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Revised at the Annual Meeting October 2001

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ARTICLE I - NAME
The name of this organization is the New Hampshire Archeological Society, Inc., hereinafter referred to as the Society.

ARTICLE II - OBJECTIVES
Section 1. The objectives of the Society shall be: to promote, encourage, and stimulate the study of archeology and related scientific research, particularly in the state of New Hampshire; to encourage the protection and preservation of important archeological sites, monuments, and artifacts; to assist in the dissemination of archeological information; to seek through education to foster informed archeological work and increased public understanding of the aims and limits of archeological research; to discourage the collection of archeological specimens for private or commercial purposes; to encourage the establishment of local chapters of the Society; and to record and exchange archeological information.
Section 2. Notwithstanding any other provision of these articles, the objectives for which the Society is organized are exclusively scientific and educational within the meaning of Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954, any amendments to this code, or the corresponding provisions of any United States Internal Revenue Code
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ARTICLE III - MEMBERSHIP
Section 1. Membership in the Society is open to any person or institution who subscribes to the stated objectives of the Society upon payment of appropriate dues. All applications for membership shall be submitted in writing on appropriate forms to the Secretary, accompanied by dues for one (1) year. Acceptance by the Secretary shall be deemed election to membership.
Section 2. Membership in the Society shall comprise the following categories: Ex-Officio; Life; Honorary; Institutional; Junior; Senior; Student; and Regular. The schedule of dues for each membership category shall be determined by the Executive Board of the Society. Junior, Senior, and Student members shall be eligible for reduced membership dues.
Section 3. Ex-Officio members are the Governor, the Commissioner of Education, and the Commissioner of Cultural Affairs of the State of New Hampshire, who shall pay no dues.
Section 4. Life membership may be obtained by any members eighteen (18) years of age or older on payment of the Life Membership Fee. Payment may be made in full or in annual payments for five years. Life Members shall have all the rights of membership in the Society and are exempt from any further payment of dues.
Section 5. Honorary membership may be conferred on persons who have made noteworthy contributions to the advancement of archeology or the welfare of the Society by vote of its qualified members at any regular meeting of the Society. They shall be exempt from payment of dues.
Section 6. Institutional membership may be provided to any organization which pays the annual dues.
Section 7. Junior members are active members under eighteen (18) years of age.
Section 8. Senior members are active members who are 65 years of age or older.
Section 9. Student members are active members eighteen (18) years of ago or older who are full-time students of any educational institution.
Section 10. Regular members are active members not included in one of the above categories.
Section 11. Active members are Life members and Junior, Senior, Student, and Regular members who pay annual dues. Active members have all the rights of full membership which include: receiving regular publications of the Society; attending meetings and voting; holding elective or appointive office; participating in archeological fieldwork and other activities of the Society.

ARTICLE IV - OFFICERS
Section 1. The officers of the Society shall consist of a President, two Vice-Presidents, a Secretary, a Treasurer, a Curator, and an Editor. Officers shall be elected in even-numbered years for a term of two years.
Section 2. The officers shall perform the duties of their respective offices, as set forth in Robert's Rules of Order, unless otherwise provided by the Constitution and Bylaws of this Organization.
Section 3. The Curator shall maintain and protect artifacts, site files, publications and other documents belonging to the Society. The Curator may incur expenses incident to these duties within the limits approved by the Executive Board.
Section 4. The editor shall prepare and edit all journals, bulletins, or other regular publications of the Society. The Editor may accept or reject any matter submitted for publication. The editor may incur expenses incident to publications within the limits approved by the Executive Board.
Section 5. The signatures of the President and the Treasurer shall be required on all written contracts and obligations of the Society. The Treasurer shall pay by check only those bills approved by the President and the Executive Board.
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ARTICLE V - EXECUTIVE BOARD
Section 1. The Executive Board shall consist of the officers of the Society and six (6) other voting Members-at-Large elected from the active membership. Members-at-Large shall serve for a term of three (3) years, with their terms staggered so that the terms of two expire each year. Members of the Executive Board may succeed themselves.
Section 2. The Executive board shall be responsible for transaction of all society business between meetings.
Section 3. A majority of the Executive Board shall constitute a quorum for conducting business.
Section 4. If the position of any Executive board member becomes vacant by reason of death, resignation, removal, disqualification, or otherwise, the Executive Board or the remaining portion, though less than a quorum, may, by a majority vote, choose a replacement who shall hold officer until the next regularly scheduled election.

ARTICLE VI - COMMITTEES
Section 1. The standing committees of the Society shall be: Membership and Public Relations; Publications; and Site Files. Members of standing committees shall be appointed by the President, or by the Executive Board in the event the President fails to appoint. Members of standing committees shall have a term of two years concurrent with the President's term.
Section 2. The President shall appoint members of special committees for projects or activities approved by the Executive Board. Special committees shall serve at the pleasure of the President and Executive Board and shall be dissolved or disbanded when the President and the Executive board have determined that such projects or activities charged to the special committee have been completed.

ARTICLE VII - CHAPTERS
Section 1. Chapters may be established. Their policies must be in accordance with those of the Society, and their members must be members of this Society.
Section 2. In order to form a chapter, an application signed by a minimum of five (5) Society members must be made to the Executive Board for its approval.
Section 3. Supplementary by-laws may be adopted by individual chapters providing said by-laws are in accordance with the Constitution of this Society.
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ARTICLE VIII - ELECTIONS
Section 1. Officers and Board Members-at-Large shall be elected at an annual meeting, or other meeting if required, except as elsewhere provided.
Section 2. A slate of nominees for positions to be filled shall be prepared by a Nominating Committee appointed by the President with the approval of the Executive Board. The list of nominees shall be mailed by the Secretary to the membership with the meeting announcement at least fifteen (15) days prior to the meeting at which the vote is to be taken. Other nominations may be made from the floor at the meeting. A plurality of votes cast for each office shall be sufficient for election. In the event of a tie vote for any office, the Executive Board shall cast the deciding vote.
Section 3. Voting shall be by paper ballot if this is so voted by a majority of those attending at the time of the election. The Secretary and two other persons appointed by the President shall open, count, and record the votes at the meeting.
Section 4. Newly elected members of the Executive Board take office immediately following adjournment of the meeting.

