Sanbornton Historical Society
Bylaws
ARTICLE
The name of this organization shall be the Sanbornton
Historical Society. The Society is incorporated as a non-profit organization
under the laws of the State of
ARTICLE II. PURPOSES
The purposes for which the Society is formed are the following:
1. To promote and inculcate an interest in and an
understanding of the history and development of the Town of
2. To collect and preserve historical and educational material, including antiques, histories, genealogies, directories, newspapers, manuscripts, pamphlets, diaries, letters, account books, charts, maps, documents and whatever may relate to the life, conditions and activities of the past and present of the Town of Sanbornton, including the original land grant.
3. To organize and preserve such historical and educational
material, and so far as practicable, to make such material available for
examination and study for those who may so desire, particularly the inhabitants
of the Town of
4. To locate, preserve, and mark historical sites and places
of public interest in the Town of
5. To disseminate historical information and arouse interest in the history, culture and development of New Hampshire and particularly the Town of Sanbornton, by publication of historical articles and by holding public meetings and assemblies for historical and related purposes.
6. To promote the sense of community, as well as the historical and rural character of Sanbornton.
ARTICLE III. FISCAL YEAR
The fiscal year will run from January 1 through December 31. Terms of appointments and elected offices shall correspond to the same.
ARTICLE IV. MEMBERSHIP
The society shall consist of regular, life and honorary memberships.
1. Membership is open, upon payment of dues, to any individual or institution concerned with or interested in the purposes of the Society.
2. Regular membership dues shall be:
Individual Family Institutional
$ 10.00 per year $ 15.00 per year $ 20.00 per year
3. Dues shall be payable on admission and thereafter on January 1 for the coming year.
4. Life membership dues shall be:
Individual Couple
$125.00 $200.00
5. Honorary membership may be conferred upon a person who has rendered an outstanding service or contribution to the Society and shall be by majority vote of the members present at the meeting at which the person's name is submitted by the Governing Board. Honorary members shall pay no dues.
6. Life and honorary members shall have all the privileges of the Society and all the rights of voting and holding office.
7. Members who chose to make monetary donations for on-going restorations and programs in excess of regular or lifetime membership dues shall be recognized with mention in the annual membership booklet based upon the following three levels of giving:
Trail Blazer Path Finder Voyager
$ 1 to $49 $ 50 to $99 $100 and up
ARTICLE V. OFFICERS AND GOVERNMENT
1. Management of the Society shall be vested in a Governing Board consisting of five officers, four directors, and the immediate past president of the Society. The officers shall be a president, a vice president, a recording secretary, a corresponding secretary and a treasurer.
2. Officers shall be elected for terms of one year each at the annual meeting by quorum vote. Officers shall serve no more than four consecutive terms in one office and are eligible for re-election after expiration of one year since their last term of office.
3. Directors shall be elected for a three-year term; one new director shall be elected each year. A director is eligible for re-election after expiration of one year since his/her last term of office.
4. A Nominating Committee shall be appointed by the Governing Board at least sixty days prior to the annual meeting.
5. The Governing Board shall be empowered to extend the term of an individual currently in office when this extension is in the best interest of the Historical Society.
6. If for whatever reason a member of the Governing Board does not complete his/her term of office, upon his/her resignation, the Board shall appoint a successor to serve the resigned member’s unexpired term of office.
7. Each Director shall and each Governing Board member may serve as a liaison to at least one committee of the Society.
8. Governing Board members shall be expected to attend as many meetings of the Board and of the Society as possible.
9. The Board shall have the authority to transact all business that comes before the Society relating to control and management of property, affairs, activities, and funds of the Society. The Board shall determine all policies of administration and operation of the Society, and shall assume responsibility for all its funds and financial transactions. Decisions of major importance, including all financial expenditures exceeding $500.00 shall be referred to the membership at regular or special meetings for approval. In case of emergency, the Board is empowered to spend the funds necessary to deal with the situation.
10. All Board members are charged with upholding the purposes of the Society as stated in Article II above.
11. Meetings of the Governing Board are open to the membership. Only Board members shall make motions, vote and otherwise participate in official policy making. The president shall have the authority to call or cancel meetings of the Board.
12. The Governing Board shall be responsible for a biennial review of the bylaws. The bylaws may be written, amended, altered or repealed at any meeting of the Society. (See Article VIII, No.5)
ARTICLE VI. DUTIES OF OFFICERS
The President shall:
1. Preside at all meetings of the Board and of the Society.
2. Be the second signatory for the Society's safe-deposit box and the gift shop account.
3. Write the annual letter.
4. In conjunction with the Governing Board, be responsible for program planning and finding hosts and hostesses for each program.
The Vice President shall:
1. Assume the duties and the authority of the President in his/her absence.
2. Be responsible for news releases and other publicity of Society meetings and activities.
3. See that each new Board member receives an orientation before he/she takes office. The orientation is to include a tour of the Lane Tavern, a history of the Sanbornton Historical Society, a copy of the current bylaws, a copy of the Conflict of Interest Policy Statement and copies of the minutes of all Board and Membership meetings of the current year just ending.
The Recording Secretary shall:
1. Keep full records of all meetings of the Governing Board and of the Society.
2. Read or otherwise make accessible to the membership the minutes of the previous membership meetings.
3. Send minutes of previous Board meetings and notices of upcoming Board meetings to all Board members.
4. Assume the duties of the Corresponding Secretary in his/her temporary absence.
5. Be responsible for reporting any
amendments to the bylaws to the Attorney General (Attorney General's Office,
Division of Charitable Trusts,
The Corresponding Secretary shall:
1. Be responsible for all mail delivered to the Society at P.O. Box 2, Sanbornton, NH 03269; and distribute or handle that mail or confer with the President as appropriate.
