ARTICLE II.
OBJECT.
The object of this Society is the increase and diffusion of geographic
knowledge.
ARTICLE III.
MEMBERSHIP.
The members of this Society shall be persons who are interested in
geographic science. There may be three classes of members, active,
corresponding and honorary.
Active members only shall be members of the corporation, shall be
entitled to vote and may hold office.
Persons residing at a distance from the District of Columbia may become
corresponding members of the Society. They may attend its meetings,
take part in its proceedings and contribute to its publications.
Persons who have attained eminence by the promotion of geographic
science may become honorary members.
Corresponding members may be transferred to active membership, and,
conversely, active members may be transferred to corresponding
membership by the Board of Managers.
The election of members shall be entrusted to the Board of Managers.
Nominations for membership shall be signed by three active members of
the Society; shall state the qualifications of the candidate; and shall
be presented to the Recording Secretary. No nomination shall receive
action by the Board of Managers until it has been before it at least
two weeks, and no candidate shall be elected unless he receive at least
nine affirmative votes.
ARTICLE IV.
OFFICERS.
The Officers of the Society shall be a President, five Vice-Presidents,
a Treasurer, a Recording Secretary and a Corresponding Secretary.
The above mentioned officers, together with eight other members of the
Society, known as Managers, shall constitute a Board of Managers.
Officers and Managers shall be elected annually, by ballot, a majority
of the votes cast being necessary to an election; they shall hold
office until their successors are elected; and shall have power to fill
vacancies occurring during the year.
The President, or, in his absence, one of the Vice-Presidents, shall
preside at the meetings of the Society and of the Board of Managers; he
shall, together with the Recording Secretary, sign all written
contracts and obligations of the Society, and attest its corporate
seal; he shall deliver an annual address to the Society.
Each Vice-President shall represent in the Society and in the Board of
Managers, a department of geographic science, as follows:
Geography of the Land,
Geography of the Sea,
Geography of the Air,
Geography of Life,
Geographic Art.
The Vice-Presidents shall foster their respective departments within
the Society; they shall present annually to the Society summaries of
the work done throughout the world in their several departments.
They shall be elected to their respective departments by the Society.
The Vice-Presidents, together with the two Secretaries, shall
constitute a committee of the Board of Managers on Communications and
Publications.
The Treasurer shall have charge of the funds of the Society, shall
collect the dues, and shall disburse under the direction of the Board
of Managers; he shall make an annual report; and his accounts shall be
audited annually by a committee of the Society and at such other times
as the Board of Managers may direct.
The Secretaries shall record the proceedings of the Society and of the
Board of Managers; shall conduct the correspondence of the Society; and
shall make an annual report.
The Board of Managers shall transact all the business of the Society,
except such as may be presented at the annual meeting. It shall
formulate rules for the conduct of its business. Nine members of the
Board of Managers shall constitute a quorum.
ARTICLE V.
DUES.
The annual dues of active members shall be five dollars, payable during
the month of January, or, in the case of new members, within thirty
days after election.
The dues of members elected in November and December shall be credited
to the succeeding year.
Annual dues may be commuted and life membership acquired by the payment
of fifty dollars.
No member in arrears shall vote at the annual meeting, and the names of
members two years in arrears shall be dropped from the roll of
membership.
ARTICLE VI.
MEETINGS.
Regular meetings of the Society shall be held on alternate Fridays,
from November until May, and excepting the annual meeting, they shall
be devoted to communications. The Board of Managers shall, however,
have power to postpone or omit meetings, when deemed desirable. Special
meetings may be called by the President.
The annual meeting for the election of officers shall be the last
regular meeting in December.
The meeting preceding the annual meeting shall be devoted to the
President's annual address.
The reports of the retiring Vice-Presidents shall be presented in
January.
A quorum for the transaction of business shall consist of twenty-five
active members.
ARTICLE VII.
AMENDMENTS.
These by-laws may be amended by a two-thirds vote of the members
present at a regular meeting, provided that notice of the proposed
amendment has been given in writing at a regular meeting at least four
weeks previously.