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REVISED 14 AUGUST 1988
REVISED 9 DECEMBER 1989
REVISED 29 JANUARY & 14 JUL 2001
REVISED 10 JANUARY 2004
CONSTITUTION AND BYLAWS
OF THE
DALLAS CHAPTER, TEXAS SOCIETY, SONS OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION
CONSTITUTION
Article I
Name
The name of this Chapter shall be "Dallas Chapter, Texas Society Sons of the American Revolution". The National Society of the Sons of the American Revolution is a corporation created by special act of the Congress of the United States in 1906 and amended in 1925 and 1961.
Article II
Objects (Verbatim from the NSSAR Constitution)
"The objects of this Society are declared to be patriotic, historical and educational, and shall include those intended or designed to perpetuate the memory of those patriots who, by their services or sacrifices during the war of the American Revolution, achieved the independence of the American people; to unite and promote fellowship among their descendants; to inspire them and the community-at-large with a more profound reverence for the principles of the government founded by our forefathers; to encourage historical research in relation to the American Revolution; to acquire and preserve the records of the individual services of the patriots of the war, as well as documents, relics and landmarks; to mark the scenes of the Revolution by appropriate memorials; to celebrate the anniversaries of the prominent events of the war and of the Revolutionary period; to foster true patriotism; to maintain and extend the institutions of American freedom and to carry out the purposes expressed in the preamble of the Constitution of our country and the injunctions of Washington in his farewell address to the American people."
Article III
Officers
The Officers of this Chapter shall be a President, First Vice-President, Second Vice-President, Secretary, Treasurer, Registrar, Chaplain and Historian, all of whom shall be elected by a majority vote of the members present and voting at the Annual meeting, and the Editor of the chapter bulletin and Sergeant-at-Arms, who shall be appointed by the President.
Article IV
Membership
Any man over the age of eighteen years whose application to membership in the National Society, Sons of the American Revolution has been approved and is a member in good standing of the Texas Society of the Sons of the American Revolution, shall be eligible to membership in this Chapter (see NSSAR Constitution for added detail on eligibility).
Article V
Meetings
Section 1. The Chapter shall hold its annual meeting on the second Saturday of December of each year. The Chapter shall meet monthly.
Section 2. Special meetings of the Chapter may be called at the request of five members or by a majority vote of the elected Chapter Officers.
Article VI
Amendments
Section 1. This Constitution and Bylaws shall become effective immediately upon their adoption by majority vote of the Chapter members present at a regular meeting.
Section 2. This Constitution and Bylaws may be amended at any monthly meeting of the Chapter by a two-thirds vote of the members present, provided that notice of such intended alteration or amendment be given at the next previous meeting and published in at least two Chapter bulletins preceding the meeting.
BYLAWS
Article I
Membership and Dues
Section 1. Application for membership must be made in writing to the Secretary on the form authorized by the NSSAR, and submitted in two typed copies with all needed documentation and a check in the proper amount for the initiation fee. The applicant shall become a member after favorable report by the Registrar of the Dallas Chapter to the Registrar of the Texas Society, and approval by the National Society.
Section 2. The annual dues shall be payable directly to the State Society on or before the last day of December of each year, with a portion remitted to the Local Chapter, as provided in the Bylaws of the Texas Society.
Section 3. "Notice of annual dues shall be given by the State Treasurer to each member on or before November 1st of each year; any member who fails to pay such dues on or before the last day of December each year shall be deemed to be delinquent, and unless such dues are paid on or before the first day of April of the next succeeding year, may again become an active member of this Society only by reinstatement." (Bylaws, Texas Society)
Article II
Duties of Officers
President
Section 1. The President or in his absence the next lower ranking Officer present, shall preside at all meetings of the Chapter. The President shall appoint all standing Committees and perform such other duties as pertain to his office, and shall serve as Chairman of the Finance Committee.
First Vice-President
Section 2. The First Vice-President shall be Chairman of the Program Committee and shall be responsible for arrangements for all programs at all regular meetings of the Chapter. In the absence or disability of the President, he shall preside at the meetings of the Chapter and its Committees. In addition, he shall monitor and assist the Chairman of the Eagle Scout Program Committee.
Second Vice-President
Section 3. The Second Vice-President shall be Chairman of the Awards Program and shall be responsible for the procurement and distribution of all medals and awards granted by the Chapter. He shall, in addition, provide a list of awards to the Historian for inclusion in the Chapter archives.
