CONSTITUTION
OF THE CHESTER HISTORICAL SOCIETY, INC.
(Printed September 2003…incorporating amendments of 1984, 1989, 1997 and 2003)
Article I
The name of this Society shall be the Chester Historical Society.
Article II
Purpose
The purpose of this Society shall be to discover and collect any material that may help to establish or illustrate the history of the area.
The Society shall provide for the preservation of such material and for its accessibility, as far as feasible, to all serious individuals who wish to examine or study it.
The Society shall cooperate with officials in insuring the preservation and accessibility of the records and archives of the Township and Borough governments.
The Society shall undertake to encourage the preservation of the artifacts, documents, historic buildings, monuments, and similar historic sites.
The Society shall cooperate with the state historic society to collect and preserve material and information of statewide significance.
The Society shall be a non-profit corporation.
This Society shall be organized and operated exclusively for educational, scientific, and literary purposes, no part of the net earnings of which shall inure to the benefit of any private individual, no part of the activities of which is carrying on propaganda, or otherwise attempting to influence legislation and which does not participate in or intervene in any political campaign on behalf of any candidate for public office.
Article III
Membership
Membership shall be of seven classes: 3
1. Individual Membership – Any individual over eighteen years of age interested in the purposes of the Society.
2. Family Membership – Any household, including minor children. 3
3. Associate Membership – Any individual under eighteen years of age, any full-time student, or any individual sixty-two years of age or older. 3
4. Sustaining Membership – Any organization or individual making a donation in addition to their annual dues. 3
5. Honorary – Honorary membership may be conferred upon any person whose activities have exceptionally contributed to the objectives of the Society. Honorary members shall be elected by a three-fourths majority vote at a regular Board meeting at least 30 days after members receive written notice of the nomination. Such Honorary membership shall be for life and as such, those members shall be able to vote and hold office. 3
6. Business – Membership is extended to individuals, companies, corporations or foundations that want to make significant contributions to the Society. 3
7. Life – An individual paying a one-time predetermined fee. 3
Article IV
Annual Meeting
The annual meeting of the Society shall be held as provided in the By-Laws.
Article V
Officers
Sec. 1 The officers of the Society shall consist of a president, vice-president, recording and corresponding secretaries, and treasurer. These five officers, plus the chairmen of the standing committees, and immediate past president, and two additional trustees at large elected from the general membership, and the Chester Borough and Chester Township Historians, shall comprise the Board of Trustees of the Society.1, 2
Sec. 2 The term of office for the officers and elected Trustees shall be two years. The president, recording secretary, and Trustees shall be elected in “even” years. The vice-president, corresponding secretary, and treasurer shall be elected in “uneven” years.
Sec. 3 All officers shall be elected by a plurality of votes cast by secret ballot at an annual meeting by the members in good standing present. 3
Sec. 4 Nomination for the office of president, vice-president, secretaries, treasurer, and trustees shall be presented to the membership of the Society one month before the election by the nominating committee, appointed by the president. Nominations may also be made by any member of the Society in good standing prior to the balloting at the annual meeting. A candidate for office shall be a member of the Society in good standing. 3
Sec. 5 A person who has been elected as president or vice-president for three consecutive full terms shall not be nominated to the same office unless at least one year elapses between the end of his/her last term and the beginning of the term for which he/she is nominated.
Sec. 6 Officers elected at the Annual Meeting of the Society shall take office as of the commencement of the ensuing fiscal year and shall serve without remuneration until their successors have been duly elected and installed. In the event of the resignation or incapacity of any officer except the president, the vacancy will be filled by a vote of the Board of Trustees of the Society for the unexpired term of office; the president’s office shall be filled by the vice-president whose office shall then be filled by a vote of the Board of Trustees of the Society. In the event the vice-president is unwilling or unable to assume the office of the president, then a president must be elected by the Board of Trustees to fill out the unexpired term of the president.2
Article VI
Amendment
Sec. 1 This Constitution may be amended at any regular meeting by a two-thirds vote of members in good standing present. 3
Sec. 2 All proposed amendments shall be submitted in writing to the secretary of the Society at least thirty days prior to the regular meeting.
Sec. 3 The secretary of the Society will notify all members of the Society in writing of the proposed amendments to this Constitution at least ten days prior to the regular meeting.
Article VII
Dissolution
In the event of dissolution of this organization, the assets shall be distributed only to organizations that enjoy exempt status in accordance with the provisions of section 501 {c} (3) of the Internal Revenue Code.
1 Amended August 1989
2 Amended August 1997
3 Amended August 2003