PISG - Bylaws

Pitcairn Islands Study Group

devoted to the study of the people and philately of the Pitcairn Islands

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PISG Bylaws

Article I - Membership

Section 1 :

Application for membership must be made to the Secretary and be accompanied by the first year's dues.

Section 2 :

Name and address (unless Secretary has been instructed to the contrary) of new members shall be published in the next issue of the Pitcairn Log. If no objection to such member is expressed in writing to the President within thirty (30) days of publication, the new member shall be considered as accepted. If an objection is expressed, the Board of Directors shall investigate and decide what action is in order.

Section 3 :

Four (4) classes of active membership shall exist as follows:

Regular Member is one who pays current dues, and who then has the right to vote, to participate in all departments and activities of the Study Group and to hold office.
Contributing Member is a regular member who makes a monetary contribution to the Society in excess of the prescribed dues. On the annual membership list, contributing members shall be so designated.
Honorary Members (without payment of dues) are those designated and selected by the Board of Directors as individuals who have made outstanding or unusual contributions to the advancement of philatelic knowledge and history of the Pitcairn Islands.
Life Members are persons who either pay the current Life Membership fee as established by the Board of Directors or who are designated by the Board of Directors as such for special services rendered to the Study Group. Life member status is only granted for the member's natural life. Institutions may not become Life Members.

Article II - Powers and Duties of Officers

Section 1 : Office of the President

The President is the Principal Executive Officer, and shall enforce the Constitution and Bylaws of the Study Group.
The President shall appoint and have general supervision of the Pitcairn Log Editor, Auction Manager, Publicity Chairman, Show Coordinator, and additional administrative officers not provided in the Constitution and Bylaws as well as members of special committees deemed necessary for the proper functioning of the Study Group.
The President shall call and preside at all meetings of the Study Group.
The President shall be the presiding officer of the Board of Directors.
The President shall have the power to fill vacancies among the officers of the Board caused by death or resignation from the active membership for the unexpired period of the position in question.
The President shall keep the membership informed of all activities of the Society and matters of general interest by means of reports published in the Pitcairn Log.
The President shall designate the Treasurer or other officer to prepare the annual budget for submission for approval to the Board of Directors.
The President shall perform all other duties incident to that office.
The President shall be responsible for the protection of all Study Group property. This includes intellectual property that includes, but is not limited to, software, databases, computer files, websites, URLs, and copyrights of all Study Group publications.

Section 1A : Office of the Immediate Past President

The office of Immediate Past President may only be occupied by a living person.
Upon the death or non-qualification of the Immediate Past President, the President shall have the power to fill the vacancy from the active membership of living past presidents for the period until the President leaves office.

Section 2 : Office of the Vice President

The Vice president shall advise and assist the President.
The Vice President shall, in the absence, extended illness, or death of the President, assume all the duties and powers of the President.
The Vice President shall officially welcome new members into the Society.
The Vice president shall serve as a member of the Board of Directors.

Section 3 : Office of the Secretary

The Secretary shall keep an accurate and up-to-date membership list.
The Secretary shall provide the Pitcairn Log Editor with updates on new members, deletions, and corrections prior to each edition of the Pitcairn Log.
The Secretary, on receiving membership forms from the Treasurer shall assign a membership number, set up records, shall issue and send a membership card along with the most recent copy of the Pitcairn Log.
The Secretary shall send delinquent dues notices.
The Secretary shall serve as a member of the Board of Directors.
The Secretary shall send subsequent delinquent dues notices (after the Treasurer's initial notice).

Section 4 : Office of the Treasurer

The Treasurer shall be the only person authorized to maintain banking facilities in the Study Group's name. He or she shall sign all checks, but the President shall also be an authorized signatory in the case of emergency.
The Treasurer may delegate banking responsibilities in order to promote efficient operation of funds. This may be done only with the approval of the Board of Directors.
The Treasurer or his/her agent shall receive all new membership forms, deposit dues, and forward forms to the Secretary. The Treasurer shall send initial delinquent dues notices.
The Treasurer shall provide funds to all Officers and Directors as provided in the Bylaws and Budget. Payment of expenses that exceed $500 that are not directly related to the production and delivery of the Pitcairn Log require the approval of the Board of Directors. All honorariums and other such payments must be approved by the current Board. Recurring honorariums are prohibited.
The Treasurer's records shall be audited annually during the month of April.
The Treasurer shall send the President an annual statement of the Study Group's financial standing by February 15 of each year. The statement will include an operating statement showing revenues and expenses and a balance sheet showing assets and liabilities. Life membership funds received after this bylaw comes into effect will be identified separately from the general fund. The April issue of the Pitcairn Log shall print the accepted report.
The Treasurer shall serve as a member of the Board of Directors.

