IOWA SOCIETY OF THE MAYFLOWER DESCENDANTS CONSTITUTION
Adopted by the Society of Mayflower Descendants in the State of Iowa, 3 May 1941, revised 23 November 1951; 20 November 1954; 19 November 1960; 18 November 1972; 19 November 1994; 6 May 1995; 4 November 2000; 6 May 2004; 6 Nov 2004; 7 May 2005; 5 November 2005; 6 May 2006; 5 May 2007; 6 Nov 2010; 3 November 2012; 2 November 2013; 6 May 2017; 6 November 2021
ARTICLE I – NAME
The name of this Society shall be “The Society of Mayflower Descendants in the State of Iowa, Inc.”
ARTICLE II – OBJECTIVES
The objectives of this Society shall be:
SECTION 1. To perpetuate to a remote posterity the memory of our Pilgrim Fathers. To maintain and defend the principle of civil and religious liberty as set forth in the Compact of the Mayflower, “For the glorie of God, and advancements of the Christian faith and honor of our countrie.”
SECTION 2: To cherish and maintain the ideals and institutions of American Freedom, and to oppose any theories of actions that threaten their continuity, to transmit the spirit, the purity of purpose and steadfastness of will of the Pilgrim Fathers to those who shall come after us, an undiminished heritage of liberty and law.
SECTION 3. To promote the interests that are common to all the State Societies of Mayflower Descendants which can best be served by a federal body, and to secure united effort to discover and publish original matter in regard to the Pilgrims, together with existing data known only to antiquarians, and to authenticate, preserve and mark historical spots made memorable by Pilgrim association.
ARTICLE III – MEMBERSHIP
SECTION 1. Requirements
All persons over eighteen (18) years of age who are descended from a passenger on the Mayflower on the voyage which terminated at Plymouth, New England in December, 1620, shall be eligible for adult membership (A). All persons, so descended, who are less than eighteen years of age, shall be eligible for junior membership (B).
A. Adult membership
1. Any prospective member may apply to any member of the Society for a preliminary application blank. The furnishing of this application blank is not to be construed as obligating the Society, or any officer, or any member thereof.
2. This application, when filled out, is to be submitted to the Historian and must include the name of the ancestor, through whom application is being made.
3. The application fee shall be the total of the Iowa Society application fee, General Society application fee, and the annual dues for one (1) year in advance. (See Article III, Section 1 of Bylaws.)
4. The Secretary shall read all applications for membership at the State Society meeting.
5. When lineage papers are approved by the Historian General and notice is given to the State Historian, the member is considered elected on that date. The State Historian notifies the Historian General of the election date and the state number assigned. A copy of the approved lineage paper is returned to the State Historian for her files containing the General Number. Additional copies are made for the Assistant Historian and approved member.
6. If an application is declined, the Board of Assistants may request the advanced dues shall be refunded to the applicant. The remainder of the application fee becomes the property of the Society and is not refundable.
B. Junior membership
1. Any member in good standing in the Iowa Society may make application for a junior membership on behalf of any person under eighteen (18) years of age who has prima facie proved lineage. (“Prima facie proven lineage” shall mean that the junior, whose membership is being offered, is related to a present or past member of the Society, by blood, through the line through which such member was approved by the General Mayflower Society.
2. Junior members, between the ages of 18 and 25, may transfer to General Society adult membership, by making application for adult membership and paying the entrance fee and annual dues. When approved by the Historian General, state and general numbers will be assigned.
3. To encourage Junior members to join the General Society, the Treasurer will reimburse to each Junior member a portion of the application fee, if application is made after age 18 and before their 25th birthday.
Reimbursement will be made at the time the Historian General approves the lineage and assigns a General number.
C. Friends of the Iowa Society of Mayflower Descendants
1. Family members (spouses, parents, grandparents, step-children, adopted children and half siblings) of the Iowa Society may make application for a Friends of the Iowa Society membership to be submitted to the Historian, and must include the name of the deceased member, and signature of one member of the Iowa Society as a sponsor.
2. The application fee shall be the annual dues for one (1) year in advance, which dues shall be no less than $5.00 lower than the annual dues for the Iowa Society membership.
