THE AMEICAN LEGION
FIRST DISTRICT
DEPARTMENT OF IDAHO
CONSTITUTION AND BY-LAWS
FOR
THE FIRST DISTRICT-AMERICAN LEGION
DEPARTMENT OF IDAHO
PREAMBLE
For God and Country, We associate ourselves for the following purposes:
To uphold and defend the Constitution of the United State of America.
To maintain Law and Order.
To foster and perpetuate one-hundred percent Americanism.
To preserve the memories and incidents of our association in the Great Wars.
To inculcate a sense of individual obligation to the Community, State, and Nation.
To combat the autocracy of both the classes and masses.
To make right the Master of Might.
To promote peace and goodwill on Earth.
To safeguard and transmit to the posterity, the principals of Justice, Freedom, and Democracy.
To consecrate and sanctify our devotion of mutual helpfulness.
ARTICLE I: NAME
Section 1. The name of this Organization shall be “The First District of the American Legion”, Department of Idaho.
Section 2. It is a subordinate body of the Idaho Department, the AMERICAN LEGION, organized under the Authority of ARTICLE III, Section 2, of the Constitution of the Idaho Department, the AMERICAN LEGION.
ARTICLE II: PURPOSE
Section 1. The purpose of The First District” shall be, further the Aims and Purposes of the AMERICAN LEGION as expressed by the Preamble to the Constitution, by its National Convention, by the Idaho Department, and especially to coordinate and correlate the work and activities of the POSTS of the AMERICAN LEGION within the jurisdiction of “The First District.”
ARTICLE III: COMPOSITION
Section 1. The District shall be composed of the following named Posts:
Coeur d’Alene Tribe # 5, Coeur d’Alene # 14, Sandpoint # 15, St. Maries # 25, Kellogg # 36, Bonners Ferry # 55, Plummer # 69, Post Falls # 143, Clark Fork # 146, Priest River # 14, Athol # 149, Rathdrum #154 and Oldtown #155.
ARTICLE IV: ADMINISTRATION
The Legislative body of the First District shall be made up of representative Post members of District #1 at the District Meetings to be held as hereinafter provided in ARTICLE VIII, Section 1, Section 2, & Section 3.
Section 2. In such District Meetings each Post shall be entitled to the number of votes which it was entitled to cast at the last previous Department Convention, plus any vote accrued by membership enlargement. Delegate strength is one vote for Charter plus one vote for each fifty members or fraction thereof.
Section 3. Any duly qualified delegates may cast the number of votes which his/her Post is entitled, if that delegate is the only one present from that Post. In the event there are others present, they shall vote their own vote and the majority of the delegates present shall vote the additional votes to which their Post is entitled. Posts shall not be allowed to vote by proxy.
Section 4. A quorum shall exist at a District meeting when at least a majority of the Posts of the District are represented by qualified delegates, alternates, or members present at the meeting.
Section 5. The “First District” Commander for the purpose of Auditing District Accounts shall appoint an Audit Committee each year from members of Posts in good standing.
ARTICLE V: OFFICERS
Section 1. The officers of the District shall consist of:
- District Commander
- (3) District Vice-Commanders. Representing North, Central, & South areas of the District
- District Chaplain
- District Sergeant-at-Arms
- District Baseball Chairman
- District Adjutant/Finance Officer
- District Historian
- District Service Officer
Section 1. All District Officers shall be elected except the Adjutant/Finance Officer who will be appointed by the District Commander. Elections shall be held at the Spring meeting of the District. All District Officers shall take office at the time the District Commander is installed and shall hold office for one year; with the exception of the Baseball Chairman who will be elected to a three year term. The Adjutant/Finance Officer should be selected from the same area as the District Commander for the purpose of accessibility and communication of District Duties.
ARTICLE VI: EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
Section 1. The District Executive Committee shall meet for Organization and other such business as may come before it at the call of the District Commander. Also, the District Commander shall call a meeting of the Executive Committee upon request of five members of the Executive Committee. A quorum shall exist when a majority of the members of the committee are present.
Section 2. From the District Executive Committee, the District Commander shall appoint a Budget and Dues Sub-Committee consisting of no less than five members of which the Past District Commander shall serve as chairman with four Post Commanders. The Committee shall, at a meeting immediately preceding the commencement of the fiscal year, submit a budget for the operation of the District for the Coming fiscal year. This proposed budget will be submitted to the District Executive Committee and upon its approval as written or amended, be the sole authorization for expenditures of the District.
Section 3. The District Executive Committee shall consist of all District Officers, all First District Post Commanders, and the immediate Past District Commander.
ARTICLE VII: FINANCES
Section 1. The Revenue of the District shall be derived from per capita dues from each Post in the District and from such other sources as may be approved by the District Executive Committee.
Section 2. The District dues shall be set by the Department Executive Committee per annum and shall be paid to the Department. The Department Finance commission will set the per capita amount as approved by the Department Executive Committee annually to the District as per ARTICLE IX, Section 1 of the Department Constitution.
ARTICLE VIII: MEETINGS
Section 1. The regular meetings of this district shall be held twice each Fiscal year, once in the Spring-third weekend (Saturday) of March, and once in the Fall-Third weekend (Sunday) of October, at such places voted upon at the immediate preceding District meeting. Special meetings of the First District may be called by the District Commander or by majority of the District Executive Committee upon not less than thirty days notice to each Post in the District.
Section 2. In case of an Emergency or upon the request of the Department Executive Committee, the thirty days notice may be waived.
Section 3. First District meetings should be held in conjunction with Second District meetings if possible; alternate days at Spring and Fall meetings, i.e. Saturday-Sunday, to accommodate Department Officers traveling long distances.
