ICH LOGO

BYLAWS

of the

Irish Cultural Society

of San Antonio Texas

 ICH LOGO

Promoting Awareness of Irish Culture

Irish Cultural Society BY-LAWS

Article I
Members

Section 1:    Election to Membership    
A. A prospective active member shall be a guest 
of the Society at one of its regular meetings.    
B. The Membership Committee shall review and 
recommend to the Secretary the proposed member's 
application.    
C. The application of the prospective member shall 
be presented by the Membership Chairperson for formal 
acceptance but there shall be a lapse of one month after 
the membership has heard the name of the person.  The 
name shall be read and a vote taken at the next regular
meeting.
Section 2:    Resignations, Reinstatements, Suspensions
    A.  Any member who is not in arrears in dues my resign 
in good standing.  Resignations must be made in writing to 
the Secretary.
    B.  Any member may be reinstated by a majority vote of 
active membership present at, a regular meeting or a meeting 
called for that purpose.  Former members may be re-admitted 
by paying the annual dues accruing for the balance of the 
current year.
    C.  Any member may be suspended for a just cause by a 
majority vote of the active membership present at a regular 
meeting or one called for that purpose.  A member proposed 
for suspension must be notified by mail and is entitled to 
be heard at the meeting.
Section 3:         Finances
    A.  The fiscal year of the Society shall be from 
October 1st through September 30th.
    B.  The annual Society dues for Active Membership shall 
be $25.00 per family or $15.00 per individual. Associate 
Membership shall be $5.00. Dues are payable on or before 
Oct. 1st of each year.  Membership shall not be refused or 
revoked solely because of inability to pay.
	In the ordinary course:
	1.  The Membership Chairperson shall notify members 
that dues are delinquent on November 1st.
	2.  Those whose dues are not paid by November 15th 
shall be sent a final notice by the Membership Chairperson.
        3.  Those whose dues are not paid by December 1st 
shall be automatically dropped from the membership of the 
Society.
    C.  The funds of the Society shall be under the control 
of the active membership.

Article II
Officers and Board Members

Section  1.      Duties
    The duties of the President, the Vice-President, the 
Secretary and the Treasurer shall be those usually 
appertaining to that office.
Section  2.      Term of Office
    Election for officers and Board Membership shall be at 
the annual general meeting and those elected shall assume 
office for two years for all elections.


Section  3.      Nominating Committee
    Nominating Committee of three active members shall be 
appointed by the Board.  It shall be the duty of this 
Committee to nominate candidates for the offices to be 
filled at the annual general meeting.  Nominees must be
Active Members in good standing, and agree to be
nominated.



Section  4.     Vacant Board Positions.
When an elected Board Member while serving in office 
accepts nomination for another office, the office he 
holds becomes vacant on his election to the other 
office and must be filled, by election, for the 
remainder of the term.



Article III
Meetings



Section 1    Regular Meeting
    The regular meeting of the Society shall be held on the 
third Sunday of each month unless otherwise recommended by 
the Board.



Section 2    Annual General Meeting
    The annual general meeting shall be held in the month 
of June on the third Sunday.  The purpose of this meeting 
is to conduct the annual elections, to receive reports of 
officers and committees and to transact any other  business 
that may arise.



Section 3    Special Meetings
    Special meetings may be called by the President of the 
Board, a majority of the Board Members or a majority of 
the active membership.  Except in cases of emergency at 
least three days notice shall be given.



Section 4.    A Quorum
    Six Board Members, two of whom shall be elected officers 
shall constitute a quorum at board meetings, regular 
meetings, special meetings, and the annual general 
meeting.



Article IV

Committee Duties and Responsibilities


The duties and responsibilities of the Standing Committees

shall be as follows:



A. Membership Committee:
   Generally:  The maintenance of existing membership of the 
Society and the recruitment, and presentation for membership, 
of those qualified to join the Society.
   Specifically:
   1.  To prepare and present for Board review and approval:
       a.  A Program for maintenance of existing membership.
       b.  A Program of Outreach and Recruitment (Liaison 
with Publicity Committee).
   2.  To make reports to the Board on the progress of Programs.
   3.  Other:
       a.  To procure necessary data on each candidate.
       b.  To present the candidate at the membership meeting 
giving a short summary of his or her background.
       c.  To conduct balloting on the candidate at the next 
membership meeting.
       d.  To advise the Planning and Programming Committee of 
talents and preferences of new members.
       e.  To maintain, through Society Secretary, a file on 
members of data procured in a, above.
       f.  To collect the dues and account therefore to the 
Treasurer.
       g.  To present to the Treasurer, for direct payment, 
all invoices coming within the authorized budget.
       h.  To report monthly to the members on the existing 
number of members and of new members admitted in the current 
year.



B.  Planning and Programing Committee
   Generally: The supervision and direction of ALL Society 
projects and programs (research, educational, social) whether 
in-membership or for participation by the public.
   Specifically:
   1.  To prepare and present for Board review and approval:
       a. A Tentative Calendar of activities for balance of 
year covering:
          1)  Social/educational activities at meetings.
          2)  Community or general nonmeeting-related 
social/ educational activities.
       b. Description of and schedule of currently-planned 
programs (Liaison with Publicity Committee).
   2.  Report to the Board on progress of approved projects 
and of any changes in the tentative calendar.
   3. Other:
      a.  Marshaling, from Membership records, of such talent 
and capabilities as are necessary to successfully implement 
programs.
      b.  Development, from membership data, of a list of 
speakers on specialized subjects.
      c.  Delivery to the Treasurer, for proper accounting, 
of all monies received.
      d.  To present to the Treasurer, for direct payment, 
all bills for costs within the approved budget.
      e.  General report to the membership of activities.



