Camp Constitution

SONS OF CONFEDERATE VETERANS

 

LEE-JACKSON CAMP NO. 1

 

CONSTITUTION

 

PREAMBLE In the name of a Reunited Country the Sons of Confederate Veterans declares the following purposes:

 An unquestioned allegiance to the Constitution of the United States of America largely written and expounded by Southern men and always clung to by Southern people as the very Magna Charta of our liberties; a strict construction of all sections conferring power upon the Federal Government, and the implied and understood reservations to the states arising therefrom, and a general attitude of the opposition to further amendment thereof.  We adhere to the principles of the Great Charter of England granted at Runnymede in 1215 and the Anglo-Saxon rights and personal liberties transmitted to us thereunder;  to associate in one united, compact body all men of Confederate ancestry, and to cultivate, perpetuate and sanctify the ties of fraternity and friendship entailed thereby;  to aid and encourage the recording and teaching, with impartiality, all Southern History and achievement from Jamestown to this present era, seeing to it especially that the events of the War Between the States are authentically and clearly written, and that all documents, relics and mementoes produced and handed down by the active participants therein are properly treasured and preserved for posterity;  to comfort, succor and assist needy Confederate Veterans, Sons of Confederate Veterans, their wives, widows and orphans;  to urge, aid and assist in the erection of suitable and enduring monuments and memorials to all Southern valor, military and civil, wherever done and wherever found, particularly stressing that of our heroic Confederate Ancestors who by their sacrifice perpetuated unto us and our descendants that glorious heritage of valor, chivalry and honor, which we now hold and venerate;  and to instill into our descendants a devotion to and reverence for the principles represented by the Confederate States of America, to the honor, glory and memory of our fathers who fought in that cause.

 

 

ARTICLE I

 

Name and Location

 

Section 1. The style and title of this association shall be SONS OF CONFEDERATE VETERANS LEE-JACKSON  Camp No. # 1       

 

Sons of Confederate Veterans, with headquarters at Richmond, Virginia.

 

 

ARTICLE 2

 

Nature

 

Section 1. In addition to upholding the principles set forth in the foregoing preamble, the purposes of this camp shall be strictly historical and benevolent.  Each member shall perform his full duty as a citizen according to his own conscience and understanding.

 

ARTICLE 3

 

Members

 

Section 1. All male descendants of those who served in the Confederate Army or Navy to the end of the war, or who died in prison or while in the actual service, or who were killed in battle, or who were honorably retired or discharged, shall be eligible to membership in this camp; provided that no member under sixteen years of age shall have the right to vote, and provided, further, no member shall be admitted under twelve years of age.

 

ARTICLE 4

 

Section 1. No one shall be admitted to membership in this camp until satisfactory proof of the foregoing qualifications be submitted in duplicate on official blank application prepared for that purpose.  The original shall be carefully preserved by the camp, and the duplicate shall, within ten days, be forwarded to General Headquarters for record and permanent preservation. The record must be certified to when practicable by the committee on records of some Veterans camp, or by some member of the ancestor’s command, or by the attachment of sufficient documentary evidence to satisfy the committee on application of its correctness.  These records shall be carefully preserved, and shall also be transcribed in a book provided for the purpose, in the form of an alphabetical roster.

 

Section 2. Application for membership shall be read at any regular (or special) meeting, referred to the committee on application , and, if, approved, acted upon at once, or at the next meeting, or the applicant may be elected subjected to the approval of the application committee.

 

Section 3. Election of members shall be by viva voce vote.  The affirmation vote of three-fourths of the members present at the meeting shall be necessary for election.

 

ARTICLE 5

 

Officers

 

Section 1. The officers of the camp shall be a commander, first and second lieutenant commander, adjutant, surgeon, judge advocate, quartermaster, chaplain, treasurer, color sergeant and historian.  The office of treasurer and adjutant may be held by the same person.

 

ARTICLE 6

 

Executive Committee

 

Section 1. The executive committee shall consist of the Commander, Adjutant and five other members elected by the camp, from which a chairman and secretary shall be elected, with full authority to manage the financial affairs of the camp and generally to look after and have charge of all other affairs of the camp between meetings and to report from time to time the condition of the finances.

