LANSING COIN CLUB
CONSTITUTION
I. Name
The name of this organization shall be the Lansing Coin Club.
II. Purpose
The purpose of this organization shall be to promote the study, knowledge and advancement of numismatics.
III. Membership
Membership shall be on a calendar-year basis, 1/01-12/31. Memberships paid from October 1 onward shall count for the next full calendar year. Members who have not renewed their memberships by March 31 of any year, shall be dropped from the list of active Members and shall not receive any further Club communications. Membership levels shall be: Adult; 2nd Adult in same household; Junior (under 18 years of age).
IV. Meetings
1. The Club shall meet on the second Wednesday of each month except for July and August. All current Adult Members shall have the right to vote at meetings.
2. The Club shall meet at an appropriate venue within the Greater Lansing area.
3. In January of each year, the Club shall adopt an Annual Budget. Once adopted, any activity and/or maximum amount included in the Budget shall require no further vote(s) by the Membership.
V. Officers
The Club shall have the following officers, all of whom shall serve without compensation except for the Secretary-Treasurer, who shall be nominated at the November meeting and elected at the December meeting of even-numbered years and who shall serve terms of two years each:
President: The Club shall have a President, who shall:
1. Preside at all Club meetings.
2. Speak for the Club in all official communications, press releases, etc.
3. Appoint all committees of the Club.
4. Direct other officers as necessary.
5. Store, maintain and bring to Club meetings, Club auction materials which include, but are not limited to, a bid board, sales board and table lamp. He may be reimbursed for all expenses incurred in this respect.
6. Co-sign all Club checks of $100.00 or more.
7. Upon conclusion of his term of office and/or service to the Club, the President shall turn over to his successor, all Club materials in his possession.
Vice President: The Club shall have a Vice President, whose duties shall include, but not be limited to:
1. Serve as Acting President, with all the duties thereof, in the absence of the President.
2. Serve as Auctioneer at and for the various auctions held at Club meetings.
3. Other duties as directed by the President.
Secretary-Treasurer: The Club shall have a Secretary-Treasurer, whose duties shall include, but not be limited to: (Secretary Duties)
1. Maintain a current list of all paid members, to include postal address, e-mail address and membership number.
2. Prepare and send to the membership, not less than five days before each meeting, a notice of said meeting, to include time, place, agenda and Auction list, if an Auction is to be held. Such notice shall be sent by e-mail to save costs, but may be sent by U.S. Mail to members without e-mail.
3. Record the minutes of each meeting and prepare a summary thereof to be sent with the notice for the following meeting.
4. Prepare/compile the Auction list for upcoming meetings.
5. Receive, prepare and send all Club communications.
6. Send to current Members in March of each year, a current membership card.
(Treasurer Duties)
1. Receive all Club monies, to include memberships, net proceeds from Club shows, ticket sales, auction proceeds, etc.
2. Promptly deposit all Club monies in a designated Club account at an established financial institution.
3. Sign all Club checks; provided, the Treasurer shall co-sign with another officer, all checks of $100 or more.
4. Promptly pay all items properly billed to the Club, including Club memberships, post-office box fees, State registration, rent, donations, website maintenance.
5. Calculate amounts due, and pay, Auction consignors, either by cash or check.
6. Prepare monthly statements of the previous month’s receipts and expenditures, and present same to the Membership at each meeting.
7. Prepare an Annual Budget, based on the prior year’s receipts and expenses as well as expected receipts and expenses for the current year, and present same for adoption by the Membership, at each January meeting.
8. Secure all Door Prizes and Silver Prizes for Club meetings, sell tickets and conduct drawings for same.
9. Secure all Draw Prizes for Club Shows, sell tickets and conduct drawings for same.
10. Purchase all refreshments and supplies for Club meetings.
11. Purchase all postage required for Club communications.
12. Secure and present all Prizes for the Holiday Party.
13. Prepare a roster of tickets sent, and send to the Membership, draw-prize tickets for Club Coin Shows, and receive payment(s) for same.
