FAS CONSTITUTION

This is the Forsyth Astronomical Society's Constitution:

FORSYTH ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY
Founded: 1937

CONSTITUTION
As Amended: September 1994

Article I: Name

The name of this organization shall be: Forsyth Astronomical
Society.

Article II: Purpose

a) To provide an enjoyable atmosphere for gaining and exchanging
information in all fields of the science and practice of astronomy.
b) To provide observations for members and the public.
c) To promote the science of astronomy among the public and increase
public education in astronomy.
d) To provide members a means of participating in the activities of
amateur astronomical societies.
e) To assist in professional research studies.

Article III: Meetings

Section 1. Regular Society meetings shall be scheduled at least
once a month, on a particular day and time of a particular week,
as a policy determined by a majority vote of the membership
attending such a meeting.
Section 2. Regular Society observations shall be scheduled at
least once a month at times determined by the Society’s officers.
Section 3. Special meetings and/or observations may be called by
the Society’s president on agreement of the Society’s officers.
Scheduling such meetings and observations may preclude the
scheduling of regular meetings or observations during a given
month.
Section 4. Any member under the age of 14 shall be accompanied by
an adult when attending Society meetings.

Article IV: Membership

Section 1. Membership shall be open to the general public.
Section 2. Interested parties submitting membership dues become
members on having been notified that their dues submittals have
been received by the Society’s treasurer or their welcome as new
members is indicated in the Society’s newsletter.
Section 3. Membership lasts only for the term specified for the
exchange of the membership dues.
Section 4. Membership entitles members to receive the Society’s
newsletter, borrow the Society’s instruments or library materials
under the conditions administered by the Society’s executive
board, vote in the Society’s elections, participate in any of the
Society’s meetings, observations, or projects specified
“exclusive”, or petition any of the officers or trustees
according to the wishes of the member or members. Those that are
of the family of a Society member may attend Society functions,
but otherwise possess no membership privileges or duties. Each
member shall receive a copy of this constitution.
Section 5. Honorary membership may be bestowed on non-members only
when the full membership votes by a majority to confer this
status. Honorary members shall have all membership privileges
except that of voting.
Section 6. Regular membership may be conferred by the Society on
non-members who have met some special obligation or deserve some
special acknowledgment according to the conditions established by
the Society for the acquiring of this membership status.
Section 7. Membership in the organization shall not be restricted
in any manner according to sex, race, religion, age, physical
capacity, or any other characterization considered to be a form
of discrimination under local, state, or federal laws.

Article VI. Officers

Section 1. The officers of the Society shall be president, vice-
president, secretary, and treasurer.
Section 2. Officers shall be elected and shall serve a term of one
year, covering the period from May 1 of the election calendar
year through April 30 of the following calendar year. Newly
elected officers shall assume the duties of the office on May
first of the term-year.
Section 3. Should a vacancy occur in any office between May 1 and
January 1 of the term-year, the Society shall elect a
replacement. If a vacancy occurs in any office between January 2
and April 30, the President shall designate a replacement or
assume the duties of the vacated office himself or herself.


Article VII. Trustees

Section 1. The trustee positions shall be librarian and historian.
On the establishment of an observatory, the position of
observatory director shall be conferred as a trustee position on
the date of the observatory dedication. Thereafter, the position
of observatory director shall be conferred as are the positions
of librarian and historian.
Section 2. Trustee positions are to be appointed by the Society’s
president after agreement is achieved among the Society’s
officers on who shall hold these positions. Vacancies shall be
handled promptly, through appointment in the same manner.
Section 3. Trustees’ terms shall be no longer than the remaining
term of the Society’s president.

Article VIII. Executive Board

Section 1. The executive board shall consist of the Society’s
officers and trustees.
Section 2. Members not serving on the executive board may petition
the executive board for the removal from office, members of the
executive board. The executive board must then investigate
whether the office-holder petitioned against has violated
provisions of this constitution, or any local, state, or federal
felony law. The office-holder petitioned against shall be made
promptly aware of the investigation. A findings report shall be
presented by the executive board the attending membership of a
regularly scheduled Society meeting on a date previously
announced in the Society’s newsletter. The report shall contain
the voluntary responses of the office-holder petitioned against.
After the report is made and appropriate debate has completed,
including the voluntary remarks of the office-holder petitioned
against, the executive board shall accept motions for removal
from the attending membership. After an appropriate second is
accepted, a majority vote of the attending membership shall
effect removal from office of the office-holder petitioned
against, as of the date of that vote. The executive board shall
then provide for the return of all items belonging to the Society
in the removed officer’s possession.

Article IX. Amendments

Amendments to this constitution must be submitted to the
executive board for its evaluation. This board shall present the
amendment in the Society’s newsletter and at the meeting following
that newsletter’s publication with an advisement as to the amendment’s
suitability. A proposal favoring the amendment from the membership
must be received at the meeting, and a second must follow. A vote on
the proposal shall then be taken, and a two-thirds majority of those
members present decides in the amendment’s favor. The amendment is
then incorporated into this document.

Article X: Financial Distribution

This organization is organized exclusively for the educational
and scientific purposes, including, for such purposes, the making of
distributions to organizations that qualify as exempt organizations
under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 (or the
corresponding provision of any future United States Internal Revenue
Law).

No part of the net earnings of the organization shall inure to
the benefit of, or be distributable to its members, trustees,
officers, or other private groups, except that the organization shall
be authorized and empowered to pay reasonable compensation for
services rendered and to make payments and distributions in
furtherance of the purposes set forth in Article II hereof. No
substantial part of the activities of the organization shall be the
carrying on of propaganda, or otherwise attempting to influence
legislation, and the corporation shall not participate in or intervene
in (including the publishing or distribution of statements) any
political campaign on behalf of any candidate for public office.
Notwithstanding any other provisions of these articles, the
organization shall not carry on any other activities not permitted to
be carried on (a) by an organization exempt from Federal income tax
under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 (or the
corresponding provision of any future United States Internal Revenue
Law) or (b) by a corporation, contributions to which are deductible
under section 170(c)(2) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 (or the
corresponding provisions of any future United States Internal Revenue
Law).

Upon the dissolution of the organization, the Executive Board
shall, after paying or making provision for the payment of all
liabilities of the organization, dispose of all of the assets of the
organization exclusively for the purposes of the organization in such
manner, or to such organization or organizations organized and
operated exclusively for charitable, educational, religious, or
scientific purposes as shall at the time qualify as an exempt
organization or organizations under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal
Revenue Code of 1986 (or the corresponding provision of any future
United States Internal Revenue Law), as the Executive Board shall
determine. Any such assets not so disposed of shall be disposed of by
the Superior Court of the county in which the principal office of the
organization is then located, exclusively for such purposes or to such
organization or organizations, as said Court shall determine, which
are organized and operated exclusively for such purposes.