The name of this Society shall be the Fox Valley Astronomical Society, Inc.
A purpose of this Society shall be to provide an opportunity for the mutual enjoyment and investigation of the science of astronomy for all its members. An additional purpose of this Society shall be to instill in the general community, community organizations, and community centers of education, an awareness of the meaning of astronomy in their lives.
All persons interested in the science of astronomy may become members of the society by adhering to the by-laws of the Society and paying annual membership dues.
The Society shall be governed by a eight-member Board of Directors selected from the membership.
The Officers of the Society shall consist of a President, a Vice-President of Observing, a Secretary, a Community Relations director, and a Treasurer. These Officers shall serve as the executive Officers of the Board of Directors.
The Officers and Board of Directors shall be elected during the regular monthly meeting during the month of October.
Each office shall be voted on separately immediately following the closing of nominations of candidates for that office.
The results shall be tallied, with the results expressed verbally to the membership, and shall be officially recorded in the minutes by the Secretary.
The three at-large openings of the Board of Directors shall be elected by a written ballot.
To run for Board position, each candidate will inform the nominations committee that he/she desires to be placed on the ballot.
Positions on the written ballot will be determined by random selection (i.e. draw name from hat).
The three candidates with the most votes will take the at-large positions on the Board of Directors.
The election for Board of Directors shall take place after the election of Officers.
There shall be no absentee voting conducted during election of Officers and Board members.
The ballots shall be counted and registered in the Secretary's official minutes by a committee appointed by the President.
The term of office of all Officers and Board members shall be for one year, with the term beginning after the October meeting and continuing through the October meeting of the next year.
Officers and Board members may be removed from office by a two-thirds vote of a quorum after a show of due cause under the provision that the members be notified of such proposed action at the regular meeting prior to the meeting at which the action is to be taken.
Vacancies occurring between elections shall be filled by a special election at the regular meeting following the announcement of the resignation or withdrawal of the Officer or Board member. Duties of the office meanwhile reside with the President or his interim appointee.
Upon the Society Board of Directors shall rest the duties, responsibilities, and final authority for the conduct of the Society, except as stated in the by-laws.
The rules contained in the most recent revision of "Robert's Rules of Order" shall be the authority on all questions of procedures not specifically stated in the by-laws.
The Society shall be affiliated with the Astronomical League and shall pay all necessary dues to the League.
Regular meetings of the Society shall be held monthly. The Board of Directors shall have the power to change the date, time and temporary location of the regular meeting. The change in permanent location of the regular monthly meeting will take place under the vote of a majority of a quorum. Announcements of such a vote must be placed in the Society's Newsletter.
Special meetings shall be held at the call of the President, or the President shall call a special meeting for a specific purpose upon the written request of ten members.
One fourth of the membership of the Society shall constitute a quorum at any regular or special meeting.
The Board of Directors shall meet at least once twice a year, beginning at the time of their election. Time and location of Board of Directors meetings shall be announced in the Newsletter as specified by the President.
At least five Board members shall be present to conduct business, including three of the five Officers.
Any member of the Board of Directors may cast a proxy vote through another Board member. A written proxy must be filed with the Secretary before the start of the Board meeting,
The funds of the Society shall be deposited in a savings institution with all such transactions included in the detailed reports of the Treasurer.
The Officers and Board of Directors of the Society shall serve their term of office without remuneration of any kind from the Society.
A financial report shall be presented to the members attending a regular meeting by the Treasurer at the request of the President.
A financial audit shall be done by a committee appointed by the President, prior to the annual election of Officers, and results of this audit shall be presented to the membership at the next regular scheduled meeting.
The Officers shall authorize spending of all money of the Society in amounts less than one hundred dollars. All minimal disbursements shall be recorded in the detailed reports by the Treasurer.
Proposals to spend money in excess of one hundred dollars shall be presented to the Board of Directors for authorization.
There shall be an agreement among the members of the Society that shall be held acceptable by all members upon payment of annual dues, that holds the Society members and Officers harmless during any meeting or activity of the Society, both public and private.
Amendments to these by-laws may be introduced by the Officers of the Society at any regular meeting. A written copy of the proposed amendments shall be sent to each Society member, prior to the vote. The amendments shall be voted upon not later than two months from the time they were introduced. A two-thirds majority vote of a quorum of the members present at a regular meeting is required to adopt the amendments. Absentee votes received by the Officers shall be included in the total vote, but shall not be tallied until after the floor vote.
Last updated on 10/15/2007