Fort Dearborn Constitution
(Restated November 16, 2017)
Article I: Name and Scope
Section 1: The name of the chapter shall be the Fort Dearborn Chapter, Illinois Society of the Sons of the American Revolution (hereinafter, Fort Dearborn).
Section 2: The chapter shall be subordinate to both the Illinois Society of the Sons of the American Revolution (hereinafter, Illinois Society) and the National Society of the Sons of the American Revolution (hereinafter, National Society).
Section 3: The administrative area of the chapter shall be determine by the Illinois Society and will typically be comprised of Cook county.
Section 4: The administrative and financial year for the organization shall run from January 1 to December 31.
Section 5: The chapter shall be a non-profit, non-political, federal tax-exempt, state chartered organization.
Article II: Purpose and Objectives
Section 1: The objectives of the chapter shall be to promote the objectives of the National Society. These objectives are declared to be patriotic, historical, and educational, including those identified herein.
Section 2: The chapter shall perpetuate the memory of those patriots who, by their sacrifices during the American Revolution, achieved the independence of the American people.
Section 3: The chapter shall unite and promote the fellowship among the descendents of these patriots.
Section 4: The chapter shall inspire its members and the community at large with a more profound reverence for the principles of government founded by its forefathers.
Section 5: This organization shall encourage historical research in relation to the American Revolution; acquire and preserve the records of the individual patriots of the war, as well as related documents, relics, and landmarks; and mark the scenes of the Revolution by appropriate memorials.
Section 6: This organization shall celebrate the anniversaries of prominent events of the war and of the Revolutionary period.
Section 7: This organization shall foster true patriotism; maintain and extend the institutions of American freedom; and carry out the purposes expressed in the preamble to the Constitution of our country, the Bill of Rights, and the injunction of Washington in his farewell address to the American people.
Article III: Officers and Government
Section 1: The elected officers of this Chapter shall include a President, a Vice President, a Secretary, a Treasurer, a Historian, a Registrar, a Sergeant at Arms, a Webmaster, and a Chaplain. These officers, together with the two immediate past Presidents, and up to three members-at-large, shall constitute the governing body known as the Board of Managers.
Section 2: The three members-at-large shall be nominated by the in-coming President and approved by the Chapter membership at the time of Chapter elections.
Section 3: The Board of Managers shall administer all business of the Chapter in accordance with the Constitution and Bylaws of the Chapter, the Illinois Society, and the National Society.
Section 4: Meetings of the Board of Managers shall be called by the President, with two weeks notice being given. A meeting of the Board must be called upon written request of two members of the Board.
Section 5: At any meeting of the Board, a majority of members shall constitute a quorum.
Section 6: In the case of the vacancy in the office of President, the Vice President will assume that office. In the case of a vacancy in any other office or of a member of the Board of Managers, the President, with the concurrence of the other members of the Board, shall name a person to fill that vacancy until the next regular election.
Section 7: The terms of all officers and members of the Board of Managers shall be for two years.
Section 8: The President is limited to serving two consecutive terms.
Article IV: Elections
Section 1: A Nominating Committee, consisting of the two immediate past Presidents and two members nominated by the President and approved by the Board of Managers, shall be created in odd numbered years.
Section 2: The Nominating Committee shall present a slate of nominees for all elected offices to then membership at the Fall meeting in odd numbered years. Elections will be held at this Fall meeting.
Section 3: Additional nominations may be made from the floor. Whenever there is more than one nomination for a given office, a secret ballot will be conducted.
Section 4: The new officers will be installed at the Spring meeting in even numbered years.
Article V: Meetings
Section 1: A regular meeting of the chapter will take place four times per year at the Union League Club Chicago.
Section 2: A meeting for the election of officers, including Trustee, members of the Board of Management, delegates and alternates to the Congress of the National Society, and for the transaction of any other business, shall be held on a date and time during the third week in March of each year as called by the Board of Management unless the Board of Management authorizes another date or time in the month.
Section 3: The President or the Board of Management may call special meetings of the Society for conducting business, celebrating patriotic events relating to the Revolution, or for other patriotic work. The President shall call a special meeting whenever requested in writing to do so by twenty-five or more compatriots.
Section 4: Fifteen compatriots shall constitute a quorum at all meetings of the Society. Ayes and nays shall be called at any such meeting upon the demand of five or more compatriots.
Article VI: Eligibility for Membership
Section 1: Any man shall be eligible for membership in this organization who, being of the age of 18 years or over, and a citizen of good repute in his community, is a lineal descendant of an ancestor who was at all times unfailing in loyalty 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 of anyone of the several Colonies or States; or as a signer of the Declaration of Independence, or as a member of a Committee of Safety or Correspondence; or as a member of any Continental, Provincial, or Colonial Congress or Legislature; or as a recognized patriot who performed actual service by overt acts of resistance to the authority of Great Britain; provided, that no person advocating the overthrow of the Government of the United States by use of force or violence shall be eligible.
Section 2: Any member of this Chapter must be a member in good standing of both the Illinois Society and the National Society.
Article VII: Amendments
Section 1: This Constitution may be altered or amended at any meeting of the Chapter provided thirty (30) days notice of the proposed alteration or amendment shall be given in writing to each member of the Chapter. A vote of two-thirds of those present shall be required for adoption of the alteration or change.
Section 2: Any amendment adopted by the Illinois Society or the National Society affecting the work of this Chapter shall become part of this Constitution without notice of amendment.
