Page 21 - Sojourner Newsletter-Spring 2023 v.3
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Volume 100, Issue 2                                                                                     21


                      2023 ANNUAL NATIONAL CONVENTION RESOLUTIONS




          RESOLUTION 2023-01
          EMERITUS MEMBERSHIP

             Whereas Emeritus Members are National Officers.
             Whereas the National Constitution and Bylaws does not address what Emeritus members are or how this
         statue is obtained.
            Whereas Sojourners who have served nine (9) or more consecutive years as a National Officer may apply
         for Emeritus status to hold life tenure as National Officer.
            Whereas the request must be recommended by the nominating Committee and be voted on by the delegates
         and receive a two-thirds vote at a National Convention to be granted Emeritus status,

            Therefore  be  it  resolved  that  Section  1,  Article  VI  of  the  National  Constitution,  entitled  NATIONAL
         OFFICER POSITIONS, the last sentence of which reads in part  “Past National Commanders and Emeritus
         Members”  be  amended  to  read,  “Past  National  Commanders  and  members  who  have  been  elected  to
         Emeritus Status.”
            Therefore  be  it  further  resolved  that  Section  18,  Article  VI  of  the  National  Bylaws  entitled  PAST
         NATIONAL  PRESIDENTS,  PAST  NATIONAL  COMMANDERS,  AND  EMERITUS  SOJOURNERS
         which  reads  as  follows:  “These  Sojourners  are  ex  officio  and  non-voting  members  of  all  National-level
         Committees and hold life tenure as National Officers. The National Progressive Line Officers must meet with
         the Past National Presidents at every National Convention and Mid-Winter Meeting. The senior Past National
         President, who is present, presides.” be amended to read
          “a. Past National Presidents and Past National Commanders are ex officio and non-voting members of
         all National-level Committees and hold life tenure as National Officers.
          b. The National Progressive Line Officers must meet with the Past National Presidents at every National
         Convention and Mid-Winter Meeting. The senior Past National President, who is present, presides.
          c. Emeritus Sojourners are members who have served nine (9) or more years in an elected or appointed
         National Office and have been elected to Emeritus status by no less than a two-thirds vote of the delegates
         present at a National Convention and shall hold life tenure as National Officers.”


          RESOLUTION 2023-02
          FEE FOR LATE SUBMISSION OF CAR

             Whereas Section 5,  Article  V of the National Bylaws  states: “For a Chapter, the consequences span 1)
         probation, 2) loss of a portion or all Chapter Annual MIP dividends, 3) loss of a Chapter’s good standing
         and voting rights, and 4) suspension of the Chapter’s charter; and whereas paragraph 9(d), Section 9, Article
         V of the National Bylaws states: “d. Submitting Chapter Annual Report: If an operational Chapter fails to
         submit its Chapter Annual Report on time, it is placed on probation and forfeits 10% of its Membership-in-
         Perpetuity  Dividend  for  each  month  the  report  is  late.  If  the  report  is  not  received  by  the  following
         National  Convention,  the  Chapter  is  not  in  good  standing  and  loses  all  voting  rights  until  the  report  is
         submitted. If the Chapter Annual Report is delinquent for two (2) consecutive years, the Chapter’s charter is
         suspended.”
             Whereas paragraph 9d does not specify if the penalty is assessed as 10% per month of the original amount
         of the dividend or 10% of the balance after the latest decrement, nor does it define a  “month” as the next
         calendar month or the next end of month date.
             Whereas  the  amount  of  time  and  effort  required  to  track  and  maintain  the  accounting  on  the  amounts
         decremented from the Chapters would be tedious and laborious for the National Office staff, and at a time,
         when  the  staff  is  already  busy  with  the  “Spring  mailing”  and  calculating  the  MIP  dividends  for  all  the
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