C.   Public Relations Committee
   Generally: The development and maintenance, through 
available news media, of community awareness and understanding 
of the Society and its goals, and the conduct of publicity 
programs for the projects of the Society.
   Specifically:
   I.  Development for Board review and approval:
       a. Of a tentative calendar of general promotional 
activities for the year.
       b. Of a publicity schedule for each of the projects 
currently planned by the other committees.
       c. Of a budget for any costs involved in a, and b, 
above, such budget to be first reviewed by the Treasurer and 
Board and, in the case of b, such costs to be allocated to 
the project budget of the committee involved.
   2.  Monthly report to the Board on status of publicity for 
approved projects, and on any changes in tentative calendar.
   3.  Other:
       a.   Marshaling, from membership data, of talents and 
skills necessary to Committee's operation.
       b.   Development of a Society file of publicity and 
news media contacts.
       c.   Maintenance of a file or scrapbook on promotion.
       d.   Distribution of lists of speakers on specialized 
subjects to civic, education or history groups.
       e.   Report to the membership meeting on publicity 
programs and status.




D.  Scholarship Committee
   Generally:
   The presentation of a scholarship to a qualified candidate,
who presents an essay of their own judged best by the Scholarship 
Committee each year.
   Specifically:
   1.  To award a scholarship of a minimum of $500.00 to 
a college bound high school or home schooled senior from 
the city of San Antonio.
       a)  Chairman will appoint a minimum of 2 members 
to the committee.
       b)  Chairman will be responsible for receiving all 
entries and concealing their identities.
   2.  Receive essays on a topic selected by the scholarship 
committee.
   3.  Be responsible for contacting all schools, public 
and private, with scholarship information and sending 
applications.
       a) Applications (Application + Essay) must be returned 
to the committee chairman in accordance with the instructions 
on the application to be reviewed and judged by the entire 
committee.
   4.  Announce the scholarship winner at the general meeting 
in May, and award the scholarship to the winner at the June 
meeting.



E.  Social Committee
   Generally:    To implement the programs developed by 
the Planning and Programming Committee.
   Specifically:
   1.  To prepare and present for review and approval of 
the Planning and Programming Committee:
       a.  Details pertaining to the success of any approved 
social program such as the contacting of members, distribution 
of and accounting for tickets, hall or site preparation or 
decoration, procurement of necessary refreshments or equipment, 
or such other duties as may be assigned.
       b.  The conduct of social activities following the 
membership meetings.
       c.  The preparation beforehand of a listing of 
expenditures estimated in the discharge of its duties, and on 
completion of duties an accounting of actual expenditures and/or
accounting for monies handled.
   2.  To present a report of activities, either in conjunction 
with the overall report of the Planning and Programming Committee 
or supplementary to it, to the Board of Directors and to the 
members at Membership Meetings.



Article V
Amending the by-laws


These by-laws can be amended at any regular meeting 
provided that a notice of intention to amend the by-laws 
be read at the previous meeting, and such an amendment 
is approved by a majority of the board members, and 
notice thereof is mailed to the membership seven days 
prior to the meeting at which it will be acted upon, 
and it is approved by a majority of those voting.


   CONSTITUTION AND BY-LAWS CHANGE


At the June 2001 ICS meeting the membership voted to amend the
constitution and bylaws by adding a Scholarship Committee.  At the 
September meeting the following was read and approved by the Board.
Our constitution states notification be sent to each member in 
writing at least fourteen days previous to the meeting at which it 
will be voted.  This is your notification.  The following is the 
recommended changes.


 Proposed Change to the Constitution.


CHANGE Article VII, Committees, Section 1, A, 

 to read as follows: Standing Committees shall be 

Membership, Planning and Programming, Public Relations, 

Social, and Scholarship.


2) Changes to the By-laws


 Add Scholarship Committee with the following 

General and Specific requirements.


Generally:
The presentation of a scholarship to a qualified 
candidate, each year.


Specifically:
1.     To award a scholarship of a minimum of $500.00 to 
a college bound high school senior from the city of 
San Antonio.
   a)  Chairman will appoint a minimum of 2 members 
to the committee.
   b)  Chairman will be responsible for receiving 
all entries and concealing their identities.
2.     Receive essays on a topic selected by the committee.
   a)  The essay must be type written, double-spaced and 
a maximum of  750 words.
   b)  A cover page, containing the title or subject with 
the applicant's name and address must be attached.
3.     Be responsible for contacting all schools, public 
and private, with scholarship information and sending 
applications in the month of October.
   a) Applications must be returned to the committee 
chairman by February lst  to be reviewed and judged 
by the entire committee.
4. Award the scholarship to the winner at the June meeting.















Treasurer Duties


   Generally  the Treasurer is responsible for  
supervision and recording and accounting for, of all
monies of the Society and the establishment and 
maintenance of such controls and procedures as are 
necessary to good accounting; and the planning and 
conduct of general fund-raising projects with special 
emphases on soliciting grants and endowments for 
the Society.
  Specifically:
  A.  Of the General Tentative Budget for the coming year.
  B.  Recommendations on the General Tentative Budget, 
and on the Project budgets submitted by the various committees.
  C.   Prepares and presents the Monthly Treasurer's Report.
  D.   Report to the Board of the General Budget status,
changes in the Tentative Budget, monies committed but not 
spent and income realized but not received, and general 
recommendations.
  E.   Set up and maintain an accounting system together 
with the necessary systems or procedures for cash controls.
  F.  Examine and make recommendations on the Projects' 
and Committees.


           general budgets.