ARTICLE IX: OFFICERS POWERS AND DUTIES
Section 1. The District Commander shall preside at all meetings of the District and of the District Executive Committee and shall be the Chief Executive Officer of the District. The District Commander shall visit each Post within the District at least once during each term of office. If precluded from making such visits, the Vice-Commanders from those areas, (i.e. North, Central & South) shall be directed to be available to make such visits upon timely notice and assist any Post within the District and shall perform such other duties that will benefit the District and the AMERICAN LEGION. The outgoing District Commander shall be responsible for the orderly transfer of all records to the incoming Officers and, shall make an annual report of the business and activities of the District (this report shall be presented at the last meeting of the District Commander’s administration, and a copy forwarded to the Department Adjutant) and, shall at the Department Summer convention, or within ten days after such time, transfer all correspondence, minutes and other pertinent records and information to the in-coming District Commander.
Section 2. The District Vice-Commanders, in the absence of the District Commander, shall perform the duties of that office. In the event the Commanders’ office should become vacant, the Vice-Commander from the Area of the Commander’s Post home, (i.e. North, Central, or South), shall succeed to that office.
Section 3. The District Adjutant shall keep records of all District meetings and District Executive Committee meetings, and, shall, under the direction of the District Commander, give proper notice of all meetings and conduct all other correspondence of the District.
Section 4. The District Finance Officer shall, under the direction of the District Commander, cosign all District expenditures, record all financial transactions, expedite appropriate payments, and record all income for the First District. The Finance Officer shall transfer all finance records and documents to the incoming Finance Officer immediately at the end of the Finance Officer’s term at the Department Convention or within ten days. The out-going district Commander shall see that this is done in an orderly manner.
Section 5. The District Chaplain shall offer Divine but non-sectarian service in the event of dedications, funerals, public functions, etc. as directed by the District Commander and shall adhere to such rituals as the Department and National Headquarters may direct.
Section 6. The District Sergeant-At-Arms shall, with the cooperation of the host Post Sergeant-At-Arms at the place of a District meeting, see that an appropriate area is provided for the meeting and shall have custody of the District Colors and all other District property and shall preserve order at meetings and perform other duties as the District, Department or National Headquarters may direct.
Section 7. The Service Officer shall provide all necessary services for District Veterans needs.
Section 8. Elected or Appointed District Officers may be removed from office for: In-efficiency, conduct unbecoming an officer of the AMERICAN LEGION, failure to work for the best interest of the AMERICAN LEGION, by the District Executive Committee after a proper hearing, and by three-fourths (3/4) of the members of the District Executive Committee voting in favor of Dismissal.
ARTICLE X: VACANCIES
Section 1. District Offices vacated for any reason, other than the office of “Commander,” a person from the District shall be appointed to fill that office by the District Commander with approval of District Executive Committee, subject to ARTICLE IX; OR CAN BE LEFT VACANT UNTIL THE NEXT REGULAR District meeting after the vacancy and filled by the usual method of Election.
Section 2. In the event the Office of District Commander should become vacant, the District Vice-Commander representing that Area of the Commanders Post Home, (i.e. North, Central, or South) shall succeed to that Office and fill the unexpired term of Office.
ARTICLE XI: ORDER OF BUSINESS AND RULES OF ORDER
Section 1. The order of business in all District meetings will adhere to the latest revised ritual as the National headquarters may direct.
Section 2. Item A, that with the following modifications “Roberts Rules of Order, Newly Revised” shall be adopted at all District Meetings:
Exception 1: Voting shall be by acclamation on any subject excepting such matters as require a two-thirds (2/3) majority, excepting that a roll call vote may be demanded by any one Post.
Exception 2: On such subjects as require a roll call vote, or were such a vote is requested, the casting of such votes will be by the chairman of the Delegates.
ARTICLE XII: LIMITATIONS OF LIABILITIES
Section 1. This District shall incur or cause to be incurred no liability or obligation whatever, which subject to liability any other District sub-division, group of men, members of the AMERICAN LEGION, or other individuals, corporations, or organizations.
ARTICLE XIII: AMENDMENTS
Section 1. This Constitution and By-Laws may be amended at any regular meeting of the District by a majority vote of the total authorized representation present, provided; that the proposed amendment shall have been submitted in writing and read at the regular meeting of the District preceding that at which the vote was taken; or providing that, the District Adjutant has submitted to each Post in the District a copy of all amendments proposed at least thirty days before the meeting at which these proposed amendments will appear for ratification, and provide further that the Constitution and By-Laws may be amended by unanimous vote at any regular meeting of the District without notice.
ARTICLE XIV: HONOR POWS AND MIA’S
Section 1. A vacant chair with the POW/MIA flag draped over same, shall be displayed “FRONT & CENTER” during each District One Meetings.
CERTIFICATE OF ADOPTION OF CONSTITUTION AND BY-LAWS
We, Deanna Sasse, the duly elected and qualified First District Commander and Bryan Bledsoe, the First District Adjutant, respectively, of The First District-American Legion Department of Idaho do hereby certify:
THAT at a regular membership meeting of The First District held in Worley, Idaho on October 21, 2018;
THAT a majority of the member Posts present at said meeting voted in favor of revising the existing Constitution and By-laws, and that the First District Commander, as the presiding officer, declared that the revised Constitution and By-laws were, therefore adopted; THAT the First District Commander as named herein was the presiding officer at said First District meeting of October 18, 2018 and the Adjutant named herein was excused from said meeting, and that it is in these dual capacities that they certify the following:
IN WITNESS HEREOF, we, the undersigned, set our hands and seals this 28th day of December 2018.
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Deanna Sasse, First District Commander
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Bryan Bledsoe, First District Adjutant
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Department of Idaho Judge Advocate