CONSTITUTION and BY-LAWS
HUNTSVILLE CHAPTER
MILITARY OFFICERS ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA
PREAMBLE
To
inculcate and stimulate love of our Country and Flag.
To
defend the honor, integrity and supremacy of our National Government and the
Constitution of the United States of America.
To
advocate military forces adequate to defend our Country.
To
foster fraternal relations among all branches of the various services from
which our members are drawn.
To
further the education of past and present service personnel and their
dependents.
To
aid in every proper and legitimate manner, the active and retired personnel of
the uniformed services, their dependents and survivors.
BYLAWS
ARTICLE
1 NAME
Section
1. The name of this organization is Huntsville Chapter, Military Officers
Association of America, hereinafter referred to as HCMOAA.
Section
2. The geographic area from which members may be admitted is unlimited.
Eligible applicants may apply for membership in accordance with Article III of
these By-Laws.
Section
3. The HCMOAA is a nonprofit organization, operating exclusively for the
purposes stated in Article II.
Section
4. If the organization is dissolved, all
funds in the treasury at the time will be used to meet any outstanding debts,
liabilities, or obligations. The balance
of these assets will be disposed of as determined by the membership or be given
to an Exempt Organization, as defined in the Internal Revenue Code, and whose
purposes and objectives are similar to those of the HCMOAA. Unless theft or
criminal fraud is involved, the individual members of the chapter shall not be
held personally liable for debts of, or claims against, the chapter.
ARTICLE
II PURPOSE
The
purpose of the HCMOAA shall be to bring together commissioned and warrant officers,
active and retired,
and persons who have held status as commissioned or warrant officers of the
Army, Navy, Air Force,
Marine Corps, Coast Guard, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration or
the Public Health Service, including all components thereof, hereafter called
the Uniformed Services, for the purpose of supporting the objectives stated in
the preamble hereof and for such worthy causes as may be determined proper by
the Huntsville Chapter, including the following:
a) Provide a social organization for Military Officers
whereby they can meet periodically and enjoy fellowship with people of similar
interests and backgrounds.
b) Counsel and advise members relative to their entitlement
under laws administered by the Veterans Administration, Social Security
Administration, Tricare, Tricare for Life, and Medicare.
c) Counsel and advise survivors of deceased members
concerning benefits to which they are entitled and assist such survivors in
every way possible. Counsel and advice
must be in accord with Uniformed Service Policies.
d) Provide periodic programs on subjects of particular
interest to members of the HCMOAA.
e) Provide to the public general information concerning the
Military Officers Association of America, its history and objectives
and obtain favorable publicity for the Uniformed Services, both active and
retired.
f) Promote better understanding and more cordial relations
among members of the Uniformed Services, both active and retired, and the
communities in which they reside.
g) Maintain liaison with appropriate commands of all
Uniformed Services in the North Alabama area and promote cooperation in matters
of mutual interest.
h) Provide representation to the Alabama Council of Chapters
of MOAA in order to better coordinate common goals and objectives with
affiliated Chapters of MOAA.
i) Study and evaluate proposed state and national
legislation affecting the Uniformed Services and make recommendations through appropriate
channels.
j) Promote and assist worthy community activities. The
Governing Board and members present and voting at a regular or special meeting
shall approve any monetary assistance.
k) Maintain liaison with the Redstone Arsenal Retirement
Services Office and Military Retiree Council.
ARTICLE
III MEMBERSHIP AND VOTING RIGHTS
Section
1. Subject to the provisions hereof, membership shall be composed of:
a) Active, retired, reserve, national guard, former officers
and warrant officers of the following services:
Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, Coast Guard, Public Health Service
and National Oceanic
and Atmospheric Administration.
b) Individuals elected as Honorary Members as set forth in
Section 2(c) of this Article.
There
shall be no discrimination in membership or participation in the affairs of the
Association based on race, creed, color, national origin, gender, physical
ability, sexual orientation, or age.
