FILACUBA
Cuban Philately -- Filatelia Cubana

Proposed New CPSA Bylaws
Propuesta de Nuevos Estatutos para la CPSA

ARTICLE I - Name and address.

The name of this institution shall be "Cuban Philatelic Society of America, Inc.", or "Sociedad Filatélica Cubana" in Spanish. The Society shall also be known legally by the acronym CPSA. The society has been incorporated in the city of Miami, Florida, U.S.A. and its postal address is P.O. Box 141656, Coral Gables, Florida 33114-1656.

ARTICLE II - Purpose and objectives.

The Cuban Philatelic Society of America was organized early in 1971 for the purpose of promoting Cuban philately and sponsoring studies and research in the stamps and postal history of Cuba. The Society is committed to assisting its membership, and the public in general, in becoming more familiar with all aspects of Cuban philately.

The Society shall not engage in any pursuit or act not consistent with its objectives. It shall not discriminate on the basis of age, sex, race, nationality, or political or religious beliefs and shall not intervene in any political or religious matter.

The Cuban Philatelic Society shall:

• Promote Cuban philately in all its aspects.
• Stimulate and sponsor research and studies in all aspects of Cuban philately.
• Publish a journal containing articles on Cuban philately and a bulletin containing society news and auctions.
• Hold meetings of the membership on a regular basis in any locale where there are enough members to support them.
• Hold an annual meeting at different national or international philatelic exhibitions each year to promote the society in those venues and allow membership local to the place of the exhibitions to interact with visiting society members.
• Organize public and private exhibitions of all kinds of Cuban philatelic materials.
• Assist its members and the general public in the acquisition of philatelic knowledge, particularly on the cultural and historical aspect of Cuban philately.
• Exchange information with other national or foreign philatelic organizations or societies freely.

ARTICLE III - Membership.

Section 1. Membership in the Society shall be open to any person of good moral character interested in the purposes and objectives of the Society, regardless of age, sex, race, nationality, or political or religious beliefs.

Section 2. Membership shall be of the following classes:

• Regular
• Contributing
• Life
• Honorary

Regular Members. These shall be those members approved by the Board of Directors, and they shall be up to date in the payment of the ordinary dues approved by the Board.

Sustaining Members. Those members who, agree to pay dues that are higher than the ordinary dues.

Life Members. Those members that pay the special dues approved by the Board of Directors, and who are exempt for life from payment of the ordinary dues. These dues shall not be less than ten times, nor over twenty five times, the amount of the ordinary dues.

Honorary Members. Honorary members shall be those persons who the Board of Directors deems deserving of the honor. This status shall be conferred by the unanimous vote of the Board of Directors. In order to be a candidate for Honorary Membership a resolution must be drawn up explaining the services rendered to the Society or to Cuban philately in general. Honorary members shall be granted all privileges of the regular members.

Section 3. The application for membership must be made on the official form supplied by the Society, must contain all the information requested, and must be accompanied by the membership fee. In order to accept an application for membership, a two-thirds favorable vote by the members of the Board of Directors shall be required.

Section 4. Regular membership fees shall be those set by the Board of Directors in order to ensure the financial stability of the Society. Membership fees shall be paid in advance on a yearly basis, covering a period starting on the first day of July and ending on the thirtieth day of June of the following year. Failure to pay the membership fees within 90 days of the first of July will result in loss of membership in the society. Members who are dropped by reason of non-payment of their membership dues may be reinstated as members by payment of the back dues.

Section 5. - The resignation of a member shall be presented in writing to the Secretary, and shall be published in the society's bulletin thirty days after acceptance.

ARTICLE IV - Obligations and Rights of the Members.

Section 1. The obligations of the members are:

• To comply with Society Bylaws and the resolutions of the Board of Directors
• To pay membership dues on time.
• To vote in society elections.

Section 2. The rights of the members are:

• To participate in society elections and be elected to office
• To require enforcement of the Bylaws as well as of the resolutions adopted by the Board of Directors
• To enjoy the services offered by the Society
• To participate in events held by the Society
• To receive Society publications
• To ask, and to receive, from the Board of Directors, such information as may be requested from them.

ARTICLE V - On the Suspension and Expulsion of Members.

Section 1. Any member may be suspended through a majority of votes of the Board of Directors for the period of time deemed appropriate.

