Page 22 - 2021 SPRING Sojourner Newsletter

22 THE SOJOURNER

appropriate. These include Chapter Officers Handbook, What’s
It All About, etc. WHEREAS, National Sojourners has never had a National Di-
____________________________________________________ rective to reference or address its Articles of Incorporation or
2020-16: NR 19.8 Schedule of Fees to its required Board of Directors and its duties and responsi-
Whereas, NR 19.8 currently reads:
1. SCHEDULE OF FEES: As directed by the National Conven- bilities and
tion of June 2012 the following is the official schedule of fees: WHEREAS, National Sojourners is currently incorporated
b. National Per Capita Tax (Active and Honorary) 1st & 2nd under the laws of the Commonwealth of Virginia (20 April
Quarter (1 Jan-30 Jun) $20.00 (effective 1 Jul 2012) 3rd Quarter 1981-Present) as a non-stock corporation, having been for-
(1 Jul-30 Sep) $12.00 (new members) (effective 1 Jul 2012) 4th merly incorporated in the State of Illinois (1 Aug 1919-1936)
Quarter (1 Oct-31 Dec) $ 8.00 (new members) (effective 1 Jul and Washington, D.C. (30 Jun 1931-1981) and
2012) (Must be accompanied by next year's Per Capita tax.) WHEREAS, From the 1931 to 1936, with no oversight from
National Regulation 7.1 requires a ¾ vote to suspend the rules to the NSI Leadership, National Sojourners, Incorporated was
address any emerging important Resolutions for the Order; and incorporated in both Illinois and Washington, D. C. and
By-Laws Article 19.1 requires all Resolutions to change a Na-
tional Regulation to receive a separate ¾ majority vote to approve WHEREAS, The Order did not update the name of the Corpo-
them. ration in the original Illinois Articles of Incorporation from
Therefore, Be It Resolved That the membership of National Sojourners Club (1919-20) to National Sojourners Club (1920
Sojourners vote to suspend the rules (3/4 majority required) and -27), to National Sojourners (1927-31), to National Sojourn-
then vote to change National Regulation 19.8 to simplify the pro- ers, Incorporated (1931-Present) until 1936, when it did so
cess for Chapter Secretaries and reduce errors and confusion the for the Washington D.C. Articles of Incorporation and
new Member Support System is being designed to accept one fee WHEREAS, The members of the Corporation (NSI) are de-
($20) for annual dues/per capita eliminating the staggered pay- fined in the Articles of Incorporation as Commissioned Offic-
ment for joining at various times of the year. Current dues payers ers or Warrant Officers, never having been updated to include
would continue to have their annual dues to be payable by 31 Honorary Members (since founding and limited to 15% since
December of the year. New dues paying members would have
their per capita payable annually during the month they initially 1999), Senior Non-Commissioned Officers (since 2001), or all
joined. NR 19.8, Paragraph 1.b. would now read: enlisted ranks (since 2016) and
b. National Per Capita Tax (Active and Honorary) (due by 31 Dec WHEREAS, The Board of Directors is required by the Articles
each year except for members joining after 1 June 2020 whose of Incorporation to be elected by the membership for that
annual per capita will be due on the anniversary of their join date) purpose, but most Sojourners are not aware of 1) the Articles
$20.00. of Incorporation, 2) who the Directors are, or 3) that the Na-
____________________________________________________ tional Secretary appoints the Directors each year and
2021-1 Resolution Event Participation Via Virtual And/ WHEREAS, The current Directors are specified in the Articles
Or Electronic Means of Incorporation as the National President, National President
WHERE AS Technology has advanced to the state where mul- -Elect, three Vice Presidents, and National Secretary-
tiple-link secure communications are possible and Treasurer, but 1) these elected officers are not aware that
WHERE AS Secure and anonymous balloting is possible and they have these duties, 2) the membership is not aware they
WHERE AS It is often desirable and/or necessary for leader- elect Directors, 3) the NS-T has often excluded several of the
ship to participate in the control and direction of the National five National Line Officers required, 4) the NS-T has included
Sojourners, Inc. organization National Trustees, and 5) the number of Directors appointed
WHERE AS It should be the policy of this order to provide by the NS-T has ranged between 5 and 18, vice the specific six
both virtual and in-person attendance at Mid-Winter Meet- Directors required and
ings and Annual National Conventions, as well as any Area WHEREAS, The purpose of the Board of Directors is to ensure
Conference or Encampment the Order does not violate its philanthropic and educational
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED That NR 7.1 be amended as foundation or the Purposes, and National Directives of the
follows: Order; to keep the Articles of Incorporation current; and to
4a. It will be the policy of this order that in-person attendance interact with the Commonwealth of Virginia when the Direc-
at any Mid-Winter Meeting, Annual National Convention, tors change and as necessary for other changes and
and/or Area Conference or Encampment may be attended in- WHEREAS, Those most likely to violate that intended pur-
person or virtually by any member. Authorized and Regis- pose and National Directives are those charged with making
tered Delegates to Mid-Winter Meetings and Annual National operational and financial decisions affecting the Order, thus
Conventions may participate in all proceedings virtually by making the National Line Officers a poor choice for Directors.
appropriate pre-appointed and pre-designated electronic THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED That National Sojourners
means. This shall include the nominations and balloting pro- remove the National Line Officers from the Board of Directors
cesses. due to the appearance of and actual Conflict of Interest and
4b. Those wishing to participate virtually at Annual National for the good of the Order to have leaders focus on the philan-
Conventions must register with the Office of the National Sec- thropic and educational foundation of the Order’s Incorpora-
retary and receive appropriate credentials prior to the events. tion status;
____________________________________________________ That National Sojourners incorporate the Articles of Incorpo-
2021-2-1 Resolution Board of Directors for Articles of ration as an attachment to the National By-Laws so that the
Incorporation (AOI) membership is aware of its existence and requirements;