National Geographic Magazine/Volume 1/Number 2/By-Laws
BY-LAWS.
ARTICLE I.
NAME.
The name of this Society is the "National Geographic Society."
ARTICLE II.
OBJECT.
The object of this Society is the increase and diffusion of geographic knowledge.
ARTICLE III.
MEMBERSHIP.
The members of this Society shall be persons who are interested in geographic science. There may be three classes of members, active, corresponding and honorary.
Active members only shall be members of the corporation, shall be entitled to vote and may hold office.
Persons residing at a distance from the District of Columbia may become corresponding members of the Society. They may attend its meetings, take part in its proceedings and contribute to its publications.
Persons who have attained eminence by the promotion of geographic science may become honorary members.
Corresponding members may be transferred to active membership, and, conversely, active members may be transferred to corresponding membership by the Board of Managers.
The election of members shall be entrusted to the Board of Managers. Nominations for membership shall be signed by three active members of the Society; shall state the qualifications of the candidate; and shall be presented to the Recording Secretary. No nomination shall receive action by the Board of Managers until it has been before it at least two weeks, and no candidate shall be elected unless he receives at least nine affirmative votes.
ARTICLE IV.
OFFICERS.
The Officers of the Society shall be a President, five Vice Presidents, a Treasurer, a Recording Secretary and a Corresponding Secretary.
The above mentioned officers, together with eight other members of the Society, known as Managers, shall constitute a Board of Managers. Officers and Managers shall be elected annually, by ballot, a majority of the votes cast being necessary to an election; they shall hold office until their successors are elected; and shall have power to fill vacancies occurring during the year.
The President, or, in his absence, one of the Vice Presidents, shall preside at the meetings of the Society and of the Board of Managers; he shall, together with the Recording Secretary, sign all written contracts and obligations of the Society, and attest its corporate seal; he shall deliver an annual address to the Society.
Each Vice President shall represent in the Society and in the Board of Managers, a department of geographic science, as follows;
Geography of the Land,
Geography of the Sea,
Geography of the Air,
Geography of Life,
Geographic Art.
The Vice Presidents shall foster their respective departments within the Society; they shall present annually to the Society summaries of the work done throughout the world in their several departments.
They shall be elected to their respective departments by the Society.
The Vice Presidents, together with the two Secretaries, shall constitute a committee of the Board of Managers on Communications and Publications.
The Treasurer shall have charge of the funds of the Society, shall collect the dues, and shall disburse under the direction of the Board of Managers; he shall make an annual report; and his accounts shall be audited annually by a committee of the Society and at such other times as the Board of Managers may direct.
The Secretaries shall record the proceedings of the Society and of the Board of Managers; shall conduct the correspondence of the Society; and shall make an annual report.
The Board of Managers shall transact all the business of the Society, except such as may be presented at the annual meeting. It shall formulate rules for the conduct of its business. Nine members of the Board of Managers shall constitute a quorum.
ARTICLE V.
DUES.
The annual dues of active members shall be five dollars, payable during the month of January, or, in the case of new members, within thirty days after election.
Annual dues may be commuted and life membership acquired by the payment of fifty dollars.
No member in arrears shall vote at the annual meeting, and the names of members two years in arrears shall be dropped from the roll of membership.
ARTICLE VI.
MEETINGS.
Regular meetings of the Society shall be held on alternate Fridays, from October until May, inclusive, and, excepting the annual meeting, shall be devoted to communications. The three regular meetings next preceding the annual meeting shall be devoted to the President's annual address and the reports of the Vice Presidents.
The annual meeting for the election of officers shall be the last regular meeting in December.
A quorum for the transaction of business shall consist of twenty-five active members.
Special meetings may be called by the President.
ARTICLE VII.
AMENDMENTS.
These by-laws may be amended by a two-thirds vote of the members present at a regular meeting, provided that notice of the proposed amendment has been given in writing at a regular meeting at least four weeks previously.