By-Laws

of The Des Moines Astronomical Society, Inc.

Ratified January 10, 2009

ARTICLE I

NAME

The name of the organization shall be The Des Moines Astronomical Society, Incorporated.

ARTICLE II

PURPOSE

The purpose of the Society is to secure the pleasure and benefits of an association of persons interested in amateur astronomy; to promote the science of astronomy; to encourage and promote activities of an astronomical nature; to foster observational and computational work, as well as craftsmanship in various fields of astronomy; to correlate amateur activities with other amateurs and professionals; and to educate the public.

ARTICLE III

MEMBERSHIP AND DUES

Any person with an interest in astronomy may be admitted to membership. Membership and corresponding dues per year shall be as follows:

Class A	18 years and over	$30.00
Class B	Students	$21.00
Class C	Family	$45.00
Class D	Member-at-large	$21.00
Class E	Lifetime Member (Individual)	$500.00
Class F	Lifetime Member (Family)	$600.00

Class B and Class D members shall have non-voting status and shall not be issued keys to the observatory but shall receive all communications from the Des Moines Astronomical Society, Incorporated. Members who make an additional annual donation of $50.00 shall be recognized as a Patron member. Members who make an additional annual donation of $75.00 shall be recognized as a Benefactor. The preceding dues schedule shall be updated as deemed necessary by the corporate board and approved by the majority. A member may be dropped from membership by two-thirds (2/3) majority vote after a show of due cause.

ARTICLE IV

VOTING AND QUORUM

Voting is limited to those who have paid their current dues and, if not already a member at the time dues were paid, attended at least one entire meeting (except the annual election of officers, and special votes for which exception is given and announced to all members.) Members who have a family membership shall receive two ballots for voting.

The number of voting members required to be present at a general meeting of the Society shall be ten (10) or more. No business may be transacted unless this quorum is met. “Majority” refers to members present at the meeting at which the vote is taken.

ARTICLE V

ELECTION OF OFFICERS

Section I

The officers of the Society shall be: President, Vice-President, Director of Observatories, Secretary, and Treasurer.

Section II

The officers shall be elected to a term of one (1) year.

Section III

Elections shall be held annually. Nominations are to be opened at the October meeting of each year, and remain open through the close of the November meeting. Voting shall be by secret mail-in ballots, sent out to members no later than November 15 and returned by the December meeting. Votes will be tallied at the December meeting by an appointed individual who is neither running for office nor serving as a current officer. The new officers will begin serving at the January meeting.

Section IV

If an office other than President becomes vacant between elections, the President shall solicit candidates, and members shall vote for the new officer at the next general meeting following the announcement of the vacancy. If the office of the President becomes vacant, the Vice-President shall fill the office.

Section V

Officers may be removed by two-thirds (2/3) majority vote after a show of due cause.

Section VI

In the event of a tie the race will be decided by the flip of a coin. The coin will be flipped by the club member who counted the ballots. The incumbent will call the flip.

ARTICLE VI

DUTIES OF OFFICERS

Section I President

The President shall preside at all general and board meetings and call additional meetings if required. The President may appoint additional committees not otherwise provided for, and shall be an ex-officio member of all committees. The President may appoint various non-officer positions. Any Presidential appointment may be removed by a two-thirds (2/3) vote of members for any cause. The President shall be chairperson of the corporate Board of Directors and President of the corporation. The President shall promote reasonable conduct in discussion, and ensure votes are taken when appropriate, according to the by-laws.

Section II Vice-President

The Vice-President shall preside in the absence or inability of the President to preside, otherwise at the discretion of the President. The Vice-President shall serve as the club's representative to the Astronomical League (ALCOR). The Vice-President shall be a director of the corporation and may be assigned committees to chair.

Section III Director of Observatories

The Director of Observatories shall be chairperson of the Observatories Committee and shall appoint two (2) or four 4) project directors to comprise the committee. The director shall be responsible for: seeing that equipment is properly inventoried; scheduling and directing activities associated with the observatory; keeping related records, including a schedule for usage of the observatory; and making such records available to members. The Director of Observatories shall be a director of the corporation.

Section IV Secretary

The Secretary shall keep minutes of the general and board meetings; will be responsible for keeping and distributing or posting a copy of updated by-laws each year in November and will serve as the registered agent for the State of Iowa. The Secretary shall be responsible for keeping papers pertinent to club business, including one (1) copy of each newsletter and a current roster of the members. The Secretary shall assume the role of newsletter editor, but may delegate this duty or appoint persons to assist. Although not an officer per se, the editor may be removed from the position by a two-thirds (2/3) majority vote upon show of due cause. The Secretary shall be a director of the corporation.

