PROCEDURE AND GENERAL INFORMATION

The Board of Directors, at its discretion, may grant a Charter to any group of ten (10) members in good standing and/or accepted applicants for Society membership. Such action shall be based on information furnished by the proposed Chapter and subject to acceptance by neighboring Chapters and the Director, Chapter Development. This information shall include the full name, address, occupation and telephone number of each member of the group.

The National Constitution & By-Laws provide that each Chapter elect as many officers as its members consider desirable, but shall include a President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer and National Director, the latter to represent the Chapter on the National Board. The position of Secretary and Treasurer may be held by the same person. The National Director must be a resident member of the Chapter, this being defined as a member who regularly attends meetings of the Chapter.

Before filing an application for a Charter, members of the group desiring to organize a Chapter should select persons to fill the positions mentioned in the preceding paragraph, all of whom shall sign the Application for Charter, including the National Director.

Individual applications for membership, duly filled out, dated and signed shall likewise accompany the Application for Charter for each person in the group who is not already a member of the National Society. NRHS members who join the proposed Chapter should have their names marked with either “Associate” or the name of the Chapter to which they belong at the time of Charter Application, and if they desire to change their “home Chapter” to the new group, thus changing the billing address for their National dues from charter date forward.

Chapter membership shall in all cases be predicated on National membership. Chapter dues may be in such amount as agreed by its members. Payment of Chapter dues shall be on a calendar year basis to conform with National membership. A grace period of ninety (90) days is provided for the payment of all dues. Memberships ninety (90) days in arrears are automatically suspended.

The National dues include subscription to the six issues annually of the NATIONAL RAILWAY BULLETIN and voting privilege as outlined in the By-Laws (except to Spouse/Family Memberships which have neither privilege nor count as members toward the requirement for ten (10) members for Chapter formation).

Chapter meetings may be held at such times and places as may be agreed upon by its members, and Chapters may issue their own publications or newsletters if desired.

The National Board of Directors meets three times a year, at which time Applications for Charter are considered. While an Application for Charter is being processed for presentation to the Board, the proposed Chapter may not transact any business in the name of the proposed Chapter as a unit of the National Society.

Prior to a Charter being granted, an organizational meeting should be held to elect officers (whose terms should expire annually in the month in which a Charter is granted), fix Chapter dues and transact such other business as may be necessary. At the same time, each Chapter should adopt a set of By-Laws that are consistent with those of the National Society. A copy of the National Constitution & By-Laws will be provided with the Charter Application for information and guidance in deciding whether to seek Chapter status, and also to form the foundation for the Chapter regulations.