14. Whenever possible, no Member shall be required to advance personal funds for Club expenses.
Program Chair: The Club shall have a Program Chair, whose duties shall include, but not be limited to:
1. Develop an educational program for each meeting. This may include:
a. A speaker on a numismatic topic.
b. A quiz on (a) numismatic topic(s).
c. An audiovisual program on a numismatic topic.
It is noted that the Program Chair may be reasonably expected to secure other persons to present such programs and need not make all presentations himself. In this respect, he may utilize educational resources provided by the Michigan State Numismatic Society, Central States Numismatic Society and other organizations, which may include reimbursement to the Club of expenses/honoraria incurred in providing/presenting an educational program.
2. Work with the Secretary-Treasurer to develop the Agenda for each meeting, to include an Order of Business which specifies placement of the educational program.
Bourse Chair: The Club shall have a Bourse Chair, whose duties shall include, but not be limited to:
1. Secure an appropriate venue for the Club Coin Shows, Fall and Spring, and inform the membership thereof.
2. Make all arrangements with such venue for the physical setup of each Show.
3. Develop a Bourse Application Form and send same to prospective dealers.
4. Develop and place all advertising/promotion of and for each Show, with publications which may include, but not be limited to: The Mich-Matist, The Numismatist, The Centinel, Numismatic News, Coin World, Lansing State Journal, Coin Dealer Calendar, Numismaster.com.
5. The Bourse Chair may maintain a separate Show account to handle all Show income and expense, remitting to the Club a net amount for each Show after all expenses have been paid and income received, with a proper accounting thereof.
6. The Bourse Chair shall be accorded a complimentary bourse table at a Club Show which he organizes.
7. Upon conclusion of his term of office and/or service to the Club, the Bourse Chair shall turn over to his successor, all his contact information regarding dealers, show venues, publications, etc.
8. The Bourse Chair shall make sure each dealer with a bourse table receives a receipt for the table payment.
Webmaster: The Club shall have a Webmaster, whose duties shall include, but not be limited to:
1. Secure and maintain a server/domain name/web address for the Club. The Webmaster shall be reimbursed for any expenses incurred in this respect.
2. Post and regularly update information on the Club website, to include but not be limited to:
a. Meeting place and time.
b. Membership information.
c. Monthly meeting notices.
d. Club Show details.
e. Club special events.
3. The Webmaster may respond to inquiries received through the Club website and/or forward such inquiries to the Secretary-Treasurer.
4. Upon conclusion of his term of office and/or service to the Club, the Webmaster shall turn over to his successor, all passwords, posting information, etc.
Sergeant-at-Arms: The Club shall have a Sergeant-at-Arms, whose duties shall include, but not be limited to:
1. Maintain order at Club meetings. This shall include, but not be limited to:
a. Request silence and respect from a loud or boisterous person who is making noise/commotion while another speaker has the floor.
b. Escort such loud or boisterous person from the meeting room if such silence and respect cannot be achieved.
c. Other actions as directed by the President.
2. Restrict access to Club Coin Shows before public opening hours, such that only dealers with tables, and their assistants, may be admitted.
3. Quickly contact appropriate authorities if a theft or other disturbance occurs/is reported at a Club Coin Show.
4. The Club shall have an Assistant Sergeant-at-Arms, whose duties shall mirror those listed above, particularly in the absence of the Sergeant-at-Arms. The Sergeant-at-Arms shall advise the Assistant Sergeant-at-Arms when his presence and/or assistance will be needed.
Board of Governors: The Board of Governors shall consist of the President, Vice President, Secretary-Treasurer, Program Chair, Bourse Chair, Webmaster, Sergeant-at-Arms, Assistant Sergeant-at-Arms plus five other Members, which shall meet at the call of the President and always in September to determine if changes are needed to the Constitution and By-Laws.
VI. Communications
It is recognized that many communications, payments and/or purchases may be made via the Internet for reasons of economy and efficiency.
VII. Club Coin Shows
1. The Club may sponsor a Spring Coin Show and a Fall Coin Show in each year.
2. Preferred dates for such shows shall be in March and October, but nevertheless as available venues shall allow.
3. Club Shows shall be promoted and conducted under the direction and supervision of the Bourse Chair.
VIII. Affiliation
The Club shall be a member of the Michigan State Numismatic Society, the Central States Numismatic Society and the American Numismatic Association. The Club shall register annually with the State of Michigan as a Non-Profit Corporation.