3. Friends of the Iowa Society in good standing who have paid their annual dues shall be entitled to attend all meetings of the Society and receive the newsletter, but may not vote, may not hold elective office, and may not be official members of the Society.
SECTION 2. Supplemental Lines
Any member who can trace descent from more than one Mayflower ancestor, may file supplemental lines of descent and pay an application fee to the Iowa Society for each line, plus the fee as required by the General Society for each supplemental line. Procedure for supplemental lines is the same as preliminary applications.
SECTION 3. Copies of Lineage Papers
Any member of the Iowa Society or any applicant for membership may request from the Historian of the Iowa Society a copy of any lineage paper. The Historian shall furnish such paper. If not in the files of the Iowa Historian, lineage papers may be requested from the Historian General for a fee.
SECTION 4. Expulsion
Any member, for cause of misconduct prejudicial to the interest of the Society, may be suspended or expelled by two-thirds vote of the Board of Assistants, after being given an opportunity to explain why said member should not be expelled.
Article IV – Transfer, Resignation, and Reinstatement
SECTION 1. Transfers out
Any members of the Iowa Society, desiring to be transferred to the Society of another State, may apply to the Treasurer of the Iowa Society for a certificate of good standing, a copy of lineage papers and notice of transfer.
SECTION 2. Transfers in
1. If a member of the Mayflower Society of another state wishes to join the Iowa Society, such member may present to the Historian of the Iowa Society, a letter requesting transfer and a certificate of good standing in the previous state. The Society shall require a copy of approved lineage papers and payment of such fees as may be currently in effect. Upon receipt and examination of credentials by the Iowa Historian, they shall be elected to the Iowa Society, given an Iowa Number, and a notice will be sent to the National office.
2. The Iowa Historian shall assign an Iowa Society membership number. (The General Society number remains unchanged.)
3. The Iowa Historian shall furnish the Historian General a notice of the date of transfer and the Iowa Society number that has been assigned.
SECTION 3. Resignations
Any member in good standing may resign from the Iowa Mayflower Society and the General Society of Mayflower Descendants by notifying the Iowa Treasurer in writing. The resignation dates from the date the Treasurer receives the notification.
SECTION 4. Dropped for non-payment of dues/Reinstatement
A member dropped from the Iowa Society for the non-payment of dues will be reinstated upon payment of all dues and fees.
A. Such application for reinstatement must be accompanied with payment of dues for the year dropped and dues for the current year of the reinstatement application. However, reinstatement is not allowed on a rejected line at any time for reinstatement.
B. Any dropped member, wishing to join another State Society, must be reinstated in Iowa before transfer can be made.
ARTICLE V – OFFICERS
SECTION 1. The Executive Officers of the Iowa Society are:
Deputy Governor General Assistant Governor General
Governor Deputy Governor
Secretary Historian
Treasurer Counselor
A quorum shall consist of five members.
SECTION 2. The Board of Assistants shall consist of the above named officers and include the following:
Captain Surgeon Elder
Assistant Historian Junior Membership Chairman Newsletter Editor
Immediate Past Governor Governor Emeritus
SECTION 3. The term of office shall be for a three (3) year period.
A. The Deputy Governor General, Assistant Governor General, Governor and Deputy Governor can be nominated to succeed themselves for a second three (3) year term, but not to succeed themselves for a third (3) year term, in the same office. They may again become eligible for that same office after an intervening term of three (3) years.
B. All other officers may succeed themselves in the same office for any number of consecutive three-year terms to which they may be elected.
C. The Board of Assistants may appoint to any office not filled, vacated, or created within the Constitution or Bylaws, until the next succeeding election.
D. Duties of all Officers, Assistants, and Standing Committees; Dues; Meetings; Order of Business and Amendments shall be governed by the Bylaws to this Constitution.
ARTICLE VI – AMENDMENTS
SECTION 1. The Constitution and the Bylaws may be amended at any regular business meeting of the Society by a two-thirds vote, provided the proposed amendment has been submitted in writing to each member, fifteen days before the meeting.
