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USS Brownson Association
By-Laws

Approved May 22, 2011

PREAMBLE

We, former shipmates and members of the ships company of the United States Navy Destroyer, USS BROWNSON (DD-868), in order to perpetuate and preserve the memory and heritage of this great "Greyhound of the Seas", promote camaraderie among the members, and provide a means for this fraternity to continue through the coming years, do hereby adopt these By-Laws.

ARTICLE I – NAME & PURPOSE

The name of this organization shall be the USS BROWNSON ASSOCIATION, hereinafter known as, "the Association", an unincorporated, fraternal, non-profit organization, not affiliated with the U S Navy Department. The Association has as its sole purpose and intent the scheduling and conducting of meetings and reunions and communicating topics of interest to the membership via its website, newsletters, memos, etc.

ARTICLE II – MEMBERSHIP ELIGIBILITY, DUES, AND CONTRIBUTIONS

Section 1.

Full membership in this association is open to all men who served honorably as members of the ships company of either DD868 or her predecessor DD518. Benefits of Full Membership shall include:

a. Voting for Association Officers
b. The Bouncing "B" newsletter
c. Biennial Reunion
d. Business Meetings
e. Holding of office

Section 2.

Full Membership choices shall be of the following dues-paying types:

a. Annual Membership dues in the Association for DD868 members shall be collected per calendar year (Jan. 1 thru Dec. 31) payable in advance. The Membership Chairman will mail renewal notices to all current annual members, at the current dues amount.

b. Life Membership dues is an alternative available to those DD868 members wishing a one-time payment option. Life Membership is granted automatically to all men who served honorably on DD518.

Section 3.

Associate Membership is available to widows and/or other immediate family members of a deceased former member, but allows for no voting rights. Dues, either Annual or Life, shall be the same as for Full Membership.

Section 4.

Charitable contributions made by the Association shall not exceed $1,000.00 in total in any one calendar year.

ARTICLE III – OFFICERS AND DIRECTORS AND DUTIES THEREOF

Section 1.

The officers of the Association shall be: President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer and Membership Chairman. The term of office for each shall be two (2) years.

PRESIDENT: Spokesperson for the Board of Directors in all matters. Presides over all meetings of the Association and the Board of Directors. Appoints reunion committees and any other committees, as required.

VICE PRESIDENT: Assists the President, and serves in the absence or incapacity of the President by assuming his duties and responsibilities.

SECRETARY: Records, maintains and publishes the minutes of all General Membership meetings and Board of Directors’ meetings. Publishes an agenda for any upcoming Association meetings. Maintains a file of all official Association correspondence sent to or received by any of the officers and directors.

TREASURER: Maintains complete financial records of the Association. Deposits all membership dues, reunion assessments, and other monies in a financial institution approved by the Board of Directors. Pays all legitimate expenses of the Association as they become due. Responsible for an annual financial statement that is to be sent to all officers by January 31, for the previous calendar year.

MEMBERSHIP CHAIRMAN: Maintains a complete list of names and addresses of all members and current dues status. Sends out annual dues renewal notices and forwards all dues received to the Treasurer.
Section 2.

The BOARD OF DIRECTORS shall consist of the current elected officers plus the immediate past President and Vice President of the Association and be presided over by the current President. The primary function of the Board of Directors will be to oversee the business and financial affairs of the Association. In the event of the incapacity of any officer, the President shall appoint a replacement to serve until the next general membership meeting.

ARTICLE IV – COMMITTEES

Section 1.

The President is empowered to establish committees, as required for the purpose of implementing Association policies.

Section 2.

A Reunion Committee of three (3) members, one (1) of which shall be chairman, will be formed to plan for the next reunion. Responsibilities include, blocking of hotel rooms, meeting rooms, and the publication of details to the membership in the Association newsletter.
In the event the committee should consider recommending the use of association funds for outside contract services in support of the functional responsibilities cited above, the President, at his discretion, is empowered to consider approving such action.

Section 3.

A Nominating Committee of three (3) members, one (1) of which shall be chairman, will be formed in advance of the Association’s next reunion to present a nomination slate of officers to be voted on at the General Membership meeting.

Section 4.

A Newsletter Committee of one (1) shall be appointed to coordinate the writing of articles, edit and publish the Association newsletter, The Bouncing "B".

ARTICLE V – REUNIONS

The Association shall hold reunions biennially. The site for the next reunion shall be discussed and approved at the current membership meeting, after which the Reunion Committee will be appointed as noted in Article IV, Section 2 above. This committee will be in overall charge of all planning and detail arrangements for the reunion, including mailings to all eligible members regarding date, time, place, events, associated costs, etc.

ARTICLE VI – GENERAL MEMBERSHIP MEETING

The Association shall conduct a general membership meeting during its regularly-scheduled reunion at which time reports of officers and committees shall be presented, election of new officers held and committees appointed. The format for the meeting will be an agenda published in advance by the Secretary. "Roberts Rules of Order" will prevail as the correct procedure to be followed.

ARTICLE VII – AMENDMENTS TO THE BY-LAWS

These by-laws may only be amended following discussion at any regularly scheduled Association General Membership Meeting by a two thirds (2/3) majority vote of the Full Membership present.

ARTICLE VIII – DISSOLUTION OF THE ASSOCIATION

Sometime in the future the Association’s membership shall decline to the point where it can no longer function effectively and/or meet its objectives. When this occurs, notification of an orderly dissolution plan shall be distributed to the entire Full Membership by U.S. Mail using the address of record. Acceptance of this action shall be by majority vote either at the next General/Membership Meeting or by paper ballot. Prior notice to the membership by either method shall be at least three (3) months. Dissolution of the Association and the discharge of its debts and settlement of its affairs, all funds and other assets of the Association remaining there after shall be conveyed to such charitable organizations as the Board of Directors may designate. The final action shall include a letter to the members of record of the asset distribution and other pertinent information as needed.

Amended by the membership of the USS BROWNSON ASSOCIATION at its regularly-convened Membership Meeting on the occasion of its reunion held in Plymouth Meeting, Pennsylvania on this 22nd day of May 2011.