Fraternity-Testvériség, 1985 (63. évfolyam, 1-4. szám)

1985-04-01 / 2-3. szám

FRATERNITY

Page 29

reports from the officers of the branch and the person or persons filing complaints. Said reports shall be forwarded to the President within ten days by certified mail from the date of receipt of the request for same. Upon receipt of said reports, or in the event one or more reports shall not be received, the President shall convene the Executive Committee for consideration. The Executive Committee shall report said matter to the Board of Directors along with their recommendation. The Board shall either approve or reject the recommendation and notify the Branch of its decision and/or directive for corrective action. Should said Branch refuse or neglect to take such corrective action, the Board of Directors shall have the authority to declare the election null and void. The action of the Board shall be reported to the Convention and may be appealed to the Convention. All expenses incurred in attending the Convention by complainant(s) and/or witnesses shall be the sole responsibility of the complainant(s) or the person calling the witnesses and shall not be paid by the Federation.

The Credentials Committee of the Convention shall consider all material and legally competent testimony presented to it and render a decision. This decision may be appealed to the Plenary Session of the Convention, whose decision shall be final.

Convention Chairman — Convention Secretaries Expenses — Reports

17. Sessions of the Convention shall be conducted by the President or one of the Vice Presidents of the Federation, except during the election of officers, for which the Convention shall elect a chairman from the members of the Convention.

18. The Convention Secretaries shall be appointed from among the members of the Federation by the Board of Directors. The minutes of the previous day shall be read at the beginning of each morning session, and these minutes shall be approved by the Convention and attested as correct by three members appointed by the President the day before. The minutes of the last day shall be read and approved by a committee of five members including two national officers.

19. The travel expenses and the per diem of all persons authorized to attend the Convention shall be determined on the first day by the Convention.

20. The President shall send the National Officers quadrennial reports prepared for the Convention to the members of the Convention 20 days prior to the Convention.

Convention Order of Procedure

21. The Convention’s order of procedure is:

a) The opening of the Convention with Divine Services.

b) Report of the Credentials Committee and official recognition of the members.

c) Greetings of the President.

d) Adoption of the agenda.

e) Reports of the National Officers and Board of Directors.

0 Reports of the Advisory Members.

g) Announcement of the Committees appointed by the President.

h) Committee meetings.

i) Report of the Committees.

j) Release of the National Officers and members of the Board of Directors.

k) Election of temporary chairman.

l) Report of the Nominating Committee.

m) Election of National Officers: President, Vice President-Secretary and Treasurer.

n) Election of the members of the Board of Directors and their alternates.

o) Oath of elected National Officers and Members of the Board of Directors.

p) Adjournment.

(Every session shall begin and be closed with devotion.)

Special Convention

22. The President of the Federation, at the request of the branches forming the majority of the membership of the Federation or sixty-five percent of the members of the Board of Directors shall issue the call for a Special Convention. The call shall precede the opening of said Convention by at least thirty days. Such Convention shall be composed of the members of the previous Convention.

ARTICLE III

THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Definition — Membership — Duties Jurisdiction

23. The Board of Directors is that body of the Federation which, with full responsibility to the Convention, administers, effectuates, guides and controls its affairs in accordance with the by-laws.

24. The Board of Directors, American or Canadian citizens, is constituted of regular, advisory and honorary members. In order to assure representation for all members of the Federation, no member may be elected to or serve on the Board of Directors who does not reside in the district he is to represent. The age of the Vice-Presidents, regular members of the Board of Directors and the alternates shall not be over 66 as of December 31 of the Convention year. The geographical boundaries of said districts are to be recommended by the Board of Directors and approved by the Convention. If no boundaries are determined by any one Convention, the boundaries as before determined are to prevail. The members of the Board of Directors are ex- officio members of the Board of Directors of the Bethlen Home and the Student Aid and Loan Fund.

Regular Members

a) The National Officers are: President, Vice President-Secretary and Treasurer.

b) The three Vice Presidents.

c) Members of the Board of Directors.

Advisory Members

a) Administrator of the Bethlen Home.

b) Medical Director.

c) Financial Counsellor.

d) Legal Counsellor.

e) Actuary.

Honorary Members

25. The Convention may, in recognition of outstanding past services, elect honoary members to the Board of Directors.

Meetings of the Board of Directors

26. The Board of Directors shall have two regular meetings yearly; in the first half of the year in the Home Office, and in the second half of the year at the Bethlen Home in Ligonier, Pennsylvania.

27. It is the duty of every regular member of the Board of Directors to be present at the meetings. Advisory members shall attend the meetings of the Board of Directors upon the invitation of the President.

Special Meeting

28. When the Executive Committee deems it necessary, or upon the request of at least half of the Members of the Board of Directors, the President shall call a special meeting. The call shall be issued in writing, at least two weeks before the date of the meeting.

Minutes — Expenses of the Board of Directors Order of Procedure

29. The order of procedure at the regular meetings of the Board of Directors is:

a) Opening of the meeting with a devotion and the pledge of allegiance to the flag of the United States.

b) Reports of the National Officers.

c) Reports of the Advisory Members.

d) Examinations by and reports of the Standing Committees.

e) Pending matters and motions.

f) Closing of the meeting with devotion.

30. The Board of Directors shall select its own recording secretary from among the National Officers. The minutes shall be communicated to the members of the Board of Directors by the Vice President-Secretary.

31. The expenses of the meetings of the Board of Directors and the expense allowance of the Members present shall be determined by the Board of Directors.

Election — Installation — Vacancies in the Board of Directors

32. The regular Members of the Board of Directors are elected and their honorarium determined by the Convention. The honorarium may be adjusted according to the consumers price index (all items) of the previous year as published by the Department of Labor but this may not exceed a yearly 10%. The National Officers are elected by majority vote. The Vice Presidents and the regular members and alternatives of the Board are elected by plurality vote. The Officers and the regular members of the Board shall take the oath of office prior to assuming the office.

33. Upon the death or the resignation of any of the National Officers, the vacancy shall be filled by the Board of Directors in the following manner: The President or acting president shall make an announcement in the official publication for applicants at least one month prior to the election. The applicants shall submit their qualifications for the particular office together with proof of their educational background to the Board of Directors.

In the event of illness or any other incapacity, the National Officers shall substitute for each other, provided such illness or incapacity shall not extend beyond a period of ninety (90) days. Should such illness or incapacity extend beyond a period of ninety (90) days, the Board of Directors shall take necessary action.