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REVISED 1 APRIL 1996
(New Article V and other related modifications)
CONSTITUTION
Class of 1982
ARTICLE I. Purpose:
The purpose of this Constitution is to provide a vehicle for administration
of class affairs for the Class of 1982.
ARTICLE II. Description:
Section I. The Class of 1982 will be established as a private
association under the provisions of AR 210-1, and will exist until the death of
its last member. The Class of 1982 will be an independent, self-sustaining
association receiving no financial assistance from the United States Army except
that appropriated and provided for in AR 210-55 or AR 420-30. With the written
permission of the Superintendent of the United States Military Academy, the
Class of 1982 will establish a permanent headquarters on the Military
Reservation at West Point, New York.
Section II. The Class of 1982 is not an instrument of the United
States Government. It exists solely to serve the members of the Class of 1982.
It shall be administered by individuals, not acting within their official
capacity as officers, employees, or agents of the United States Government.
ARTICLE III. Membership:
Section I. Membership in the Class of 1982 shall be defined as anyone
enrolled in the Class of 1982.
- Regular members shall include all graduates of the United States Military
Academy with the Class of 1982 who are officially recorded by the Association of
Graduates to include those cadets who were reassigned to the Class of 1982 from
a higher class and who subsequently completed the requirements for graduation.
- Associate members shall include those persons who were members of the
Class of 1982 at the time of acceptance of the class into the Corps of Cadets
but who are not regular members. Associate membership is attained through a
nomination from a regular member and approved by the Class Committee.
- Honorary members shall consist of all persons to whom the Class Committee
has offered membership and who have accepted this offer. This offer will be the
result of a two-thirds majority of a quorum of Regular Members.
Section II. Regular members shall have all rights guaranteed them by this
Constitution. Associate and Honorary members shall have all rights, except the
right to vote in class matters.
Section III. Members of the Class of 1982 may withdraw from the
Association, if desired. Resignation will be effective upon receipt by the Class
Committee of a letter from a member, Subject: "Request to Resign from the
Class of 1982 Association
ARTICLE IV. The Class Committee
Section I. The Class of 1982 Class Committee shall consist of a
maximum of 45 members. At the beginning of the Second Class year each of the 36
cadet companies will elect a representative to the Class Committee. From the
group, a Regimental Representative will be elected from each regiment. The four
Regimental Representative's companies will then elect new company
representatives. The permanent class officers shall compose the remainder of the
Class Committee and shall direct the Committee in its actions. The members of
the Class Committee shall act in a permanent status and will be changed only
under the provisions put forth in Articles V and VI of this Constitution.
Additionally, a regular army officer shall act as the Officer-in-charge of the
Class Committee until Graduation Day, 1982. The OIC shall function in an
advisory capacity.
Section II. Prior to the election of class officers the Class
Committee will have elected a temporary staff of officers. These officers shall
consist of the Chairman, Vice-Chairman, Secretary, Treasurer. The duties of
these officers will be outlined for the class officers in the Bylaws of this
Constitution.
Section III. Before graduation the Class Committee shall be the
decision-making body of the Class of 1982 in all matters, except the election of
persons to fill vacancies in class offices or in the Class Committee itself,
matters in a major expenditure of class funds, and amendments to this
Constitution. Voting for these exceptions are covered in the Bylaws of this
Constitution.
Section IV. After graduation, the class officers shall become the
decision-making body of the Class of 1982 in all matters, except those put forth
in Article IV of the Bylaws. The officers are to be held accountable to the
Class Committee, however. The Class Committee may nullify any course of action
taken by the class officers with which it disagrees by obtaining a majority vote
against this course of action.
Section V. The Class Committee shall conduct at least two meetings per
semester.
Section VI. The Hop, Ring and Crest, and Class Committee shall be
directed by an Executive Council whose membership will consist of the chairman
and vice-chairman of the Hop, Ring and Crest and Class Committee and the
secretary of the Class Committee. The Class Committee Chairman will serve as the
chairman of the Executive Council.
Section VII. All decisions except those involving extra business, as
outlined in Bylaws, made by the Class Committee will be determined by a majority
vote. A quorum of 30 representatives must participate in the voting procedures
to ensure the validity of the vote. The class president will be eligible to vote
only in the event of a tie.
Section VIII. In the event that the Class of 1982 is scrambled, each
cadet company will elect a new company representative and new regimental
representatives will be elected. The class officers will remain the same.
ARTICLE V. Class Officers:
Section I. The Class shall elect new class officers every five years.
These elections will be conducted during the year of a class reunion, prior to
that event. The current slate of officers will be responsible for seeking
nominations, preparing a ballot and conducting the election. The new slate of
officers will have an opportunity to address the class at the reunion's class
business meeting. The new slate of officers will be responsible for all class
activities for the next five years to include the reunion at the end of their
five year term.
