New York Correction History Society

The draft Constitution and Bylaws document can be downloaded as an Adobe Acrobat Portable Document Format (PDF) file. If you have Adobe Acrobat Reader (needed to view and/or print PDFs), click here to access the draft NYCHS Constitution and Bylaws PDF file (92K). If you want a free copy of Adobe Acrobe Reader, click the above icon to access the Acrobat web site:

Section 1. Individual membership dues or dues changes shall be decided by majority vote of those members attending the annual meeting and/or the ballots counted if mail balloting has been authorized by the Board for that particular annual meeting. No dues or dues changes shall be proposed to the membership by the Board without a treasurer's report accompanying the dues proposal. The report shall detail the society's projected expenses, revenues and funding. Submission to the membership of any dues proposal shall require approval of two-thirds of the total number of Board members.

Section 2. Regional associations that may evolve from Agency Coordinating Councils outside of New York City and may continue their relationship with the society through affiliation shall arrange with the society's Board, by mutual agreement, such dues or equivalent support that will enable the society to continue to provide society services -- such as notices, newsletters, journals, and web site options -- to their members.

Section 3. Support organizations, such as an agency's recognized societies and unions, may arrange with the society's Board, by mutual agreement, annual support contributions. All support organizations shall be listed as such on the society's web site; in the society's brochures, newsletters, and journals, and in printed programs for the society's events, presentations and displays.

ARTICLE II -- Meetings: General Membership, Executive Committee, Board of Trustees.

Section 1. Other than the annual meeting, the society shall not establish regularly scheduled or periodically required general membership meetings. The society shall make vigorous use of the web, E-mail, posted notices, newsletters and faxes to maintain a high level of communication with and among the members. The society shall seek -- through the activities of its Shared Interest Groups and Agency Coordinating Committees -- opportunities to hold events, programs, and presentations in which the general membership can participate.

Section 2. The society's Executive Committee shall meet at least once in every four-month period. The president may call special meetings of the Executive Committee as deemed needed. The president shall call a special meeting of the Executive Committee if requested by three other officers. The general secretary shall prepare the agenda for the Executive Committee meetings after conferring with the officers and shall make timely advance distribution of agenda copies among the officers. The participation of at least four (4) of the seven (7) officers shall constitute a quorum.

Section 3. The society's Board shall meet at least once in every six-month period. The participation of eleven (11) Board members shall constitute a quorum. The Board chairperson may call special meetings of the Board as deemed needed. The Board chairperson shall call a special meeting of the Board if requested by 10 other Board members. The general secretary shall prepare the agenda for the Board meetings after conferring with the other officers and trustees. The general secretary shall make timely advance distribution of agenda copies among the officers and trustees.

Section 4. "Meeting," as applied to the Executive Committee and Board of Trustee sessions, shall mean scheduled discussion and recorded decision-making either in a single place or in two or more places linked by phone, TV, computer or other electronic hookup.