Section 2. Any member may be expelled for conviction of a felony, failure to pay indebtedness to the Society, or fraudulent or unethical conduct through the affirmative vote of 2/3 of the Board of Directors. The charges for such action shall be placed in writing, and may be presented by the Board itself, or by any active member. All charges shall be definite and specific. The decisions of the Board of Directors shall be conclusive, final, and enforceable as to the parties. A hearing by mail, instead of a hearing in person, may be granted with a limit of thirty days, before the Board acts on the case.

ARTICLE VI - Elections

Section 1. Only members of the Society in good standing may vote to elect the Officers and Directors of the Society. Candidates for all offices in the Society shall be approved by the current Board of Directors. Elections will be held by mail ballot from a slate of candidates approved by the Board of Directors. A majority of votes shall be required to appoint each candidate to office in the society.

Section 2. The Officers and members of the Board of Directors and shall be elected for a period of two years, corresponding to the fiscal year as defined in Article VII, Section 2, and will retain their offices until such time as successors are appointed or elected, as the case may be.

Section 3. The Society shall elect the following Officers to direct its operations:

• President
• Vice-President
• Secretary
• Treasurer

These Officers shall all be members of the Board of Directors of the Society. The individuals holding the offices of President, Secretary, and Treasurer, shall not have any family relationship among them, unless an exception to this rule is approved by a majority of the Board of Directors.

Section 4. An additional seven Directors shall be elected by vote of the members of the Society, and together with the elected Officers they shall comprise a Board of Directors of eleven members. Each area of the world where the society has a significant concentration of members shall have a representative elected to the Board of Directors (an Officer, being also a Director, may be one of the geographical representatives). A significant concentration of members will be taken to mean at least 10% of the society's membership. (This percentage may be adjusted by the Board of Directors if necessary by majority vote and if changed shall be reflected in these Bylaws). The other members of the Board shall have no limitation as to place of residence.

ARTICLE VII - Duties and Responsibilities of Society Officers and the Board of Directors

Section 1. Duties of the President.

• To be the legal representative of the Society
• To convene and preside over Society meetings and meetings of the Board of Directors
• To comply with and enforce compliance of all directives emanating from Society Officers and the Board of Directors
• Organize and maintain the necessary services of technical, legal, and other advisers as necessary
• Carry out all other functions assigned by the current Bylaws and any other enacted regulations.

Section 2. Duties of the Vice-President.

The holder of the offices of Vice President shall assist the President and shall substitute him/her in case of resignation, removal, incapacity, or death.

Section 3. Duties of the Secretary.

• To maintain the administrative organization of the Society
• To handle all the correspondence of the Society
• To keep all members informed on important Society matters; especially, of all decisions made by the Board of Directors
• To report on the progress of the Society as provided by the Board of Directors
• To keep Society records. These shall include in particular membership records and records of all decisions by the Society Officers and its Board of Directors. Specifically, the Secretary shall keep minutes of all official meetings of Society Officers and sessions of the Board of Directors and shall ensure that all records of decisions that affect the conduct of the Society's business are signed by the appropriate parties as evidence of official approval and are disseminated to all Society members.

Section 4. Duties of the Treasurer.

• To handle the economic and financial matters of the Society
• To collect membership dues from members
• To present to the Board of Directors an Income and Expenses Report twice a year
• To present to the Board of Directors an estimated budget of the Society for the next year twice a year

Section 5. Duties and responsibilities of the Board of Directors:

• To comply, and enforce compliance, with the Bylaws and resolutions adopted by the Board
• To manage the affairs of the Society in accordance with the established objectives and programs
• To approve the Bylaws and other rules and regulations of the Society
• To approve and authorize all events and contracts pertaining to the activities of the Society
• The Board of Directors shall approve the Income and Expense Report for each fiscal year
• Determine the annual dues to be paid by the members in order to meet the financial needs of the Society
• The Board of Directors shall resolve on the admission of new members, as well as the termination of existing members
• The Board of Directors may resolve on the eventual dissolution of the Society in accordance with Article VII, Section 7, of these Bylaws
• To prepare reports on the activities, business, and progress of the Society and ensure that they are disseminated to all Society members through the Society's bulletin, journal, or Internet pages

ARTICLE VII - Conduct of Business.

