Constitution

PROPOSED American Legion Post 3 CONSTITUTION 

CONSTITUTION 

of Mark A. Moore Post 3, 

American Legion, Department of Arizona

PREAMBLE 

For God and Country we associate ourselves for the following purposes: to uphold and defend the constitution of the United States of America; to maintain law and order; to foster and perpetuate a one hundred percent Americanism; to preserve the memories and incidents of our associations in the great wars; to inoculate a sense of individual obligation to the Community, State, and Nation; to combat the autocracy of both classes and masses; to make right the master of might; to promote peace and goodwill on earth; to safeguard and transmit to posterity the principals of Justice, Freedom, and Democracy; to consecrate and sanctify our comradeship by our devotion to mutual helpfulness.

ARTICLE I 

NAME 

Section 1. The name of this organization shall be Mark A. Moore Post 3, The American Legion, Department of Arizona.

ARTICLE II 

OBJECTIVES 

Section 1. The objectives and purposes of this post shall be to promote the principles and policies as set forth in the forgoing preamble, and the National and Departmental Constitutions of The American Legion.

ARTICLE III 

NATURE 

Section 1. This post shall be a civilian organization and membership therein does not affect or increase liability for military or police service.
Section 2. This organization shall be absolutely non-political and shall not be used for the dissemination of partisan principles or for the promotion of the candidacy of any person seeking public office or preferment.
Section 3. Rank shall not exist in The American Legion; no member shall be addressed by his military or naval title in any meeting of this post.

ARTICLE IV 

MEMBERSHIP 

Section 1. Eligibility to membership in this post shall be as prescribed in the National Constitution of The American Legion.
Section 2. Application for membership shall be made in writing under such regulations as may from time to time be prescribed by the National Constitution of the American Legion.
Section 3. All applications for membership may be acted upon at the next post meeting following the making of such application, and may at such meeting, be accepted, rejected, or referred for further investigation and consideration. When a majority of the members at such meeting cast their vote against the acceptance of said application, then such application shall be recorded as rejected.
Section 4. Members may be suspended or expelled from the American Legion only upon proper showing of cause, and upon proceedings as provided for in the Officers Guide, A Practice and Procedure in the Expulsion or Suspension of a Member of the American Legion. Any appeal shall be taken to the Department Executive Committee, and the case shall be tried anew. The decision of the Department Executive Committee in such cases shall be final.
Section 5. A member who has been expelled or suspended from this post for any cause may be reinstated to membership by a majority vote of the membership present in post meeting, and the payment of the current dues for the year in which the reinstatement occurs.
Section 6. No person who has been expelled by a post shall be admitted to membership in this post, without the consent of the expelling post, except that where such consent has been asked for and denied by such post, s/he may then appeal to the Department Executive Committee of the Department of the expelling post, and shall be ineligible for membership until such permission is granted.

ARTICLE V 

OFFICERS 

Section 1. The administrative affairs of this post of The American Legion shall, except as may be otherwise provided by the by-laws, be under the supervision of an Executive Committee which shall consist of three (3) members in addition to the officers of the post. The term of office of members of the Executive Committee shall be for one year. This post, by its Bylaws, may provide for such other standing committees as the business of the organization may require.
Section 2. The officers of this post shall be a Post Commander, Vice Commanders, a Post Adjutant, a Finance Officer, a Post Historian, a Post Chaplain, a Post Service Officer, and a Sergeant-at-Arms, and such officers as may be deemed necessary by this organization, who shall be nominated from the floor at the meeting preceding the annual election.
Section 3. The post shall elect its officers for the ensuing year not less than forty-five (45) days prior to the Arizona Department convention of that year, and such officers shall be installed within the forty-five (45) days prior to the convention of that year, or not later than the first meeting of September of such year. All installations of officers of this post shall be subject to the approval of the District Commander.
Section 4. The personal liability of each member of the Executive Committee and each uncompensated officer of the post or its members, for monetary or other damages, for conduct as an executive committee person, or officer, or member shall be eliminated to the full extent permitted by law.
Section 5. All officers and executive committee members shall hold office until their successors are installed or as otherwise provided. Any officer or executive committee member may be removed for inefficiency by the executive committee, a 2/3 vote in favor of removal by said committee shall effect such removal.
Section 6. Every member of this post in good standing shall be eligible to hold office in this post.
Section 7. The duties of officers and the executive committee shall be those usually appertaining to such officers or committee and as further provided by the post Bylaws.

ARTICLE VI 

FINANCE 

Section 1. The revenue of this post shall be derived from membership or initiation fees, from annual membership dues and from such other sources as may be approved by the post Executive Committee.
Section 2. The amount of such membership or initiation fees and the amount of such annual post dues shall be fixed and determined by this post.
Section 3. The post shall pay to Arizona Department Headquarters the National and Departmental annual membership dues for every member of the post.

ARTICLE VII 

CHARTER MEMBERS 

Section 1. Members who joined this post prior to November 11, 1918 shall be known as charter members.

ARTICLE VIII 

AUXILIARIES 

Section 1. This post may recognize auxiliary organizations, including but not limited to American Legion Auxiliary, Sons of American Legion, and American Legion Riders, which shall be known as Auxiliary Units of Mark A. Moore Post 3, The American Legion.
Section 2. Membership in the Auxiliaries shall be as prescribed by the National Constitution of the American Legion Auxiliary.

ARTICLE IX 

AMENDMENTS 

Section 1. This constitution is adopted subject to the previsions of the National Constitution of The American Legion and the Department Constitution. Any amendment to said National Constitution or Department Constitution which is in conflict with any provisions hereof shall be regarded as automatically repealing or modifying the provisions of this Constitution to the extent of such conflict.
Section 2. This constitution may be amended at any regular post meeting by a vote of two-thirds of the members of said post attending such regular meeting, providing that the proposed amendment shall have been submitted in writing and made available at the next preceding meeting of said post, and providing, further, that written notice shall have been given to all members at least 30 days in advance of the date when such amendment is to be voted on, notifying said members that such meeting a proposal to amend the Constitution is to be voted upon.

Approved By
______________________________Post Commander
______________________________Vice Commander
______________________________Adjutant
On This Day _______________________________