BYLAWS of the 11th ACVVC
11th ARMORED CAVALRY’S VETERANS OF
VIETNAM AND CAMBODIA, INC.
With Amendments approved by the Board
of Directors and by a two-thirds (2/3)
vote of the members present and voting at the Annual Business Meetings.
ARTICLE I:
NAME
Section 1. The name of
this organization shall be “11th Armored Cavalry’s Veterans of Vietnam and Cambodia “, also known
as “11th
ACVVC”.
ARTICLE II: LOCATION
Section 1. Headquarters-
(a)
The headquarters of the 11th ACVVC shall be in the state of Texas.
(b)
The headquarters of the 11Th ACVVC may be redesignated to another location as required
if approved by a majority vote of the Officers.
ARTICLE
III:
STATUS
Section 1. The 11th ACVVC
shall be incorporated in the state of Texas as a nonprofit corporation for
public benefit, (Internal Revenue Service Code 501 (c) 19.)
Section 2. The 11th ACVVC shall be a
nonprofit, nonsectarian, nonpolitical, nondiscriminatory veterans service
organization.
ARTICLE IV: OBJECTIVES
Section 1. The objectives
of the 11th ACVVC are:
(a) To improve overall life of the men who
served with the 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment in the Vietnam War,
(b) To assist our membership whenever possible,
(c) To continue the camaraderie of the Regiment
through reunions, memorial services and communication.
ARTICLE V: MEMBERS
Section 1. Types of
Membership:
(a)
Active membership in the 11th ACVVC
is offered to any veteran who served with or was attached to the 11th Armored
Cavalry Regiment in the Republic of Vietnam and/or the Kingdom of
Cambodia. Dues-paid active members may
attend business meetings of the 11th ACVVC, submit proposals, make motions and
vote on any motion brought before the membership.
(b)
Honorary membership is extended to
the surviving spouse, children, siblings and parents of any person killed or
missing in action in Vietnam or Cambodia while serving with or attached to the
11th Armored Cavalry Regiment. Honorary
members will not be required to pay dues, and cannot vote or hold office.
Section 2. Dues.
(a) Dues will be $15[1]
annually or $100 for a Lifetime membership.
(b) Dues may be increased or decreased as needed
by a majority vote of the Officers
(c) No increase or decrease in dues will be
retroactive.
Section 3.
Membership Denial, Suspension and Termination.
(a) Members who
are delinquent in any financial transaction with the 11th ACVVC,
including but not limited to the passing of bad checks to the 11th
ACVVC are subject to Suspension or Termination of Membership:[2]
(a1) Any member
or immediate family member who submits payment to the 11th ACVVC via
check or other financial instrument not backed with sufficient funds shall have
his membership suspended and
attendance at 11th ACVVC functions precluded after two attempts by
the 11th ACVVC to collect such funds.[3]
(a2) Upon receipt of the full delinquent payment
and any outstanding bad check or related charges, the suspensions in Section
3(a1) shall be lifted.[4]
(a3) If the actions described in Section 3(a)
occurs a second time, the member’s membership will be terminated for life.[5]
(b) The Officers
and Directors of the 11th ACVVC can deny or terminate by majority
vote, an otherwise eligible trooper, membership in the 11th ACVVC. Examples for denial could be, but are not
limited to, known sexual offenders, indebtedness to the organization, persons
who have caused disturbances at events, or who have caused the 11th
ACVVC to “look bad” or to receive bad or negative press, etc.[6]
(b1) If the terminated member is a Life Member,
his membership fees will be prorated and returned to the person being refused
continued membership, and his card number will be reissued to a qualified
member-to-be. [7]
ARTICLE VI: OFFICERS
Section 1. Officers. The Officers of the 11th ACVVC
shall be a President, Vice-President, Secretary, Treasurer and three Directors.
Section 2. Duties_[8]
(a) President - The President shall be the chief
executive officer of the 11th ACVVC and shall, subject to the direction
of the Officers, supervise and control all of the business affairs of the 11th
ACVVC and shall see that all orders and resolutions are carried into effect. The President shall preside at all Officers
and business meetings. The President
shall be a member of all committees as may be needed. He shall render a condensed annual report to all officers. He shall obey all lawful orders of the 11th
ACVVC and be thoroughly familiar with the By-Laws and rules of parliamentary
law and procedure. He shall be the
Official representative of the 11th ACVVC at all functions he
attends and will at all times conduct himself in a manner befitting the high
office to which he has been elected.
