CONSTITUTION OF THE COLONEL BENJAMIN CLEVELAND CHAPTER, TNSSAR

CONSTITUTION OF THE COLONEL BENJAMIN CLEVELAND CHAPTER, TNSSAR

(20 July 2006)

ARTICLE I NAME

The name of the organization shall be the Colonel Benjamin Cleveland Chapter of the Tennessee Society (TNSSAR) of the Sons of the American Revolution..

ARTICLE II TERRITORY

The Colonel Benjamin Cleveland Chapter TNSSAR shall serve members in the counties of Bradley, Polk and Rhea Counties.

ARTICLE III OBJECTS

The objects of this society are declared to be patriotic, historical and educational and shall include those intended or designed to:

Perpetuate the memory of those, who by their services or sacrifices during the war of the American Revolution achieved the independence of the American people;

Unite and promote fellowship among their descendants;

Inspire them and the community at large with a more profound reverence for the principles of the government founded by their forefathers;

Encourage historical research in relation to the American Revolution;

Initiate and carryout programs to promote Patriotism among our youth at all levels;

Acquire and preserve the records of the individual services of the patriots of the war, as well as documents, relics and landmarks;

Promote through education the perpetuation of the people and events of the American Revolution;

Mark the scenes of the Revolution by appropriate materials;

Celebrate the anniversaries of the prominent events of the war and the Revolutionary period;

Foster true patriotism;

Maintain and extend the institutions of American freedom; and

Carry out the purposes expressed in the Preamble of the Constitution of our country and the injunctions of George Washington in his farewell address to the American people.

ARTICLE IV ELIGIBILITY FOR MEMBERSHIP

Any man shall be eligible for membership in this Society who being of the age of eighteen years or over, and a citizen of good repute in the community, and is the lineal descendent of an ancestor who was at all times unfailingly loyal to, and rendered active service in the cause of American Independence, either as an officer, soldier, seaman, marine, militiaman, or minuteman in the armed forces of the Continental Congress, or those of any one of the several Colonies or States, as a signer of the Declaration of Independence, as a member of the Committee of Safety or Correspondence, as a member of the Continental, Provincial, or Colonial Congress or Legislature, or as a foreign national who came to North America and rendered service in the cause of American Independence, or as a recognized patriot who performed actual service by overt acts of resistance to the authority of Great Britain, provided however, that no person advocating the overthrow of the Government of the United States by use of force or violence shall be eligible for membership in the Society. Any such offense by an active member shall result in termination of his membership.

ARTICLE V OFFICERS

The officers of the Colonel Benjamin Cleveland Chapter shall include a President, a First Vice President, a Second Vice President, a Secretary, a Treasurer, a Registrar/Genealogist, a Chaplain, a Historian, a Sergeant at Arms, and an Editor.

The following officers shall be elected: the President, the two Vice Presidents,

the Secretary, and the Treasurer. The remaining officers shall be appointed by the President. The President may combine the duties of such officers as he deems necessary.

.ARTICLE VI MEETINGS

The Chapter shall hold monthly meetings. The President shall determine the meeting date, time and location..

The President shall call Special Meetings at his discretion or by action of the Board of Directors, as stipulated in Article II, Section 2 of the Bylaws.

The Annual Meeting will be held in December, as stipulated in Article II, Section 1 of the Bylaws.

The President shall appoint a Nominating Committee no later than the October Meeting. This committee shall make its report no later than the November Meeting, and an election of officers for the upcoming year shall then be conducted, as per procedures in Article IV, Section 2 of the Bylaws, and these new officers shall be installed at the Annual Meeting in December. The newly installed officers shall take office immediately after installation.

ARTICLE VII AMENDMENTS

This Constitution and Bylaws may be altered or amended by affirmative action of the active members in a regular or special meeting by simple majority affirmative action of the majority of members present, providing the proposed amendments be presented in writing to the membership at least 10 days prior to the meeting in which the changes are to be voted on.

20 July 2006 Updated