Southern Nevada
Gem & Mineral Society
THE SOUTHERN NEVADA GEM AND MINERAL SOCIETY, INCORPORATED, a Nevada Non-Profit Corporation, as approved by the general membership March 6th, 2023
BY LAWS
ARTICLE I
These By-Laws shall supersede all previous dated and updated By-Laws of the Southern Nevada Gem and Mineral Society, Incorporated, and when necessary, shall be amended according to the Club needs.
ARTICLE II
NON-PROFIT CHARACTER
The name of this Corporation shall be: Southern Nevada Gem and Mineral Society, Incorporated, and may be referred to, in this document, as SNGMS, the Corporation or The Club. These titles Shall not be used for anything except for said Corporation official business, as authorized by the Board of Directors or the General Membership of the afore named Corporation. The Corporation shall operate as a non-profit organization (IRS Code 501 (C) 3) and no part of the assets or earnings shall be used for the benefit of any one person as long as the Corporation shall exist.
ARTICLE III
OBJECTIVES
The objectives of this Corporation shall be to promote an active interest in geology and education and to facilitate and improve knowledge in gemology, lapidary arts and rock collecting.
ARTICLE IV
DISSOLUTION
In the event of the dissolution of the Corporation, all assets and earnings shall be donated to the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV), Geology Department, 4505 South Maryland Parkway, Las Vegas, NV. 89154
ARTICLE V
PARLIAMENTARY AUTHORITY
Club By-Laws shall be the governing document of the Corporation. Roberts Rules of Order, Newly Revised, shall be the parliamentary authority of the Corporation. If a problem arises and the answer is not in the By-Laws, refer to Roberts Rules of Order, Newly Revised and Parliamentary Law. Ultimately Common Sense Shall Prevail.
ARTICLE VI
FISCAL YEAR
The Corporation Fiscal Year shall be from January 1 through December 31.
ARTICLE VII
NEWSLETTER
A Newsletter shall be made available to members monthly. Every newsletter shall include Board and General Membership meeting minutes. It shall also include such essential information as pertains to Field Trips, Upcoming Shows, Classes, Workshop Hours and etc.
ARTICLE VIII
MEETINGS
Section 1. The meeting of the Board of Directors shall be held monthly and is open to all members. However, the general membership shall have no vote and cannot speak unless recognized. A quorum for the Board of Directors meetings shall be 5 voting members.
Section 2. The General Membership meeting shall be held monthly at a time and place designated by the Board of Directors. A simple majority vote of the attending voting membership carries any motion.
ARTICLE IX
MEMBERSHIP
Section 1. Membership is open to persons interested in the objectives of this club as defined under OBJECTIVES.
Section 2. Only members, whose dues are up-to-date and have been members for 90 days, shall have the right to vote on, create a motion or second any motion on any matter before the Club. A voting member is an adult member, 18 years or older.
Section 3. There shall be Three (3) classes of membership: Single, Family and Life Membership. A. Single membership shall consist of a person eighteen (18) years of age or older. B. Family membership shall consist of a married couple, domestic partnership or parent with children under eighteen (18). Grandparents with grandchildren in attendance must obtain parental consent forms to bring them to club activities. Grandparents must have a family membership listing said grandchildren. C. Life membership is a distinguished and privileged title extended to an adult member with a minimum of ten (10) years membership in the Southern Nevada Gem and Mineral Society, Incorporated, or its preceding Clubs, who have held a Board position or committee chair; whose nomination has been presented by a Club member to the Board of Directors, in a written statement of qualifications and attributes, and presented to the membership and approved by a majority vote.
Section 4. Membership dues are due and payable January 1st of every calendar year. Renewal dues paid after January 1st, but before February 1st, shall require a late fee. The late fees are to ensure that the delinquent member can maintain continuous membership status. Any dues paid from February 1st forward shall be considered a new membership.
ARTICLE X
OFFICERS
Section 1. The Board of Directors of the Corporation shall be the following elected officers: 1. President 2. Vice-President 3. Secretary 4. Treasurer 5. Parliamentarian 6. Director-Past President: If the current president is reelected, a one-year Director shall be elected. 7. Three (3) elected Directors: 1-year, 2-year and 3-year. Each year the Directors are advanced as follows: a. 1-year Director is dropped. b. 2-year Director is advanced to 1-year Director. c. 3-year Director is advanced to 2-year Director. d. A new 3-year Director is elected along with the rest of the Board of Directors at the November elections.
