Society Bylaws

Article 1
Name:

The name of this organization shall be THE SOCIETY OF NEW CONCORD—a revival and continuation of the original name of the hamlet of New Concord at its founding circa 1764.

Its postal address is East Chatham, New York 12060

Article 2
Purposes:

The Society, a non-profit organization recognized as a 501(c)(3) organization by the Internal Revenue Service, shall have the following purposes:

1. To promote

   the general community welfare of the hamlet of New Concord and the fellowship of its residents, and
    

2. To encourage
   research into the history of New Concord, publication of the results of the research, and preservation of relevant historical information and artifacts, and
   

3. Notwithstanding any other provision of these articles:

   1. The Society is organized exclusively for one or more of the following purposes: religious, charitable, scientific, testing for public safety, literary, or educational purposes…as specified in section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954, and 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 1954.
      

   2. No part of the net earnings of the Society shall inure to the benefit of any member, trustee, director, or officer of the Society, or any private individual (except that reasonable compensation may be paid for services rendered to or for the Society), and no member, trustee, or officer shall be entitled to share in the distribution of any of the Society's assets upon dissolution of the Society.
      

   3. No substantial part of the activities of the Society shall be carrying on propaganda (or otherwise attempting) to influence legislation (except as otherwise provided by Internal Revenue Code section 501(h)), or by intervening in (including the publication or distribution of statements) in any political campaign on behalf of any candidate for public office.
      

   4. Upon dissolution of the Society, assets shall be distributed for one or more exempt purposes within the meaning of section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code or corresponding section of any future Federal tax code, or shall be distributed to the Federal government, or to state or local government, for a public purpose. The Offices of Town Historian of the Town of Chatham, New York and the Town Historian of the Town of Canaan, New York shall be primary organizations considered.

Article 3
Membership:

1. Regular Members:

   Any person willing to support the purposes of the Society of New Concord, and who maintains payment of dues, shall be eligible for regular voting membership.
    

2. Charter Members:

   The Charter Members of the Society are those persons admitted to membership prior to or on March 21, 1983. Their names can be found in the "New Concord column" of the Chatham Courier  of December 23, 1982, March 10, 1983, and April 14, 1983.
    

3. Honorary Members:

   The Town Historians of the towns of Chatham and Canaan shall be Honorary Members, ex officio, of the Society. The Board of Directors of the Society is authorized to designate other worthy persons as Honorary Members. Honorary Members shall be non-voting members and exempt from paying dues.

Article 4
Directors and Officers:

1. Board of Directors
   
   A board of directors consisting of six Regular Members were selected at the first Annual Meeting of the Society in July 1983. Two directors were elected to serve one-year terms, two for two-year terms, and two for three-year terms. As the term of each director subsequently expired, his/her successor was elected for a three-year term at the Annual Meeting of the Society.

   Effective in January 2007, the board of directors shall consist of nine Regular Members serving staggered three-year terms. Of the three additional seats open for election at the 2007 Annual Meeting, one will be filled by a director elected for a one-year term, one elected for a two-year term, and one elected for a three-year term. As each of these terms expires, the successor will be elected for a three-year term. As a result of this change, starting in 2008, three board seats will be subject to election each year.
    

2. Officers
   
   The Officers of the Society shall consist of a President, Vice-President, Treasurer, Secretary and Historian. Each year (beginning in 2007), the officers, with the exception of the Historian, shall be elected by the Board of Directors from among the Board's members following each Annual Meeting. The Historian shall be chosen by the Board from among the Board's members or the Society's Regular Members.
   

3. The duties of the directors and officers are:
   

   1. Board of Directors:
      
      The Board of Directors, acting as a body, shall be the governing board of the Society on all policy matters in between general meetings of the Society membership. It shall approve the creation of committees to carry on Society activities.
      

   2. President:
      
      The President shall be the Chief Executive Officer of the Society and shall be responsible for properly executing the directives of the general membership and the Board of Directors. He/she is responsible for appointing all committee chairmen and for taking initiatives in recommending plans for future Society activities.
      

   3. Vice-President:
      
      In the absence of the President, the Vice-President shall assume all of his/her duties, powers and responsibilities.
      

   4. Secretary:
      
      The Secretary is responsible for recording minutes of meetings of the general membership and of the board of directors and, in addition, for preparing and mailing meeting notices.
      

   5. Treasurer:
      
      The Treasurer shall be responsible for maintaining the several accounts of the Society and its checking account(s); for all fiscal affairs, including tax returns and insurance; and for payment of bills in a timely manner.
      

   6. Historian:
      
      The Historian shall engage in historical research relevant to New Concord's history and shall prepare appropriate papers for publication. He/she shall submit information on the Society's current activities for publication in the "New Concord column" of the Chatham Courier.
      

   7. Clarification of Duties:
      
      The Board of Directors of the Society is empowered to clarify and modify the specific duties of the officers, as appropriate, consistent with the general intent of Article IV, Section C.