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ACCEPTED BY-LAWS OF
THE VETERANS OF THE FIRST ENGINEER COMBAT BATTALION
(Hereinafter referred to as the Organization)

September 11, 2006

ARTICLE 1
Section 1    Named of the Organization
The Organization shall be known as:  THE VETERANS OF THE FIRST ENGINEER COMBAT BATTALION. (See Above)
PURPOSE
The Organization shall be a fraternal, non-profit group whose purpose is to perpetuate the heritage, camaraderie and friendship of the Officers and Enlisted Men who served in the ranks of the FIRST ENGINEER COMBAT BATTALION at any time during its distinguished services in the United States Army.

ARTICLE II
Section 1    Membership
a)    Regular Membership:  Any Officer, Warrant Officer or Enlisted Man who served honorably for any period in any unit of the FIRST ENGINEER COMBAT BATTALTION may be a Member of this Organization.
b)    Honorary Membership:  Automatically conferred upon the widow or surviving spouse and children of Regular Members and may also be conferred upon others who have been sustaining friends and supporters of the Organization.  The Board of Directors will recommend such Honorary Membership, which must be confirmed by a majority vote of the Membership at an annual Reunion Meeting.  Honorary Membership shall not include the right to vote at any Annual Meeting, except as noted in Article 111, Section 2, paragraph (c).  Such Membership shall continue in force for the lifetime of those concerned.

Section 2    Annual Membership Dues
a)    Each Regular Member is expected to pay an Annual Membership amount of $10.00 for the period of September 1st through August 31st.  Dues shall be for the current and future years only; there shall be no Past Dues Assessment.
b)    Annual Dues may be adjusted from time to time on the recommendation of the Board of Directors subject to confirmation by a majority vote of the Membership at its Annual Meeting.
c)    Dues are payable at the Annual Reunion/Meeting, or at any time by mail to the Treasurer.
d)    The Board of Directors may, at its discretion, exempt certain Members of the Organization from payment of dues because of financial hardship.
e)    Membership in good standing:  Payment of Annual Dues (paragraph (a) above) is required to maintain good standing in the Organization.  Payment of dues will help to provide funds to cover the cost incurred in assembling, publishing and mailing the Newsletters, Reunion notices and associated items and complete rosters of all known Comrades in Arms who served with the Battalion so far as the information can be gotten.
f)    Honorary Membership is exempt from any dues required, and shall be issued a Lifetime Membership card by the Organization.

ARTICLE III

Section 1    Annual Reunion & Meeting
a)    An Annual Reunion and Meeting shall be conducted over a 3 or 4-day period each September at a location recommended by the Board of Directors at the previous Annual Reunion and Meeting.  A majority of the Members must approve the recommendation for the recommended site to be accepted.

Section 2    Quorum for Voting
a)    The Regular Members in good standing (Article II, Section 2 (e)) present at an annual Reunion/Meeting shall automatically constitute a quorum for voting on Organization business presented to the Membership for a majority vote.  A majority vote shall occur when over 50% of the Membership approves or rejects a motion brought before the Members pursuant to the Organization business.
b)    There shall be but one vote per Regular Member.
c)    Honorary Members shall, despite anything to the contrary stated in Article II, Section 1, Paragraph (b), be entitled to vote at any Annual Reunion/Meeting on selection of the site for the next Meeting and, upon passage by a majority of those present, of a motion to extend voting privileges to Honorary Members at that meeting, they shall be accorded full voting privileges.

