By-Laws of The Metropolitan Herpetological Society

 

 

c/o Harvey J. Bird Jr., 34 Robinson Ave, Staten Island, N.Y. 10312

A Not-For-Profit, Reptile Husbandry & Conservation Club -Founded 2006

Article I. Name

The name of this organization shall be: "Metropolitan Herpetological Society"

Article II. Purpose

 

1. To promote the proper care & husbandry of reptiles and amphibians.
2. To discuss issues concerning the conservation of reptiles and
      amphibians.

 

Article III. Membership

Section 1. Membership in this society shall be open to all persons regardless of race, creed, sex, age, national origin, or handicap. Membership in the society will be determined solely by the payment of dues or the designation as an honorary member. Membership will be for the calendar year. Members will be entitled to: attend all meetings and functions of the society; receive all society publications and notice of meetings for the membership year.

Section 2. Honorary membership in the society may be granted by a percent vote of the Board of Directors. Such membership may be either for life, for a specified period of time, or ex officio (e.g. Curator of Herpetology at the Bronx Zoo). Honorary life membership is to be granted only to people who, in the opinion of the Board of Directors, have contributed significantly in some way, to the society. The number of honorary memberships at anyone time shall be limited to not more that two per twenty five due-paying members.

Article IV. Dues

 

Section 1. Membership dues will be annually as follows:

                 Regular Membership -$25 Family Membership -$30

* Family consists of two people residing in the same house.

Section 2. Dues are recommended by the Executive Board and confirmed by the membership at large. Executive board may review and recommend changes to dues from time to time. A membership shall become inactive automatically unless the membership is continued by further payment of the annual dues.

Article V. Officers

Section 1. There shall be two types of officers. There will be elected officers and appointed officers.

 

A.       The elected officers will be President, Vice President, Secretary and

           immediate past President.

       

B.       The appointed officers shall be the Editor of the Society newsletter and

           Membership Director and shall be appointed by the Elected Officers.        

Section 2. No one individual may hold two or more elective offices concurrently.

Section 3. The terms of office for all elected officers of the Society shall be for one year.

Section 4. The duties of the elective officers shall be as follows: membership at the general meeting. An outside audit shall be conducted prior to the elected Treasurer's acceptance of the Society's financial records by a three member committee appointed be the Society's President.

 

A.       The President shall preside at meetings of the Society and its officers; shall be nominal head of the Society; shall rule on questions of procedure that may arise; shall appoint ad hoc committees at his or her discretion.

 

B.       The Vice President organizes the general meetings and transmits information about upcoming meetings to the membership via the newsletter and or e-mail. The Vice President shall fulfill the duties of the President when the latter is absent.  He or she shall assume the Presidency should that office become vacant during a term.

 

C.       The Secretary shall read the minutes from the previous month at the beginning of each meeting, maintain the records of the Society and its officers; shall notify the membership of pertinent business; shall be responsible for all general correspondence of the Society, and shall produce ballots and supervise the voting procedures for elective officers.

 

D.       The Treasurer shall keep records and accounts of the Society including all monies received and disbursed; shall collect the annual dues and maintain the membership roster; and shall be responsible for all financial reports required by the business of the Society.  The Treasurer shall make a financial report to officers and the membership.

 

E.       The immediate past President shall serve as a member of the officers

of the Society.

 

Section 5. The duties of the Editor of the Society newsletter shall be as follows: The Editor shall be responsible for all phases of its publication and may appoint staff members to assist. In as much as the newsletter is the principal mechanism for written communication to the membership, the Editor is obligated to publish all communications of the Society and its officers on first priority and to include, as space permits, other items consonant with the stated objectives of the Society. The Editor shall report annually to the officers to whom he/she is responsible

Section 6. The duties of the Membership Director are as follows: The Membership Director will be responsible for keeping the mailing list, accepting and processing applications for membership, and producing materials for the solicitation of new members.

Article VI. Executive Board

Section 1. The Executive Council shall consist of the President, Vice-president, Secretary, Treasurer, immediate Past-president, Editor of the Society newsletter, and the Membership Director.

