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DESCENDANTS OF AUSTIN'S OLD THREE HUNDRED BYLAWS
Approved and Adopted October 14, 2023
ARTICLE I - NAME
Section 1. Formal name. The name of this Association is "Descendants of Austin’s Old Three Hundred." It is an Internal Revenue Code Section 501(c)(3) non‐profit entity chartered by the State of Texas under this name.
Section 2. Informal use. The phrase "Old Three Hundred" may be presented as "Old 300" for purposes of brevity.
ARTICLE II - OBJECTIVES
Section1. Honor memories. To keep alive for inspiration for this and succeeding generations the memories of the spirit, courage, and character of the men and women belonging to Stephen F. Austin's first colony of Texas, known as "The Old Three Hundred."
Section 2. Promote research. To encourage and foster research leading to the preservation and publication of the history and records of this first group of Texans.
ARTICLE III - MEMBERSHIP
Section 1. Eligibility. Any man or woman age eighteen (18) or over who is a direct blood descendant of a member of Austin’s Old Three Hundred is eligible for membership. The principal source for identifying all grantees of “The Old Three Hundred" is the list of names recorded by Lester G. Bugbee and published in the Texas State Historical Association Quarterly, Vol. I, Austin, Texas 1898, pp. 108‐ 117.
Section 2. Application process. One copy of the documentation proving lineage is required and shall be mailed to the Registrar along with the completed application forms. Payment of the initiation fee and first year's dues is also required. If, for any reason, the applicant cannot prove kinship with the ancestor, the fee and dues shall be returned. The application forms shall be typed or clearly printed.
Section 3. Application period. Prospective members shall be invited and encouraged to attend all meetings and to take part in discussions but shall be unable to vote until all required forms, documents, and dues are submitted and have been received and signed by the Registrar and the Certificate of Membership is signed by the President.
Section 4. Completion of paperwork. Upon acceptance, the application papers shall be signed by the President and the Registrar. A copy shall be placed in the "Descendants of Austin’s Old Three Hundred" files.
Section 5. Charter membership. Those with an approved application and in good standing on or before June 30, 1990, are considered Charter Members.
Section 6. Reinstatement. A member having resigned from membership in good standing may be reinstated upon payment of dues for the current year. A member dropped for nonpayment of dues may be reinstated upon payment of dues for the current year and a reinstatement fee set by the Executive Board. (See Article XI, Items 4 and 5, for current amounts set for dues and fees.)
Section 7. Membership numbers. A number, once granted to a member, is reserved for that member under all circumstances.
Section 8. Junior Members. A child under eighteen (18) years of age and who is a lineal blood descendant of a member in good standing is eligible to be a Junior Member. A Junior Member can attend all meetings and activities but cannot vote or hold an office. When he/she reaches the age of eighteen (18), they will be eligible for Full Membership status.
ARTICLE IV - DUES AND FEES
Section 1. Fiscal year established. The fiscal year of the Association is from January 1 to December 31, inclusive.
Section 2. Amounts of dues and fees. The Executive Board shall set the dollar amounts of the Association's dues and fees and shall review those amounts annually. The general membership shall be kept informed of the current amounts. (See Article XI, Items 4 and 5.)
Section 3. Payment of dues. Dues are payable annually by January 1 and become delinquent after March 1. Subject to Executive Board review, a member whose dues remain unpaid as of June 30 may be dropped from the membership rolls. For payment of the first year's dues please see Article III, Section 2.
Section 4. Dues exemptions. Members who attain the age of ninety (90) years are exempt from further payment of dues. Youth Members are exempt from payment of dues after the first year. They will start paying dues at age eighteen (18) when they are eligible for full membership status.
Section 5. Fees specified. Fees are hereby authorized in this Article for (a) initiation of an application of membership, (b) initiation of an application for supplemental membership, (c) replacement of certificates of membership, (d) cost of Grave Marker Medallions, and (e) reinstatement of members dropped for non-payment of dues as provided in Article III, Section 6.
ARTICLE V - OFFICERS
Section 1. Officers named. The elected officers of this Association form an Executive Board consisting of:
President, First Vice President, Second Vice President, Third Vice President/Chaplain, Secretary, Treasurer, Registrar, Historian, Parliamentarian, Sergeant at Arms.
Section 2. Elections set. Officers shall be elected at the Annual Meeting in October. Elections are held in even‐numbered years.