 

Section 2. The secretary shall keep a written record of all meeting of the committee.  Shall any office become vacant between the regular meetings of the camp, and it is necessary to fill the same at once, the executive committee shall appoint as temporary officer, subject to the approval of the camp at its next regular meeting.

 

Section 3. The executive committee shall meet at the call of the chairman when there is any business to be transacted, or upon written notice of three of its members.

 

Section 4. Four members shall constitute a quorum of the executive committee.

 

ARTICLE 7

 

Membership Dues

 

Section 1. Membership in this camp shall be of two kinds, viz:

 

    • Active membership whose annual dues shall be the amount prescribed in the by-laws.
    • Life membership, the member to pay $50.00 for same and to be furnished with a proper certificate to be signed by the Commander-in-Chief and the Adjutant-in-Chief, said member to be exempt from dues thereafter. (See Amended version below)
  •      Amendment to Article 7, Section 1 paragraph (b) amended        August 6, 1988 to read:

      “Life Membership, the member to pay $250.00 for same and to be furnished with as proper certificate to be signed by the Commander-in-Chief and the Adjutant-in-Chief, said member to          be exempt from dues thereafter.”

 

Section 2. There shall be no form or class of membership except as hereinbefore provided.

 

Note:  The words “Class of Membership” are understood as equivalent to “Kind” of “Variety” of Membership, and the effect of the foregoing clause is specifically to prohibit the conferring of “Honorary Membership in the Sons of the Confederate Veterans” upon any person whether or not falling within the eligibility provisions of Article 3, Section 1.

 

ARTICLE 8

 

Election

 

Section 1. All elections of offices shall be by ballot, unless dispensed with by unanimous consent of those present when they may be by a viva voce vote and they shall be elected annually, either during December or January, to take effect in the month of January, and they shall serve until their successors are elected and qualified.

 

Section 2. A majority of the votes cast shall be necessary for an election, when a majority is not received, the name of the member receiving the least number of votes shall be dropped, and the votes taken over, until an election is made.

 

Section 3. Delegates and alternates to a General or a Division Convention shall be elected at such time and in such manner as the camp may determine, provided that notice of such election shall be sent to each member at least two days before action is taken thereon.

 

Section 4. In case of a tie in any election, the Commander shall cast the deciding vote.

 

Article 9

 

Inauguration of Officers

 

Section 1. The following shall be the form for the inauguration of officers:  The outgoing commander or presiding officer shall administer oath of office to the incoming commander who shall inaugurate the other officers elect, using the following oath.

 

“Do you solemnly promise to discharge the duties of your office to the best of your ability, and to be governed by the constitution and by-laws?”

 

Officer Elect’s answers:  “I do.”

 

 

ARTICLE 10

 

Penalties

 

Section 1. Penalty shall consist of forfeiture of right of right of suffrage, suspension and expulsion.

 

Section 2. Forfeiture of membership by a vote of two-thirds of the members present may be declared against any member committing an act repugnant to this constitution or detrimental to the objects and purposed of the camp or the Confederate, provided, that at least two weeks’ notice of such proposed action shall have been given to such member by registered mail, and that the member is given an opportunity to be heard.

 

ARTICLE 11

 

Meetings

 

Section 1. The anniversary meeting shall be held on January 19th,  except when that date shall fall on Sunday in which case the meeting shall be held on the Saturday previous or the Monday immediately following.

 

Section 2. The hour and place of meeting shall be designated by the Executive Committee, or by the commander.

 

Section 3. Special meetings may be called by the Commander or the Executive Committee at anytime.  The commander shall call a special meeting whenever requested in writing to do so by five or more members.

 

Section 4. General business may be transacted at any special meeting, except as provided in Section 1.

 

ARTICLE 12

 

Amendments

 

Section 1. Amendments to this constitution may be offered at any meeting of the camp, but shall not be acted on until the next regular meeting.  A copy of the proposed amendment or its substance shall be sent to each member with a notice of the regular meeting at which the same is to be acted on, at least two days prior to said meeting.  A vote of two-thirds of those present shall be necessary to its adoption.

 

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