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St. Augustine Genealogical Society

Since 1989 the St. Augustine Genealogical Society (SAGS) has proudly served both those seeking information about their ancestors who lived in the St. Augustine/St. Johns County area and those without local ties who wish to connect with other family historians.

The Society is dedicated to promoting interest in family history and supporting our members in their genealogical research efforts.  We are a member of the Florida State Genealogical Society and the National Genealogical Society. 

Our monthly General Meeting programs include topics related to research sources, methodology, technical support and storytelling.  Our annual Family History Faire is a chance for members to display their research.  These meetings are free and open to the public.

The General Meetings are held the second Saturday of the month at the Southeast Branch of the St. John’s Public Library located at 6670 US 1 South, St. Augustine, FL 32086.  Check-in begins at 12:45 and the meeting starts at 1:00 pm.  Please see the Calendar page for specific dates and topics.

Membership in the Society supports our General Meetings, this website, our Facebook pages, contributions to the genealogical section of the southeast Branch of St. Johns Public Library, as well as administration expenses of the Society.

The Society is host to a marvelous collection of local records thanks to the efforts of a number of SAGS members including C. Mack Wills. He has spent years transcribing records in the St. Augustine Historical Society’s archive.  These include records from churches, city and county records for the city of St. Augustine and for St. Johns Counties.  Surveys of local cemeteries in St. Johns and Putnam counties are also available.  This information is available under Cemeteries & More on the menu.

The Society has a number of publications including The Ancient City Genealogist, The Ancient City Bulletin and Research Notes.  These are available under Library on the menu.

The St. Augustine Genealogical Society is governed by a Constitution and Bylaws approved by the membership.  Officers are elected by the membership every two years.  The Society also has a Policies and Procedures manual available to members.

Membership

Membership

We invite you to support our Society and join us as a member.

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The membership year is from January 1st to December 31st. Annual dues must be received no later than February 1st to maintain active membership status. We offer several types of memberships:

  • Single – $20.00/year

  • Family – $25.00/year

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Download the member application (PDF) to print and complete.  Please complete the membership form before submitting any dues payments.

 

Applications and dues payments may be made in person at any General Meeting.  If you have chosen to make your dues payment via check, please make the check out to SAGS and mail it to the address below:

 

Attn: VP – Membership
St. Augustine Genealogical Society
6670 U.S. 1 South
St Augustine FL 32086

2023-2024 Committees

Research - Open

Networking - Open

Communications - Elizabeth Heinze

Publications - Open

Library Liaison - Open

Archivist/Historian - Rosemarie Quintero

Society Leadership

2023-2024 Officers

President - Paul Howes
1st Vice President Programs - Open
2nd Vice President Membership - Suzanne Mulligan
Secretary - Pat Tanner  SAGS.Secretary@yahoo.com
Treasurer - Jim Kouroupis

Immediate Past President - Bob Burns

Constitution

Membership Approval: November 17, 2018

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ARTICLE I – NAME
The name of this organization shall be: ST. AUGUSTINE GENEALOGICAL SOCIETY, and shall herein be referred to as the SOCIETY.

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ARTICLE II – PURPOSE
The purposes of the SOCIETY shall be:

A. To preserve and perpetuate the records of our ancestors.

B. To locate, preserve, index, and publish public and private records

C. To encourage and instruct members in the art and practice of genealogical research and completion.

D. To encourage the collection of genealogical and historical material for the St. Johns County Library.

 

ARTICLE III – NON-PROFIT
The SOCIETY shall be a non-profit educational organization, and no part of its assets shall inure or accrue to the benefit of any officer, member, or individual.

 

ARTICLE IV – OFFICERS
The Officers of the SOCIETY shall consist of: President, 1st Vice-President, 2nd Vice-President, Secretary and Treasurer.

 

ARTICLE V – EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
There shall be an Executive Committee consisting of the elected Officers, the Immediate Past President of the SOCIETY, the Standing Committee Chairs.

 

ARTICLE VI – ELIGIBILITY
Any person or institution is eligible for membership, subject to the conditions set forth in the Bylaws.

 

ARTICLE VII – BYLAWS
The SOCIETY shall, by the enactment of suitable Bylaws provide for the election of officers, the length of terms, the election of members, the place and conduct of meetings, the amount of dues, and such other matters as may be necessary. The Bylaws shall contain nothing inconsistent with the Constitution.