Section
2. Membership shall be of three (3) classes, as follows:
a) ANNUAL MEMBERS. Those eligible for membership, as
prescribed in Section I (a) of this Article, who apply for membership and pay
the prescribed annual dues.
b) LIFE MEMBERS. Any
chapter member described in Article III, Section 2(a), in good standing may
apply for life membership. The applicant must have dues paid one year in
advance and the application accompanied by the required amount of deposit to
the LIFE MEMBER TRUST, recognized by Article V, Dues, Section 3. The LIFE
MEMBER TRUST (LMT) is administered according to APPENDIX 1 of these By-Laws.
c) HONORARY MEMBERS.
Upon approval of the majority of the members present and voting at a
regular Governing Board meeting, the Chapter President, or designated
representative, may extend Honorary Membership to distinguished individuals of
the military or civilian service while serving in a position of responsibility
deemed appropriate. Honorary Membership will be for one year only, but may be
extended each year by the President without further vote, as long as the
individual continues serving in the same position of responsibility.
Section
3. All members of the HCMOAA are encouraged to be members in good standing of
the National Military Officers Association of America (MOAA.). All members of the Governing Board (Article
VII, Section 6) shall be members in good standing of National MOAA.
Section
4. Application for membership shall be in writing and approved by the HCMOAA
Membership Committee (Article VII, Section 3).
Section
5. Each dues paying MEMBER shall be entitled to vote on any matter submitted to
the membership for vote.
Section
6. A member may be removed for cause
from HCMOAA by the Executive Committee, after having an opportunity to be
heard.
ARTICLE IV OFFICERS
Section
1. The elected officers of the HCMOAA shall consist of President, 1st Vice
President, 2nd Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, and service
representatives for Army, Navy/Marines, and Air Force.
Section
2. The officers of the HCMOAA shall be elected by members present and voting at
a regular
or
special meeting and shall hold office for 2 years.
Section
3. After an opportunity to be heard, any officer may be removed from office by
a majority vote of
voting members present at a regular meeting of the HCMOAA or at a
special meeting called for that purpose.
Section
4. The 1st Vice President or 2nd Vice President, in succession, shall fill a
vacancy in the office of the President for the unexpired term. The 2nd Vice
President will fill a vacancy in the office of the 1st Vice President. A
vacancy in the office of the 2nd Vice President and all other elected officers
(except the President and 1st Vice President) will be filled by appointment of
the Executive Committee (Article VII, Section 1), to serve for the remainder of
the unexpired term. Officers filling a new position will be installed at the
first regular meeting of the Chapter, or at the first Governing Board meeting
following acceptance.
Section
5. The officers of the HCMOAA shall serve without compensation from the Chapter
funds. Reimbursement of expenses are
subject to approval by the Governing Board.
ARTICLE
V DUES
Section
1. The dues of the HCMOAA shall be a specified amount as determined by majority
vote at a meeting called at least 30 days following an announcement in THE
SENTINEL newsletter. Dues shall be
payable for membership each January 1st and shall be good for that
calendar year. New members added to the roster after 1 July shall pay 1/2 the
annual rate. New members added to the roster after 1 November will have their
dues extended through the following calendar year.
Section
2. Members may elect to pay annual dues for one, two, or three years in advance
at the prevailing rate. These dues shall not be subject to subsequent increases
or decreases. Dues paid in advance will be placed in a savings account or
equivalent and will not be available for expenditure by the chapter until the
year for which they are applicable.
Section
3. LIFE MEMBERSHIP TRUST. This section recognizes the establishment of
a "LIFE MEMBER TRUST" (LMT) for those members who voluntarily desire
to participate. The purpose of the LMT
is to make lifetime payment of dues to the Chapter. The Chapter Membership-At-Large is not
responsible for any shortages resulting from the LMT.
