CONSTITUTION
of the
TENNEY FAMILY ASSOCIATION

 

ARTICLE I

NAME

The society shall be called the Tenney Family Association Incorporated.

ARTICLE II

PURPOSE

The purpose of this Association shall be to educate the public regarding the legacy of Thomas Tenney (1614-1700) of Rowley, Massachusetts and his descendants.

ARTICLE III

MEMBERS

Sec. 1    Types of Membership. The membership shall consist of Basic, Family, Sustaining, Life and Benefactor.

Sec. 2    Dues. Upon payment of dues, no person interested in Tenney Family history shall be denied membership.

Sec. 3    Non-Payment of Dues. Any member shall be dropped from membership for non-payment of dues sixty (60) days after dues become payable.

Sec. 4    Loss of Membership. The members are empowered to drop any members for sufficient cause by a vote of two-thirds of the voting members present.

Sec. 5    Votes. Each category of membership in the Association shall be entitled to one vote, be it in person, proxy, absentee ballot or electronically.

ARTICLE IV

OFFICERS

Sec. 1    Officers. The officers of this Association shall consist of a President, Vice-President, Recording Secretary, Corresponding Secretary, Treasurer, Newsletter Editor, Curator, Genealogist, Merchandise Manager and Membership Chairman.

Sec. 2    Terms of Office. The terms of office shall be for two years or until replaced.

Sec. 3    Vacancies. Other than president, any vacancy in any office due to circumstances other than regular expiration of the term of office shall be filled by a majority vote of the executive committee.

Sec. 4    Duties and Powers.

President. The President shall have general supervision of the affairs of the Association and the executive committee and shall preside at their meetings. The president shall ensure that each incoming officer obtains from their predecessor, all materials and instructions pertaining to their office. Standing committees may be appointed by the President.

Vice-President. The Vice-President shall act during the president’s absence. In the event a vacancy occurs in the office of the president, then the vice-president shall ascend to the presidency.

Recording Secretary.  The Recording Secretary shall attend official meetings, record, transcribe and provide an accurate record of the proceedings with a copy of same provided to the president of the Association within 60 days. Such Minutes shall be presented for approval of the membership at the next annual meeting. When said Minutes have been approved, they shall be permanently maintained in the association’s book of official Minutes.

Corresponding Secretary.  The Corresponding Secretary shall maintain the membership list, send out mailings and immediately transfer any incoming dues to the Treasurer.

Treasurer. The treasurer shall receive and disburse funds; shall propose a budget at the beginning of each term; and file a financial statement at the end of each fiscal year.

Newsletter Editor. The newsletter editor will gather material, print, and mail a quarterly newsletter to members of the Association.

Curator. The curator will keep a permanent record of all memorabilia possessed by the Association and preserve all items for future generations to enjoy.

Genealogist.  The Genealogist shall work to secure and maintain a permanent file of all genealogical records of the Tenney Family Association.

Membership Chairman.  The Membership Chairman shall work to build the membership base through whatever means will benefit the Association, and will immediately transfer any membership dues received to the Association’s Treasurer.

Merchandise Manager. The Merchandise Manager shall maintain a stock of items of interest for resale to TFA members and others, and establish a pricing structure for said items; and shall take orders, ship merchandise and promptly transmit all proceeds to the Association’s Treasurer. 

ARTICLE V

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

Sec. 1    Organization. The officers shall constitute the executive committee.

Sec. 2    Duties. The executive committee shall provide guidance and manage the business affairs of the Association.  The Committee shall organize meetings for the general membership as well as any other purpose within the scope of their power and not contrary to the purposes of the Association.

Sec. 3    Meetings. The executive committee shall meet as often as deemed necessary by the majority of the committee, to carry out the duties of the Committee. The affirmative vote of a majority of officers present at any regular meeting shall suffice for the passage of any matter except that given in Articles VIII and X.

Sec. 4    Proxy. Officers may execute a written proxy giving authority to another officer to cast a vote on behalf of that officer. To be valid, the proxy must contain a written signature of the non-attending officer and be presented to the secretary for inclusion in the minutes.

Sec. 5    Quorum. In order to conduct business, a majority of the committee must be present. However, a majority of those present may adjourn the meeting without further notice. A quorum of the executive committee shall be at least five officers present in person or represented by proxies in writing. The president shall request proxies for each meeting.

 

ARTICLE VI

ELECTION OF OFFICERS

Sec. 1    Nominating Committee. Members of the nominating committee shall be appointed by the President, subject to approval by the executive committee The nominating committee shall prepare a ballot listing the names of candidates for a particular office who have declared their candidacy for such office, or who have been nominated for said office by a member in good standing. However, any member shall have the right to nominate any other member from the floor at the annual meeting.

Sec. 2    Elections.  A nominee shall be elected upon receiving a simple majority of the votes cast for that office.

ARTICLE VII

MEETINGS

Sec. 1    Annual Meeting Date. The Association traditionally holds its annual reunion/meeting on the Sunday in the month of August that is closest to the 20th. At each annual meeting, the Association members present shall determine the date for the next annual meeting.

Sec. 2    Special Meetings. Special meetings may be held upon the call of the president after consulting with the members of the executive committee.

Sec. 3    Quorum. Fifteen voting members (either in person, by proxy,  by absentee ballot, or electronically) shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business. Voting members are defined as Basic, Family, Sustaining, Life and Benefactor. The affirmative vote of a majority of the voting members present at any regular meeting shall suffice for the passage of any matter except that given in Article VIII.

Sec. 4    Rules of Order. The rules contained in the current edition of Robert’s Rules of Order Newly Revised shall govern the Association in all cases to which they are applicable and in which they are not inconsistent with this constitution and bylaws and any special rules of order the Association may adopt.

ARTICLE VIII

AMENDMENTS

Sec. 1    Proposed Amendments. Any member may propose an amendment to the constitution by notifying all officers of the proposed change, in writing by first class mail or electronically, thirty days before a meeting of the executive committee. The Corresponding Secretary of the Association shall furnish the names and addresses of these parties on request.

Sec. 2    Presentation of Proposed Amendments. The President shall present the proposed amendment to the meeting of the executive committee, who may, by two-thirds vote, accept, reject, or revise, in whole or in part, the proposed change. If accepted as presented or revised, the executive committee shall, through the President, present the resulting proposal to the following regular meeting of the general membership. If rejected, the proponent may present the proposal to the membership, providing the foregoing notification requirement has been met. In either case, the proposal would become an amendment to the constitution if approved by two-thirds of the voting members present at the regular meeting.   If the proposed amendment is not submitted 30 days prior to the meeting, adoption of the amendment must be by unanimous vote of those present.

ARTICLE IX

DISSOLUTION

Sec. 1   Proposal to Dissolve -  Ninety days prior to the annual or special meeting at which action to dissolve is to be voted on, the Corresponding Secretary of the Association shall notify by first class mail or electronically all members of the proposal.

Sec. 2    Voting to Dissolve - A simple majority of the votes (of members present, by proxy, by absentee ballot, or electronically) at the meeting is required to approve the proposal dissolving the Association.

Sec. 3    Asset Distribution - Assets of the Association are to be distributed to an organization which qualifies as a tax exempt organization under Section 501(C)(3) of the 1954 Internal Revenue Code, as amended.