Section 2. President, Vice-President, Secretary, Treasurer and Parliamentarian shall be elected by a majority vote of the General Membership to a term of one (1) year and shall be eligible for three (3) consecutive years on the Board; one (1) year must pass before that member is eligible to again run for any of the above named positions.
Section 3. Before a member can be elected President, Vice-President, Secretary, Treasurer or Parliamentarian they must be a member of the Club for 24 consecutive months as of October 1st of the year of nomination. Before a member can be elected as a Director, they must be a member of the Club for 12 months as of October 1st of the year of nomination.
Section 4. Should an officer be unable to attend either a Board Meeting or General Membership Meeting, that officer shall notify the Board of Directors as far in advance as possible.
Section 5. New officers shall be installed at the December Awards Banquet by the Federation Director and shall assume office effective at the Awards Banquet swearing in ceremony. Section 6. Any officer failing to discharge the duties of his office by missing three (3) consecutive Board meetings, without Board approval, shall have said office declared vacant by the Board of Directors. The vacancy shall be filled within fortyfive (45) days (For replacement procedure see Article XII, section 6, Letter K.)
ARTICLE XI
PERMANENT EXPULSION
Section 1. All meetings pertaining to expulsion shall be held in Executive Session and all information shall be strictly confidential.
Section 2. When in the course of Club events, if the attitude of any member, at any time, be considered detrimental to the welfare of the Club, that member may be expelled, with cause, for the following reasons: dilatory practices, fraud, embezzlement, theft of Club property, deleterious conduct, etc. Before such action may be taken, a letter of allegation shall be submitted to the Board of Directors, who shall form a Board of Inquiry. A quorum vote by the Board of Directors, in Executive Session, shall be obtained, in order to proceed with the expulsion action. (See Roberts Rules, Revised Version, Chapter 11, “Protecting the Rights of Members”.)
Section 3. The Board of Inquiry shall give a written notice, vi Certified Mail with Return Receipt, to the accused member to appear before them, at a time and place designated, and show cause why such action should not be taken. Failure to appear or respond shall be cause for immediate expulsion. The Board of Inquiry shall report its findings within sixty (60) days to the Board of Directors who shall take whatever action is deemed necessary. If the Board of Inquiry does not report its findings within sixty (60) days, the Board of Directors shall dismiss all charges. In the event of expulsion, the accused member shall be required to surrender the Club Membership card and return all Club property immediately.
Section 4. Expulsion Notification must be made via Certified Mail with Return Receipt. Section 5. Any expelled member may re-apply for membership, to the Board of Directors, after a Thirty-Six (36) month waiting period. The New membership application must be approved by a majority vote of the Board of Directors.
ARTICLE XII
DUTIES OF OFFICERS
Section 1. The President Shall:
A. Preside at all Board of Directors meetings.
B. Preside at all General Membership meetings.
C. Be an ex-officio member of all committees except the nominating committee.
D. Have a working knowledge of the By-Laws of the Corporation and Roberts Rules of Order, Newly Revised, and to follow Parliamentary law.
E. Must be courteous, prompt and decided in his/her manner.
F. Must always remember that the power in his/her hands is to be exercised for the good of the Club and not as a mere exhibition of his/her own authority.
G. Must maintain order and see that the business of the Club is transacted promptly and thoroughly. H. Must be impartial in his/her treatment of the members and see that all have an opportunity to participate in Club business either in debate, on committees or otherwise.
Section 2. The Parliamentarian shall:
A. Assist the President in maintaining order at all meetings.
B. Advise on matters of proper parliamentary procedures.
C. Bring copies of the current By-Laws of the Corporation and Roberts Rules of Order, Newly Revised, and most current edition, and to advise on Parliamentary Law to all General membership and Board meetings.
Section 3. The Vice-President shall:
A. Preside at all meetings in the absence of the President.
B. Be knowledgeable of all club business.
C. Perform all other duties as directed by the President.
D. Have a working knowledge of the By-Laws of the Corporation and Roberts Rules of Order, Newly Revised, and to follow Parliamentary law.
Section 4. The Secretary Shall:
A. Perform all normal duties of a Secretary: record minutes at all meetings, write letters and other correspondence as required to conduct normal business of the Club, submit all Board and General Membership minutes to the Newsletter Chairperson within five (5) days after the meeting.