It
is the sole responsibility of those who choose to participate as LMT members,
under the guidelines established by APPENDIX 1, to meet the dues requirement of
the HCMOAA. If the LMT fund is unable to fully meet the committed dues obligations
for a year, the Chapter membership may delay the shortfall for one year. However, if the shortage occurs for a second
consecutive year, the Chapter shall take action to dissolve or make necessary
corrections to the operation of the LMT fund.
ARTICLE
VI MEETINGS
Section
1. The regular meeting of the HCMOAA shall be held monthly on a date designated
by the
Executive
Committee or the President. The Programs Committee shall make the necessary
arrangements for the place and time of each meeting.
Section
2. Installation of officers of the HCMOAA shall be conducted at the January
monthly meeting of
the appropriate year (currently odd numbered years).
Section
3. The rules contained in the most current revision of "Robert's Rules of
Order" shall govern the Chapter in all cases to which they are applicable
and in which they are consistent with the ByLaws or special rules of the
HCMOAA.
ARTICLE
VII COMMITTEES AND CHAPTER GOVERNING BOARD
Section
1. There shall be an Executive Committee composed of the elected officers of
the HCMOAA, the immediate past President and the preceding past President. Past presidents may resign from the Executive
Committee and, as available, past Presidents in succession will be invited to
fill the vacant position.
Section
2. The President shall annually appoint such standing and special committees as
may be required by the By-Laws or as he/she may find advisable.
Section
3. The standing committees of the chapter shall include, but not be limited to:
membership, personal affairs, programs, legislative, public affairs, surviving
spouses / auxiliary (see Appendix 2), hospitality, historian, finance, and
Constitution and By-Laws. The President
shall also appoint a chapter chaplain.
Section
4. It shall be the duty of the President to appoint an auditing committee (3 members
minimum), subject to the approval of the Executive Committee, to
audit the Treasurer's financial accounts annually (fiscal year) or before (if greater
than 120 days since the last audit) the financial accounts are transferred to a
new Treasurer. The auditors shall submit a formal report to the membership via
the Chapter President showing their findings. The report will become a part of
the Chapter records.
Section
5. The President shall be an ex officio member of all committees, except the
Nominating Committee.
Section
6. A Chapter "Governing Board" shall consist of the Executive
Committee, Chairmen of each standing committee and Chairmen of such committees
and other Board Members as the president may designate. The Chapter Governing
Board exists for the purpose of coordinating all Chapter activities, providing
increased representation and participation of members in all Chapter activities
and will normally meet with the Executive Committee as a Chapter Governing
Board at meetings called by the President. The President, or his
representative, will preside at all Chapter Governing Board meetings. The
Chapter Secretary will serve as Secretary for the Chapter Governing Board
meetings. When appropriate, the Chapter Governing Board meetings may replace
the Executive Committee meetings and the minutes will be kept by the Secretary
and submitted in writing for review, correction and approval
at the subsequent meeting. Copies of the
Governing Board minutes shall be made available to
the general membership upon request.
Section
7. The Finance Committee and the
Treasurer shall prepare an Annual Fiscal Year Budget for review and
modification and approval of the Governing Board and the majority of members
present
and
voting at the September meeting of HCMOAA.
The budget cycle shall be 1 October through 30 September.
ARTICLE
VIII ELECTIONS
Section
1. Regular elections of officers will be held biannually on even numbered
years. Prior to the July membership meeting of the HCMOAA, the President shall
appoint a nominating committee chaired by the immediate past President and a
representative from each of the uniformed services represented in the HCMOAA.
Available past Presidents of the HCMOAA are also designated as members of the
nominating committee. The Committee Chairman or his representative shall
present the names of candidates proposed at the September membership meeting.
Names of the nominees shall be published in the October edition (electronic and
printed) of THE SENTINEL.
Section
2. At the October membership meeting the recommended slate of nominees shall be
read and additional nominations called for from the floor. Nominations shall
then be closed and election of officers will take place. The results of the
election shall be published in the November and January (printed only) editions
of THE SENTINEL. The newly elected officers will take office at a formal
installation at the January meeting.
