BYLAWS
November 2012
Bylaws of the Nicaragua Study Group
Article I -
Name
The name of the organization shall be “Nicaragua
Study Group” and its journal shall be named “Nicarao.”
Article II - Purpose
The organization’s purpose shall be to study the
postal and fiscal emissions of Nicaragua and its postal history and fiscal
history and to disseminate the results of such study among its members, other
philatelists and the general public.
Article III - Members
Any natural person may become a member of the
organization on payment of its annual calendar-year dues, as established by
the officers. The fiscal year of the group shall match the calendar year.
Article IV - Officers
The organization’s officers shall include a
president, a secretary-treasurer and an editor, but the officer positions may
be combined or be held by the same person as necessary, as determined by the
president.
The president shall preside over the group’s affairs
and may appoint officers, committees and heads of committees as the president
deems necessary. The president shall fill any vacancies as the president deems
necessary.
The secretary-treasurer shall maintain a list of the
group members and a file of the group’s publications, shall receive any
ballots and announce their results in the group’s journal, shall advise
members when annual dues are payable; shall receive and deposit such dues and
other group income in a chartered bank or chartered credit union; shall pay
from such funds any correct and invoiced obligations of the group, including
reimbursing officers for out-of-pocket expenses; shall maintain a budget for
the group; shall publish an annual treasurer’s report in Nicarao,
and shall report the fiscal status of the organization as required by law.
The editor shall produce the group’s quarterly
journal, shall solicit articles and other content for it and edit it, shall
arrange for printing the journal or creating other necessary files, and shall
distribute the journal to members and others. Quarterly issues shall be dated
January, April, July and October, or some similar sequence. In conjunction
with the group’s purpose, additional issues or other publications may be
published at the discretion of the officers.
Article V - Elections
The group shall conduct elections only as necessary.
By February 1 of any year, a minimum of two members may nominate in writing
any one or more of themselves as an officer or officers of the group. This
offer shall name the candidate or candidates for the office or offices and
shall state their willingness to serve. If any sitting officer or officers do
not defer to the offer, then an election shall be held by ballot distributed
with the July issue of the group’s journal, the results shall be published in
the October issue, and anyone newly elected shall begin in office as of
November 1.
Article VI - Tenure of Officers and Emergencies
Each officer shall serve an open term and as
necessary shall recruit a replacement for that office, usually with the help
of the president and subject to the approval of the president. If the group
is unable to fill the position of president, the group may continue to
function as the members see fit.
If the group has no members willing to serve as
editor and secretary-treasurer, then within 12 months one or two members may
reinstitute themselves as those two officers and shall act in accordance with
the purpose of the organization and these bylaws.
In the event that the group formally dissolves,
members may receive reimbursement of no more than their current year dues and
paid-up future dues, but no reimbursement is guaranteed. Any remaining funds
shall be donated to the American Philatelic Society.
Article VII - Not for Profit
No income or profit from the operation of the group,
aside from reimbursement of correct and invoiced out-of-pocket expenses,
shall inure to any officer or member of the group.
Article VIII - Amendments and Ballots
The secretary-treasurer shall distribute to all
members a ballot for any amendment to these bylaws or for any election. A
majority of those returning ballots to the secretary-treasurer shall
determine the outcome of any ballot. The president shall break any tie vote.
The bylaws are as revised in 2012
and adopted by the membership in summer 2012 (previous bylaws published in
1997)
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