Bylaws Update 2025-2026
Purpose:
As our Society continues to grow and evolve, it’s important that our governing documents reflect who we are today and how we operate in practice. Many portions of our current bylaws have not been updated in decades, and some no longer match our customs, structure, or membership experience.
This process began in 2024 when Past President Sean Mooney formed a Bylaws Review Committee with the support of the Past Presidents. This committee reviewed the existing bylaws, discussed structural and procedural gaps, and made recommendations to bring the document into alignment with our current operations.
Upon completion of its review, the proposed bylaws were submitted back for additional input and refinement, and are now presented to the membership at large for consideration.
The purpose of this modernization is not to change who we are, but to formalize and protect the way the Society currently operates, ensuring that both our rules and our reality are consistent with one another.
These proposed revisions will be:
Released for member review beginning at the Christmas Party in 2025.
Open for feedback (see form below)
And Presented for a vote at the Grand Marshal’s Ball in 2026.
We invite all members to read through the changes, offer input, and help us ensure that our bylaws are clear, fair, and supportive of our mission for years to come. This is not a rewrite of our traditions - it is a formal alignment of our governing documents with the Society we have already become.
By updating these bylaws together, we will ensure that:
Our leadership roles and processes are clearly defined
Our committees operate transparently
Our traditions are preserved with integrity
Our governing structure supports the continued health of the Society
Your participation in this review is both welcome and appreciated.
Preamble:
We are American in every sense of the word, but Americans with a heritage which we do not wish to see lost to our children. Rather, we would wish to have those who come after us know the blessings that God has left to them in their Irish heritage, an inheritance shaped ¹ by centuries of steadfastness to the religious beliefs our Irish ancestors held to be true and strengthened by their long and determined refusal to surrender their land and their nation to alien conquerors. We know that in their resistance, our forebears were armed with two irrepressible forces: their faith in God and the sanctity of the family.
Therefore, in order to preserve our heritage in the face of declining acceptance of religion, the break-up of community life, and the instability of marriage in our American life, we have grasped the following forces as the driving purposes of this Society:
to keep our families strong in faith and in unity,
to preserve some of the music, literature, and customs indicative of this culture, and
to enjoy the friendship of those who share these things in common.
Be it therefore stated that no politics, national, local or those of any government shall be discussed by members as a function of this Society.
Let it be clearly stated that in achieving its stated purposes, Christian love, charity and fraternal understanding shall form the spirit of this Society.
It is provided that this Preamble shall be read aloud, in open meeting at least once a year.
¹ Rationale:
The previous wording referenced “blood that has been refined through centuries,” which carried unintended implications of blood purity and lineage superiority. The revised language retains the meaning of cultural inheritance and ancestral faithfulness while removing language that could be perceived as ethnically charged. This modernizes the phrasing while preserving tradition and intent.
Article 1 - Title
The name of this organization shall be "The Irish American Heritage Society." (Hereinafter referred to as "Society")
No changes were required to Article 1 - included here for continuity.
Article 2 - Function
A. The purpose of this Society is as stated in its Preamble and its function shall be as follows:
to let our children, and those after us, known by example, words, readings, paragraphs, and any and all manner of illustrations, that the long centuries of virtual slavery within their own country, their Irish ancestors held fast to their religious beliefs, to their land, and to their country, and that we are their heirs to this richness of courage in our Irish heritage;
to use and cherish Irish music, songs, literature, and customs indicative of our Irish background;
to enjoy the society of those who share these things in common, and
to hold a significant parade on St. Patrick's Day, March 17th, annually or, if St. Patrick's Day falls on a Sunday, on the Saturday immediately preceding St. Patrick's Day.
B. Such parade shall be arranged in all particulars by the Parade Committee made up of members appointed by the President to serve for and during the event. The parade shall be headed ceremonially by the Grand Marshal for that parade.
C. Such Grand Marshal shall serve in that honored capacity only once. The Grand Marshal shall be nominated by a majority vote (51% of those present and voting) of a committee comprised of:
the Officers of the IAHS;
all Past Presidents of the IAHS;
and all Previous Grand Marshals of the IAHS
The Executive Committee of IAHS².
