1.  Membership

Types

     Types of membership are Regular and Life.

Annual Dues

     Regular Membership               $  15.00

     Life Membership                     $200.00

 

2.  Standing Committee Chairs

There shall be the following Standing Committee Chairs appointed by the President:

     Cemetery Chair

     Lineage Societies Chair

     Membership Chair

     Programs Chair

     Publications Chair

     Research Chair

 

3.  Board Members

The Board shall be comprised of Officers and Standing Committee Chairs.  Each person in these roles shall have one vote, regardless of how many positions they fill. 

     

Board members are expected to attend all Board meetings.  If unable to attend, the President is to be notified in advance and any reports sent to the President, who will present the report in their absence.

           

Any member of the Board who has a financial, personal, or official interest in, or conflict (or appearance of a conflict) with any matter pending before the Board, of such nature that it prevents or may prevent that member from acting on the matter in an impartial manner, will offer to the Board to voluntarily vacate the room and refrain from discussion and voting on said item.

 

4.  Ex Officio Board Members

     The Immediate Past President is an ex officio officer with vote.

     The Librarian is appointed to the Board as an ex officio officer with vote.

     The e-News Editor is appointed to the Board as an ex officio officer with vote.

     The Heir Lines Editor is appointed to the Board as an ex officio officer with vote. 

     The Webmaster is appointed to the Board as an ex officio officer with vote.

     The Historian is appointed to the Board as an ex officio officer with vote.

     The Office Manager is appointed to the Board as an ex officio officer with vote.

     The Volunteer Coordinator is appointed to the Board as an ex officio officer with vote.

 

5.  Special Board Meetings

Special Board meetings may be called by the President or the Officers when deemed necessary.

     Purpose of the meeting must be stated when members are notified of the meeting.

     Notice of the meeting must be one week in advance.

 

6.  Order of Business

The order of business at Board meetings shall be:

     Call to Order

     Attendance Taken:  Recording of Quorum

     Recording Secretary’s Report of Minutes of Previous Meeting

     Treasurer’s Report

     Corresponding Secretary’s Report

     Committee Chair Reports

          Cemetery Chair

          Lineage Societies Chair

          Membership Chair

          Programs Chair

          Publications Chair

          Research Chair

     Other Reports

          e-News

          Heir Lines

          Historian

          Volunteer Coordinator

          Projects Update

          Webmaster

          Facebook Group

     When Active

          Finance Review Chair

          Nominating Chair

     Old / Unfinished Business

     New Business

     Announcements

     Date of Next Meeting

     Adjourn

 

The order of business at regular Chapter meetings shall follow the same order of items (abbreviated, if necessary) to conduct the business that needs to be addressed at that meeting.

 

7.  Financial Review Committee

A Financial Review Committee shall be created each January for the purpose of reviewing the previous year’s financial records.  The Financial Review Committee Chair shall be a Board member or Chapter member approved by Board vote.  The Committee of two additional Chapter members shall be appointed by the Chair.  The Treasurer shall work with the Financial Review Committee at a mutually agreed upon time and place for the review to take place and to assist with questions.  A report with the findings of the committee shall be presented to the Board no later than the March Board meeting.  The Committee is formally discharged upon presentation of the report.

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8.  Nominations for Officers

A Nominating Committee shall be created each September during election years.  The Chair of the Nominating Committee shall be a Board member or Chapter member approved by Board vote at the September Board meeting.  The Committee of two additional chapter members shall be appointed by the Chair.  The committee will consider candidates, secure approval from same, and will report the slate to the Board at the November Board meeting, prior to presentation at the general membership meeting.  Action is not taken by the Board.  The report is formally presented at the regular Chapter meeting by the Nominating Committee Chair.  The Chair calls for further nominations from the floor, calling each office.  When no more nominations are offered, the nominations are declared closed.  Voting will proceed according to Roberts’ Rules.  The Committee is formally discharged upon presentation of the report.

           

Persons serving on the Committee can be nominated for office.

 

9.  Code of Ethics

All volunteers are ethically bound and agree to:

1. Conduct themselves with openness, forthrightness, and honesty in dealing with people and organizations, both internally and externally.

