PCNS Constitution & By-laws

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The Constitution

Article I - NAME AND OBJECT

The name of the organization shall be the PACIFIC COAST NUMISMATIC SOCIETY, hereinafter referred to as the Society.
The object of the Society shall be to promote, develop, and foster numismatics in all its branches along educational, historical, and scientific lines, and to provide opportunities for collectors to share in an organization of mutual interest and good fellowship. The Society shall also promote coin collecting among the general public, but none of its activities shall be for pecuniary profits.

Article II - MEMBERSHIP

Any person of good character who is interested in the objects and activities of the Society and who agrees to abide by the rules shall be eligible for membership.
The membership of the Society shall consist of Active Members, Honorary Members and Fellows. In addition, the titles of Sponsor, Distinguished Member, Silver Member and Gold Member may be awarded as provided for in Sections 4, 7, 8 and 9.
Active Members shall be those persons elected to membership as prescribed in the By-Laws of the Society. They shall have the right to vote and hold elective office as hereinafter provided.
Sponsors of the Society shall be Active Members who in addition to their annual dues make a monetary contribution to support the work of the Society, the amount to be established by the Board of Governors. Sponsorship shall be acknowledged in the publications of the Society.
Honorary Members shall be those individuals not already members of the Society but whom the Society deems worthy of recognition. Such individuals may or may not be numismatists, but must be prominently engaged in an activity that relates to numismatics.
Fellow of the Society shall be a special title of honor and distinction granted by the Society to a member or non-member who has published significant original research in the field of numismatics.
Distinguished Members shall be those members recognized for outstanding and dedicated service to the Society over a period of years.
Silver Members shall be those members who have achieved 25 years of continuous membership.
Gold Members shall be those members who have achieved 50 years of continuous membership.

Article III - OFFICERS

The following elective officers shall be chosen from among the Active members in good standing: President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer and three members of the Board of Governors.
Farran Zerbe, Founder of the Society (deceased 1949) shall remain on the roster as Honorary President with Membership Number 1.
The elective officers shall be chosen by ballot at the December meeting and shall serve for a period of one year or until such time thereafter as their successors shall have been duly qualified and elected. They shall take office at the meeting at which they are elected.
Appointive Officers, Chairmen of Committees, and Committee Members shall be named by the President, as hereinafter provided, and they shall serve for the calendar year current or until their appointed task has been completed.

Article IV - MEETINGS

All regular meetings of the Society shall be held in the City and County of San Francisco, California, on a date as set forth in the By-Laws and at a place and time deemed suitable to the needs and conveniences of the Society.
Special meetings may be held at such time and place as the occasion may require provided all members are duly notified.

Article V - REVENUE

The principal revenue of the Society shall be derived from dues as provided for in the By-Laws.
Other sources of revenue may be developed from activities of the Society.
The revenues of the Society shall be used solely for expenses incurred in the conduct of its meetings and activities, and promoting the objects of the Society as set forth in Article 1, Section 2. hereof.

Article VI - GOVERNMENT

The governing power of the Society shall be-vested in a body to be known as the Board of Governors, which shall consist of: President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, Immediate Past President, and three (3) Active Members elected by the Society. Each one will be entitled to one vote. The Board of Governors shall meet at least once per month, and it shall submit the minutes of its proceedings to the next Regular Meeting of the Society.
Any member of the Society in good standing may attend these Board meetings and may participate in any of its discussions.
Any action of the Board of Governors must be subject to review and revisions by the Society as a whole at any regular meeting whenever such action may be deemed necessary. The Board of Governors may refer any matter that it deems proper, to the membership for action.

Article VII - AMENDMENTS

This revised Constitution may be amended only at a regular meeting of the Society by a two-thirds vote, provided the proposed amendment has been read at a previous meeting and all members have been given due notice of the regular meeting at which the proposed amendment is to be voted upon.
All amendments receiving favorable action by the Society become effective immediately upon official announcement of the result of such vote by the Presiding Officer.

Article VIII - EFFECTIVE DATE

This revised Constitution takes effect April 25, 1990, and supersedes the one previously in effect and dated December 27, 1989.

