Governance

Our state society elects a president, vice president, secretary, treasurer, registrar, chancellor, and chaplain from its active membership, and appoints additional officers such as parliamentarian, surgeon, genealogist, historian and sergeant-at-arms. In addition to these officials, we nominate a national trustee and an alternate trustee who are confirmed by the Annual Congress of the National Society. These officers are joined with our chapter presidents and others within our Board of Managers, the governing body of the organization. The duties of our officers are similar to those of their counterparts in other organizations, in accordance with our bylaws.

State Officers for the Fiscal Year

The state officers of the Massachusetts Society for this year are:

Elected Officials

Some of the duties of the elected officers are:

• The President of a state society fulfills the customary duties of the office and supervises the affairs of the state society.


• The Secretary has charge of the records of the state society, gives notice of all meetings and keeps an accurate written record of the proceedings of meetings. He signs all application papers.


• The Treasurer has custody of the funds of the state society and is responsible for the collection and transmittal of membership dues to the National Society, as specified in the bylaws of the National Society.


• The Registrar examines all applications for membership and approves them, if found acceptable, before submitting them to National Headquarters for final approval and registration. A duplicate copy of each application is retained by the state registrar for the archives of his state society.


• The Chancellor is an attorney-at-law, who gives opinions on legal matters affecting the society when such questions are referred to him by the proper officers.


• The Chaplain, an ordained clergyman, gives the invocation and benediction at state society meetings and ceremonies, and furnishes the membership with spiritual guidance. He conducts any religious service that occurs at state functions.

Board of Managers

The Board of Managers is the governing body of the society. It consists of all the elected officials above, all living past state presidents, current chapter presidents, and additional members appointed from the membership for three-year rotations. The terms of the additional members are staggered so that the board maintains continuity. Each rotating member serves until the Annual Meeting of the year shown.

Rotational Members

Committees of the Society

The committees serve in support of the Board of Managers, either directly for the board or by implementing one of the initiatives of the National Society locally.

• Awards, Memorials, and Markers (National Program)
• Ethics Committee
• Finance Committee
• Meetings Committee
• Membership Committee
• Publication and Printing Committee