IX. Amendments
1. A two-thirds vote of those Members present and voting at a meeting, for which proper notice has been given, shall be required for amendments to this Constitution. Amendments to the Constitution shall take effect January 1 of the following year.
2. A majority vote of those members present and voting at a meeting, for which proper notice has been given, shall be required for amendments to the By-Laws. Amendments to the By-Laws shall take effect upon adoption.
BY-LAWS
X. Meetings
1. Light refreshments shall be provided at each meeting, the cost for which shall be included in the Annual Budget.
2. A numbered sign-in sheet shall be present at and for each meeting, which may be accessed by all Members and Guests present. This sign-in sheet shall be used to:
a. Determine retrospective attendance.
b. Determine a bidder’s number for the Auction.
c. Determine winners of the Door Prize(s).
3. There shall be door prizes of silver coins given out at each meeting, the number of which shall be determined by the amount included for same in the Annual Budget, the winners of which shall be determined by numbers drawn and matched to the sign-up sheet. Any winner must be present at the time of the drawing.
4. There shall be a Silver Draw Prize given at each meeting on a ticketed basis, the price of which tickets shall be determined by the officers. The Prize shall consist of at least one troy ounce of silver. The winner must be present at the time of the drawing.
5. There shall be an auction of numismatic items at Club meetings at least as frequently as in the odd-numbered months, as determined by the Program Chair and/or the Membership.
a. Only current Members may submit lots for the auction.
b. A full description of such lots (denomination, date, condition) with reserve price (minimum bid) must be received by the Secretary-Treasurer not less
than 9 days (216 hours) before the start of the meeting at which such items are to be auctioned. Transmission may be by:
(1) A list handed to the Secretary-Treasurer at the preceding meeting.
(2) A list sent by U.S. Mail to the Secretary-Treasurer; provided, that the consignor must advise the Secretary-Treasurer that the list has been sent,
so that the Secretary-Treasurer may acknowledge it has been received.
(3) A list sent by e-mail, the receipt of which shall be acknowledged by the Secretary-Treasurer..
c. Within the available number of auction spaces (currently 71), the Secretary-Treasurer shall ensure that each submitting Member has an approximately
equal number of spaces (that is, 5 members would get 14 spaces each); provided, that if initial submissions are less than the total number of spaces,
any submitting Member(s) may fill the remaining spaces.
d. Submitting members shall pay no lotting fee(s) nor commission on selling price.
e. Late submissions (i.e. after the list has been sent out and/or on the day of sale) may be accommodated at the discretion of the Auctioneer.
6. There may be a Mini-Bourse in place of a regular meeting, whereby members bring and display numismatic items for sale or trade, occupying not more than one regular meeting table and paying a fee for such table use.
XI. Club Coin Shows
1. The Club shall conduct a drawing of numismatic items at each Club Coin Show.
a. The aggregate value of all such items shall not be more than $500.00.
b. Advance sales of tickets for such drawings shall only be made to Club Members.
c. Ticket purchasers need not be present to win, provided they have listed, at minimum, their name and telephone number on the appropriate portion of
the ticket. If this information has not been provided, the matching portion of the ticket is only valid on the day of the Show.
2. Educational exhibits may be provided by Club Members at/for a Show. The practicality and possibility of such displays shall be determined by the Program Chair in consultation with the Bourse Chair, not later than the Club meeting immediately preceding the Show.
3. Such exhibits may be judged for prizes to be awarded, the cost for which shall be included in the Show Budget as determined by the Bourse Chair.
4. A current Club Member who has attended at least one Club meeting in the six months immediately preceding the Show, may be accorded a discounted Bourse table for the Show.
