Veterans of Foreign Wars, Motorcycle Group of Texas, Guidelines ...

. If a member misses two (2) consecutive meetings, the unit has theoption to revoke the membership by a vote of the majority unit members at aregularly scheduled unit meeting.Section 5For Program Participation:a. all riding members must possess a valid driver’s license with amotorcycle endorsement, as well as proof of liability insurance for theirmotorcycle.b. must either ride or operate a motorcycle of sufficient size and powerto maintain extended highway speeds. All members must operate their motorcyclesin a safe and controlled manner at all times.Section 6Auxiliary Members:a. must support the efforts the VFWMG and be a member in goodstanding of the VFW auxiliaries.Section 7b. They will be governed by the sponsoring unit.VFW and Auxiliary Non-Rider (Support) Members:a. Anyone who is a member of the VFW and/or its Auxiliaries but is anon-rider and wants to support the efforts the VFWMG may apply for membershipas a support member.b. The support members will be governed by the Post/District unit thatthey are sponsored by.Section 8Membership Verification:By applying for membership with the VFWMG, you are giving the VFWMG andits Committee the right to verify any membership application through thePost/District, Department, or National Headquarters of the VFW or its Auxiliaries.3

Section 9Conduct of Members:All members MUST conduct themselves in a manner that is not an embarrassmentto himself, herself, the VFWMG and/or the VFW/Auxiliaries organization.Section 10Disciplinary Action:a. In the event of misconduct of a member, under the guidelines of theVFWMG, the Chairman possesses the right to temporally revoke that member’sunit membership privileges, including wearing of the group patch and participationin group activities, until a regular unit meeting or a special called meeting can beheld and the members in attendance can vote on the action that should be taken toinclude forfeiture of their VFWMG patch. Misconduct is defined as failure toabide by the guidelines of the VFWMG and/or the Veterans of Foreign Wars of theUnited States and its Auxiliaries. Failure to abide by the decision of theCommittee will result in the referral for action to the sponsoring Post/District.b. The VFWMG IS NOT a sanctioned motorcycle club and, as such,they do not have colors. They proudly display the VFW Cross of Malta, whichshows that they are members of the VFW and/or the Auxiliaries, and must alwaysconduct themselves with that representation in mind.Section 1VFWMG State ChairmanARTICLE 4a. A VFWMG State Chairman will be appointed by the incoming StateCommander of the Department of Texas.b. The Chairman must be a riding member of a sponsored unit in goodstanding.Section 2a. The State Chairman will preside at Department Committee meetings.b. The State Chairman will appoint a State Committee Secretary.4

c. The State Chairman will appoint a State Committee Treasurer. Allfunds will be forwarded to the Department Quartermaster for deposit in theVFWMG dedicated fundd. The State Chairman may appoint any committees or positions as he orshe deems necessary.Section 1VFWMG Committee of UnitsARTICLE 5a. The VFWMG Committee of Units is to be made up of two officers ofeach unit.b. It should be the unit chairman and the other will be a VFW ridermember (VFW Auxiliary members will not be eligible).c. All matters brought before the Committee must be presented throughthe duly authorized committee members.d. The State Committee of Units will meet bi-annually for regularmeetings at the State Mid-Winter Convention and the State Convention. Specialmeetings may be called by the State Chairman.Section 1Approval of:UNIT CHARTERARTICLE 6a. The sponsoring Post/District and the State VFWMG Chairman mustapprove all applications for a new charter unit of the VFWMG.b. A prospective unit may apply for a charter providing the VFWPost/District, by two-thirds (2/3) of the membership present at a regular/specialmeeting, has voted and passed a motion to sponsor a unit and have provided a copyof the Post/District minutes applicable to the vote to sponsor.5

Section 2A Chartered Unit:a. will be sponsored by a VFW Post/District.b. It will consist of at least eight (8) VFW rider members with amotorcycle endorsement at all times to be recognized as a VFWMG Post/Districtunit.c. VFWMG is a motorcycle group and not a motorcycle club (MC).Units of the VFWMG will not belong to a Confederation of Clubs (COC).d. The standard VFWMG Liability Release and the VFWMG LiabilityRelease for Minors will be used for all rides and kept on file for two (2) years.Section 3Charter Members:a. The organizer of a new prospective unit must follow the requirementsfor membership as stated in Article 3, Section 1.b. All other charter members of a new unit must be sponsored by acurrent member or members of the VFWMG and may be exempt from some of theattendance requirements at the discretion of the VFWMG. A new charter mayonly be left open for a maximum ninety (90) days.Section 1INSIGNIAARTICLE 7Patches/Logosa. The emblem/logo used by VFWMG is the Cross of Malta with theVeterans of Foreign Wars of the United States around it which the VFW has thecopy rights to and, as such, will be purchased from the VFW Supply Catalog. TheVFWMG patch will be a one piece patch which has two ribbons incorporated in it,one on the top that reads Veterans of Foreign Wars and the one on the bottom willread Motorcycle Group, and with a space in the middle for the VFW Cross ofMalta/Ladies Auxiliary or Men’s Auxiliary emblem (as applicable) to be insertedin. The patch will be worn on the back of a black leather vest. Below there may6