Section II. The current class officer positions of President, Vice
President, Treasurer, Secretary and Historian/Scribe will not change.
Individuals may serve more than one consecutive term in an elected position.
ARTICLE VI. Resignation/Impeachment:
Section I. Class officers and Class Committee members may be impeached
for the following reasons. 1) Extended negligence of assigned duties as defined
in the Bylaws of the constitution, and 2) A lack of desire to serve in the best
interests of the Class of 1982.
Section II. Procedural aspects for impeachment are as outlined in the
Bylaws of this Constitution.
ARTICLE VII. The Class Fund:
Section I. The Class Fund shall be initiated by a mandatory donation
of Ten Dollars from every member of the Class of 1982.
Section II. The Class Fund shall be administered by the Class
Treasurer and the Class Committee.
Section III. Ten percent of the Class Fund is to be maintained in a
checking account with the remainder to be maintained in a savings account. The
entirety of the Class Fund will be kept in any bank in the vicinity of the Class
Headquarters.
Section IV. Withdrawals from the Class Fund must be approved by the
decision-making body of the class and signed by the Treasurer and the President.
While the Class of 1982 are cadets, all expenditures will be reviewed by the
Class Officer-in-Charge.
Section V. Should the Treasurer wish to replenish the Class Fund, he
may, with the consent of the regular members of the Class Committee, levy a
maximum fee of ten dollars upon each member of the class. It is mandatory that
all regular members pay the amount levied by the Treasurer. A two-thirds consent
of the Class Committee is required for every additional fee which the Treasurer
imposes.
Section VI. The Class Fund may be drawn upon for the following
reasons:
- To provide for the cost of a funeral wreath, flowers, or contribution in
the name of the deceased member.
- To purchase and engrave a silver cup to be presented to the first child
born to a member of the Class of 1982.
- To cover other expenditures incidental to the affairs of the Class of
1982.
Section VII. A major transaction shall be defined as any expenditure
which consists of ten percent or more of the existing fund. A proposal for a
major transaction must be submitted in writing to the Treasurer and approved by
the Class Committee for submission to the class as a whole under the provisions
of the Bylaws.
Section VIII. The last surviving member of the Class of 1982 shall
liquidate the Class Fund and shall award the proceeds to the Association of
Graduates to be used as they determine is in the best interests of the United
States Military Academy.
ARTICLE VIII. Membership Responsibility for Debt
Should the Class of 1982 incur a debt which it cannot fulfill with the Class
Fund, every member of the Class of 1982 is, in part, or in whole, held
accountable for these debts as provided for in AR 210-1.
ARTICLE IX. The Class Ring
The retention and wear of the Class Ring shall be governed by the tradition
of the United States Military Academy as follows:
- The 1982 Class Ring may be worn upon its formal presentation tot he Class
of 1982.
- The family of any deceased member of the class may retain the ring.
- The 1982 Class Ring may be purchased and worn only by Class of 1982
graduates. Those cadets who receive Class Rings, but who cannot graduate and
receive their diplomas with the Class of 1982, must relinquish their rings
and will be reimbursed in accordance with the agreement signed by each cadet
when his ring is ordered.
ARTICLE X. Ratification and Amendment:
Section I. A class vote will be held by the Spring of 1980 to
determine the ratification and adoption of this document. A two-thirds majority
vote of the members of the Class of 1982 in favor of ratification and adoption
shall constitute same.
Section II. The following points will provide guidelines for the
amendment procedure to this Constitution and Bylaws.
- Any member of the Class of 1982 may submit, in writing, a resolution for
amendments to this Constitution. Such resolutions will be submitted to the
Class Committee.
- The Class Committee will determine whether the resolution merits further
consideration.
- In the event the resolution is accepted by the Class Committee, it will be
presented in writing to every regular member of the Class of 1982 for their
approval.
- In the event the resolution is not approved by the Class Committee, upon
presentation to the Class Secretary of a petition, signed by at least
one-tenth of the regular members of the Class of 1982, requesting a class
vote on the resolution, it shall be presented in writing to every member of
the Class of 1982 for their approval.
- Voting procedures for this amendment will be in accordance with the Bylaws
of this Constitution.
BYLAWS OF THE CONSTITUTION
Class of 1982
ARTICLE I. Duties of the Class Officers:
Section I. The Class President shall coordinate the affairs of the
Class and preside at class functions and meetings as well as presiding over the
Class Committee. He is to coordinate and conduct the voting of the Class
Committee.
