ARTICLE I · GENERAL BOARD OF
MANAGERS
ARTICLE II · EXECUTIVE
COMMITTEE
ARTICLE III · GENERAL OFFICERS
ARTICLE IV · FINANCES
ARTICLE V · COMMITTEES
ARTICLE VI · STATE OFFICERS
ARTICLE VII · INSIGNIA
ARTICLE VIII · MEMBERSHIP CERTIFICATES
ARTICLE IX · MEMBERS AT LARGE
ARTICLE X · AMENDMENTS
ARTICLE
I ·
GENERAL BOARD OF MANAGERS
SECTION 1 · COMPOSITION.
There shall be a Board of Managers which shall be composed of
the General Officers, the General Presidents Emeriti, and a
member of the Board of Managers from each State Societies.
SECTION 2 · SELECTION OF State Societies MEMBER. Each State Societies may designate its
member in such manner as it may determine.
SECTION 3 · POWERS. Between
meetings of the General Society, to which it shall regularly
report its transactions, the General Board of Managers may
exercise the powers of the General Society, except the power
to amend the Constitution.
SECTION 4 · MEETINGS.
Meetings of the General Board of Managers shall be held yearly
in the two years between regular meetings of the General
Society, the date and place of the meeting at all times to be
determined by the General President.
SECTION 5 · QUORUM. Members
of the General Board of Managers from or representing five
State Societies, of whom three are General Officers, shall
constitute a quorum for the transaction of business.
SECTION 6 · REPORTS. Reports
of activities required by these Bylaws to be rendered at each
regular meeting of the General Society by a General Officer or
a chairman of a committee shall be similarly rendered at
meetings of the General Board of Managers, such reports to
cover the fiscal year then ended.
SECTION 7 · ENTITLEMENT.
State Societies delinquent in the payment to the General
Treasurer of the annual per capita dues shall not be entitled
to have a member on the General Board of Managers.
SECTION 8 · REIMBURSEMENT OF
EXPENSES. There shall be no reimbursement of expenses
to members from funds of the General Society for attendance by
members at a meeting of the General Board of Managers.
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ARTICLE II · EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
SECTION 1 · COMPOSITION.
There shall be an Executive Committee which shall be composed
of the General President, the General Vice-Presidents, the General Secretary, the General
Treasurer, the General Registrar, and the General Solicitor.
SECTION 2 · POWERS. Between
meetings of the General Board of Managers, to which it shall
report its transactions, the Executive Committee may exercise
the powers of the General Board of Managers except the powers
to amend or repeal any action of the General Board of
Managers, to admit new State Societies, or to amend these
Bylaws.
SECTION 3 · MEETINGS. The
Executive Committee shall meet at the call of the General
President or at the request of any three of its members. The
General Secretary shall give notice at least two weeks in
advance of all meetings. The Executive Committee may meet in
person or by conference telephone call, or it may take action
without a meeting by the unanimous written action of all
members who compose it.
SECTION 4 · QUORUM. Seven
members of the Executive Committee shall constitute a quorum
for the transaction of business. An Assistant General Officer
shall substitute for his principal at any meeting if the
latter is unable to participate.
SECTION 5 · REIMBURSEMENT OF
EXPENSES. There shall be no reimbursement of expenses
to members from funds of the General Society for attendance by
members at a meeting of the Executive Committee.
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ARTICLE III · GENERAL OFFICERS
SECTION 1 · GENERAL
PRESIDENT. The General President shall:
a. Call and preside at all meetings of the
General Society, the General Board of Managers and the
Executive Committee.
b. Represent the Society at all public
functions and have the power to appoint another to represent
him
c. Seek in every way to promote the
interests and extend the usefulness of the
Society.
SECTION 2 · GENERAL PRESIDENT PRO
TEM. At any meeting of the General Society, the
General Board of Managers or the Executive Committee at which
the General President is unable to preside, a General
President Pro Tem shall be designated to preside, as
appropriate, by the delegates, the members of the General
Board of Managers or the members of the Executive Committee
present thereat.
SECTION 3 · GENERAL VICE
PRESIDENTS. The General Vice Presidents in their
respective regions shall:
a. Represent the General President, as
directed, at functions sponsored by the State Societies.
b. Coordinate and facilitate activities
between and among the State Societies and the General
Society to further the goals of each.
c. Upon the request of a State Societies, he
shall assist in membership development and educational
projects.
