'54 Constitution & Bylaws

CONSTITUTION - USMA Class of 1954

ARTICLE I

Preamble

SECTION 1. The name of this organization is the United States Military Academy Class of 1954 (USMA Class of 1954), 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.

SECTION 5. The Class shall be organized as a Committee of the Whole that includes all Regular Members of the Class.

ARTICLE II

Purpose and Objective

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

SECTION 2. Objective. This constitution provides a means for administering Class affairs, defines membership, deals with Class-related finances, and provides a point of contact, through Class Officers and the Executive Committee, with the West Point Association of Graduates (WPAOG). The Class is supported by contributions, fund-raising activities, and income earned from its invested reserves.
 

ARTICLE III

Membership

SECTION 1. Regular Members shall include all graduates of the USMA, Class of 1954.        

SECTION 2. Associate Members shall include all those persons who were members of the Class of 1954 as Cadets but who did not graduate and therefore are not Regular Members. Associate Members must be nominated by a Regular Member and approved by the Executive Committee. Widows of Regular Members and Associate Members will be Associate Members.

SECTION 3. Honorary Members shall consist of all persons to whom the Executive Committee has offered membership and who have accepted this offer. The Executive Committee must approve an offer of Honorary Membership by a majority vote.

SECTION 4. Members’ Rights

SECTION 4.1. Regular Members shall have all rights guaranteed them by this Constitution.

SECTION 4.2. Associate and Honorary Members shall have all rights of Regular Members, except the right to vote in Class matters. As an exception, Associate Members who hold positions on the Executive Committee or are Class Officers will have voting privileges. 

SECTION 5. Resignation. Members of the Class may withdraw from this association, if desired. Resignation will be effective upon receipt by the Executive Committee of a letter from a member, the subject of which shall be “Request to Resign from the USMA Class of 1954.”

ARTICLE IV

Executive Committee

SECTION 1. Membership. The Executive Committee shall be composed of seven (7) to fifteen (15) Regular Members or Associate Members of the Class.   

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

SECTION 3. Responsibilities. The Executive Committee shall supervise the affairs of the Class, fix the hour and place of its meetings and class reunions, make recommendations to the Class, and perform such other duties as are specified herein and in the Bylaws. The Executive Committee has responsibility for organizing class activities and for directing use of the Class Administration Fund. The Executive Committee shall make a formal report of its activities to the Class at least once annually. The Executive Committee 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. The Executive Committee shall hold a meeting at each Five-Year Reunion and when scheduled by the Class President.

ARTICLE V

Officers and Executive Committee

SECTION 1. Class Officers. The Officers shall be a President, a Vice President, a Secretary, a Treasurer, a Memorial Articles Project Coordinator, a Scribe, and an Information Technology Officer. These officers shall perform the duties as prescribed by the Bylaws and in accordance with the parliamentary authority adopted by the Class.

SECTION 2. Elections. The Executive Committee is elected at Five-Year Reunions from the Regular Members or Associate 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. The Officers shall be elected from among and by the members of the Executive Committee. Their Five-Year term of office shall begin immediately at the conclusion of the Five-Year Reunion at which they are elected.

SECTION 3. Vacancies. Vacancies resulting from the resignation, death, or removal of an Executive Committee member or a Class Officer may be filled by majority vote of the Executive Committee, and the member or officer so chosen shall hold office until the next Five-Year Reunion. Should the Presidency become vacant, the Vice President shall assume the office of President.

SECTION 4. Impeachment Procedures.

4.1 Impeachment proceedings may be brought against members of the Executive Committee or Class Officers for the following reasons:

4.1.1 Extended negligence of duties. Negligence is defined as any dereliction of duty that is related to one’s responsibilities.

4.1.2 A lack of desire to serve in the best interests of the Class.

4.1.3 An inability to perform in the best interest of the Class, or an inability to properly represent the members of the Class.

4.2 Any Regular Member may request impeachment proceedings against an Executive Committee member or a Class Officer. Such request must be submitted in writing to the Executive Committee. The request must include explicit reasons for which impeachment procedures are requested.

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

4.4 The Committee shall determine whether sufficient cause exists to remove the Executive Committee member or the Class Officer. A two-thirds vote of the Committee is required to proceed to a Class vote.

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

4.6 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 remove an Executive Committee member or a Class Officer. The Executive Committee member or the Class Officer against whom impeachment proceedings have been brought may not vote. The results of the voting will be reported by the committee to the class.

4.7 In case of impeachment, the vacant position will be filled in accordance with Article V, Section 3, of the Class Constitution.