Adequate notice of this meeting shall be sent by the Secretary of the Society seven days in advance of the meeting. Any individual who may qualify in more than one of these capacities shall be entitled to only one vote. The name shall be given to the President and the Grand Marshal selection shall be announced and introduced at the Grand Marshal's Ball.
D. An Irish Lady of the Year shall be selected each year and presented with the Marian Scherer Award. Such Irish Lady shall serve in that honored capacity only once and shall be nominated by a majority vote (51% of those present and voting) of a committee comprised of:
The Officers of the IAHS;
All Previous Irish Ladies of the Year;
Members appointed by the President
The Committee shall follow the procedures outlined by the Officers of the IAHS for consistency in the selection process.³ The name shall be given to the President and the Irish Lady of the Year selection shall be announced and introduced at the Grand Marshal's Ball.
E. An Irish Family of the Year shall be selected each year. The President shall appoint no fewer than five members to a committee which shall follow procedures outlined by the Officers of the IAHS⁴. The name shall be given to the President and the Irish Family of the Year selection shall be announced and introduced at the Grand Marshal's Ball.
² Removal of Executive Committee
The Executive Committee has not participated in Grand Marshal selections for many years and historically only served as an observer in the process. As the number of Past Presidents has grown, there is now a sufficient pool of qualified former leadership to fill the voting body. Removing the Executive Committee reflects how the nomination process has functioned for the past decade and keeps the selection within those who have held the Society’s highest honors.
³ Irish Lady of the Year Selection Process
The requirement that the committee follow procedures outlined by the Officers ensures continuity across years. This formalizes the selection structure and protects the dignity of the honor by ensuring nominees are reviewed through the same standards every year.
⁴ Irish Family of the Year Committee
A minimum of five members ensures broader perspective in the nomination process, preventing selections being made by a small, unrepresentative group. Requiring that the committee follow procedures outlined by the Officers creates consistency across years and aligns these selections with the formal structure already used for the Grand Marshal.
Article 3 - Membership
A. Regular membership shall be made up of adults, 21 years of age or older, who shall have at least one Irish ancestor or shall be married to someone having at least one Irish ancestor.
B. A candidate for membership shall be a person of good character in the community. An applicant for membership must be approved by secret ballot of the Membership Committee appointed by the President, and, in order to be approved for membership, such applicant must not have received a total of two dissenting votes in such ballot. Should an applicant be twice rejected for membership, he shall not be again considered for membership in this Society.
C. A waiting list for membership shall be maintained in strict accordance with the date of application.
D. In the event of a divorce, the parties will remain as members only if they qualify under Article 3, Section (a).
E. The annual dues schedule, as well as delinquency and reinstatement policies shall be established by the Officers of the IAHS and shall take effect upon approval of the Executive Committee.⁵
F. Dues may be increased by no more than twenty percent (20%) per calendar year, and in no event shall any increase exceed ten dollars ($10.00) in a single year for an individual member. Any such increase shall be established by the Officers of the IAHS and shall take effect upon approval of the Executive Committee.⁶
G. A market-rate adjustment to dues may be considered only during a bylaws update cycle. Any such adjustment shall be established by the Officers of the IAHS and shall take effect upon approval of the Executive Committee⁷. Routine annual increases shall remain subject to the limitations set forth in Section F.
A record of all dues adjustments shall be maintained and affixed to these bylaws as Appendix A, reflecting each change, its effective date, and the approving authority.⁷
H. Honorary membership category shall be for those worthy individuals whom the Officers and Executive Committee deems deserving of such recognition. Honorary members shall be non-dues paying, non-voting members and are not counted in the "Regular" membership limit.
I. Distinguished membership category shall be reserved for Society Grand Marshals. Distinguished members shall be dues paying, as for regular members, and have voting privileges. They are not counted in the "Regular" membership limit.
⁵ Annual dues oversight
This change allows dues to be adjusted when needed without requiring a bylaws amendment, while preserving oversight from the full Executive Committee to ensure continuity and accountability.
⁶ Limitation on dues increases
This protects members from excessive increases by capping annual adjustments at 20% and requiring approval from the full Executive Committee to ensure broad agreement before any change is made.
