To increase interest in and raise the standards of genealogical research in Mecklenburg County through educational programs, workshops, and the publication of genealogical data.
To encourage and instruct the members of the Society in the standards and techniques of genealogical research procedures and compilations.
To acquaint the members of the Society with sources of genealogical material and to serve to serve as a medium of exchange of genealogical information.
To promote through the Society’s publications and otherwise, the collection, preservation, and utilization of manuscripts, documents, and other materials of genealogical nature.

Article II – Membership

Membership in the Society shall be open to any person interested in promoting the objectives stated in Article I.
Institutions and Societies shall be eligible for a non-voting membership in the Society upon payment of annual dues.
Voting members shall be members “in good standing” who are physically present at a membership meeting where a vote is actually taken.

Article III – Dues

The classes of membership of the Society shall be:
1. Individual membership
2. Family membership
3. Sustaining membership
4. Life membership
Life membership fees shall be invested in interest bearing accounts of a bank or savings institution with the interest accruing to the Society’s general fund.
Dues are payable on the 1st of January of each year. Members failing to pay their dues within 30 days shall be declared “not in good standing.” Members failing to pay their dues within 60 days of 1 January shall be dropped from the membership roll.
No Society publication shall be distributed to a member who is “not in good standing.”
The amount of the dues for the above classes of membership shall be determined for the coming year by a majority vote of the Board of Directors.

Article IV – Officers

The Officers of the Society shall be

President	Two-year term. May be reelected for one additional term.
Vice-President	One-year term. May be reelected for one additional year.
Recording Secretary	One year term. May serve unlimited consecutive terms.
Membership Officer	One year term. May serve unlimited consecutive terms.
Treasurer	One year term. May serve unlimited consecutive terms.

Officers and Directors shall be elected at the October meeting of the Society by a plurality vote of qualified members in attendance provided at least twenty members vote. Officers and Directors shall be installed at the December membership meeting and assume the duties of their respective offices in January of the year for which elected. They shall continue in office until their successors have been elected and installed.
Vacancies occurring in office, except the office of President, shall be filled by the Board of Directors for the unexpired term of such office.

Article V – Election of Board of Directors

The Board of Directors shall notify the membership of their proposed slate of officers at the September meeting and via electronic methods within one week after the September meeting. The general membership shall have the privilege of submitting additional nominees until 3 days before voting begins.
Voting for Officers and Board Members shall occur via electronic methods for the two weeks leading up to the October meeting until the day before that meeting.

Article VI – Duties of Officers

The President shall: preside at all meetings of the Society, and the Board of Directors thereof; call special meetings of the Society and the Board of Directors when necessary; be an ex-officio member of all committees; appoint a chair of each of the standing committees and appoint other committee chairs as may from time to time be considered necessary.
The Vice-President shall: preside in the absence of the President and accede to the office of President in the event of a vacancy; and otherwise assist the President when called upon.
The Treasurer shall: be bonded; prepare a yearly operating budget for board approval; receive and disburse all monies of the Society; maintain complete and accurate records of all transactions; and report on the financial status of the Society to the members and Board as directed by the President.
The Recording Secretary shall: be the corporate secretary; serve as secretary of the Board of Directors; keep a record of the proceedings of all meetings of the Society and the Board of Directors; have custody of the papers of incorporation and other important documents and records of the Society; have custody of the seal; and perform other duties as may be requested by the President.
The Membership Officer shall: collect all incoming mail from the post office, log and distribute same; keep an active roster of members in good standing; assign membership numbers to new members; and perform other duties as may be requested by the President.

Article VII – Board of Directors

The Board of Directors shall consist of the Elected Officers of the Society and at least two and up to four elected Directors. The immediate Past President of the Society shall be an ex-officio voting member of the Board.
The Board of Directors shall have the authority to conduct the affairs of the Society.
The current President and Recording Secretary of the Society shall serve as Chairman and Secretary of the Board of Directors.
Directors shall be elected in the same manner as the Officers. Directors shall be elected for a two-year term. Interim Board vacancies shall be filled by a majority vote of the Board of Directors.
The Board of Directors shall meet quarterly. Interim meetings may be called by the President or upon the request of a quorum of the members of the Board.
The Board of Directors is authorized to adopt rules for the transaction of its business, provided they do not conflict with the Bylaws.

