By-Laws
The
Constitution and By-Laws of
the West Point Society of Michigan are as adopted by
a quorum of WPSMI membership at its annual
meeting on March 31, 1979 and
amended at its annual meetings on March 29, 1980,
March 14, 1992, March 25, 2000 and February 18,
2016.
The WPSMI Board of
Governors will have responsibility annually to
review the Society By-Laws to ensure that the
contents are being complied with and represent
current Society business objectives. The Board
will propose any changes for approval and
incorporation.
25% of the current Regular Members must
respond to the vote with a majority being in favor
of the changes to be incorporated.
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SECTION I
(Membership)
1.
Membership shall be divided into three classes,
namely, Regular, Associate, and Honorary. Only
Regular Members in good standing are entitled to
vote.
2.
Regular Membership: All graduates of the United
States Military Academy, all Cadets, and all former
Cadets who were honorably discharged from the
Academy after serving at least one semester, are
eligible for Regular Membership provided there is no
question of moral turpitude. They shall become
Regular Members of the Society upon registering
their names with the West Point Association of
Graduates, Secretary of the Society, and paying
their dues. Any Regular Member who, at the beginning
of the next fiscal year, fails to pay his/her annual
dues can be classified as a Non-Member until the
payment of such dues and can be dropped from the
rolls altogether after a lapse of one year.
3.
Honorary Membership: Honorary Members shall consist
of Regular Members' widows and widowers, and of
those persons of distinction who may or may not be
graduates of the United States Military Academy, but
who, by some outstanding and noteworthy service,
have shown themselves to be in sympathy with the
objectives of the Society. Such members are elected
by the Board of Governors and do not pay dues. Honorary
Members cannot vote.
4.
Associate Members consist of those who are not
graduates or former Cadets of the United States
Military Academy but by their support have shown
themselves to support the objectives of the Society.
Friends of West Point are in this category. Such
members are elected by the Board of Governors and
shall not pay dues nor vote
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SECTION II
(Dues)
1.
Regular Membership dues are an annual requirement
with the amount determined by the Board of Governors
and are required to vote on Society matters
2.
The fiscal year begins on January 1st and ends on
December 31st during which time the annual dues must
be paid. Annual dues for the coming fiscal year can
be paid in advance.
3.
Only Regular are required to pay dues.
4.
There shall be no initiation or transfer dues.
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SECTION III
(Organization)
A.
Board of Governors
1.
The affairs of the Society shall be managed by the
Board of Governors which shall consist of up to
twelve (12) Regular Members.
2.
They shall be elected for a term of three (3) years,
one-third being elected each year by a majority vote
of a quorum of the Society. In case of a tie, the
Board of Governors (including outgoing members)
shall, by its own vote, determine which of the tying
candidates shall be elected.
3.
Each year, the outgoing members shall constitute a
committee to nominate one candidate for each of the
coming vacancies.
4.
In the event of a failure to elect four members,
through failure to reach a quorum or for any other
reason, the terms of the four retiring Board members
shall be extended automatically until such time as
new members can be properly elected. The terms of
such new members, whenever elected, shall expire at
the time they would ordinarily expire, had they been
elected at the proper meeting.
5.
Any vacancy occurring during the business year shall
be filled by a new member to be selected by a quorum
of the Board of Governors from among the Regular
Members of the Society. Such new member shall
fulfill the unexpired term of his/her predecessor.
6.a.
Meetings of the Board may be held at any time upon
the call of the President, the Secretary, or any
other three members of the Board. Meetings of the
Board shall be held at least four (4) times a year.
6.b.
A quorum for a Board meeting shall consist of
two-thirds of the membership of the Board, either
present or by call-in provisions.
7.a.
The Board of Governors shall have the power to elect
Honorary and Associate Members.
7.b.
The Board shall have the power to admit and expel
members by vote.
7.c.
In the election of an Honorary or Associate Member
or the expulsion of any member of the Board, the
votes of all but one of those present shall be
required and a minimum of seven (7) must be present.
Two votes shall exclude admission to Honorary or
Associate Membership in the Society.
7.d.
The Board shall have the power to take such action
as the circumstances may require in case a member
fails to pay his/her dues.
