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Constitution and By-Laws (PDF)
TABLE OF CONTENTS

CONSTITUTION
I - Name
II - Purpose
III - Membership
IV - Chapter Officers [elected]
V - Chapter Officers [appointed]
VI - Special Assistants
VII - Executive Board
VIII - Executive Committee
IX - Voting
X - Ntn'l Const. & By-Laws
XI - Amendments
XII - The By-Laws

BY-LAWS
I - Seal
II - Insignia
III - Colors
IV - Fees & Dues
V - App. for Membership
VI - Guests at Meetings
VII - Transfer of Membership
VIII - Annual Report
IX - Quorum
X - Parliamentary Procedures
XI - Duties of Elected Officers
XII - Duties of Appointed Officers

   
   
Article I - Name

Section 1.  The Society is a continuation of the Society of Military Accountants and Statisticians (founded 12 May 1949) which will henceforth be referred to as the predecessor organization.

Section 2.  The name of this organization shall be the American Society of Military Comptrollers, San Diego Chapter. Military comptrollership is defined as the profession of comptrollership in the Department of Defense and the Coast Guard, to include the field of financial and general management, accounting, finance, budgeting, programming, reporting, statistics, auditing, cost analysis, management analysis, and supporting activities in management, industrial engineering, automatic data processing, operations research, systems analysis, and such other fields as the National Council may designate.

Article II - Purpose

Section 1.  The purpose of the society is to afford a means by which members who are engaged in comptrollership/finance (other related fields) in the Department of Defense and Coast Guard in the San Diego area may, through the application of advanced knowledge, techniques, and sound management, assist in maintaining and improving the high standards of financial management throughout the Department of Defense; to foster a spirit of goodwill and good fellowship and traditions growing out of their service together.

Section 2.  To meet these objectives, the Society and its local chapters will conduct meetings and conventions, exchange correspondence and issue publications in which ideas and professional information concerning military comptrollership can be exchanged and discussed.

Article III - Membership

Section 1.  There shall be five classes of membership:

  1. A.   Active
  2. B.   Life
  3. C.   Associate
  4. D.   Honorary
  5. E.   Corporate

Section 2.  Active members shall be (or shall have been) commissioned officers, warrant officers, enlisted personnel and civil service employees who are (or have been) required to exercise their abilities in the field of military comptrollership/finance (other related fields) and who, to remain in good standing, have paid the appropriate dues and fees.

Section 3.  Life members shall be: (a) those active members who (1) have been in good standing for 20 years, or (2) paid the dues therefore as fixed by the National Council; (b) life members of the predecessor organization, or (c) past National Presidents. Life members shall have all rights and privileges of active members.

Section 4.  Associate members shall be persons who, though not qualified for active or life membership demonstrate an interest in the military financial or other related fields and who, remain in good standing, have paid the appropriate dues and fees.

Section 5.  Honorary members shall be persons who have made an outstanding contribution to the advancement of military comptrollership but are either ineligible or would not otherwise be expected to join. Nominations for honorary membership require the approval of the National Council of the Society. Honorary members of the predecessor organization retain their honorary membership in the Society. Honorary Members have the right to speak at meetings but not to make motions, vote or hold any office in the society.

Section 6.  A member who brings discredit upon the Society shall be expelled from membership by a two-thirds vote of the members, as defined in ARTICLE V.

Section 7.  A member who fails to pay the prescribed annual dues within a period of three months shall be suspended. If the cause for suspension is not rectified within one year from the delinquency, the member shall be dropped from the Chapter. A member who resigned, or has been suspended or expelled, shall forfeit all privileges in the Society, and all his or her rights in the assets of the Society shall cease and terminate.

Section 8.  A member in any category may speak at meetings, but only active and life members are eligible to make motions, vote, or hold elected office in the Chapter.

Section 9.  Corporate Members shall be corporations which demonstrate an interest in the military comptrollership field and who to remain in good standing, have paid the appropriate dues and fees.

Section 10.  The following membership categories have voting rights: active, life, associate and corporate.