Section 1. Because of the possible geographical dispersion of its membership and Directors, all Society business may be conducted by mail or e-mail. All business proposals shall be submitted to the Society's Secretary in writing for consideration of the Board of Directors. The Secretary shall prepare all materials submitted for consideration of the Board and send them to every member of the Board of Directors for review and approval as appropriate. A simple majority ruling by the Board of Directors shall be binding in all cases except where otherwise specified in these Bylaws.

Section 2. The fiscal year shall be July 1 to June 30 of each year.

Section 3. Directors of the Society shall only be removed by a majority vote of the Board of Directors, called to meet for that purpose, in accordance with the Bylaws.

Section 4. Any member of the Society that withdraws or is expelled from the Society shall not be entitled to a reimbursement of dues or contributions of whatever nature which were made to the Society.

Section 5. The funds of the "Cuban Philatelic Society" are comprised by the ordinary and special dues collected from-the members, as well as those securities and assets acquired by any means.

Section 6. Modifications to the present Bylaws may be requested by any member through a proposal addressed to the Board of Directors. The Board of Directors shall review all proposed modifications to these Bylaws and reach a decision on their acceptance or rejection by a majority vote. The master copy of these Bylaws shall be the copy posted in the Society's World Wide Web (WWW) pages in the Internet, and any modifications to the present Bylaws shall be made using that master copy as the starting point. Any doubts arising with respect to the application of interpretation of these Bylaws shall be resolved by the Board of Directors, after due consideration of the matter and of the needs and conveniences of the Society. These resolutions shall become effective on the date of their approval.

Section 7. The Society shall have perpetual existence, but may be dissolved by resolution of the Board of Directors, provided that no less than eight of the members of the Board of Directors vote affirmatively. Upon dissolution of the society, any assets in existence at the time, shall be donated in full to fund the American Philatelic Research Library (APRL) of the American Philatelic Society (APS) of which the CPSA is Affiliate No. 173.

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These pages are maintained by 

Ernesto Cuesta

P.O. Box 34434, Bethesda, Md. 20827, U.S.A.

E-Mail Address:  ecuesta@philat.com

Tel.:  301-564-3099

This page was last modified on:  Friday, October 29, 2007

FILACUBA
Cuban Philately -- Filatelia Cubana

Proposed New CPSA Bylaws
Propuesta de Nuevos Estatutos para la CPSA

ARTICLE I - Name and address.

The name of this institution shall be "Cuban Philatelic Society of America, Inc.", or "Sociedad Filatélica Cubana" in Spanish. The Society shall also be known legally by the acronym CPSA. The society has been incorporated in the city of Miami, Florida, U.S.A. and its postal address is P.O. Box 141656, Coral Gables, Florida 33114-1656.

ARTICLE II - Purpose and objectives.

The Cuban Philatelic Society of America was organized early in 1971 for the purpose of promoting Cuban philately and sponsoring studies and research in the stamps and postal history of Cuba. The Society is committed to assisting its membership, and the public in general, in becoming more familiar with all aspects of Cuban philately.

The Society shall not engage in any pursuit or act not consistent with its objectives. It shall not discriminate on the basis of age, sex, race, nationality, or political or religious beliefs and shall not intervene in any political or religious matter.

The Cuban Philatelic Society shall:

• Promote Cuban philately in all its aspects.
• Stimulate and sponsor research and studies in all aspects of Cuban philately.
• Publish a journal containing articles on Cuban philately and a bulletin containing society news and auctions.
• Hold meetings of the membership on a regular basis in any locale where there are enough members to support them.
• Hold an annual meeting at different national or international philatelic exhibitions each year to promote the society in those venues and allow membership local to the place of the exhibitions to interact with visiting society members.
• Organize public and private exhibitions of all kinds of Cuban philatelic materials.
• Assist its members and the general public in the acquisition of philatelic knowledge, particularly on the cultural and historical aspect of Cuban philately.
• Exchange information with other national or foreign philatelic organizations or societies freely.

ARTICLE III - Membership.

Section 1. Membership in the Society shall be open to any person of good moral character interested in the purposes and objectives of the Society, regardless of age, sex, race, nationality, or political or religious beliefs.