(b) Vice President. In the Absence of the President the
Vice President shall perform the duties of and be subject to all restrictions
upon the President. In the event that
the President refuses or is unable to act the Vice President shall assume the
office of President Pro tem until the President is formally replaced as per the
By-Laws.
(c)
Secretary. The Secretary shall keep an accurate record of the minutes
of the annual Officers and business meetings and provide copies to the other
Officers for their approval within (30) days of the adjournment of these
meetings. He shall assemble an agenda
for both the Officers and business meetings and provide a copy of this agenda
to all Officers not less than thirty (30) days prior to the meetings. He shall read aloud the minutes of the
previous meetings at each successive meeting and present the preliminary ballot
of candidates at each election. He
shall take role call of Officers and mark the absentees at all Officers and
business meetings and record the name of the member who introduces a motion. In the absence of the President and Vice
President the Secretary shall take the Chair, call the meeting to order and
preside until the President and Vice President arrives or until a President Pro
tem is elected.
(d)
Treasurer. The Treasurer shall be responsible for all funds, securities
and properties of the 11th ACVVC and for the receipt and
disbursement thereof. He shall keep
full and accurate accounts of receipts and disbursements in books belonging to
the 11th ACVVC and shall deposit all moneys in the name and to the
credit of the 11th ACVVC in such insured depositories as designated
by the Officers. The Treasurer shall
disburse the funds of the 11th ACVV as needed or as ordered by a
majority vote of the Officers, taking proper vouchers for all
disbursements. Treasurer shall render
to the Officers and membership at the annual meeting a full financial report
based on the books and accounts as audited annually by a certified public
accountant or auditing committee. The
Treasurer will provide a quarterly financial statement to each Officer showing
all receipts and disbursements made to and from all accounts of the 11th
ACVVC. The Treasurer must be bonded for
an account not less than the total assets of the 11th ACVVC.
(e) Directors. The Directors are
expected to commit themselves to a specific area of interest within the 11th
ACVVC or as directed by the President.
(f) All Officers shall have the right to vote and to debate
questions the same as any other member.
(g) No Officer can be compelled to continue in office against
his will. Any Officer may resign his
office without the consent of the electing power or the other Officers.
(h) All Officers shall abide by the rules, By-Laws and
regulations of the 11th ACVVC and the lawful orders of the
assembly. All Officers shall perform
the duties of their office to the best of their knowledge and ability and will
conduct themselves at all times in a manner consistent with the high office to
which they have been elected.
ARTICLE
VII:
ELECTIONS
Section 1. Nominations
(a)
Nominations
for officers of the 11th ACVVC may be mailed to the Secretary who
will place them on a preliminary ballot.
(b)
Nominations
can also be made in person from the floor at the meeting.
(c)
Any
nominee not in attendance at the business meeting must have previously
submitted to the Secretary a letter of acceptance of nomination as candidate
for the office to which he is nominated.
Section 2. Elections
(a)
The President, Vice President, Treasurer and
Secretary shall be elected biennially at the annual meeting in odd numbered
years to serve a two year term starting on January 1 of the following year and
terminating at midnight, December 31 of the next year.
(b)
One
Director will be elected annually to a three-year term after the election
in 1995 of three Directors to one, two and three year terms.
(c)
Officers
shall be elected by a majority vote of the dues-paid members in attendance at
the business meeting.
Section 3. Successive terms
(a)
An
Officer may succeed himself no more than two consecutive terms,
with the exception of the incumbent Treasurer
and Secretary who may run for
re-election to those offices without
term limitation.
Section 4. Vacancies in Office
(a)
In the event of a vacancy in any office, or
inability or refusal to serve, the office shall be filled pro tem by a majority
vote of the remaining Officers.[9]
Section 5. Eligibility[10]
(a)
Candidates
for office must be dues-paid Life members.
ARTICLE
VIII: MEETINGS
Section 1. Annual Business meeting
(a)
There
will be a minimum of one business meeting annually open to the general membership
with time, date and location published in advance.
(b)
Attendance
and voting privileges at annual business meetings are restricted to dues-paid
members.
(c)
A
quorum at the annual business meeting will consist of eight or more members
other than elected Officers.
Section 2. Annual Officers meeting
(a)
There
will be a minimum of one meeting of the Officers annually with time, date and location
published in advance.
