The Society of Civil War Historians

Article I: Name, Office

Section 1. Name The name of this organization shall be “The Society of Civil War Historians.”
Section 2. Office. The Society of Civil War Historians shall be c/o Department of History, Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, Florida 33431
Section 3. Archives. The official Repository of the Society's Archives is the Richard’s Civil War Era Center, the Pennsylvania State University, 108 Weaver Building, University Park, PA 16802-5500.

Article II: Purposes

Section 1. Mission and Purposes. The mission of the Society of Civil War Historians is to encourage scholarly activity and academic exchange focused on the American Civil War among historians, students, and professionals who interpret history in museums, national parks, archives, and other public facilities.
In addition to the above, the purposes for which the Society of Civil War Historians (hereafter sometimes called “the Society") is organized are as follows:
To engage in, assist, and contribute to the support of exclusively charitable, educational, or literary activities and projects or purposes, either directly or by contributions to the support of, or to create and maintain exclusively charitable, educational, or literary organizations, including specifically, but not in limitation of the foregoing, to encourage, promote, stimulate and support research, publication and the teaching of Civil War history; provided, however, that no part of the income or property of the Society shall be contributed to any organization, the net earnings of which or any part thereof, inure to the benefit of any private shareholder or individual or any substantial part of the activities of which is carrying on propaganda or otherwise attempting to influence legislation or which, to any extent, participates in, or intervenes in, any political campaign on behalf of any candidate for public office.
Section 2. Net Earnings. No part of the net earnings of the Society shall inure to the benefit of any member, member of the Advisory Board of the Society, or any private individual (except that reasonable compensation may be paid for services rendered to or for the Society affecting one or more of its purposes), and no member, member of the Advisory Board, officer of the Society, or any private individual, shall be entitled to share in the distribution of any of the assets on dissolution of the Society. No part of the activities of the Society shall be the carrying on of propaganda or otherwise attempting to influence legislation, or participating in, or intervening in (including the publication or distribution of statements) any political campaign on behalf of any candidate for public office.
Section 3. Powers. Without in any way limiting the other powers of the Society, the Society may take, receive, invest, reinvest and hold real and personal property, including the principal proceeds and interest of any money or other fund, that is given, conveyed, bequeathed, devised to or otherwise vested in, the Society in trust or otherwise for a purpose consistent with the purposes set forth herein.

Article III: Disposition of Assets

Should the Society cease to do business and be dissolved, all property and funds remaining after the payments of the debts of the Society shall be distributed to a corporation of the type heretofore in Article II mentioned and which would then qualify under provisions of Section 501 (c) (3) of the Internal Revenue Code, as now enacted or as may hereafter be amended.

Article IV: Membership

Section 1. Levels of Membership. Any person or organization supporting the objectives of the Society of Civil War Historians and meeting the annual dues requirement will receive both the Society of Civil War Historians Newsletter and the journal Civil War History. Members shall enjoy all rights and privileges of membership and shall be entitled to vote and to hold office. The levels of membership shall be designated according to the dues stipulated for the following categories:
(a) STUDENT. Student members are those persons who document their yearly status and have paid the appropriate amount to justify such membership. A student member shall enjoy all rights and privileges of membership and shall be entitled to vote and to hold office.
(b) ANNUAL.
(c) SUSTAINING.
(d) INSTITUTIONAL. Institutional members are those organizations, whether incorporated or unincorporated, which, having paid their dues and been admitted to membership, justify such membership through active support of the objectives of the Society
(e) LIFE.
(F) FOUNDERS. Founders' names will be placed in the issue of Civil War History once per year.
Section 2. Resignations. A member may resign by filing a written resignation with the Executive Board or the President. In the event of a resignation of a member, no part of the annual dues theretofore paid shall be refunded.

Article V: Dues

Section 1. Amount of Dues. Annual dues shall be established and changed by a majority vote of the membership at the annual business meeting of the Society.
Section 2. Dues Structure: $25 Student, $50 Annual, $100 Sustaining, $130 Institution, $500 Life, $1,000 Founder.
Section 3. Payment. The Treasurer or such other individual or organization as he/she may designate shall send notices to each member. Members whose dues are not paid within six (6) months from the due date shall be dropped from membership.