Section 2. Membership shall be of the following classes:

• Regular
• Contributing
• Life
• Honorary

Regular Members. These shall be those members approved by the Board of Directors, and they shall be up to date in the payment of the ordinary dues approved by the Board.

Sustaining Members. Those members who, agree to pay dues that are higher than the ordinary dues.

Life Members. Those members that pay the special dues approved by the Board of Directors, and who are exempt for life from payment of the ordinary dues. These dues shall not be less than ten times, nor over twenty five times, the amount of the ordinary dues.

Honorary Members. Honorary members shall be those persons who the Board of Directors deems deserving of the honor. This status shall be conferred by the unanimous vote of the Board of Directors. In order to be a candidate for Honorary Membership a resolution must be drawn up explaining the services rendered to the Society or to Cuban philately in general. Honorary members shall be granted all privileges of the regular members.

Section 3. The application for membership must be made on the official form supplied by the Society, must contain all the information requested, and must be accompanied by the membership fee. In order to accept an application for membership, a two-thirds favorable vote by the members of the Board of Directors shall be required.

Section 4. Regular membership fees shall be those set by the Board of Directors in order to ensure the financial stability of the Society. Membership fees shall be paid in advance on a yearly basis, covering a period starting on the first day of July and ending on the thirtieth day of June of the following year. Failure to pay the membership fees within 90 days of the first of July will result in loss of membership in the society. Members who are dropped by reason of non-payment of their membership dues may be reinstated as members by payment of the back dues.

Section 5. - The resignation of a member shall be presented in writing to the Secretary, and shall be published in the society's bulletin thirty days after acceptance.

ARTICLE IV - Obligations and Rights of the Members.

Section 1. The obligations of the members are:

• To comply with Society Bylaws and the resolutions of the Board of Directors
• To pay membership dues on time.
• To vote in society elections.

Section 2. The rights of the members are:

• To participate in society elections and be elected to office
• To require enforcement of the Bylaws as well as of the resolutions adopted by the Board of Directors
• To enjoy the services offered by the Society
• To participate in events held by the Society
• To receive Society publications
• To ask, and to receive, from the Board of Directors, such information as may be requested from them.

ARTICLE V - On the Suspension and Expulsion of Members.

Section 1. Any member may be suspended through a majority of votes of the Board of Directors for the period of time deemed appropriate.

Section 2. Any member may be expelled for conviction of a felony, failure to pay indebtedness to the Society, or fraudulent or unethical conduct through the affirmative vote of 2/3 of the Board of Directors. The charges for such action shall be placed in writing, and may be presented by the Board itself, or by any active member. All charges shall be definite and specific. The decisions of the Board of Directors shall be conclusive, final, and enforceable as to the parties. A hearing by mail, instead of a hearing in person, may be granted with a limit of thirty days, before the Board acts on the case.

ARTICLE VI - Elections

Section 1. Only members of the Society in good standing may vote to elect the Officers and Directors of the Society. Candidates for all offices in the Society shall be approved by the current Board of Directors. Elections will be held by mail ballot from a slate of candidates approved by the Board of Directors. A majority of votes shall be required to appoint each candidate to office in the society.

Section 2. The Officers and members of the Board of Directors and shall be elected for a period of two years, corresponding to the fiscal year as defined in Article VII, Section 2, and will retain their offices until such time as successors are appointed or elected, as the case may be.

Section 3. The Society shall elect the following Officers to direct its operations:

• President
• Vice-President
• Secretary
• Treasurer

These Officers shall all be members of the Board of Directors of the Society. The individuals holding the offices of President, Secretary, and Treasurer, shall not have any family relationship among them, unless an exception to this rule is approved by a majority of the Board of Directors.

Section 4. An additional seven Directors shall be elected by vote of the members of the Society, and together with the elected Officers they shall comprise a Board of Directors of eleven members. Each area of the world where the society has a significant concentration of members shall have a representative elected to the Board of Directors (an Officer, being also a Director, may be one of the geographical representatives). A significant concentration of members will be taken to mean at least 10% of the society's membership. (This percentage may be adjusted by the Board of Directors if necessary by majority vote and if changed shall be reflected in these Bylaws). The other members of the Board shall have no limitation as to place of residence.

ARTICLE VII - Duties and Responsibilities of Society Officers and the Board of Directors

Section 1. Duties of the President.