Section 2. The Executive Council shall be empowered to manage the affairs of the Society, such as set dues, establish rules and administer the routine business of the Society.

Section 3. The Executive Council shall fill any vacancy occurring among the officers, except that of President, by an appointment for the unexpired term.

Section 4. The Executive Council shall be specifically responsible for any publications of the Society and shall set policy as is needed to coordinate the contents of the various media so as to further the stated objectives of the Society and to insure the availability and distribution of the several items.

Section 5. A quorum for conducting the business of the executive board shall be a majority of all members of the executive board.

 

Article VII. Election of Officers

Section 1. Elections will be held yearly at the November meeting.

Section 2. Members will be informed of the upcoming elections during the September meeting and will have a chance to make their nominations at the October meeting.

Section 3. Each member will cast one vote for each executive office position. Family members will also receive only one vote. Those who have a family membership will select one representative from their family to cast the vote.

Section 4. The President shall appoint three members of the Society to serve as a nominating Committee, to include not more than one member of the current Executive Council.

 

Section 5. The Nominating Committee shall present a slate of candidates that includes the current officer and at least one person nominated by membership for each of the office positions. They shall submit the slate of candidates to the Secretary for distribution at the December meeting.

Section 6. The Secretary shall prepare the ballots and supervise the distribution and collection of the ballots. The Secretary shall receive the ballots and count the votes. The results of the election shall be communicated to the membership at the conclusion of the December meeting.

Section 7. The Secretary shall inform the elected candidates of their election. Newly elected persons will take office at the beginning of the next calendar year following the date of the election.

Section 8. In the case that anyone nominated decides not to run for the officer position and there are no other candidates who wish to fill the opening, the former officer of that position shall win by default.

 

 

Article VIII. Meetings

 

Section 1. The Society shall hold a meeting every third Monday of each month, at times and locations set by the Executive Council of the Society. Not more than eighteen months shall lapse between meetings.

Section 2. The membership shall be informed in writing of the time and place of the general meetings not later than two months prior to the opening of the meetings.

Section 3. Special meeting may be called by vote of a majority of the Executive Council, or on a petition of a quorum of the membership. The time and place of such special meetings must be announced to the membership in writing at least two weeks prior to the meeting.

Section 4. One tenth of the membership will constitute a quorum to petition for a special meeting.

 

Section 5. All meetings shall be conducted under Roberts Rules of Order.

 

 

Article IX. Meetings of the Executive Council of the Society

 

Section 1. The Executive Council shall meet every month at least a week prior to the upcoming general meeting.

Section 2. A simple majority of the Executive Council shall constitute a quorum.

Section 3. A simple majority of those present and voting shall be necessary to pass any motion.

Section 4. The meetings shall be conducted according to Roberts Rules of Order.

Section 5. Special meetings of the Executive Council may be called by the President or by a majority of same.

Article X. Fiscal Year

The fiscal year of the Society shall embrace the period of the First of January through the Thirty First of December of the same year.

Article XI. Amendment of the By Laws

Section 1. Amendments may be proposed by the Executive Councilor by petition to the Secretary by ten or more members of the Society.

Section 2. Proposed amendments must be submitted in writing to the Secretary at least three months prior to the general meeting at which time they are to be discussed.

Section 3. Such amendments shall be submitted in writing by the Secretary to the general membership at least two months prior to the general meeting at which they are to be discussed.

Section 4. To be approved, an amendment must receive a positive vote by two-thirds of those voting at the general meeting.

Section 5. Any adopted amendment shall become an integral part of the by-laws and the Secretary shall be instructed to add them to copies of the by-laws and to distribute the amended by-laws to the members of the Executive Council of the Society and to other interested members of the Society.

Article XII. Dissolution

Upon the dissolution of the Society, the Steering Committee shall, after payment of all liabilities, dispose of all the assets of the Society exclusively for the purposes, and in such manner, or to such an organization or organizations organized and operated exclusively for charitable, educational, religious, or scientific purposes, shall at the time qualify for exemption under Section 501(c)(7) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954 et seq.