[Need Advice] Wanting to start a new society (Help Please!)

[Cactusrequiem]

I am wanting to start a new society here in the Charleston, SC area. It would be called the "Home Fruit Growers Society".
Basically, I am wanting to get people together that grow their own fruit at home or want to learn. I am a Master Gardener and work in the nursery business so I know LOTS of people that can come in and do lectures on different topics. The possibilities are endless and I think this would be a great society! We would meet once a month.
My question(s):
Do I need any kind of legal paperwork?
Do I need to contact any authorities?
Can we just start meeting?
I assume I need to write a mission statement or bylaws?
This is LITERALLY just in the planning stages. I figure I will need to find a meeting place, pick date/time, etc. I have a couple of people already interested.
Anybody that has any suggestions will be greatly appreciated.
Darren

[BarefootGardener]

I'm not sure you need to form a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization--the benefits are that 1) the organization's earning, if any, have to be accounted for as being for the advancement of the organization and its projects but are otherwise not taxable; 2) if you buy and sell stuff you are not required to pay sales and excise taxes; and 3) people ho contribute to the organization can declare it to be a tax-free contribution, i.e. a tax deduction. You might consult a local attorney to be sure, but I'd say you may not need to go that far or at least not first off. But another thing to consider is that in the process of forming and chartering a 501(c)(3) organization you do a charter outlining specifically the goals of the organization, the limitations of the various roles in the organization so that 1 person or a small group of people can't take over the group to their on ends. Like for instance, term limits for officers helps there, and I'm sure there are other considerations. I've done this a couple of times and can't think of anything else that became an issue either of those times. You can generally find an attorney interested in your organization's goals and issues and will file the paperwork for you pro bono.

Good luck!

[Cactusrequiem]

So, is that if we charge dues and such?
What if we just wanted to have monthly meetings and have guest lecturers?
Sometimes my ideas and my brain power are at different ends of the stadium.
I just want to get folks together to teach and learn about fruit growing.
Kind of like my blog idea, I want to take the Master Gardener idea to another level.
Thanks Barefoot!

[BarefootGardener]

Charging dues are no problem as long as you keep good records and can document that the money from those dues have gone to noone's personal benefit. If you pay speakers' fees and taxes on any supplies you buy (like refreshments for meetings, etc.), don't buy wholesale (and not pay taxes), you should not have to be concerned about any of this. Any postage you use will be at regular rates.

Say, have you checked out the organization We the People. They help their clients do the pretty standard forms required by governmental agencies. It might be Worth it to just check them out.