• To be the legal representative of the Society
• To convene and preside over Society meetings and meetings of the Board of Directors
• To comply with and enforce compliance of all directives emanating from Society Officers and the Board of Directors
• Organize and maintain the necessary services of technical, legal, and other advisers as necessary
• Carry out all other functions assigned by the current Bylaws and any other enacted regulations.

Section 2. Duties of the Vice-President.

The holder of the offices of Vice President shall assist the President and shall substitute him/her in case of resignation, removal, incapacity, or death.

Section 3. Duties of the Secretary.

• To maintain the administrative organization of the Society
• To handle all the correspondence of the Society
• To keep all members informed on important Society matters; especially, of all decisions made by the Board of Directors
• To report on the progress of the Society as provided by the Board of Directors
• To keep Society records. These shall include in particular membership records and records of all decisions by the Society Officers and its Board of Directors. Specifically, the Secretary shall keep minutes of all official meetings of Society Officers and sessions of the Board of Directors and shall ensure that all records of decisions that affect the conduct of the Society's business are signed by the appropriate parties as evidence of official approval and are disseminated to all Society members.

Section 4. Duties of the Treasurer.

• To handle the economic and financial matters of the Society
• To collect membership dues from members
• To present to the Board of Directors an Income and Expenses Report quarterly
• To present to the Board of Directors an estimated budget of the Society for the next year twice a year

Section 5. Duties and responsibilities of the Board of Directors:

• To comply, and enforce compliance, with the Bylaws and resolutions adopted by the Board
• To manage the affairs of the Society in accordance with the established objectives and programs
• To approve the Bylaws and other rules and regulations of the Society
• To approve and authorize all events and contracts pertaining to the activities of the Society
• The Board of Directors shall approve the Income and Expense Report for each fiscal year
• Determine the annual dues to be paid by the members in order to meet the financial needs of the Society
• The Board of Directors shall resolve on the admission of new members, as well as the termination of existing members
• The Board of Directors may resolve on the eventual dissolution of the Society in accordance with Article VII, Section 7, of these Bylaws
• To prepare reports on the activities, business, and progress of the Society and ensure that they are disseminated to all Society members through the Society's bulletin, journal, or Internet pages

ARTICLE VII - Conduct of Business.

Section 1. Because of the possible geographical dispersion of its membership and Directors, all Society business may be conducted by mail or e-mail. All business proposals shall be submitted to the Society's Secretary in writing for consideration of the Board of Directors. The Secretary shall prepare all materials submitted for consideration of the Board and send them to every member of the Board of Directors for review and approval as appropriate. A simple majority ruling by the Board of Directors shall be binding in all cases except where otherwise specified in these Bylaws.

Section 2. The fiscal year shall be July 1 to June 30 of each year.

Section 3. Directors of the Society shall only be removed by a majority vote of the Board of Directors, called to meet for that purpose, in accordance with the Bylaws.

Section 4. Any member of the Society that withdraws or is expelled from the Society shall not be entitled to a reimbursement of dues or contributions of whatever nature which were made to the Society.

Section 5. The funds of the "Cuban Philatelic Society" are comprised by the ordinary and special dues collected from-the members, as well as those securities and assets acquired by any means.

Section 6. Modifications to the present Bylaws may be requested by any member through a proposal addressed to the Board of Directors. The Board of Directors shall review all proposed modifications to these Bylaws and reach a decision on their acceptance or rejection by a majority vote. The master copy of these Bylaws shall be the copy posted in the Society's World Wide Web (WWW) pages in the Internet, and any modifications to the present Bylaws shall be made using that master copy as the starting point. Any doubts arising with respect to the application of interpretation of these Bylaws shall be resolved by the Board of Directors, after due consideration of the matter and of the needs and conveniences of the Society. These resolutions shall become effective on the date of their approval.

Section 7. The Society shall have perpetual existence, but may be dissolved by resolution of the Board of Directors, provided that no less than eight of the members of the Board of Directors vote affirmatively. Upon dissolution of the society, any assets in existence at the time, shall be donated in full to fund the American Philatelic Research Library (APRL) of the American Philatelic Society (APS) of which the CPSA is Affiliate No. 173.

These pages are maintained by 

Ernesto Cuesta

E-Mail Address:  ecuesta@philat.com

Tel.:  301-564-3099