USS John W Weeks Association Bylaws and Constitution

 

Article I Name

The name of the Association is the USS JOHN W WEEKS DD 701 (the Association).

Article II Status

The Association is a nonprofit, volunteer membership organization.

Article III Purpose

The purpose of the Association is to maintain and promote a strong cohesive organization comprised of shipmates who have served on board USS JOHN W WEEKS DD 701 and shipmates who may serve on board any future vessel named USS JOHN W WEEKS.  Our goal is to foster the spirit of goodwill among its shipmates and afford opportunities for communication and enjoyment among its members, to perpetuate the camaraderie developed among men who have served aboard the Weeks and in the United States Navy, and to preserve the ship’s prominent place in history.

Other purposes include serving as the focal point for preservation of U.S. Naval ships and artifacts, especially those relating to the same class of Warship as the USS JOHN W WEEKS DD 701 and any future naval ships holding the same name. In addition, to increase the awareness of and appreciate the sacrifices made, the ordeals endured, and the services rendered by Destroyer men of WWII, Korea, The Cold War and Vietnam.

 Article IV Membership

Hal Gross who served on the USS JOHN W WEEKS during World War II established the Association in 1986.  Membership is open to all personnel, officer and enlisted, who have served on board the USS JOHN W WEEKS DD 701.  Moreover, any persons serving aboard any future vessel named the USS JOHN W WEEKS are eligible for membership as regular members.  Wives, widows, and family members of persons eligible for regular membership are welcome and eligible for membership as Associate Members.

Membership in the Association shall require that annual dues, in an amount as may be prescribed by the vote of the Membership, be paid no later than March 31 of each year unless exempted according to the provisions stated in this paragraph. The amount of the annual dues will be clearly stated in the newsletter each year and membership will be based on the calendar year. Donations above and beyond the required annual dues will continue to be accepted. Widows and family members are exempted and will be enrolled if so desired at no cost.  In addition, regular members who cannot afford to pay annual dues are exempted and will be enrolled at no cost as long as the member notifies the Association’s President or Treasurer. Lifetime membership is hereby granted to all active members as identified by the Executive Board who served on board the Weeks 1949 or before. This group will also be exempted from paying annual dues. 

Honorary Membership is also available for individuals of special interest to the Association. Such a person would be subject to a favorable vote by a majority of the membership attending the business meeting at which the vote is taken. If approved, the honorary member would not have voting rights and would not be required to pay dues to the Association.

Monies collected from dues shall be used for the purposes of furthering the work of the Association, publishing The USS John W Weeks (DD-701) Newsletter hereafter referred to as the Newsletter and mailing it to dues paying members and a select group of members not having access to the Internet. The dues shall also be used to support the internet website, and such other Association business as may be determined by the general membership and /or the Executive Committee.

Article V Newsletter and Website

The [Almanac] Newsletter will be published at least three times a year and at such additional times as the Executive Committee may deem appropriate.  Distribution shall be made available to all Regular Members, widows of deceased members, and such others as the Executive Committee may deem appropriate.  Distribution will be suspended to any regular member or associate member, excepting widows of regular members, if their annual dues are not current.  If the suspended regular or associate member pays the current year’s expected dues after notice of suspension, they will be reinstated into the Association with full voting privileges.  The preferred method of distribution shall be by Email and posting on the Association website; however, those members wishing to have a paper copy may do so by notifying the Editor of the Newsletter.

In addition to the Newsletter, the Association shall maintain a website in order to disseminate information to members and nonmembers.  The website shall be updated each month and at such additional times as may be appropriate.  The internet website shall be www.ussjwweeks701.org.

Article VI Reunion and Annual Meeting 

A reunion of the Association membership shall be held each year in September, or some other date as determined by the President working in cooperation with a professional military reunion planning organization or by an appointed reunion committee.  The President, also in cooperation with a professional military planning organization or an appointed reunion committee, shall recommend a minimum of three reunion sites that shall be voted on by members who are current on their dues at a location, time and date to be determined. Each regular member whose dues are current and widows who are associate members will have the opportunity to vote once and once only for his or her preferred reunion locale for the following year.

Members will have the opportunity to introduce themselves to the group individually at each reunion. This will occur before or following the Welcome Dinner held on the first evening of the reunion. This will be done in respectful order from the World War II Era shipmates and ending with those who served aboard the Weeks in Vietnam. Those members not in attendance at the Welcome Dinner will have an opportunity to introduce themselves in the same manner and order at the Business Meeting.