2. Conduct specific correspondence of the Society at the request of the President and of the Board.
3. Write acknowledgments of all donations to the Society's collections and of deaths of members and notes of appreciation to Program Speakers.
4. Keep a scrapbook of news clippings or copies of new items
of historical significance to the Town of
5. Assume the duties of the Recording Secretary in his/her temporary absence.
6. Be responsible for mailing all official notices to the membership, including the annual letter and directory and proposed amendments to the bylaws.
7. Mail the annual letter and directory to the New Hampshire Historical Society and other local organizations.
The Treasurer shall:
1. Keep an accurate record of all monies received and disbursed by the Society except those associated with the Gift Shop and the Farmers' Market. (Gift Shop and Farmers' Market monies shall be the responsibility of the member in charge of the Gift Shop and the Farmers' Market who shall report income and expenditures to the Treasurer on the first of each month.)
2. Be responsible for all bank deposits and investments in the name of the Society and pay all the Society's bills and be the first signatory for the Society's safe deposit box.
3. Collect and record all membership dues, acknowledging their receipt with a note and a membership card.
4. Send to each new member copies of the current bylaws of the Society, the most recent annual letter and/or newsletter, and the current year's directory, in addition to a note and a membership card.
5. Inform Corresponding Secretary of all donations received, all changes of address, and the names and addresses of new members.
6. Read or otherwise make accessible monthly accounts at regular membership meetings of the Society.
7. Submit an annual financial statement to be included in the annual letter to the membership.
8. Present honoraria to program speakers.
9. File annually with the State of New Hampshire Department of Justice, Division of Charitable Trusts.
10. File an annual inventory of real estate and personal
property, on which tax exemption is claimed, with the Town of
ARTICLE VII. COMMITTEES
1. All committees shall actively uphold the purposes of the Society as stated in Article II. Committee chairs shall be appointed by the Board or selected by the Committee members.
2. Committees may make reports of proposed or on-going activities to the Board and to the membership, with prior knowledge of the President; shall submit an annual report to the President at the end of the fiscal year, to be included in the annual letter to members.
3. The Building Committee shall be responsible for capital improvement to and maintenance of Lane Tavern and the Garage, according to guidelines of proper historic preservation as described by the U.S. Department of the Interior; shall be responsible for seasonal operation of Lane Tavern, including fireplaces, water, plumbing, basement ventilation and any other considerations or contingencies yet unforeseen; shall be responsible with the Tavern Uses Committee for the cleaning of the Tavern as is necessary seasonally, or before and after special events; shall be responsible with the President for the preparation of the Tavern for general meetings.
4. The Collections Committee shall be responsible for the
preservation of the collections and for the exhibition of articles of
significance to the Town of
5. The Education Committee shall be responsible for school
tours of Lane Tavern, its grounds and collections; and for any other
educational or outreach programs of its own design that are of historical
significance to the Town of
6. The Grounds and Landscape Committee shall be responsible for annual and perennial beautification and maintenance of gardens and grounds owned by the Society, including the brick walls at the front and side of the Tavern.
7. The Tavern Uses Committee shall write a policy statement, including a fee schedule to be reviewed by the Governing Board periodically; shall be responsible for scheduling events other than Society activities to take place at Lane Tavern, making the contract for such an event, and opening and closing the Tavern for such an event; shall communicate with the Buildings Committee on any such scheduled event immediately upon receiving the request for same.
8. The Farmers' Market Committee shall plan and operate the farmers' market on the grounds of the Society. This Committee may develop market guidelines, elect an advisory board, schedule meetings and receive and disburse monies. The Farmers' Market Committee shall recommend a director to the Governing Board for a three-year term, submit monthly financial data to the Society Treasurer, assist in the maintenance and upkeep of any grounds and buildings used by the market and assist other committees as required. All farmers' market members and vendors shall become members of the Society.
9. The Nominating Committee shall consist of one member of the current Governing Board, one past president of the Society and one member of the Society. This Committee shall present a slate of officers and directors for the coming year at the annual meeting, for election by the membership. This Committee shall be dissolved after the annual meeting.
10. Special Ad Hoc Committees may be appointed by the Board as necessary.
ARTICLE VIII. MEETINGS
1. All meetings of the Society shall be governed by Roberts' Rules of Order.
2. Fifteen members present shall constitute a quorum for the conducting of official business at membership meetings; four voting members, plus the presiding officer, will constitute a quorum for conducting official business at Board meetings.
3. Regular meetings of the Society shall be held on the first Wednesday of the month, April through October; the Board may change meeting dates if necessary.
4. The annual meeting of the Society shall be held on the first Wednesday in October for the election of officers and for the transaction of other business as may come before it. Nominees for officers and directors shall be presented by the Nominating Committee, and nominations may be made from the floor as well.
5. Special meetings of the Society may be called by the president, by a majority of the Board, or by written request of ten members of the Society. Members shall be notified by mail postmarked 30 days prior to any meeting at which action on special items may be required. No other business shall be included in the notice.'
6. Notices of regular meetings, the annual meeting, and special events shall be mailed to members in the form of an annual directory, postmarked 30 days prior to the first meeting of the fiscal year. .
Revised and Amended