Secretary
Section 4. The Secretary shall record the minutes of all meetings of the Chapter, notify all members of their election, and handle all correspondence for the Chapter which would normally be signed by the President of the Chapter. In addition, he shall monitor and assist the Chairman of the Douglass G. High Oration Contest Committee, and shall serve as a member of the Membership Committee.
Treasurer
Section 5. The Treasurer shall have the custody of all funds of the Chapter and shall collect all sums due the Chapter and shall deposit them to the credit of the Chapter in a depository bank, selected by a majority vote of the Chapter Officers. No check shall ever be signed in blank, and all checks shall be signed by the Treasurer. For any item and amount included in an annual budget, which has been approved by a majority of the Officers, no concurrence need be sought. For major expenditures not so previously approved, the Treasurer shall before paying the amount seek approval at a regular meeting of the Officers. As a means of offering for review to the membership all expenditures, the Treasurer shall provide once each quarter, and post at the appropriate monthly meeting for review by the members present a written financial statement. The contents of the quarterly report shall also be published in the Chapter bulletin. The quarterly statement shall list the amount and goods or services purchased by each check during the quarter. The Treasurer shall also serve as a member of the Finance Committee.
Registrar
Section 6. The Registrar shall maintain the membership roster of the Dallas Chapter, their addresses, telephone numbers, dates of admission to the Chapter, resignation, transfer, or other termination of membership, and shall serve as Chairman of the Membership Committee. This Committee shall be concerned with all aspects of membership.
Chaplain
Section 7. The Chaplain shall be responsible for the spiritual welfare of the Chapter, and his duties shall include the provision of opening and closing prayers at each meeting, the preparation and dispatch of all memorial resolutions and letters of condolence (to include the offer for a grave marker) on behalf of the Chapter, and presiding over the necrology service at each annual meeting. He shall be a duly ordained minister, if available.
Historian
Section 8. The Historian shall maintain a record of the activities of the Chapter and its members, and his duties shall include the maintenance of a scrapbook containing the photos, clippings and other items of note for such activities for presentation to the State and National Society conventions, as well as the maintenance of such archives as the Chapter might require.
Editor, Chapter Bulletin
Section 9. The Editor of the Chapter bulletin shall prepare and type the monthly bulletin for each of the twelve months, giving notice of the time and place of all meetings of the Chapter.
Sergeant-at-Arms
Section 10. The Sergeant-at-Arms shall be responsible for the maintenance of order at all meetings of the Chapter, subject to the instructions of the President, for the maintenance and placement of all flags at meetings of the Chapter, and for the placement of all flags at ceremonies for which the Chapter colors are requested and approved.
Article IV
Standing Committees
Section 1. The following standing Committees shall be appointed by the President: Membership (Chairman-Registrar); Finance (Chairman-President); Program (Chairman-1st Vice-President); Awards Program (Chairman-2nd Vice-President); Douglass G. High Oration Contest (Monitor-Secretary); Eagle Scout Program (Monitor-1st Vice-President) and Public Relations.
Section 2. The President shall appoint such other special Committees as shall be directed by the Chapter or the Executive Committee or as he may deem necessary. The Executive Committee shall consist of the President, the First Vice-President, the Second Vice-President, the Secretary, the Treasurer, the Registrar, the Chaplain and the Historian.
Article V
Quorum
A quorum for the transaction of business shall consist of those members present at a regular or special meeting,
provided there are at least 20 members present.
Article VI
Nominating Committee
Section 1. A Nominating Committee shall be appointed in October of each year. It shall consist of at least three of the most recent Chapter Presidents, all of whom should have attended regularly during the past year and are, as a consequence, in a position to be familiar with chapter activities and membership, with the most recent serving as Chairman.
Section 2. The Nominating Committee shall report its nominations for Chapter Officers at the monthly meeting in November. Other nominations may be made by members from the floor at this November meeting, following the report of the Nominating Committee. All nominations shall be reported in the Chapter bulletin prior to the December meeting.
Section 3. Chapter Officers shall be elected at the annual Chapter meeting in December of each year.
Section 4. Chapter Officers as elected shall be formally installed with proper ceremony at the Chapter meeting in January of each year. (Their term of office will be January through December.)
Article VII
Minuteman Fund
The Minuteman Fund of this Chapter as presently constituted and currently operating under the
resolutions creating and establishing the same is hereby incorporated in and made part of the
bylaws of this Chapter, and in the same and identical language as that of its said adopting
resolutions which language reads as follows:
RESOLVED that the Dallas Chapter, Texas Society, Sons of the American Revolution does
hereby create and establish a fund to be known by the name "Minuteman Fund".
