ByLawAlterations2010

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ARTICLE 4 -- QUALIFICATIONS FOR DIVISION MEMBERSHIP

Article 4, New Section 2:

An active Camp in the Mississippi Division is one that has a minimum of seven members in good standing in the Confederation and Division and which meets a minimum of four (4) times annually.

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Rationale:

An active Camp needs to be defined in the Division By-Laws. This saves having to refer to the National By-Laws for a definition.
Re-number the remaining Sections in this Article as needed.

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ARTICLE 4 -- QUALIFICATIONS FOR DIVISION MEMBERSHIP

Article 4, New Section 3:

A Member shall not be considered in good standing until all applicable Confederation, Division, and Camp dues and fees are received and approved. Also, a Member in good standing with an active Camp within the Division not requiring the payment of Camp dues or fees, the Camp Adjutant shall provide proof of the member's status in the Camp.

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Rationale:

Some Camps in the Division do not impose dues upon their members. Adding the last sentence will cover those Camps in defining a member in good standing.
Re-number the remaining Sections in this Article as needed.

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ARTICLE 5 -- FINANCES

Delete existing Article 5 Section 9 and replace with:

Funds generated through Life Membership qualifying contributions as delineated in Article 4 Section 4 Paragraph C shall be deposited in an insured irrevocable trust entitled the Mississippi SCV Life Membership Endowment Trust. Such trust shall be managed by a financial institution licensed to do business in the State of Mississippi. There shall be five Mississippi SCV Life Endowment Fund Trustees, one appointed by each Brigade Commander from the Division list of life members and confirmed by a 2/3 vote of the Division Executive Council, who shall serve as stewards of the Fund being charged with promotion and protection of the Life Membership program. The term of each Trustee shall be for two years, concurrent with other elected and appointed officers of the division. Trustees shall have no limit to term of office so long as they are reappointed by the succeeding Brigade Commander(s) and reconfirmed by a 2/3 vote of the Executive Council. In addition to being a Mississippi Division Life Member, trustees must meet all other qualifications outlined in Article 4.

The goal of the program is for the trust to grow to the point where the income produced will sustain the Division’s basic operating expense. The principal of such trust shall not be reduced for any purpose, however income generated in a current fiscal year may, upon 3/5 majority vote of the Executive Council and a majority vote of the trustees, be used to alleviate a budget deficit for that fiscal year.

Should the Mississippi Division or its successor be dissolved this trust shall be transferred to Beauvoir and endure to the benefit thereof.

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Rationale:

To solidly protect the endowments of those who have contributed to the fund so that the fund shall endure for the perpetuity of the division.

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ARTICLE 17 -- DIVISION OFFICERS

Article 17, New Section 2:

All candidates seeking an elected office in the Mississippi Division shall meet the following qualifications:

    1.    Shall be a Member in good standing with the Mississippi Division as defined in Article 4, Section 3;
    2.    Shall be a Member of an active Camp within the Mississippi Division as defined in Article 4, Section2;
    3.    For the position of Commander and 1st Lieut. Commander: in addition to 1 & 2 above, the candidate shall have served one term as an elected Mississippi Division Officer prior to being nominated.
    4.    Candidates for the position of Brigade Commander and Brigade Executive Councilman, in addition to 1 & 2 above shall meet the requirements as stated in Section 3 of this Article.

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Rationale:

All qualifications for a Division Office except one are implied. This list will give guidance to the Candidates Credentials Committee.
Renumber following section of Article 17 as needed.

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ARTICLE 17 -- DIVISION OFFICERS

Article 17 Section 4 Delete and replace with:

Division Staff Officers delineated in Article 19, Sections 1 through 9 shall be nominated by the Division Commander and confirmed by the Executive Council.

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Rationale:

Clarification

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ARTICLE 17 -- DIVISION OFFICERS

Article 17, Section 5: Renumber existing Section 5 to Section 6 and add new section 5:

All appointees to the Division Staff shall be members in good standing of the Mississippi Division and an active Camp in the Mississippi Division.