An annual business meeting of the Association’s regular members shall be held in conjunction with the annual reunion.  The purpose of this meeting is to act on such matters as may be presented.  Except as specified elsewhere in these articles, the majority vote of those Regular Members in attendance shall determine passage of the matter under consideration. The order of business in the annual meeting shall be as follows: 

Welcome and The Pledge of Allegiance followed by a prayer by the Chaplain; acknowledgement of new members and members of each era; remembrance of deceased shipmates; reading of the minutes of the previous meeting; President's Report; Treasurer's Report; reading of correspondence; unfinished business; new business; nomination of officers; election of officers; adjournment.  

Article VII Association Fiscal Year and Financial Report

The Association’s Fiscal Year shall start January 1 of the current year and shall end on December 31 of that same year. 

The Treasurer shall prepare a Fiscal Year End Financial Report prior to each annual meeting, submit the Report to the President for his approval, and present the same to the Association at the Association’s Annual Reunion.

Article VIII Elected Officers and Executive Committee 

The officers of the Association are President, Vice President, Treasurer, Secretary, and three Directors who are elected by the regular membership.  The positions of the Editor, Chaplain, and Webmaster shall serve in an advisory position to the Executive Committee. All four advisory positions, if held by a Regular Member, may also hold another office.  Spouses, widows and other family members are also eligible to serve as Directors, in advisory/adjunct positions and on committees but no two family members may concurrently serve as Directors. The officers are all volunteers and receive no pay.  To ensure continuity of the elected officers and executive committee, the term of office shall be two years which shall include the President, Vice President, Treasurer, Secretary and three Directors.

There are no limitations to the number of terms. 

The office of Director Emeritus is hereby created and shall be filled by longtime director and Weeks plank owner Earl Thomas. The Director Emeritus shall have all the rank and privileges granted to an elected director including a seat on the Executive Committee.

The Executive Committee of the Association shall be comprised of the elected officers.  The Executive Committee shall act for the general membership upon adjournment of the Annual Business Meeting and prior to the opening of the next Annual Business Meeting.  In the conduct of said business, virtual meetings consisting of mail, telephone and email or combinations thereof will suffice in place of physical attendance at one location.  Should one individual hold multiple offices, his influence in Executive Committee deliberations shall be as one individual.

The President of the Association shall appoint a Chaplain, Newsletter Editor, and Web Master.  Members of the Executive Committee of the Association may hold these positions.

Article IX Duties of Officers

The President shall:

1. Act as head of the Association.

2. Chair the annual business meeting.

3. Chair Executive Committee meetings.

4. Appoint, with the concurrence of the Executive Committee, members to positions created on a temporary basis as needed, replacements for elected officers if required and such committees/chairs as appropriate.

5. Maintain and distribute, as appropriate, listings of active and deceased regular and/or associate members.

6. Send a letter of welcome and a copy of the most recent newsletter to potential members.

7. Notify the Chaplain of any deceased and/or ill member.

8. With the help of a professional military reunion organization or an appointed reunion committee, the President shall evaluate and select the hotel facilities, arrange for the banquet and ceremonies, setup and stock the hospitality suite, arrange for the display of the Association artifacts, and arrange optional tours and activities.

9. With the approval of the Executive Committee, appoint two members attending the reunion to audit the financial records of the Association and report their findings to the President and Treasurer before the business meeting.

10. Poll the membership on an as needed basis to determine preferences relating to reunion sites, how the organization is run and any other topic that would be of benefit to the Association and the shipmates who served on the USS JOHN W WEEKS.  

 The Vice President shall:

1. In the absence of the President, chair the annual business meeting.

2. In the event the President is unable to permanently continue his duties, the Vice President shall automatically assume the office of President until the next reunion when a special election shall be held.

3. The Vice President shall also work on special projects as assigned by the President and shall lend assistance to all committees as needed.

 The Treasurer shall:

1. Maintain records of all financial transactions and assume full accountability of the Association's funds.

2. Receive dues and donations, maintain listings of members who have paid dues and made donations, and distribute this listing to the President as appropriate.

3. Submit a copy of the Association's bank statement and a quarterly financial statement to the President.

4. Submit the Annual Financial Statement to the President for approval prior to presenting it to membership at each Annual Meeting. 