B. Record and Read the minutes at every Board of Directors meeting, every General Membership meeting and at any other special meeting. Upon completion of the readings the Secretary shall ask the Membership if there are any changes or corrections to the minutes. If no changes or corrections, the Secretary shall declare the minutes are accepted as read.
C. Keep a true and complete record of the transactions of the Club when in session. In keeping the minutes, the Secretary shall make notes of all motions which are made and stated by the Chair. Together with the names of the members making and seconding said motions and the action of the Club thereon.
D. Notify the Rocky Mountain Federation of Mineralogical Societies of all newly elected officers of the Club immediately after the Elections or any changes that may occur during the year.
E. Preside at all meetings in the absence of the President or Vice-President.
F. Bring minutes of all current meetings to be approved by the Board or General Membership as appropriate.
G. Have a working knowledge of the By-Laws of the Corporation and Roberts Rules of Order, Newly Revised, and to follow Parliamentary law.
H. Verify that all Corporation documents are current.
Section 5. The Treasurer shall:
A. Receive all monies of the Corporation.
B. Hold all funds of the Corporation in a banking institution approved by the Board of Directors and to disburse such funds under the direction of the Board of Directors or the General Membership.
C. Maintain accounts of receipts and disbursements.
D. Prepare itemized monthly reports which include income amounts and source, expense amounts and purpose, a copy of which shall be given to each member of the Board of Directors and to make a presentation at the monthly General Meeting.
E. Prepare an annual report for presentation at the December meeting of the Board of Directors.
F. Write checks for the Corporation. All checks must be signed by two (2) of the four (4) authorized signers. In the absence of the Treasurer, two (2) of the other officers whose signatures are on file with the bank may draw a check, if needed for immediate payment.
G. Responsible for mining claim filings and any other financial filings.
H. Close the books prior to turning them over to the incoming Treasurer.
I. At the expiration of term of office, promptly deliver all funds of the Corporation to the incoming Treasurer.
J. Submit all records for the tax return to be accomplished.
K. Preside at all meetings in the absence of the President, Vice-President and Secretary.
L. Have a working knowledge of the By-Laws of the Corporation and Roberts Rules of Order, Newly Revised, and to follow Parliamentary law.
M. Operate financial tracking software and have a valid e-mail account.
N. Submit all records to a committee of four (4) members for Audit to be completed annually during the month of March. Treasurer to attend Audit for explanatory purposes.
Section 6. The Board of Directors shall:
A. Attend all Board and General Membership meetings
B. Be the governing body of the Corporation.
C. Act on all matters of Policy.
D. Refer appropriate matters to the General Membership for discussion and vote.
E. Meet once a month to transact business and formulate plans.
F. Any Board member or Committee Chairperson not performing their duties shall be removed from office.
G. All Board Members shall arrive on time at all Board and General Membership meetings.
H. Request an audit of the books at any time deemed necessary.
I. Appoint all Committee Chairpersons
J. Appoint Special Committees
K. The Board of Directors shall select all replacements of any Officer or Board vacancy that may arise. Said replacement shall be affirmed by the General Membership at the next regularly scheduled General Membership meeting.
L. Act as ex-officio member of all committees except Nominating Committee.
ARTICLE XIII
STANDING COMMITTEES
Section 1. Newsletter Chairperson
A. The Newsletter shall contain information as follows: President’s message, Board meeting minutes, and General meeting minutes. Other Club information follows these three (3) items. The Newsletter shall be published and made available within ten (10) days after the General Membership meeting.
B. Is responsible for acquiring, preparing and publishing the Bulletin.
C. Appoints an editorial staff to carry out the duties of his/her office.
D. Perform all other duties of the office.
E. Delivers a copy of the monthlyNewsletter to the Webmaster.
F. Promptly delivers all effects of the office to the incoming Newsletter Chairperson with a complete inventory of materials necessary and incidental to the office
G. Newsletter Editor/Chairperson shall refer any controversial material tor inclusion in the Newsletter to the Board of Directors for approval before publishing.