The By-Laws

Article I - MEETINGS

Regular meetings of the members of this Society shall be on the last Wednesday of each calendar month, except for special occasions or when legal holidays conflict. The date of each meeting may be changed by a majority vote of the Board of Governors or of the Membership, with notice to be given to members at least seven (7) days before the revised meeting date.
Special meetings may be called by the President, or shall be called by the President on the application of ten members in good standing, or by a majority vote of the members at a regular meeting. A notice stating the object of such meeting shall be delivered or mailed by the Secretary at least seven (7) days prior to the date of such meeting. Should the President fail or refuse to call such meeting, or should the Secretary fail or refuse to notify the members, any Active Member in good standing may call the meeting upon giving notice thereof in the manner provided.
The Annual Meeting of the members of the Society shall be held in the month of December of each year. At this meeting new officers for the ensuing year will be installed.
At all meetings of Regular Members of the Society, a quorum for the transaction of business shall consist of those Active Members present at the time announced for the meeting. Any business transacted at the time announced for the meeting will be considered valid.
At any regular or special meeting of the Society each Active Member present and in good standing shall be entitled to one (1) vote, Vote by proxy will not be accepted.

Article II - DUES

The dues of the Society shall be determined by majority vote of the Board of Governors. Dues are payable in advance to the Treasurer on January 1st of each year.
Honorary Members and Fellows of the Society are not required to pay dues unless they desire to participate as Active (Voting) Members of the Society.

Article III - APPLICATION FOR MEMBERSHIP

Application for Active Membership may be submitted to the Society at any time, to be presented to the membership at the next scheduled regular membership meeting. Applications must be accompanied by dues for one (1) year in advance. Applications will state the Applicant's name, mailing address, collection specialties, and the names of any Society members who act as sponsors or references. The name and city of address for each applicant will be published to the membership prior to the next regular meeting of the Society. Any member of the Society desiring to lodge a protest against an applicant for membership shall file such protest in writing with the Board of Governors prior to the beginning of the next regular meeting of the Society.
If no protests have been received against admission to the Society of the Applicant, the Applicant's name shall be read to the membership at the regular meeting one month following the first reading of the Applicant's name, thereby introducing the Applicant into membership in the Society.
If an objection or protest is made against the admission to membership of any applicant, the matter shall be referred to the Board of Governors for their investigation and consideration. The Board of Governors will then report its findings and recommendations at the next meeting of the Society. Should the membership, the applicant, or the protester so desire, they shall be afforded an opportunity to discuss the pending application. A vote will be taken by ballot on the protested application and if three-fourths (3/4) of the votes cast are favorable for admission, the applicant shall be deemed duly elected to membership.
A person whose application for membership has been duly rejected may not apply for membership until one (1) full calendar year has passed since the rejection. Any fees or monies paid by an applicant shall be refunded in full, if application is rejected.
Any member may propose the title of Honorary Member be bestowed upon an individual by submitting a secret nomination to the President. The President shall then appoint a committee of three who shall evaluate the nomination. Nominees nominated by the committee shall be voted upon at a regular meeting. Upon the vote of a majority of the members present, the nominee will be named an Honorary Member for the remainder of the year. This title may be renewed annually by a majority vote without further committee review.
Any member may propose that the title of Fellow be bestowed upon an individual by submitting a secret nomination to the President. The President shall then appoint a committee of three who shall evaluate the nomination. Nominees recommended by the committee shall be voted upon at a regular meeting by means of a secret ballot. Upon vote of 3/4 of the members present, the nominee will be named a fellow. This title shall remain in effect for the lifetime of the so-named individual.
Any member may propose that the title of Distinguished Member be bestowed upon an individual by submitting a secret nomination to the President. The President shall then appoint a committee of three who shall evaluate the nomination. Nominees recommended by the committee shall be voted upon at a regular meeting by means of a secret ballot. Upon a vote of a majority of the members present, the nominee will be named a Distinguished Member. This title shall remain in effect for so long as the so-named individual is a member of the Society.

Article IV - COMMITTEES

The Presiding Officer of the Society shall appoint from time to time such committee chairmen and appointive officers as may be specifically called for, or as he may deem necessary or desirable, or as may be authorized by the Society.
The Curator shall be responsible for maintaining the collections and archives of the Society. This position shall be appointed by the President on an annual basis.
An Auditing Committee of at least two (2) members, in addition to the outgoing and incoming Treasurers, will be appointed at the November meeting to make an annual inspection of the financial records. An Auditing Committee will also be appointed at such other times as the Presiding Officer may deem necessary.
The Presiding Officer shall appoint at the October meeting a Nominating Committee to consist of at least three (3) members in good standing. In addition, members of the Society in good standing may nominate from the floor at the October meeting any additional members in good standing to serve on the Nominating Committee. The Presiding Officer may either appoint such additional nominees to the Nominating Committee or they may be appointed by a majority vote of the members present. The Nominating Committee will render its report at the November meeting.
Finance Committee. Three members of the Society shall be appointed annually to prepare a budget for the Society and to review proposed major expenses and to make recommendations to the Board on fiscal policy.
Publications Committee. Three members of the Society shall be appointed annually to supervise publications of the Society and to make recommendations regarding the appointment of editors.

