Page 18 - 2021 SPRING Sojourner Newsletter

18 THE SOJOURNER

the NST may raise the cost of subscription as may be required to have multiple sponsors, generally three to six, and be approved by
ensure that costs of publication and delivery are routinely met, a Jurisprudence Committee before it is ever presented to the
and that losses in operational cash flow do not occur. Such membership;
recommendation will be made to the National President for his Whereas, once submitted, all Resolutions must be administrative-
decision.” A thorough effort will be made in 2020-21, through ly logged and assigned a number, reviewed by the Resolutions
the Chapters of the Order, to urge all those currently receiving the Committee, presented to the membership, and voted upon at the
magazine in paper format to provide an email address or other- Annual Convention; and
wise sign up for paper subscriptions. Those that do not will no Whereas, this Sojourner may present ideas for his own personal
longer receive the magazine from the National Officer, but Chap- reasons that are actually detrimental to the Order and waste time
ters may choose to locally print out copies and provide them to for the membership.
those members who do not have electronic mail access. Therefore, be it resolved that the By-Laws ARTICLE 20, Sec-
_____________________________________________________ tion 2 and National Regulation 8.2.9 be changed to reflect that all
2020-10 B-Ls ARTICLE 6 & NR 6.1 Separate National Secre- Resolutions require an author and five other sponsors (a total of
tary and National Treasurer six advocates) from at least two different Chapters before it will
Whereas, almost every Grand Jurisdiction and major Appendant be accepted for processing by the Resolutions Committee.
Body in Freemasonry, over the last thirty years or so, have The National By-Laws be changed as follows:
changed their bylaws to ensure that the equivalent position of ARTICLE 20, Section 20.3: Add to the end of the paragraph the
National Secretary-Treasurer is separated into two independent following: The author of a resolution must obtain the signa-
officer jobs, and tures of at least five other Sojourners from at least two Chapters
Whereas, this has occurred because of the obvious and ongoing before submitting a resolution to change the National By-Laws
conflict of interest that exists in having the Secretary execute the or National Regulations.
spending of funds, while the Treasurer is responsible to prevent ARTICLE 20, Section 20.4: Add to the end of the paragraph the
fraud waste and abuse through accounting and reporting of both following: The author of a resolution must obtain the signa-
obligation and execution of funding; tures of at least five other Sojourners from at least two other
Whereas, it is fairly clear upon reflection that those two duties Chapters before submitting a resolution to change the National
just cannot subsist in the same person; By-Laws or National Regulations.
Whereas, it is right and reasonable to cause the separation of the The National Regulations be changed as follows:
two jobs to occur. National Regulation 8.2.9 Resolutions, Paragraph 3b: Add the
Therefore, be it resolved that at the ANC in Harrisburg, in June following text after the existing paragraph: No Resolution will be
2020, a vote be taken to change Article 6.1 as follows, at the point accepted for processing unless it is presented by an author and
of reference to a National Secretary-Treasurer, with all other text five other sponsors who are members of at least two Chapters.
in the Bylaw remaining unchanged: All other places where resolutions are addressed be changed to
6.1 “The National Officers of National Sojourners shall consist of reflect the requirement.
the following: ...National Secretary Treasurer a National Secre- _____________________________________________________
tary, who shall be the senior full-time unit support technician at 2020-13: B-Ls ARTICLE 1.2 Board of Directors
the National Office, a National Treasurer...” Whereas, National Sojourners is incorporated under the laws of
The effective date of the change to the Bylaw shall be 01 July the Commonwealth of Virginia as a non-stock corporation;
2021 to provide a one-year preparation period for harmonizing all Whereas, the Articles of Incorporation require a Board of Direc-
regulations and those sections of the Bylaws which require sepa- tors, which has NOT been updated or incorporated as a part of the
rate references to the two-officer positions. The National Presi- By-Laws;
dent or his designate shall have authority to establish a Revisors Whereas, the annual election of a Board of Directors has NEVER
Committee to create changes to text and reference to the two posi- been accomplished;
tions as may be required in all Regulations and the Bylaws with- Whereas, to implement this Resolution, numerous B-Ls Articles
out further action by the ANC delegates, including a separate By- and National Regulations must be changed and one National Reg-
law section describing the duties of the National Treasurer. ulation must be created;
_____________________________________________________ Whereas, these B-Ls and NRs include the following: B-L Arti-
2020-11: NR 11.2 Youth Protection cles 1, 4, 6, 8, and 18 and NRs 6.1, 6.2, 8.1.1, 8.1.6 (new), and
Whereas, the current edition of National Regulation 11.2 Youth 18.3; and
Protection Dated 21 June 2014 is now outdated due to the change Whereas, Articles of Incorporation are amended to reflect these
in the Boy Scouts of America (BSA) Youth Protection Training B-Ls and NRs changes.
on line program being updated and our new requirement for the Therefore, be it resolved that National By-Laws will be
students to forward their completion certificate to NSI HQ via changed as follows:
email vice filling out a form and mailing it to HQ. National By-Laws will be changed as follows:
Therefore, be it resolved that the National Regulation 11.2 be ARTICLE 1: Name, Incorporation, Seal, Insignia and Colors
revised / updated to reflect the changes in the Youth Protection 1.2 Incorporation National Sojourners, Incorporated, is incorpo-
Training on-line course and completion certificate submission via rated as a nonprofit, domestic, fraternal order, operating in ac-
email to National HQ. cordance with a Certificate of Incorporation issued by the Com-
_____________________________________________________ monwealth of Virginia. The Articles of Incorporation will form
2020-12: B-Ls ARTICLE 20.2 & NR 8.2.9 Resolution Spon- Attachment A to the By-laws.
sors ARTICLE 4: Legislative and Executive Authority
Whereas, the current amendment process for National By-Laws 4.2 The Executive Authority shall be exercised by the Board of
and National Regulations enables a Sojourner to submit a Resolu- Directors and National President. The Board of Directors en-
tion without any peer review for need, relevance, or impact; sure overall policy compliance by the National President, Trus-
Whereas, most Masonic organizations require a Resolution to tees, and National Officers with National Sojourners Purposes,