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Rationale:

This requires appointed staff members to meet the general qualifications of elected officers.

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ARTICLE 17 -- DIVISION OFFICERS

Add a new Section 7 to Article 17 to read as follows:

Should at any time during the term of a Division Officer, elected or appointed, his Camp fails to qualify as an "Active Camp" in the Mississippi Division, he shall have the opportunity to transfer his membership to an Active Camp in the Division within 90 days of the determination his Camp is defunct. Failure to do so will mandate his resignation from the office he holds.

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Rationale:

To comply as an active Camp Member, this gives the officer a time frame to maintain his status as a member of an active Camp. Otherwise he must resign his position.

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ARTICLE 18 -- DUTIES OF ELECTED DIVISION OFFICERS

Article 18 Section 4 Paragraph 8 Delete and replace with:

(8) Maintains a current roster of Camps, Camp officers, and Members in good standing, purging delinquent and deceased members. Furnishing therefrom mailing lists for the Division newsletter.

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Rationale:

Clarification

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ARTICLE 19 -- DUTIES OF DIVISION STAFF OFFICERS

Article 19 Section 3 Delete and replace with:

Chief of Heritage Defense and Education

(1) Chairman of the Heritage Defense and Education Committee

(2) Planning, organizing and executing the Heritage Defense and Education activities of the Division

(3) Take action as necessary in the defense and preservation of Confederate heritage

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Rationale:

The duties described for the membership chairman were duplicates of some the Adjutant’s Duties, therefore,
replace this Chairman with a Heritage chairman and define the duties thereof.

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ARTICLE 20 -- COMMITTEES

Article 20, Section 1: Delete existing and replace with:

The Candidates Credentials Committee shall consist of the Brigade Executive Councilmen and the members of the said committee shall elect their Chairman. This Committee shall be activated by the Division Commander not less than six (6) months prior to the Division Convention. The Delegate Credentials Committee shall consist of the division Adjutant and the Brigade Commanders. All other Division Committee Chairmen shall be appointed nominated by the Division Commander and confirmed by the Division Executive Council. Each committee shall consist of a Chairman and a minimum of two (2) additional Members appointed by the Chairman but shall have an odd number if greater than three (3). All committee chairmen and committee members shall be members in good standing of the Mississippi Division and of an active Camp in the Mississippi Division.

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Rationale:

a) To prevent anyone other than members in good standing in Active camps from infiltrating any committees
b) To define membership of the Delegate Credentials Committee
c) To clarify appointment of committee chairman and committee members.
d) To remove redundancy with Section 3

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ARTICLE 20 -- COMMITTEES

Article 20, Section 3 Delete existing and replace with:

The Candidates’ Credentials Committee shall be activated not less than six (6) months prior to the Convention at which new officers are to elected. The names of the Members and the Chairman’s address shall be published in the next edition of the Division newsletter and posted on the Division Website after their appointments. All Division Members shall have the right and privilege to submit in writing to the Chairman any recommendation for consideration of any Division elected position. All recommendations must be signed by the submitting Member. The Candidates’ Credentials Committee not less than thirty (30) days prior to the Division Convention shall publish in the Division Newsletter and post on the Division Website the names of the Candidates for Division and Brigade offices who are qualified. Not withstanding, however there shall be no limitation on when a candidate shall announce his candidacy for office, nor shall candidates be prohibited from being nominated from the floor at Convention for supra-Brigade Office or from the floor at the Brigade Caucus for Brigade Offices. All Candidates, whether for Division or Brigade Office, must be vetted by the Candidates' Credentials Committee before their names can be placed in nomination, even nominations from the floor of the Convention or the floor at the Brigade Caucuses. The decision of the Candidates' Credentials Committee are final.

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Rationale:

To clarify time of duties