Article IV - Chapter Officers [elected]

Section 1.  The elected Chapter officers are President, Executive Vice President, and Administrative Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer and National Chapter Representative. No person shall become an elected Chapter Officer unless that person is an active or life member in good standing.

Section 2.  Elected Officers, except Treasurer, shall serve for a one-year term commencing 1 October each year, or as close to 1 October as practicable. To maintain accountability, the Treasurer will serve a two- year term. All Officers may serve successive terms if elected by the membership voting process. Should any office other than that of President become vacant during the one-year term, the President, with the concurrence of the Executive Board, may appoint a member in good standing to fill the office for the remainder of the year.

Section 3.   Any elected officer will be considered to have resigned that position if said officer has two consecutive unexcused absences at Executive Board or Committee meetings called in accordance with Articles II or III of this Constitution and fails to fulfill his or her duties as outlined in the By-Laws, having been unanimously determined by the remaining Board members. Excused absences are designated by the President.

Article V - Chapter Officers [appointed]

Section 1.  The appointed offices shall be a Newsletter Editor, an Information Technology (IT) Coordinator, a Certified Defense Financial Manager (CDFM) Coordinator and, as required, Special Events Coordinator(s). The President, with the concurrence of the voting members of the Executive Board, shall appoint these positions. No person shall become an appointed Chapter Officer unless that person is an active or life member in good standing. The President, with the concurrence of the other elected officers, reserves the right to rescind these appointments.

Section 2.  Any appointed officer will be considered to have resigned that position if said officer has two consecutive unexcused absences at Executive Committee meeting called in accordance with Articles II or III of this Constitution and fails to fulfill his or her duties as outlined in the By-Laws, having been so unanimously determined by the Executive Board. Excused absences are designated by the President.

Article VI - Special Assistants

Section 1.  The President and Vice President may appoint special assistants, provided said assistants are approved by Executive Board. Appointments expire at the end of the fiscal year, or as directed by the Executive Committee. As is the case with Chapter Officers, no individual may hold a position of special trust unless that person is a member in good standing.

Article VII - Executive Board

Section 1.  The Executive Board shall be the senior leadership and policy-making body of the Chapter and consist of the elected officers, including any officer appointed to an elected position under the provision of Article IV, Section 2.

Section 2.  The Executive Board shall meet no less than bi-monthly. The President may call additional meetings as necessary for the Board only.

Section 3.  The Executive Board will determine policy and effect decisions by voting procedures in Article IX, Section 2.

Article VIII - Executive Committee

Section 1.  The Executive Committee shall be the Executive Board, when combined with the appointed officers, including Special Assistants. The appointed members are strongly encouraged to attend Executive Committee meetings even though they are not entitled to vote.

Section 2.  The Executive Committee shall meet at the call of the President, but not less than quarterly.

Article IX - Voting

Section 1. General Membership.

  1. No business requiring approval of the general membership will be transacted in the absence of a quorum. For the Chapter, a quorum shall be a majority of the total all members with voting privileges. A majority vote shall require a simple majority of the votes cast, ignoring blanks and abstentions. In the event of a tie, the Executive Board will cast a single vote, determining that vote by the procedures outlined in Article IX, Section 2. A two-thirds vote shall require two-thirds of the votes cast, ignoring blanks and abstentions.
  1. The Administrative Vice President will determine a quorum for the general membership.
  1. Elected and appointed officers are entitled to vote in general membership proceedings.
  1. A majority vote shall suffice for all business, except where other requirements are specified in the Constitution or By-Laws.
  1. Members with voting privileges may designate another voting member as proxy for a specific voting event. Such designation will be in writing, e.g. email, and must be provided when any proxy votes are cast.

Section 2. Executive Board

  1. The Board shall vote on all matters not specifically reserved to the general membership in the Chapter By-Laws.
  1. No business requiring approval of the Board will be transacted in the absence of a quorum, which shall be five [1] , including any assigned proxies. A majority vote shall require a simple majority of the votes present, ignoring abstentions. Absent Board members may assign another Board member as proxy, to either vote as pre-pre-determined by the absent member or to vote as self-determined, as designated by the absent member. The absent Board member will advise the Chairman in writing (including email) of designations of proxy.
  1. At the discretion of the President, the Board may engage in electronic discussion, either in real-time, e.g. chat, or as a series of email exchanges over a reasonable period of time, culminating in a vote, provided a quorum is available to vote.