2. Treat all volunteers, WCGS members, and the general public with dignity, worth, respect, concern, courtesy, and fairness.

3. Respect and comply with all applicable laws and regulations.

4. Follow all rules and policies set forth by the WCGS Bylaws, WCGS Standing Rules, or the Board.

5. Avoid insensitive or offensive language.

6. Refrain from engaging in physical or emotional abuse or violence toward others.

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10.  Membership Privacy Statement

The membership list of WCGS will only be used for carrying out business of the Chapter, e.g., mailing or emailing newsletters, program notices, dues reminders.  The list shall not be shared by the Membership Chair or any Board member with any other entity without approval of the Board.

 

11.  Membership in Other Societies

WCGS is a chapter of the Ohio Genealogical Society.

 

12.  Insurance

The Chapter shall maintain an insurance policy for bodily injury and liability for property damage.  The policy shall include a rider for coverage of the Chapter inventory in case of loss / damage to the inventory.

 

13.  Storage of Chapter Material

The WCGS Resource Library, located in the lower level of the Warren County Administration Building, 406 Justice Drive, Lebanon, Ohio, is where all chapter materials, equipment, and possessions are located. 

  

Records necessary to the respective Officer or Committee Chair may be stored in their homes, but must be returned to the WCGS Resource Library at the end of their term.

 

14.  Chapter Materials and Property Inventory

An inventory shall be conducted by the Volunteers under the direction of the Office Manager each May of the items held in the WCGS Resource Library.  This inventory will be submitted to the President when completed.

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All Volunteers will perform a yearly inventory of Chapter materials and property in their possession.  The report will be submitted to the President in May. It is recommended all items be labeled as Chapter property with contact information.

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15.  Disposal of Chapter Property

Board approval must be obtained to dispose of Chapter property.  The method of disposal must be presented with the request for approval.

• Items obtained from Warren County are to be returned to the county. 

• Electronics and computer equipment more than five years old may be donated or recycled.

• Furniture or equipment that is broken and unable to be repaired is to be donated, recycled, or scrapped. 

• Furniture or equipment that is still usable, but no longer needed, may be made available to any interested Volunteer, donated to another nonprofit, or given to the county for disposal.

• Office supplies and other consumables, such as paper, pens, file folders, binders, cleaning supplies, etc., do not require approval for disposal.

 

16.  Mail

All mail coming to the Chapter is the responsibility of the Corresponding Secretary.  If the Corresponding Secretary is unable to take charge of this on a regular basis, access to mail and the subsequent distribution to the appropriate recipient within the organization is to be done by Chapter Officers only.

 

17.  Monetary Donations to WCGS

Monetary donations are made by cash, check, or through the website with a credit card.  Follow the Cash Handling Policy for any checks or cash received.  Any correspondence, including the envelope, that was sent with the donation is to be placed in the cash box along with the check or the Treasurer’s box.  The Treasurer will document and record the donation and forward the necessary information to the Corresponding Secretary.  The Corresponding Secretary will send a thank-you note or email to the donor.

 

18.  Purchasing

Only the President and / or the Treasurer may make purchases from the chapter business account which includes writing checks and using account debit / credit card for payments.  They shall have the authorization for a Chapter business debit / credit card and its use.  The Office Manager may make purchases working with the President or Treasurer to make payment.  Purchases $150.00 and under may be made with no approval of the Board (effective 1 Jun 2023).  However, any purchase over $150.00 must be voted on and approved by the Board.

 

19.  Reimbursement for Expenses

The Chapter will reimburse for approved expenses incurred for Chapter activities.  Persons incurring expenses are to submit the receipts to the Treasurer.

 

20.  PayPal or Wix Payments Transfers

Only the President, Treasurer, and / or Webmaster may access the Chapter PayPal account and / or Wix Payments account in order to transfer money from PayPal or Wix Payments to the Chapter bank account. 

 

21.  Programs

Programs are to be arranged for regular or virtual Chapter meetings, preferably scheduled for the second or third Wednesday of each month.

