To uphold and defend the Constitution of the United States of America; to maintain law and order; to foster and perpetuate a one hundred percent Americanism; to preserve the memories and incidents of our associations in the Great Wars; to inculcate a sense of individual obligation to the community, state and nation; to combat the autocracy of both the classes and the masses; to make right the master of might; to promote peace and good will on earth; to safeguard and transmit to Posterity the principles of justice, freedom and democracy; to consecrate and sanctify our comradeship by our devotion to mutual helpfulness.

Article I — Name

Section 1: The name of this organization shall be Renton – Pickering Post No. 79, The American Legion, Department of Washington

Article II — Objects

Section 1: The objects and purposes of this Post shall be to promote the principles and policies as set forth in the foregoing preamble, and the National and Departmental Constitutions of The American Legion.

Article III — Nature

Section 1 : This Post is a civilian organization and membership therein does not affect or increase liability for military or police service.

Section 2: This organization shall be absolutely nonpolitical and shall not be used for the dissemination of partisan principles nor for the promotion of the candidacy of any person seeking public office or preferment.

Section 3: Rank does not exist in The American Legion; no member shall be addressed by his military or naval title in any meeting of this Post.

Article IV— Executive Committee

Section 1: The administrative affairs of this Post of The American Legion shall, except as may be otherwise provided by the By-Laws, be under the supervision of an Executive Committee which shall consist of 7 members. In those cases where an individual may hold one or more positions listed in Section 2, he or she will be entitled to only one vote. The term of office of members of the Executive Committee shall be for one year.

Section 2: There shall be a Post Executive Committee composed of the Commander, First Vice-Commander, Vice Commander, Second Vice Commander, Adjutant, Finance Officer, Service Officer, Judge Advocate, Historian, Sergeant-at-Arms, and Junior Past Commander.

Article V—Officers

Section 1: The officers of this Post shall be a Commander, a First Vice-Commander, a Second Vice-Commander, an Adjutant, a Finance Officer, a Historian, a Chaplain, Service Officer, a Judge Advocate, and a Sergeant-at-Arms, and such other officers as may be deemed necessary by this organization. The Junior Past Commander shall be considered an elected officer, except that succession to that office is automatic when a Commander completes his/her term of office and is succeeded by a new Commander. The duties of elected officers shall be specified by the By-Laws.

Section 2: All elected officers shall be elected annually for a one year term, and shall hold office until their successors are duly installed or as otherwise provided. Any officer may be removed for inefficiency by the Executive Committee, a two-thirds vote of said committee being necessary to effect such removal.

Section 3: Every member of this Post in good standing shall be eligible to hold office in this Post.

Section 4: Nominations, elections, and installations shall be specified by the By-Laws.

Section 5: The provisions for automatic vacating of office and filling of vacancies shall be specified in the By-Laws.

Article VI — Delegates to District and Department

               Section 1:  This Post is entitled to and shall elect and send the

appropriate number of Delegates and Alternates (as established by the District Constitution) to the 11^th District Spring Conference for the purpose of presenting the Post Annual Report, and of casting the Post’s vote for the District Commander, Vice Commander, and such other officers as may be authorized for the coming year, and for any other District business brought before the delegates at the meeting.

Section 2: If other District Conferences are duly convened and Post delegates are specified by District or Department, their election and certification shall be as specified for the Spring Conference.

Section 3: The Post is entitled to at least one Delegate and one Alternate to the Department Convention. Additional delegates shall be specified in the Department Constitution. The outgoing Post Commander shall automatically be the first delegate.

Section 4: The Post Adjutant shall use the form provided by Department for certifying the names of the Delegates and Alternates, so elected immediately following the election, and mail to the Department Adjutant without delay.

Article VII — Membership

Section 1: Any person shall be eligible for membership in the American Legion, and in this Post, who:

(a) Was a member of any branch of the United States Armed Forces and assigned to active duty during any period so specified by the U.S. Congress and promulgated in the National and Department Constitution and/or By-Laws.

(b) Being a United States citizen at the time of entry therein, served on active duty in the armed forces of any of the governments associated with the United States in the same periods, provided, that:

(c) Such service was terminated by honorable discharge or separation or continued under honorable conditions after such period; and

(d) No person shall be entitled to membership who, being in such service during any such period, refused on conscientious, political, or other ground to subject himself/herself to military discipline or unqualified service.

