WPSDC By-Laws

Section  I
Membership

1.    Membership shall be of three classes: Regular, Associate, and Honorary.  Only Regular members in good standing are entitled to vote.

A.   Regular Membership: All graduates of the United States Military Academy, their widows and widowers, all cadets and former cadets who were honorably discharged from the Academy after serving at least one semester are eligible for membership provided there is no question of moral turpitude.  They shall become members upon registering with the Executive Director of the Society and paying annual or Life membership dues.

B.   Associate Membership: All others who, in the opinion of the Board of Governors, have a bona fide interest in the United States Military Academy and in the furtherance of its objective and ideals.  Associate members shall not have the right to vote; however, they shall be subject to all other provisions applicable to Regular members.

C.   Honorary Membership: Tendered to distinguished persons, including non-graduates, by the Board of Governors of the Society.  Honorary members shall not be entitled to vote.

2.    Any non-Life Regular or Associate member who at the outset of a new calendar year fails to pay the annual dues will be classified as a non-member until the payment of such dues.  If the member fails to do so after a lapse of one year, the member will be dropped from the rolls.

3.    Life membership status is granted to all Regular and Associate members who have paid Life membership dues and to those Regular members who have reached the 60th Anniversary of their graduation from the United States Military Academy.  Life status members pay no annual dues.

Section II

Dues

1.    Regular and Associate Annual Membership dues: Annual dues will be established by a majority vote of  the Board of Governors.

2.    Annual dues are assessed on a calendar year basis.

3.    Life Membership dues are established at $500, to be paid one time only.

4.    There shall be no initiation fee other than the payment of annual or life membership dues.

Section III

Organization

1.  Board of Governors

A.   The affairs of the Society shall be managed by the Board of Governors, which shall consist of the Executive Director and eighteen Regular members including representatives of the West Point Desk at ODCSPER, the Army Staff, The Old Guard, the local MALO field force, and the Career Advisory Service.

B.   They shall be elected for a term of three years, one-third being elected each year at the Annual Meeting of the Society by a majority vote of members present.  In case of a tie, the Board of Governors (including the outgoing members) shall by its own vote determine which of the tying candidates shall be elected.

C.   Each year the Board of Governors shall constitute itself a committee to nominate candidates for the forthcoming vacancies.  At least one of these candidates shall be a retired officer.

D.   In the event of a failure to elect six members at the Annual Meeting, the terms of the six retiring Board Members shall be extended automatically until such time as new members can properly be elected.

E.   Any vacancy occurring during the business year shall be filled by a new member to be selected by a quorum of the Board of Governors from among the members of the Society.  Such member shall fill the unexpired term of his predecessor.

F.  (1)  Regular meetings of the Board of Governors shall be held whenever considered appropriate, upon call of the President.

     (2)  Special meetings of the Board may be held at any time upon call of the President, the Secretary, or any other two members of the Board.

      (3)  A quorum shall consist of seven members of the Board.

G.  (1)   The Board shall have the power to admit or to expel members of the Society by vote.

      (2)  In the rejection of membership or expulsion of any member of the Society by the Board, the votes of all but one of those Board members shall be required, and minimum of seven must be present.

2.  Elected Officers of the Society

A.    The elected officers of the Society shall be: President, Vice-President, Secretary, Treasurer, and Public Relations Officer.  Only members of the Board of Governors shall be eligible to serve as elected officers of the Society.

B.     The elected officers of the Society shall be elected by the Board of Governors from among their own members normally at the time of the last meeting of the year.

C.     Elected officers of the Society are eligible for reelection immediately upon expiration of term of service, provided they have at least one more year to serve as members of the Board of Governors.

D.     Any vacancy occurring during the year shall be filled by electing a new officer to serve the unexpired term created by such vacancy.  This election shall take place at a meeting of the Board of Governors.

E.      The President shall preside at all meetings of the Society and the Board of Governors.

F.      The Vice-President shall preside during the absence of the President.

G.     The Secretary shall keep minutes of the meetings of the Society and of the Board of Governors and, under the direction of the Board, notify members of matters affecting the affairs of the Society.

H.     (1)  The Treasurer shall have charge of the funds of the Society and shall make a report of the same at the Annual Organization Meeting of the Society.  Additionally, the Treasurer will present a financial status report at each meeting of the Board.

         (2)  The President shall direct an audit of the financial records annually.  The auditor(s) shall be from members of the Board other than the Treasurer.

I.      (1)  The Public Relations Officer shall be responsible for all public relations functions of the Society to include arrangements to carry out the program of the National Public Relations Committee of West Point Societies.

        (2)  The Public Relations Officer shall be responsible for publishing a Directory of the membership and the Newsletter and for circulating, or otherwise making available to the members, current information regarding the United States Military Academy. 

3.  Executive Director of the Society

A.   The Executive Director of the Society shall be appointed by the President subject to the approval of the Board of Governors.  The Executive Director shall serve an indefinite term, subject to the pleasure of the Board of Governors.  A vacancy at any time shall be filled by appointment, under the terms and conditions specified above.

B.   The Executive Director, in coordination with the appropriate officers and committee chairmen, shall: assist in assuring that all actions, orders, policies, and resolutions of the Board of Governors are implemented; serve as a point of contact for information on the Society; maintain the Society's membership roster; conduct the annual membership campaign; and perform such functions as the President directs.

4.   Committees

A.   The Board of Governors shall establish such committees as the Board of Governors deems necessary to effectively conduct the business of the Society.

B.   The Chair of the Committees shall be members of the Board of Governors, appointed by the President and subject to the approval of the Board of Governors.  They shall serve for terms of one year, unless sooner relieved.  A vacancy at any time shall be filled by appointment, under the terms and conditions specified above.

Section IV

Meetings

1.  Schedule of Meetings.

A.   The Annual Meeting of the Society for election of members of the Board of Governors, and other business as prescribed by the Constitution and By-Laws of the Society, will be held in the Spring unless otherwise directed by the Board of Governors.

B.    Special meetings of the Society may be called by the President or upon written request of fifty members.  At least thirty days notice thereof shall be given.

C.    A dinner in celebration of the founding of the Military Academy on March 16, 1802, will be held annually in March.

D.    A quorum at any meeting of the Society shall consist of ten percent of the members.