Article V - ELECTIONS

After the report of the Nominating Committee has been made at the November meeting, nominations from the floor will be in order. Nominations from the floor may also be made at the December meeting prior to the election of officers. A motion that the nominations be closed may not be entertained by the Presiding Officer until the December meeting. A reasonable opportunity will be granted for all nominations to be made.
Candidates nominated by the Nominating Committee or from the floor shall be elected by the Active Members present at the regular meeting in December.
The candidate for any office receiving a majority of the votes cast shall be declared elected. If there are more than two (2) candidates for any office, and none receives a majority vote on the first ballot, a run-off vote shall be conducted between only the two (2) highest candidates on the first ballot.
Officers elected at the December meeting shall be installed before the adjournment of said meeting.

Article VI - DUTIES OF OFFICERS

PRESIDENT. The President shall preside at all meetings of the Society and of the Board of Governors. He shall decide all points of order; perform all other duties incidental to the office of President and such duties prescribed from time to time by action of the members or the Board of Governors; appoint chairmen of all committees and appoint members to all regular and special committees excepting when otherwise voted by the Society. The President shall be an Ex-Officio member of all committees. The President shall have the right to any ballot vote, but on other voting he may vote only in case of a tie vote. In case of a vacancy in any office, the President shall have the power to appoint a successor to fill the unexpired portion of the term of such vacancy. The signature of the President shall be filed with the bank with which the Society is currently doing business for the signing of checks and vouchers.
VICE PRESIDENT. The Vice President shall handle such duties as are assigned to him by the President. He shall act as the Presiding Officer in the absence of the President. He shall assume the office of President in case of the President's death, resignation or permanent inability to act. His signature will also be on file with the bank, for the signing of checks.
SECRETARY. The Secretary shall keep a record in accurate and permanent form of all meetings of the Society and of all meetings of the Board of Governors and shall handle the Society's correspondence and such other duties as may be assigned by the President.
TREASURER. The treasurer shall receive and account for all monies, securities and funds that are the property of or in the possession of the Society. He shall deposit all funds in the name of the Society in a bank or banks designated by the Board of Governors. He shall distribute no money except by check and upon the authorization of the Board of Governors. His signature shall be on file with the bank. Checks drawn by the Treasurer must carry the signature of one of the following officers: President, Vice President or Treasurer. He will also be responsible for the collection of membership dues, and will issue membership cards and keep an accurate record of membership and payment of dues.

Article VII - LOSS OF MEMBERSHIP

A member of the Society may resign at any time by submitting a letter of resignation.
A member of the Society who has not paid his dues by April 1st of the current year will be automatically dropped from the membership. However, in cases where extenuating circumstances exist, the Board of Governors may waive this requirement for one year. The Treasurer will read the names of those members to be dropped for nonpayment of dues at the regular March meeting.
A member of the Society can be expelled from membership in the Society for cause. A two-thirds (2/3) adverse vote against a member will be required to terminate his membership in the Society. A vote for expulsion can only be taken at a regular meeting of the Society, and a motion to expel must have been made at a previous regular meeting. A motion to expel from membership must state the cause in writing. Upon receipt of a written motion to expel, duly seconded, the Presiding Officer will refer the motion to the Board of Governors, for its investigation and report at the next regular meeting of the Society.

Article VIII - PARLIAMENTARY AUTHORITY

The most recent revision of Robert's Rules of Order will apply in all business procedures not otherwise covered herein.

Article IX - AMENDMENTS

These revised By-Laws, in whole or in part, can be amended or repealed, or new By-Laws adopted upon a majority vote; the said amended, repealed or new By-Laws having been presented at the previous regular meeting of the Society. A change in the By-Laws can only be effected at a regular meeting of the Society.
All amendments to these By-Laws shall go into effect upon official announcement of the result of such vote.

Article X - EFFECTIVE DATE

These revised By-Laws take effect April 25, 1990, and supersede the ones previously in effect and amended December 27, 1989.