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B.
Elected Officers of the Society
1.
The elected officers of the Society shall be a
President, a Vice President, a Secretary and a
Treasurer. Each shall serve for a term of one year.
Only members of the Board of Governors shall be
eligible to serve as elected officers of the Society.
2.
The elected officers of the Society shall be elected
by the Board of Governors from among their own members
at a special meeting to be held within ten (10) days
of the Annual Organization Meeting of the Society.
3.
Elected officers of the Society are eligible for
re-election immediately upon expiration of the term of
service, provided they have at least one year to serve
as members of the Board of Governors.
4.
Any vacancy occurring during the year shall be filled
by electing a new officer to serve the unexpired term
created by such vacancy. This election shall take
place at a meeting of the Board of Governors soon
after the vacancy occurs.
5.
The President shall preside at all meetings of the
Society and the Board of Governors.
6.
The Vice President shall preside during the absence of
the President.
7.
The Secretary shall keep minutes of the meetings of
the Society and of the Board of Governors, maintain a
roster of members, and, under the direction of the
Board, notify members of matters affecting the
Society.
8.
The President shall
inspect the Society minutes and other pertinent
records maintained by the Secretary annually to
insure their accuracy; he/she shall sign a statement
to that effect, to be inserted in the records of the
minutes.
9.
The
Secretary shall, at the end of the fiscal year, submit
a detailed report summarizing the activities over the
past year, the names of the officers and the names of
the membership. The names of the officers of the
Society and their functions shall be sent to the
Association of Graduates, West Point, New York,
immediately following the annual election.
10.a.
The Treasurer shall have charge of the funds of the
Society and shall make a report of the same annually
to members of the Society. The President shall
designate one member of the Board, other than the
Treasurer, and a non-Board WPSMI Society member to
audit the accounts of the Treasurer annually. The
auditors shall report the findings annually to the
Board of Governors and to Regular Members. The
Treasurer’s annual report and the audit report can be
communicated to Society members at the Annual
Organization Meeting or via written or electronic
communication.
10.b.
The Treasurer shall maintain an accurate list of the
membership, and shall make a monthly comparison of
his/her list with the roster maintained by the
Secretary.
10.c.
The Treasurer shall bill the membership for annual
dues during the month of February.
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C.
Committees of the Society
An
Executive Committee, consisting of the elected officers
of the Society, will meet as required and can act on
behalf of the Board of Governors when the Board cannot
meet. All decisions made shall be communicated as soon
as possible to the Board of Governors. The Board of
Governors can establish other committees as it believes
appropriate. |
SECTION IV
(Meetings)
A.
Schedule of Meetings
1.
The Annual Organization Meeting for the election of
the Board of Governors and other business prescribed
in the By-Laws, will be held annually by the end of June.
2.
Special
meetings of the Society may be called by the President
or upon the written request of 25% of the Regular
Members. At least thirty (30) days notice thereof
shall be given.
3.
A dinner in celebration of the founding of the
Military Academy on 16 March 1802 will be held
annually in March.
4.
Other dinner meetings will be held as needed.
5.
Luncheon or social meetings will be held as needed.
6.
A quorum at any business meeting of the Society shall
consist of 25% of the Regular Membership.
B.
Order of Business at Meetings
1.
At the Annual Organization Meeting, the order of
business shall be as follows:
a.
Call to order by the President
b.
Reading of the minutes of the previous meeting, and
vote for adoption
c.
Financial report
d.
Reports of other officers
e.
Old business
f.
New business
g.
Program as arranged by the President
h.
Adjournment
2.
In general, the same order of business shall be followed
at other meetings, less portions not applicable. |
SECTION V
(General)
A.
Anti-Discrimination
The
West Point Society of Michigan does not and shall not
discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion,
gender, age, national origin, disability, marital
status, or sexual orientation, in any of its activities
or operations. These activities include, but are not
limited to, accepting Society members, hiring and firing
of staff, selection of volunteers and vendors, and
provision of programs and services. We are
committed to providing an inclusive and welcoming
environment for all Society members and for our staff,
volunteers, program participants, and vendors
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