 

ARTICLE VIII – AMENDMENTS
A proposal to amend the Constitution may be made by either:

A. A resolution proposed by the Executive Committee, or

B. A petition to the Secretary signed by not less than thirty (30) members in good standing.

Such proposals shall be sent to all members, using normally accepted means of communication, and in time to support presentation of the proposal at the Annual Meeting. A two-thirds majority of all votes cast shall be required for adoption of a proposed amendment, which shall become effective immediately, if so adopted.

Membership Approved – November 17, 2018

 

ARTICLE I – OFFICERS

 

Section 1 – Duties

The duties of the Officers of the SOCIETY shall be those listed herein. The Officers shall also perform other duties assigned to them by a majority vote of the members of the SOCIETY. Officers and Committee members must be current dues paying members of the SOCIETY.

 

President

The President shall lead the SOCIETY toward achieving common objectives established with the Executive Committee for the year. The President shall: (a) Develop all meeting agendas and preside effectively at Executive Committee and General Member Meetings, (b) Call and preside over special meetings of the Executive Committee, (c) Supervise and coordinate all SOCIETY activities, (d) Assure the holding of the Annual Meeting, as called for in these Bylaws and (e ) Appoint a Special Committee to perform an Annual Audit of the Treasurer’s records. The results of the Audit will be shared with the membership.

 

First Vice President, Programs

The First Vice President responsibilities shall be to: (a) Act on behalf of the President in his/her absence. (b) Schedule, and arrange a location for monthly Executive Committee and General Member Meetings for a given calendar year by meeting with any location management to acquire monthly meeting dates. When possible, the General Member Meetings will be scheduled for the second Saturday of each month at 1:00 p.m. (c) Program events need not be limited to one event per month, but can include visitations to other genealogical groups and/or libraries. (d) Schedule, arrange and execute programs for monthly General Membership Meetings which include the suggestions, interests and talents of the membership. Every effort should be made to schedule Programs ninety (90) days in advance of their scheduled date. (e) Strive for high acceptance and attendance for each presentation. (f) Emphasize program content which includes genealogical tools and techniques. (g) Maintain an ongoing inventory of all property and make a proper accounting thereof as defined in ARTICLE VIII Section 1 of these Bylaws.

 

Second Vice President, Membership

2nd Vice President responsibilities shall be to: (a) Act on behalf of the President and 1st Vice President in their absence. (b) Maintain a SOCIETY roster of paid members and publish an annual Member Directory. (c) Maintain membership application information including: research software used (if any); Surname(s) searched, with supporting geographical areas of research and dates for each surname. (d) Maintain records, in conjunction with the Treasurer, of dues payment. (e) Generate opportunities and ideas for recruitment of new members.

 

Treasurer

The Treasurer has these duties to fulfill: (a) Maintain a constant and accurate record of all SOCIETY financial transactions. (b) Organize all accounting and budgeting procedures for the coming year. (c) Provide records in support of the Annual Audit. (d) Assist the President as needed.

Operating policies should include: (1) To never retain cash in excess of $50.00. (2) Be certain the SOCIETY bank account is in proper order. (3) Deposit all funds immediately. (4) Always give a receipt upon receiving payments to the treasury. (5) Keep the President, and all others concerned, informed of the SOCIETY’s financial position. (6) Collect dues and other money from projects, gifts, etc. (7) Prepare an annual operating budget to present to the Executive Committee for approval and to the SOCIETY.

 

Secretary

The Secretary’s responsibilities shall be to (a) Maintain all SOCIETY records. (b) Record and keep minutes of all General Member and Executive Committee Meetings and provide copies to the Executive Committee. (c) Maintain all SOCIETY correspondence. (d) Maintain copies of the SOCIETY governance documents, including the Constitution, Bylaws, and Policy and procedures Manual. (e) Assist the President as needed.

 

Section 2 – Compensation

Neither an Officer of the SOCIETY nor a member of any Standing Committee or Special Committee shall receive any compensation for services.

 

Section 3 – Expenditures

All expenditures, such as postage, office supplies, etc. shall be presented to the Executive Committee for approval, unless previously approved in the annual budget for immediate payment by the Treasurer. Any non-budgeted expense exceeding $50 must be approved by the Executive Committee. The Treasurer shall include those expenditures in the monthly report.

 

Section 4 – Reports

A report may be made by the President, the Vice-President(s), the Secretary and the Treasurer at each General Member Meeting, as appropriate.