Section 2. Webmaster
A. Responsible for weekly updates as supplied by the Board of Directors and Chairpersons.
B. Liaison and Bulletin Editor for combine advertising efforts.
Section 3. Program Chairperson
A. Plan and conduct monthly programs.
B. Provide a gift for the visiting speaker.
C. Give program information to the Newsletter Chairperson and Publicity Chairperson.
D. Keep records for future Program Chairperson.
Section 4. Hospitality
A. Greet members and Guests.
B. Maintain member and guest register and deliver it to Membership for record keeping.
C. Direct potential new members to the Membership Chairperson.
Section 5. Sunshine Chairperson
A. Shall collect information on any member who is ill, had an accident or is due for surgery, etc., and shall notify the Board of Directors and the Newsletter Chairperson.
B. Shall send out Get Well cards, flowers, gifts, arrange for food, etc., as the occasion demands.
C. The cap on spending shall be $100.00 per occasion.
D. Shall give a report at all General Membership meetings.
Section 6. Historian A. Shall keep Club history up-to-date, to include copy of Newsletters, pictures and News Articles. B. Digitize existing Club records.
Section 7. Publicity
A. Put articles in newspapers and newsletters such as meetings, guest speakers and special events as directed by the Board of Directors.
Section 8. Door Prize
A. Conduct drawings and replenish stockpile of prizes.
B. All monies from ticket sales shall be given to the Treasurer at the end of the meeting.
Section 9. Refreshments
A. Insure refreshments are provided at the Membership meetings.
B. Responsible to turn in all receipts for items purchased for the refreshment table, such as water, soft drinks, coffee, etc. The Treasurer shall reimburse the Refreshments Chairperson for all expenses upon conclusion of the meeting.
C. All monies donated by the Membership for refreshments shall be given to the Treasurer at the end of the meeting.
Section 10. Inventory
A. Maintain a Complete inventory of all Corporation property and insure proper care of stored items.
B. All equipment, tools and property shall be labeled with Club logo and be kept under lock and key.
C. Require Checkout/Liability Release Form for any property of the Club borrowed or rented.
D. Conduct an audit of the Club inventory as directed by the Board of Directors during May / June each year, by a committee appointed by the Board of Directors to include the General Shop Foreman.
E. Participate and reconcile with the General Shop Forman.
Section 11. General Shop Foreman
A. Supervise shop operation, safety and training.
B. Appoint duty shift supervisors.
C. Direct all Maintenance, repairs and secure all equipment in use in the club shop.
D. Submit Purchase Order for supplies and equipment to be approved by the Board of Directors.
E. Participate and reconcile with Inventory Chairperson.
Section 12. Membership.
A. Receive all Membership applications and dues, including renewal fees.
B. Issue yearly membership cards.
C. Order and distribute Club badges.
D. Provide a current Membership list to all members of the Board of Directors plus the Newsletter Chairperson and the Shop Foreman.
E. Maintain a Membership list which includes name, address, telephone number, email address, birthday month, date first joined and all positions held in the club.
Section 13. Federation Director
A. Keep Corporation membership in the Rocky Mountain Federation of Mineralogical Societies up-to-date.
B. Keep in touch with the Rocky Mountain Federation and attend Federation conferences.
C. Swear in all newly elected officers at the Awards Banquet.
D. Give a monthly report to the General Membership of Federation activities.
Section 14. Field Trip Chairperson
A. Organize and pre-run field trips. Pre-run to determine the condition of the roads to the location and status of the location (BLM, Forest service, Private or Claimed) if private or Claimed obtain entry permissions to site.
B. Field Trip leader must arrive at meeting place ½ hour prior to departure time.
C. Maintain liability releases and sign-up sheets.
D. Maintain required equipment: four (4) CB’s, First Aid Kit, Jack and tow strap.
E. Responsible for maintaining convoy.
F. Has the power to refuse violators of Field Trip guidelines from attending future Field Trips.
G. Shall be responsible to contact all members who signed up for a Field Trip if that trip has been canceled.
H. In the event a Field Trip is cancelled, the Field Trip Chairperson or his appointee shall go to the meeting site to notify anyone who appears for the trip that the trip has been cancelled.
ARTICLE XIV
SPECIAL COMMITTEES
Section 15. Show Chairperson
A. Plan and arrange all Shows.
B. Appoint a committee to assist in preparation of the Show.
C. Secure a suitable place for the Show
D. Determine date of Show with approval of the Board of Directors.
E. Provide a preliminary estimate of the cost of the Show and present to the Board of Directors, who shall make a determination to provide monies needed for the Show.