Section 5 : Board of Directors

The Board of Directors shall be the principal administrative body of the Society and be composed of the President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, Immediate Past President, Editor of the Pitcairn Log, and three Directors-at-Large. Other appointive officers may also serve as voting members of the Board.
The Board of Directors shall establish all Study Group policy except for those issues which the Board shall decide to present to the membership as a whole for a vote. The Board shall arbitrate disputes and be the final judge on membership matters.
Each member of the Board of Directors shall be entitled to one (1) vote.
A simple majority vote shall be necessary for any decision by the Board of Directors.
The Board of Directors shall have the power to remove from office any officer who is not properly discharging the required duties of his/her office.
The President serves as the presiding officer of the Board of Directors.

Section 6 : Executive Committee

The Executive Committee shall be composed of the President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, Immediate Past President, until replace by his/her successor.
The Executive Committee shall function as a standing committee of the Board of Directors to act on immediate or urgent business of the Study Group.
Any major actions or decisions of the Executive Board as defined by the Bylaws shall be ratified by the Board of Directors as a whole at the appropriate time.

Article III - Qualifications for Office

Section 1 :: To be eligible for an elected office, an active member must have been in good standing for two (2) years prior to election date.
Section 2 :: To be eligible for the office of President, a member must have served as an elected officer, Director-at-Large, or in an appointed office of the Study Group.
Section 3 :: Members being nominated must accept the nomination in writing before the ballot is printed.

Article IV - Elections

Section 1 :

The election of officers shall occur every two years, in an odd numbered year. The election shall be conducted by mail and email with each member in good standing entitled to one vote. The candidate receiving the highest number of votes cast for each office shall be deemed elected.

Section 2 :

Nominating Committee - By December 1 (or before) prior to the election year, the President shall appoint a nominating committee of at least two members. This committee shall submit the names of at least two nominees for each office if possible, and must clarify to the Secretary, when transmitting the names, that all nominees are agreed to serve if elected. To assist the Nominating Committee, any member in good standing may be placed in nomination by the signatures of at least five members providing such nomination reaches the committee on or before January 15 of the election year.

Section 3 :

The Ballot and the Election Committee

The Secretary shall prepare the official ballot and shall cause it to be mailed to each member in good standing with the April issue of the Pitcairn Log.
An Election Committee of two or more members who are not nominees on the current ballot shall be appointed by the President to tally the votes received on or before June 1 and they shall certify the results to the Secretary. The Secretary will notify the new officers of their election and also inform the Editor of the Pitcairn Log so that the results may be included in the July issue.

Section 4 :

The President and the Vice President shall hold office for a two-year period beginning September 1 of the election year. They must be re-elected every two years. The term of office is unlimited.

Section 5 :

The Secretary and Treasurer shall hold office for a two-year period beginning September 1 of the election year. They must be re-elected every two years. The term of office is unlimited.

Section 6 :

Directors-at-Large shall hold office for a six-year term, with one being chosen at each election, in order to provide continuity of service. Directors-at-Large may succeed themselves once.

Article V - Dues

Section 1 :: The amount of dues shall be determined from time to time by the Board of Directors after consultation with the Treasurer.The Board of Directors will meet annually, before the printing of the dues notice, to set rates in non- United States currencies. Dues may only be paid in currencies for which a rate has been set by the Board of Directors.
Section 2 :: The dues year is from July 1 to June 30. Dues are payable annually upon receipt of notice. The dues include a year's subscription to the Pitcairn Log which is presently issued quarterly. Notice to be sent with the July Pitcairn Log.
Section 3 :: No refund of dues will be made to a member who resigns or is expelled.
Section 4 :: Life Membership dues when paid are considered non-refundable.

Article VI - Official Publication

Section 1 :: The official publication shall be in the form of a journal and shall be entitled the Pitcairn Log.
Section 2 :: The Pitcairn Log shall be published in accordance with a schedule established by the Board of Directors.
Section 3 :: The Editor shall be appointed by the President with the approval of the Board of Directors.
Section 4 :: The Editor shall be a member of the Board of Directors with full voting rights.
Section 5 :: The Editor shall have the sole right to accept, modify, or reject any and all articles or advertisements submitted by members or non-members. The Editor shall not accept political advertisements. This includes advertisements for candidates for PISG office. The Editor shall publish reports received from Study Group officers and committees.
Section 6 :: Any byline article or advertisement appearing in the Pitcairn Log represents the opinion of the author, and not necessarily that of the Study Group or Editor.
Section 7 :: A schedule of advertising rates shall be established by the Editor with the approval of the Board of Directors.
Section 8 :: The Editor shall pay no fees for articles to be published except with approval of the Board of Directors.
Section 9 :: The Editor shall be responsible for the distribution of the Pitcairn Log to all active members.
Section 10 :: Written permission of the Editor must be obtained for any reproduction of material appearing in the Pitcairn Log.
Section 11 :: In general, all funds received by the Editor shall be forwarded to the Treasurer. The Editor will operate from a fund provided by the Treasurer.
Section 12 :: The Editor may enter into publication exchange agreements with editors of other philatelic publications. Such publications received in exchange shall be deposited in the Study Group's Library.

