities approved
by the Society: these may include long distance calls, postage, printing, office
supplies, rent, mileage for trips over 50 miles one way, equipment rental, and
the like.
Section 25. The Treasurer shall also disburse funds for expenses of the annual
stamp show, provided the expenses have been authorized according to the
provisions of the bylaws for the Stamp Show Committee.
Section 26. All other purchases and expenses shall not be paid for except by
vote of the Society.
PARLIAMENTARY AUTHORITY
Section 27. Robert's Rules of Order, Revised shall govern the conduct of
business in matters where applicable and not in conflict with any provision of
the Constitution and Bylaws of the Society.
AMENDMENT OF BYLAWS
Section 28. These bylaws may be amended by majority vote of those present and
voting at any regular or special meeting, provided announcement has been made
at least two regular meetings prior to the vote and published in the monthly
reminder which most of the members have received in advance of the vote.
Section 29. These bylaws shall be reviewed no less than once every three years.
STANDING RULES OF THE NASHVILLE PHILATELIC SOCIETY, INC.
1. Members shall not speak on any question more than twice, and for no longer
than five minutes each time.
2. Except upon the invitation of the members of the Society, or the program
chair, no other person shall address this Society.
3. When the business meeting of the Society begins, all trading in stamps shall
cease and remain inactive until after the program.
4. No person who is not a member of the Society shall be permitted to display
or sell merchandise.