CONSTITUTION AND BYLAWS
OF THE
LT. NATHAN GANN CHAPTER
OF THE
TEXAS SOCIETY, SONS OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION
CONSTITUTION
Amended 11/19/2009
ARTICLE
I
(NAME)
The name of the Chapter shall be “The Lt. Nathan Gann Chapter,
Texas Society, of the National Society Sons of the American Revolution,” a
Society incorporated by a special act of the Congress of the United States in
1906 and amended in 1925 and 1962.
ARTICLE
II
(OBJECT)
“The objects of this society are declared to be patriotic,
and educational, and shall include those intended or designed to perpetuate the
memory of those patriots who, by their sacrifices during the American
Revolution, achieved the independence of the American people; to unite and
promote fellowship among all descendants; to inspire them and the
community-at-large with a more profound reverence for the principals 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 land marks; to mark the scenes of the Revolution by appropriate memorials;
to celebrate the anniversaries of the prominent events of the war and the
Revolutionary period; to foster true patriotism; to maintain and extend the
institution of American freedom, and 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, 1st
Vice President, 2nd Vice
President, Secretary, and Treasurer.
These officers shall be elected by a majority vote of members present at
its annual meeting. The President may
also appoint a Chaplain, Registrar, Historian, Genealogist and a
Sergeant-at-Arms.
ARTICLE
IV
(MEMBERSHIP)
Any male shall be eligible for membership in the Society who,
being of the age of eighteen years or over, and a citizen of good repute in the
community, is the lineal descendent of an ancestor who was at all times
unfailing in loyalty to, and rendered active service in the cause of American
independence, either as an officer, soldier, seaman, marine, militiaman, or
minuteman, in the armed forces of the Continental Congress, or of any of the
several Colonies of States; or as a member of any continental, Provincial, or
Colonial Congress or Legislature, or as a recognized patriot who performed
actual service of overt acts of resistance to the authority of Great Britain;
provided, however, that no persons advocating the overthrow of the Government
of the United States by use of force or violence shall be eligible for membership
in the Society.
ARTICLE
V
(MEETINGS)
SECTION 1. The chapter shall hold its annual meeting on
the fourth Thursday of January each
year. The Chapter will meet on the fourth Thursday of the following
months: January, March, May, July, September and the 3rd Thursday in November.
SECTION 2. Special meetings of the Chapter may be called
by the President, Executive Board, or at the request of five (5) members. Notice of the special meeting shall be mailed
or emailed to each member at his last recorded address at least fifteen (15)
days in advance and shall contain information as to the subject or subjects to
be considered.
ARTICLE
VI
(AMENDMENTS)
SECTION 1. This Constitution and bylaws shall become
effective immediately upon adoption by a majority vote of the members present
at the meeting when presented.
SECTION 2. This Constitution and bylaws may be amended
at any meeting of the chapter by a two-thirds vote of the members present,
provided that the notice of such intended alteration or amendment shall be
published at least thirty (30) days preceding the meeting and at least 5 members are in attendance.
BYLAWS
ARTICLE
I
(STATUS)
SECTION 1. The Chapter shall be a nonprofit
organization, operated exclusively for the purposes specified in Article II of
the Constitution. The IRS Designation is
501c3.
SECTION 2. Officers, and appointed officials, shall not
receive any stated compensation for their services, but the Executive Board may
authorize reimbursement of expenses incurred in the performance of their
duties.
SECTION 3. Nothing, herein, shall constitute members of
the Chapter as partners for any purpose.
No member, officer, or agent of the Chapter shall be liable for the acts
or failure to act on the part of any other member, officer, or agent. Nor shall any member, officer, or agent be
liable for his acts or failures to act under these Bylaws, excepting only acts
or failures to act arising out of his willful misfeasance.
SECTION 4. The Chapter shall use its funds only to
accomplish the objects specified in Article II of the Constitution, and no part
of said funds shall inure or be distributed to members.
SECTION 5. In the event of dissolution of the Chapter,
and after the discharge of all its liabilities, the remaining assets shall
revert to the control of the Board of Managers of the Texas Society, Sons of
the American Revolution.
ARTICLE
II
(MEMBERSHIP
AND DUES)
SECTION 1. A male meeting the age and lineal
requirements of Article IV of the Constitution, and whose application for
membership in the National Society, Sons of the American Revolution, has been
approved, is a member in good standing of the Texas Society of the Sons of the
American Revolution, shall be eligible for membership in this Chapter.
SECTION 2. Application
for membership shall be submitted to the Chapter President who will either
handle the application or turn it over to the chapter registrar/genealogist.. The responsible
officer will prepare the application on the authorized “water-marked” paper. Two copies of
the application, support documentation and a check will be submitted to the
District Registrar for approval. The
Applicant shall become a member after a favorable report is received from the
Registrar and the application is approved by the National Society.
SECTION 3. Upon receipt of the “Notice of Annual Dues,”
dues shall be payable to the State Society on or before the last day of
December of each year as provided for in the Bylaws of the Texas Society.
SECTION 4. Separate local Chapter dues, as determined by
the Executive Board, may only be levied after approval of a majority of members
present when the issue is proposed.
ARTICLE
III
(ELECTION
OF OFFICERS)
SECTION 1. All elective officers shall be elected every two years by the membership at the
annual meeting. Officers will be
installed at the January meeting and shall serve for a two year term or until a successor shall have been elected.
SECTION 2.
The President may be re-elected to serve a second two year term. He shall not
serve more than four years, but may
be re-elected to serve another term after being out of office for at least one
term. Other elected officers may be
re-elected indefinitely.