SECTION 2. Any amendment adopted by the General Society of Mayflower Descendants, affecting the work of the Iowa Society, shall become a law of the Iowa Society without notice of amendment to the membership.
BYLAWS
Adopted by the Society of Mayflower Descendants in the State of Iowa, revised 4 May 1991; 19 November 1994; 4 November 2000; 1 May 2004; 6 Nov 2004; 7 May 2005; 5 November 2005; 6 May 2006; 5 May 2007; 6 Nov 2010, 3 November 2012; 2 November 2013; 6 May 2017; 6 November 2021.
ARTICLE I – OFFICERS
The Constitution of this Society specifies the following:
SECTION 1. The Executive Officers of the Iowa Society are:
Deputy Governor General Assistant Governor General
Governor Deputy Governor
Secretary Historian
Treasurer Counselor
SECTION 2. The Board of Assistants shall consist of the above named officers and include the following:
Captain Surgeon Elder
Assistant Historian Junior Membership Chairman Newsletter Editor
Immediate Past Governor Governor Emeritus
SECTION 3. Duties of Respective Officers
A. The Deputy Governor General and the Assistant Governor General are ex-officio members of the Board of Assistants.
B. The Governor shall preside at all meetings of the Society and shall be an officio member of all standing Committees.
C. In the absence or inability of the Governor to preside, the Deputy Governor will assume and perform such duties as pertain to the office of Governor. In the absence of both of the above, the Deputy Governor General will preside.
D. There shall be an Executive Committee consisting of the Governor, Deputy Governor, Secretary, Treasurer, Historian, and Counselor. The Governor is chairman of this committee. The Secretary shall render a report to this committee at each meeting.
E. It shall be the duty of the Elder to officiate when called upon at any meeting of the Society.
F. The Captain shall act as Sergeant-at-Arms, maintaining order and decorum.
G. The Secretary shall keep minutes for all meetings; shall, with the Governor, certify all acts and orders of the Society; and shall conduct personal correspondence of the Society.
H. (not used)
I. The Treasurer shall have charge of all funds and monies of the Society, for which a surety bond may be given. The amount on the bond shall be determined by the Executive Board. Expense of such bond shall be paid by the Iowa Society.
The Treasurer shall:
a. collect the annual dues,
b. pay out only such sums as the Society of the Board shall direct,
c. be authorized to pay all bills in the normal routine of business,
d. keep a true account of receipts and disbursements,
e. give a full report at each annual meeting of the Society,
The books shall be open at all times to the inspection of the Governor and the Board of Assistants.
Upon receipt of the billing statement from the General Society, the Treasurer shall pay to the General Society, the per capita dues based on membership of the Iowa Society as of December 31 of the previous year, except that no dues shall be paid to the General Society for any member of the Iowa Society who has been excused from paying the annual dues on account of his or her being actively engaged in the armed forces of his or her country of allegiance.
J. The Historian shall examine and report upon the lineage papers, both original and supplemental, of all applicants for membership; shall keep a complete list of members and of all lines of descent filed by them; retain a copy of all lineage papers and may do other work assigned by the Board of Assistants and make an annual report to the Board in writing.
K. The Surgeon shall have been duly admitted to the practice of medicine.
L. The Secretary, Treasurer, Historian, Assistant Historian, and Newsletter Editor shall be exempt from the payment of annual dues. All expenses actually incurred by these five named officers, in connection with the duties of their respective offices, shall be paid by the Society upon presentation of an itemized report to the Board of Assistants.
M. The Counselor shall be an attorney-at-law and shall render legal aid and opinions upon matters pertaining to the Society, when requested by the Governor or Board of Assistants, without fee.
N. The Junior Membership Chairman shall keep a record of all Junior membership applications, issue Junior Membership Certificates, make a report at each annual meeting and notify Junior members, approaching 25 years of age, regarding transfer to the General Society. (Those not wishing to transfer will be dropped from the membership rolls and so notified.). Junior members have no annual dues.
O. The Newsletter Editor shall compile and publish the Iowa Hawkeye Newsletter in a timely fashion so that the notice of any state meeting arrives 45 days prior to the event. The Fall issue shall contain the dues notice for the following year.
