Name

The name of this Society shall be “Jackson County Historical Society,” and it shall incorporate 

under the Internal Revenue Code to become a tax exempt corporation in the State of Illinois.

ARTICLE II

Objects

The objects for which this Society are formed are to arouse and stimulate an interest in the 

history of Illinois in general, and Jackson County in particular; to encourage historical research 

and secure its promulgation; to aid in collecting and to collect and preserve all data relating to 

the history of Illinois and its peoples in Jackson and adjoining counties; and to do all and any of 

the things necessary to the attainment of the objectives of the Society.

ARTICLE III

Membership

Section 1. Membership shall be open to anyone interested in history, and/or related fields.

Section 2. Membership types, and amount of dues, shall be set by the Board of Directors of 

the Society, with the consent of the majority of the members present at the 

meeting.

Section 3. Charter members shall be designated at those having signed the Charter Roll.

ARTICLE IV

Officers and Duties

Section 1. All officers shall be paid up members and shall attend Board meetings. They 

shall:

(a) Perform the duties outlined in this Constitution and the By-Laws

and any assigned in the future

(b) Deliver to the successor of office all official materials during the 

month of December.

(c) Present an outline of the work of each officer to the succeeding 

officer during December.

Section 2. The officers shall be as follows: President, Vice President, Secretary and 

Treasurer, to be elected to one-year terms.

Section 3. There will be fourteen (14) Directors.
Each Director shall be Chairman of one of  the following committees, to serve two years, seven to be elected each year.

Membership* Museum & Displays*

Newsletter (Editor) Historical Buildings and 

Library Sites*

Photo File* Publications

Cemeteries, Memorials and Park Publicity & Public Relations

Program Genealogy*

Budget* Hospitality*

Special Projects

*Elected 1984

Section 4. Officers and Directors shall be elected at the Annual meeting in October and take 

office the following January. Directors shall make reports of their committees at 

each Board meeting.

Section 5. The President shall preside at all Board meetings and general meetings and will 

serve as the ex-officio member of all committees.

Section 6. The Vice-President shall assist the President in organizational duties and shall 

perform the duties of the President in the absence or inability of that officer to 

serve.

Section 7. The Secretary shall record and read the minutes of the regular business meetings 

and the Board meetings and preserve all minutes and documents. The Secretary 

shall be responsible for the correspondence of the Society.

Section 8. The Treasurer shall collect and record all dues and funds received by the Society, 

give monthly financial reports to the Board and a yearly report at the annual

business meeting. The Treasurer shall accurately record all receipts and 

expenditures. The Treasurer will submit all records to the Board of Directors for 

audit at the end of each fiscal year.

ARTICLE V

Executive Board

Section 1. The Executive Board shall consist of the Elected Officers and Directors.

Section 2. Duties of the Executive Board shall be to:

(a) Transact the affairs of the Society

(b) Recommend purchases, plan and implement the budget

(c) Set policy and new projects

(d) Keep the membership informed

(e) Promote the Society

Section 3. Meetings of the Executive Board shall be monthly, with the exception of 

December. Five (5) members of the Board shall constitute a quorum. Special 

meetings of the Board may be called by the President or by the majority of the 

members of the Board.

ARTICLE VI

Committees

Directors (Committee Chairmen) shall recommend policy for their committee to the Board and 

work within the budget designated for each committee.

ARTICLE VII

Fiscal Year

The fiscal year of the Society shall begin on January 1st of each year and end on December 31st

of that same year.

ARTICLE VIII

Quorum and Voting

Section 1. A Nominating Committee appointed by the President shall submit a slate of 

Officers and Directors to the general membership at the annual meeting. The 

chairman must have the consent of any member nominated for an office.

Section 2. Nominations may be made from the floor by any member of the Society.

Section 3. Board members shall be elected for a two-year term but may be reelected to

following terms. All Directors serve for two years, except when filling an 

unexpired term.

Section 4. In the event of resignation or incapacity of any officer or director, except the 

President, the vacancy may be filled by a vote of the Executive Board for the 

unexpired term of office. The President’s office shall be filled by the Vice 

President. The Vice-Presidency may then be filled by a vote of the Board.

ARTICLE X

Dissolution

Section 1. In the event of dissolution, all remaining assets, after the satisfaction of liabilities, 

will be distributed to the Illinois Historical Society under Section 501©(3) of the 

Internal Revenue Code, or to a State of Illinois organization operated exclusively 

under the same code for historical purposes if the former does not exist.

Section 2. No part of the net earnings of the corporate Society shall accrue to the benefit of, 

or be distributable to its members, trustees, officers, or other private persons, 

except that the corporate Society shall be authorized and empowered to pay 

reasonable compensation for services rendered and to make payments and 

distributions in furtherance of the purposes set forth in Article II hereof. The 

corporation shall not participate in or intervene in any political campaign on 

behalf of any candidate for public office. Under these provisions the Society will 

not engage in any activities that are not permitted to be carried on as follows:

(a) By a corporation exempt from Federal Income Tax under Section 

501 (c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954 (or corresponding 

provision of any further United States Internal Revenue law).

(b) By a corporation, contributions to which are deductible under 

Section 170(c)(2) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954 (or 

corresponding provision of any future United States Internal 

Revenue law).

(c) The Society shall abide by any changes in the law that affect 

Section 501(c)(3) and Section 170(c)(2) of the Internal Revenue 

Code after this date of adoption, as long as the Society desires to 

remain a tax-exempt organization.

ARTICLE XI

By-Laws

Section 1. Special Committees may be appointed by the President or as directed by the 

Society or Executive Board.

Section 2. The Executive Board shall have such powers and perform such acts as devolve 

upon them under the Statutes of Illinois.

Section 3. No property of the Society may be removed from the Society’s possession 

without the consent of the appropriate Committee Chairman and the President. 

The borrower must furnish a written receipt for all property taken from the 

Society’s possession.

Section 4. Proper records shall be maintained on all material, donations and loans to the 

Society.

Section 5. All matters of business not covered by the Constitution and By-Laws shall be 

conducted according to Roberts Rules of Order.

Adopted by vote of the membership at the Annual Meeting October 21, 1984