CALEDONIA HISTORICAL SOCIETY

5043 Chester Lane

Racine, WI 53402

BY-LAWS

 

Preamble

These bylaws shall supersede all previous bylaws and amendments thereto and shall be consistent with the provisions of Chapter 181 and section 44.03 of the Wisconsin Statutes and with the articles of incorporation and all subsequent restatements and amendments thereto filed with the Department of Financial Institutions under which this organization is incorporated as a non-stock, non-profit corporation affiliated with the Wisconsin Historical Society and shall govern the administration and activities of this organization. Furthermore the provisions of Chapter 181 and section 44.03 of the Wisconsin Statutes and Roberts Rules of Order shall govern the proceedings of this organization not herein provided for.

ARTICLE I. NAME

The name of this organization shall be the Caledonia Historical Society, and its headquarters shall be in the Village of Caledonia, Wisconsin.

ARTICLE II. MISSION

The mission of the organization shall be the collection, preservation, and dissemination of materials and information relating to the history of Caledonia.

More particularly, its objectives shall be:

  1. To locate and collect any material that may help establish or illustrate the history of Caledonia. These materials shall be collected, preserved, and exhibited in accordance with all laws and regulations that may apply to the collection, possession, and exhibition of such materials.
  2. To disseminate historical information to any interested person, groups, and institutions and to arouse interest in Caledonia by any of the following means: publishing historical materials either in print or electronically, holding meetings featuring workshops, lectures, or informative programs, conducting historic tours, marking or restoring historic buildings and sites, operating a museum or historic site; and/or any other related activity the organization may so choose to undertake.
  3. To make this material available for the appreciation, enjoyment, study, and research of individuals, scholars, and the general public at large.
  4. To accomplish these goals through the establishment of clearly defined and generally accepted collection, conservation, and interpretation policies and procedures.
  5. To ensure that all programs, functions, and events of the organization, including membership, shall be made available to anyone regardless of sex, race, color, religion, creed, age, national origin, ancestry, pregnancy, marital status or parental status, sexual orientation, or disability or upon any other basis that would be prohibited by law.
  6. To the extent practicable, make its facilities accessible to the public.
  7. That this organization shall have the power to own property, apply for and receive grants, accept bequests, and establish and maintain an endowment fund for carrying out the above-stated purposes.

ARTICLE III. MEMBERSHIP

Section 1: Qualifications

a. Any person, partnership, association, corporation, or other organization may become a member of this organization upon payment of the dues stipulated for the classification of membership for which the applicant applies.

b. Membership shall terminate automatically for non-payment of dues sixty days following the date on which payment is due, and that date shall be the date membership was initiated. Memberships terminated for nonpayment of dues shall be reinstated as of the date payment is made.

Section 2: Classification and Dues

  1. Membership classifications and dues for each class shall be set by the board of directors.

Section 3: Voting and Privileges

a. Each member shall be entitled to a vote of one at all meetings of the membership and shall be entitled to such benefits and privileges as shall be set forth in the regulations and proceedings of the organization.

b. Life members, if any, and such individuals who subscribe to business and professional, sustaining, and contributing memberships in their own names as individuals shall be entitled to a vote as outlined in Section 3 a.

ARTICLE IV: BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Section 1: Composition of the Board

a. The Board of Directors shall consist of nine directors and those officers to whom board status is attributed under the provisions of Article V of these bylaws. The total number of members on the Board of Directors, including those officers and directors, shall be thirteen. A change in the number of directors may be made by resolution at an annual meeting of the members, or at a special meeting of the members called and noticed for that purpose, but no reduction in the number of directors shall shorten the term of any director then in office.

b. Elections to the board shall be in accordance with the provisions of Article VII of these bylaws.

c. Other honorary and/or ex officio appointments to the board of directors may be made as the board shall see fit.

Section 2: Powers of the Board

  1. The Board of Directors shall have the power to conduct the affairs of this organization and to delegate such authority as is not otherwise set forth in these bylaws. This includes, but is not limited to, the appointment of standing or special committees; the approval and authorization of the expenditures of the organization; the hiring and termination of employment of staff members; and the creation and implementation of policies for the development, operation, and maintenance of facilities.

Section 3: Duties of the Board

  1. The board of directors shall make a report of its actions and recommendations at the annual meeting of the members.
  2. The board of directors shall adopt and enforce policies for conflict of interest for board members, officers, and staff members of the organization.
 
To download a copy of this document, click on this link: CHS-By-Laws-2021-Update.pdf