SECTION 4 · GENERAL
SECRETARY. The General Secretary shall:
a. Be responsible for the efficient
management of the headquarters office of the General
Society.
b. Conduct the correspondence of the
General Society.
c. Record the minutes of all meetings of
the General Society, the General Board of Managers and the
Executive Committee, appending therein all reports presented
at such meetings.
d. Publish a report triennially containing
an account of all meetings of the General Society.
e. Inform promptly the General Board of
Managers of all actions taken at a meeting of the Executive
Committee, and likewise the General Society of all actions
taken at a meeting of all actions taken at a meeting of the
General Board of Managers.
f. Notify the General Officers and
committee members of their election or appointment.
g. Advise the State Societies of all
resolutions adopted at meetings of the General Society which
require their action.
h. Publish such other matters as may be
deemed necessary or advisable to alert the State
Societies.
i. Maintain and furnish to the General
Officers all standard administrative supplies.
j. Maintain a cumulative record of rules
adopted by the General Society and the General Board of
Managers which shall be known as the Standing Rules of the
Society.
SECTION 5 · GENERAL
TREASURER. The General Treasurer shall:
a. Be responsible for the care of the
financial assets of the General Society.
b. Maintain an account of the same and
render a report thereon at each regular meeting of the
General Society.
c. Prepare special reports as may be
requested by the General President
d. Collect an annual per capita payment
from each of the State Societies.
e. Assure the accurate and timely
submission of tax returns.
SECTION 6 · GENERAL
REGISTRAR. The General Registrar shall:
a. Be responsible for the design of
application blanks for membership in the respective State
Societies, in such official form as may be prescribed from
time to time by the General Board of Managers or the
Executive Committee.
State Societies may provide their own
application blanks if they so prefer, provided they conform
with the official form and also have been submitted to and
approved by the General Registrar.
b. Assign a General Society number to each
properly completed application received from State Societies
covering the new members of their Societies, and maintain a
record of the member to whom the number is assigned.
c. Maintain on file a complete set of all
applications for membership in the Society, after they have
been acted upon and forwarded to him by the State
Societies.
d. Maintain on file a record of
applications alphabetically by member name a record
pertaining to these applications alphabetically by ancestor
name, and with respect to its membership furnish each State Societies copies of the same.
e. Render a report of the transactions of
his office at each regular meeting of the General
Society.
SECTION 7 · GENERAL
SOLICITOR. The General Solicitor shall:
a. Provide legal opinion in matters
affecting the General Society.
b. Have supervision over legal matters
pertaining to the General Society.
c. Render a report thereon at each regular
meeting of the General Society.
SECTION 8 · GENERAL
HISTORIAN. The General Historian shall:
a. Be responsible for the care and custody
of the archives and records, except the completed
applications for membership, of the General Society.
b. Maintain an inventory of books, files,
office equipment and relics of the General Society,
including their coverage by insurance and circumstances of
maintenance.
c. Prepare memorials for deceased General
Officers and present the same at the regular meeting of the
General Society following the death of the General
Officer.
d. Obtain yearly, from each State Societies,
information concerning its historical activities.
e. Render a report thereon at each regular
meeting of the General Society.
SECTION 9 · GENERAL SURGEON.
The General Surgeon shall:
a. Consult on such medical matters and
principles as the General and State Societies shall refer to
him.
b. Provide such emergency medical advice
and assistance as may be necessary at such places and times
as may be reasonably asked.
c. Render a report thereon at each regular
meeting of the General Society.
SECTION 10 · GENERAL
CHAPLAIN. The General Chaplain shall:
a. Perform customary chaplaincy services
and such other duties as ordinarily appertain to such
office.
b. Render a report thereon at each regular
meeting of the General Society.
SECTION 11 · GENERAL CAPTAIN OF THE
COLOR GUARD. The General Captain of the Color Guard
shall:
a. Be responsible for the care and custody
of the flags and standards of the General Society.
b. Assure their proper display on parade
and ceremonial occasions.
c. Act as commander of a color guard when
appropriate.
d. Render a report thereon at each regular
meeting of the General Society.
