Class Constitution

CONSTITUTION For the USMA CLASS OF 1983

ARTICLE I: Preamble

SECTION 1. The name of this organization is the United States Military Academy Class Of 1983, hereinafter referred to as the Class.

SECTION 2. The Class is a non-profit, self-sustaining, private organization, and will exist until the death of its last Regular Member.

SECTION 3. The Class is not an instrument of the United States Government. It exists solely to serve the members of the Class and, through the Class, the United States Military Academy. It shall be administered by individuals not acting within their official capacities as officers, employees, or agents of the United States Government.

SECTION 4. The purpose of this Constitution is to provide a vehicle for the administration of the Class after graduation from the United States Military Academy.

ARTICLE II: Purpose and Object

SECTION 1. Purpose. The purpose of the Class shall be to perpetuate the association of the members begun as Cadets and to support and further the ideals of the United States Military Academy.

SECTION 2. Object. The object of the Class is to provide a means for administering Class affairs, to define membership, to deal with Class-related financial matters, and to provide a point of contact, through Class Officers, with the Association of Graduates (AOG). The Class shall be its membersÕ association supported by contributions or fund-raising activities and shall not be carried on for profit.

ARTICLE III: Membership

SECTION 1. The regular membership of the Class will automatically include all graduates of the USMA, Class of 1983. In addition, it may include Associate and Honorary Members. a. Regular Members shall be all USMA graduates from the year 1983 who are officially recorded by the Association of Graduates, to include those cadets who were reassigned to the Class from a higher class and who subsequently completed the requirements for graduation. b. Associate Members shall include those persons who were members of the Class of 1983, at the time of acceptance of the Class into the Corps of Cadets, but who are not Regular Members. Associate Members must be nominated by a Regular Member and approved by the Executive Board, otherwise referred to as the Board. c. Honorary Members shall consist of all persons to whom the Executive Board has offered membership and who have accepted this offer. The Board must have a majority vote to approve an offer for Honorary Membership.

SECTION 2. Regular members shall have all rights guaranteed them by this Constitution.

SECTION 3. Associate and Honorary members shall have all rights of Regular Members, except the right to vote in class matters.

SECTION 4. Resignation. Members of the Class may withdraw from this association, if desired. Resignation will be effective upon receipt by the Board of a letter from a member, the subject of which shall be "Request to Resign from the USMA Class of 1983."

ARTICLE IV: Officers

SECTION 1. Classification. The Officers shall be comprised of Honorary and Regular Officers.

SECTION 2. Honorary Class Officers. The Honorary Officers are the President, Ray Royalty; Vice President, Keith Heathcock; Treasurer, Wayne Detwiler; Secretary, Michael McManigal, and Historian/Scribe, Tom Kirkland, who were elected by the Class while Cadets at the United States Military Academy. Honorary Officers shall serve from the ClassÕ graduation until the fifteen- (15) year reunion. Unless re-elected as Regular Officers, Honorary Officers shall have no further responsibility for Class administration. They shall hold their positions for life. Vacancies in these positions will not be filled.

SECTION 3. Regular Class Officers. The Regular Officers shall be a President, a Vice President, a Secretary, a Treasurer, an Historian/Scribe, a Fundraising Officer and an Information Systems Officer. These officers shall perform the duties as prescribed by the Bylaws and in accordance with the parliamentary authority adopted by the Class. a. Election. The Regular Officers shall be elected from the Regular Members of the Class to serve for five (5) years or until their successors are elected, unless they should sooner die, resign, or be removed. Their five-year term of office shall begin immediately at the conclusion of the Class Reunion at which they are elected. b. Vacancies. Vacancies resulting from the resignation, removal, or death of a Regular Officer may be filled by majority vote of the Board, and the officer so chosen shall hold office until the next Reunion. Should the Presidency become vacant, the Vice President shall assume the office of President, and the vacancy shall exist in the office of the Vice President. The Board may then fill the Vice PresidentÕs vacancy.

