By-Laws

Contact the Germany Society at: GermanySocietySAR@gmail.com

Sons of the American Revolution

Germany Society Constitution and Bylaws

ARTICLE I: NAME

The name of the organization shall be the Germany Society (Society). The Society was established as a society of the National Society of the Sons of the American Revolution (National Society), in accordance with a charter granted by the National Society July 2, 2001.

ARTICLE II: OBJECTIVES

The objectives of the Society, are declared to be patriotic, historical and educational, and shall include the activities designed to perpetuate the memory of those patriots who gave their services and made sacrifices during the American Revolution. These objectives also include the following purposes:

• To unite and promote fellowship among the descendants of patriots of the American Revolution, and to inspire them and the community-at-large with a more profound reverence for the principles of the republic and democratic processes founded by our patriot forefathers;

• To encourage historical research in the American Revolutionary period and to acquire and preserve the relics and records of individuals and patriots, and to identify specific areas of conflict with appropriate memorials;

• To encourage and support the development of membership, participation and establishment of a chapter(s), within Germany;

• To celebrate anniversaries of prominent events of the Revolutionary war and period; and further;

• To foster true patriotism and to maintain and extend the institutions of our American freedoms,
and to pursue the purposes expressed in the Preamble of the Constitution of the United States of
America.

ARTICLE III: MEMBERSHIP

Membership in the Society shall be available to any male proven to be a lineal descendant of a person who supported the cause of the American Revolution, and who has been accepted by the National Society.

Dual membership is available to members of the Society who maintain residence in other state societies. All members of the Sons of the American Revolution, other than current or former officers, shall be addressed as “Compatriot” by fellow members.

ARTICLE IV: GOVERNANCE

Section 1. The Society shall conduct elections for the following officers for one-year terms: President, who shall serve as Chairman of the Board; Vice President; Secretary; Treasurer; Registrar; Genealogist; Chancellor; Chaplain; Historian; and Sergeant-At-Arms. Society officers shall perform the customary duties of the office. The Society Secretary shall maintain the official documents of the Society, including, but not limited to, the Charter, Constitution and Bylaws, membership roster and copies of similar Society official chapter documents.

Section 2. A Society officer, except as otherwise specifically prohibited, may serve in more than one officer position of the Society.

Section 3. A Trustee and Alternate Trustee are to be nominated and elected by the Society and submitted to the National Society to represent the Society and vote on issues during scheduled meetings of the National Society Trustees. The Alternate Trustee shall be the Society President and serve in no additional officer capacity. The Trustee shall not serve in any other officer position.

Section 4. A Society President, Alternate Trustee, Trustee may not serve more than two oneyear terms, consecutively.

Section 5. The Society, in coordination with other societies within the District, may nominate a Vice-President General for the District in accordance with the Constitution and Bylaws of the National Society to perform the duties as defined in the National Society Constitution and Bylaws.

Section 6. A Vice President General of the Society shall serve until a successor is elected.

Section 7. The Board of Managers (Board) of the Society, shall consist of:

a) Society elected officers;
b) Society Trustee;
c) Society members who are former or current National Society General Officers;
d) immediate Past President of the Society;
e) presidents of Society chapters; and,
f) two members at-large from the society membership appointed by the President.

Section 8. The Board shall direct the activities of the Society by establishing policies and programs, developing annual budgets, and accepting or rejecting committee reports.

Section 9. The Board may not dispose of, disperse, or distribute any assets of the Society, or incur any liabilities other than current expenses, unless specifically authorized to do so by the general membership at the Annual Meeting scheduled by the Board, or by an affirmative vote of no less than two thirds of the members of the Board, present at a meeting of the Board.

ARTICLE V: SOCIETY NATIONAL OFFICERS AND DELEGATES

Section 1. National Trustee and Alternate Trustee. The Society shall be represented by a National Trustee who shall serve as a liaison between the Society and the National Society. The National Trustee should be a person of proven leadership capabilities dedicated to the Society. A Compatriot who is elected to the position of Trustee and/or Alternate Trustee must agree to fulfill the duties and responsibilities of the Society specified in the Society Bylaws.

Section 2. Delegates to the National Congress. The Society shall be represented by a delegation to the National Society Congress appointed by the Board in accordance with the National Society Constitution and Bylaws.

ARTICLE VI: MEETINGS

Section 1. Regular Meetings. The Society shall conduct not less than three regularly scheduled meetings each year. Regular meetings of the Society are traditionally held in conjunction with meetings of the National Society Leadership and Trustees Meetings and the National Congress.

Section 2. Special Meetings. Special meetings may be held at a location specified by the Society President or the Board. They may also be held via telephone or computer electronic communications upon the call of the President or his designee to consider specific subjects and issues. If a vote is required, the voting may be conducted by mail, including electronic mail. If necessary due to time constraints, the votes may be taken over the phone and confirmed in writing to the Secretary.

Section 3. Annual Meeting. There shall be an Annual Meeting of the Society, open to all members, scheduled in conjunction with the meeting of the National Society Spring Leadership and Trustee Meeting. The Annual Meeting may provide a forum for the presentation of medals, awards, and special recognition of members. The Annual Meeting shall provide all members an opportunity to review the status of the Society; to conduct elections of officers and trustees; to nominate candidates for the National Trustee, Alternate Trustee, and Vice-President General of the Society; to act on proposed changes to the Society’s Constitution and Bylaws; and to conduct other business that requires the approval of the members.

