In conformity with the Certificate of Incorporation grated the Women’s Army Corps Veterans' Association on May 11, 1951, pursuant to the Code of Laws for the District of Columbia.

First: The name of this organization shall be the Chapter of the Women’s Army Corps Veterans Association, hereinafter referred to as the Chesapeake Beacon, Chapter 114, WAC-Veterans’ Association.

Second: The object of the Chesapeake Beacon, Chapter 114, of the WAC-Veterans’ Association, shall be the promotion of the general welfare of all veterans and veterans of the Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps, in hospitals or wherever they may be; to provide other benefits and publications pertaining to the members; to further general welfare of the community; and to promote social contacts among the members to further benefit the chapter.

PREAMBLE

We, the members of the Women’s Army Corps Veterans Association, humbly petition the blessing of our heavenly Father upon all our activities, that we may grow in grace and glorify our purpose to be of service to all veterans. We pledge allegiance to the United States of America, and the members in whose name we serve. We are resolved to promote justice, tolerance, peace and good will among all men, toward the end that all wars may cease.

BY-LAWS

ARTICLE I – POLICY

Section 1. The Chesapeake Beacon, Chapter 114, of the WAC-Veterans’ Association, shall be non-partisan in its functions and policies. No person otherwise eligible for membership shall be barred because of race, creed, or political belief, unless such belief is contrary to the principles of the Constitution and Government of the United States of America. This Chapter shall be the judge of its membership in accordance with these By-Laws.

ARTICLE II – MEMBERSHIP

Section 1 – Eligibility. Women soldiers and women officers of the line, presently on a regular tour of duty with the United States Army and women who have served either in the Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps or the Women’s Army Corps of the United States, and who have been honorably discharged, are eligible for membership in our Women’s Army Corps Veterans Association. Also eligible are women currently serving with National Guard, Reserve Units and the women of the Army Nurse Corps.

a. Such eligibility shall be established by submitting a properly executed application for membership and one or more of the following documents:

(1) Honorable Discharge Certificate

(2) DD Form 214 (or corresponding Form of earlier series)

(3) Official Retirement Orders

(4) Army Identification Card

(5) A statement from the custodian of the applicant’s personnel records certifying her active duty status.

b. All applications for membership shall be voted upon by ballot at a regular meeting of the Chapter.

c. Associate members – Associate membership may be extended by the Chapter to members of other Chapters who are in good standing in their Chapters, but are residing temporarily in our area. Such members shall not have a vote or hold office.

Section 2 – Transfers. Upon acceptance by the Chapter, a member transferring from another Chapter shall be extended the courtesies of membership in this Chapter until the end of the fiscal year in which she has paid dues at which time the transferee shall pay dues in this Chapter if desiring to maintain membership.

Section 3 – Transfer of Members-at-Large. Upon acceptance by the Chapter, a member-at-large shall pay the difference between dues of this Chapter and the member-at-large dues for the current year or part thereof.

Section 4 – Termination of Membership. A member of the Chapter shall cease to be a member:

a. If she resigns by written notice to the Corresponding Secretary

b. If she fails to pay her annual dues within four months (by November 1) after they become due and payable or such other period as the Executive Board may allow in any particular case

c. If by a majority vote of the Board of Directors her conduct is considered prejudicial to the best interest of the Association; provided that she may request reconsideration of her status by having a statement of her case brought to the attention of the members of the Chapter at the next regular meeting and determined by a majority vote of the members voting

Section 5 – Honorary Membership. The number of honorary memberships given in any fiscal year shall not exceed ten percent (10%) of the Chesapeake Beacon, Chapter 114 membership. Honorary membership may be given to women who have performed outstanding or exceptional service to our association or to our community, providing they are not otherwise eligible for membership.

a. Proposed honorary memberships shall be presented at any regular meeting of the Chesapeake Beacon, Chapter114 with the qualifications and service being stated before the full meeting. The proposed membership shall then be referred to the Executive Board for discretionary action and voted on at the next regular meeting of the Chapter.

b. Such honorary membership shall be without vote or office and shall not pay dues.

c. Such honorary membership shall be subject to renewal each year.

ARTICLE III – DUES

Section 1. Membership dues are payable upon application and thereafter annually at the beginning of each year (July).

Section 2. Membership dues for the Chapter shall be voted on by members to increase as needed. All renewals, reinstatements, and new members shall include National Membership Dues. Dues for associate members shall be one third of current membership dues.

Dues for new members joining after January 1 of any year shall be one half (1/2) of current chapter dues and shall include the National Membership Dues.

Section 3. Membership dues of transferees and members-at-large, upon affiliation with this Chapter, shall be as prescribed in Article II of these By-Laws.

