Approved by the RPA membership in a referendum completed on November 1, 2022.

Article 1 - Name and Purpose

The name of the organization is the Rochester Philatelic Association, Inc., hereinafter referred to as the RPA, administered by the RPA Board, hereinafter referred to as the Board. The purpose of the RPA is to research and study the many aspects of philately with the objective of promoting education and friendship among stamp collectors. The RPA is incorporated in the State of New York and is a designated 501(c)(3) organization by the U.S. Internal Revenue Service.

Article 2 - Membership and Dues

Anyone may apply as a dues paying member with the RPA under one of several categories at the time of application or start of a calendar year:
    ☆ Youth- anyone under the age of 18
    ☆ Adult- anyone over the age of 18
    ☆ Family- two or more people residing in the same residence (each person will be considered a separate member)

There are two non-dues paying individual membership categories:
    ☆ Life Membership- automatically awarded to a member who has honored dues payment to the RPA for 25 years of continuous membership
    ☆ Honorary Membership- as voted upon by a majority of Board members in recognition of service or other worthy cause to the RPA

Dues amounts in all membership categories are established by the RPA Board and run over a calendar year. Dues paying members are requested to make their yearly payment within 30 days of the start of a new calendar year. Failure to do so are grounds to suspend membership.

A member may resign at any time, but previously paid dues will not be refunded. RPA membership is subject to expulsion for actions unbecoming a member as determined by a majority Board vote after an investigation of the circumstances. A member’s failure to meet or respond to the Board’s inquiry is ground for expulsion.

Article 3 - RPA Leadership

Both elected and appointed positions make up the RPA leadership team. All act in a voluntary capacity without compensation.

Elected Positions (2 year terms):
    ☆ President- presides over all meetings of the RPA membership and Board, appoints committees and serves as an ex-officio member of those committees
    ☆ Vice President- assumes the responsibilities of the President in his or her temporary or permanent absence
    ☆ Officer At Large- assigned duties as requested by the President and Vice President

The three elected positions along with the RPA immediate past president constitute the RPA Board, which is responsible for the overall management of RPA affairs and property. Actions of the Board will be made known to the membership through discussions at RPA meetings and/or written means. Any Board position vacancy will be appointed by the remaining Board members to fill the term’s remainder.

Board members may assume responsibilities typically handled by a treasurer, secretary, membership coordinator, etc., or appoint other members to manage such roles as needed.

The treasurer is the official signatory on all RPA financial documents and is responsible to collect and disburse RPA funds, posting records of all fund transactions and reporting on that information to the Board on request. A second member signatory on RPA financial accounts is required for redundancy.

Article 4 - Membership Meetings

Meetings of the RPA are scheduled by the Board and cover a variety of educational philatelic topics. Meeting dates and times are made known to the membership through a number of resources, with the order of business being at the discretion of the President.

Article 5 - Voting

RPA members in good standing may vote on issues presented to them on a one person-one vote basis. Only Board members may vote on Board matters.

Voting may take place in person at RPA meetings, by viable electronic format, written ballot, or any combination as deemed necessary by the Board. Votes requiring written ballots must be received by the designated date and filled out per the voting instructions to be considered valid. A simple majority constitutes approval, with ties broken by the President.

The Board has the discretion to put major decisions and expenditures to a vote by the membership.

Article 6 - Constitution Amendment Procedure

Proposed constitution changes must be submitted to the RPA President in written format by a member in good standing and reviewed by the Board. With majority Board approval the proposed change(s) will be discussed with the RPA membership, revised as necessary by the Board and voted on by the membership as a whole per Article 5 above. The vote may take place at any time throughout the year presented as a simple yes or no proposition, with no line-itemization possible. If accepted by the majority of voters, the change(s) will amend or replace the former constitution verbiage.

Article 7 - Dissolution Procedure

Upon the dissolution of the RPA, the Board will, after paying or making provision for the payment of all liabilities of the RPA, dispose of all the assets of the RPA exclusively for the purposes of the RPA in such a manner, or to such organization(s) organized and operated exclusively for charitable, educational, or scientific purposes, that qualify as an exempt organization(s) under Section 501(c)(3) of the United States Internal Revenue Code of 1954 or the corresponding provision of any future United States Internal Revenue Law.