e a special ribbon that denotes Charter Member, Unit Member, AuxiliaryMember, Support Member or Founding Member (VFWMG founding members).b. The only patch, or markings of any kind, that will be displayed on theback of a member’s vest will be as stated in paragraph (a) above and may only beworn by a member in good standing with both the VFWMG and the VFW or itsrecognized auxiliaries. All unit numbers, positions held, name or nicknamepatches, as well as Charter Member patches for support members who join duringthe open charter period, will be worn on the front left side of vest under the Texasflag and above any military badges and/or ribbons.c. The Ladies Auxiliary members will use the VFW Ladies AuxiliaryEmblem Patch with the same Veterans of Foreign Wars ribbon on top andMotorcycle Group ribbon on bottom and an Auxiliary ribbon under it. If a LadiesAuxiliary member joins during the open charter period, a smaller Charter MemberPatch will be placed on the front left side under the unit patch.d. The Men’s Auxiliary members will use the VFW Men’s AuxiliaryEmblem Patch with the same Veterans of Foreign Wars ribbon on top andMotorcycle Group ribbon on bottom and a Men’s Auxiliary member ribbon underit. If a Men’s Auxiliary member joins during the open charter period, then aCharter Member Patch will be placed on the front left side.e. The VFW Post/District and Auxiliary that the member belongs to aswell as but not limited to being a life member of said Post/District or Auxiliary willbe noted on a patch on the right front side of vest under the U.S. flag.f. The above mentioned patches may not be reproduced without writtenpermission from the State Unit Committee or its chairman.g. Any unit wanting to use logos for items to be sold must provide adraft or prototype of the item at a regular scheduled meeting to the State UnitCommittee or its chairman for written permission to produce and sell.h. Any item of apparel which bears the Texas VFWMG emblem asdefined in Article 7, section 1, paragraph (a) shall only be sold to members of theTexas VFWMG.Section 2Vest and Patches Cost:a. Any member purchasing vest and patches of the VFWMG will bedone so at cost plus shipping and handling.7

. The Cross of Malta will be purchased through the VFW SupplyCatalog at the current rate at time of purchase plus applicable shipping andhandling charges.c. To insure the look of the vest and patches remain the same, the leathervest, as well as all group patches, including but not limited to Charter Member,Support Member, Auxiliary member ribbons, as well as the flags and officer,Post/District number and name patches for the front are to be purchased from adesignated source through the original charter group.d. Vest patch kit may be purchased by the unit and it will be the unitchairman’s responsibility to ensure that the patches meet the by- law requirementsand standards.Section 1FEES AND DUESARTICLE 8Dues:a. Membership dues for the VFWMG Units shall be a minimum of$20.00 annually for all members, including the VFWMG rider members, the VFWnon-rider (support) members and the auxiliary members, and shall be scheduled orformulated as may from time to time be prescribed by the governing Group andapproved by the VFW riding members.b. The VFWMG State Committee will receive $5.00 per capita to coveradministration cost payable as may be set forth each year by the current StateChairman.c. Membership dues for life membership shall be a minimum of $100.00for all members, including the VFWMG rider members, the VFW non-rider(support) members and the auxiliary members, and shall be scheduled orformulated as may from time to time be prescribed by the governing body of groupand approved by the VFW rider membership.d. If a VFWMG life member does not pay his or her VFW or Auxiliaryannual membership during a calendar year and is a life member of the VFWMG,they will lose their VFWMG membership status for the time of period in whichthey are not a paid up member.8

Section 2Membership Year:A member whose current dues are paid to December 31 is in good standing and isentitled to all membership rights, unless suspended or terminated, in accordancewith the National Guidelines. If the member’s dues are accepted after July 1, he orshe is a member in good standing and entitled to all of the rights and privileges ofmembership in the VFW and will not be required to pay dues for any part of thecurrent calendar year.Section 1COMMITTEEARTICLE 9The members of each unit shall recommend to the sponsoring Post/District a VFWrider member to serve as committee chair for the coming year no later than 31 Mayof each year. A sponsoring Post/District Commander shall, upon his installation tooffice, appoint a committee chair.The Committee Chair shall appoint:Section 2a. Vice Chairman who shall be a VFW rider memberb. Treasurer who shall be a VFW rider memberc. Secretaryd. Chaplainf. Sergeant of Armsg. Safety Officerh. 2 Road Captains (or more if deemed necessary)i. Historian (if deemed necessary)a. All nominees for any office must be active and in good standing inVFWMG and the VFW.9

