THE SCRUGGS FAMILY ASSOCIATION BYLAWS
Revised JUNE 22, 2024
ARTICLE I - NAME, OFFICE AND OBJECTIVES
Section 1. Name
The name of this Association shall be the “Scruggs Family Association” (hereinafter the Association.)
Section 2. Office Location
The principal offices of the Association shall be located at the residence of the Secretary-Treasurer or at other locations as the Board of Directors may determine.
Section 3. Objectives
The primary objectives of the Association shall be:
A. to search out, record and preserve the history and genealogy of the Scruggs family in America;
B. to research the ancestry of the earliest Scruggs ancestors in America, England and Scotland;
C. to establish and maintain a Scruggs family archives and database;
D. to publish two issues of Searching for Scruggs annually;
E. to have a Biennial Association Reunion and business meeting.
ARTICLE II - MEMBERSHIP
Section 1. Membership
A. Membership in this Association is individual.
1. having an interest in the history and genealogy of the Scruggs family;
2. agreeing to comply with the Association’s Bylaws, rules, and regulations;
3. submitting acceptable family data;
4. submitting payments of annual dues.
ARTICLE III - MEMBERSHIP DUES
Section 1. Annual Dues
A. The Board of Directors may determine from time to time the amount of the annual dues.
B. The annual dues cover the period from January 1 through December 31.
Section 2. Payment of Dues
The annual membership dues shall be payable by January 31 of each year.
ARTICLE IV - MEETINGS OF THE MEMBERSHIP
Section 1. Biennial Meetings of the Membership
A. The Scruggs Family Reunions shall be held biennially for the purpose of fellowship, informative activities, election of officers, and for the transaction of such other business as may come before the meetings
B. They shall be held at such time and place as shall be determined by the President in consultation with the SFA Board
Section 2. Special Meetings
Special meetings of the Association may be called by the President, a majority of the Board of Directors, or not less than one-fifth (1/5) of the current membership.
Section 3. Notice of Meetings
Written notice stating the place, day, and time of any meeting of the Association shall be provided by electronic means or through publication in Searching for Scruggs to each member not less than 30 days before the date of such meeting, by or at the direction of the President or Secretary-Treasurer.
Section 4. Quorum
Ten (10) percent of current members in good standing shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of official business.
ARTICLE V - BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Section 1. General Powers
The Board of Directors (thereinafter the Board) shall have the authority to exercise all necessary power to manage the affairs of the Association.
Section 2. Number
A. The Board shall consist of all elected officers, the Social Media Editor, the Publication Editor, Immediate Past President, and Archivist.
B. Members of the Board serving in more than one office will have only one vote in matters of Board action.
Section 3. Regular Meetings
The President in consultation with the Board determines the date, time, and plan for the meeting held at the Biennial Reunion without other notice.
Section 4. Special Meeting
A. Special meeting of the Board may be called by the President and must be called if requested by three members of the Board. The President shall fix a time, place, and manner for any special meeting of the Board.
Section 5. Quorum
A majority of the members of the Board shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of official business at any meeting of the Board.
Section 6. Taking Action by Any Other Means
A. Voting on business of the Board may be conducted by mail, telephone, or electronic transmission in such a manner as shall be determined by the President.
B. The same rules of Quorum apply.
C. The Secretary-Treasurer or an appointed member of the Board shall record all votes and results in the official records.
Section 7. Appointment of Editors and Archivist
A. The Editors and Archivist serve at the pleasure of the Board.
B. The Board must make serious in-depth considerations and inquiry to select the most able and qualified members for these vital positions.
ARTICLE VI - ELECTED OFFICERS
Section 1. Officers
The elected officers of the Association shall be President, 1st Vice President, 2nd Vice President, 3d Vice President, and Secretary-Treasurer.
Section 2. Nominations and Elections
The Board shall act as a nominating committee to select a candidate for each vacant office. No member shall be placed in nomination or approved for office without his/her written or oral consent. Elections shall be held at the closing general session at which time nominations from the floor will be accepted. A simple majority will determine each election.
Section 3. Terms and Limitations
A. The President, 1st Vice President, 2nd Vice President, and 3rd Vice President shall each serve a two year term.
B. At the end of the business meeting of the Biennial Reunion of the Association, the President becomes the Immediate Past President, the 1st Vice President becomes the President, the 2nd Vice President becomes the 1st Vice President, and the 3rd Vice President becomes 2nd Vice President
C. The Secretary-Treasurer shall be elected for a four-year term.
Section 4. Vacancies
A. If there is a vacancy in the office of President, the 1st Vice President becomes
President for the remainder of that term and the following term.
B. If there is a vacancy in the office of 1st Vice President, the 2nd Vice President becomes 1st Vice President for the remainder of that term.
C. If a vacancy occurs in the office of 2nd Vice President, the 3rd Vice President becomes 2nd Vice President for the remainder of that term.
D. If a vacancy occurs in the office of Secretary-Treasurer, the Board shall appoint an interim Secretary-Treasurer to serve until the next biennial session.
ARTICLE VII - DUTIES OF OFFICERS
Section 1. General
All officers and appointed officials should recognize and accept that this Association is basically one run by the Board of Directors with approval of the general membership. Therefore, the viability of this Association is directly dependent upon the interest and effort of the members of the Board during their terms of office.