Article VI: Officers

Section 1. Officers and Term of Office. There are four (4) officers of the Society of Civil War Historians: a President, Secretary-Treasurer, and Editors of the Newsletter and Civil War History.  The President will hold his position for four years commencing with the adjournment of the annual meeting.
Section 2. Nominations. The Nominations Committee shall be appointed by the President. The Nominations Committee shall report to the Secretary prior to the annual meeting of the Society
Section 2.(a) Function, Nomination Procedure. The Nominations Committee will use the Newsletter to solicit suggestions for the president. The offices of Secretary-Treasurer, and Editors of the Newsletter and Journal will be appointed by the President with the approval of a majority vote of the Advisory Board. The Committee will report its proposed slate of candidates to the Secretary in sufficient time for a vote to be taken by the membership before the annual meeting.
Section 3. Election and Voting. All individual members are eligible to vote. The election of all officers will be made by mail ballot, administered by the Secretary, and the results announced at the annual business meeting.
Section 4. Removal and Vacancies. Any officer may be removed from his/her office by the vote of two-thirds (2/3) of the entire active membership of the Advisory Board, with or without cause, and no officer shall be granted any contractual right to office. If there is a vacancy among the officers of the corporation by reason of death, resignation or otherwise, such vacancy shall be filled for the unexpired term by the Advisory Board by a two-thirds (2/3) vote.
Section 5. President. The President shall have general management of the business of the organization. He/she shall preside at all meetings of the members and the Advisory Board and appoint all committees. He/she shall be the chief executive officer of the organization and shall see that all orders and resolutions of the Advisory Board are carried into effect. He/she shall be a member “ex officio" of all committees.
Section 6. Secretary-Treasurer. The Secretary-Treasurer shall keep a record of proceedings at members' meetings and at Advisory Board meetings, be responsible for the records of the Society and for sending correspondence, arrange for meetings and notify persons concerned with such meetings and with committee appointments and perform such other functions as are assigned by the President or the Advisory Board. In addition, the Secretary-Treasurer shall be responsible for the collection and disposition of all funds due to, or collected by the Society. He/she shall sign checks and pay all financial obligations. He/she shall keep a record of all receipts and disbursements and render a financial report to the Advisory Board upon request. He/she shall submit the records for a financial audit and also submit to the Advisory Board a complete financial statement at the close of the fiscal year. He/she shall perform all other duties as are incidental to this office.
Section 7. Newsletter Editor. The Editor will be responsible for editing and publishing the Newsletter. The Newsletter is to be published quarterly.
Section 8. Civil War History Editor. The Editor will be responsible for the editing and publishing of the Journal, including the various annual reports of the Society and other appropriate information.

Article VII: Advisory Board

Section 1. Election and Term of Office. The Advisory Board shall consist of four (4) current officers and the board members who will serve for five-year terms. The number of members serving shall be determined at the first business meeting and may be adjusted as needed annually. Although service on the Advisory Board shall be limited to a five-year term, incumbents may be renominated for intervals of five years. All past Presidents of the organization shall be considered “ex officio" members of the Advisory Board entitled to attend all meetings of the Advisory Board and entitled to vote during the three (3) years immediately succeeding their Presidency.
Section 2. Duties and Powers. The Advisory Board will meet once a year at the annual meeting of the Society to receive the report of the President or other officers and endorse the various activities or policies of the Society. It will also advise the President and other officers during the year as needed.
Section 3. Removal and Vacancies. The Advisory Board may, by two-thirds (2/3) vote, remove a member for a failure to discharge properly his/her duties of office. All vacancies in the Advisory Board shall be filled by a two-thirds (2/3) vote of the Advisory Board for the unexpired term created by the vacancies.