ARTICLE IV

Section 1    Government of the Organization
a)    The Organization shall be governed by an eight (8) Member Board of Directors consisting of a Secretary, a Treasurer, an Editor Publisher Coordinator and five (5) Directors, consisting of one (1) Veteran from WW 11, one (1) Occupation, one (1) Cold War, one (1) Vietnam War, one (1) Iraq Wars of whom one by majority vote of the entire Board shall be designated Chairman.  The Directors shall have the power to fill the term of office of all vacancies on the Board caused by resignation or death of a member.  They shall meet no less than once annually at such time and place as shall be determined by them.  A quorum shall consist of no less than four (4) members.  In the event a member of one of the wars cannot be found the Organization Members by voice vote may add a veteran from one of the other conflicts to the Board at the Annual Meeting.
b)    The Chairman of the Board of Directors (hereinafter known as the Board) shall preside at all Meetings of the Organization and of the Board and shall appoint all Committees, subject to the approval of the Board, and he shall be an ex-officio member of all committees.
c)    In the absence of the Chairman, the Board shall choose one of their Members as Temporary Chairman.
d)    The Board shall propose policy and procedures and shall direct Organization activities, as necessary and prudent, to insure fulfillment, perpetuation and betterment of the purpose of the Organization, as set forth in Article I, Section 2.

Section 2    Term of Office for Directors
a)    The elected Directors shall remain in office for a period of two (2) years and may not be removed from office, except by a majority vote, for just cause as determined at an Annual Meeting.  Two (2) Directors will be elected on even years and three (3) Directors will be elected on odd years.
b)    The Secretary and Treasurer shall remain in office until one (1) he resigns or two (2) he deceases.
DUTIES OF THE SECRETARY
c)    The Secretary shall conduct all official correspondence, preserve all documents and communication and maintain an accurate record of the Organization and of all Board and Annual Membership Meetings.  He shall prepare rosters of all known eligible Members and maintain the Membership Roster in a current status at all times by adding new Members, as they become known and deleting those who have expired.  He shall have an updated Membership Roster available at each Annual Reunion for review by all who attend and shall mail such updated Membership Roster to every Member in good standing who request that he do so.  He shall also periodically publish a Newsletter that shall contain a summary of information he may have received from Members and such other items of Organization news, information and announcements as he may deem appropriate – particularly details pertaining to forthcoming Reunions etc. (Newsletters to be published, Winter, Spring and Summer.)  The Secretary shall coordinate all Reunion Proposals with the Chairman.
d)    Widows or Surviving Spouses of former Members shall be kept on the roster and receive the Organization newsletters.
DUTIES OF THE TREASURER
e)    The Treasurer shall maintain an Organization Bank Account into which all funds received by him on behalf of the Organization shall be deposited and maintained.  He will be responsible for collecting all Membership dues and issuing Membership cards.  He shall advise the Secretary of all paid up Members and all new Members he collects dues from.  He shall be authorized to withdraw funds from the Organization Bank Account as needed to defray expenses for the conducting of Organization business.  He shall render a financial statement to the Board Members at their Annual Board Meeting, and give an oral statement to the Members at the Annual Membership Meeting.
f)    When the position of Secretary or Treasurer becomes vacant, the Chairman of the Board shall designate an Acting Secretary or Treasurer from among the Members of the Board and he shall propose a replacement to be voted on at the next Annual Reunion Meeting.  Open nominations from the floor shall also be solicited.
DUTIES OF THE EDITOR PUBLISHER COORDINATOR
g)    The duties of the Editor, Publisher, Coordinator shall be to edit and publish the Newsletter for the Organization from information received from the Board Members and from the Membership.  The Newsletter shall be published at a minimum of twice a year.  Once in the fall and once in the summer.  All functions shall be coordinated with the Chairman and Secretary.

ARTICLE V
Section 1        Rules of Order
a)    Roberts “Rules of Order” shall be the parliamentary guide and shall govern the proceedings of the Organization, the Board of Directors and the Committees when not in conflict with the specific provisions of the By-Laws.

ARTICLE VI
Section 1        By-Law Changes
These By-Laws may be changed or new By-Laws may be adopted by majority vote of the Organization Membership except that the Board shall have emergency powers to change the By-Laws when changes are deemed expedient in order to continue to best serve the needs of the Organization between Annual Reunion Meetings.  Such emergency changes shall be submitted to the Membership for approval at the next Annual Reunion Meeting and, if not approved, the By-Law shall revert to status quo ante.
END OF BY-LAWS
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