Bylaws

ARTICLE I: Title & Purpose

1)   The Association will be known as TACAMO Community Veterans Association (TCVA). TCVA is a non-profit, non-partisan, apolitical, non-religious association. TCVA is also referred to as the Association in these bylaws.

2)   The Association’s purposes include but are not limited to:

a)   Conducting occasional reunions.

b)   Providing fraternal, social, and recreational activities for members and guests.

c)   Promoting communication through a newsletter, website (tacamo.org), and social media.

d)   Encouraging and supporting the preservation of TACAMO history by the Association’s membership.

e)   Recognizing the outstanding and enduring people who helped develop, execute, and sustain the TACAMO mission through the Hall of Fame program, following the guidelines set by the TCVA Board of Directors.

f)     Encouraging and facilitating making charitable contributions.

g)   Providing scholarships or financial aid for members’ children, grandchildren, and other sponsored young people’s education.

h)   Offering guidance and resources to our membership for use with the Department of Veterans Affairs and its benefits.

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ARTICLE II: Membership

1. TCVA membership is open to any “veteran” interested in the preservation of TACAMO history and heritage as it relates to U.S. Navy trailing wire airborne communications.

2. For the purposes of these bylaws, a “veteran” is defined as an individual who served in TACAMO or supported the TACAMO mission as a civilian or industry worker. Family members of a “veteran” are also eligible for membership.

3. Life Membership may be granted to those who, by nomination and acceptance by the Board of Directors (BOD), are recognized for outstanding service to the TACAMO community. This is limited to one recipient per year. The BOD, at its discretion, may also grant Life Memberships to the TACAMO Community Council Sailor of the Year awardees.

4. Members can be removed (without refund of membership dues) by a majority vote of the BOD for actions that reflect negatively on the Association and impact its good reputation. Membership reinstatement may be granted by the BOD upon petition from the removed member.

 

ARTICLE III: Dues

1. Dues for membership will be determined at the annual BOD meeting and will be payable at the time of application and/or annual renewal.

2. The dues established will be sufficient to pay for all predictable operating expenses and non-profit activities. Financial reports and budget projections will be the criteria for setting dues.

 

ARTICLE IV: Offices and Board of Directors

1. The Association’s office street address is TCVA, 92-812 Maikai Blvd., Ocean View, HI 96737.

2. The Association’s mailing address is TCVA, P.O. Box 6126, Ocean View, HI 96737

3. The Association’s email address is tacamocommunity@gmail.com.

4. BOD is comprised of the following positions:

   • a)   President

   • b)   Executive Vice President

   • c)    Vice President for Administration

   • d)   Vice President for Membership

   • e)   Vice President for Awards and Recognition

   • f)     Vice President for Merchandising

   • g)   Secretary

   • h)   Treasurer

   • i)      Executive Director

   • j)      Active-Duty Representative

5. Board of Directors meetings will be called by the President, in a venue of his/her choosing, and held as necessary. One of these meetings will be designated as the Annual Meeting.

6. Two-thirds of the BOD, one of which must be the President or Acting President, constitute a quorum for any BOD meeting or business transaction.

7. The BOD is made up of volunteers, willing to fulfill the roles defined in Article V for an undefined period.

8. Upon retirement, incapacitation, or death of a Director, the remaining Directors will recruit a mutually agreed-upon replacement. If necessary, BOD positions may be reassigned. If the recruitment is unsuccessful, the remaining BOD will continue operation until a quorum can no longer be met. Then, the Association will dissolve in accordance with Article IX.

9. A BOD member may be removed by a two-thirds majority of the BOD members for behavior that reflects negatively on the Association.

 

ARTICLE V: Duties of Directors

1. President – Presides over BOD and any special meetings. Sets meeting agendas with input from the Executive Director. Shall serve as Master of Ceremonies at reunions and events. The President has the final and deciding vote in all decisions as the potential “tie breaker.”

2. Executive Vice President (EVP) – Supports the President and fulfills the role of President in his/her absence. Supports all BOD members with tasks associated with the development of the Association.

3. Vice Presidents – Serve as Directors for specific focus areas:

   • a)   Vice President for Administration – Manages Events/Reunions, Communications, and has fiduciary responsibility for the Association.

   • b)   Vice President for Awards and Recognitions – Manages all awards and recognitions as determined by the BOD. Includes, but is not limited to:

     • i)     TACAMO Hall of Fame nominations.

     • ii)    Lifetime Achievement Award

     • iii)  TCVA Life Membership

     • iv)  Honorary TACAMO Sailor

   • c)   Vice President for Membership – Manages TCVA membership list and semi-annual membership drives.

