VETERANS OF FOREIGN WARS OF THE UNITED STATES AUXILIARY DEPARTMENT OF NEVADA STANDING RULES REVISED AND ADOPTED JUNE 7, 2018 AT DEPARTMENT CONVENTION HELD IN SPARKS, NEVADA, JUNE 7, 2018 CHANGES EFFECTIVE JULY 1, 2018 Updated Standing Rules for the VFW Auxiliary Department of Nevada (7/1/2018) Page 1 of 7
RULE 1: MEMBERSHIP Membership shall be governed by Article I of the National Bylaws. RULE 2: OFFICERS AND COMMITTEES Officers of the Department shall be in accordance with the National Bylaws. The Department President shall appoint all committees from within our organization, not otherwise provided for, whose duties shall be outlined by the Department President, Department Council of Administration and/or National. RULE 3: NATIONAL AND DEPARTMENT DUES National and Department dues shall be thirteen dollars ($13.00) per annum for each member in good standing. This transaction will be known as Per Capita Tax for the Department and National. A. National dues, as set by National convention, of five dollars ($5.00) per annum shall be paid by the Department Treasurer immediately upon receipt of same, for dues collected during the month. B. Department dues shall be eight dollars ($8.00) per annum. Four dollars ($4.00) of said Department Dues is to be retained in the Dues Reserve Fund and four dollars ($4.00) is to be retained in the General Fund. C. Department Members at Large dues shall be fifty dollars ($50.00). The Department Treasurer shall transmit ten dollars ($10.00) to the National Treasurer. Twenty dollars ($20.00) is to be retained in the Department Dues Reserve Fund and twenty dollars ($20.00) dollars is to be retained in the Department General fund. RULE 4: NATIONAL CONVENTION A. The Department President shall attend the National Convention as the Official Representative of the Department of Nevada and is obligated to attend every business session and/or function at which representation from the Department of Nevada is required. The Department President shall stay at the assigned Nevada Delegation Headquarters. B. If the Department President is unable to attend, the Department of Nevada will be represented by the Department Senior Vice President. If the Department Senior Vice President is unable to attend, the Department of Nevada will be represented by the Department Junior Vice President. C. The Department President, or her/his representative, shall be allowed actual mileage at thirty-five ($.35) a mile or coach plane fare, whichever is the most economical, plus expenses for five (5) days at the National Convention. (The actual amount is to be set forth in the Budget.) 1. The Department President shall be allowed expenses to cover registration fee at the National Convention. 2. An adequate amount shall be allowed for the gift to the outgoing National President from the Department of Nevada presented by the outgoing Department President. Updated Standing Rules for the VFW Auxiliary Department of Nevada (7/1/2018) Page 2 of 7
3. An adequate amount shall be allowed for the gift for the incoming National President, if she/he is from the Western Conference. The gift from the Department of Nevada will be presented by the incoming Department President at the incoming National President s homecoming. 4. The individuals accepting any awards for Department Chairman or Auxiliaries shall deliver or present them to the recipient, or mail them, within thirty (30) days after the close of the National Convention. RULE 5: DEPARTMENT CONVENTION A. National and Department dues and records covering the membership of the Auxiliary shall be in the hands of the Department Treasurer not less than thirty (30) days prior to the Department Convention. The Delegate strength shall be based on the Department Treasurer s records as of the date of the election of such Delegates. B. The Department Convention Delegate Fund shall be set up separately in the Budget, and in the Department Treasurer s books, and is to take care of expenses incurred by the Department, during the Department Convention each year. (National Bylaws) C. The Department Secretary shall mail completed Credential forms (this means the form is to be filled out, the Department seal applied and each credential is signed by the Department President and Department Secretary) to all Auxiliary Presidents; Department Officers elected and appointed; and Past Department Presidents entitled to a vote at the Department Convention; said Credentials must be presented at the Department Convention for proper voting privileges. D. The Department Secretary shall send a letter to all Auxiliaries to remind them of the Love gift from the Auxiliary to the retiring Department President. The gift is to be presented at the Department Convention. E. The Department Senior Vice President shall send a letter to all Department Officers and Chairmen asking for their contribution to the Department President s Love gift from her Officers and Chairmen to be presented at the Department