Section 1: The name of the chapter shall be the Fort Dearborn Chapter, Illinois Society of the Sons of the American Revolution (hereinafter, Fort Dearborn).
Section 2: The chapter shall be subordinate to both the Illinois Society of the Sons of the American Revolution (hereinafter, Illinois Society) and the National Society of the Sons of the American Revolution (hereinafter, National Society).
Section 3: The administrative area of the chapter shall be determine by the Illinois Society and will typically be comprised of Cook county.
Section 4: The administrative and financial year for the organization shall run from January 1 to December 31.
Section 5: The chapter shall be a non-profit, non-political, federal tax-exempt, state chartered organization.
Article II: Purpose and Objectives
Section 1: The objectives of the chapter shall be to promote the objectives of the National Society. These objectives are declared to be patriotic, historical, and educational, including those identified herein.
Section 2: The chapter shall perpetuate the memory of those patriots who, by their sacrifices during the American Revolution, achieved the independence of the American people.
Section 3: The chapter shall unite and promote the fellowship among the descendents of these patriots.
Section 4: The chapter shall inspire its members and the community at large with a more profound reverence for the principles of government founded by its forefathers.
Section 5: This organization shall encourage historical research in relation to the American Revolution; acquire and preserve the records of the individual patriots of the war, as well as related documents, relics, and landmarks; and mark the scenes of the Revolution by appropriate memorials.
Section 6: This organization shall celebrate the anniversaries of prominent events of the war and of the Revolutionary period.
Section 7: This organization shall foster true patriotism; maintain and extend the institutions of American freedom; and carry out the purposes expressed in the preamble to the Constitution of our country, the Bill of Rights, and the injunction of Washington in his farewell address to the American people.
Article III: Officers and Government
Section 1: The elected officers of this Chapter shall include a President, a Vice President, a Secretary, a Treasurer, a Historian, a Registrar, a Sergeant at Arms, a Webmaster, and a Chaplain. These officers, together with the two immediate past Presidents, and up to three members-at-large, shall constitute the governing body known as the Board of Managers.
Section 2: The three members-at-large shall be nominated by the in-coming President and approved by the Chapter membership at the time of Chapter elections.
Section 3: The Board of Managers shall administer all business of the Chapter in accordance with the Constitution and Bylaws of the Chapter, the Illinois Society, and the National Society.
Section 4: Meetings of the Board of Managers shall be called by the President, with two weeks notice being given. A meeting of the Board must be called upon written request of two members of the Board.
Section 5: At any meeting of the Board, a majority of members shall constitute a quorum.
Section 6: In the case of the vacancy in the office of President, the Vice President will assume that office. In the case of a vacancy in any other office or of a member of the Board of Managers, the President, with the concurrence of the other members of the Board, shall name a person to fill that vacancy until the next regular election.
Section 7: The terms of all officers and members of the Board of Managers shall be for two years.
Section 8: The President is limited to serving two consecutive terms.
Article IV: Elections
Section 1: A Nominating Committee, consisting of the two immediate past Presidents and two members nominated by the President and approved by the Board of Managers, shall be created in odd numbered years.
Section 2: The Nominating Committee shall present a slate of nominees for all elected offices to then membership at the Fall meeting in odd numbered years. Elections will be held at this Fall meeting.
Section 3: Additional nominations may be made from the floor. Whenever there is more than one nomination for a given office, a secret ballot will be conducted.
Section 4: The new officers will be installed at the Spring meeting in even numbered years.
Article V: Meetings
Section 1: A regular meeting of the chapter will take place four times per year at the Union League Club Chicago.
Section 2: A meeting for the election of officers, including Trustee, members of the Board of Management, delegates and alternates to the Congress of the National Society, and for the transaction of any other business, shall be held on a date and time during the third week in March of each year as called by the Board of Management unless the Board of Management authorizes another date or time in the month.
Section 3: The President or the Board of Management may call special meetings of the Society for conducting business, celebrating patriotic events relating to the Revolution, or for other patriotic work. The President shall call a special meeting whenever requested in writing to do so by twenty-five or more compatriots.
Section 4: Fifteen compatriots shall constitute a quorum at all meetings of the Society. Ayes and nays shall be called at any such meeting upon the demand of five or more compatriots.
Article VI: Eligibility for Membership
Section 1: Any man shall be eligible for membership in this organization who, being of the age of 18 years or over, and a citizen of good repute in his community, is a lineal descendant of an ancestor who was at all times unfailing in loyalty 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 of anyone of the several Colonies or States; or as a signer of the Declaration of Independence, or as a member of a Committee of Safety or Correspondence; or as a member of any Continental, Provincial, or Colonial Congress or Legislature; or as a recognized patriot who performed actual service by overt acts of resistance to the authority of Great Britain; provided, that no person advocating the overthrow of the Government of the United States by use of force or violence shall be eligible.
Section 2: Any member of this Chapter must be a member in good standing of both the Illinois Society and the National Society.
Article VII: Amendments
Section 1: This Constitution may be altered or amended at any meeting of the Chapter provided thirty (30) days notice of the proposed alteration or amendment shall be given in writing to each member of the Chapter. A vote of two-thirds of those present shall be required for adoption of the alteration or change.
Section 2: Any amendment adopted by the Illinois Society or the National Society affecting the work of this Chapter shall become part of this Constitution without notice of amendment.
