Our Parent Club Bylaws
NORTHEAST OHIO NAVAL ACADEMY PARENTS BY-LAWS
ARTICLE I: NAME
The name of the organization shall be the Northeast Ohio Naval Academy Parents with the accepted abbreviation as NEONAP.
ARTICLE II: PURPOSE
The purposes of the organization are:
1. To provide information and support to the parents/guardians of U .S. Naval Academy (USNA) appointees, Midshipmen, Naval Academy Preparatory School (NAPS) and Foundation students, and USNA graduates in the Northeast Ohio area.
2. To provide fellowship among the parents of young men and women affiliated with the U.S. Naval Academy (USNA) programs.
3. To disseminate information from USNA and the USNA Alumni Association.
ARTICLE III: MEMBERSHIP
Section 1: A Regular membership of NEONAP is open to any parent/guardian of a current U. S. Naval Academy Midshipman and to parents/guardians of students attending NAPS or a Foundation program who reside in the Northeast Ohio area, or who resided here at the time of appointment.
Regular membership shall be by the family unit. Therefore, in a family unit with two parents/ guardians, the membership will be a dual membership with each person considered a regular member. Where the parents/guardians are separated or divorced, each parent/guardian will be eligible for membership, but only the yearly established membership dues will be collected as a total. There is one paid membership per family, not each parent/guardian paying the yearly membership dues.
Regular memberships have voting privileges and may hold an office or be a committee chairperson or liaison.
Section 2: An Alumni membership of NEONAP is open to any USNA graduate and any parent/guardian of a USNA graduate living in the Northeast Ohio area. Alumni memberships do not have voting privileges, may not hold an office, and may not be a committee chairperson or liaison.
Section 3: An Associate membership of NEONAP is open to adult extended family members of Regular members (for example: grandparents, aunts/uncles, but NOT girlfriends/boyfriends of USNA Midshipmen) who want to attend club functions or receive the HOMEPORT newsletter. Associate memberships do not have voting privileges, may not hold an office, and may not be a committee chairperson or liaison.
Section 4: NEONAP Membership in good standing may be maintained only by payment of dues levied by NEONAP and not be delinquent in the payment of any financial obligation to this association.
Section 5: The Board, with the approval of two-thirds of those in attendance, and after due consideration, can disenroll any member(s) from the club for conduct detrimental to the mission or image of the club (e.g. felony conviction in a court of law, etc.) Such action will be reported to the general membership at the next general meeting.
ARTICLE IV: OFFICERS, EXECUTIVE BOARD, AND BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Section 1: The elected offices of NEONAP shall be the President, Vice-President, Secretary, and Treasurer. Office holder may be either individual members or husband & wife teams. The Executive Board consists of these four elected officers. The Executive Board shall decide by a majority vote for removal from office of an officer/committee chairperson/liaison who has neglected responsibilities which resulted detrimentally to NEONAP.
Section 2: Only regular members in good standing shall be eligible to serve as officers/committee chairpersons/class liaisons of NEONAP.
Section 3: The term of office for each NEONAP office holder shall be one year and begin immediately after the annual March candidate reception (April 1 – March 31).
Section 4: The President shall attend meetings regularly, preside at all meetings, and shall have such powers and duties usually associated with the office of president.
Section 5: The Vice-President shall attend meetings regularly, succeed to the presidency in the subsequent year and in the case of a vacancy in the presidential office, shall perform the duties of the President in his/her absence, and shall carry out such other duties as may be directed by the President. The Vice-President shall chair the nominating committee.
Section 6: The Secretary shall attend meetings regularly, keep a record of the proceedings of meetings, shall be responsible for and conduct such correspondence as directed by the President, and shall maintain the records in an orderly fashion.
Section 7: The Treasurer shall attend meetings regularly, be responsible for the posting of dues and coordinate with the Membership Chairperson with dues collection, keep an accurate and complete account of all funds received and disbursed, and shall report the balance at the scheduled NEONAP meetings.
Section 8: The Board of Directors of NEONAP (also called “The Board”) shall consist of the current elected, appointed chairpersons, and class liaisons.
The Vice-President shall chair the nominating committee which shall meet to establish committee chairpersons for the remaining Board of Directors’ positions for the following: membership, social, Navy-Army bus trip (if so established by the NEONAP Board), the NEONAP newsletter known as HOMEPORT, mentoring of Plebe families, historian, and military ball. In addition, three NEONAP members will be asked to be class liaisons who will act as representatives from each of the three upper classes at the U. S. Naval Academy for the fall semester of that year. The fourth class liaison will be appointed by the officers by September 1 of each year. The liaisons will serve as a branching telephone committee for the dissemination or gathering of information, etc.
These NEONAP committee chairpersons and liaisons may be either individual members or husband & wife teams. The term of office shall be for one year (April 1 – March 31) and begin immediately after the annual March candidate reception. The fourth class liaison’s term of office will be seven months (September 1 – March 31). The duties and powers assigned to these chairpersons and liaisons shall be subject to the discretion of the Board.
The NEONAP Board shall direct and administer the affairs of NEONAP during the year, and meet at times and places designated by the President. The President will preside at all Executive Board/Board of Director meetings. Other meetings of either Board may also be called upon the request of any three members of the Board.
Section 9: It is preferred that the President of NEONAP be the parent of a Midshipman First or Second Class. The exception to this will be if there are multiple siblings from one family (for example: one Mid who is presently attending and a sibling Mid having already graduated from the U. S. Naval Academy). In this case, these parents may serve in the presidential capacity.