SECTION 12 · ASSISTANT GENERAL
OFFICERS. The Assistant General Officers shall
discharge the duties of the General Officer to whom they are
assistants in case of their absence, death or inability to act
or when especially authorized.
SECTION 13 · ASSISTANT GENERAL
SECRETARY. The Assistant Secretary shall, in addition
to the duties contained in Section 12:
a. Act as custodian of the insignia of the
Society.
b. Act as custodian of the membership
certificates of the Society.
c. Maintain and issue to the State
Societies, if requested, application blanks for membership
and other paraphernalia, at cost.
d. Render a report thereon at each regular
meeting of the General Society.
SECTION 14 · LIMITATION OF
LIABILITY. A General Society Officer shall not be
personally liable for monetary damages for any action taken,
or failure to take any action (which action was taken , or
omitted after January 1987), unless: (1) the officer has
breached or failed to perform the duties of his office,
including membership on any committee of the General Society,
under 15 Pa. C.S.A. Section 5712 (relating to standard of care
and justifiable reliance), and any amendments or successor
provisions thereto; and (2) the breach or failure to perform
constitutes self-dealing, willful misconduct, or recklessness.
The provisions of this paragraph shall not apply to (1) the
responsibility or liability of an officer pursuant to any
criminal statute; or (2) the liability of an officer for
payment of taxes pursuant to Federal, State or local law.
SECTION 15 ·
INDEMNIFICATION. The General Society shall have the
power to provide indemnification and to purchase insurance in
accordance with Pa. C.S.A. Sections 5741-5750 and any
amendments or successor provisions thereto.
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ARTICLE IV · FINANCES
SECTION 1 · FISCAL YEAR. The
fiscal year of the General Society shall end on June 30.
SECTION 2 · TRANSACTIONS.
Acting upon the advice of the Investment Committee, any two of
the General President, the General Treasurer and the Assistant
General Treasurer may jointly purchase, sell, transfer, convey
or acquire financial assets of the General Society at such
times as they deem such transactions to be advisable and in
the best interest of the General Society.
SECTION 3 · FUNDS
DEPOSITORY. The funds of the General Society shall be
deposited in such financial institutions, mutual funds or
prudent investment-grade securities as are jointly chosen by
the General Treasurer and the General President in accordance
with a duly adopted investment policy statement and shall be
in the name of the “General Society, Sons of the Revolution”,
which account(s) shall be drawn upon by the General Treasurer,
the Assistant General Treasurer or the General President for
expenditures of the General Society.
SECTION 4 · PERMANENT FUND.
There shall be a Permanent Fund to be derived from
contributions and from such other monies as may be from time
to time received by the General Society and which are directed
by the General Board of Managers to be credited to such fund,
the same to remain forever to the General Society, the income
only of which shall be expended.
The term “income”, as used above, shall be
defined to mean five percent of the market value of the
Permanent Fund calculated on an annual basis at the fiscal
year end of the General Society and applying a rolling average
of the three most recent year ends.
SECTION 5 · PER CAPITA DUES.
For each member, as defined by the first paragraph of Article
XI of the Constitution, per capita dues shall be established
at ten dollars. Commencing with the year after the regular
meeting of the General Society, the per capita dues shall be
increased by twelve percent rounded up or down to the nearest
fifty cents. The said increase shall be so fixed until the
year after the next regular meeting of the General Society at
which time the percentage increase shall be repeated.
Treasurer’s Note: The dues for
the next several years are as follows:
| For Years |
Dues |
| 2001, 2002, 2003 |
$10.00 |
| 2004, 2005, 2006 |
11.00 |
| 2007, 2008, 2009 |
12.50 |
| 2010, 2011, 2012 |
14.00 |
| 2013, 2014, 2015 |
15.50 |
| 2016, 2017, 2018 |
17.50 |
| 2019, 2020, 2021 |
19.50 |
| 2022, 2023, 2024 |
22.00 |
Per capita dues shall be paid on or before
the first day of April in each year for the ensuing year by
the State Societies of which he is a member.
The total amount of per capita dues shall be
determined by the number of members enrolled on the first day
of January of each year, which number shall also determine the
number of delegates at the meetings of the General Society as
stipulated by Article VII of the Constitution.