Article VIII – Committees

The Chairman of all committees shall be appointed by the President, and the term of service shall coincide with that of the President making the appointment.
The following standing committees shall be appointed each year, and subcommittees may be appointed as needed:
1. Publications/Research Committee
  1. Prepare, edit, publish and distribute the regular and special publications of the Society, including the research of material for these publications.
  2. Handle the distribution of “items for sale” and maintain an inventory of stocks on hand.
  3. Provide reviews of new acquisitions for publication in the Society’s quarterly.
2. Archives/Library Committee
  1. Maintain a file of the lineage charts of the Society’s members.
  2. Maintain a catalog of all genealogical materials, books and other publications acquired by the Society.
3. Membership Committee
  1. Hospitality–greet all members and introduce visitors and new members to members of the Society.
  2. Telephone–maintain a current telephone list of all local members and contact same at the direction of the President.
  3. Publicity–ensure that the activities of the Society are advertised to the public and the genealogical community.
4. Business Committee
  1. Finance–establish ways and means to finance the operating budget.
  2. Audit–ensure that the Treasurer’s books are a proper and correct record of the financial transactions of the Society.

Article IX – Meetings

The meetings of the Society shall be held monthly in the evening at the convenience of the membership. Normally the time of the meetings shall be 7 p.m. with the program beginning at 7:30 p.m.
Special meetings of the Society may be called by the President or on a written request signed by a majority of the Board of Directors.
The Annual Membership meeting shall be held in December of each year. At this meeting the newly elected Officers and Directors shall be installed.

Article X – Order of Business

Following is a guideline for the order of business at meetings of the Society, but is subject to change, relative to the program being presented:

a. Reading and approval of minutes of previous meeting

b. Communications

c. Reports of Officers

d. Reports of Committees

e. Old Business

f. New Business

g. Adjournment

Article XI – Quorum

At regular monthly meetings twenty active members in good standing shall constitute a quorum and shall be empowered to transact the business of the Society.
A simple majority of the Board of Directors in office shall constitute a quorum to transact the business of the Board of Directors.

Article XII – Parliamentary Authority

Robert’s Rules of Order, Newly Revised, shall be the parliamentary authority of the Society. Should any conflict develop between these Bylaws and said Rules of Order, the Bylaws shall take precedence.

Article XIII – Fiscal Period

The Fiscal year of the Society shall be January 1 through December 31.

Article XIV – Nonprofit Society

The Mecklenburg (N.C.) Genealogical Society, Inc., was organized as a not-for-profit corporation.
It is hereby specified that no part of the net earnings of the Society is to inure to the benefit of any of its officers, directors, or members, or any other private individual except for the reimbursement of actual expenses incurred on behalf of the Society.
Said Society was organized exclusively for the charitable, religious, educational, and scientific purposes, including for such purposes, the making of distributions to organizations that qualify as exempt organizations under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954 (or the corresponding provision of any future United States Internal Revenue Law).
The Board of Directors may accept or refuse to accept on behalf of the Society any contribution, gift, or bequest or devise for the general purposes or for any specific purpose of the Society.

Article XV – Dissolution

In the event of dissolution, the residual assets of the organization will be turned over to one or more organizations which themselves are exempt as organizations described in Sections 501(c)(3) and 170(c)(2) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954 or corresponding sections of any prior or future law, or to the Federal, State, or local government for exclusive public purpose.
The following procedures will apply to voluntary dissolution. The Board of Directors will adopt a resolution recommending that the corporation be dissolved and directing that the question of such dissolution be submitted to a vote at a meeting, (the date, place and time), to be set by the Board, of members. Written notice from the Directors to the membership shall be sent one month in advance to such meeting. The Directors’ notice shall state that the purposes of such meeting is to consider the advisability of dissolving the corporation and the reasons therefore. At the meeting, the resolution to dissolve the corporation shall be adopted upon receiving in writing at least two-thirds of the votes of the members present at such a meeting. If there are no members, the dissolution of the corporation shall be authorized at a meeting of the Board of Directors upon the adoption of the resolution to dissolve by written vote of the majority of the Directors then in office. Winding up the business of the Corporation shall be left to the Board of Directors, who are to conform with provisions of the U.S. Internal Revenue Code and applicable North Carolina Corporation Laws. The Directors shall deposit all non-current records and books or one copy of such of the Society in the Carolina Room of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Public Library.

Article XVI – Amendments

These Bylaws may be amended at a regular meeting of the Society by a two-thirds vote of those present and voting providing the following criteria are met:

A quorum is present.
All changes have been submitted to the Bylaws Committee for study and recommendation. This recommendation shall be submitted to the Board of Directors, who shall present it with their recommendations at the regular membership meeting.
Proposed amendments shall be presented at a regular membership meeting with voting to occur at the next regular meeting.

Article XVII-Limitations

No officer, director, or member is empowered to borrow monies in the name of the Society or obligate the Society for payment for goods or services without the expressed consent of the majority vote of the Board of Directors. Such consent shall be a matter of record in the minutes of the Society.

Revised and Approved, May 1986

Revised and Approved, October 1995

Revised and Approved, June 2025

Revised and Approved, November 2025