Section 10: Should the President become ineligible or resign, the Vice-President shall assume the title and duties of the President. Should any other vacancy occur during the year in an elected or appointed chairperson, the Board shall appoint an eligible member to fill the unexpired term for such vacancy.
Section 11: Any officer who wishes to resign shall submit a letter of resignation to the President and shall relinquish that office by notifying the President. In the absence of the President, that officer must notify at least one member of the Board. That officer shall deliver to the Board all records and physical property belonging to NEONAP within a thirty day period.
Section 12: If an officer/committee chairperson/liaison neglects responsibilities resulting detrimentally to NEONAP, removal from the office may occur with a majority vote of the Executive Board.
Section 13: NEONAP may from time to time establish additional permanent committees and may also change the duties of any committees as appropriate. Ad hoc committees will be established as needed by the Board. The current President shall be considered a member of all committees.
ARTICLE V: MEETINGS
Section 1: Regular meetings of NEONAP shall be held at a time and place to be determined by the President. Special meetings maybe called by the President, the Board, or upon the written request of ten members.
Section 2: All regular members present and in good standing at a regular or special meeting of NEONAP shall constitute a quorum.
ARTICLE VI: VOTING
Regular membership for NEONAP shall be by the family. The family of each Midshipman shall constitute a dual membership, and each parent is entitled to one vote. A single parent shall be entitled to a single vote. Alumni and Associate memberships do not have voting privileges.
ARTICLE VII: ELECTIONS
Section 1: The standing nominating committee for NEONAP consisting of the Vice-President (Chair- person), current President, and the previous year’s President with at least three Regular Members in good standing appointed by the Board in Novembershall meet to nominate members to elective office. This slate of nominations will be presented at the January meeting with nominations also taken from the floor.
Section 2: The officers for NEONAP shall be elected for a term of one year (April 1 – March 31) by a majority of those Regular members voting at the February meeting/activity or by mail-in (regular US Postal Service) if deemed necessary by the Board.
Section 3: Any Regular NEONAP Member in good standing may nominate from the floor at the January meeting. Such nominations are subject to seconding before acceptance.
ARTICLE VIII: DUES AND FINANCES
Section 1: Dues for Regular, Alumni and Associate NEONAP memberships shall be established by the Board.
Section 2: Annual dues to NEONAP shall be payable by September 30. Any member who is not current in annual dues by October 1st will be dropped from the membership list and all other activities. Members may be reinstated later upon payment of the current dues and upon discretion of the Board.
Section 3: Dues are not refundable for any reason. However, dues will be refunded to any parent(s) whose Plebe separates from USNA through the first semester of Plebe year, upon written request to NEONAP.
Section 4: Any elected NEONAP officer, chairperson, or class liaison who has not paid dues by August 1 will be ineligible to continue serving in the office, and the President shall appoint a replacement from members in good standing.
Section 5: The President, Vice-President, Secretary, and Treasurer, by mutual agreement, shall have the authority to waive the dues of members, on a case by case basis, if there is sufficient justification.
Section 6: All monies belonging to NEONAP shall be deposited and disbursed through a bank account established for NEONAP. Upon receipt by the treasurer, all funds must be deposited within 24 hours after collection. The form, ‘NEONAP Request for Expense Reimbursement’ must be properly filled out before payment is disbursed.
ARTICLE IX: PUBLICATIONS
Section 1: The MEMBERSHIP DIRECTORY will be published at the end of September.
Section 2: The official NEONAP newsletter will be called HOMEPORT and will be published quarterly.
Section 3: The PLEBE HANDBOOK shall be published and distributed to new Plebe families. It will be periodically updated to assure it contains current information. The President will appoint a member in good standing to coordinate the updates.
Section 4: A FIRSTIE HANDBOOK shall be published for Firstie families if decided upon by the Board.
ARTICLE X: RULES OF ORDER
Meetings of NEONAP shall be conducted in an informal manner unless a motion is passed by a majority vote of those Regular Members voting to conduct the meeting under Parliamentary authority. In such cases, Robert’s Rules of Order, Newly Revised, shall govern the conduct of business for that meeting only.
ARTICLE XI: MISCELLANEOUS
Any questions as to the meaning or proper interpretation of these by-laws shall be determined by the NEONAP Executive Board with consultation, if needed, from other Board members.
ARTICLE XII: AMENDMENTS
These by-laws of NEONAOP may be amended without previous notice by a two-thirds vote of the voting members. Proposed changes will be approved by the Board, and forwarded to the general membership for voting. A notice that proposed changes will be discussed must be presented to the general membership. No change in the by-laws shall take effect until thirty days following an affirmative vote to change them has been made.
ARTICLE XIII: DISSOLUTION
Section 1: Upon concurrence of a two-thirds majority of the Board, a proposal for dissolution of NEONAP
will be forwarded to the general membership for vote, either at a regular meeting or by mail. It must pass with a two-thirds majority for approval. Dissolution shall be effective ten (10) days after all of the ballots are cast and counted by the Board.
will be forwarded to the general membership for vote, either at a regular meeting or by mail. It must pass with a two-thirds majority for approval. Dissolution shall be effective ten (10) days after all of the ballots are cast and counted by the Board.
Section 2: In the event of dissolution, all assets of NEONAP remaining after meeting all the final liabilities of the organization shall be distributed to the U. S. Naval Academy, Midshipman Welfare Fund, at the
U. S. Naval Academy, Annapolis, Maryland.
U. S. Naval Academy, Annapolis, Maryland.
Section 3: All historical data and files of NEONAP will be forwarded for safekeeping to the parents’ clubs coordinator at the U. S. Naval Academy Alumni Association, Annapolis, Maryland.
