Membership (Bylaws Part VI)
Section 1. Composition.
a. All persons, either male or female, being 18 years of age or older, who bear or have borne the name
of Graham, who are descendants of the Grahams of Scotland, who are members of the Graham septs, or who are
descendants of the Graham septs are eligible for membership in the Clan Graham Society.
b. Husbands and widowers, wives and widows of persons qualified in Article VI, Section 1, Part a. are eligible for
membership in the Clan Graham Society.
Section 2. Eligibility.
a. Each person desiring membership in the Society shall make application on a form prepared and authorized
by the Council.
b. Each applicant for regular membership is required to complete a genealogical chart of his family as far back
as possible, especially the part which traces his Scottish ancestry. In the absence of such evidence, the
applicant shall certify that he is of Scottish descent and shall give the reasons for believing, i.e., family
name, family tradition, the assurance of a relative, etc.
Section 3. Categories and Privileges.
a. Regular Members
(1) Those persons qualified under Article VI, Section 1 are eligible for regular membership upon presentation
of proper credentials and payment of dues to the treasurer.
(2) Spouses of members shall be considered regular members with all privileges thereof during the lifetime of
the member. Regular dues would be required of spouses after the death of the qualifying member.
b. Associate Members
Those persons who do not qualify under Article VI, Section 1, but who have a legitimate interest in the
purposes of the Society may become associate members. Associate members shall be eligible to vote and
hold office.
c. Children Under 18 Years of Age
Children of members who are under 18 years of age shall be identified as non-voting members and are
ineligible to hold office. To maintain their membership upon attaining the age of 18 years, these members must
apply for regular or associate membership.
d. Life Members
(1) Qualifying Member
(a) A regular member who is 70 years of age or over may become a life member upon the
payment of $100 and thereafter shall be exempt from payment of Society dues.
(b) A regular member who is between the ages of 60 and 70 may become a life member upon the payment
of $200 and thereafter shall be exempt from payment of Society dues.
(c) A regular member who is between the ages of 50 and 60 may become a life member upon the payment
of $300 and thereafter shall be exempt from payment of Society dues.
(d) A life membership is for one person and it is not transferable.
(2) Spouse of Qualifying Member
(a) The spouse of a life member has full privileges of membership during the tenure of the qualifying
member.
(b) With a one time payment of an additional 25% of the cost of membership in items (1) (a) through (c),
the spouse may maintain his/her membership beyond that of the initiating life member.
e. Honorary Membership
(1) A person who receives honorary membership must be eligible for regular membership in the Society and
thereafter shall be exempt from the payment of Society dues.
(2) The Council presents the honorary membership based on either outstanding service to the Society or
individual distinction.
(3) Nomination for honorary membership may be made by any member of the Society. The nomination must
be a written recommendation to the Secretary and it must state the reasons for the nomination.
f. Active Military Membership
A person on active military duty who is eligible for regular membership in
the Society shall be exempt from payment of Society dues while serving
his/her country.
Section 4. Disqualification
No member of the Society shall be permitted to continue in regular membership when proof of eligibility is found to
be inaccurate. Upon written notification from the Council, the applicant has 30 days in which to substantiate
his claim. Upon his failure to do so satisfactorily, the Membership Vice President shall be instructed by the Council
to transfer his name to the associate member category.
Section 5. Termination of Membership.
a. Non-payment of annual dues terminates regular and associate membership.
b. Membership may also be terminated upon written request to the Membership Vice President.
c. Membership may be terminated by a majority vote of the Council if after careful consideration, a member’s
conduct is deemed to be inimical to the best interest of the Society or in violation of the Bylaws of the Clan
Graham Society, Inc. The Membership Vice President shall be instructed by the Council to inform the member
of the action taken.
Section 6. Saving Clause.
A person disqualified or terminated for regular membership by the Council shall have
the right to appeal to the Society at its next Annual General Meeting. A two-thirds vote of the members present and
voting at the Annual General Meeting shall be required to sustain the appeal. If the appeal is sustained, the
applicant’s regular membership shall be restored.
|