ARTICLE
IX CHANGES IN CONSTITUTION AND BY-LAWS
Section
1. The Constitution and By-Laws of the Huntsville Chapter may be altered,
amended, or changed, or a new Constitution and By-Laws may be adopted, by a
two-thirds vote of the members present and voting at any regular or special
meeting of the Chapter called for that purpose.
ARTICLE
X THE AMERICAN FLAG
The
American Flag shall be displayed and honored at all meetings of the Huntsville
Chapter.
APPROVED
AND ADOPTED AT THE ORGANIZATION MEETING OF THE HUNTSVILLE (FORMERLY REDSTONE)
CHAPTER OF THE MILITARY (FORMERLY RETIRED) OFFICERS ASSOCIATION IN THE CITY OF
HUNTSVILLE, ALABAMA, ON WEDNESDAY, APRIL 12, 1961. Revised 26 September 1965,
March 1970, 26 November 1975, 27 December 1978, 27 March 1985, 29 July 1987, 18
October 1993, 10 January 1995, 1 January 1997, 28 May 1997, 10 March 1998, 19
February 2003, 26 November 2003, 28 January 2004. 29 August 2007, 30 July 2008,
25 January 2012, 25 March 2015, XX July 2016.
Amendment
1: Personal liability clarification
required by RSA JAG. Amendment approved
by General Membership on 28 May 1997
Amendment
2: The original Paragraph 2 (LIMITED
TRANSITION PERIOD) of Appendix No.1,
LIFE
MEMBER TRUST of the Constitution and By Laws effective 1 January 1997, was
deleted in
view
of the fact that the period of applicability expired on 31 December 1997. The provisions for the disposition of a
deceased LMT member’s original deposit and the prerogatives
of the surviving spouse
---originally
part of Paragraph 1: (Establishment)---were extracted and separately listed as
the new Paragraph 2, for clarity.
Approved by the HCTROA Executive Board on 10 March 1998.
Amendment
3: On 19 February 2003, the general
membership voted to change the name to Huntsville Chapter
Military Officers Association of America (HCMOAA.) All references to The Retired Officers
Association and TROA were changed to Military Officers Association of America
and MOAA respectively.
Amendment
4: Changed Huntsville Chapter MOAA to
HCMOAA, made editorial corrections, eliminated the requirement that the
Executive Committee approve appointments to standing and special committees,
established a requirement that the Auditor or Audit Committee be approved by
the Executive Committee, and made the Chairperson of the Auxiliary Standing
Committee (ASC) a voting member of the governing Board. These changes were approved by the general
membership on 26 November 2003.
Amendment
5: Deleted the Assistant 1st
Vice President and the Assistant 2nd Vice President from Section 1,
ARTICLE IV, Elected Officers, effective with the 2005-2006 slate of officers;
and changed the designation of changes from "Note" to
"Amendment." These changes
were approved by the general membership on 28 January 2004.
Amendment 6: Made minor editorial corrections and removed
extraneous editorial references to Amendments 4 & 5. Changed “CHAMPUS” to
“Tricare and Tricare for Life”. Added “Membership Roster”, “Historian” and
“Benevolence” to the standing committees. Deleted “Article IX-Benevolent Trust
Fund” and all references to it and renumbered the succeeding sections and
articles. These changes were approved by the general membership on 29 August
2007.
Amendment 7: In
response to MWR requirement for organizations allowed to meet on Redstone
Arsenal, made minor editorial corrections to the wording of Article I, Section
4. This change was approved by the
general membership 30 July 2008.
Amendment 8: Changed
to allow past presidents to resign from the Executive Committee, and provided
for their replacement. This change was
approved by the general membership on 25 January 2012.
Amendment 9: Changed
the deposits of new LMT members after 1 June 2012 to become nonrefundable and
their surviving spouses to automatically assume life membership. This change
was approved by the LMT membership on 30 May 2012.