Section V Treasurer

The Treasurer shall keep an accurate account of all financial transactions of the Society. This includes: the receipt of membership dues; payment of bills justly incurred by the Society; handling of members’ subscriptions to publications covered in group agreements between the society and publishers; forwarding of society dues to organizations of which the society is a member; shall submit annual financial reports for the previous year and an estimated budget for the current year at the January meeting and will keep the books in a proper format for the annual audit to be completed in February. The Treasurer shall make all financial records available to the membership for their review upon reasonable notice. The Treasurer shall be a director of the corporation.

ARTICLE VII

COMMITTEES AND BOARDS

Section I Corporate Board of Directors

The Board of Directors of the corporation shall be made up of the elected officers of the Des Moines Astronomical Society, Incorporated. General members are allowed to attend the meetings of the officers and the corporate board, which shall be announced via the general meeting and/or newsletter. General management of club affairs shall be vested in the board.

Section II Observatories Committee

The Observatories Committee shall consist of two (2) or four (4) persons, to be known as “project directors”. Project directors shall be appointed by the Director of Observatories and serve until the June general meeting. They shall discuss project ideas among themselves and shall present ideas of major consequence to the club for majority vote. They shall serve as a qualifying board for users of the observatory and shall instruct members in the proper use of the equipment. The committee shall not be financially responsible for any damaged equipment, but will be responsible for seeing that equipment is repaired and costs properly assessed.

Section III Additional Committees

Additional committees may be formed as deemed necessary.

ARTICLE VIII

EQUIPMENT USAGE

All equipment built by, purchased by, or donated to the Society, will be made available to those qualified and properly certified by the Observatories Committee. Published rules governing use of equipment must be adhered to. Certification may be revoked by agreement of the Observatories Committee and approved after the fact by two-thirds (2/3) majority vote.

ARTICLE IX

MEETINGS

Regular monthly meetings shall normally be held on the first Saturday of each month, except July. Time, date, and location may be changed by the President or presiding officer, if necessary. Special meetings may be requested by the President or ten (10) members with three (3) days notification to members. Members will be notified by mail or electronic means. Subject matter is limited at special meetings.

ARTICLE X

HONORARY MEMBERSHIP

The Society shall establish a membership classification of “Honorary Member” for purposes of honoring and recognizing individuals who have made significant contributions to the science of astronomy. An honorary membership is a permanent membership and subject to approval by the members. Honorary members are recognized on a plaque located in the observatory.

ARTICLE XI

DISBURSEMENT AND USE OF SOCIETY FUNDS

All funds secured by the Society, from membership fees, donations, or any other sources, shall be used expressly for activities of the Society. Under no circumstances will any of the funds of the Society inure to any member of the Society or its officers or directors. No Society members, officers, or directors will in any way receive a fee for services rendered to the Society. Expenditures from club funds, other than those required to fulfill the duties of the treasurer, will be authorized by the President up to $150.00 for each month span, and approved by the majority at the next general meeting. If not accepted, no more funds may be used by the President without authorization of the executive board for the remainder of the fiscal year. Amount for projects to exceed $150.00 must be approved by a two-thirds (2/3) majority vote prior to use of any funds. All payments from funds require receipt, unless otherwise established prior to reimbursement, and are subject to approval by the board.

ARTICLE XII

DISSOLUTION OF SOCIETY

Should the Society dissolve or cease to function, all remaining assets shall be donated to an Iowa college, University, or science-oriented organization, under the guidance of the board of directors, unless the sale of equipment is required to pay off any debts.

ARTICLE XIII

(Deleted January 10, 2009)

ARTICLE XIV

FISCAL YEAR

The fiscal year shall be from January 1 to December 31.

ARTICLE XV

STATUS

The Des Moines Astronomical Society, Incorporated, is established as an organization exempt from federal income tax under U. S. Internal Revenue Code Section 501 (c) (3).

ARTICLE XVI

AMENDMENTS

These by-laws may be amended by two-thirds (2/3) majority vote, provided that the proposed amendment(s) have been distributed to the membership in print for not less than ten (10) days prior to the meeting at which action is to be taken. The by-laws shall be reviewed by the board of directors and club members present at the November meeting. The by-laws will be published once a year after review.