Articles of Association of the
Lowcountry Stargazers
ARTICLE I - NAME
Name. The name of the organization shall be the Lowcountry Stargazers, herein referred to as the LCS. Territory. The territory of this organization encompasses, but is not limited to, the counties of Charleston, Colleton, Dorchester and Berkeley, state of South Carolina.
Offices. The headquarters and principle organization office shall be in the state of South Carolina.
ARTICLE II - PURPOSES
1. The purposes for which the organization is organized are exclusively scientific and educational
within the meaning of section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code and the corresponding provision
of any future United States Internal Revenue Law.
2. Not withstanding any other provision of these articles, this organization shall not carry on any
activities not permitted to be carried on by an organization exempt from Federal income tax under
section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code and the corresponding provision of any future United
States Internal Revenue Law.
3. To promote the study of the science of astronomy through public education.
4. To improve and increase the LCS member's knowledge of astronomy.
5. To stimulate the interest of the citizens of the counties of Charleston, Colleton, Dorchester and
Berkeley and surrounding communities in astronomy and related sciences.
6. To encourage members of the LCS to serve the citizens of the counties of Charleston, Colleton,
Dorchester and Berkeley and surrounding communities by providing educational assistance on subjects related to astronomy.
ARTICLE III - MEMBERSHIP
Section 1. Types of Membership. Membership shall be of two types. a. Regular Membership
b. Honorary Membership
Section 2. Eligibility. Subject to the limitations contained in this and other Articles of the Association and By-laws, a person with an interest in astronomy or a related science is eligible for membership. The LCS shall not discriminate with regard to age, sex, race, creed or national origin.
Section 3. Regular Membership. Upon payment of annual dues a member becomes a Regular Member for a period of twelve months. A regular member shall be entitled to hold office in the organization, vote on organization matters and receive the organization publications. Directly related family members of the regular member shall be permitted to participate in meetings and other activities, but shall not be entitled to hold office in the organization or vote without payment of annual dues.
Section 4. Honorary Membership: Any individual nominated and approved by majority vote at a regular meeting in which a quorum as defined by Article II Section 2 of the organization By-Laws is
present, shall be considered an Honorary Member for life. Honorary Members shall have all the rights and privileges of Regular Members without payment of dues.
Section 5. Guests. Meetings are open to the public. Guests are invited to attend organization meetings, but shall not be entitled to hold office in the organization, vote on organization matters or receive the organization publications.
Section 6. Expelling of Members. The elected officers of the organization shall have the power to expel any member by majority vote of the officers for conduct damaging to the property or reputation
of' the LCS or its members. Failure to pay financial obligations due the organization shall result in
termination of membership.
Section 7. Disposition of Dues and Fees. Any member who resigns or is expelled from the organization shall also forfeit dues, fees or money paid to the organization, subject to waiver by a
majority vote of the organization Officers.
ARTICLE IV - OFFICERS
The elected officers of the organization shall include the President, Vice President, Secretary, and
Treasurer. The appointed officers shall include the other positions of responsibility that the elected
officers deem appropriate. The organization officers, both elected and appointed, shall be occupied by voting members in good standing.
ARTICLE V - DUTIES OF OFFICERS
Section 1. President. The President shall preside at all meetings of the organization and the performance of such other duties as are necessary and incident to the proper administration of the
organization except such duties as are specifically delegated to others by the Articles of the Association and By-laws. He shall be charged with the responsibility of assigning the supervision of such committees as the membership may designate and of supervising the functioning of all officers and committees. Subject to the approval of the other elected officers, the president shall appoint the
"appointed officers" of the organization. A decision of the President may be overruled by a majority
vote of the membership. The President may only vote in order to break a tie.
Section 2. Vice President. The Vice President shall preside as President over all meetings in the absence of the President.
Section 3. Secretary. The Secretary shall keep records of the regular meetings, maintain a complete and current roster of members, their addresses and telephone numbers, maintain an inventory of organization property and its location, maintain a complete and current copy of the Articles of Association and By-laws and perform such other duties as ordinarily pertain to the office of Secretary or as specified by the Articles of Association and By-laws.
Section 4. Treasurer. The Treasurer shall receive and bank the funds of the organization, keep records of all financial transactions involving the funds of the organization or funds allocated to the organization for special projects, account to the Officers and members for the funds and transactions monthly and when otherwise requested to do so, maintain a list of all members and the status of their dues payments and perform such other duties as ordinarily pertain to the office of Treasurer.
ARTICLE VI - ELECTION OF OFFICERS
Section 1. Time of Election. The elected officers of the organization shall be elected at or before the last regular meeting in November of each year by a majority vote of the voting members present. The President subject to approval of the other elected officers shall appoint officers.
Section 2. Term of Officers. Officers shall serve for a period of one year commencing with the next ensuing January 1st.
Section 3. Vacancies in Office. If an office becomes vacant during the year, the voting members present shall elect the successor by a majority vote to serve for the remainder of the un-expired term at the next regular meeting. If the vacancy is in the office of president, the vice president will assume
duties as president until elections are held. For any other vacancy, the duties of the office shall be
conducted by whomever the president shall appoint until elections are held.
Section 4. Limitations of Office-Holding. No officer shall simultaneously hold more than one elected office nor more than two consecutive terms for the same elected office. There shall be no limitation placed on appointed positions.
ARTICLE VII - DISSOLUTION
In the event of dissolution, the residual assets of the organization will be turned over to one or more
organizations which themselves are exempt as organizations described in section 501(c)(3) and 170(c)(2) of the Internal Revenue Code and corresponding sections of any prior or future Internal Revenue Code, or to the Federal, State, or local governments for exclusive public purpose.
ARTICLE VIII - AMENDMENTS
This Articles of Association shall be amended by a 2/3 vote of the members by proxy and/or absentee ballot or in person, provided that the proposed amendment was read and discussed at two (2) previous meetings before being voted on.