By-Laws for the USMA Class of 1979 

ARTICLE I
Duties of Class Officers

SECTION 1. President. The Class President shall coordinate the affairs of the Class and shall preside over the Executive Board and at Class functions and meetings. The President shall assume leadership for the business aspects of the class to include reunion planning, replacing Class Officers, setting up special or ad hoc committees, attending the annual Class Leaders Conference hosted by the Association of Graduates, etc.

SECTION 2. Vice President. The Vice President shall assist the President and shall preside in his absence. He shall also serve as Vice President of the Board.

SECTION 3. Secretary. The Class Secretary shall maintain records of the affairs and business of the Class and will assist the President in any administration pertinent to the Class. He shall ensure minutes are kept of Class meetings. The Secretary shall forward copies of all minutes to the AOG to be placed in the Class archives. The Secretary shall coordinate with the Association of Graduates to prepare and maintain a Class Roster. The Secretary shall coordinate the sending of flowers to funerals of class members and coordinate all gifts provided by the Class for any purpose. The Secretary shall maintain lists of class sons and daughters who are attending West Point. The Secretary shall coordinate all class mailings not specifically associated with reunion activities.

SECTION 4. Treasurer. The Class Treasurer shall attend to the finances of the Class and shall maintain records of all transactions. The Treasurer shall make such disposition from the Class funds as are authorized in Articles III and IV of these By-laws. The Treasurer shall ensure that the most recent balance of the Class funds and a record of transactions are reported to the Board at least annually. The Treasurer shall report all account balances to the Class at each reunion business meeting.  The Treasurer shall have the staff responsibility for the Class Gift and shall include status in his annual report.

SECTION 5. Historian/Scribe. The Class Historian/Scribe shall maintain the Class archives and all permanent records of significance to the Class and shall forward all copies of such to the AOG Class archives. He shall actively record and report Class activities through the Class column in each ASSEMBLY and shall ensure the publication of Class obituaries.

SECTION 6. Information Systems Officer. The Information Systems Officer shall be responsible for establishing and maintaining the Class home page on the World Wide Web, with or linked to the AOG website; for posting information pertinent to the Class on the home page; and for maintaining and moderating the Class List Server for the exchange of electronic mail. The Information Systems Officer shall be the focal point for e-mail addresses.  The Information Systems Officer shall assure that address and email address changes, as well as address changes when they are provided, are passed on to the Association of Graduates and Class Secretary. The Information Systems Officer shall have primary responsibility for enhancing and improving class communications through technology and/or other means.

SECTION 7.  Honorary Class Officers and Regular Class Officers.  As described in the Constitution of the Class of 1979, any Class Officers who are not re-elected to their positions become Honorary Class Officers for the rest of their lives.  Class Officers who are serving current terms of office are referred to as Regular Class Officers, and they are responsible for the daily operation of the Class's business, within guidelines established by the Executive Board and the Class.  Honorary Class Officers become the members of the Emeritus Committee, which shall be available as an advisory panel of consultants to the Regular Class Officers, the Executive Board, or the Class on any matter deemed necessary.

ARTICLE II
Executive Board

SECTION 1.  Members of the Executive Board.  Each of the Regular Class Officers above and a group of representatives elected from the regions described below are members of the Executive Board (the "Board"). 

SECTION 2.  Duties of the Executive Board.   The Board shall act in a similar fashion to a board of directors, and shall set philosophical and other guidelines for the Regular Class Officers to follow.  

SECTION 3.  Regional Elections for Certain Members of the Executive Board.  Ten Geographic regions shall elect one member each to the Executive Board:  [Class Officers will identify specific Geographic Regions based upon Class Population Density].  These regionally elected members to the Board shall serve on the Board with the same voting power as the Regular Class Officers.  In addition, these regionally elected members shall be responsible for improved communications with all Regular, Associate, and Honorary Class Members within their geographic regions.  To this extent, the regionally elected members shall work closely with the Information Systems Officer to (1) improve communications using existing techniques, and (2) circulate ideas on new techniques of communications that may prove useful in the future.

ARTICLE III
Meetings and Elections

SECTION 1. A Regular Meeting will be held at each quinquennial reunion. At each quinquennial reunion and thereafter, elections for Regular Officers and the regionally elected members of the Executive Board will be held, the President will report on the status of Class affairs, the Treasurer will report on Class finances, and such other business may be conducted as determined by the Board or a majority of Regular Members in attendance.

SECTION 2. The Board may call for a Special Meeting at any other time it deems appropriate. Notices of Special Meetings will be provided by mail, e-mail, or facsimile not less than sixty (60) days prior to the meeting. 

SECTION 3. Only Regular Members may vote on Class matters. Any Regular Member may vote on behalf of another Regular Member pursuant to a written proxy, an executed copy of which must be filed with the Secretary at least five (5) days prior to the meeting.

SECTION 4. For elections and other Class matters, a quorum will consist of the Regular Members in attendance in person and by proxy. For elections, the nominee receiving the most votes will be elected. For all other matters, except in impeachment procedures, a majority of a quorum will be required for action.

SECTION 5. The Secretary will mail or e-mail a report of each meeting to all Class members.

SECTION 6.  All meetings, including but not limited to Special Meetings, shall be conducted in person.  The phrase "in person" shall mean either physically present, present by videoconference or conference call, or present by any other means that reasonably allows the members to participate in a meaningful and interactive manner.  Members who desire to participate by videoconference or conference call (or any other interactive means other than by physical presence) shall be required to pay the expenses related thereto in advance.

ARTICLE IV
Class Gift and Administrative Funds

SECTION 1. The Class may maintain a Class Gift Fund with the AOG that will be administered by the Treasurer in conjunction with the AOG. The purpose of the Class Gift Fund is to provide such gifts as the Class may determine to the United States Military Academy and the AOG. The USMA Superintendent and the Class must agree on the use of these funds.

SECTION 2. Upon approval of the Board, the Treasurer may establish one or more Administrative Funds with the AOG or elsewhere for the administrative affairs of the Class. Such funds shall be deposited and/or invested in checking accounts, savings accounts, or certificates of deposit unless otherwise approved by a majority of the members of the Class (considered to be "active" members by the Association of Graduates).  From time to time, the Board shall establish limits on the Treasurer's authority to withdraw funds from such accounts for any expense or series of related expenses without the additional signature of another officer. The Administrative Funds shall be used for Class administrative purposes, to include gifts to sons and daughters who graduate from a service academy, contributions or flowers upon the death of a member, and other purposes as approved by the Executive Board.

ARTICLE V
Class Gifts

Class gifts to the United States Military Academy and the AOG will be approved by the Class in accordance with Article III, Section 4, of the Class By-laws. Upon approval of a gift, the Executive Board may authorize the Treasurer to make specific disbursements from the Class Gift Fund in fulfillment of such gifts.

ARTICLE VI
Committees

The Executive Board may create such committees as it deems necessary and appropriate. Committees shall report to the Executive Board, except in the case of committees formed for the purposes of impeachment proceedings.

ARTICLE VII
Amendments

SECTION 1. Proposed amendments to these By-laws will be submitted by the Executive Board to Regular Members for approval, together with a written explanation of the amendment's purpose and a ballot. In case of an amendment's submittal being between Regular Meetings, the notice of proposed amendment will provide not less than sixty (60) days for Regular Members to return their ballots. A majority of those voting will be required to approve the proposed amendment.

SECTION 2. Any Regular Member may request the Board to consider a proposed amendment for Class approval. If the Board does not recommend the proposed amendment, the Regular Member may submit the proposed amendment for Class consideration at his own expense.