Section 3. Nominating and election process. The Executive Board shall present a slate of nominees, one nominee per office, to the general membership at its Annual Meeting. Nominations from the floor will also be received. In the event of there being more than one nominee for an office, a vote by show of hands or ballot shall determine the winner.
Section 4. Terms of office. All officers shall be elected in October (at the Annual Meeting) for a two‐year term. They will serve until the next even-numbered year Annual Meeting. An officer may be re‐elected to the same office for up to four (4) terms not to exceed a total of eight (8) consecutive years.
Section 5. Eligibility to serve. The incoming President shall have served on a prior Executive Board for at least one (1) term.
Section 6. Vacancies. In the event the President is unable to complete the term of office, the First Vice President shall serve the unexpired term. A vacancy occurring in any other office between elections shall be filled by the Executive Board. The member thus appointed shall serve the unexpired term of his/her predecessor. Any officer serving more than one half of a term shall be considered to have served that one term and the term will count toward the four‐term limit cited in Section 4.
ARTICLE VI - EXECUTIVE BOARD
Section 1. Responsibilities. The Executive Board shall attend to all business of the Association. Minutes from Executive Board Meetings will be distributed to members via the Old 300 website and/or email.
Section 2. Composition. The Executive Board shall be composed of ten (10) elected officers.
Section 3. Vacancies. See Article V, Section 6.
Section 4. Quorum. Business of the Executive Board shall be transacted at a regular or called meeting of the Board at which a quorum of six (6) is present but may be transacted by telephone or e‐mail when deemed necessary. However, business decisions transacted by telephone or e‐mail shall be ratified at the next Board meeting.
Section 5. Absenteeism. Any member of the Executive Board who misses two consecutive Board meetings may be removed from office and replaced by the Executive Board.
ARTICLE VII - DUTIES OF OFFICERS
Section 1. The President shall preside at all meetings of the Association, including those of the Executive Board and the Annual Meeting, and may call special meetings. The President shall be responsible for the contents of the Newsletter for distribution to the membership. At the close of each fiscal year, the President shall compile a report of the year's activities. The report shall be filed in the Descendants of Austin's Old Three Hundred archives along with the most current edition of the Yearbook.
Section 2. The First Vice President shall assist the President when requested and, in the absence of the President, shall preside. The First Vice President shall be responsible for compiling and distributing the Yearbook. In the event the President is unable to complete the term, the First Vice President shall become the President as provided for in Article V, Section 6.
Section 3. The Second Vice President shall chair a Meetings Committee to arrange for all meetings of the Association with the approval of the Executive Board. The Second Vice President shall be responsible for program contents.
Section 4. The Third Vice Presidentand Chaplain shall be in charge of projects related to the objectives of Article II, Section 3 of these bylaws. The Third Vice President shall have charge of the Ancestor Grave Medallions program and shall approve all medallion applications. As Chaplain the Third Vice president shall open all meetings with a prayer and shall preside over any memorial exercises. The Chaplain should assist in collecting notices and clippings of members' deaths. These shall be passed on to the Historian. The Chaplain shall send cards to members who are ill and notes of condolence to the bereaved family members.
Section 5. The Secretary shall keep a strict record of business transactions at the meetings. The minutes of all meetings shall be prepared by the Secretary and approved by the Executive Board within ten (10) days of each meeting. The approved minutes shall be posted on the Old 300 website as soon as practical after approval.
The Secretary shall conduct all correspondence and convey to the membership all official decisions of the Association. The Secretary shall mail the Newsletter in coordination with the President.
Section 6. The Treasurer shall keep a strict account of all receipts and disbursements and distribute monthly Treasurer reports to the Executive Board. All members shall receive a Treasurer’s report after each official Executive Board meeting. A formal Treasurer’s report will be presented at all the Old 300 Annual meetings. The Treasurer and/or the President shall have the authority re: Purchase Orders for all products and supplies.
All Old 300 accounts shall be professionally (independent third party) audited in September of each year.
Section 7. The Registrar shall keep a current list of all members of the Association. The Registrar shall advise applicants in obtaining documents and other data. The Registrar will review and verify the applications. Upon approval, the Registrar shall issue certificates of membership. The Registrar and President must sign each approved application before filing the material. The Registrar shall be responsible for the registration table at all Old 300 meetings.
Section 8. The Historian shall preserve papers and records of the early history of Texas, which shall come into the Historian's possession through the Association and shall keep the Association’s scrapbook. The Historian shall preserve all historical documents belonging to the Association and shall place them in the Association’s files. The Historian shall take photographs at each of the meetings or arrange for this to be done.