Per capita dues shall be used to defray the
expenses of the General Society including the cost of issuance
and distribution to the membership of a national publication
(Drumbeat or successor titles) and to secure
representation at the meeting of the General Society or of the
General Board of Managers. If, however, per capita arrearage
is paid by or on the date of such meeting, the qualified
representation assembled may by majority vote and without
notice given in advance admit representation from State
Societies making such delayed payments.
SECTION 6 - REGISTRATION
FEE. Upon approval of an applicant’s application by
the State Societies and simultaneous with the transmittal of
said application to the General Society for assignment of
General Society number or submission of an applicant's approved supplemental application, the State Societies
shall remit the registration fee in a sum sufficient to
defray the cost of The General Society associated with the registration as determined by the
Treasurer of The General Society in consultation with
President of The General Society, which sum shall not exceed
Twenty Five Dollars ($25.00).
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ARTICLE V · COMMITTEES
SECTION 1 · GENERAL. Other
than the Nominating Committee and the ex-officio members of
the Executive Committee, the General President shall appoint
an Auditing Committee, an Investment Committee, a Publications
Committee and a Resolutions Committee and may appoint such
other committees as he deems suitable.
SECTION 2 · AUDITING
COMMITTEE. An Auditing Committee shall be appointed
to review the financial accounts of the General Society and
certify to their condition.
It shall be composed of three or more
members, none of whom shall be the General Treasurer or the
Assistant General Treasurer. The committee shall present its
report at each regular meeting of the General Society.
SECTION 3 ·
INVESTMENT COMMITTEE. An Investment Committee
shall be appointed to oversee the financial assets of the
General Society. It shall be composed of three or more
members, two of whom may be the General Treasurer and the
Assistant General Treasurer. The committee shall present its
report at each regular meeting of the General Society.
SECTION 4 · PUBLICATION
COMMITTEE. A Publication Committee shall be appointed
to produce the national publication of the General Society to
be issued a minimum of four times per year, and to be mailed
by March 1, June 1, September 1, and December 1. The committee
shall be composed of three or more members, one of whom may be
the managing editor; the committee shall present its report at
each regular meeting of the General Society.
SECTION 5 · RESOLUTIONS
COMMITTEE. A Resolutions Committee shall be appointed
to receive suggestions and make recommendations on resolutions
related to the educational, historical and patriotic purposes
of the Society to be considered at a regular meeting of the
General Society. Becoming statements of policy of the Society,
such resolutions shall be non-partisan, non-political and not
used with substantial funds of the Society to influence
legislation and shall be submitted sixty days prior to such
meeting by a State Societies or over the signature of five
members of the Society. The committee shall be comprised of
three or more members, one of whom shall be the General
Solicitor. The committee shall present its report at each
regular meeting of the General Society.
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ARTICLE VI · STATE OFFICERS
SECTION 1 · STATE
SECRETARIES. The State Secretaries shall:
a. Report to the General Secretary
immediately after the annual meetings of their Societies,
giving a record of their transactions, information
concerning any changes in their officers and all the
activities of their Society, the social functions and their
action upon the resolutions submitted to them from the
General Society.
b. Forward all applications from their
members for insignia or membership certificates to the
Assistant General Secretary after having verified the fact
of membership in good standing and endorsed the
application.
c. Furnish the General Historian with
information upon his request.
SECTION 2 · STATE
TREASURERS. The State Treasurers shall remit to the
General Treasurer the per capita dues owing from their State Societies in timely fashion to meet the due date required by
these Bylaws.
SECTION 3 · STATE
REGISTRARS. The State Registrar shall:
a. Report to the General Registrar at
stated intervals, but at least yearly immediately after
their annual meetings, sending him all duplicate copies of
approved applications for membership in the Society.
b. Preserve and securely maintain on file
all original applications with the proofs of eligibility
attached hereto. These forms may be bound if deemed
advisable.
c. Maintain a card catalogue or similar
record of these applications, which cards shall contain
abstracts thereof.
d. Record each General Society number
assigned on the appropriate application and advise the
member of the number.
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ARTICLE VII · INSIGNIA
SECTION 1 · AVAILABILITY.
The insignia of the Society may be obtained from the Assistant
General Secretary, under proper rules as may be formulated by
the General Society, upon the request of any member of the
State Societies made through their Secretaries, together with
payment covering the cost of the insignia desired.