Copies will be sent to all members and Junior members via email attachment unless a request for a printed copy is received by the Editor. All persons without email addresses will receive a printed copy.
P. The Immediate Past Governor shall provide advice and assistance to the Board in order to assure continuity of operations from the previous administration.
Q. The Governor Emeritus shall provide general guidance and assistance to the Board as requested. The Governor Emeritus shall be a non-voting member of the Board. The Governor Emeritus shall have served as Governor of the Iowa Society for at least one term. This position shall be filled at the discretion of the nominating committee.
ARTICLE II – BOARD OF ASSISTANTS AND STANDING COMMITTEES
SECTION 1. The Board of Assistants shall have general charge and direction of the affairs of the Society as prescribed by the Articles of Incorporation. Five members shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business. If a vacancy, or the
inability to act, occurs in any elected office of the Society, the Board of Assistants shall appoint a replacement to that office to serve until the next general election
SECTION 2. The Governor shall be Chairman of the Board of Assistants.
SECTION 3. The Secretary shall record the minutes of all meetings and have them available for Board use.
SECTION 4. The Board shall appoint the delegates and alternates to the General Society meetings.
SECTION 5. The Governor and Board of Assistants shall appoint committees and fill vacancies occurring on committees. Each standing committee shall consist of three or five members.
SECTION 6. Each committee shall report, through its chairman, at each regular meeting of the Board. No committee shall be dissolved until the debts, legally contracted by it, are paid and reported to the board.
SECTION 7. The Board of Assistants may, at any time, authorize the formation of a “Colony” in any district of the State when ten (10) members, residing in such district, sign a petition and file it with the Society. All procedures for elections of the Colony Officials and the titles or designations of the proposed officials shall first be submitted in a written form for approval by the Board of Assistants.
The title of Governor shall not be used in designating any official of the Colony.
ARTICLE III – DUES
SECTION 1. The annual dues of the Society shall be established each year by the Board of Assistants at the annual meeting and those dues become due and payable prior to December 31, for the succeeding calendar year. The dues of new members shall be considered paid until a year from the following December 31 (one year’s dues are included in the application fee).
SECTION 2. Special assessments shall be made on a per capita basis.
SECTION 3. Any regular member who is in arrears for annual dues on December 31 shall be dropped from the membership rolls. Notification of this, by the Treasurer, shall be made by mail.
SECTION 4. The dues of Iowa Society members who attain 50 years of membership shall be paid by the Iowa Society.
SECTION 5. Annual dues shall be waived for any member of the Iowa Society who is actively engaged in the armed forces of his or her country of allegiance. The Iowa Society member shall resume payment of annual dues in the next dues period after leaving active duty.
ARTICLE IV – MEETINGS
SECTION 1. The annual meeting of the Society shall be held on the first Saturday in May. Ten (10) members shall constitute a quorum.
SECTION 2. A semi-annual meeting shall be held in the greater Des Moines area on the first Saturday in November. This meeting shall be known as the Compact Day meeting
SECTION 3. Special meetings
A. The Governor may, at any time, call a special meeting of the Board of Assistants or the Society. The object of such a special meeting must be stated in the notice.
B. If an urgent matter pertaining to the Iowa Society arises, the Governor, or his/her designee, may contact the members of the Board of Assistants by e-mail or telephone for their opinion. Voting for or against the proposal may be made at this time. A majority vote will prevail concerning the action to be taken.
C. Special meetings of the Iowa Society may be held by an internet meeting service designated by the Governor.
D. Should a National or State emergency or unforeseen event arise that prevents the Iowa Society from meeting in person, electronic or virtual mediums may be used for the purpose of receiving reports of officers and committees, for the election of officers, and for any other business that may arise.
SECTION 4. The Board of Assistants shall meet on the Annual and Compact dates and at such times and places as the Governor may determine.
SECTION 5. Notice of all meetings of the Society shall be given at least ten days prior to the date of the meeting.
SECTION 6. The number of delegates to the General Congress shall be determined on the basis of membership.
