BYLAWS of the TENNESSEE SOCIETY ORDER OF CONFEDERATE ROSE ARTICLE I NAME The name of this organization shall be Tennessee Society Order of Confederate Rose, hereinafter referred to as TN Society OCR. ARTICLE II OBJECT The primary purpose of this organization shall be to assist the Sons of Confederate Veterans in its benevolent, educational, historical, and social functions. However, this organization may participate in various additional independent projects and functions when needed A chapter shall be obligated to assist the camp it is affiliated with, support of other camps or organizations is discretionary. **** ARTICLE III MEMBERSHIP Any man, woman, or child, sixteen years old or older, who is recommended by a current member of the Sons of Confederate Veterans and referred by a current member of this organization, is eligible to apply for membership to become an active member with full voting rights and other privileges. If accepted for membership, by the TNSOCR 3 person membership committee**, applicants shall promise to abide by the bylaws of the TN Society OCR and the Articles of Confederation established by the founders of the Order of Confederate Rose. Applicants will receive notice of acceptance or denial of membership within 30 days via email, no explanation will be given.** Regular - Member of an established chapter who pays dues annually. State and chapter dues will be waived for REAL SONS AND DAUGHTERS of the Confederacy. Family - Available to all family members sixteen years of age or older residing within the same household by paying one annual state dues equal to that of a regular member. Family is defined as a spouse, parent or child (biological, adopted, step or a legal guardianship). Chapter dues will be paid by each individual member or as determined by the chapter in which membership is held. Rambling Rose* - Regular member who is not located near an existing chapter or is a former member of a chapter that has dissolved. Members-at-large pay annual dues and are encouraged to establish their own chapter within two (2) years. ******this classification is totally removed, chapter affiliation required. Page 1 of 8
Lifetime - Available for a one-time dues rate of $100 per voting member and is not transferable between states. Lifetime membership will remain in effect regardless of place of residence. Local chapters will determine chapter dues for lifetime members. Prerequisite: a member wishing to become a Life Member must be a TNSOCR member in good standing for a minimum of 2 years.**** Associate - A regular member of one chapter may also become an associate member of a second chapter by paying dues in both chapters. The associate member has no voting rights in the associate chapter and does not receive any additional certificate of membership from the TN Society OCR. Honorary - Honorary membership is awarded by the TN Society OCR state officers to a non-ocr member in recognition of outstanding national or statewide support of the Southern cause. A chapter president at a TN Society OCR State Officers meeting must submit nominations for honorary membership. An honorary member shall receive a special certificate from the TN Society OCR. An honorary member may not hold an office or have voting privileges in either the TN Society OCR or local chapters. Society of the Black Rose - A special, volunteer order within the TN Society OCR to perpetuate the persona of a War Between the States widow at Sons of Confederate Veterans functions, memorial services, grave dedications, interments and reenactments. One must be a regular member or a memberat-large of the TN Society OCR to participate. No additional dues are required for membership in this order; however, appropriate mourning attire is required. Rose Buds and Young Rebels - A special group of young girls and boys age 0-15 years. Usually the children of members, but not necessarily. They pay no dues and have no voting privileges. A one time $5 fee will be assessed for children not in a family membership situation.* Membership to this organization may be terminated by voluntary verbal** or written resignation** or denied by non-payment of annual dues or for inappropriate conduct. A refund of dues paid less than 30 days from resignation will be permitted.***** Section 3 The TNSOCR or** chapter in which membership is held shall handle suspension/expulsion of an individual member. A written grievance may be submitted to the state officers, who will consider the matter after giving the accused party fifteen days to reply to the charges. The state officers will then decide the matter. Any membership terminated by the TNSOCR will be permanent and future rejoining will be denied.* All chapters are required to use the official membership application, charter applications, and other official documents created by the TN Society OCR without alteration. Any chapter failing to abide by the Articles of Confederation and/or TN Society OCR bylaws will be subject to charter revocation. Page 2 of 8
Section 5 A chapter must have a minimum of 7 adult members to charter and to remain an active chapter. Any chapter falling below the required number of members shall have 6 months to enlist new members or be dissolved. ***** ARTICLE IV OFFICERS The Executive Committee of the TNSOCR shall consist of the elected state officers as follows:** society president, 2 vice presidents**, secretary, and treasurer and shall be elected by the membership of the TN Society OCR. The elected president, in turn, shall appoint the aide-de-camp, chaplain, historian, Black Rose Keeper of the Rite, and web administrator and/or other officers he or she deems necessary. Any member running for an elected officer position may submit a biography for inclusion in the January edition of the state newsletter in the years elections will be held. The Advisory Council shall be the president of every valid chapter (or their appointed representative at state meetings) and will vote on business and financial matters of the TNSOCR.** Expenses (i.e. travel, hotel accommodations, meals, etc.) incurred by the state president or her/his appointed representative at the annual Confederation of States Reunion shall be funded by the TN Society OCR treasury, assuming funds are available. Section 3 The officers shall serve two-year terms, which may run consecutively and concurrently with any other post held. Vacancies may be filled for the balance of the term by appointment of the society president with the approval of the Executive Committee. The society president shall be the chief officer of this corporation and shall conduct the meetings of the organization. The president shall be a member ex-officio of all committees and shall perform such duties as are necessarily incident to the office. Section 5 The vice president shall perform all the duties of the society president during the absence of the president as instructed by the president in their part of the state. Page 3 of 8