Convention. F. Resolutions for the consideration of the Department Council of Administration should be sent to the Department Chairman (appointed by the Department President) not less than thirty (30) days prior to the Convention; these resolutions shall be in triplicate and first accepted by a Auxiliary and/or District or presented by an Officer who is included in the composition of the Department Convention. G. Nominations may be opened during the Friday afternoon business session and remain open until the election of Officers is held on Saturday, with the closing of Credentials to be at 10:00 A.M. H. Traveling expenses via the most economical way from home to the place of the Department Convention and return as stated in the Department Budget plus the actual cost of the hotel room for the duration of the Convention shall be paid for the Department President, Department Secretary, and Department Treasurer. If any rooms are shared, only cost of one (1) room will be paid. Meals for the Convention will also be paid for the Department President. I. The following fees shall be paid (amounts to be set forth in the Budget): 1. Department Secretary. 2. Department Treasurer. (Provided books and records are up to date and in order.) 3. Silver Notes of Nevada Editor. Updated Standing Rules for the VFW Auxiliary Department of Nevada (7/1/2018) Page 3 of 7
J. The Department President will appoint an Aide for the National Representative for the Department Convention. This Aide will be responsible for transportation and appointments at the meeting. K. Gifts and Awards (amounts to be set forth in the Budget): 1. National Representative gift. 2. Buddy Poppy Display Awards 3. Auxiliary President of the Year Award 4. District President of the Year Award 5. Voice of Democracy Award (Given at Mid-Winter) 6. Patriot s Pen Award (Given at Mid-Winter) 7. Patriotic Art Award (1 ST Place & 2 nd Place) 8. Youth Volunteer Award (1 st Place & 2 nd Place) 9. First District to reach 100% Membership 10. Lucille Vaughn Award (Most new/reinstated (membership)) L. The incoming Department President shall arrange a School of Instruction, at the Department Convention for newly elected Auxiliary and District Presidents, who will assume their offices at the respective Department Convention, also the Auxiliary and District Secretaries and Auxiliary and District Treasurers. This school should give a thorough grooming of the Auxiliary, District, and Department affairs and proper procedures so that increased efficiency may be attained. RULE 6: SPECIAL REGULATIONS A. COMMITTEE REPORTS 1. The Department Secretary will send a copy of the membership Division to each Chairman and a form listing the overall winner and the 1st and 2nd citation winners in each Division. The form must be returned to the Department Secretary by May 1. 2. Copies of all reports will be assembled in a Convention Book by the Department Secretary and shall be given to the delegates at the Department Convention when they register. B. WAYS AND MEANS 1. The Department of Nevada will maintain a Ways and Means Committee whose responsibility it shall be to devise money making ideas to be presented to the Council of Administration for approval at their first meeting following Convention each year. Proceeds from Ways and Means must go immediately to the Department Treasurer. 2. The Department President shall appoint a Chairman who may select members of the Department to work with her. C. TRAVEL EXPENSES 1. The Department President s travel expenses plus room and meals shall be paid by the Department when making official visits to Auxiliaries and Districts (amount to be set forth in the Budget). a. A voucher may be submitted to the Department Treasurer by the Department President each month for estimated expenses for official visits. The Department Treasurer shall send a check immediately for the amount requested. b. Receipts for the trips made for official visits shall be turned in to the Department Treasurer at the end of the month following trips by the Department President. Updated Standing Rules for the VFW Auxiliary Department of Nevada (7/1/2018) Page 4 of 7
2. Traveling expenses, hotel and meals shall be allowed the Department President for one (1) trip to the Department Convention City to transact business concerning the Department Convention shall be allowed. (Amount set forth in the Budget.) 3. Traveling expenses, hotel and meals shall be allowed the Department President when attending Department Council of Administration meetings. 4. The Department members of the Council of Administration will be compensated seventy five dollars ($75.00) per member, per Council of Administration meetings attended when said Council meetings are held in conjunction with the Department Convention, and one hundred ($100.00) per member for the Mid-Year conference held in January. 