Every organization needs a written document which spells out its reason for being and the rules by which it operates. This document is called the constitution or bylaws of the organization. Name and objective of the organization Qualifications for membership and categories of membership Officers, their duties and method of election Meetings and activities Dues and financial controls Method of amending While these seem simple and straightforward, a few comments follow on each of the sections. Name and Objective Both the name and the objective should be simply stated and reflect the desires of the intended members. Objectives range from merely sharing common interests in astronomy to providing public education and outreach for an observatory or planetarium.
Some societies organize specifically to promote deep-sky or planetary or meteor observing.
You are encouraged to keep the purpose as general as possible. Certainly have an interest in your objectives as stated above. Some examples of membership categories are family, student, honorary, regular, or charter. It is not necessary to differentiate members, but some societies find it convenient to do so. It all depends on your intent.