(b)
A
quorum at the annual Officers meeting will consist of five elected Officers.
(c)
Any
Officer failing to attend the annual Officers meeting without prior
notification of inability to attend will be immediately removed from office and
the office will be declared vacant.
(d)
The
annual Officers meeting will be held prior to the annual business meeting.
Section 3. 11th ACVVC Organized
Functions
(a)
11th
ACVVC Officers and Directors retain the right, by majority vote, to disapprove
any person from participating in any functions organized by, funded by, or
carrying the name 11th ACVVC, 11th Cavalry Vietnam
Veterans, or any other similar name referring to the 11th ACVVC.[11]
ARTICLE
IX: ORDER OF BUSINESS
Section 1. Officers Meetings
(a)
Invocation
(b)
Pledge
of Allegiance
(c)
Roll
Call of Officers
(d)
Reading
of Minutes
(e)
Treasurer’s
Report
(f)
President’s
Report
(g)
Committee
Reports
(h)
Old
Business
(i)
Unfinished
Business
(j)
New
Business
(k)
Good
of the Order
(l)
Review
of Action Points
(m)
Closing
Prayer
Section 2. Business Meetings
(a)
Invocation
(b)
Presentation
of Colors
(c)
Pledge
of Allegiance
(d)
Roll
Call of Officers
(e)
Reading
of Minutes*
(f)
Treasurer’s
Report
(g)
Committee
Reports
(h)
Old
Business
(i)
Unfinished
Business
(j)
New
Business
(k)
Elections
(l)
Reunion
Site Selection (when required)
(m)
Good
of the Order
(n)
Review
of Reunion Schedule
(o)
Closing
Prayer
*Reading of the previous year’s Business
Meeting minutes may be waived by general consent. Minutes of the Officers meeting must be read at the next business
meeting immediately following the Officers Meeting.
ARTICLE
X: COMMITTEES
Section 1. Standing Committees[12]
(a)
Membership – This committee shall receive and
approve applications from individuals wishing to become members of the 11th
ACVVC. This committee shall establish
procedures to validate an applicant’s eligibility.
(b)
Historical – This committee shall be responsible
for collecting historical information on the 11th Armored Cavalry
Regiment from the period of 1 January 1966 to 31 December 1972. This committee shall be responsible for the
validation of the authenticity and cataloguing of this information.
(c)
Reunion – This committee will plan and execute
all details of the reunion for which it is responsible. The President, Treasurer and Secretary will
be permanent members of this committee.
The committee Chairman should be from the city where the reunion will be
held and must be a dues-paid member of the 11th ACVVC.
(d)
Public Affairs – This committee will be responsible
for promoting and publishing the views and policies of the 11th
ACVVC to the public via written and verbal communication with the media.
(e)
Scholarship[13]
-- This committee
will develop, execute and monitor fund raising activities to support scholarships.
This committee will develop the scholarship application and selections process,
and insure that applications are available to eligible applicants. The
committee will also establish a cut off date for scholarship application, recruit
a scholarship evaluation committee, notify scholarship winners of selection, as
well as coordinate presentation of scholarships. The committee will also verify
enrollment of winners and coordinate with the Treasurer to insure that
scholarships are funded.
Section 2. Terms of Office
(a)
Members of standing committees shall serve
for a period of two years terminating with the end of the term of the President
who appointed them. Any committee
member may be reappointed to additional terms.
Any committee chairmen or member may be removed from any committee at
the recommendation of the President who appointed them or at the completion of
the project for which the committee was formed, whichever comes first.
Section 3. Special Committees
(a)
The
President may appoint special committees,
formed for specific purposes within a finite time frame. Chairmen and members of these committees
will serve until the end of the term of the President who appointed them or
until the completion of the project for which the committee was formed,
whichever comes first.
ARTICLE
XI: PARLIMENTARY AUTHORITY
Section 1. Operating rules
(a)
The
rules contained in “Robert’s Rules of Order” (newly revised) shall
govern in all cases to which they are applicable and which they are not
inconsistent with these By-Laws.
ARTICLE
XII: AMENDMENTS
Section 1. These By-Laws may be amended at any
annual business meeting by a two-thirds (2/3) vote of the members present and
voting, provided that the proposed amendment has been previously approved by a
majority vote of the Officers.
Section 2. Any proposed amendment must be
received in writing by the Secretary of the 11th ACVVC not later
than thirty days before the annual business meeting
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President Vice-President Treasurer
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