Article X - National Constitution and By-Laws

It is the intention that the Constitution of the San Diego Chapter conforms to the National Constitution and By-Laws. In case of conflict, the National Constitution and By-Laws shall take precedence. If an issue is not addressed in the Chapter Constitution or By-Laws, the Chapter will apply and be bound by that issue’s provision(s) in the National Constitution and By-Laws.

Article XI - Amendments

This constitution may be amended by a two-thirds vote of the voting membership,as defined in Article IX.

Article XII - The By-Laws

The provisions of this Constitution may be implemented by such By-Laws as may be considered necessary, which shall become effective when adopted by a majority of the members, as defined in Article IX.

Article I - Seal

The Official seal of the San Diego Chapter of the American Society of Military Comptrollers shall be a circular impress, with the full name of the Society around the outer ring and the word SEAL placed horizontally in the center.

Article II - Insignia

The standard insignia of the chapter for use on letterhead, certificates, medals, and other appropriate purposes shall be a shield in the form of a graph surrounded by a wreath of laurel; an eagle clutching a American flag at the top; and a quilt surmounted by a sword over which is surmounted the account book and quill.

Article III - Colors

The colors of the chapter shall be green and gold – specifically, a green ribbon with a narrow gold stripe in the center.

Article IV - Fees and Dues

The National Council will prescribe membership dues and fees for the Society. The Executive Director will publish, each fiscal year, the amount of dues and fees and the collection procedures approved for the year by the National Council.

  1. Local chapter fees may be established if approved by a majority vote of the members, as defined in Article IX of the Chapter Constitution.
  1. 2. Members in arrears, in either dues or fees, shall be notified by the Administrative Vice President of the provisions of Article III, Section 7 of the Chapter Constitution. Persons dropped from the rolls due to failure to pay required dues and fees may reapply for membership.
  1. 3. All retained funds of the Chapter shall be deposited into a bank, federally chartered credit union, or federally insured savings and loan association account, established in the name of the Chapter.

Article V - Application and Membership

Application for active, life, corporate and associate membership shall be tendered to the Administrative Vice President or directly to the National office on application forms designated for that purpose. Nominations for honorary membership will be in the form designated by the Executive Board.

  1. 1. The Administrative Vice President will provide necessary assistance in support of applications for membership.
  1. 2. Membership applications will be accepted from officers and enlisted members of the Armed Forces/Coast Guard (Active Duty and Reserve), civil servants and affiliated corporate entities. Exceptions may also be made in special cases where an individual has demonstrated an extraordinary commitment to the principles of sound comptrollership/financial management (other related fields).

Article VI - Guests at Meetings

Members may bring guests to meetings/events. However, members should strongly encourage guests eligible for membership to make formal application after determining that membership in ASMC is appropriate.

Article VII - Transfer of Membership

  1. The Chapter shall accept transfer of and extend guest privileges to all members in good standing from other chapters or from National group of members-at-large. Transfer shall be accepted in the status held by the member on the date of application for transfer.
  1. 2. There shall be no transfer charges, and no transfer of funds between chapters, in connection with the transfer of individual memberships.

Article VIII - Annual Report

The Chapter shall submit an annual report to the National Council in such form, as the National Headquarters shall direct, after submission to the local chapter.

