BY-LAWS OF THE WEST POINT SOCIETY OF NEBRASKA

 

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ARTICLE I - NAME.

 

The name of the Society shall be the West Point Society of Nebraska, hereinafter referred to as the Society.  The Society is intended to conveniently serve the geographic “area of interest” defined by the range of zip codes 50000-50399, 50500-50699, 50800-51699, 68000-69399.  This area incorporates the entire State of Nebraska and the western half of Iowa.

 

ARTICLE II – PURPOSE

 

The Society shall be a nonprofit organization dedicated to furthering the principles and welfare of the United States Military Academy (USMA), referred to herein as “Academy”.  In accomplishing its purpose, the Society endeavors to serve its area of interest, its country, and the graduates of the Military Academy.  The objects of the Society are: to further public understanding of the Academy; provide an organization wherein graduates and former cadets may associate in order to foster the Academy’s aims, ideals, standards, and achievements; and to encourage outstanding young men and women to apply for admission to the Academy.  The use of  “Chairman”,  “he”, or “his” as used in these By-Laws shall be construed to apply to both male and female gender.

 

ARTICLE III – MEMBERSHIP

 

A.  Classification – Membership shall be Honorary, Regular, and Associate.

 

B.  Honorary - Honorary members shall consist of those individuals of distinction who are elected unanimously by the Board of Directors because of outstanding and noteworthy service to the community, country, or to the United States Military Academy. Honorary Members shall not be required to be graduates or former cadets of the United States Military Academy and shall not be required to pay dues.

 

C.  Regular - All graduates of the United States Military Academy and any former cadet who was honorably discharged from the United States Military Academy may become Regular Members of the Society.  They shall become Regular Members upon registering with the Secretary of the Society and paying their dues.  Dues may be paid on an annual or lifetime basis, the amount for each being set annually by the Board of Directors.  Regular Members, not paid up for life, shall renew their membership by paying in advance the dues for the coming year as fixed by the Board of Directors.  Regular Members who fail to pay annual dues will be not in good standing with the Society until payment of such dues and will be dropped from the rolls altogether after a lapse of one year.  Only Regular Members shall have voting rights and the right to hold elective office.

 

D.  Associate – Associate Members do not pay dues and have no voting rights or right to hold elective office.  Individuals in the following capacities are eligible for Associate Membership:

 

1.      Cadets from within the area of interest of the Society

 

2.      Parent or sibling of a cadet.

 

3.      Parent, sibling, or child of a person eligible for Regular Membership.

 

4.      U. S.  Senator or Member of Congress.

 

5.      Any individual appointed by the USMA Admissions Office as District Representative, Liaison Officer, Admissions Representative, or whatever title he or she may be given by that office.

 

6.      Any person who has served on the staff and faculty of USMA or a member of his/her immediate family.

 

7.      The surviving spouse of a deceased member or deceased graduate.

 

8.      Any individual who, by his or her efforts and/or contributions of time and service, assists the West Point Society of Nebraska fulfilling its purpose.

 

E.  Resignation – Any member may resign at any time by giving written notice to the Board of Directors.  Such resignation shall take effect at the time specified therein, or, if no time is specified, upon receipt.  Resignation shall not entitle a member to return of any dues paid by him or her.

           

ARTICLE IV – BOARD OF DIRECTORS        

 

A.  The Society shall manage all affairs through a Board of Directors, herein also referred to as the Board, which shall consist of nine Regular Members. 

 

B.  Directors shall be elected for a term of three years, one-third being elected each year at the Annual Organization Meeting of the Society by a majority vote of a quorum (see VII.A.3. below) of the Society.  The term of office shall begin immediately.  In case of a tie, the Board shall by its own vote determine which of the candidates shall be elected.

 

C.  Each year in advance of the Annual Organization Meeting the President of the Society shall appoint a committee to nominate one or more candidates for each of the coming vacancies.  Nominations from the floor will be added to the slate.

 

D.  In the event of failure to elect Directors at the Annual Organization Meeting, the terms of the retiring Directors shall be extended automatically until such time as new Directors are properly elected.  The terms of such new Directors, whenever elected, shall expire at the time they would ordinarily expire, had they been elected at the proper meeting.

 

E.  Any vacancy occurring during the business year shall be filled by a new member to be selected by the Board of Directors from among the Regular Members of the Society.  Such new member shall fill the remaining term of his or her predecessor.

 

F.  Meetings of the Board will be held at any time upon call of the President, the Secretary, or any other two members of the Board.

 

G.  A quorum shall consist of six members of the Board, whether present or represented by proxy.  Decisions of the Board are made by the majority rule, except as otherwise provided herein.

 

H.  The Board shall direct the use of dues and any other income to defray the expenses made necessary in the proper conduct of the business of the Society.

 

I.  The Board shall decide questions of interpretation of the By-Laws of the Society.

 

J.  The Board shall have the power to elect Honorary and Associate Members to the Society and to expel members, for cause, by vote.  A unanimous vote of the Board shall be required to elect members to or expel members from the Society.

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ARTICLE V – ELECTED OFFICERS OF THE SOCIETY

 

A.  The elected officers of the Society shall be a President, a Vice President, a Secretary, a Treasurer, and such other officer or officers as the Board may from time to time determine.  Each shall serve for a term of one year.