SECTION 3. A vacancy in the office of the President
shall be filled automatically by the 1st
Vice President. Vacancies of other
offices or of the Standing Committee Chairmen shall be filled by appointment by the President with the concurrence of
the Executive Board.
ARTICLE
IV
(DUTIES
OF OFFICERS)
PRESIDENT
SECTION 1. The President, or
in his absence the next ranking officer present, shall preside at all meetings
of the Chapter. The President shall
appoint all standing committee Chairmen and perform such other duties as
insuring the continuity within the chapter, and also insure the chapter follows
the Mission Statement of the NSSAR, which is to spread patriotism within the
community.
1st VICE PRESIDENT
SECTION 2. The 1st
Vice President shall be Chairman of the Program Committee and be responsible
for arrangements for all programs given at regular meetings of the
Chapter. He shall also serve on the
Membership Committee. The 1st
Vice President will fill in for the President in the laters
absence.
2nd VICE PRESIDENT
SECTION
3. The 2nd Vice President shall be responsible for the
Awards Program and shall insure that the chapter recognizes those in the
community who have stood above their peers in their respective profession; Law
Enforcement, Fire Safety, JROTC, Eagle Scout, Good Citizenship, Heroism,
Emergency Medical Services, Rumbaugh Oration Contest,
Poster Contest, Flag Certificates and any other awards that the chapter may
make. The 2nd Vice President
can appoint members as Chairman of various committees. Additionally, the 2nd Vice
President shall serve on the Membership Committee. If the position of 2nd Vice
President cannot be filled, the 1st VP will fulfill the duties of
both the 1st and 2nd Vice Presidents.
TREASURER
SECTION 4.
The Treasurer shall maintain a record of all sums of money received and
expended by the Chapter and shall make such disbursements as are authorized by
the chapter or the Executive Board. He shall deposit all sums received in a
financial institution approved by the Executive Board. The Treasurer, Secretary and President shall sign the signature
card and be capable of depositing or withdrawing funds. (The President and Secretary shall not make any transactions unless the
Treasurer is incapacitated or not available.) The Treasurer shall make a financial report
at each meeting or when called upon by the President. The funds, books, and vouchers in his hands
shall at all times be subject to inspection and verification by the Executive
Board. Additionally, he shall also serve
as a member of the Membership Committee.
SECRETARY
SECTION 5. The secretary shall send out meeting notices for all meetings and shall record the
minutes of all general membership meetings as well as the minutes of the
Executive Board meetings. Minutes shall
be either mailed or emailed to all members, and posted on the web site within 7 days of the meeting. The Secretary shall also be responsible for
public relations.
REGISTRAR/GENEALOGIST
SECTION 6. The Registrar, upon
receipt of membership application from the applicant, shall verify the validity
of the blood line through the supporting primary documents, the completeness
and accuracy of the application form, and then transmit properly signed
application and all supporting documentation to the TXSSAR Registrar. He shall
record and maintain copies of all membership applications submitted. The
registrar shall maintain the membership roster of the chapter. He shall keep the state treasurer and state
secretary informed of all address changes, resignations, transfers, and of
chapter officer changes. He shall also
remind all members when time to pay their annual dues. Additionally he shall serve as a member of
the Membership Committee.
CHAPLAIN
SECTION 7. The Chaplain shall be responsible for the
spiritual welfare of the Chapter. His
duties shall include the provision of an opening prayer at each meeting, the
preparation and dispatch of all memorial resolutions and letters of condolence
on behalf of the chapter, and preside over the necrology service at each annual
meeting. If possible, he shall be a duly
ordained minister.
HISTORIAN
SECTION 8. The Historian shall maintain a record of the
activities of the Chapter and its members.
His duties shall include the maintenance of a Yearbook (Scrapbook)
containing photos, clippings, and other items of note for such activities for
presentation to the TXSSAR Convention, as well as maintenance of such archives
as the Chapter might require.
SERGEANT-AT-ARMS
SECTION 9. Sergeant-At-Arms is responsible for the
maintenance and placement of all flags at Chapter meetings and ceremonies.
ARTICLE
V
(STANDING
COMMITTEES)
SECTION 1. The following Standing Committees may be appointed by the President: Membership, Finance, Oration Contest, Eagle
Scout Program and Poster Contest.
SECTION 2. The Executive Board shall consist of the
President, 1st Vice
President, 2nd Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, and the
immediate Past President.
SECTION 3. The President shall appoint such committees
as shall be directed by the Executive Board or as he may deem necessary in the
operation of the chapter.
ARTICLE
VI
(NOMINATING
COMMITTEE)
SECTION 1. A Nominating Committee shall be appointed in
September, every second year. It shall consist of the immediate past
President and two (2) at-large members, all of whom have attended meetings
regularly during the Chapter year.
SECTION 2. The Nominating Committee shall report its
proposed slate of officers by publication in the Chapter Newsletter prior to
the meeting in November. Other
nominations will be accepted from the floor at the November meeting.
SECTION 3. Chapter Officers will be elected and installed
at the Annual Meeting in January.
ARTICLE
VII
(QUORUM)
A
quorum for the transaction of Chapter business shall consist of those members
present at a meeting.
ARTICLE
VIII
(FLAGS)
The American and the Sons of the American Revolution Flags
shall be displayed and honored at all meetings and ceremonies of the
Chapter. The Betsy Ross Flag may also be displayed on occasion and may be
substituted for either the American or SAR Flag.
This is to certify that these Bylaws were approved and
adopted at the _regular _meeting of
the Lt. Nathan Gann Chapter #28 of the Texas Society, NSSAR, in Lufkin, Texas
on
Sept. 18, 2008 and amended at the Nov. 19th, 2009
meeting.
Tom H. Gann, Secretary
Frederick L Preston,
President