BVA By-Laws

Article I: Membership Dues and Voting

1. Determines the Association’s membership count.
2. Gives the member a right to vote.
3. Gives the member a right to motion.
4. A quorum will be 10 percent of the dues paying membership.
5. A quorum must be present at any meeting of the organization at which officers are elected or a vote is taken committing it to any proposal or action.

Article II: Duties: Executive Board and Officers

Duties of the Executive Board:

1. Formulate the policies, rules and regulations of the organization to conform to the Constitution and By- Laws.
2. Confirm or reject appointments made by the Commander.
3. Maintain financial records for the organization.
4. Attend to all business not otherwise specified in the Constitution or the By-Laws.
5. Responsible for calling meetings.
6. Activities and events shall be subject to review by the Executive Board

Duties of the Commander:

1. Preside at all meetings of the organization and the Executive Board; the Commander may attend committee meetings, but does not preside at committee meetings.
2. Serve as official representative of the Association.
3. Countersign financial statements.
4. Appoint committees subject to the approval of the Executive Board.
5. Issue and approve all reports as required.
6. See that the Constitution and By-Laws of the organization are enforced.
7. Approve expenditures authorized by the Executive Board.

Duties of the Vice Commander:

1. Assume full responsibilities for the duties of the Commander in his/her absence.

Duties of the Sergeant-at-Arms:

1. Responsible for maintaining order at organization meetings and functions.

Duties of the Finance Officer:

1. Furnish proper receipt for all monies expended by him/her.
2. Provide the Executive Board with monthly budget statement and a quarterly financial statement.
3. Sign checks for submission to persons designated by the Commander for countersignatures.
4. Enforce expenditure authorizations depending on the availability of funds within the allocations of the individual annual budgets.
5. Attend meetings at the request of the Executive Board.

Duties of the Adjutant:

1. Submit minutes of the previous meeting at the opening of each meeting of the organization and of the Executive Board.
2. Maintain the official records of these meetings.
3. Keep attendance at meetings and ascertain if a quorum is present.
4. Assume full responsibility for the correspondence of the organization.
5. Supports the administrative requirements of the Commander.
6. Maintains formal e-mail distribution of membership.

Article III: Nomination and Election of Officers

1. In early December, the Executive Board will notify members that they can submit nominations for officers. Notification will be by mail or e-mail and will specify that nominations must be submitted within 2 weeks.
2. Members that submit nominations must verify that the individuals they are nominating are willing to serve.
3. After verifying that the individuals that have been nominated are willing to serve, the nominations of officers will be recorded in a special meeting scheduled in late December.
4. The Executive Board will prepare a ballot and submit it to the members by mail or e-mail in early January. Members will have 2 weeks to vote.
5. Members will vote by mail or e-mail.
6. A Teller appointed by the Executive Board will tally ballots at the end of the voting session. The candidates receiving the most votes will be elected. The results will be announced by mail or e-mail.
7. New officers will begin their terms on February 1st

Article IV: Meetings

Executive Board: (BVA Officers)

1. Board Meeting - to take place once a month.
2. Quorum (attendance) - three out of five board members must be present to hold a meeting.
3. Board Vote – a unanimous vote of three is required if two are absent.
4. Consultant – may be invited to an Executive Board Meeting as an advisor/consultant/facilitator, as needed and with consensus of the

General Membership:

1. To be held on the last Friday of the month on a quarterly basis.
2. A quorum must be present at a meeting of the organization at which a vote is taken committing it to any proposal or action. Only members may vote at meetings.

Article V: Committees

Special committees may be created, and a committee chairperson appointed by the Commander. All members of the organization are eligible for service on committees. The committee chairperson shall have the responsibilities of reporting on committee activities to the organization president and the membership at large.

Article VI: Amendments

These By-Laws may be amended by a quorum in a duly assembled meeting, provided that notice of the proposed amendment has been given at the preceding meeting.