5. Ensure that the financial records are audited by the Officers and Directors at the annual meeting.

6. Maintain accountability of the Association funds for each fiscal year. 

 The Secretary shall:

1. Keep a record of all proceedings of all meetings.

2. Coordinate with the President to ensure an accurate record of Executive Committee electronic meeting procedures.

3. Initiate and answer correspondence as required

4. Maintain meeting attendance records.

5. Serve as a back-up signatory for the Association’s checking account.

The Directors shall:

1. Nominate candidates for any officer vacancies.

2. Oversee the operation of the Association.

3. Perform other duties as assigned by the President.

4. Directors shall be elected and serve as At-Large Directors and will not be specific to geographical region. They may be assigned by the President to specific program areas such as Director for Membership (that would include volunteer locators) and Dissolution; Director for Reunion Planning; and Director for Website Administration.

5. Directors shall give a report on any special project or program area assigned by the President each year at the annual reunion.

The Editor of the Newsletter shall:

1. Be appointed by the President with the approval of the Executive Committee.

2. Collect and edit articles and items of interest for the newsletter. Print and distribute the Newsletter three times a year and such additional times as the Executive Committee shall deem appropriate. The Newsletter shall be available on the Association’s website at a time determined by the Executive Board, and will be distributed to members via email or the U.S. Postal System.

3. In conjunction with the Webmaster, be in charge of the collection of information of a historical nature of the Association and shall help the Webmaster disseminate this information to the members and to the public.

 The Webmaster shall:

1. Be appointed by the President with approval of the Executive Committee 

2. Maintain a listing of publications and Internet websites that disseminate information on ship associations and their reunion schedules, and ensure the Association's listed data are current.

3. Ensure that information on the Weeks and its reunions are listed in various publications and Internet websites, and act as initial point of contact for potential members.

4. In conjunction with the Editor of the Newsletter, collect and disseminate information of a historical nature concerning the Association.

 The Chaplain Shall:

1. Be the primary point of contact for notification of illness/death of any Association member or the member’s immediate family.  In addition, he shall keep the Association informed regarding the illness or death of a shipmate.  He shall send appropriate get well, condolence or sympathy cards on behalf of the Association. 

2. At the reunion, or if required at any other Association event, he shall conduct the devotional and memorial services.  He shall also read the names of those shipmates who have died since the last reunion in a respectful and appropriate service.

3. Offer the invocation at the annual business meeting breakfast and reunion banquet.

 Article X Removal of an Elected Officer

If an Elected officer fails to properly fulfill the requirements and obligations of his office or if he were charged with fraudulent conduct, the situation shall be brought before the Executive Committee for investigation.  The Executive Committee, through the President, shall notify the accused officer and afford him the opportunity to offer testimony/evidence to disprove the allegations.  Should the testimony/evidence or subsequent performance not support continuance in office, the President, with concurrence of the remaining members of the Executive Committee, shall remove that officer from office.  The President, with the concurrence of the Executive Committee, shall appoint a replacement to serve the remaining portion of his term.  If the President is the object of the allegations, the Vice President shall chair the Executive Committee procedures.

Article XI Dissolution

Upon approval of the recommendations by membership, the committee on dissolution shall research and prepare a final report that shall be submitted to the President and the Secretary. Should the majority of voting members decide to dissolve the Association, the assets, cash, memorabilia and artifacts of the Association shall be donated to the John W Weeks Museum and State Park located in Lancaster, New Hampshire. Upon approval of the Final Report, the Executive Committee with the consent of membership shall appoint a liaison to the John W Weeks Museum. If the Association does vote to dissolve, the official website of the Association shall remain active by way of prepayment of server and domain name fees for a certain number of years as determined by the membership.

[Article XII Effective Date

These Articles shall be presented for adoption at the 2015 annual meeting.  If approved by two thirds or more of the Regular Members in attendance, these articles will become effective at that time.  That fact and the vote count will be recorded in the minutes of the meeting.

Article XII Changes and Amendment

The Bylaws and Constitution may be amended at any subsequent annual meeting if a majority of the regular members in attendance approves such amendment.

All proposed amendment(s) and reasons therefore shall be submitted to the President or Executive Committee up to sixty days prior to the annual meeting.  These proposed amendment(s) shall be published on the Association’s website 45 days prior to the annual meeting and each regular member shall receive a copy of these proposed amendment(s) upon their registration at the annual meeting.

All proposed amendment(s) shall be voted upon at the business meeting of the annual reunion.

 

Revised October 3, 2015