Section 9. The Parliamentarian shall advise the Association in parliamentary usage during meetings and serve in an advisory position to the President. The Parliamentarian shall, at the direction of the President and with the assistance of the Secretary, conduct the election of officers and preside over any votes of membership, including by laws changes. Serves as member of the meetings committee.
Section 10. The Sergeant at Arms shall be responsible for preparing the meeting room, welcoming members, announcing to members outside the meeting room that the meeting is starting, handing out materials applicable to the meeting. Shall be responsible for keeping flags, flag stands, and any other properties owned by the Association and will see that they are transported to all meetings. Maintain professional and civil decorum during all meetings.
Section 11. Transition. Retiring officers shall give to their successors, after the installation of new officers, all letters and records of information. They shall present their officer pins to the Treasurer, who then presents them to the incoming officers.
ARTICLE VIII - COMMITTEES
Committees may be formed by the President and the Executive Board as needed.
The Executive Board will serve as the Committee of Nominations to prepare and submit to members a single slate of candidates for each office to be filled at the October Annual Meeting in even number years.
Committee of Meetings, which is chaired by the 2nd Vice President, will arrange for all meetings of the Association with the approval of the Executive Board.
ARTICLE IX - MEETINGS
Section 1. Annual Meeting. One meeting for the entire membership shall be held annually on a weekend in October. The date, time and location shall be decided by the Executive Board.
Section 2. Executive Board Meetings. The Executive Board shall conduct no fewer than three meetings over a fiscal year. All members are welcome at these meetings.
Section 3. Special Called Meetings will be convened at the discretion of the President with confirmation by a majority vote of the Executive Board.
ARTICLE X - AMENDMENTS
The foregoing may be amended at any regular membership meeting by two‐thirds vote of members present. Proposed amendments should be conveyed to the President before September 1, so that they can be included in the President's notice to members of the approaching October meeting.
1. Records repository. All Association records shall be kept at an approved storage facility convenient to the President and the Registrar. Access may be had by the President and/or Registrar. A copy may be obtained by request to the President/Registrar.
2. Grave marker rules. Guidelines for the display of Austin’s Old 300 and Descendant Austin's Old 300 Grave Marker Medallions shall be as follows:
The Austin's Old 300 Medallion is to be placed on the grave of the person who received the original land grant.
(a)Request an application for the medallion from the Third Vice President, complete it and return it to that officer.
(b)The Third Vice President and the Registrar will check and approve the application. The medallion will then be issued.
(c)Where the original ancestor grave site is accessible, the medallion may be placed on the headstone or other physical element of the grave. If the location of the burial is unknown, a cenotaph may be used.
(d)This medallion may be placed in a family cemetery, in the family section of a larger cemetery, or at the closest available location to the grave site.
(e)It is recommended that a dedication ceremony be held following the placement of Austin’s Old 300 Medallion.
The Descendants of Austin's Medallion is to be placed on the grave of the Association member or that of a family member who is also a direct blood descendant. The name of the family member must be on the Application for Membership.
(a)Request an application for this medallion from the Third Vice President, complete it and return it to that officer. The cost for the Descendant's medallion is one hundred seventy-five dollars ($175.00) which shall include postage.
(b)The Third Vice President and the Registrar will check and approve the application. The medallion will then be issued.
(c)This medallion is to be placed on the grave or headstone only.
4. Amount of dues. As per the current bylaws, annual dues are set at Fifty ($50.00).
5. Amount of fees. As per the current bylaws, the following fees are in place: membership application fee (non‐refundable), Seventy-Five ($75.00); fee for supplemental applications, Thirty dollars ($30.00). Fee for replacement of membership certificate, Thirty dollars ($30.00); membership reinstatement fee, Thirty dollars ($30.00).
6. Signatures on payment checks. Checks must be signed by one of the following officers: President or Treasurer.
ARTICLE XI - DISSOLUTION
In the event the Descendants of Austin's Old Three Hundred, Inc. Association is discontinued, the Association’s assets are to be transferred to The Texas Historical Commission or another similar organization that is qualified for exemption under Internal Revenue Code Section 501(c)(3) as amended.
Bylaws Revised:
October 14, 2023
June 23, 2018
June 17, 2017
June 20, 2015
June 29, 2013
June 26, 2010
June 23, 2007
June 24, 2006
June 29, 2002
June 26, 1999
June 28,1997
June 24, 1995
Nov 28,1994
June 29, 1991
June 30, 1990