ARTICLE IV – OFFICERS

Section 1. Elected Officers of this Chapter shall be President, First Vice President, Second Vice President, Recording and Corresponding Secretary, Treasurer, Chaplain and Sergeant-at-Arms.

Section 2 – Term of Office. Elected officers shall hold offices for one year or until their successors are chosen and qualified.

No officer shall serve in the same office for more than two consecutive terms except by a unanimous vote of the assembly. Six months shall be considered a term in determining eligibility for re-election.

Section 3 – Nominations. A Nominating Committee of three members shall be elected at the March meeting to present a slate of officers to the floor at the May meeting. This committee shall present one nominee for each office. Additional nominations may be made from the floor at the May and June meetings, prior to the election. Members of the Nominating Committee are not barred from becoming nominees for office themselves.

The Nominating Committee shall be made up of three members, two from the membership and one from the Board of Directors.

Section 4 – Election. The officers of the Chapter shall be elected at the regular June meeting by ballot or by acclamation in the case that there is only one nominee proposed for any office to be filled. Said officers so elected, shall be installed at the July meeting and shall assume the office of their respective office immediately after installation.

a. A majority of votes cast for each particular office shall elect in that office.

b. The President shall, prior to the election, appoint an Election and Tellers Committee for the election and designate a Chairman of said Committee.

Section 5 – Vacancies. All vacancies in elective offices with the exception of the President shall be filled for the unexpired term by the President with the majority approval of the Executive Board at any specified meeting of the Board. A vacancy in the office of the President shall be filled by the First Vice President.

Section 6 – Duties of Officers. The duties of officers shall be such as are implied by their respective titles and as are specified in these By-Laws:

a. President: It shall be the duty of the President to preside at all meetings. She shall appoint members of the constituted committees and create such other committees and appoint members thereon as she deems advisable. She shall be the chief executive officer and shall have general supervision over the business and affairs of the Chapter. She shall be an ex-officer member of all committees with the exception of the nominating committee and shall perform such other duties as are incident to her office. She shall not vote on issues before the meeting except to cast the deciding ballot in case of a tie. She may vote as an individual in all elections of officers. She shall serve on the National Board of Directors.

b. First Vice President: The First Vice President shall perform the duties of the President in the absence of the President, and in the event of death or resignation of the President, shall become the President for the unexpired term. It shall be her duty to assist the President in every possible way to act as her representative, when requested. She shall also be Chairman of the Program Committee. It shall be her specific duty to arrange for the meeting place, cultural and social programs of the regular meetings.

c. Second Vice President: The Second Vice President shall perform the duties of the President and the First Vice President in their absence and assist those officers in their duties when requested. It shall be the duty of the Second Vice President to be Chairman of the Membership Committee, to screen all applications for membership and to provide the Board of Directors with a monthly membership report. She shall also serve as a member of the National Membership Committee.

d. Recording and Corresponding Secretary: The Recording and Corresponding Secretary shall keep the minutes of the meetings of the Chapter and of its Executive Board and Board of Directors. It shall be her duty to conduct the general correspondence of the Chapter under the direction of the President or as approved by the Chapter and of its Boards and shall read all pertinent correspondence directed. She shall maintain a list of members and of prospective members and shall keep an attendance report.

e. Treasurer: The Treasurer shall be the custodian of all funds of the Chapter, pay all authorized bills and record all properties of the organization. She shall submit all books and reports to an Auditing Committee of two members of the Chapter appointed by the President, one week before the end of her term of office. The President or the Treasurer shall sign all checks issued. The books shall be submitted to her successor at the close of the installation service. She may be bonded at the discretion of the Executive Board.

(1) Donations: All donated money will be deposited into the Chapter funds prior to voting on how to spend that money, unless the donation has been given for a specific fund.

(2) Funding: Any money raised by the Chapter shall be placed into the common funds, unless specifically notated for a special fund.

(3) The Executive Board shall approve any expenditure over the amount of $150.00 before payment may be made.

(4) The Treasurer shall be the Chairman of the Budget and Finance Committee.

f. Chaplain: The Chaplain shall give the invocation at all meetings of the Chapter and be in charge of Memorial Services. Her advice, counsel, and services shall be available to any member of the organization.

g. Sergeant-at-Arms: The Sergeant-at-Arms shall have custody of the flags and paraphernalia of the Chapter; she shall present the colors at all meetings; be responsible for good order and comfortable seating arrangements and shall receive and escort visitors to the Chair.

h. All officers shall, if possible, transmit to their respective successors, at the close of the installation meeting, all records and other property of the organization as has been put in their respective custody. Such transfer shall be completed not later than the first meeting following installation, with the exception of the treasurer as directed in paragraph (e).