Section 4. Quorum. A quorum for the meetings of the Society and Board shall consist of a minimum of ten members in good standing.

Section 5. Parliamentary Authority. Meetings of the Society, the Board, and the committees of the Society shall be governed by Robert’s Rules of Order, Newly Revised on all matters of parliamentary procedure.

ARTICLE VII: DUES AND FEES

All dues and fees required for the operation of the Society shall be established as necessary by the Board. All dues and fees shall be due on or before the end of the calendar year or a date specified by the Board. The Society Treasurer shall be responsible for the collection of all dues and fees from the membership. Membership in the Society shall terminate upon the failure to pay all dues and fees by the date specified by the Board, or upon the death or resignation of a member.

The financial assets of the Society shall be held in an insured banking institution. The Treasurer shall have the responsibility to make deposit and expenditures from the account. The Society account shall have both the President and Treasurer or Secretary as authorized to transact deposits and expenditures from the account.

ARTICLE VIII: MEDALS AND AWARDS

Medals and awards of the National Society for members and non-members are described in the National Society Handbook. The Society shall follow all rules, regulations, and policies of the National Society in awarding medals and awards.

ARTICLE IX: CHAPTERS

Section 1. It shall be the special duty of this Society and its officers to promote the establishment of chapter(s) in Germany and to encourage their programs and activities.

Section 2. Upon petition to, including the proposed chapter constitution and bylaws and the initial chapter officers, consisting of primary members of the Society, the Society President and the Society Board shall consider the chartering of a chapter(s) of the Society.

Section 3. No person shall be a member of a chapter who is not a member of the Society.

Section 4. Each chapter shall file current copies of its constitution and by-laws with the Secretary, and shall inform him of any amendments to them.

Section 5. Each chapter is required to submit an annual report listing its officers and reporting on its activities to each annual meeting of the Society. The report shall be submitted in writing.

Section 6. The chapter secretary is responsible for notifying the Society Secretary of any known changes in chapter membership through death or otherwise, and of any changes in the mailing address and telephone numbers of chapter members.

Section 7. In the event a chapter becomes inactive, or for any reason should cease to meet and fails to elect officers, the President shall have the authority to attempt to reactivate the chapter. The President or his designate may appoint such temporary officers in the chapter as he may deem desirable, when the regular officers have for any reason ceased to function, and such temporary officers shall perform the duties of their offices and conduct the business of the chapter until a meeting can be held to reactivate the chapter.

Section 8. In the event all efforts to reorganize an inactive chapter fail, then, on the recommendation of the President, the Board shall revoke the charter of the chapter and it shall cease to exist. In such a case, the property of the chapter shall become the property of the Society.

ARTICLE X: COMMITTEES

The President may establish such committees as deemed necessary to provide recommendations on policy and efficient administration of the business of the Society. The President shall appoint committee chairmen from the Society membership. The Society and Board need the guidance provided by various committees by their recommendations on policy and efficient administration of the business of the Society.

ARTICLE XI: DAR and CAR Liaison

The Society President in consultation with the Board may appoint liaison representatives to the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) and Children of the American Revolution (CAR). The member(s) appointed as liaison is not an officer of the society, unless elected as an officer in ARTICLE IV, Section 1, above.

ARTICLE XII: NOMINATIONS

The President of the Society shall appoint a nominating committee and its chairman at the annual fall meeting of the National Society Leadership and Trustee meeting. The nominating committee shall develop a slate of candidates and distribute it to the membership at the spring meeting of the National Society Leadership and as an attachment to the announcement of the Annual Membership Meeting of the Society at the National Congress.

ARTICLE XIII: REMOVAL FROM OFFICE

A member of the Society may be removed from office or from the Board for sufficient cause. Sufficient case for removal shall be, but is not necessarily limited to, the following: 1. Acts in derogation of the organization, the Nation, or a fellow Compatriot; 2. Acts inconsistent with the purposes of the organization; or 3. Failure to abide by the requirements of the Constitution and Bylaws of the Society or the National Society. The Society President may appoint a committee of at least three members of the Society to hear grievances and report to the Board including recommendations.

ARTICLE XIV: DISSOLUTION

At such time as the Society can no longer function under the terms of the charter granted by the National Society, or is unable to comply with the terms of the Constitution and Bylaws of the National Society, the Society shall be considered to be inactive and dissolved by the Board. All assets and property, including the original charter belonging to the Society shall revert to the National Society.

ARTICLE XV: CONSISTENCY WITH NATIONAL SOCIETY CONSTITUTION AND BYLAWS

The Constitutions and Bylaws of the Society are required to be consistent with the National Society Constitution, Bylaws and requirements (i.e., Handbook, policies, regulations, etc.) and where the Society Constitution or Bylaws are not consistent, the National Society rules prevail.

ARTICLE XVI: AMENDMENTS

The Constitution and Bylaws of the Society may be amended, in whole or part, as determined by a two thirds vote of the Board.

CERTIFICATION OF ADOPTION OF CONSTITUTION AND BYLAWS, as Amended

Approved Date: July 20, 2014

/s/ Bruce A. Buehler
Bruce A. Buehler
President, Germany Society

/s/ Larry T. Guzy
Larry T. Guzy
Secretary, Germany Society

Adopted January 2000, incorporating revisions and amendments of October 1999, February 2004, July 20, 2014, March 7, 2015 and June 28, 2015.