Article IX - Quorum

  1. A quorum will be defined in the Chapter Constitution.
  1. A meeting requiring a quorum will be termed a “Business Meeting” and will be announced to the membership at least three weeks in advance. The announcement will provide an agenda and describe the nature of the business requiring a membership vote.
  1. If attendance at the duly announced business meeting is inadequate to provide a quorum, no business requiring a membership vote will be conducted. Should this situation occur, the Executive Board may take one of the following courses of action:
    1. Re-announce the meeting and attempt to gather a quorum on a subsequent date, or,
    1. Re-announce the meeting, notifying the membership that if attendance again falls short of a quorum, as defined in the Chapter Constitution, the persons attending shall be considered a quorum for the purpose of voting on the previously announced business.
  1. If supported by technology available to the membership, the Chapter may conduct virtual meetings for matters requiring general membership participation if the business is not so complex or contentious as to support a physical meeting, e.g. membership vote on administrative changes to the By-Laws. If a vote is solicited electronically, a quorum shall be considered a simple majority of the voting membership. The outcome of the vote will be determined by electronic votes cast by that simple majority.
    1. The Administrative Vice President will determine a quorum for the general membership.
    1. If the total of electronic votes cast does not comprise a quorum of the general membership, the Executive Board may call for another electronic vote, with the persons responding considered a quorum.

Section X - Parliamentary Procedures

In all matters involving questions of parliamentary procedures, the current edition of “Robert’s Rules of Order” will be considered the final authority.


Section XI - Duties of Elected Officers

 PRESIDENT

  1. Ensures compliance with the Constitution and By-Laws of the Chapter and Society.
  1. With the advice and comment of the Executive Committee, establishes goals and provides project outlines for the year.
  1. Oversees all the activities of the Chapter and appoints committees as required to ensure that the established goals and projects are fully carried out.
  1. Serves as Chairperson of the Executive Board.
  1. Serve as a voting member of the Executive Board.
  1. Officiates at all general membership and Executive Board and Committee meetings
  1. Reports the activities and decisions of the Executive Board and Committee to the membership.
  1. Appoints a nominating committee to nominate one member in good standing for each of the elective offices. The Nominating Committee shall announce its slate of nominees at least 45 days prior to the election.
  1. Ensures that all meetings are conducted in accordance with parliamentary procedures, as specified in Section X.
  1. Takes any course of action necessary to uphold the standards and ethics of the chapter, within the constraints of the Constitution and By-Laws.
  1. Representative of the National Council.

EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT

  1. Develops program plans for the year.
  1. Makes all arrangements for guest speakers or other activities to be conducted at meetings.  Is also responsible for engaging appropriate facilities in which to hold meetings. This task must be closely coordinated with the President and often requires the need of a special assistant.
  1. Serves as a voting member of the Executive Board and as a member of the Executive Committee
  1. Assumes the duties of the President in the event of that individual’s absence.
  1. Performs other duties as directed by the President.

ADMINISTRATIVE VICE PRESIDENT

  1. Serves as the focal point for Chapter membership, including but not limited to:
    1. Conducts programs and activities designed to increase and retain individual and corporate membership
    2. Maintain rosters of members
    3. Appropriately welcomes new members and ensures that each receives a membership certificate and a copy of the Constitution and the By-Laws.
  1. Maintains liaison with other Chapters and National Headquarters.
  1. Serves as a voting member of the Executive Board and as a member of the Executive Committee.
  1. Coordinates the quarterly Charity nominations and selections.
  1. Performs other duties as directed by the President.

Article XI - Duties of Elected Officers Cont'd

SECRETARY

  1. Ensures that adequate records are maintained, taking minutes of general membership meetings and Executive Board and Committee meetings.
  1. Accumulates media, showing the history of events and functions sponsored by the Chapter.
  1. Maintains records of all documents, papers and correspondence received by or generated within the Chapter.
  1. Maintain a complete turnover file.
  1. Stores and stocks Chapter stationery.
  1. Maintains the Chapter post office box.
  1. Serves as a voting member of the Executive Board and as a member of the Executive Committee.
  1. Administers the Chapter Scholarship Program and ensures that scholarships are awarded on a regular basis.
  1. Plans fund raising activities to further the Scholarship Program.  This task must be coordinated with the Treasurer.
  1. Performs other duties as directed by the President.