Amendment 10: Made
minor editorial and administrative changes/corrections. Mandated that members
of the Governing Board be members of National MOAA. Defined the reporting
requirements for auditing committee and for LMT financials. Removed the
“benevolence” standing committee from Article VII, Section 3, as it has never been defined. Changed election of officers timeline to
match “Sentinel” publishing dates. Added
a provision for the expenditure of funds for interim period prior to budget
approval. Introduced the term “Auxiliary Liaison”
in Appendix 2, in keeping with terminology established by National MOAA. Added a provision in Appendix 1 that allows
LMT funds in excess of what is required to meet all LMT obligations to be
donated to the Huntsville Chapter treasury.
These changes were approved by the general and LMT membership on 25
March 2015.
Amendment 11: Made
minor editorial and administrative changes/corrections. Updated some references
and terminology. Clarified some
meanings. Added reference to HCMOAA relationship with RSA Military Retiree
Council. Removed reference to Auxiliaries under membership classes.
Clarified prorated dues for new members. Changed financial
references / requirements to Fiscal Year. Appendix 1 – LMT: Updated survivor notification requirements;
clarified requirements for joining LMT; aligned LMT financials with Fiscal Year
and adjusted reporting requirements; clarified refund of LMT deposits. Appendix
2 – Auxiliary Standing Committee. To
align with IRS code for 501(c)(19) “tax deductible” status, Auxiliaries were
removed as a membership class of HCMOAA and established as a separate but
related auxiliary organization – the Surviving Spouses / Auxiliaries
Organization (SSA). Objectives and
administration of SSA are detailed in this Appendix. These changes were
approved by the general and LMT membership on 27 July 2016.
/S/
Lt Col Charles T. Clements, USAF (Ret)
President, Huntsville Chapter
Military
Officers Association of America
ATTEST:
/S/
CAPT Richard C. West, USN (Ret.)
Chairman,
Constitution & Bylaws Committee
APPENDIX 1
LIFE MEMBER TRUST
1. ESTABLISHMENT:
This Appendix is for the purpose of
establishing and administering a Life Member Trust (hereinafter known as LMT)
for those members of the Huntsville Chapter of the Military Officers
Association of America (HCMOAA) who voluntarily desire to participate. The
establishment of Life Membership will help to maintain a stable chapter
membership and assist in dues collection from its members. The original concept was that, upon payment
of a lump sum deposit to the LMT, the funds would be invested with a secure
investment system such that the interest would pay dues for all members of the
LMT during January of each year. The
post-2008 economy and market rates make the original investment concept
unfeasible.
2. SURVIVING SPOUSE:
Upon the death of a LMT member, the
amount of the original deposit shall be offered to his/her beneficiary as
designated by the member. A surviving spouse has the option of declining the
LMT refund and electing to assume membership in the HCMOAA Surviving Spouses
and Auxiliaries (SSA) Organization. The survivor shall have 90 days from the
date of notification by the HCMOAA LMT to exercise these options. Effective 1
June 2012, new member deposits are not refundable. Their surviving spouses will still be offered
an annual SSA membership.
3. ADMINISTRATION:
An LMT Board, consisting of three
members who are (1) members of the LMT and (2) appointed by the Chapter
President as follows, shall administer the LMT:
A. Three individuals will be appointed
for three-year terms. The position of Chairman of the Board, Treasurer, and
Secretary will be filled by mutual agreement among the three LMT Board members
and with concurrence of the Chapter President. In the event no agreement is
reached, the Chapter President will make the assignments.
B. In August, the Chapter President
shall appoint an individual(s) from the LMT membership to the LMT Board for a
three-year term. Ideally, at any one point in time, the three LMT Board members
will be serving "staggered" three-year terms, i.e., one member will
have one year remaining in his/her term, another will have two years, and one
will be newly appointed to a three-year term. Effort will be made to accomplish
this in order to achieve continuity on the LMT Board. It is recognized,
however, due to transfers, resignations, etc., that this may be an unattainable
goal, in which case the HCMOAA President will appoint someone to fill the
unexpired term.