 

Section 5 – Terms of Office

The terms of office of the President, Vice-Presidents, Secretary, and Treasurer, shall be two years or until their respective successors are elected.

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ARTICLE II – ELECTIONS

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Section 1 – General Member Meeting

The election of Officers shall always be held in connection with the required Annual Meeting (October or November) of the SOCIETY. The term of office shall be two calendar years, beginning in January of the following year.

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Section 2 – Voting

Hard copy ballots will be available at the Annual meeting or may be obtained in advance from a member of the Nominating Committee. If SOCIETY members are unable to attend and cast their vote at the designated Annual Meeting, ballots will be made available on the St. Augustine Genealogical Society website (https://sagssupport.org). Ballots may also be downloaded, mailed, emailed or given to a member of the Nominating Committee in a sealed envelope no later than 72 hours prior to the election date. Special elections, when necessary, will be conducted in the same manner.

Issues presented at the General Member Meeting require a simple majority of attending members in good standing for approval.

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Section 3 – Vacancy

When a vacancy occurs in one of the Offices, the Executive Committee may appoint a member to fill such vacancy until the next Annual Meeting when elections are held.

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ARTICLE III – EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

 

Section 1 – Duties

The Executive Committee shall be responsible for the day-to-day operations of the SOCIETY and shall act on behalf of the members in all matters. The Executive Committee shall enforce the Constitution and Bylaws by declaring null and void any practices or procedures not in accordance with the Constitution and Bylaws.

 

Section 2 – Meetings

Executive Committee meetings should be held monthly, in advance of the General Membership Meetings, for the purpose of conducting SOCIETY business. However, the Executive Committee shall meet at any other such times and places as may be necessary for the fulfillment of its duties. A meeting of the Executive Committee may be called by the President or by any two members of the Executive Committee. The reporting of actions of the Executive Committee shall be offered to the membership.

 

Section 3 – Voting

The Executive Committee may meet and vote in person or by a mutually agreed upon method of communication, however voting will require that a quorum be present. A quorum of the Executive Committee shall be a simple majority of its members. For example, with five (5) officers and four (4) filled Committee Chairs, a quorum would be five (5) out of the nine (9). Approval for any issue requires a simple majority. Without a quorum, the Executive Committee can meet to discuss issues but may not vote.

 

Section 4 – Immediate Past President

The Immediate Past President’s responsibilities shall include serving as a non-voting member of the Executive Committee and as advisor to the President. However, the Immediate Past President will be a voting member to break a tie and/or to meet the quorum requirement.

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ARTICLE IV – COMMITTEES

 

Section 1 – Standing Committees

The nature of the Standing Committees and their duties shall be flexible so as to reflect the current and future needs of the SOCIETY. As a result, the creation of each Standing Committee shall be made by the President in concert with the Executive Committee and listed in the Policy and Procedure Manual along with their respective duties.

The Chair of each Standing Committee shall be appointed by the President within four weeks after the close of each Annual Meeting. The term shall be two years or until successors are appointed, and an indefinite number of reappointments is permissible. The Chair of each committee will choose the committee members and the President shall be an ex-officio member of each committee. A Standing Committee Chair failing to perform their assigned duties may be dismissed by the Executive Committee and a new Chair appointed.

 

Section 2 – Special Committees

Special Committees may be created at any time and shall consist of one or more members appointed by the President and/or the Executive Committee. By example, an Audit Committee and a Nominating Committee are considered Special Committees due to their short-term requirements. Special Committee Chairs shall be non-voting appointees, and do not affect any quorum determination of the Executive Committee. Any Special Committee shall automatically be dissolved upon completion of the special duties for which it was formed.

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ARTICLE V – MEMBERS

Eligibility for membership shall consist of a personal interest in preserving and perpetuating the records of our ancestors and locating and preserving public and private genealogical records.

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Section 1 – Application

An applicant shall request membership by completing and submitting an application for approval by the Membership Committee.

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Section 2 – Classes of Membership

There shall be five (5) classes of membership defined as follows:

(1) Single Annual

(2) Household Annual: Includes all persons residing permanently in the same household. Each adult member shall be entitled to one vote, to a maximum of two (2) per household membership. Each Household membership is entitled to one (1) set of publications.

(3) Single Lifetime

(4) Household Lifetime: Includes all persons residing permanently in the same household. Each adult member shall be entitled to one vote, to a maximum of two (2) per household membership. Each household membership is entitled to one (1) set of publications.