XII. Holiday Party
In December of each year, the Club shall have a Holiday Party which shall include:
1. Potluck food items contributed by Club Members.
2. Selected food items, beverages and tableware provided by the Club.
3. Numismatic gifts for all Club members who are present, who have attended at least one meeting from January through June of the current year, and at least one meeting from September through November of the current year, as determined by the official monthly sign-in sheets. Volunteer work, or purchase of a Bourse table, at a Club Spring or Fall Coin Show, or at a Michigan State Numismatic Society Convention of which the Club is a Co-Host, shall count as an alternative credit in this respect. As this number of members cannot be known until after the November meeting, the nature of such gifts shall be in accordance with the budgeted amount for same.
4. Additional numismatic gifts may be provided to Members present who have not satisfied the above requirement, and/or to guests, if the budgeted amount allows.
5. Guests and/or family members are welcome and encouraged to attend.
6. Additional numismatic gifts shall be provided to Club members who have attended all of the nine prior meetings of the current year, as determined by the official sign-in sheets. As this number of members cannot be known until after the November meeting, the nature of such gifts shall be in accordance with the budgeted amount for same.
XIII. Special Activities
The Club may sponsor occasional special activities as decided by the Membership and/or officers, to include but not limited to:
1. Group attendance at a professional sporting event, preferably in July.
2. Group attendance at a theatrical event such as a musical play or concert.
3. Group travel to/from a regional or national numismatic event such as an ANA Convention.
In all cases, participation shall be open to any person as long as the reservation is made and paid for by a current Member. In the case of ticketed events, the Club shall pay half the ticket cost and participating individuals shall pay the other half. In the case of transportation, participants shall pay a pro-rata share of the total cost, with a possible Club subsidy to participating Members based on an amount included in the Annual Budget. In all cases, no reservation shall be made without prepayment.
XIV. MSNS Convention Coordinator
At such times as the Club may be selected as a Co-Host Club for a Spring or Fall Convention of the Michigan State Numismatic Society, the Club shall select from among its membership, a Club Convention Coordinator, who shall secure adequate volunteer commitments to cover Convention requirements for:
1. Moving of showcases from storage to the Convention, and moving of showcases from the Convention back to storage;
2. Staffing of Registration, Exhibits, Bourse and Hospitality areas.
The Club Coordinator may receive one of the available Club-designated sleeping rooms for/at the Convention and shall determine the allotment of other such Club-designated rooms for/at the Convention. Participating Members shall not be paid, but may receive reimbursement on a per-car basis for costs incurred in travelling to/from the Convention, to be paid at the first Club meeting following the Convention. The Club Coordinator shall monitor the presence and work assignments of all Club Members who have volunteered, who are at the Convention.
XIV. Dollar Amounts
As of January 1, 2013:
1. Membership: Adult $10.00; 2nd Adult in same household $5.00; Junior $3.00.
2. Secretary-Treasurer to be paid $50.00 per meeting month, $500 per year.
3. Club Show table fee $55.00 per table.
4. Club Show prize tickets $1.00 each or 6 for $5.00.
5. Silver Draw Prize tickets $1.00 each, 3 for $2.00, 8 for $5.00.
6. Mini-Bourse table fee at a Club meeting, $5.00 per half-table. November 2012
XV. Awards
1. The club shall sponsor a Second Place exhibit award at the Conventions of the Michigan State Numismatic Society. The Fall Award shall be known as the Terry Kissee Memorial Award and the Spring Award shall be know as the John Atanasoff Memorial Award.
2. The club shall present annually to one of its members, the Terry Kissee Silver Price Guess Award, which shall be determined thusly: at the November meeting, all members present shall be given the opportunity to make a written estimate of the market price of silver at 4:00 pm on December 31 of that year. These written estimates will be retained by the Secretary, who shall not be eligible for the Award, who will, on December 31, determine the estimate which is closest to the actual price of silver. The Award, which shall include a piece of collectible U.S. currency upon a suitable plaque, shall be presented at the next (January) meeting.
XVI Memorials
In the event that a current member dies, it shall be the responsibility of all members to inform the President or Secretary of said fact. The respective officer shall then send, on behalf of the Club, as appropriate to the time elapsed, either a floral arrangement to the funeral home, or a card of sympathy to the member's family.
November 2015