⁷ Market-rate adjustments
This provision allows the Society to periodically realign dues with actual operating costs, but only during a bylaws update cycle to ensure transparency and broad membership awareness. It prevents large or unexpected increases during ordinary years while still allowing responsible long-term financial stewardship. Adding Appendix A ensures all future dues adjustments are clearly recorded in one place, creating a permanent record of financial decisions for reference.
Article 4 - Officers
A. The following named officers shall be elected in accordance with the bylaws pertaining hereof:
President
Vice President
Treasurer
Secretary⁸
B. The President shall preside at all meetings. They shall conduct the meetings and shall perform any and all functions set out in the Constitution and Bylaws. They shall appoint all committees necessary to further the work of the Society.
C. The Vice President shall assume the functions and duties of the President in the President’s absence.
D. The Treasurer shall maintain a current account of all monies of the Society and report the state of such financial matters at each regular meeting. They shall collect all dues from members. In the absence of the President and Vice President, the Treasurer shall assume the functions and duties of the President.
The Treasurer shall also ensure appropriate financial transparency and oversight by:
Notifying the Past Presidents of any withdrawal from the Society’s savings account, including the purpose of the withdrawal.
Presenting a balance sheet of all Society accounts upon a formal written request.
Submitting any updates to these financial procedures to the Officers, the Executive Committee, and the Past Presidents for approval by majority vote.⁹The Treasurer shall maintain a current account of all monies of the Society and report the state of such financial matters at each regular meeting. They shall collect all dues from members.⁹
E. The Secretary shall record the official minutes of all meetings and shall be responsible for receiving and answering all correspondence. They shall prepare and send all notices of meetings to members in good standing. They shall maintain current rolls of members and an accurate record of applicants on the waiting list by date of application. In the absence of the President, Vice President, and Treasurer, the Secretary shall assume the functions and duties of the President.¹⁰
⁸ Officer structure modernization
The Second Vice President role was removed to reflect actual practice within the Society. The position has not been utilized for over a decade, and the organization has effectively operated with a single Vice President. This update aligns the bylaws with current governance reality.
⁹ Treasurer succession clarification
The Treasurer is placed second in the line of succession because they typically hold more experience than the Secretary and are better prepared to assume leadership if needed. The added financial-oversight provisions ensure clear accountability by requiring notice of savings-account withdrawals, allowing any member to request a balance sheet in writing, and placing any procedural changes under majority approval.
¹⁰ Secretary succession clarification
The Secretary is designated as the final successor in the absence of the President, Vice President, and Treasurer, ensuring a complete and unambiguous chain of authority and guaranteeing leadership continuity.
Article 5 - Nominations & Elections
A. A Nominating Committee of no fewer than three (3) members in good standing shall be appointed by the President prior to the Grand Marshal Ball each year. This committee shall prepare a slate of all officers to be presented to the Society.
B. The election of officers shall take place at the May meeting, and shall be conducted by the Chair of the Nominating Committee.
C. The slate of proposed officers shall be presented as a whole for a majority vote of those members present and in good standing.
D. If the slate is not approved by a majority vote, an alternative slate may be nominated from the floor and voted upon in the same manner. Additional slates may be considered until one is approved by majority vote.
E. Officers of the Society shall be installed at the May meeting as the final order of business.
F. All terms of office shall be for one (1) year. The office of President may not be held by the same individual for consecutive terms.¹¹
¹¹ Nominations and elections modernization
This section was revised to reflect current practice and to streamline the election process. The Nominating Committee formation deadline was updated to align with the annual Grand Marshal Ball, and officers are now elected as a slate rather than individually to match existing procedure. The installation and term provisions were relocated from Article 4 for organizational clarity. The prohibition on consecutive presidential terms was retained for leadership rotation and in keeping with Society tradition.
Article 6 - Vacancies & Disciplinary Action
A. A vacancy shall occur when an officer submits their resignation or is unable to serve, as determined by the fellow Officers of the IAHS and shall take effect upon approval of the Executive Committee.¹² Vacancies among elected officers occurring during their terms of office may be filled by appointment of the President of the Society or by the officer serving in the President’s stead.