RESOLVED that the Dallas Chapter, Texas Society, Sons of the American Revolution adopt the
following terms and provisions to provide for the establishment of the Minuteman Fund and to
govern the Minuteman Fund.
Section 1. The Dallas Chapter, Texas Society, Sons of the American Revolution (the "Chapter") does hereby create and establish an agency of the Chapter to be known by the name "Minuteman Fund" (the "Fund"). The purpose and function of the Fund shall be to handle and manage the following assets of the Chapter:
Gifts received by the Chapter which are directed by the donor to the Fund; and
Assets which may be turned over to the Fund by the Chapter.
The assets of the Fund shall be maintained separate and apart from all other assets of the Chapter. The assets of the Fund shall not be used to pay operating or administrative expenses of the Chapter, other than operating cost and expenses for maintaining, investing and administering the Fund.
Section 2. The assets of the Fund shall be used within the greater Dallas-Fort Worth metropolitan area to promote and support American patriotism, education and heritage, and for the stated objectives of the National Society, Sons of the American Revolution.
Section 3. The Fund shall be administered by the Executive Committee (the "Committee") composed of the elected officers of the Chapter. The President shall serve as the Chairman and the First Vice-President shall serve as Vice-Chairman. The Secretary of the Chapter shall be the Secretary to the Committee and shall keep full and complete minutes of its proceedings. The Treasurer of the Chapter shall serve as the Treasurer of the Committee and shall furnish the quarterly reports described below and periodic financial information and reports at the Committee meetings.
Section 4. The Committee shall meet from time to time at the call of the Chairman. Five members of the Committee shall constitute a quorum. The decisions of the Committee shall require the concurrence of a majority of members present at a meeting at which a quorum is present.
Section 5. The Committee shall have authority to initiate and execute any project or any undertaking to further the stated purposes and objectives of the Fund. The Committee, in carrying out such projects and undertakings, shall from time to time as it deems proper, call upon the Fund to make available to it certain specified monies and assets which request shall be complied with by the Treasurer in the orderly administration of the assets of the Fund, limited, however, pursuant to Section 8 below.
Section 6. Expenditure of funds from any account(s) maintained by the Fund shall require authorization to the Treasurer by the Chairman or Vice-Chairman. Checks or other documents to implement the utilization of funds may thereafter be signed by the Treasurer or other authorized signatories expressly established by the Committee for that purpose.
Section 7. The members of the Committee shall receive no compensation for their services and shall receive no reimbursement for traveling or other expenses in attending meetings of the Committee.
Section 8. The Fund shall consist of "Principal Funds" and of "Available Funds". Principal Funds shall consist of gifts and assets delivered to the Fund pursuant to Section 1 above, and Available Funds are all funds derived in cash from earnings or recognition of gains on the investment of the Principal Funds from time to time. Expenditures from the fund shall be limited to Available Funds, and Principal Funds shall not be expended unless the Chapter shall authorize the expenditure of Principal Funds by a two-thirds vote of the members present at a regular monthly meeting, provided that notice of the expenditure has been given at the previous meeting or published in at least one Chapter bulletin preceding the meeting at which the vote is made.
Section 9. The Committee shall also manage and handle the assets of the Fund within the scope and latitude described in this Article. The assets of the Fund shall be administered in accord with this Article and in conformity with the stated purpose and objects of the Chapter and the policies promulgated for it by the Chapter, and at all times shall be subject to the ultimate control of the Chapter. Consistent therewith, the Committee shall proceed in investing, reinvesting, exchanging, retaining, selling, supervising and managing said assets for the benefit of the Chapter, and shall exercise the judgement and care under the circumstances then prevailing, which men of ordinary prudence, discretion and intelligence exercise in the management of their own affairs, not in regard to speculation but in regard to the permanent disposition of their funds, considering the probable safety of their capital. Within the limitation of the foregoing standards, the Committee is authorized to acquire and retain every kind of property, real, personal or mixed, and every kind of investment, specifically including, but not by way of limitation, bonds, debentures and other corporate obligations, and stocks, preferred or common, and interests in investment trusts and mutual funds, which men of ordinary prudence, discretion and intelligence acquire or retain for their own account.
Section 10. The Treasurer shall issue a report quarterly at the same time as he shall issue the Chapter quarterly Treasurer’s report. Such report shall be in reasonable detail, reflecting contributions to the Fund, the amount of Principal Funds, earnings and gains realized by the Fund and disbursements from the Fund. No independent audit of the Fund shall be required except upon specific request by the Chapter.
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