Get Involved in Your AMHS!

The end of 2023 will mark the expiration of the terms of all five officers of the Abruzzo and Molise Heritage Society of the Washington D.C. Area. Those offices are President, First Vice President, Second Vice President, Treasurer, and Secretary. All terms are for two years.

In addition, there will be three vacancies in the nine-member Board of Directors, who will leave office after serving their three-year terms.

The Society needs members in good standing who are willing to take a leadership role in our organization to ensure the continued success of our operations and events. A Nominating Committee is being formed to recruit candidates. If you are interested in serving, please email us here.

Article VII of the bylaws of the AMHS set the duties of the officers and board members as follows:

Section 1: President

The President shall preside over the general membership and Executive Committee meetings of the Society. The President shall enforce the by-laws of the Society and ensure that the Society is pursuing appropriate programs and activities consistent with its objectives. The President shall establish any committee he/she deems appropriate, and appoint its chairman, except for the chairmen of the Programs and Membership Committees which will be chaired, respectively, by the First and Second Vice Presidents. The President has the privilege to be a non-voting member of any committee of the Society. The President will be the principal delegate to any committee or organization with which the Society is affiliated, or he/she may appoint a representative in his/her place. In the event an elected office becomes vacant, the President may appoint a qualified member as a replacement to serve the remaining term of that office.

Section 2: First Vice President

The First Vice President shall perform such duties as the President may direct. He/she will become Acting President in the absence of the President for any reason. In case of the resignation of the President, the First Vice President shall become President for the President’s remaining term of office; in the event the First Vice President is unable or unwilling to assume the presidency, the Second Vice President shall fill the unexpired term. The First Vice President shall also assume the role of Programs Committee chairman, responsible for implementing the functions of the Programs Committee as described in Article IX, Section 1 of these by-laws.

Section 3: Second Vice President

The Second Vice President shall perform such duties as the President may direct. He/she shall exercise the powers of the President in the absence of the President and First Vice President. The Second Vice President shall also assume the role of Membership Committee chairman, responsible for implementing the functions of the Membership Committee as described in Article IX, Section 2 of these by-laws.

Section 4: Secretary

The Secretary shall record the minutes of any official action taken at general membership meetings, Executive Committee meetings, and other meetings as directed by the President. He/she, in cooperation with the Publications & Publicity Committee, will prepare and send out notices of such meetings. The minutes of the Executive Committee meeting shall be available for inspection by the general membership at the request of a member. He/she shall coordinate, review, and prepare responses to any general correspondences of the Society. The Secretary shall also maintain the Society’s legal documents. 

Section 5: Treasurer

The Treasurer shall receive all the Society’s incoming funds and deposit same in the Society’s accounts; provide necessary signatures for outgoing disbursements from said accounts; and maintain all financial records of the Society. The Treasurer shall report at Executive Committee meetings on the expenses incurred and the revenues received during the preceding reporting period. At the end of each fiscal year, the Treasurer shall present the financial records to the Budget and Finance Committee for review and/or audit. The Treasurer shall also prepare and submit any forms or documents required by the Internal Revenue Service, or for any other official fiscal purposes. 

Section 6: Board of Directors

The Board of Directors shares the responsibility of managing the Society and its resources, and providing overall guidance and advice, by virtue of its seat on the Executive Committee.

The Board of Directors shall consist of nine (9) members who have been in good standing for at least two years. The Board shall be divided into three groups of three members. Each group shall be elected for three years and thereafter have three, two, and one year remaining in office. The group serving its last year in office shall retire at the end of the year. Each year a new group of three Directors shall be elected for a three-year term to replace the retiring Directors. No elected Board member may serve consecutive terms or serve simultaneously in any other officer position of the Society.

In addition to the afore-mentioned nine (9) elected Directors, the President Emeritus and the Immediate Past President serve as additional members of the Board.