5. The Department President shall represent the Department at the Western Conference Meetings. Official notice is given to each Department as to time and place. The Department President shall notify the Auxiliaries of the date, place and necessary information regarding the Western Conference activities. If the Department President is unable to attend, the Department Senior Vice President or the Department Junior Vice President shall represent the Department. (Amount allowed for this Conference shall be set forth in the Budget.) 6. The Department President is to represent the Department of Nevada at the Voice of Democracy Awards Community Service Conference. (Amount allowed for this Conference shall be set forth in the Budget.) D. DEPARTMENT AUDITS The Department Auditing Committee will audit the books of the Department Treasurer on a quarterly basis. E. GREETINGS AND MEMORIALS 1. Provisions shall be made in the budget for Greetings to other veterans organizations, providing the Department President (or her/his representative) attends the organization s state meeting, a National Officer s visit or convention. (Amount allowed to be set forth in the Budget.) 2. Memorials shall be sent to the survivors in the event of a death of the following: Department Officer, Department Chairman or Past Department President. Immediate family (husband, child, mother, father) of a Department Officer, Department Chairman or Past Department President. Department Commander or Past Department Commander. F. DEPARTMENT PRESIDENT JEWEL The retiring Department President shall receive a Ruby on her Past President s Pin or a Past President s Pin with a Ruby, upon completion of her term of office. G. SPECIAL GIFTS-AWARDS The Department President shall purchase a gift for the following: National Representative at our Mid-Winter Conference. (Amount allowed to be set forth in the Budget.) National Representative at our Department Convention. (Amount allowed to be set forth in the Budget.) Updated Standing Rules for the VFW Auxiliary Department of Nevada (7/1/2018) Page 5 of 7
H. AUXILIARY CONTRIBUTIONS: Each Auxiliary is requested to contribute annually to the following programs (or as their Auxiliary funds permit.) National Cancer Aid & Research $ 2.00 per member National Home (Health & Happiness) $.25 per member Department Hospital fund (includes Christmas) $ 40.00 annually National Home Nevada Cottage $ 10.00 annually National President s Visit $ 20.00 annually I. DEPARTMENT DISTRIBUTION Minutes, Rosters, Silver Notes of Nevada, General Orders/President s Communications, Department Bylaws and Standing Rules will be distributed as provided below: ROSTERS (Special Note: No member shall give or loan this roster for political or commercial purposes. No one shall use this roster without authorization from the Department Council of Administration.) All Rosters upon request will be five dollars ($5.00) per Roster. SILVER NOTES OF NEVADA Will be uploaded to the web site and will be available to all members in the state of Nevada. Any person wishing to receive a hard copy of this publication shall pay a fee of ten dollars ($10.00) per year. GENERAL ORDERS/PRESIDENTS OFFICIAL COMMUNICATIONS: Shall be sent to the Aux Secretaries so that they can be read at the first meeting following receipt. DEPARTMENT COUNCIL OF ADMINISTRATION MINUTES shall be emailed to: all outgoing and incoming Council of Administration Members. (Within thirty (30) days of said meeting). Other members can receive a copy via email by sending their email address and request to the Department Secretary. DEPARTMENT CONVENTION MINUTES shall be emailed to: all Auxiliaries Secretaries and outgoing and incoming Convention Members. (Within thirty (30) days of said meeting). Other members can receive a copy via email by sending their email address and request to the Department Secretary. DEPARTMENT BYLAWS AND STANDING RULES Will be uploaded to the web site and will be available to all members. Members requiring a hard copy shall pay a fee of $3.00 per year. RULE 7: MEETINGS DEPARTMENT At least three (3) meetings of the Council of Administration shall be held during the year: One (1) immediately following the close of the Department Convention. One (1) at the Mid-Winter Conference. One (1) proceeding the opening of the Department Convention. Any other meeting may be called by the Department President providing it is financially feasible and Department business may require such a meeting. The Department President will appoint an aide for the National Representative for the Department Mid-Winter Conference. This aide will be responsible for transportation and appointments at the meeting. RULE 8: AMENDMENTS/RESOLUTIONS These Standing Rules may be revised only by a majority vote of the Department Council of Administration. Updated Standing Rules for the VFW Auxiliary Department of Nevada (7/1/2018) Page 6 of 7
REVISED AND ADOPTED JUNE 7, 2018 AT DEPARTMENT CONVENTION HELD IN SPARKS, NEVADA, JUNE 7, 2018 EFFECTIVE DATE: JULY 1, 2018 Updated Standing Rules for the VFW Auxiliary Department of Nevada (7/1/2018) Page 7 of 7