4. RESPONSIBILITIES:
A. It shall be the responsibility of
the LMT Board, with assistance from Life Members, to administer the fund to
keep the LMT sound, and to meet or exceed dues requirements in perpetuity. If
income from the LMT exceeds dues requirements by over 50% after annual payment
of dues, the excess over 50% may be donated to the Huntsville Chapter treasury.
Membership in the LMT will require that the applicant be a member of the
Huntsville Chapter in good standing, have dues paid one year in advance (or
include a pro-rata amount for one year's dues) and deposit the amount as set by
the LMT Board.
B. It shall be the responsibility of
the Secretary and the Treasurer of the LMT Board, in conjunction with the
HCMOAA Membership Chair and Treasurer, to maintain records of Life Members and
beneficiaries documented in the HCMOAA
master database, pay annual dues for Life Members to the Huntsville Chapter and
carry out the investment objectives as directed by the LMT Board. By the 10th of the month following each fiscal
quarter (10 January, 10 April, 10 July, 10 Oct), the LMT Treasurer will present
a financial report of the previous quarter to the LMT Chairman who shall
approve the report and forward a copy to the Chapter President and Treasurer. On or before 15 October, the Secretary and
the Treasurer of the LMT, with the assistance of the LMT Chairman, shall submit
a consolidated report of Life Members and a financial statement as of 30
September to the Chairman of the LMT Board.
The Chairman of the LMT Board will have the past fiscal year’s LMT
finances audited by three chapter members - at least one of whom is not a
member of the LMT. This audit will be completed by 31 October and submitted to
the Chapter President. Should the
financial statement indicate that the LMT fund exceeds the amount required to
fulfill its obligations to refund LMT deposits and pay annual dues of all
members through their life expectancies, then any or all of the excess may be
donated to the Huntsville Chapter treasury.
5. OTHER PROVISIONS:
If a member of the LMT (who joined
prior to 1 June 2012) permanently moves from the Huntsville vicinity and/or
desires to discontinue his/her membership in the HCMOAA, he/she may apply for a
refund of his/her LMT deposit. The LMT deposit will be returned to him/her
within one year after termination of membership in the HCMOAA.
6. CHANGES:
This Appendix may be amended with the
concurrence of the Chapter President by a majority vote of LMT members present
and voting.
APPENDIX 2
SURVIVING SPOUSES / AUXILIARIES
ORGANIZATION
1.
OBJECTIVE:
The
purpose of this appendix is to define the interrelations and interactions of
HCMOAA and the HCMOAA Surviving Spouses and Auxiliaries Organization (SSA) – an
entity fully separate from and not contained within the HCMOAA.
2.
ADMINISTRATION:
(a)
Membership in the SSA is limited to spouses of HCMOAA members and widows /
widowers of deceased members or any deceased individual who would have been
eligible for membership.
(b)
Dues: Spouses of current members pay no
dues. Widows / widowers of LMT members will have dues paid by LMT, if LMT
member joined LMT prior to 1 June 2012 and the widow/widower elected to
continue their spouse’s membership.
Non-LMT widows / widowers will pay the same dues as assessed to regular
members of HCMOAA. Dues payment will be
overseen by the HCMOAA Membership Committee Chairperson and will be utilized to
fund newsletters and chapter events that SSA members attend. Dues will be paid to the HCMOAA chapter.
(c)
SSA members are eligible to participate in all HCMOAA events at the same level
as members of HCMOAA. SSA members are
not regular members of HCMOAA and do not vote for any HCMOAA matters.
(d)
SSA members are eligible be appointed to any HCMOAA committee and may chair any
committee or hold any office other than the Executive Board. SSA members serving in one of these positions
will have voting rights for all HCMOAA matters.
(e)
A SSA Committee Chairperson will be proposed by the SSA and approved by the
HCMOAA President. This Chairperson will
be a fully invested Governing Board member and will attend Governing Board and
General Membership meetings and present a summary of current activities of the
SSA.