It shall be the responsibility of the outgoing President to see that all records and equipment of the Chapter are in good order and have been transmitted to the respective incumbents.

ARTICLE V – BOARDS AND DUTIES

Section 1 – Executive Board. The Executive Board shall consist of the President, First Vice President, Second Vice President, Recording and Corresponding Secretary, Treasurer, Chaplain, and Sergeant-at-Arms. This Board shall meet monthly or at the discretion of the President. It shall have the power to transact emergency business of the Chapter between regular meetings.

Section 2 – Board of Directors. The Board of Directors shall consist of all Executive Board Members, the immediate past Chapter President, and the Chairmen of all Standing Committees. Chairmen of Special Committees may be invited to attend meetings of the Board, without vote, when the President deems their presence advisable for conducting the business of the organization.

a. The Board of Directors shall meet at least once a month, if necessary, or at the discretion of the President or upon the written request of five members of the Board of Directors.

b. It shall be the duty of the Board of Directors to transact necessary business of the Chapter between meetings, to supervise and direct the affairs of the Chapter on all matters of import and interest to the organization.

c. Members of the Board of Directors shall be required to attend all regular meetings of the Chapter and of the Board of Directors. Three consecutive absences from the regular Chapter meetings, or absence from any combination of three consecutive meetings, without valid excuse, shall constitute forfeiture of office.

d. Any member of the Board of Directors, with the exception of elected officers, who fails to fulfill the duties of her office, may be removed by a two-thirds vote of the Board of Directors.

e. Resignations of the members of the Board of Directors shall be submitted in writing to the President. Said resignation shall not take effect until a successor has been appointed or a reasonable time elapsed, except in the case of an emergency.

ARTICLE VI – STANDING COMMITTEES AND DUTIES

Section 1 – Standing Committees. The Standing Committees of the Chapter shall be: Parliamentarian, Constitution and By-Laws, Editor of Chapter Publication, Historian, Hospital, Membership, Program, Publicity, Community Projects, Ways and Means, and Budget and Finance (B & F).

Section 2 – Special Committees. Special Committees, in addition to those outlined elsewhere in these By-Laws, may be appointed by the President, with the approval of the Executive Board and/or the Board of Directors, from time to time as need arises and the duties of such committees defined at the time of appointment.

Section 3 – Committee Members. There shall be a Chairman of each Standing and Special Committee; the number of others on said committee, if any additional, shall be as deemed necessary for the work of the particular committee.

The Chairman of the Program Committee shall be the First Vice President of the Chapter. The Chairman of the Membership Committee shall be the Second Vice President.

Section 4 – Duties of Standing Committees. The duties of standing committees shall be such as are implied by their respective titles and as are specified in these By-Laws.

a. The Parliamentarian shall guide and assist the presiding officer in the conduct of all meetings of the Chapter and it’s Boards; interpret parliamentary procedure and usage, and shall assist the organization in the proper functioning of its affairs under its rules and parliamentary authority.

b. The Constitution and By-Laws Committee shall be responsible for review of the By-Laws of the Chapter and National organization to assure conformity. It shall consider suggested changes in said rules, and when revisions thereto are proposed, be responsible for presentation of said proposals to the organization.

c. The Editor of the Chapter Publication shall assemble and prepare material for the Chapter publication and cause same to be published. The Chapter publication, as far as possible, shall be used as a medium of dissemination of information, reports, and matters of importance to the organization; for publishing requests of officers and chairmen for reports and other data; for promotion of the general welfare of the organization, for news of Chapter members, and/or other publicity purposes as outlined by the Board of Directors.

d. The Historian shall compile and maintain a history of the Chapter and shall maintain a scrapbook record of the Chapter.

e. The Hospital Committee shall stimulate interest and activity on the part of the Chapter for participation in hospital services for veterans and in the work of Veteran’s Hospital; also for service in other agencies where the health and social needs of veterans, and needs of the communities may be served. The Veterans Administration Voluntary Service (VAVS) Committee at the Perry Point VA Hospital and shall report all actions taken to the Chapter and Coordinate the programs thereof.

f. The Membership Committee under the Chairmanship of the Second Vice President shall be responsible for membership and organizational work, and shall seek to stabilize and increase the membership of the organization. The Chairman of this committee shall also serve on the National Membership Committee.

g. The Program Committee under the Chairmanship of the First Vice President shall develop a well coordinated program and be responsible for carrying out such a program.

h. Publicity Committee shall be responsible for interpreting the objectives and programs of the organization through every possible media of publicity and information channels.

i. Community Projects Committee shall encourage members to participate in any work that will help the community.

j. Ways and Means Committee shall sponsor fund raising activities for the benefit of the Chapter, to be functioned by the Chapter, with the general approval of the Board of Directors. The Committee shall also assist in the fund raising activities of the National organization.

k. The Budget and Finance (B&F) Committee under the chairmanship of the Treasurer shall prepare and submit a budget at the first regular meeting after the installation of officers.

l. At the close of our installation meeting, if possible, or within one month thereafter, all committee chairmen, unless otherwise directed in these By-Laws, shall deliver to their successors all records and files pertinent to the work of the committee.