Section 2. President
The President shall:
A. communicate to the Board and to the membership such matters that will promote the welfare of the Association;
B. preside at all meetings of the Association and of the Board;
C. appoint all committees and chairpersons and other appointments of members of the Association except otherwise provided in the Bylaws;
D. prepare the agenda for the meetings of the Board;
E. prepare the program for the Biennial Reunion of the Association;
F. be the co-signer in addition to the Secretary-Treasurer on all bank accounts and other financial instruments of the Association;
G. perform such other duties as are necessarily incidental to the Office of
Section 3. First Vice President
The First Vice President shall:
A. assume the duties and title of President if the office of President is
B. preside in the absence of the President;
C. select the site of the Biennial Reunion to occur during his/her tenure as President and shall present this selection to the Board for its approval at the final Board meeting of the Biennial Reunion;
D. perform other duties assigned by the President or the Board.
Section 4. Second Vice President
The Second Vice President shall:
A. assume the duties and title of First Vice President if the office of First Vice President is vacated;
B. preside in the absence of the President and the First Vice President;
C. perform other duties assigned by the President or the Board.
Section 5. Third Vice President
The Third Vice President shall:
A. assume the duties and title of Second Vice President if the office of Second Vice President is vacated;
B. preside in the absence of the President, the First Vice President, and the Second Vice President;
C. perform other duties assigned by the President or the Board.
Section 6. Secretary-Treasurer
The Secretary-Treasurer shall:
A. record the minutes of all meetings of the Association and the Board (in the absence of the Secretary-Treasurer, the President shall appoint a temporary substitute);
B. send a copy of such minutes to the President and members of the Board within thirty days after said meeting, requesting additions and corrections if needed and Board approval of the minutes;
C. receive all applications of prospective members and collect appropriate dues, processing both and acknowledging acceptance;
D. furnish copy of all the genealogical information to the Archivist;
E. conduct the correspondence of the Association not otherwise provided for;
F. keep and maintain a current record of the Standing Rules separate from the Bylaws of the Association;
G. perform such other duties as from time to time may be assigned by the President or the Board;
H. collect annual dues;
I. contact members delinquent in their payment of dues;
J. keep a current and official record of the membership;
K. provide the Board with information on each new member;
L. provide the Publication Editor a current membership list when requested;
M. keep the records of all financial transactions;
N. provide a complete financial report to the Board:
1. at its first meeting at the Biennial Reunion;
2. annually for the previous calendar year.
ARTICLE VIII - DUTIES OF APPOINTED OFFICIALS
Section 1. Publication Editor
The Publication Editor shall:
A. compile and publish Searching for Scruggs in the fall and the spring
of each year, working with authors of articles and a select editorial team;
B. be responsible for the mailing of each issue to each member on record and to any other locations designated by the Board;
Section 2. Social Media Editor
The Social Media Editor shall:
A. edit content that the President, with the approval of the Board, provides for posting on either scruggsfam.com or the SFA Facebook page;
B. recruit members to serve as Website Administrator and Facebook Account Administrator;
C. provide the Website Administrator with approved content for posting on scruggsfam.com;
D. provide the Facebook Account Administrator with approved submissions for posting on the Scruggs Family Association Facebook page.
Section 3. Archivist
The Archivist shall:
A. be responsible for organizing, entering, and maintaining the privacy of all the Scruggs family genealogical information in a suitable computer software program to serve as a genealogy database;
B. recruit and direct members with proven genealogical research skills who volunteer to collaborate in development of SFA’s genealogy database;
C. ensure that the genealogy database indicates the source for each item of information (where the information was found and is available) and keep a hard copy of all member applications and all unique supporting documents that are not readily available online (examples: reports from paid researchers or translators, copies of diaries, or letters from ancestors that provide genealogical information
D. contact each new member to have a mutual exchange of information about the new member’s ancestral line and the member’s immediate family and to provide suggestions about available resources for further research on his or her line, including other researchers who might provide further guidance;
E. provide new or (if requested) continuing members with SFA’s information about the member’s direct ancestral line, including the siblings of each ancestor (but not descendants of the siblings);
F. share the full database or substantial portions of it only with the Board of Directors and a limited number of proven researchers working to enhance the database, each of whom commits to maintaining the privacy of the database. {NOTE: The information in the SFA database reflects decades of research by SFA members and was provided to SFA without any expectation that the information would be distributed publicly. Therefore, general distribution of substantial portions of the SFA database (including on other websites) is prohibited.]
Section 3. Scruggs Y-DNA Project Administrator
The Scruggs Y-DNA Project Administrator shall:
A. serve as project administrator for the Scruggs surname project on Family Tree DNA (FTDNA);
B. inform SFA members of sales or other significant announcements from FTDNA;
C. monitor test results of surname project testers and display matches by groupings on both the private and public websites;
D. answer inquiries from testers regarding testing or results;
E. reach out to testers unknown to SFA who show up as related to Scruggs-surnamed males;
F. write occasional articles or announcements in Searching for Scruggs when test results lead to new conclusions.
ARTICLE IX - PARLIAMENTARY AUTHORITY
The current edition of “Robert’s Rules of Order” shall be the accepted standard of guidance in all matters of the Association to which they apply when not in conflict with the Association’s Bylaws or adopted Rules of Procedure.
ARTICLE X
AMENDMENTS TO THE BYLAWS
A. These Bylaws may be amended or repealed by a majority vote in a business session.
B. The notice of intent to amend or repeal the Bylaws must be given in writing to
the membership by electronic means or publication in Searching for Scruggs at least 30 days prior to such action.
C. Amendments to these Bylaws shall take effect upon adoption unless
otherwise specified within the amendment.
D. The current version of the Bylaws shall be posted on the SFA website, scruggsfam.com.
ARTICLE XI - STANDING RULES OF ORDER
A. May be adopted by a majority vote at any business meeting of the Association or the Board.
B. Must not be in conflict with the Bylaws of the Association.
C. A current record separate to the Bylaws must be kept by the Secretary-Treasurer.
ARTICLE XII - DISSOLUTION
Upon dissolution of the Association, any and all records, data, pictures or other assembled materials and any remaining funds shall be distributed as specified by a majority vote of a committee composed of the current Board and any available past presidents or founders.