CHAPTER BY-LAWS

 

Fincastle Resolutions Chapter, Sons of the American Revolution - 2014

 

 

Section 1 – MEMBERSHIP

 

Paragraph 1.  Admission to Membership.  Application for membership in the Fincastle Resolutions Chapter (the “Chapter”) shall be made in duplicate on the printed forms furnished by the National Society.

 

Paragraph 2.  Withdraw from Membership.  Anyone not indebted to the Chapter, to the Virginia Society or to the National Society may withdraw from membership.  Notice of such withdrawal shall be in writing and shall be addressed to the Chapter’s Secretary for transmittal to the Secretary of the Virginia Society.

 

Paragraph 3.  Transfer of Membership.   A member in good standing, may upon written application to the Chapter’s Secretary, be recommended to the Secretary of the Virginia Society for transfer to any other Chapter of the National Society.

 

 

Section 2 – FEES AND DUES

 

Paragraph 1. Admission Fees.  The application admission fees, if any, to the National Society, the Virginia Society and the Chapter shall be payable at the time of application for membership, along with one year’s annual dues to each if such dues are required.  This money will be returned to the applicant in the event that his application is not approved.

 

Token admission fees shall be required of:

 

a.  An applicant who is a male member of the Children of the American Revolution (the “CAR”) provided that his application of membership is made not more than one year after the applicant’s twenty-first birthday and is accompanied by a properly executed Transfer Card from the CAR.

 

b.  An applicant who is the son, grandson, or nephew of a member of the Sons of the American Revolution or of the Daughters of the American Revolution provided that at the time of making his application, the applicant shall not have attained his twenty-fifth birthday and that satisfactory evidence be provided both of the membership status of, and his relationship to, the relative upon whom he is basing claim for such consideration.

 

Paragraph 2.  Dues.  The annual dues shall be such as determined by the National and State Societies and by the Chapter.  Applicants applying for membership in the last quarter shall not be billed for Chapter dues during that calendar year.

 

Full active members, including Life and Associate members, are subject to the payment of Chapter dues.  However, Honorary and Youth Life members are not required to pay Chapter dues.

 

The Board of Managers may propose a change in the amount of Chapter dues by publishing the proposal in the Newsletter and presenting it to the Chapter at a regular Chapter meeting when the Chapter may offer amendments to the amount and agree, by a majority vote, to publish the proposal and the date of the meeting when the Chapter will ratify it.  At that meeting, a 3/5 majority will be required for passage.  The dues change shall be effective at the beginning of the following year.    

 

Paragraph 3.  Non-Payment of Dues.  A member in arrears in his payment of dues for two months will be contacted by the Chapter Treasurer by U.S. Mail to remind him of that fact and to request payment.  If the member’s dues are not paid within thirty days following the mailing of such notice, he will be suspended.

 

Any member who has been suspended for non-payment of dues may be reinstated, provided that he shall have made payment of all past dues (but in no event more than one year’s past dues) and all fees for the current year.

 

 

Paragraph 4.  Fiscal Year.  The fiscal year shall correspond with the calendar year, beginning on the first of January and annual Chapter dues shall be payable on or before that date.

 

 

Section 3  ELECTION OF OFFICERS

 

Each year the President shall appoint a Nominating Committee of at least three persons.  The Nominating Committee shall preferably be composed of previous Chapter Presidents and shall be chaired by a past Chapter President, preferably the immediate past Chapter President.

 

The Nominating Committee shall submit at the October meeting of the Chapter membership a slate of nominees for each of the offices set forth in Section 4 below.  Each nominee shall have previously indicated to the Nominating Committee his willingness to serve.  Nominations for any office to be filled may be made from the floor by any member at that meeting, and if seconded by another member, the person or persons so nominated shall be placed upon the ballot. 

 

Election of officers shall occur at the November meeting of the Chapter membership.  Election shall be by voice vote on the slate proposed by the Nominating Committee except that in the event that a nomination was made from the floor, then the vote for that particular office shall be by secret ballot.

 

In the event that no candidate receives a majority of votes cast for any office, then a run-off election shall be held between the two candidates receiving the highest number of votes.

 

Swearing in and installation of the newly elected officers shall occur at the Annual Meeting of the Chapter in January.  The immediate Past President of the Chapter may perform the swearing in unless a National or State Society officer shall be present at the meeting, in which case he will be asked to preside. 