 

B.  The elected officers of the Society shall be elected by the Board of Directors from among their own members at a meeting to be held within ten days after the Annual Organization Meeting of the Society.

 

C.  Elected officers of the Society are eligible for re-election immediately upon expiration of term of service.

 

D.  Any vacancy occurring during the year shall be filled by the Board electing a new officer to serve the unexpired term created by such vacancy.  This election shall take place at a meeting of the Board of Directors within thirty (30) days after the vacancy occurs.

 

E.  The President shall preside at all meetings of the Society and of the Board of Directors.

 

F.  The Vice President shall preside during the absence of the President.  The Vice President will become President of the Society in the event of the inability or failure of the President to serve.

 

G.  The Secretary shall keep minutes of the meetings of the Society and of the Board of Directors, maintain a roster of members, and, under the direction of the Board, notify members of matters affecting the Society.

 

H.  The Secretary shall submit rosters of the Members and Officers of the Society to the Association of Graduates, West Point, New York, immediately following the annual election.

 

I.  The Treasurer shall have charge of the funds of the Society and shall make a report of the same at the Annual Organization Meeting of the Society.  The President shall designate two members of the Board, other than the Treasurer, to audit the accounts of the Treasurer between January 1 and the Annual Organization Meeting, and they shall report their finding at the annual meeting. The Treasurer shall bill the membership for annual dues during the month of February in conjunction with the Founders Day Invitation.

 

ARTICLE VI - APPOINTED OFFICERS AND COMMITTEES OF THE SOCIETY

 

A.  The appointed officers of the Society shall consist of such committee chairmen as the President may see fit to appoint, to include a Program Chairman, an Admissions Chairman, and a Public Information Officer.  The President shall appoint other chairmen as are deemed necessary to conduct the business of the Society.  The President shall determine the duties of appointed officers not specified herein.  All appointed officers shall serve for a term of one year, unless sooner relieved, and are subject to the approval of the Board of Directors.

 

1.      The Program Chairman shall be responsible for arranging for all meetings and programs. 

 

2.      The Admissions Chairman shall be responsible for all matters relating to admissions support and will coordinate with the Academy Admissions Office and the Regional Commander responsible for the territory covered by the Society.

 

3.      The Public Relations Officer shall be responsible for all public relations functions of the Society.  He shall arrange program features designed to keep the members currently informed concerning West Point.  He shall coordinate with the Program Chairman in order to have these features incorporated in the programs at appropriate times.

 

B.  Committees.  Committees shall be established when deemed necessary to conduct the business of the Society and to assist appointed officers in the execution of their duties.  Individual members of a specific committee shall be proposed by the Committee Chairman, appointed by the President, and subject to the approval of the Board.

 

1.      The Program Committee shall be responsible for arranging and supervising the conduct of meetings and programs, to include reservation of dining rooms or meeting places, liaison with the Secretary and Treasurer in the matter of advance notices and the rendering of bills, and liaison with the Public Relations Officer in the matter of program features designed to keep the membership correctly informed about West Point.

 

2.      The Admissions Committee shall assist the Chairman in carrying out his or her duties.

 

ARTICLE VII - MEETINGS AND ORDER OF BUSINESS

 

A.  Schedule of Meetings.  All actions of the Society are to be conducted at meetings.

 

1.  The Annual Organization Meeting for election to the Board of Directors, and other business as prescribed in the By-Laws, will be held annually in March.  This meeting will usually be held in conjunction with a dinner in celebration of the founding of the Military Academy on 16 March 1802.

 

2.  Meetings of the Society may be called by the President or upon written request of two (2) Regular Members.  At least fifteen  (15) days notice thereof shall be given.

 

3.  A quorum at any meeting of the Society will consist of ten (10) percent of the Regular Membership.

 

B.  Order of Business at Meetings.

 

1.  At the Annual Organization Meeting, the order of business shall be as follows:

 

a)      Ascertainment of the presence of a quorum.

 

b)      Reading of the minutes of the previous meeting, and vote for adoption.

 

c)      Financial Report.

 

d)     Reports of officers and committees.

 

e)      Unfinished business.

 

f)       Elections of members to the Board of Directors.

 

g)      New business.

 

h)      Program.

 

i)        Adjournment.

 

2.  In general, the same order of business shall be followed at other meetings, less portions not applicable.

 

ARTICLE VIII – DUES

 

A.  The Board shall determine Regular membership annual and lifetime dues annually.

 

B.  There shall be no initiation or transfer dues.

 

C.  The fiscal year begins on April 1 and ends on March 31 of each year.  Annual dues for the coming fiscal year are payable in advance.

 

ARTICLE IX – AMENDMENTS

 

Amendments to or changes in By-Laws may be made at any meeting of the Society by a simple majority of the Regular Members, either present or represented by proxy.  Such proposed amendments or changes shall, however, be considered only when the Secretary shall have distributed copies of the same to the Regular Members at least 15 days before the meeting.

 

ARTICLE X – EFFECTIVE DATE

 

These By-laws shall become effective 1 April 2004. They replace the previous Constitution and By-Laws in their entirety.

 

Founders Day-21 March 2009	Meeting Minutes
Baseball Game-22 August 2008	Eisenhower Award
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Society By-Laws	West Point Parents Club