SECTION 4. Impeachment Procedures.

a. Class Officers may be impeached for the following reasons:

(1) extended negligence of duties; negligence is defined as any dereliction of duty that is related to oneÕs responsibilities,

(2) a lack of desire to serve in the best interests of the Class, or

(3) an inability to perform in the best interest of the Class, or an inability to properly represent the members of the Class.

b. Any Regular Member may request impeachment proceedings against a Class Officer. Such request must be submitted in writing to the Board in order to initiate proceedings. Such request must include explicit reasons for which impeachment procedures are requested.

c. Within thirty (30) days of receipt of such request, the Board shall designate a Committee not comprised of any Regular Officers to investigate the matter. The Committee shall number no less than five (5) Regular Members, and not more than nine (9) members.

d. The Committee shall determine whether sufficient cause exists to impeach the Class Officer. A three-fourths vote of the Committee is required to proceed to a Class vote.

e. The Class will be notified of the impeachment proceedings by mail. Notification will include explicit reasons for which impeachment proceedings have been brought against the Class Officer and that the Committee has found sufficient cause to initiate a Class vote.

f. Voting will be done by ballot. All ballots returned within forty-five (45) days of the ballot mailing date shall constitute a quorum. A two-thirds vote is required to impeach a Class Officer. The Class Officer against whom impeachment proceedings have been brought may not vote.

g. In case of impeachment, the vacant office will be filled in accordance with Article IV, Section 3.b. of the Class Constitution.

ARTICLE V: Executive Board

SECTION 1. Membership. As a minimum, the Executive Board shall be comprised of the Regular Officers. The Board shall not number more than nine Regular Members of the Class.

SECTION 2. Voting. More than one-half of the total members of the Board shall be present, in person or via telephonic or electronic means, for business to constitute a quorum. Board decisions shall be determined by majority vote when a quorum is present. Votes may be made in person, in writing, or by telephonic or electronic means.

SECTION 3. Responsibilities. The Board shall have general supervision of the affairs of the Class between its business meetings, fix the hour and place of meetings, make recommendations to the Class, and shall perform such other duties as are specified in the Bylaws. The Board has responsibility for organizing class activities and for directing use of the Class Administration Fund. The Board shall make a formal report of its activities available to the Class at least once annually. The Board shall be subject to the orders of the Class, and none of its acts shall conflict with the actions taken by the Class.

SECTION 4. Meetings. Unless otherwise determined by the Board, its regular meetings shall be held on the first day of each quinquennial reunion.

ARTICLE VI: The Class Ring

The retention and wear of the Class Ring shall be governed by the tradition of the United States Military Academy.

a. The USMA Class of 1983 Class Ring may be worn only by Regular Members.

b. The family of any deceased member of the Class may retain the Class Ring.

ARTICLE VII: The Class Crest

The Class Crest shall be the property of the Class. The Class reserves all rights.

ARTICLE VIII: Parliamentary Authority

The rules contained in the current edition of RobertÕs Rules of Order shall govern the Class in all cases to which they are applicable and in which they are not inconsistent with this Constitution, and any special rules of order the Class may adopt.

ARTICLE IX: Adoption of Constitution

This Constitution, as approved by two-thirds of those classmates who return a ballot within 60 days of delivery of the ballots, will become effective immediately after the ClassÕ fifteenth Reunion.

ARTICLE X: Amendment of Constitution

This Constitution may be amended at any Regular Meeting of the Class by a two-thirds vote of the Regular Members present in person or by proxy. Proposed amendments will be submitted by the Board to all Regular Members for approval, together with a written explanation of the amendmentÕs purpose and a ballot. In case of an amendmentÕs 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 two-thirds vote, of those Regular Members who return their ballot, will be required to approve the proposed amendment.

ARTICLE XI: Dissolution

The Class shall be dissolved and all assets remaining shall become the property of the Association of Graduates upon the death of the last Regular Member of the Class.

BYLAWS For the USMA CLASS OF 1983

ARTICLE I: Duties of the 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/she 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/she 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 Locator. 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 Bylaws. 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.

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/She shall record and report Class activities through the Class column in ASSEMBLY Magazine 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 the Class List Server for the exchange of electronic mail. The Information Systems Officer shall be the focal point for e-mail addresses and assure that they as well as address changes, when they are provided, are passed on to the Association of Graduates. The Information Systems Officer shall have primary responsibility for enhancing and improving class communications through technology.

SECTION 7. Fundraising Officer. The Fundraising Officer shall be responsible for goal setting, establishing, maintaining and leading the Class fundraising efforts.

ARTICLE II: Meetings and Elections

SECTION 1. A Regular Meeting will be held at each quinquennial reunion. At the fourth quinquennial reunion and thereafter, elections for Regular Officers 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 at a Regular Meeting, 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 a report of each annual meeting to all Class members.

ARTICLE III: 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. From time to time, the Board shall establish limits on the TreasurerÕs 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 IV: Class Gifts

The Class in accordance with Article II, Section 4 of the Class Bylaws, will approve class gifts to the United States Military Academy and the AOG. 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 V: 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 VI: Amendments

SECTION 1. Proposed amendments to these Bylaws will be submitted by the Executive Board to Regular Members for approval, together with a written explanation of the amendmentÕs purpose and a ballot. In case of an amendmentÕs 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 or her own expense.