ARTICLE V – ORDER OF BUSINESS
SECTION 1. The business of this Society, not covered by the Articles of Incorporation and the Constitution and Bylaws, shall be governed by Robert’s Rules of Order, Revised.
SECTION 2. At the Compact Day meeting, prior to the Annual Meeting when new officers shall be elected, a nominating committee shall be appointed.
A. At the annual meeting that follows, the nominating committee shall present a list of candidates for these offices:
Governor Deputy Governor Secretary Elder
Treasurer Historian Captain Surgeon
Counselor Assistant Historian Junior Membership Chairman Governor Emeritus
Nominations may, also, be made from the floor with prior permission from the nominee.
B. Officers of this Society shall be elected by ballot, at the Annual Meeting, for a term of three (3) years. A majority vote elects. If there is but one nominee for each office, the vote may be by acclamation.
C. Deputy Governor General and Assistant General are nominated for election to the General Society Board of Assistants by the nominating committee. Election occurs at next Triennial Congress of the General Society of Mayflower Descendants.
D. Officers elected shall take up their duties immediately after the meeting at which they were elected.
E. The nominating committee shall consist of 5 members.
ARTICLE VI – STATIONERY
SECTION 1. Stationery of the Iowa Society shall be used only by officers, or duly appointed committees, and only for the transaction of official business. No advertising, other than that relating to activities of the Society, shall appear on official stationery.
ARTICLE VII – AMENDMENTS
SECTION 1. The Constitution and the Bylaws may be amended at any regular business meeting of the Society by a two-thirds vote, provided the proposed amendment has been submitted, in writing, to each member, fifteen days before the meeting.
SECTION 2. Any amendment adopted by the General Society of Mayflower Descendants, affecting the work of the Iowa Society, shall become a law of this Society without notice of amendment
ARTICLE VIII: DISSOLUTION PROCEDURES
SECTION 1: Dissolution of State Society.
Although the period of duration of the Society is perpetual, if for any reason the Iowa Society is to dissolve or other-wise terminate, the following procedures shall be followed:
A. Dissolution of the Iowa Society may be proposed by a two-thirds vote of the Board of Assistants voting in a regularly called meeting of the Board. Notice of the dissolution proposal to the general membership shall be in the manner specified for proposed amendments to the Bylaws. Voting of the general membership shall be by written ballot, and approval by two-thirds vote of members present and voting shall be required for dissolution of the Society.
B. The Society shall comply with the procedures in the Bylaws of the General Society.
C. All debts of the Iowa Society shall be paid.
D. Any property which has been loaned to the Iowa Society shall be returned to its owner.
E. Any historical documents, artifacts, or any moneys remaining in the Iowa Society
treasury shall be given to the General Society of Mayflower Descendants or a Mayflower project as determined by two-thirds vote of the Board of Assistants. If the General Society of Mayflower Descendants is not in existence, any assets of the Iowa Society shall be given to a non-profit organization whose mission is education and the historical documents delivered to a repository appropriate for the materials of the Mayflower era.
F. No moneys or artifacts shall inure to a member or individual as specified in Section 501 © (3) of the Internal Revenue Code or corresponding section of any future federal tax code.
SECTION 2: Dissolution of Colonies
Colonies must have a membership of ten (10) active members to form. If a colony falls below that membership or for any other reason feels it cannot continue to exist, the colony may choose, by a two-thirds vote of members present and voting, to dissolve. If a colony should find it necessary to dissolve, it shall follow the following procedures:
A. The Colony Governor shall notify the State Governor of the intent to dissolve.
B. All artifacts of the colony shall be delivered to the Iowa Society. If said Iowa Society no longer exists, the artifacts shall be delivered to the General Society of Mayflower Descendants or, in the case that the General Society no longer exists, shall deliver said artifacts to an appropriate repository or museum.
C. All debts of the colony shall be paid.
D. Any moneys remaining shall be sent to the Iowa Mayflower Fund. If the Iowa Society no longer exists, said moneys shall be donated to the General Society of Mayflower Descendants. If said General Society no longer exists, the moneys shall be donated to a 501 (c) (3) organization, chosen by the Colony officers, which has as its main purpose education.
E. No moneys or artifacts shall inure to any member or individual.
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