  TREASURER

  1. Maintains safe custody of all monetary assets of the Chapter
  1. Makes all collection of funds of the Chapter and provides monthly statements of financial condition to the Executive Committee.
  1. Presents all disbursements other than routine office or luncheon expenses to the Executive Committee for prior approval.  Makes recommendations for the use of Chapter funds and other assets.
  1. Maintains an audit trail of all transactions involving the finances of the Chapter or the Society.
  1. Submits the Annual Financial Report to the National Headquarters.
  1. Serves as a voting member of the Executive Board and as a member of the Executive Committee.
  1. Performs other duties as directed by the President

  ASSISTANT TREASURER

  1. Assists treasurer with collection of funds for the Chapter at the bi-monthly luncheon.
  1. Maintains safe custody of monetary assets when required by the treasurer.
  1. Has signature authority with the Chapters financial institution.
  1. Assists with the submission of the Annual Financial Report to the National Headquarters.
  1. Serves as a voting member of the Executive Board and as a member of the Executive Committee.
  1. Serves one year as assistant treasurer and one year as treasurer.
  1. Performs other duties as directed by the Treasurer or by the President.

Section XII - Duties of Appointed Officers

NEWSLETTER EDITOR

  1. Publishes an informative Chapter newsletter, not less than bi-monthly.
  1. As necessary, serve as electronic-distribution conduit.
  1. Serves as a member of the Executive Committee.

NATIONAL CHAPTER REPRESENTATIVE

  1. Administers the 5-Star Chapter Competition Program, including, but not limited to:
    1. Recommending activities/projects supporting the program.
    2. Collaborates with Executive Board and the Executive Committee members to ensure the annual program supports maximum Competition participation.
    3. Tracks Competition points and provides period reports on Chapter Competition progress, at the call of the President, but not less frequently than at Executive Committee meeting
    4. Prepares the 5-Star Competition report for submission to National Headquarters, via the Executive Board.
  1. Responsible for PDI Chapter Fair Booth Coordination.
  1. Serves as a member of the Executive Committee.
  1. Performs other duties as directed by the President.

SPECIAL EVENTS COORDINATOR

  1. Serves as the Chapter point of contact for Special Event information.
  1. Represents the Chapter at Annual Accounting Day meetings.
  1. Regularly publicizes the activities and any special events happening during the year.
  1. Serves as a member of the Executive Committee
  1. Performs other duties as directed by the President.

CERTIFIED DEFENSE FINANCIAL MANAGER (CDFM) COORDINATOR

  1. Serves as the Chapter point of contact for Certified Defense Financial Management issues.
  1. Organize study groups within the membership to enhance the study guidance.
  1. Monitor interest/completion in CDFM within the membership
  1. Serves as a member of the Executive Committee.
  1. Performs other duties as directed by the President.

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY COORDINATOR

  1. Manages the San Diego Chapter Web site.
  1. Takes pictures at various Chapter events for the web site.
  1. Ensures web site is kept current with pictures and articles.
  1. Serves as a member of the Executive Committee.
  1. Performs other duties as directed by the President.

CHAPTER PHOTOGRAPHER

  1. Manages the San Diego Chapter Flickr Photo Sharing Web site.
  1. Takes pictures at various Chapter events for the web site.
  1. Submits photo’s taken at various Chapter events to ASMC National for publishing in the Armed Forces Comptroller.
  1. Serves as a member of the Executive Committee.
  1. Performs other duties as directed by the President.

SCHOLARSHIP COMMITTEE CHAIR

  1. Serves as the Chapter point and coordinator for scholarship submissions.
  1. Regularly publicizes availability of scholarship opportunities both for the San Diego chapter and at National and actively performs outreach with chapter members to obtain scholarship entries.
  1. Serves as a member of the Executive Committee.
  1. Performs other duties as directed by the President.

VOLUNTEER COMMITTEE CHAIR

  1. Serves as the Chapter point and coordinator for volunteers.
  1. Regularly publicizes volunteer activities and actively performs outreach to obtain volunteers for charity events.
  1. Serves as a member of the Executive Committee.
  1. Performs other duties as directed by the President.

SPONSORSHIP COMMITTEE CHAIR

  1. Serves as the Chapter point and coordinator for Sponsorship outreach and opportunities.
  1. Regularly publicizes and seeks out sponsorship and actively performs outreach to obtain sponsors for chapter events.
  1. Serves as a member of the Executive Committee.
  1. Performs other duties as directed by the President.