F. Give a progress report to the Board of Directors at every Board Meeting.
G. Submit a written report within thirty (30) days of the closing of the Show to the Board of Directors itemizing all monies received from ticket sales, rented spaces, advertisers, printing, etc., with all profits deposited into the Club account.
Section 16. Nominating/Election Committee
A. It shall consist of a Committee Chairperson appointed by the Board of Directors and four (4) members selected by the Chairperson.
B. The Chairperson shall be appointed in September.
C. The Chairperson shall present a slate of candidates at the October General Meeting and shall accept nominations from the floor.
D. If a nominee later decides not to run for office, the Nominating Committee shall be notified no later than October 15th. The Nominating Committee shall then reconvene to find a replacement prior to the November elections.
E. If a Committee member wishes to run for an elected position, that member must resign his/her Committee position. The Chairperson shall then appoint a new Committee member.
F. Prior to voting at the November meeting, nominees shall present their qualifications to the Membership.
G. A check-in procedure shall be initiated to verify membership and hand out ballots.
H. Only win/loss results shall be published and only Nominating Committee shall count the ballots.
I. The Nominating Committee is dissolved after the November elections.
J. Member must be present to be nominated or elected.
Section 17. Junior Members Club/Rock Stars Committee
A. Is responsible for youth group of ages seventeen (17) and under.
B. Responsible for educational classes set up for Rock Stars members.
C. Shall submit a purchase order for materials to be approved by the Board of Directors.
Section 18. New Member Liaison Committee
A. Welcome and educate new members
ARTICLE XV
AMENDMENT PROCEDURES
1. Proposed amendments to these By-Laws shall be submitted in writing to the Board of Directors.
2. The Board of Directors shall approve or disapprove the proposed amendment within two (2) months of the date it is received. Approval of the proposed amendment shall be by a majority vote of the Board of Directors.
3. If the proposed amendment is approved by the Board of Directors, it shall be presented to the General Membership at the next General Membership meeting.
4. The proposed amendment shall be placed on the agenda for discussion and acceptance or rejection by the General Membership. Acceptance shall be a majority vote of the adult members in attendance.
5. After an amendment to the By-Laws passes, copies of the amendment shall be made available to the Membership and shall be incorporated into copies of the By-Laws.
STANDING RULES
1. Location and time of the General Meeting shall be agreed upon by the Board of Directors.
2. Annual dues shall be:
A. Regular/Individual membership - $25.00
B. Family membership - $35.00
C. Life Membership – none
3. Membership dues are due and payable January 1st of every calendar year. Renewal dues paid after January 1st, but before February 1st, shall require a $5.00 late fee. The late fees are to ensure that the delinquent member can maintain continuous membership status. Any dues paid from February 1st forward shall be considered a new membership.
4. Membership dues not paid by January 31st shall have that member removed from the membership list.
5. New Members joining in October, November or December shall have their membership dues paid for the following year.
6. Board of Directors and General Membership meetings shall begin promptly at the designated time. 7. Children under eighteen (18) years of age are the responsibility of their parents at all club functions.
8. All records are Club property and must be turned over to the new officers or committee chairpersons at the end of their term.
9. A shop Supervisor shall be present at all times when members are using Shop equipment. The member must present a valid membership card before being allowed to use the equipment.
10. The Board of Directors shall not obligate the Club to more than $1,000.00 for any project. Any amount above $1,000.00 shall come before the General Membership for vote.
11. Any Board member or Committee Chairperson who resigns or vacates their position without reasonable notice and a valid excuse shall not be eligible to hold office for three (3) years.
12. Any person making personal deleterious remarks and creating ad hoc complaint sessions at any of the above shall be deemed subversive and injurious to the Club. Said persons shall be asked to leave the event, etc., so as to not ruin it for everyone else. Enforcement shall be made by the presiding person at said activity/event. (Deleterious is defined as hurtful, harmful, injurious, pernicious, destructive, noxious or anti=beneficial).
A. Repeated offences shall cause said member to be referred to the Board of Directors for expulsion (see Article XI).
13. No member shall be reimbursed for any expenditure, unless pre-approved by the Board of Directors. There shall be no exceptions. All expenditures must be pre-approved by the Board of Directors.
14. The General Membership may request items to be considered by the Board of Directors during the monthly Board of Directors’ Meeting or by the General Membership during the General Membership Meeting, by submitting their issue, in writing, no later than 24 hours prior to said meeting.