bylaws08

Act means the Corporations Act of Ontario.

Society means The Ontario Genealogical Society.

Board means the Board of Directors of The Ontario Genealogical Society.

Branch means a group of members of The Ontario Genealogical Society who join together for reasons of geographical proximity and genealogical interest, and who agree to be bound by the Letters Patent and Bylaws of the Society. The Branch does not constitute a legal entity separate and apart from the Society.

Executive means the elected members of the Leeds & Grenville Branch

Branch Board means the executive committee members and the appointed standing committee coordinators of the Leeds & Grenville Branch.

Member means a member of the Ontario Genealogical Society who may hold a Branch membership in one or more Branch Societies.

Region means a section of Ontario within which the Leeds & Grenville Branch participates with other Branches in the governance of the region.

Ad Hoc Meetings means a meeting of the Branch, called to consider one or more items of business specified, and only those specified, in the call for the meeting. The specified items may be any items which the Branch may transact at its respective annual meeting.

Genealogy is the study and tracing of families. It involves the complex process of identifying ancestral or descendant families by using historical records to establish biological, genetic, or familial kinship. Reliable conclusions are based on (Ideally) primary information as evidence which supports conclusions for proof of family linage. All evidence and conclusions together with the documentation that supports them, is then assembled to create a cohesive “genealogy” or “family history”. It is acceptable to think of “Genealogy” as the skeletal account of a “Family Tree” and when it is all fleshed out a “Family history”. However, historical, social, and family context is essential to achieving correct identification of individuals and relationships.

2.1 Name: The name of the Society is the Ontario Genealogical Society. (Hereafter referred to as “The Society”)

2.2 The head office of the Society shall be in the Province of Ontario in a location as determined by special resolution by the members.

2.3 The business of the Society shall be directed by the Board of Directors (to be known as the Board). The Board is responsible for guiding the Society towards its objectives.

3.2 The geographical area of the L & G Branch shall encompass the Ontario Counties of Leeds and Grenville.

3.3.1 To promote genealogical research and to encourage the writing of family histories, especially as related to the Counties of Leeds & Grenville.

3.3.2 To promote excellence in genealogical research by encouragement and instruction in effective research methods.

3.3.3 To make available the knowledge, diversity and comprehensiveness of the genealogical resources in Ontario.

3.3.4 To share expertise in other geographic areas within the genealogical community.

3.3.5 To publish and distribute books, bulletins, and other printed matter and media as from time to time may be decided by the membership or executive committee.

3.3.6 To identify, collect and preserve in a library and archive, information, books, manuscripts, maps, photographs, microfilms and related material relevant to genealogical, historical and biographical research.

3.3.7 To operate a Branch library/archive dedicated to past and current genealogical records in order to preserve that record.

3.3.8 To raise funds for any of the foregoing objectives and to accept donations, gifts, legacies and bequests.

4.1 Qualifications: Any person, corporation or institution that is willing to subscribe to the Society’s Bylaws, may become a member of the Society and the L & G Branch.

4.2 Classes of Branch Membership: Individual; Family; Corporate; Institutional.

4.2.1 Individual Branch Member: Any person may become an Individual Branch Member and is entitled to all the privileges listed in Section 4.3.1.

4.2.2 Family Branch Member: Two or more persons having the same address may form a family group, one as an Individual Member, and the others as family members. Each Family Branch member is entitled to the privileges listed in Section 4.3.1.

4.2.4 Institutional Branch Member: An institution, such as a library or Society, may be accepted as an Institutional Branch member, and is entitled to the privileges listed in Section 4.3.2.

4.3.1 Individual and Family Branch members are entitled:

(a) To attend and participate in all regular, special and annual meetings of the L & G Branch.

(b) To vote on any issue at such meetings, including the election of officers, changes to L & G Branch Bylaws, and approval of the annual budget and fee structure.

(c) To serve in any capacity on any committee of the L & G Branch.

(d) To receive, without charge, one copy of all issues of the L & G Branch “Newsletter”.

(e) To have access to the library & archives of the L & G Branch, and to use any of the contents thereof in accordance with regulations** that may be in effect from time to time.

(**Note: The Brockville Museum currently charges al fee of $3.00 per annum per person whether L & G member or visitor to the Brockville Museum, including to the Leeds & Grenville Branch Library. This fee is not set by the Leeds & Grenville Branch and is retained by the Brockville Museum.)

(a) To attend and participate in , but not vote at, all regular, special, and annual meetings of the L & G Branch.

(b) To receive, without charge, one copy of all future issues of the L & G Branch’s “Newsletter” so long as membership is maintained.

4.4 L & G Branch Membership Year: The L & G Branch membership year shall be the calendar year from January 1 through December 31. A member who joins the L & G Branch after the last day of October in any year will also become a member for the following year.

4.5.1 In addition to the annual dues as set by the “Society” for each Society Class of membership, L & G Branch members will pay Branch dues as set from time to time.

4.5.2 The L & G Branch fee structure will be recommended by the L & G Branch Board, approved by the members at any regular or Annual General Meeting pre-notified for that discussion purpose, and subsequently approved and authorized by the “Society Board”.

