Bylaws

Bylaws of the Utah Jewish Genealogical Society

Amended 19 April 2021

ARTICLE I – NAME

The name of this organization is the “Utah Jewish Genealogical Society”, hereinafter referred to as the “Society” or “UJGS”.

ARTICLE II – PURPOSE

The purpose of this Society shall be to assist its members engaged in Jewish genealogical research. The Society’s activities shall include, but not be limited to, the following:

  1. To promote an interest in Jewish genealogy and encourage interested persons to pursue and preserve genealogical information.
  2. To encourage and instruct Society members in Jewish genealogical research including:
    1. Effective genealogical research techniques.
    2. Careful documentation.
    3. Maintaining quality genealogical standards.
  3. To provide opportunities for the sharing of Jewish genealogical information, experiences, and work with other members to solve research problems.
  4. To locate, protect, and preserve public and private Jewish genealogical records in Utah and to make such records available to society members and the general public.
  5. To publish genealogical and historical information on an Internet blog and to encourage the publication of worthy materials in the field of Jewish genealogy, especially materials related to Utah.

In the pursuit of the Society’s purpose, members are encouraged to utilize all the facilities available in the Greater Salt Lake area.

ARTICLE III – MEMBERSHIP

  1. Membership shall be open to anyone interested in promoting the purposes of the Society without regard to race, religion, or ethnic identification.
  2. Members must pay their dues within two months of the start of the calendar year, or by the first meeting, or they will be dropped from the membership roster. Dues of Board Members must be paid within one month of the start of the calendar year.
  3. New members may join the Society at any time during the year.
  4. Members shall:
    1. Be included in the Family Finder published on the web site.
    2. Be invited to Library Research Night(s) at the Family History Library and have assisted research time after presentations at the FHL.
    3. Have access to the members only section of the web site, including recorded presentations.
  5. Members have duties and responsibilities in the Society. They are encouraged to take part in activities by doing some of the following:
    1. Assist in programming with suggestions for topics and speakers.
    2. Assist the Society with group research or indexing projects.
  6. Members have equal rights in the Society, including:
    1. The right to vote.
    2. Serving as an Officer or Board member.
    3. Serving on Committees.
    4. Submitting items for the meeting agenda and participating in the motions during the meetings.
    5. Submitting articles for the blog.

ARTICLE IV – DUES

Membership dues shall be paid by each member of the Society to defray costs incurred in running the Society. Dues will be set by the Board of Directors.

ARTICLE V – OFFICERS AND BOARD OF DIRECTORS

  1. The term of office of elected Officers and nominated Chairpersons shall be two years. The terms shall begin and end at the close of the final meeting of the calendar year in election years. In case of resignation or inability to serve, the Board shall select and propose for a vote by the membership at the next meeting any replacement for the balance of the term for elected positions, and inform of any changes for nominated chairpersons.
  2. Any member in good standing (those whose dues are paid in full for the year) is eligible to be an Officer, serve on the Board of Directors, or vote for such positions.
  3. There shall be no limitation of term of office.
  4. An Officer shall be considered unable to serve if s/he resigns or if s/he does not participate, without reason, for three consecutive meetings, subject to a two-thirds vote of the Board and, being so notified in writing, fails to give a satisfactory answer to the Board by the next meeting.
  5. The elected officers shall consist of the President, the Secretary, the Treasurer, and the Webmaster.
  6. The Board of Directors shall consist of the Officers, the immediate past President, and the Chairpersons of the Standing Committees.
  7. The Board of Directors shall make policy decisions for the Society in keeping with its bylaws and not conflicting with any decisions reached by the membership at a properly called meeting of the Society.
  8. In the event of the resignation or incomplete term of a member of the Board of Directors, the President may appoint a replacement to serve the remainder of the term.
  9. Other Elected Officers, as needed, may be proposed by the Board or the membership, subject to a two-thirds majority vote at a regular meeting of the Society. When elected, their term shall be the same as that of currently elected Officers.

ARTICLE VI – DUTIES OF OFFICERS

All officers are expected to attend a minimum of half of the regular meetings per year.

  1. The President shall be the principal executive officer with the responsibility for general supervision of the affairs of the Society, with specific duties to:
    1. Preside at all meetings of the Society.
    2. Nominate committees and chairpersons as necessary.
    3. Sign all contracts and documents authorized by the Society.
    4. Set the dates for and call meetings.
    5. Be an ex-officio member, or the chair, of all committees except the nominating committee.
  2. The Secretary shall:
    1. Assume the duties of the President in the absence of, or at the request of, the President.
    2. Maintain and publish minutes of the meetings and conduct correspondence as needed.
    3. Take attendance at the meetings.
    4. Assist the Webmaster with proofreading when said Officer has no committee or other assistance to the task.
  3. The Treasurer shall:
    1. Maintain a bookkeeping journal compliant with (c)(3).
    2. Collect membership dues and be custodian of all funds of the Society.
    3. Sign checks and make authorized disbursements on behalf of the Society.
    4. Maintain a list of members and provide copies to officers and board members as needed.
    5. Make all financial records available for audit prior to the last meeting of each fiscal year.
    6. Be the chair of the finance committee.
  4. The Webmaster shall:
    1. Be responsible for designing and maintaining the Society’s web site.
    2. Gather information for publication on the web site.
    3. Solicit, receive, and edit submissions for the web site.
    4. Determine editorial policies for the web site.
    5. Maintain the Family Finder data on the web site.
    6. Be the chair of the web site committee.