Section II. The permanent Class Vice President shall assist the
President and preside in his absence. He shall also serve as Vice President of
the Executive Council.
Section III. The Class Secretary shall maintain records of the affairs
and business of the Class of 1982 as well as assisting the President in any
administration pertinent in the class. He shall ensure minutes are kept of Class
Committee meetings. The Secretary is also to keep members of the Class Committee
posted on class affairs and business.
Section IV. The Class Treasurer shall attend to the finances of the
Class Fund and maintain records of all transactions. He shall make such
disposition from the Class Fund as are authorized in Article VII of this
Constitution. He shall ensure that the most recent balance of the Class Fund and
a record of transactions over the most recent year shall be published annually
in the Assembly magazine
Section V. The Class Historian shall maintain the class archives and
all permanent records of significance to the Class of 1982. He is also to record
and report class activities through the class column in the Assembly magazine
and ensure publication of class obituaries. Additionally, he will direct the
preparation of the Class Locator.
ARTICLE II. Duties of The Class Committee:
Section I. The Class Committee is organized to successfully accomplish
the business of the Class of 1982. In general, it is to reflect the opinions of
the Class of 1982 at large.
Section II. Specific duties of the members of the Class Committee
include:
- Solicit the opinion of the Class of 1982 at large on all issues pertinent
to the class.
- Keep their cadet company classmates informed of class activities.
- Assist the permanent class officers in all class functions, particularly
class meetings and reunions.
- Administer all elections.
- Prepare and maintain the Class Locator.
- Prepare and distribute appropriate correspondence on matters concerning
the Class of 1982.
- Furnish a class representative for any official duty or function required.
- Set up subcommittees as needed to coordinate class affairs.
- Before graduation, they shall perform duties listed in USCC Administrative
Memorandum 15-1, dated 14 August 1979, or the most recent update, Inclosure
1 to this Constitution.
ARTICLE III. Impeachment Procedures:
Section I. Class officers and Class Committee members may be impeached
for reasons stated in Article VI of this Constitution.
Section II. Negligence is defined as any dereliction of duty that is
related to one's Class Committee responsibilities or that results in an
inability to perform in the best interest of the efficient operation of the
Class Committee or in an inability to properly represent the members of the
Class of 1982.
Section III. Any regular member of the Class of 1982 may ask for
impeachment proceedings against a permanent officer or Class Committee member. A
request in writing must be submitted to the Class Committee in order to obtain
the proceedings. Such a request must include the explicit reasons which
necessitate impeachment.
Section IV. The Class Committee will then designate a subcommittee to
investigate the matter, which will present its findings to the entire Class
Committee.
Section V. A two-thirds vote of the Class Committee against the
impeached member is required to obtain removal from office. Removal from office
will be in the form of a mandatory resignation from office.
Section VI. The vacated office will then be filled as provided for in
these Bylaws, Article IV, Section III.
ARTICLE IV. Voting Procedures:
Section I. Before graduation, the Class Committee or the Class of
1982, whichever shall constitute the voting body, shall be called together for
the vote. The vote then shall take only one day.
Section II. After graduation, voting will almost always, of necessity,
be conducted by mail. To account for this, the time allotted to conduct the vote
will be 60 days from the time that the vote is initiated.
Section III. An election to fill a vacant class office shall proceed
as follows:
- Before graduation, elections to fill vacant class offices shall be
governed by Article IV, Section I of this Constitution.
- After graduation:
a. The Class Committee shall nominate at least three but not more than five
candidates to fill the vacated office.
b. Those candidates who accept their nomination must be voted on by the
entire class.
c. The voting shall be considered initiated when ballots are mailed to all
voting members of the Class of 1982.
d. The candidate receiving the plurality of the votes within the prescribed
time shall be declared the victor and assume the duties of that office.
Section IV. An election to fill a vacancy in the Class Committee shall
be conducted as follows:
- All members of the affected cadet company shall be notified.
- Nominations from within the cadet company members will be taken.
- Voting will be conducted within the cadet company. The candidate receiving
the plurality of votes shall be declared the victor and become a member of the
Class Committee.
Section V.
- All decisions which are placed before the class, except those involving
major transactions, will be determined by majority vote of the regular members
of the class. Major transactions will be decided by a two-thirds vote of the
regular members of the class.
- Before a major transaction involving the Class Fund may be effected, a
two-thirds majority vote of the Class Committee in favor of said transaction
must be obtained. The proposal shall then be presented to regular members of the
class for approval in accordance with the voting procedures of the Bylaws.
- If a major transaction does not have two-thirds approval of the Class
Committee, it shall be presented to the regular members of the class for
approval after presentation to the Class Secretary of a petition signed by
one-tenth of the regular members requesting such a class vote.
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