ARTICLE IX - MEETINGS
Section 1. The Annual Meeting shall be held in the fall of the year at such time and place as may be designated by the Executive Board, but it must be held in the State of New Hampshire. A semi-annual meeting shall be held in the spring of each year.
Section 2. Additional meetings may be held at the call of the Executive Board.
Section 3. Special meetings shall be called by the President upon request of five (5) members of the Executive Board or ten percent (10%) of active members.
Section 4. Notices shall be sent by the Secretary to all members at least fifteen (15) days before the date set for any meeting.
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ARTICLE X - FINANCES
Section 1. The Financial Year shall start on January 1 and end on December 31.
Section 2. All dues are payable in advance and any member is in arrears whose dues are not paid by January 1 of the dues year.
Section 3. Any member still in arrears at the time of the Spring Meeting of the dues year shall not be entitled to vote or to receive the regular publications of the Society. Any member remaining in arrears on July 1 of the dues year shall, after notice, be removed from the rolls. Persons who have been removed from the rolls may be reinstated by the Treasurer upon payment of back dues in which case the reinstated member may be entitled to receive the publications for the period for which the dues have been paid, provided said publications are available.
Section 4. The expenditures of the Society shall be regularly reviewed and approved by the Executive Board, and a financial report shall be made available to the members attending an annual meeting.
Section 5. At the discretion of the Executive Board, the Treasurer's records shall be subject to an audit. Said audit shall be submitted along with the Treasurer's annual report.
Section 6. The fiscal activities of the Society shall be undertaken in conformity with the restrictions placed upon tax-exempt corporations as stated in Section 501 (c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954 and in amendments to this code.
Section 7. In the event of the dissolution of the Corporation, its assets shall be distributed to one or more non-profit organizations (whose purposes and activities are the same general character as those of the Society) within New Hampshire and/or such other states as may be recognized by New Hampshire law as under New Hampshire law and exempt or entitled to exemption under section 501 (c) (3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954 and pertinent provisions of succeeding Acts and Regulations applicable thereto. The selection of such substituted non-profit organizations shall be by a majority of the Executive Board.
 

ARTICLE XI - LIFE MEMBERSHIP FUND
Section 1. All money paid in for Life Memberships shall be invested in appropriate securities by the Treasurer under the direction of the Executive Board. Interest or other income from such investments shall be credited to income from dues.
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ARTICLE XII - PUBLICATIONS
Section 1. The Society may publish a journal for distribution to members who are not in arrears of dues, and for general sale. It may, with the approval of the Executive Board, publish such newsletters and miscellaneous papers as may be considered worthy and qualified to further the objectives of the Society.

ARTICLE XIII - ARCHEOLOGICAL FIELD WORK
Section 1. The Society shall promote the certification of its members as qualified field and laboratory workers.
Section 2. The Society shall not contract to undertake archeological studies except where the Executive Board shall deem it appropriate, and where the Society can meet the contract commitments.
Section 3. Individual members of the Society shall not contract with public agencies or private firms in the name of the Society.
Section 4. Materials recovered as a result of Society-sponsored excavations, as well as field notes and other related materials, shall be deposited temporarily with the Principal Investigator or other designated person until such time as said materials can be turned over to the Curator for disposition in accordance with State of New Hampshire statutes. Access to these materials for research purposes shall be permitted with the approval of the Curator. The Society shall retain ownership of all materials recovered in Society excavations except in cases where Federal and/or State regulations provide otherwise
Section 5. The Curator, with the approval of the Executive Board, shall establish a repository to house field notes, artifacts, and publications which are in the custody of the Society.
Section 6. The Society shall develop and maintain a Site Survey File. Access to this file shall be granted with the approval of the Curator.

ARTICLE XIV - COLLECTIONS
Section 1. The Society may choose, from time to time, to own a collection of artifacts for research, display, education, or other purposes that will further its objectives, particularly the objectives of the preservation of artifacts, the dissemination of archeological information, and the increase of public understanding. When the Society chooses to hold a collection, the Executive Board will create a Collections Committee under the provisions of Article VI, Section 2., to work with the Curator.
Section 2. The Collections Committee and the Curator will ensure that a collections policy, to be approved by the Executive Board, is created and kept current. The collections policy will address, as a minimum, the purposes and scope of the Society's collection; the responsibilities of Society officers, committees, and members in collections matters; acquisition policies and procedures; control of and access to the collection; the loaning or borrowing of artifacts by the Society; and deaccession policies and procedures.
 

ARTICLE XV - AMENDMENTS
Section 1. Proposed amendments to this Constitution and By-Laws shall be submitted to the Executive Board in writing, signed by at least five (5) members in good standing, or be submitted to the Executive Board in writing by an appointed committee whose purpose is to review this Constitution and By-Laws and whose recommendations for revision are agreed to by a majority vote of that committee.
Section 2. Subject to the approval of the Executive Board, the Secretary shall then submit the proposed amendment(s) to the membership at least thirty (30) days in advance of the Annual Meeting. Amendments shall be adopted by a two-thirds majority vote of the members in good standing present and voting at the Annual Meeting.