. Only VFW rider members may hold the position of Chairman, ViceChairman, or Treasurer.c. The Chairman can appoint any VFWMG, Support, Men or LadiesAuxiliary member to hold any other appointed position. They must remain activemembers in good standing for the duration of the term while in office of both theVFWMG Post/District unit and the VFW and/or VFW Auxiliaries--Ladies orMen’s.Section 1ARTICLE 10DUTIES OF OFFICERSSTATE COMMITTEE OFFICERSThe State Chairman, or his/her co-chair, in his/her absence, will preside over allstate meetings and state runs. The Chairman authorizes all disbursements of StateVFWMG Committee funds.Section 2The State Committee of Units will present all matters pertaining to guidelinechanges and any other business to the State Chairman that should be broughtbefore the State Committee for action.Section 3The State Quartermaster will be accountable for the funds that are sent to the StateCommittee for membership as well as any other funds collected throughout theyear. The Quartermaster is to keep a separate line item for fund.Section 4The State Committee Secretary will be responsible:a. Minutes of all regular scheduled State Committee meetings.b. Membership cardsc. Membership recordsd. After Action Reportse. Provide membership and activity statistics to the State Chairman quarterly10

Section 5All administrative expenses incurred by the State Committee Secretary for itemssuch as printing and web site hosting, but not limited to, are to be paid out of themembership dues collected throughout the year.Section 1ARTICLE 11UNIT OFFICERSThe chairman or his designated representative (a regular VFW rider) will presideover all meetings of the Group’s unit, serve as a member of all committees, issuethe call for regular and special meetings, and insure they are held in accordancewith the guidelines of the VFWMG, represent the VFWMG at all meetings of thesponsoring Post/District and the Veterans of Foreign Wars.Section 2The Vice-Chairman will perform all duties of the Chairman in his/her absence andfulfill any other duties requested by Chairman to help with group activities andmembership.Section 3The Treasurer will collect dues and other forms of income due to the group,maintain the accounting books in coordination with the sponsoring Post/DistrictQuartermaster, make payments from the group funds when so ordered by theChairman and/or a vote by the membership, sign all group checks (along with theChairman’s or the Vice-Chairman’s signature) and make regular reports of thegroup’s financial status to the general membership.Section 4The Chaplain shall keep a record of any sick and distressed members and makereport of such at meetings. The Chaplain shall give opening and closing prayers ofthanks and thoughts at meetings and group functions.Section 5The Secretary shall keep minutes of all meetings and take care of membershiprecords and process membership applications unless this duty is assigned to11

someone other than the Secretary by the Chairman. The Secretary will also handlecorrespondence for the unit or as asked to do so by the Chairman.Section 6The Sergeant of Arms is to help see that all meetings and Group functions arecarried out without incident or disturbance. He will, with the approval of theChairman, police and enforces the guidelines and good order.Section 7The Safety Officer is to monitor the local and state legislative activities affectingmotorcycling; to review registration procedures; ensure that an adequate supply ofall sign-up materials is available and release forms are available. He will check theliability insurance of riders. If required, he will complete and mail aninjury/incident report within 24 hours after an event to the State Chairman.Section 8The Public Relations Officer will maintain a file and have it ready to present ateach meeting and all group functions. He or she will be in charge of all VFWMGunit publicity in conjunction with and approved by the Group Unit Chairman.Duties will include, but not be limited to Historian, club file, pictures, newspaperarticles, TV and radio announcements, club community book, and the Group unitweb site.Section 9The unit is to have a minimum of two (2) Road Captains. Both are to plan all grouptours, runs, activities, etc.; to stimulate interest in activities; to assist in handlinggroup socials, parties, and other functions; to enforce all rules of group riding. Oneis to lead the club in formation riding or parades and the other is to close up therear to watch for potential problems with riders or equipment.Section 1ARTICLE 12MEETINGSState CouncilThe State Chairman shall hold a state meeting at the VFW Mid-Winter Conferenceand the VFW State Convention.12

Section 2A quorum to conduct business shall be at least 50% of units represented bycommittee members or VFW riding members.Section 3Only VFW rider members shall have voting rights at the regular or special generalmeetings of the VFWMG.Section 1ARTICLE 13Unit MeetingsA quorum for conducting business shall be at least five (5) members present at anygiven meeting.Section 2See Duties of Officers, Article 11, and Sections 1-8.Section 3Special meetings must be called for a date not more than fourteen (14) days after:a. The Chairman receives the signed, written request of five (5) VFWriding members;b. The majority vote of the members at a regular meeting;c. The date upon which the Chairman determines that a special meetingmay be necessary; ord. Only the question called in the Notice of a Special meeting will bediscussed at this meeting.Section 4A unit will hold at least one (1) meeting every month with the general membership.13

ARTICLE 15Section 1All proposed changes and or additions to these guidelines shall be sent to the StateChairman in writing by the unit chairman no later than the Mid-WinterConvention. He will then send the proposed changes out to all of the unitchairmen to discuss with their membership. Then, if the majority of the Committeeagrees with the proposed changes, they will be drawn up by the State Secretary andbrought to the State VFWMG meeting for a committee vote. A vote of two-thirds(2/3) of committee members in attendance of the meeting is required for approval.Section 2After all changes and or additions are made, a copy of the new guidelines is to besubmitted to the VFW Department of Texas Commander and the DepartmentCouncil of Administration for approval.14