ARTICLE VII – COMMITTEES

From time to time, as the organization grows and it becomes necessary, the Board of Directors shall have the power to appoint committees to help carry on the business of the organization. The committees can be temporary or permanent as designated by the Board.

  1. The Standing Committees shall consist of:
    1. Membership Committee
    2. Activities Committee
    3. Publications Committee
    4. Finance Committee
    5. Nominating Committee
    6. Web Site Committee
    7. Publicity Committee
  2. Not all Standing Committees are required to exist at all times.
  3. Chairpersons of committees shall be nominated by the President, subject to a majority vote by the members of the Society.
  4. New committees shall be appointed by the Board of Directors.
  5. The Treasurer and the Webmaster may or may not serve as the Chairs of their respective committees.

ARTICLE VIII – FUNCTIONS OF THE COMMITTEES

  1. The Membership Committee shall:
    1. Work directly with the Treasurer to maintain a list of current members.
    2. Assist in the procurement of new members by contacting those with lapsed memberships and inviting guests at the regular meetings to join the Society.
  2. The Activities Committee shall:
    1. Plan/suggest the programming for the meetings.
    2. Suggest, plan, and organize other Society activities, such as indexing projects, or nominate leaders to do so.
  3. The Finance Committee shall:
    1. Set up an annual budget.
  4. The function of the Nominating Committee is defined in Article IX.
  5. The Web Site Committee shall:
    1. Determine the content of the web site and solicit content from Society members.
  6. The Publicity Committee shall:
    1. Be responsible for all publicity on behalf of the Society.
    2. Make the media aware of the Society’s activities and special programs.
    3. Create advertising material and deliver it to the appropriate venues.
    4. A Community Liaison, or a team of persons, should keep in contact with the Jewish organizations in Utah to keep them apprised of our activities and to be sure that we are included in their appropriate activities.

ARTICLE IX – NOMINATIONS AND ELECTIONS

Elections shall be held at the last meeting in each alternate calendar year, when the term of office of current Officers and Board members ends. Elections shall take place in odd numbered years. The slate for voting shall be given in writing or by email to the membership at least two weeks prior to such meeting if a Nominating Committee exists.

  1. A Nominating Committee may be appointed preceding the expiration of the two year term of office.
  2. The Nominating Committee chairperson shall present the slate for motion to nominate.
  3. Nominations may be made by the general membership from the floor at the meeting.
  4. Each nominee must give their consent to serve if elected.
  5. Each member in good standing may be a candidate for office and vote in Society elections.
  6. Voting shall be by voice provided there is only one candidate for office. If more than one candidate is running for any one office, the voting will be by written ballot or electronically. The candidate receiving the majority of the votes cast is elected, provided a quorum is present.
  7. If there is only one candidate for each office, newly elected Officers and Board members shall be installed as the last item of business and they shall assume office at the close of the meeting.
  8. In the case of there being more than one candidate for any position, electronic voting will remain open to members for one week from the meeting date. Newly elected Officers and Board members’ terms begin with the finalization of the election.
  9. In the event of a lack of a quorum at an election meeting, the Board is authorized to cast the necessary vote(s) in the interest of the membership.

ARTICLE X – MEETINGS

  1. Meetings of the Society shall be held on a periodic basis, generally once per month, except for in January and December. Scheduling will take into account Jewish and other holidays, as well as genealogy conferences.
  2. Meeting dates may be changed to accommodate speakers and the meeting facility’s availability given two weeks notice to the membership and the meeting facility.
  3. A meeting may consist of a lecture, a webinar, a library research day/night, and/or a business meeting.
  4. For the purpose of conducting business, five members in good standing shall constitute a quorum. Three Board members shall constitute a quorum for a meeting of the Board of Directors, or in the case of a Board vote at a meeting.
  5. Additional meetings may be called at the discretion of the Board of Directors provided two weeks notice is given to the members.
  6. The Board of Directors shall meet as frequently as needed to carry on the business of the Society, but at least once a year. A meeting of the Board may be called by the President or requested by any two members of the Board. The Board must be notified at least two weeks in advance of any meeting.

ARTICLE XI – DISSOLUTION OF SOCIETY

In the event of dissolution, funds and tangible property of the Society shall be distributed to an organization or organizations exempt under 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. The International Association of Jewish Genealogical Societies, unless otherwise voted by a majority of the Society membership, shall be the recipient of said assets.

ARTICLE XII – PARLIAMENTARY AUTHORITY

Robert’s Rules of Order, Newly Revised, will govern the Society in all cases in which they are applicable and not inconsistent with these Bylaws.

ARTICLE XIII – TAX EXEMPT STATUS

Notwithstanding any other provisions of these articles, the Society shall not carry on any activities not permitted to be carried on (a) by an association exempted from Federal Income Tax under Section 501 (c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954 (or the corresponding provisions of any future United States Internal Revenue law), or by (b) an association, contributions to which are deductible under 170 (c)(2) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954 (or the corresponding provision of any future United States Internal Revenue Law).

ARTICLE XIV – AMENDMENTS

  1. Once adopted, these Bylaws may be amended by a two-thirds vote of the votes cast by members in good standing in person or electronically.
  2. Proposals shall be provided to the membership at least two weeks prior to the meeting at which the amendments will be decided.
  3. Voting will begin when the proposals are sent to the membership and will close by the end of said meeting.