 

 

Section 4 – DUTIES OF OFFICERS

 

Officers shall perform the duties normally pertaining to the offices to which they have been elected, and specifically:

 

The President shall be the executive head of the Chapter, shall preside at all meetings of the Chapter and of the Board of Managers and shall have the right to vote in case of a tie.  He shall exercise the usual functions of a presiding officer, shall (with the advice and consent of the Board of Managers) appoint the members of all standing and ad hoc committees except those otherwise constituted by affirmative action of the Chapter, along with the Secretary sign all contracts and obligations of the Chapter and shall be an ex officio member of all committees except the Nominating Committee.  He will be the Chapter’s representative on the Board of Managers of the Virginia Society Sons of the American Revolution.

 

The First Vice-President shall, in the absence of the President, perform all the functions of the President, except serving ex officio as a member of standing or ad hoc committees.  He shall be the President Elect.  The First Vice-President shall organize all meetings of the Chapter membership and invite any guests thereto. 

 

The Second Vice-President shall, in the absence of the President and First Vice-President, perform all the functions of the President, except serving ex officio as a member of standing or ad hoc committees.  The Second Vice-President shall administer all awards programs conducted by the Chapter including the awarding of any medals or certificates.  He shall maintain the inventory of all medals and certificates on hand.

 

The Secretary shall keep accurate Minutes of all the proceedings of the Chapter and of the Board of Managers and shall give notices to the officers and members of all votes, resolutions and proceedings of the Chapter affecting them or pertaining to the discharge of their duties.  He may handle most of the Chapter’s correspondence and shall maintain the Chapter’s records and files. The Secretary along with the President or First Vice-President shall sign all contracts and obligations of the Chapter. The Secretary shall prepare a current copy of the Constitution or By-Laws within two months of their amendment and shall prepare a list of all amendments to the Constitution and/or By-Laws. In the absence of the Secretary, his duties may be performed by the Treasurer

 

The Treasurer shall have charge of the membership records and biographical data pertaining to the Chapter and shall provide maximum practicable security for them against fire and other hazards.  He shall submit at each Annual Meeting a chronological list of Chapter members who may have died during that calendar year. The Treasurer shall also collect all fees, funds donated, and dues and shall have the care and custody of all funds of the Chapter.  He shall deposit them in a bank or savings institution lawfully doing business in the Commonwealth of Virginia to the credit of the Fincastle Resolutions Chapter, Virginia Society, Sons of American Revolution and he shall withdraw them only for the purposes of the Chapter and under the direction of the Board of Managers.  He shall keep an accurate account of receipts and disbursements.  He shall maintain records for receipts and disbursements of designated funds. At each Annual Meeting he shall submit a written report and his accounts shall be available for any audit.  He shall prepare an annual financial budget statement for the fiscal year beginning January 1st and ending December 31st . In the absence of the Treasurer, his duties may be performed by the Secretary.

 

The Chancellor shall be a member of the Virginia Bar, in good standing, and shall render his opinions on such questions of law or on questions involving the Constitution and By-Laws of the National Society, the Virginia Society or this Chapter which may be referred to him by any office of the Chapter or by the Board of Managers.

 

The Chaplain shall preferably be a regularly ordained clergyman or rabbi and shall perform, with respect to the Chapter, the religious functions that ordinarily pertain to the exercise of that profession or calling.  He shall have the responsibility for the Spiritual life of the Chapter.  He shall be responsible for offering invocations and benedictions at the opening and closing of meetings or other events at which time such prayers are offered.  He shall write letters of condolence to the families of deceased Compatriots.  In cooperation with the Registrar, he shall keep the State Secretary and the State Registrar advised of deaths in the Chapter.

 

The Historian shall prepare a record of all historical and commemorative activities of the Chapter and shall deposit them with the President for safe keeping.

 

The Registrar shall instruct applicants in the procedures for obtaining membership in the SAR, provide official Application Forms, assist the applicant as feasible in the preparation of the forms, review the applications for completeness and shall forward such applications to the Virginia Society and shall forward the applicants’ or members’ checks, if any, to the Chapter Treasurer for proper disposition.

 

Any elected officer will have the authority to select and appoint assistant officers to handle specific functions within his area of responsibility.  Such appointed officers will not be members of the Board of Managers nor will they have voting privileges.

 

Any person may hold one or more of the Chapter’s offices except that the offices of President, First Vice-President, Secretary and Treasurer must be held by different people. 

 

 

Section 5 – BOARD OF MANAGERS

 

The Board of Managers shall be composed of the Chapter’s elected officers.

 

The Board of Managers may fill any vacancy occurring within its own membership for the unexpired portion of the term of that member by reason of whose death, resignation or incapacity the vacancy arose.