Section 6 The treasurer shall keep an accurate account of all monies received and expended for the use of the organization and shall make a report at the annual meeting or when called upon by the society president. Any dues paying member may request and receive a copy of the fiscal year financial statement from the treasurer. The signature of the president and treasurer shall be required on TN Society OCR financial transactions or checks. Section 7 The secretary shall keep the minutes of the meetings, handle correspondence of the state officers, and maintain and update the bylaws. Section 8 The reporter shall publish the state newsletter quarterly: January, April, July, and October. ARTICLE V MEETINGS A quorum for a meeting of the Executive Committee shall consist of 50% of its composition at a duly called meeting. A quorum for a meeting of a chapter shall consist of the active members present at a regular or special called meeting with 7 days notice. ******* Active and dues paying members shall be considered one and the same. Section 3 The Executive Committee's composition shall be the president, vice president, secretary, and treasurer.** Each member of the Executive Committee shall have only one (1) vote. Specifically, if a person holds a position as an officer (president, vice president, secretary, treasurer) in the TN Society OCR and also a position as a chapter president, the person has only one (1) vote at a duly called meeting of the Executive Committee and/or Advisory Council** by U.S. Postal Service mail or by email vote. Section 5 Page 4 of 8
The order of business at the TN Society OCR meetings shall be as follows: 1. Call to order 2. Reading of the minutes of previous meeting 3. Receiving of communications 4. Report of officers 5. Reports of committees 6. Unfinished business 7. New business 8. Election of officers (Election years) 9. Adjournment The order of business may be altered or suspended at any meeting by a majority vote of the members present. Section 6 Special meetings of the organization may be called at any time by the society president, or in the president s absence, by the vice-president, or by request of a majority of the state officers, or by request of not less than five percent of the active members. A 10 day notice of any special meeting must be given to the members. ARTICLE VI EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE The Executive Committee shall be a standing committee consisting of the society president, vicepresidents, secretary, and treasurer.** The society president shall chair these meetings or in the president s absence, the vice president shall preside. Page 5 of 8
Section 3 The Executive Committee shall execute the policies and decisions of the corporation, direct the disbursement of funds, and formulate the goals and objectives of the organization. The Executive Committee shall report to the membership on its activities at the annual meeting and through publications of the quarterly newsletter. ARTICLE VII COMMITTEES The society president shall appoint such ad hoc committees as are deemed necessary. ARTICLE VIII PARLIAMENTARY AUTHORITY Parliamentary procedure shall be the latest edition of Robert s Rule of Order OR preferably a common sense approach hen house rules agreed upon by the EC and Advisory Council.** ARTICLE IX AMENDMENT OF BYLAWS These bylaws may be amended in whole or in part by a majority vote at any duly authorized meeting of the organization. ARTICLE X DUES/CONTRIBUTIONS The annual dues required for membership in the organization shall be $25**** (previously $20) per member (family membership included), and are due and payable to the TN Society OCR no later than February 1****** each year. Late chapters will incur a $20 late penalty, individual members be charged a $5 late fee on added to their dues if paid after February 1. Said dues not in the registrar s hands on February 1 shall be returned to the member to resubmit with correct amount. ****** (Previously March 1) Page 6 of 8
The amount and due date of local dues, if any, shall be determined by individual chapters. Section 3 Chapters chartered during the last three months of the year or new members added to existing chapters during that period shall pay $10 per member (family membership included). It is the duty of the chapter president or secretary/treasurer to collect all TN Society OCR dues each year and send them all together, if possible, to the society Treasurer* for processing. Section 5 Included with the dues should be a list of current members their contact information and positions held, if any. The list should also contain the chapter name, sponsoring SCV camp, date chartered and current year. Family membership should also be noted. ARTICLE XI MAIL VOTE The society president may submit any matter to the officers and chapter presidents by U.S. Postal Service or by email for vote and decision by chapter membership, and the matter shall be determined by majority of the votes received within four (4) weeks after such submissions. ARTICLE XII LIABILITIES No member, officer, employee, or the Tennessee Society OCR itself* shall be liable for the act of any other member, officer, agent, or employee for his/her acts or failure to act under these by-laws. A member may not take legal action of any kind, against the TNSOCR, its chapters or members, individually or collectively.*** ARTICLE XIII INSIGNIA The TN Society OCR logo was designed by Helen Holladay, a Crossville, TN artist and a member of the OCR organization. The logo was officially adopted in 2004 for use on any/all TN Society documents. The state officers may adopt other insignia, colors, badges, flags, etc. for the organization as they deem Page 7 of 8
desirable. The use of the name Order of Confederate Rose or Black Rose may only be used by valid, current members of the organization. This applies also to patches. ****** ARTICLE XIV DISSOLUTION A chapter may be dissolved and/or its charter permanently revoked by a majority vote of the EC after a joint discussion with the president's advisory council if said action would serve to protect the integrity and good name of the Order of Confederate Rose. This decision shall be final with no right of appeal.* The organization may only be dissolved by a vote of two-thirds of the active members. In the event of dissolution, the property of the organization shall be given to the Tennessee Division of the Sons of Confederate Veterans. These by-laws officially adopted by the TN Society OCR Executive Committee 22 July 2005 and amended at duly authorized state meetings 22 July 2005, 29 April 2006, 27 April 2007, 26 July 2008, 20 April 2012, 26 April 2013, 12 April 2014, 10 April 2015, 8 April 2016, 7 April 2017, 20 April 2018 Changes as follows: *Amended 20 April 2012 TN State Convention, Dover, TN ** Amended 26 April 2013 TN State Convention, Ringgold, GA *** Amended 12 April 2014 - TN State Convention, Union City, TN **** Amended 10 April 2015 TN State Convention, Greeneville, TN ***** Amended 8 April 2016 TN State Convention, Clinton, TN ****** Amended 7 April 2017 TN State Convention, Tracy City, TN ******* Amended 20 April 2018 TN State Convention, Chapel Hill, TN Page 8 of 8