4.5.3 An L & G Branch member who does not renew by the last day of January ceases to be a member, but may regain membership by paying dues for the current year.

5.1.1 The elected officers of the L & G Branch shall be: Chair; Vice-chair; Secretary; and Treasurer.

5.1.2 The elected L & G Branch officers, together with the Immediate Past Chair, shall comprise the L & G Branch Executive Committee.

5.2 L & G Branch officer eligibility: Each L & G Branch officer shall be an Individual, or Family member of this Branch.

5.3.1 L & G Branch elected officers (4) shall be elected at the Branch’s annual meeting of each year and there shall be no restraint on the number of consecutive terms they may be elected for.

5.3.2 Elected officers will assume office on January 1^st of the next fiscal year and will continue in office until the conclusion of that fiscal year.

5.3.3 Vacancies occurring on the Executive Committee between Annual General Meetings may be filled by the Executive Committee to be in effect until the next AGM meeting, except in the vacancy of the office of chair, when the vice-chair will fill the office for the remainder of the year.

5.3.4 At the June General Meeting, a nominating committee of three members in good standing shall be appointed, one of whom shall be the Immediate Past Chair. This committee chaired by the IPC, shall announce at the Annual General Meeting in October its slate of suggested executive officers for the coming year, and shall place the said names in nomination for office. Additional nominations for office may be made from the floor. If there is to be an election for any of the elected executive positions, the IPC will chair the election and appoint such assistants as is necessary. All voting shall be by secret ballot.

6.1 The Executive Committee and the coordinator of each standing committee shall comprise the Branch Board of the L & G Branch.

6.2 At any meeting of the Branch Board, a quorum shall consist of five (5) members.

6.3 All members of the Branch in good standing are eligible for all elected offices, coordinators and/or members of all committees.

6.4 The signing officers of the L & G Branch shall be the Branch Executive Committee and any two of these signatories are required on all cheques.

7.1 The standing committees of the L & G Branch shall be appointed by the elected Executive Committee & examples are as follows:

(1) Librarian; (2) Newsletter Editor; (3) Publications; (4) Cemeteries; (5) Program; (6) Membership; (7) Public Relations; (8) Social; (9) Research & Mailing; (10) Website & email; (11) Ad hoc when needed, i.e. Chaplain and other committees.

7.2 The roles of each position shall be described in writing and may be amended by the Branch Board at any time as the need exists.

8.1 General meetings of the L & G Branch will be held monthly with the exception of July and August.

8.2 The Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the L & G Branch shall be held in October of each year on the regular monthly meeting and shall be for the purpose of electing the four (4) executive officers, receiving reports of elected officers and standing committees, for announcing the appointment of the financial reviewer, for approving amendments to these bylaws, and for any other business that may arise. The new officers elect will assume their executive positions at the beginning of the next fiscal year on January 1^st. The retiring executive officers will prepare the required annual reports for the local Branch and the Society for the year just ended.

8.3 At any general meeting of the L & G Branch, a quorum shall consist of those members who are in good standing and in attendance at the meeting.

8.4 Ad Hoc meetings may be called by the Chair or by the Branch Board. Ad Hoc meetings may also be called upon the written request of ten (10) members of the L & G Branch. The purpose of all Ad Hoc meetings shall be stated in the call.

9.1 Budget: The Treasurer Elect from the October AGM, shall prepare the budget for the next fiscal year commencing January 1 next, and submit it to the L & G Branch Board prior to the Branch General Meeting in January. After approval by the Branch Board, the budget shall be presented to the Branch membership at the January Regular Meeting.

9.2 Financial Review: The Executive Committee shall appoint at least one (1) person who is not a member of the Branch Executive, who shall review the Treasurer’s accounts at the close of the L & G Branch fiscal year. The Financial Review Statement shall be presented to the members as soon as possible and submitted to “The Society” by February 28.

10.1 Authority: The rules contained in the current edition of “Robert’s Rules of Order Newly Revised” shall govern the L & G Branch in all cases to which they are applicable and in which they are not inconsistent with these Bylaws and any special rules of order which the L & G Branch or “The Society” may adopt.

11.2 These bylaws may be amended by a two-thirds majority of votes at an L & G Annual General Branch Meeting or at any General Meeting properly called for their amendment.

11.3 Amendments to the L & G Branch Bylaws shall take effect at the end of the Branch Meeting at which they are approved by Leeds & Grenville Branch members.

These amended Bylaws of the L & G Branch are herewith submitted this date, June 9, 2008, for approval to the Leeds & Grenville membership at this the regular June Meeting. Notice of these Bylaw amendments has been posted on the Branch website and placed in the Branch Newsletter at least 30 days prior to this June 9, 2008 meeting.

Signed: ____________________________ Signed: ____________________________

L & G Branch Chair L & G Branch Secretary

I _____________________________ Director of Region VIII of the Ontario Genealogical Society have reviewed these Bylaws as amended with the Branch Board and have found no conflict with “The Society’s” Bylaws.