Article VIII: Meetings and Programs

Section 1. Annual Meeting of Society. An annual program of the Society shall be held in conjunction with the annual Southern Historical Association convention. The time and place of the meeting shall be determined by the Secretary in consultation with the President and the Local Arrangements Committee. In addition, an annual business meeting shall be held in conjunction with this program. The time and place of the business meeting shall be determined by the Secretary in consultation with President and Advisory Board Members.
Section 2. Biannual Conference Meeting. Every two years a conference of the Society shall be held for the purpose of presenting papers related to the American Civil War. The panels of papers presented at this meeting shall be determined by a program committee appointed by the President. The time and place of the conference shall be determined by the President and the Advisory Board.
Section 3. Special Meetings of Members. Special meetings of members may be called at any time by the President and shall be called at any time upon the written request of three (3) Advisory Board members or of ten (10) members of the Society. Only such subjects as shall have been announced in the call for a special meeting shall be considered at such meeting, but a call may be issued for a special meeting to transact general business and, at such meeting, any matter may be considered and acted upon.
Section 4. Quorum and Voting of Members. A majority of the Advisory Board shall constitute a quorum for conducting business at any general or special meeting of members duly called. Except as otherwise provided by law, a majority vote shall be sufficient to carry all motions requiring a vote at a general or special meeting. Advisory Board Members may participate by teleconference and may submit proxies for voting.
Section 5. Meetings of the Advisory Board. The Advisory Board shall hold regular meetings at such times and places as the Advisory Board may, from time to time, determine. Special meetings of the Advisory Board may be called any time by the President or any member of the Board. The place of the special meeting shall be determined by the person calling the meeting. Five (5) members of the Advisory Board shall constitute a quorum for the conduct of business. Except as otherwise provided herein, a simple majority vote shall be sufficient to carry all motions at the Advisory Board meetings. Officers or members may attend via teleconference and may submit proxies on voting.
Section 6. Notice of Meetings. Ten (10) days notice of the annual meeting shall be given to the members. Notice shall be given of all regular meetings of the Advisory Board and all special meetings of the Advisory Board or of the members by the Secretary to all members of the Advisory Board or members, as the case may be, at their respective addresses as recorded on the books of the Society at least five (5) days prior to such meeting, and such notice shall set forth the purposes of such meeting.

Article IX: Standing Committees

Section 1. Book Award Committee. For the purposes of recognizing biennially the best first book related to the American Civil War, the Society shall have a Book Award Committee which shall be appointed by the President. This honor will be awarded at the bi-annual conference of the Society. The book must be copyrighted within the two-year period between the bi-annual conferences.
Section 2. Local Arrangements Committee. For the purposes of the biennial conference, the President will appoint a Local Arrangements Committee, which will consist of at least two members of the Society to serve for two years to assist in the planning of the conference. The Secretary-Treasurer will also serve on this committee. In addition, the Secretary-Treasurer will plan the annual banquet meeting of the Society (which meets in conjunction with the Southern Historical Association).
Section 3. Program Committee. For the purposes of the biennial conference, the President will appoint a Program Committee, which will serve two-year terms. Members can be reappointed to consecutive terms. The Committee will over see the submitted proposals related to the American Civil War and otherwise assist members participating on appropriate panels.

Article X: Distinguished Service Recognition

The President shall on occasion consult with past or present officers and other appropriate to designate any Society member for his/her distinguished service to the Society or the field of Civil War History.

Article XI: Changes

Section 1. Amendments to By-laws. These By-laws may be amended by a two-thirds (2/3) vote of the whole Advisory Board if authorized by the members in accordance with law, or by a simple majority vote of the regular members present at any regular or special meeting; provided that notice of such proposed action has been given as required for notice of a special meeting of the members or Advisory Board, as the case may be.
Section 2. Suggestions. Voting members of the Society are encouraged to submit recommendations for the improvement of the activities of the Society of Civil War Historians to the Advisory Board or the Secretary of the Society or from the floor of the annual meeting of the Society.
POLICY STATEMENTS
Membership on the Advisory Board and Society committees shall be limited to Society of Civil War Historians members in good standing.

The Society of Civil War Historians does not ordinarily co-sponsor outside conferences. The Society of Civil War Historians does not ordinarily provide funding for outside conferences.