SECTION 2 · SUPPLEMENTAL
STAR. Members who have filed one but less than five
approved supplemental applications may so indicate by affixing
a small gold star in the middle of the ribbon of the insignia,
provided the duplicate supplemental applications have been
filed with the General Registrar. A small silver star may be
substituted for the gold star when a member has filed five or
more approved supplemental applications. The stars may be
obtained from the Assistant General Secretary upon request,
made through the State Secretary, together with payment
covering the cost.
SECTION 3 · ROSETTE. The
undress insignia shall be a rosette made of silk similar to
the ribbon of the insignia or a metal lapel button of the size
now in use.
On ordinary occasions members may wear the
rosette or metal lapel button in the upper buttonhole of the
left lapel of the coat. It shall never be worn at the same
time with any other insignia of the Society.
SECTION 4 · RECORDS. The
Assistant General Secretary shall keep a record of such issues
and of funds received, an account of which he shall render at
each regular meeting of the General Society.
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ARTICLE VIII · MEMBERSHIP CERTIFICATES
SECTION 1 · AVAILABILITY.
The Society shall have a certificate of membership of
dignified character which may be obtained from the Assistant
General Secretary, under proper rules as may be formulated by
the General Society, upon the request of any member of the
State Societies made through their Secretaries, provided a
duplicate membership application is on file with the General
Registrar, together with payment covering the cost.
SECTION 2 · AUTHENTICATION.
The certificate shall be signed by the General President, the
General Secretary and the President, the Secretary and the
Registrar of the respective State Societies.
SECTION 3 · RECORDS. The
Assistant General Secretary shall keep a record of such issues
and of funds received, an account of which he shall render at
each regular meeting of the General Society.
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ARTICLE IX · MEMBERS-AT-LARGE
SECTION 1 · ELIGIBILITY.
Eligibility for Member-at-Large shall be considered for
approval in circumstances where the applicant resides in a
State where there is no State Societies, the applicant cannot
share in the activities of a State Societies, or a State Societies
is unable to service its membership responsibility adequately
and the applicant would thereby be deprived of membership in
the Society of Sons of the Revolution.
SECTION 2 · APPLICATION. An
applicant shall be sponsored by two members of the Society of
the Sons of the Revolution who are personally acquainted with
him. A Member-at-Large shall be admitted upon approval by the
General President, the General Secretary and the General
Registrar, jointly. Applications may also be approved or
reconsidered by the General Society or by the General Board of
Managers. Upon approval, his application and proofs shall be
maintained by the General Secretary and the duplicate
application shall be filed with the General Registrar.
SECTION 3 · FEES AND DUES.
Dues for Members-at-Large shall be calculated as follows: if
an At-Large member lives within a state where there is a State Societies, then the amount of that State Societies’s dues shall be
charged by the General Society for that member-at-large. If
that member lives in a state without a Society, then those
dues will be fixed jointly by the General President and the
General Secretary. The application fee shall be fixed jointly
by the General President and the General Registrar.
SECTION 4 · TRANSFER. A
Member-at-Large may transfer to a State Societies if such
Society approves. His application and proof shall be forwarded
to the accepting State Societies by the General Society. The
receiving Society shall append evidence of local sponsorship
and approval and process the applications as prescribed
elsewhere herein except that the General Society number shall
remain unchanged.
SECTION 5 · ACCOUTERMENTS.
All accouterments obtainable from the General Society by
members of State Societies shall be available to a
Member-at-Large.
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ARTICLE X · AMENDMENTS
SECTION 1 · PROPOSAL. Any
amendment to the Bylaws shall be proposed by the General Board
of Managers or by a State Societies. It shall then be submitted
in writing to the General Secretary, with a copy to the
General President, at least seven months before the meeting of
the General Society or of the General Board of Managers at
which such amendment is to be considered, and the General
Secretary shall mail a copy of all proposed amendments to the
Bylaws to the Secretary of each State Societies at least six
months before such meeting.
SECTION 2 · ADOPTION. A
two-thirds vote of the delegates present and voting at a
meeting of the General Society or of the members of the
General Board of Managers present and voting at a meeting of
the General Board of Managers shall be required for the
adoption of any amendment to the Bylaws. |