B. A member may be dropped from the rolls and expelled if the member has been declared delinquent in the payment of dues or if the member commits an offense that brings discredit upon the Society, provided that the member is first notified of the alleged grounds and given an opportunity to respond.¹³ Expulsion shall be determined by the Officers of the IAHS and shall take effect upon approval of the Executive Committee.¹⁴
¹² Clarification of vacancy conditions
Vacancy is expanded beyond voluntary resignation to include incapacity, illness, death, or extraordinary circumstances. The Officer and Executive Committee determination ensures protection against automatic removal or misuse and creates a formal process for declaring the seat vacant.
¹³ Due process protection
A notice-and-response provision was added to ensure fairness before expulsion. This allows the member the opportunity to address or correct the issue before a final decision is rendered.
¹⁴ Approval required
This clarifies that expulsion is not unilateral or decided by a single officer or small group. It must be affirmed by the Officers and take effect only upon approval of the Executive Committee, ensuring accountability and preventing retaliatory removals.
Article 7 - Executive Committee
A. The Executive Committee shall serve as a working board¹³ of the Society and shall advise and support the President and the Officers in carrying out the work of the organization.
B. The Executive Committee shall be composed an odd number of:
The Officers of the Society;
The Immediate Past President;
One representative selected annually by the Past Presidents at the Past Presidents’ Meeting;¹⁴
All standing Committee Chairs as appointed annually by the President;¹⁵
No fewer than three (3) At-Large Members as appointed annually by the President.
C. The Executive Committee shall meet at the discretion of the President or upon request of a majority of its members to conduct the business of the Society.
¹³ Working board clarification
This recognizes the Executive Committee as a working body rather than a ceremonial one, reflecting its actual role in Society operations and decision-making.
¹⁴ Past Presidents’ representation
One representative selected annually by the Past Presidents ensures continuity of societal traditions.
¹⁵ Standing Committee Chairs
Standing Committee Chairs are included to ensure that those overseeing major Society functions are directly connected to governance and planning.
Article 8 - Meetings
A. The Society shall hold a regular meeting each quarter, traditionally held in the months of February, May, September, and December.
B. Special meetings, and meetings for entertainment, may be called at any time by the President or by an officer acting in his stead.
C. All matters of procedure not covered by Constitution and By-laws shall be determined as set forth in the current edition of Robert's Rules of Order (Current Edition).
D. Twenty percent of the voting members in good standing shall constitute a quorum.
E. There shall be no voting by proxy.
F. Members in good standing shall have one vote each in determining all matters of this Society
No changes were required to Article 8 - included here for continuity.
Article 9 - Amendments
A. This Constitution and By-Laws may be amended at any time at a regular meeting by a two-thirds vote of the total number of members present provided their number constitutes a quorum, and provided all recommended amendments have been presented at a previous regular meeting.
No changes were required to Article 9 - included here for continuity.
Article 10 - Approval of the Constitution & Bylaws
A. This Constitution shall be in force when it shall have been accepted and approved by a two-thirds majority vote of the members present at the first formal meeting of this Society in accordance with the by-laws herein provided, and such approval shall be attested by the affixed signatures of its elected officers.
Approved and accepted this 14th day of March 1978 as hereby attested:
John H. Douglas, President
William P. Kelly, Vice President
John J. Walsh, Secretary
Joseph E. Kelly, Treasurer
This version of The Constitution and Bylaws is as originally adopted on March 14th 1978, and includes all amendments as of May 30, 2013. The amendments were adopted on June 25, 1992, December 6, 1996, December 11th 2004, August 31st 2006 and May 30th 2013.
Appendix A - Membership Dues Record
This appendix serves as the official record of all membership dues adjustments approved in accordance with Article 3, Section F.
Each entry shall reflect the membership year the change took place, the dues amount, the type of adjustment, the approving authorities, and the date of approval.
Member Input
The bylaws, as presented, will be submitted to the membership for approval or denial at the Grand Marshal Ball in February. This feedback period is an opportunity for members to share their thoughts, insights, and perspectives as part of the Society’s record of governance.
While the amendment language itself is now in its final form, your feedback is still important, it helps guide future planning, identify questions or clarifications members may have, and ensure that the Society’s leadership understands how members are engaging with these changes. All comments will be reviewed with care and appreciation.