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Bylaws |
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VETERANS COUNTY SERVICE OFFICERS ASSOCIATION OF TEXAS |
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BYLAWS of the VETERANS COUNTY SERVICE OFFICERS ASSOCIATION OF TEXAS (as of 3-09)
ARTICLE I
(MEETINGS)
SECTION I. The Veterans County Service Officers Association shall conduct an annual meeting in conjunction with the annual Texas Veterans Commission Statewide Conference for Veterans Service Officers. The President shall perform coordination as may be required in cooperation with the Director of the Texas Veterans Commission.
ARTICLE II
(OFFICERS)
SECTION I. The officers of the Association shall be the President, Vice-President, Secretary, Treasurer, Judge Advocate, Chaplain, and five Regional Directors, one from each of the five regional areas of Texas, as previously designated by the Department of Veterans Affairs during calendar year 1963.
SECTION II. The Executive Committee shall consist of the President, Vice-President, Secretary, Treasurer, Judge Advocate, Chaplain, Sergeant-at-Arms, and the Director from each of the five regional areas.
SECTION III. Such other officers and committees as may be required or which may be found to be essential to the good of the Organization shall be appointed by the President and shall hold office only during the term of the appointing President.
SECTION IV. All members of the Organization, as defined in the Constitution, shall be eligible to hold office in the Organization.
SECTION V. The Legislative Committee shall be composed of seven (7) members. The outgoing President will appoint six (6) members to the Committee, one member from each of the five regions and one at-large. The appointed members shall serve for one year. In all matters coming before the Committee, the Chairperson will cast his/her vote for the sole purpose of breaking a tie vote of the other appointed members and will not vote on any other matter.
ARTICLE III
(ELECTION AND APPOINTMENT OF OFFICERS)
SECTION I. The officers of the Organization shall be elected by majority vote of all active members present at the annual meeting of the Organization. The Executive Committee shall appoint a Nominating Committee consisting of one (1) members from each of the five (5) regions of Texas, at the Executive Board meeting held immediately after the close of the annual business session, as provided for in the Constitution and Bylaws. Members of this committee will serve for the ensuing year and their duties will cease at the end of the annual business session. It shall be the duty of this committee to return to the members, during the annual conference, nominees for the various offices to be elected as provided for in the Constitution and Bylaws. The committee shall select at least one nominee for President, Vice-President, Secretary, Treasurer, Judge Advocate, and Chaplain from the active membership at large. The President shall appoint the Sergeant-at-Arms. Each region of the five areas, as designated in the Constitution and Bylaws, shall elect one director during the annual meeting. The Director elected shall be confirmed by the membership at the end of the annual meeting. All elected and appointed officers shall serve for a term of one year, which shall terminate immediately upon qualification of their successor. The President may not serve more than two (2) consecutive terms and must be elected at the end of each term. In all cases, when there is more than one nominee for any one elected office, the ensuing election for said office will be by secret written ballot. Officers elected during such an annual meeting shall be installed at the closing of the annual meeting.
ARTICLE IV
(VACANCIES)
SECTION I. A vacancy may be declared by the President, to exist in any office, upon the death of the officeholder, or if the officeholder, because of physical disability, is unable to perform the duties of said office, or upon the acceptance by the President of the written resignation of the officeholder, or upon the unanimous decision of the Executive Committee that such person is no longer eligible for active membership in the Association.
SECTION II. Upon a vacancy being declared in any office or upon any committee, the President shall immediately fill such vacancy by appointment, excepting that should the office vacated by that of President, The Vice-President shall automatically assume the office and duties and privileges thereof.
SECTION III. Any person appointed to fill a vacancy shall have all of the rights and privileges of his/her/ predecessor and shall be held responsible for the performance of the duties of the office or position for the unexpired term of the officer or committee members whom he/she succeeds.
ARTICLE V
(DUTIES OF OFFICERS)
SECTION I. It shall be the duty of the President to preside over all meeting of the Organization, to be ex-officio member of each committee appointed, to faithfully carry out the policies of the Organization, and to perform such other and further duties as may be requested of him by this Organization.
SECTION II. It shall be the duty of the Vice-President to perform the duties of the President in his absence, or in his inability or failure to act, and to assist the President in the performance of his duties when called upon by the President to do so, and to perform such other and further duties as may be requested of him by the President.
SECTION III. The Secretary shall record the minutes of Association meeting, and keep all official records of the Organization.
SECTION IV. The Treasurer shall keep an accurate record of all finances and report on these annually to the Organization. He/she shall collect all dues and other moneys for the Organization and issue receipts for same. It shall further be his/her duty to purchase and pay for all necessary stationary and postage and to pay all other accounts legally contracted an authorized, as provided for in the Bylaws. The Treasurer shall post a bond from a qualified bonding company in the amount of not less than the annual year-end balance of the Association funds. (Year-end balance is understood to mean the total Association funds available two weeks subsequent to adjournment of the annual meeting.) The premium of said bond is to be paid by the Association.
SECTION V. The directors shall act as advisors to assist the President in the conduct of the affairs of the Organization. They shall, with the other officers, constitute the Executive Committee, which shall be empowered to carry out the policies of the Organization as provided in Article VI.
SECTION VI. The President of the Association will immediately upon his/her installation call a meeting of the Association Executive Committee to set the objective, goals, and budget of the Association for the ensuing year. Any member of the Association may attend the Executive Committee meeting but will have no voice. Past Presidents of the Association may speak on any matter coming before the Executive Committee but will have no vote.
SECTION VII Between meetings, the government, management, and administrative power of the Organization, including the carrying out of the policies thereof and the expenditure of moneys, shall be vested in the President. On questions of new and major policies, or with regard to expenditures in excess of $100.00, the President shall obtain the approval of the Executive Committee.
ARTICLE VII
SECTION I. The annual dues for any member shall be payable in advance for the calendar year, which will commence in September of each year. Dues paid in September will be for the following year. Dues will be in arrears as of October 1 pf each year. Dues will be set by the membership and may be changed at any annual meeting by two-thirds majority votes.
SECTION II. A reserve of Fifteen Hundred dollars ($1,500.00) will be maintained in the general fund for the purpose of providing a burial fund. Upon the death of any active member of the organization, the sum of One Hundred Fifty dollars ($150.00) shall be paid by the Treasurer of the Organization to beneficiary designated in writing by the member or to the next of kin that paid the burial expenses of said member if no beneficiary was designated. This request for death benefits must be made in writing by the designated beneficiary member and accompanied by a copy of the death certificate.
SECTION III A sum not to exceed $250.00 will be allocated each year to offset any expenses that may be incurred by Regional Directors to conduct a Spring Regional Meeting. This meeting may be called by the Director to promote membership and to consider any other matter that said director or member deems necessary for the good of the Organization. Each director will be authorized proper expenses not to exceed $50.00/ The Treasurer will be authorized to make payment upon presentation of proper documented bills for said expenses.
ARTICLE VIII
(QUORUM)
SECTION I Twenty-five percent of the active members of this Organization shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business.
SECTION II A quorum the Executive Committee shall consist of six of the members of such committee. |
