New Amendments

BY LESLIE DeLONG, CHAIR

Eight constitutional amendments were passed by the delegates at the 16th National Convention in Jacksonville, Florida. A complete description of the changes, as well as the new 2013 Constitution of Vietnam Veterans of America, are now available at www.vva.org on the Constitution Committee page. A brief summary of the changes follows:

1. Article I National Provisions, Section 3 Membership: A new paragraph was added to give VVA the constitutional authority to bestow honorary life memberships on individuals not otherwise eligible for membership. The honorary memberships may be granted after a request by a national officer, the Conference of State Council Presidents, a state council, or a chapter, and the approval of the national Board of Directors.

2. Article I National Provisions, Section 4 National Board of Directors, Paragraph B, Sub-paragraph 1: The amendment standardizes the wording used to explain the voting process for the National Directors by changing “the greatest number of votes” to “plurality,” which is used several times in the same section.

3. Article I National Provisions, Section 4 National Board of Directors, Paragraph K: This amendment enables the seating of an alternate director for any Board-approved absence such as family emergencies.

4. Article I National Provisions, Section 5 Officers, Paragraph A: The addition of “by majority vote” in the first sentence clarifies and prescribes the vote necessary for the election of the national officers.

5. Article II State Provisions, Section 4 Officers, Paragraph B: This amendment adds wording that enables a state council president to appoint an individual to fill a vacant officer position, other than president, if no one can be found to run for election at the next meeting after the vacancy occurs. The appointment is subject to approval by the state council delegates at the next meeting.

6. Article III Chapter Provisions, Section 5 Board of Directors, Paragraph A: The amendment changes the required number of directors from a minimum of five to a minimum of three, enabling small chapters to have boards consisting of only a president, vice president, and secretary-treasurer.

7. Article III Chapter Provisions, Section 7 Committees, Paragraph A: The amendment changes the Nominations Committee to the Elections Committee and clarifies the duties of the committee.

8. Appendix II Standing Committees: The amendment adds the PTSD & Substance Abuse Committee to the list of standing committees authorized by the constitution.

The Constitution Committee thanks all members who submitted proposed amendments and the Convention delegates for their participation and support throughout the amendment process.

Don’t forget: If your state council or chapter is updating or revising your bylaws, there are templates for both chapter and state council bylaws, along with a guide for writing bylaws, available on the Constitution Committee’s web page at www.vva.org