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Speakers who present a program at regular or virtual Chapter meetings shall be given a one-year complimentary regular membership in WCGS in appreciation for their program.

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Program speakers may be reimbursed no more than $150.00 without approval of the Board (effective 1 Jun 2023).

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22.  Special Interest Groups

The Board may create or abolish Special Interest Groups as they relate to the interest within the Society’s general purpose.  Membership in an interest group shall be open to all members of the Chapter.  Chairs of interest groups shall be appointed by the President.  Dues or fees shall be approved by the Board and monies received shall become part of the chapter’s funds.

 

23.  WCGS Statement on Making Donations

Donations of materials, monies, and volunteer services, whenever appropriate and feasible, must be approved by the Board.  Grants may not be made to individuals.

• WCGS supports, when possible, local and regional libraries, archives, church archives, and public repositories in their work of collecting materials useful for the study of family and local history.

• WCGS promotes educational opportunities, including classes, genealogical workshops, seminars, and family history research activities.

• WCGS supports preserving, collecting, microfilming, and publishing records and appropriate documents pertaining to Warren County, Ohio.

• WCGS supports cemetery restorations and programs sponsored by non-profit organizations. 

 

24.  Resignations and Removal from Office

An Officer, Committee Chair, or other Board member may resign at any time by filing a written resignation with the Board.  The Officer, Committee Chair, or Board member who has resigned must return all items owned by WCGS within two weeks of their resignation.

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In the event an Officer is unable to fulfill their duties, a letter from the board will be sent to notify of pending board action.  The person will be asked to attend a meeting to address the problem.  A majority vote will remove the person from office.

 

25.  Miscellaneous and Other Policies

A.  The WCGS Conflict of Interest Policy (see Attachment A).

     Written 27 Aug 2022

     Approved 6 Oct 2022

B.  The WCGS Whistleblower Policy (see Attachment B).

     Written 15 Sep 2022

     Approved 6 Oct 2022

C.  The WCGS Privacy Policy for https://www.wcgsohio.org (see Attachment C and can be found online at:  https://www.wcgsohio.org/wcgs-privacy-policy)

     Written 25 May 2021

     Revised 15 Sep 2022

     Approved 6 Oct 2022

D.  The WCGS Terms of Use for https://wcgsohio.org (see Attachment D and can be found online at:  https://www.wcgsohio.org/wcgs-terms-of-use)

     Written 25 May 2021

     Revised 15 Sep 2022

     Approved 6 Oct 2022

E.  WCGS Cash Handling Policy (see Attachment E).

     Written 27 Aug 2022

     Approved 6 Oct 2022

     Revised 8 Apr 2023

     Approved 4 May 2023

F.  WCGS Document Retention and Destruction Policy (see Attachment F).

     Written 20 Oct 2022

     Approved 3 Nov 2022

G.  WCGS Donations Processing Policy (see Attachment G).

     Written 8 Apr 2023

     Approved 4 May 2023

H.  WCGS Investment Policy (currently being written).

I.  WCGS Job Descriptions (currently being written).

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These Standing Rules may be amended without notice by a majority vote of the Board at any regular Board meeting.

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Part One (1-14) Written 15 Sep 2022
Part One (1-14) Approved 6 Oct 2022
Part Two (15-25) Written 20 Oct 2022
Part Two (15-25) Approved 3 Nov 2022

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Item 18, Fourth Sentence, Revision Approved 6 Jul 2023

     Purchases under $150.00 may be made with no approval of the Board.

changed to

     Purchases $150.00 and under may be made with no approval of the Board (effective 1 Jun 2023).

 

Item 21, Paragraph 3, Revision Approved 6 Jul 2023

     Speakers shall be offered reimbursement of mileage at the current IRS rate for mileage over 10 miles.

     Paragraph eliminated (effective 31 Aug 2023).

 

Item 21, Paragraph 4, Revision Approved 6 Jul 2023

     Program speakers may be reimbursed up to $100.00.

changed to

     Program speakers may be reimbursed no more than $150.00 without approval of the Board (effective 1 Jun 2023).

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