CALIFORNIA STATE COMMANDERS VETERANS COUNCIL
CONSTITUTION AND BYLAWS
ARTICLE I MEMBER ORGANIZATIONS
Honorary Life:
1.
United Spanish War Veterans (USWV)
2. Veterans of World War I (V of WW I)
3.
WAVES National (Waves NAT)
Regular:
1. Military Order of the Purple Heart, Department of California (MOPH)*
2. Veterans of Foreign Wars, Department of California (VFW)*
3. Marine Corps League, Department of California (MCL)*
4. American Veterans, Department of California*
5. Jewish War Veterans, USA (JWV)*
6. Fleet Reserve Association, West Coast Region (FRA WC)
7. Armed Forces Retirees Association, California (AFRAC)
8. Military Officers Association of America, California Council of Chapters
(CAL-MOAA)
9. California Association of County Veteran Service Officers (CACVSO)
10. Reserve Officers Association, Dept of California (ROA)
11. Paralyzed Veterans of America (PVA)
12. Vietnam Veterans of America, California Council (VVA)
13. The Retired Enlisted Association (TREA)
14. Association of the U.S. Army (AUSA)
Cooperating: [None.]
Affiliate:
1. Air Force Sergeants Association (AFSA)
2. Legion of Valor (LoV)
3. National Association for Uniformed Services (NAUS)
[See Section 305 for description of
Categories of Membership. New member organizations are to indicate, at time of
application, the category of membership for which they are applying. Current
members may change their category of membership by sending written notification
to the Secretary who will disseminate to other members of the Council at the
next scheduled meeting.]
*Founding Member
ARTICLE II NAME
Section 201. This association shall be known as the California State Commanders
Veterans Council.
ARTICLE III MEMBERSHIP
Section 301. Membership in this Council shall be open to the Department
Commanders, or their equivalent, of all Veterans organizations in California who
are incorporated in California under the Revenue & Taxation Code 23701f, and
their membership consists of Veterans who served honorably in the Armed Forces
of these United States of America.
Section 302. Membership In this council shall be open to a maximum of two (2)
Department Commanders, or their equivalent, of those Veterans organizations
qualified in Section 301 who, within the State of California, have more than one
of their National group. Each organization shall determine the category of
membership which it shall hold, and may change its category of membership as
desired by submission of due notice to the Secretary of the Council.
Section 303. Any Veteran organization that is eligible for and desires
membership in this Council shall submit a letter of application in person during
any regularly scheduled meeting. The Council shall take this letter under
advisement, and, at the Council̓s
next regularly scheduled meeting, vote on same. For membership approval, there
must be a unanimous decision of the voting members present. Upon approval, the
organization name will be added to the member organizations in Article I.
Section 304. The Department Commander is authorized to designate an alternate as
the voting representative of the organization at any meeting of the Council.
Section 305. Categories of membership are established as follows:
a. Regular: Regular Members participate fully in the activities of the Council
including voting at meetings, and serving as officers of the Council in
accordance with Article VI.
b. Cooperating: Cooperating Members may participate in the Council meetings,
including voting, as their resources may permit. However, a Cooperating Member
will not serve as an officer of the Council
c. Affiliate: An Affiliate Member may attend the meetings of the Council and
take part in the discussions, as desired. However, an Affiliate Member will not
vote on motions and will not be bound in any way by activities or decisions of
the other Council members.
d. Honorary Life: Honorary Life members are members identified by the Council as being given life membership without any further payment of dues.
ARTICLE IV OFFICERS
Section 401. The officers of this Council shall be a Chairman, Vice Chairman,
Secretary, Treasurer and Legislative Officer. The offices of Secretary and
Treasurer may be combined into one person as determined during the annual
election by the members.
Section 402. The Chairman may appoint any Committee that he deems necessary to
carry out function of the organization.
Section 403. Standing Committees: The
Legislative Committee will be a Standing Committee. The Chair of the Committee
is the Legislative Officer. Members are appointed on an annual basis by the
Chairman. This committee has the authority to make time sensitive
determinations of Council position on legislation that is required between
Council meetings.
ARTICLE V DUTIES OF OFFICERS
Section 501. The Chairman shall preside at all meetings of this Council. He
shall be an ex-officio member of any and all committees of this Council. Unless
otherwise designated by the Council he shall be the official voice of this
Council within the policy limits as herein prescribed.
Section 502. The Vice Chairman shall take on the duties of the Chairman in his
absence, and any other duties as designated by the Chairman and/or the Council.
Section 503. The Secretary shall be responsible to collect, file and keep the
records of the Council, minutes, and tangible property. He shall inform all
members of called meetings and other Council business as designated by the
Chairman and/or Council.
Section 504. The Treasurer shall be responsible for the receipts and
disbursements of this Council maintenance of financial records. He is authorized
to maintain a checking account for the deposit Council funds. All checks shall
be signed by one (1) of the three (3) following listed officers: Chairman,
Treasurer, and Secretary.
Section 505. The Legislative Officer and/or the Legislative Advocate shall keep
the Council informed of pending legislation that relates to veterans by the
Federal Congress and California State Legislature. They shall also forward
Council approved legislative resolutions to the proper governing authority as
directed by the Council, under the Chairman’s
and/or Legislative Officers signatures,
as considered to be appropriate.
ARTICLE VI ELECTION OF OFFICERS
Section 601. The offices of Chairman and Vice Chairman shall be automatically
rotated among the member organizations holding Regular Membership in the
sequence in which they are listed in Article I. The organization which provides
the individual to serve as Vice Chairman in one year shall provide the person to
serve as Chairman the following year. The planned rotation is as indicated in
Standing Rule 1. This rotation shall be confirmed each year during the meeting
normally scheduled in October.
