Constitution of the Historical Society of North Carolina

I. Name

The name of this organization shall be the Historical Society of North Carolina.

II .  Purposes

The purposes of the Society shall be [1] the encouragement of the study of history, with primary emphasis on the history of North Carolina and secondary emphasis on the history of the South and of the United States; [2] the fostering, thoughtful consideration, and discussion of research, writing, and publication of worthy historical studies in these fields.

III .  Membership

Membership in the Society is honorific, recognizing and rewarding interest in, and contributions to, the preservation and perpetuation of the history of North Carolina, the South, and the United States.  Accordingly, the active membership of the Society shall be restricted to 120, except as provided in Article I, Section C, of the By-Laws.  The new member selection process is set forth in Section VI of the By-Laws.

IV .  Meetings

The Society shall hold two regular meetings annually. These meetings shall occur in fall and spring. Additional meetings may be called by the President with the concurrence of a majority of the members of the Executive Council.

V .  Officers

The officers of the Society shall be a President, a Vice-President, a Secretary, and a Treasurer. In the absence of the President, the Vice-President shall preside. In the absence of both the President and Vice-President, the President may appoint an ad hoc presiding officer; if the President fails so to act, the members shall elect an ad hoc presiding officer by a majority vote of those present and voting. It shall be the duty of the Secretary to keep all records and handle all official correspondence of the Society. It shall be the duty of the Treasurer to collect dues, make necessary disbursements, and be the custodian of the Society’s funds.

Officers shall be elected at the fall meeting each year and shall take office upon election. All officers, with the exception of the Secretary and the Treasurer, shall be elected for one year and may not succeed themselves in consecutive years. There shall be no limits on the terms of the Secretary and Treasurer.

VI .  Executive Council

There shall be an Executive Council, consisting of the officers, the immediate past president, and three members elected from the active members of the Society. The members of the Council shall hold office for three years. Their terms shall be staggered so that one member will be elected each year.

VII .  Council Duties

The duties of the Council shall be [1] to formulate and carry into effect the purposes of the Society, [2] to decide upon the time and place of the Society’s meetings and to call special meetings as necessary, [3] to fill vacancies which may occur in any office until the meeting at which the regular election is held, [4] to prepare a budget, manage financial business, and receive donations to the Society, and [5] to originate and present to the Society new plans and projects for consideration. All decisions of the Council shall require the vote of a majority of its members present and voting.

VIII .  Presidential Address

The retiring President of the Society shall deliver an address or read a historical paper at the fall meeting.

IX .  Amendments

Any proposed change in the Constitution and By-Laws shall be submitted in writing to the Secretary, and through  the Secretary to the members of the Society, at least one month in advance of any meeting. All such amendments shall require a two-thirds majority of the members present and voting.

See also the Bylaws.

[Original constitution amended 1958, 1969, 1970, 1974, 1980, 1983, 1985, 1991, 1992, 2009, 2013, 2016, and 2023.]