 

A minimum of one half of the members of filled offices of the Board of Managers shall constitute a quorum for transaction of its business.

 

The Immediate Past President shall be an ex-officio member of the Board of Managers.  All other former Chapter Presidents in good standing will be ex officio members without vote of the Board of Managers.

 

 

Section 6 – AD HOC COMMITTEES

 

Ad Hoc Committees may be constituted by the Chapter or by the Board of  Managers, or may be named by the President, to perform such special functions as may from time to time be appropriate.

 

 

Section 7 – DEATHS OF MEMBERS

 

Upon the death of any member, the Chaplain should notify the Secretary of this occurrence and time and place of the funeral.  The Secretary will then notify the Chapter membership by electronic mail or other means so that as many of the members as possible will have the opportunity to attend the funeral.

 

 

Section 8 – MEETINGS

 

There will be an Annual Meeting for the installation of officers and members of the Board of Managers.  The Annual Meeting will be the first regular meeting of the calendar year.

 

Additional meetings will be held at such time and place as directed by the Board of Managers.  A schedule of regular meetings of the Chapter membership shall be provided to the membership at the first meeting. 

 

Special meetings of the membership may be called by a petition of at least ten members in good standing.  Special meetings of the Board of Managers may be called by the President or Secretary who will be obligated to make the necessary arrangements.

 

The call to special meetings of the Chapter membership shall be postmarked not later than midnight on the day seven days preceding the date of the meeting.  The notice may be contained in the Newsletter.  Notice of Special Meetings of the Board of Managers may be provided by any means of communication no less than forty-eight hours prior to the meeting.  The notice required by this paragraph may be waived by the members of the Board of Managers. 

 

The lesser of ten members and the number representing twenty percent of the then enrolled membership of the Chapter, shall constitute a quorum for the conduct of business in any Chapter meeting.

 

 

Section 9 – AMENDMENTS AND ADDITIONS

 

Amendments or additions to these By-Laws may be enacted at any meeting of the Chapter by a vote of the majority of the members present, provided that the text of the proposed amendments or additions shall have been sent to each member with the notice of the meeting at which action is to be taken and that such notice shall have been postmarked at least 15 days prior to the date of the meeting; equivalent notice by electronic means satisfies this requirement.

 

 

Section 10 – COMMITTEES

 

Standing Committees. - The  President shall have the discretion to establish such standing committees of the Board of Managers for the upcoming year as he shall determine shall best serve the membership and the purposes of the Chapter. The President shall appoint a Chairman of each such committee from the membership and such Chairman may, with the advice and consent of the Board of Managers, appoint such other members and non-members to committee.  Such committees may include, without limitation, any or all of the following traditional committees of the Chapter:

 

a.  Amenities – A  committee responsible for arranging hospital calls, sending messages of sympathy or condolences, organizing delegations to attend local SAR funerals, and other activities to serve members in need.

 

b.  American Heritage -  A   committee responsible for all matters relating to the programs related to American heritage which are promoted by the Chapter or the state and national affiliates such as the Revolutionary War Grave Registration, Revolutionary War Commemorations, the preservation of historic documents, and the support for the protection of historic sites.

 

c.  Audit -  A committee to perform an audit of the financial records of the Chapter and submit a report to the membership.   

 

d.  Awards – A committee responsible for all the functions associated with the Chapter’s awards programs.

 

e.  Communications – A  committee responsible for preparing and distributing the Chapter newsletter as well as maintaining the Chapter’s website and telephone communications system  and any other news to the commercial news media, the National and Virginia societies of the SAR and other appropriate outlets. 

 

f.  Constitution and By-Laws – A  committee responsible for initiating changes to the Constitution and By-Laws     which result from National or State Society action or those found necessary by the Board of Managers or the Membg. 

 

g. Finance  - A committee responsible for preparing and presenting anan annual budget and any other financial matter of the Chapter.

 

h.  Membership -  A  committee responsible for developing programs for continuing recruitment of prospective members, for retention of members, and for providing assistance to prospective candidates.

 

i.  Parliamentary – A  committee to advise the President and the other officers as to the proper governance of all meetings. 

 

j.  Program – A  committee responsible for developing programs for all general meetings of the Chapter. 

 

k.  Veterans Affairs  - A  committee responsible for the programs which are set forth in the U. S. Stark Awards program sponsored by the National Society. 

 

Section 11 – APPOINTED OFFICIALS

 

The President may appoint a Master at Arms and any other necessary officers as are approved by the Board of Managers.  These officers will be ex officio members of the Board of Managers but shall have no vote.