Section 602. The offices of Secretary, Treasurer, and Legislative Officer shall
be filled each year by election during the meeting normally scheduled in
October.
Section 603. All officers shall be installed as the last order of business
during the meeting normally scheduled in October, shall take office immediately,
and serve until their successors are qualified and installed.
ARTICLE VII POLICY
Section 701. This Council shall assign itself to the problems usually attributed
to veterans’ rights and benefits within the state of California.
Section 702. This Council shall be active in all matters pertaining to Veterans
and their well being, but shall maintain a non-partisan stance.
Section 703. In any and all deliberations of this Council, every member
organization shall respect the mandates of the other member organizations,
Section 704. No deliberation of any kind shall be reduced to a vote nor shall
any voting take place on any matter which is contrary to the mandates of a
member organization holding Regular Membership and to which said member
organization voices objection.
Section 705. All business of this Council shall remain within said Council and
its member organizations, None shall speak for nor on behalf of the Council
without the unanimous approval of this Council,
Section 706. All news releases and publicity approved by this Council shall be
released only in the name of the Council and not in the name of its members.
ARTICLE VIII VOTING
Section 801. On all policy matters, each voting member shall have one vote, and
approval shall be by unanimous vote of those organizations present holding
Regular and Cooperating Membership.
Section 802. On all matters not affecting the mandates of member organizations,
each voting member shall be entitled to one vote and the majority shall rule.
ARTICLE IX DUES
Section 901. Each organization, in all categories of membership except Honorary
Life, shall pay an annual fee for the administrative support of the Council. The
amount of the fee shall be in accordance with Standing Rule 3.
ARTICLE X MEETINGS
Section 1001. The Council will meet at least three (3) times per year. The
actual dates and locations for the meetings shall normally be established during
the meeting of the Council which is scheduled during the Fall, usually in the
month of October.
Section 1002. A majority of the Regular and Cooperating member organizations
shall constitute a quorum for meeting purposes.
ARTICLE XI AMENDMENTS
Section 1101. The Constitution and Bylaws may be amended from time to time, but
only by unanimous approval of the voting members present.
Section 1102. Before any amendment may be considered by the Council the proposed
amendment is sent to each member organization at least thirty (30) days prior to
the next meeting of the Council.
Section 1103. The Standing Rules shall provide details concerning the
implementation of these bylaws in the operations of the Council. Standing Rules
may be proposed as part of the agenda for any meeting and approved or modified
by a majority of the voting members present.
ARTICLE XII PARLIAMENTARY PROCEDURE
Section 1201. All proceedings of the California State Commanders Veterans
Council not covered by specific rules shall be governed by Roberts
Rules of Order (current edition).
APPROVED BY THE MEMBER ORGANIZATIONS JULY 18, 1981
AMENDED October 28, 2000.
AMENDED February 21, 2004
AMENDED October 21, 2006
________________________________________________________________________
STANDING RULE NO.1
ELECTION OF CHAIRMAN AND VICE CHAIRMAN OF THE COUNCIL
In accordance with Section 601 of the Bylaws, the offices of Chairman and Vice Chairman of the Council are rotated among the member organizations holding Regular Membership, in the sequence in which they are listed in Article I. The rotation shall be confirmed each year during the meeting normally scheduled in October.
YEAR CHAIRMAN VICE CHAIRMAN
2006-2007 Vietnam Veterans of America The Retired Enlisted Association
2007-2008 The Retired Enlisted Association Paralyzed Veterans of America
2008-2009 Paralyzed Veterans of America Association of United States Army
2009-2010 Association of United States Army Military Order of the Purple Heart
2010-2011 Military Order of the Purple Heart Veterans of Foreign Wars
2011-2012 Veterans of Foreign Wars Marine Corps League
2012-2013 Marine Corps League AMVETS
2013-2014 AMVETS Jewish War Veterans
2014-2015 Jewish War Veterans Fleet Reserve Association,West Coast
2015-2016 Fleet Reserve Association, West Coast Armed Forces Retirees Association, Cal.
2016-2017 Armed Forces Retirees Association, Cal. Military Officers Association of America
2018-2019 Military Officers Association of America CA Asso. County Veteran Service Officers
2020-2021 CA Asso. County Veteran Service Officers Reserve Officers Association
2021-2022 Reserve Officers Association Vietnam Veterans of America
In the event an organization’s representative states that they are unable to accept the office in the year in which they are scheduled to assume the responsibility, the next organization in normal sequence of rotation will take the office.
This Standing Order may be revised, as necessary, by a majority vote at any meeting of the Council
STANDING RULE NO. 2
MEETINGS
For regularly scheduled meetings of the Council, an agenda shall be distributed approximately two weeks prior to the meeting. Additional subjects may be added to the agenda at the meeting by the Chairman or by vote of the member organizations present.
If any non-agenda item is put to a vote by the member organizations present, no action may be taken on that item until after a full description of the motion has been distributed to any member organizations that were not present at the meeting, and such organizations have had at least two weeks time to register an objection.
If a special meeting is required, similar action shall be taken for any member organization that is unable to be present to provide notification of any votes that were taken.
The objective of this Rule is to ensure that all member organizations are protected from having any action taken or published in the name of the Council that may conflict with the mandates of each and every organization in compliance with Section 704 of the bylaws.
STANDING RULE NO. 3
DUES
In accordance with Section 901 of the bylaws, members of the Council shall pay annual dues of $100.
New organizations accepted into the Council during the year shall pay a pro-rated share of the dues for the remainder of that year.
Annual dues are due and payable on the first day of January of the current year and are delinquent on the first day of January of the following year or until other orders of the Council. No member is allowed to vote when their dues are delinquent.