   • d)   Vice President for Merchandising – Manages the Paraloft and develops products of interest to members.

   • e)   Secretary – Records minutes of all BOD meetings and supports correspondence and recordkeeping.

   • f)     Treasurer – Manages bank accounts, reports balances, revenues, and expenses to the BOD, and completes annual IRS filings under 501(c)(3) status.

   • g)   Executive Director – Consults with the President on Association direction and agendas, supports all BOD members, and assumes leadership if both the President and EVP are unable to serve.

   • h)   Active-Duty Representative – A non-voting member that provides guidance to the BOD as to interfacing with Active-Duty members.

4. The BOD may create committees and assign chairpersons as needed.

 

ARTICLE VI: Fiscal Year and Budget

1. The Associations fiscal year begins January 1 and ends December 31.

2. The Association shall maintain a balanced budget and ensure that projected revenues and expenditures are aligned to support its operations and programs.

 

ARTICLE VII: Spending Authority

1. Spending authority is granted to the:

   • a)   Executive Director

   • b)   Vice President for Administration

   • c)   Event Planner

   • d)   Other Project Manager(s) as directed by the BOD.

2. All expenditures will be recorded by the Treasurer for review by the BOD.

3. The Event Planner shall propose an event budget to the BOD for approval. Spending authority will be implicitly granted for the duration of the event.

4. The Executive Director and/or Admin VP are responsible for recurring expenses, such as website costs, domain registration, and subscriptions necessary for the Association's function.

5. Other projects will require that a Project Manager, once granted spending authority, present a budget to the BOD and be granted a maximum discretionary spending limit for the project.

 

ARTICLE VIII: Parliamentary Authority

Robert’s Rules of Parliamentary Procedure will govern Association meetings and in all cases to which they are applicable and in which they are not in conflict with these bylaws.

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ARTICLE IX: Amendments

1. These bylaws may be amended by unanimous vote of the BOD.

2. Proposed amendments must be presented to the BOD for consideration 30 days before being voted on.

 

ARTICLE X: Dissolution

1. At such time that a quorum can no longer be met (Article IV, 6) or the Association becomes insolvent, the Association will be dissolved. The remaining BOD members will take the following steps:

   • a)   Meet and vote on the dissolution decision. This vote will be recorded in the meeting minutes.

   • b)   Identify a dissolution planning group that includes the President, Executive Director, Treasurer, and a minimum of two other board members. This group is tasked with creating a detailed draft of the plan for presentation to the BOD.

   • i)     Identify the disposition of all cash and physical assets.

   • ii)    Identify an administrator to execute the required IRS filing and notifications.

   • c)   Contact the asset recipient(s) and arrange for the transfer of assets, records of TCVA actions, and BOD meeting minutes. Any assets the recipient does not want or cannot use will be disposed of at auction or donated to other interested parties.

   • d)   Notify the TCVA community that the Association is dissolved and of the location of the TCVA assets and records.

 

AMENDMENTS

 

Presidential Term (Amendment 4.24.2023): The President serves a two (2) year term from the date of ascension from Executive VP or appointment by unanimous BOD consent. The President may remain for subsequent terms with unanimous BOD consent.

 

Presidential Succession (Amendment 9.15.2025):

• The BOD requests a 90-day notice in the event of an early departure.

• The EVP must have served in the EVP role or on the BOD for at least six (6) months before “fleeting up” to President.

• The EVP will “fleet up” upon the President’s announced departure date.

• The BOD will compile and rank a list of possible EVP candidates.

• The President, EVP, and Executive Director will query candidates’ interest and willingness to “fleet up.”

• The process continues until an interested and qualified candidate is identified.

 

Candidates must submit written responses addressing:

• Attendance and leadership commitment

• Event participation as Master of Ceremonies

• Proposed new projects

• Five-year vision for TCVA

• Pathways to achieving that vision

 

The BOD will review responses and determine acceptability by majority vote. If multiple suitable candidates exist and the BOD is split, an election by secret ballot will be held. Ballots will be submitted to a neutral party designated by the BOD, who will tabulate and announce the results.

 

Board Member Selection (Amendment 4.24.2023):

• If a Board member resigns, is removed, or departs unexpectedly, the remaining BOD will expeditiously seek a replacement to sustain a quorum.

• The remaining BOD will compile and rank acceptable candidates by unanimous consent.

• The President and Executive Director will approach candidates in ranked order to determine interest.

• New BOD members are accepted by unanimous consent.

• The Executive Director is chosen from and by the BOD with unanimous consent.