ARTICLE VI

The Class Crest

The Class Crest shall be the property of the Class. All rights are reserved by the Class.

ARTICLE VII

Parliamentary Authority

The rules contained in the current edition of Robert’s 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 VIII

Adoption of Constitution

The Constitution initially became effective when it was adopted by the Class of 1954 prior to graduation.

ARTICLE IX

Amendment of Constitution

This Constitution may be amended at any Five-Year Reunion Meeting of the Class by a simple majority vote of the Regular Members present in person and returned ballots. Proposed amendments will be submitted by the Executive Committee 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 Five-Year Reunions, 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.

ARTICLE X

Dissolution

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

BYLAWS - USMA Class of 1954

ARTICLE I

Duties of Class Officers

SECTION 1. President. The Class President shall chair the Executive Committee and Class meetings and coordinate the affairs of the Class.

SECTION 2. Vice President. The Vice President shall assist the President and shall act in his absence.

SECTION 3. Secretary. The Class Secretary shall maintain records of the affairs and business of the Class and will assist the President in administration pertinent to the Class. He shall ensure minutes are kept of Class meetings. The Secretary shall forward copies of all minutes to the West Point Association of Graduates (WPAOG) to be placed in the Class archives. The Secretary shall coordinate all Class mailings not specifically associated with reunion activities. The Secretary shall maintain a Class History, the Class archives, and all permanent records of significance to the Class and shall forward copies of such to the WPAOG Class archives.

SECTION 4. Treasurer. The Class Treasurer shall manage 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 report the end of year balance of Class funds, and quarterly reports of transactions for each quarter, to the Executive Committee. The Treasurer shall report all account balances to the Class at each reunion business meeting.

SECTION 5. Memorial Articles Project Coordinator. The Class Memorial Articles Project Coordinator shall lead the Class Memorial Articles (MA) Program to develop MAs and publish them in TAPS in a timely manner, providing a lasting means by which we honor our fallen classmates.

SECTION 6. Scribe. The Class Scribe shall record and report Class activities through the Class Notes column in ASSEMBLY and by e-mail to those Class members having e-mail addresses listed with the WPAOG.

SECTION 7. Information Technology Officer. The Information Technology Officer shall be responsible for establishing and maintaining the Class website and for posting information pertinent to the Class on the website. The Information Technology Officer shall have primary responsibility for enhancing and improving Class communications through technology.

ARTICLE II

Meetings and Elections

SECTION 1. A Class Meeting will be held at each Five-Year Reunion. At Five-Year Reunions elections for the Executive Committee and 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 as determined by the Executive Committee or a majority of Regular Members in attendance.

SECTION 2. The Executive Committee may call for a special meeting of the Class 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 and any Associate Members who are also on the Executive Committee 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 before voting.

SECTION 4. For elections and other Class matters at a Five-Year Reunion 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 prepare a report after each Five-Year Reunion Meeting and post it to the Class website.

ARTICLE III

Class Gift and Administrative Funds

SECTION 1. The Class may maintain a Class Gift Fund with the WPAOG which will be administered by the Treasurer in conjunction with the WPAOG. The purpose of the Class Gift Fund is to provide for gifts to the United States Military Academy or the WPAOG. These funds are charitable gifts from members of the Class and others to the WPAOG for the Class Gift Fund. The USMA Superintendent and the Class must agree on the use of these funds for the Academy. The WPAOG and the Class must agree on the use of these funds for the WPAOG.

SECTION 2. With the approval of the Executive Committee, the Treasurer may establish one or more Administrative Fund Accounts with the WPAOG or elsewhere for Class funds. The Executive Committee 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 Fund Accounts shall be used for Class administrative purposes to include contributions or flowers upon the death of a member, and other purposes as approved by the Executive Committee.

ARTICLE IV

Class Gifts

Class Gifts to the WPAOG for the United States Military Academy or the WPAOG itself will be approved by the Class in accordance with Article II, Section 4, of the Class Bylaws. Upon approval of a gift, the Executive Committee will authorize the WPAOG to make specific disbursements from the Class Gift Fund in fulfillment of such gifts.

ARTICLE V

Committees

The Executive Committee may create such committees as it deems necessary and appropriate. Committees shall report to the Executive Committee, 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 Committee 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 Five-Year Reunion 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 Executive Committee to consider a proposed amendment for Class approval. If the Executive Committee does not recommend the proposed amendment, the Regular Member may submit the proposed amendment for Class consideration at his own expense.