Article VII - Other Appointive Positions

Section 1 :: The President, with the approval of the board of Directors, shall have the power to appoint Directors or Chairman for special Study Group activities and newly formed departments. These may include, for example, a Research Coordinator, a Publicity Chairman, A Show coordinator and an APS Representative. The President shall develop with each appointee a budget and procedures for carrying through all necessary duties of such a department.
Section 2 :: Each Department Director shall deposit any revenues with the Treasurer and shall operate from a petty cash fund provided by the Treasurer.
Section 3 :: The term of all appointed officers will expire at the end of the President's term. The President, with the consent of the Board of Directors, may re-appoint said officers. Appointed officers may serve as voting members of the Board of Directors, at the discretion of the current elected Board, with the exception of the Editor who is always a member of the Board.

Article VIII - Regional Chapter StudyGroups

Section 1 :: Regional chapter study groups may be formed by any five members in good standing by written notice to the Secretary, who will announce the formation of the regional group in the Pitcairn Log.
Section 2 :: Membership in such regional groups shall be the right and privilege of members of the PISG only.
Section 3 :: Funds may be advanced to regional groups as determined by a majority decision of the Board of Directors.

Article IX - Dissolution

Section 1 :: The Study Group shall not be dissolved as long as twenty-five (25) active and life members desire its continuance.
Section 2 :: In the event the Study Group is dissolved, all assets including property and cash shall be donated or distributed in whole or in part to the specialized society representing the nearest field of interest or to the American Philatelic Society.

Article X - Resignations

Section 1 :: An elected or appointed officer who finds it necessary may resign the office by submitting a written resignation to the President. The President may resign by submitting a resignation to the Board of Directors.
Section 2 :: The President, with the approval of the Board of Directors, upon the resignation of an elected officer shall appoint a replacement officer to fill the unexpired term.

Article XI - Banishment and Loss of Membership

Section 1 :: Any officer, elected or appointed, may be removed from office by a simple majority vote of the Board of Directors when due cause is shown.
Section 2 :: A President who is removed from office shall not serve on the Board of Directors as Immediate Past President.
Section 3 :: Any member shall be banished from the Study Group when it is proven to the satisfaction of the Board of Directors that the member concerned has engaged in activities detrimental to the name or interests of the Study Group and/or its members or to philately in general.
Section 4 :: No officer of the Study Group shall use his or her Study Group office for personal or monetary profit. All such reported actions will be investigated by the Board of Directors with banishment from the Study Group the ultimate penalty.

Article XII - – Bounty Anchor Award

Section 1 :: The Bounty Anchor Award is the Study Group’s highest award given in recognition of exceptional contributions to the Study Group, Pitcairn philately and/or the Pitcairn Islands.
Section 2 :: Recipients are nominated by the President and confirmed by the unanimous consent of the board of directors at a legally constituted meeting of the board or, outside of a board meeting, by unanimous signed written consent of the board of directors that is transmitted to the Secretary.
Section 3 :: A maximum of two awards may be given during a two year presidential term.
Section 4 :: Recipients must be living before the conclusion of any vote by the board.

Article XIII – Parliamentary Authority

Section 1 :: Robert’s Rules of Order, as currently revised, shall govern the Study Group in all cases in which they are not inconsistent with the constitution and bylaws of the Study Group.

Article XIV – Meetings of the Board of Directors

Section 1 :: Meetings of the Board of Directors may only be in person or via electronic device that enables all directors to speak and be heard by all other members simultaneously. Outside of a board meeting, motions may be adopted when signed written consents from all members of the Board of Directors are transmitted to the Secretary.

Article XV - Amendment

Section 1 :: The Bylaws shall not be altered or amended except by a three-fourths (3/4) vote of the Board of Directors to do so.
Section 2 :: The proposed change shall be presented to the membership in the edition of the Pitcairn Log following the decision by the Board of Directors.
Section 3 :: The proposed change shall become effective ninety (90) days after its publication in the Pitcairn Log unless twenty-six (26) percent of the full membership voice objection in writing to the President.
Section 4 :: No Bylaws may be enacted which conflict with the Constitution.

Article XVI - Intent

Section 1 :: These Bylaws supersede any and all previous rules and regulations of the Study Group.

Article XVII - Implementation

Section 1 :: This set of Bylaws, duly revised and approved on August 18, 2013, shall become fully operational on April 1, 2014, superseding all previous versions of the Bylaws.