(5) Institutional: Ineligible to vote, as these are primarily publications subscription members.

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Section 3 – Dues

(1) The annual dues for the ensuing fiscal year shall be established at each Annual Meeting and announced to the membership immediately following the Annual Meeting.

(2) Annual dues for each year shall be due and payable at the beginning of each calendar year.

(3) If dues are not received by January 31st, a reminder notice shall be provided to the member by the Membership Chair. If a member’s dues remain unpaid on March 31st, Executive Committee action may ensue. A member joining the SOCIETY in the months of October, November, or December is a member for the next calendar year (or a total of up to 15 months).

(4) Lifetime dues may be adjusted by action of the Executive Committee and announced to the membership immediately following the Annual Meeting.

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Section 4 – Resignation

Resignation of membership shall be made known to the Membership Chairman in writing, and there shall be no remission of dues.

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Section 5 - Honors

The SOCIETY may honor, by presentation of suitable certificates, individuals or organizations that have rendered outstanding service to the SOCIETY. Such honor shall be expressed only by a resolution of the Executive Committee.

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ARTICLE VI – GENERAL MEMBERSHIP MEETINGS

 

Section 1 – Monthly Membership Meetings

General Membership Meetings shall be held at a time, place and in a format determined by the Program Committee and coordinated with the President. Program Committee proposals will be subject to approval by the Executive Committee.

 

Section 2 – Annual Meeting

(1) In a non-election year the Annual Meeting shall be held in October or November at a time and place determined by the Program Committee.

(2) In an election year the Annual Meeting shall be held in November at a time and place determined by the Program Committee.

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ARTICLE VII – PUBLICATIONS

 

Section 1 – Official Publication

The official publication of the SOCIETY shall be called THE ANCIENT CITY BULLETIN. Material incorporated in the SOCIETY’S official publication shall be related to the subject of genealogy and history related thereto. Statements of opinion or fact made by authors of papers or articles are to be accepted as the author’s own. The SOCIETY accepts no responsibility for the accuracy or correctness of any statement of the contributors.

 

Section 2 - Additional Publications

Occasional publications such as a Membership Directory, Newsletter, or other material of interest to the members of the SOCIETY, may be published at the direction of the Executive Committee.

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Section 3 – Copyright

SOCIETY Publications, such as THE ANCIENT CITY BULLETIN, Member Guides and other publications are licensed using the Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License. Ownership of articles submitted by members remains with the author. Authors who prefer a different Creative Commons license for their submission will include their licensing option at the end of their submitted article. Learn more about Creative Commons and your licensing options at creativecommons.org/share-your-work/.

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ARTICLE VIII – PROPERTY

 

Section 1 – Property

An ongoing inventory of all property – real, personal or mixed, tangible or intangible – donated to, purchased by or offered to the SOCIETY as a loan or gift, shall be maintained by the 1st Vice President. Bi-annually, and prior to the transition of responsibility to a new Executive Committee, the 1st Vice President shall make a proper accounting thereof. If at any time the value of the property warrants, and it is so directed by the members, the 1st Vice President may be required to furnish a suitable bond, such bond to be paid by the SOCIETY.

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Section 2 – Books and Publications

Genealogical books, periodicals, and publications offered to the SOCIETY, instead, shall be donated to the St. Johns County South East Branch Library.

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Section 3 – Ownership

No part of the net income or assets of the SOCIETY shall inure to the benefit of any private member or individual. Any property of which the SOCIETY shall be or become the owner shall, for purpose of enjoyment thereof, be considered to be equally the property of all the members except that no member may remove or sell his share under any circumstances.

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Section 4 - Dissolution

In the event of dissolution of the SOCIETY, the funds and property then owned by it, shall be distributed as a gift to such non-profit libraries, and/or other non-profit educational organization, institutions and foundations whose aims and purposes are similar or allied to those of the SOCIETY, as determined by the Executive Committee.

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ARTICLE IX – FISCAL YEAR

The fiscal year of the SOCIETY shall start on January 1st and end on December 31st of each calendar year.

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ARTICLE X – AMEMDMENTS

These Bylaws may be amended at any time by the procedure for amending the Constitution as set forth in ARTICLE VIII thereof. These Bylaws may be amended by a two-thirds majority of the votes cast, providing that notification of the proposed amendment shall have been sent to the members at least three weeks in advance of the meeting.

Bylaws

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