ARTICLE VII – REPORTS

Section 1. Officers and chairmen of standing and special committees shall submit annual written reports to the Board of Directors and such other reports as directed.

ARTICLE VIII – MEETINGS

Section 1. Regular monthly meetings of the Chapter shall be held at the time and place designated by and agreed upon by vote of the Chapter members. A two-third vote of area members by proxy vote shall be necessary to change the time and /or place of meeting of the Chapter providing the Chapter membership has been given due written notice of such change.

Section 2. A special meeting of the Chapter may be called by the President, a majority of the Board of Directors, or upon the written request of one-third of the members of the Chapter.

ARTICLE IX – QUORUM

Section 1. One-fifth of the local membership shall constitute a quorum at the regular meeting.

Section 2. One-half of the members of the Board of Directors and the Executive Board shall constitute a quorum at meetings thereof.

ARTICLE X – ORDER OF BUSINESS

Section 1. The order of business at each meeting shall be in accordance with established procedure and shall include reading of the minutes.

ARTICLE XI – NATIONAL CONVENTION REPRESENTATION

Section 1. Delegates and alternates from the Chapter to the National Convention shall be elected at the last Chapter meeting of the fiscal year and shall be certified as required by and outlined in the National By-Laws.

(a) Definition of duties (as outlined by Webster’s Dictionary): A person authorized or sent to speak and act for others; representative, as at a convention: to entrust (authority, power, etc.) to a person acting as one’s agent or representative.

Section 2. Precedence for the payment of Registration Fees and other expenses for the Chapter President, Delegates, Alternates and Proxy Votes are established as follows:

a. Registration fees of the President, or her duly authorized Representative, Delegates and Alternates.

b. Registration fees for Proxy votes, when applicable.

c. The expense of all three (3) Social Events Meals will be reimbursed to the President, or her duly authorized Representative, Delegates and Alternates by the Chapter.

Section 3. The National convention is for the fiscal year just completed, ending on June 30^th. The Chapter President who served during that year shall represent the Chapter at the National Convention. If unable to attend, or if attending and voting as a National Officer or Chairman, in accordance with the National By-Laws she may designate a duly authorized representative to represent her as Chapter President at the Board of Directors Meeting and all Convention business sessions.

ARTICLE XII – FISCAL YEAR

Section 1. The Fiscal Year of the Chapter, to comply with the provisions of the National By-Laws, shall be from July 1 of each year through June 30^th of the following year.

ARTICLE XIII – DUTIES OF THE CHAPTER

Section 1. It shall be the responsibility of the Chapter to comply with the provisions of the National By-Laws as they affect this Chapter.

ARTICLE XIV – NATIONAL EMERGENCY

Section 1. In a National Emergency, the Board of Directors shall set up machinery to carry on the work of the Chapter.

ARTICLE XV – PARLIAMENTARY AUTHORITY

Section 1. The rules of parliamentary practice comprised in Robert’s Rules of Order, newly revised, shall govern all proceedings of the Chapter, the Board of Directors and the Executive Board, subject to such special rules as have been or may be adopted by the Chapter.

ARTICLE XVI – VOTING

Voting by mail will be used for election of officers, amendments to the by-laws and for such other important matters as the Chapter may order to be voted on. The vote shall be signed by the voter and be sealed and enclosed in an envelope, which will then be placed in another envelope addressed to the Secretary, or to the chairman of tellers. The inner envelope will not be opened except by the tellers when the votes are counted.

Voting by mail cannot be a secret ballot, as it is necessary for the tellers to know by whom each vote is cast.

ARTICLE XVII – AMENDMENTS

Section 1. These By-Laws may be amended at any regular Chapter meeting by a vote of two-thirds of the members present and voting, provided the proposed amendment shall have been submitted in writing at a previous meeting and read to the members present; and provided further, that written notice shall have been given to all members in the Chapter Publication prior to the meeting at which a vote is to be taken upon such amendment.

Section 2. Amendments to these By-Laws shall automatically become effective in the Chapter on adoption unless otherwise provided.

Section 3. To avoid conflicts, all proposed amendments to these By-Laws shall be submitted to the National Constitution and By-Laws Chairman for approval.

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