Section 2: Every new applicant for admittance to membership shall present to the Post Adjutant, for inspection and approval, an honorable discharge or a certified copy thereof and any or all proofs which must serve to fully satisfy the Post Adjutant as to the applicant’s eligibility before such membership may be presented to the Post and before approval for membership into the Post is granted and given.

Section 3: Each applicant for membership in the Post shall present a completed official membership application or transfer form, together with the current dues, for a vote by the Post membership.

Section 4: All applications for membership shall be acted upon at the next Post meeting following the making of such application, and shall at such meeting, be accepted, rejected or referred for further investigation and consideration. If a majority of the members cast their vote against the acceptance of said application, then the application shall be recorded as rejected.

Section 5: Each application for membership in this Post shall be voted on as required by the By-Laws, and Post Adjutant shall maintain records of each member showing address, phone, email address, branch of service, serial number, date of enlistment, date of discharge, type of discharge, annual dues status, and years of continuous membership.

Section 6: In keeping with the National and Department Constitutions, this Post shall be the judge of it’s own membership, subject to the provisions of it’s Constitution and By-Laws, except that, no person who is a member of an organization which has it’s aim the overthrow of the United States Government by force or violence or who subscribes to the principles of any group opposed to our form of government shall be eligible to become or remain a member.

Section 7: Post Membership. Under the provisions of the National and Department Constitutions, no person may be a member of this Post who is also a member of another Post, and no person who has been expelled by a Post of the American Legion shall be admitted to membership in this Post without the consent of the expelling Post.

Section 8: Form or Class of Membership. There shall be no form or class of membership except an active membership; and dues shall be paid either annually or for life.

Section 9: The amount of dues and any initiation and/or reinstatement shall be fixed by the Post By-Laws.

Section 10: Any member of the Post may be expelled or suspended from the Post in accordance with the Post By-Laws.

Article VIII — Meetings

Section 1: Regular and special meetings of the Post shall be specified in the By-Laws, and all members shall be notified of scheduled meetings.

Section 2: Meetings of the Executive Committee shall be specified by the By-Laws.

Section 3: A quorum at a Post meeting, regular or special, is required as prescribed in the By-Laws.

Article IX — Finance

Section 1: The revenue of this Post shall be derived from membership or initiation fees, from annual membership dues and from such other sources as may be approved by the Post Executive Committee.

Section 2: The amount of such membership or initiation fees and the amount of such annual Post dues shall be fixed and determined by this Post.

Section 3: The Post shall pay to Departmental headquarters the National and Departmental a per capita amount established by the Department and National of the annual membership dues for every member of the Post.

Article X — American Legion Auxiliary

Section 1: This Post recognizes an auxiliary organization to be known as the Auxiliary Unit of Renton – Pickering Unit # 79, The American Legion. This organization is authorized and shall operate in compliance with the National and Department Constitutions of both the American Legion and the American Legion Auxiliary. No activity of that Unit shall conflict with activities of the Post, and the Post shall encourage and cooperate with the Unit in all of its activities.

Section 2: Membership in the Auxiliary shall be as prescribed by the National Constitution of the American Legion Auxiliary.

Article XI — American Legion Riders

Section 1: This Post recognizes an affiliation with the organization known as the “Snoqualmie Riders” of Renton–Pickering Post # 79, The American Legion. The affiliation with this organization is authorized and the organization shall operate in compliance with the National and Department Constitutions of both the American Legion and American Legion Riders. No activity of that organization shall conflict with activities of the Post, and the Post shall encourage and cooperate with the organization in all of its activities.

Section 2: Membership in the Riders shall be as prescribed by the National Constitution of the American Legion Riders.

Article XII — Amendments

Section 1: This Constitution is adopted subject to the provisions of the national Constitution of The American Legion and of the Department Constitution of the Department of Washington, The American Legion. Any amendment to said National Constitution or Department Constitution which is in conflict with any provisions hereof shall be regarded as automatically repealing or modifying the provisions of this Constitution to the extent of such conflict.

Section 2: This Constitution may be amended at any regular Post meeting by vote of two-thirds of the members in attendance provided a quorum is present, and provided the proposed amendment shall have been submitted in writing and read at the preceding regular meeting of said Post, and providing, further, written notice shall have been given to all members at least fourteen days in advance of the date when such amendment is to be voted upon, notifying said members that at such meeting a proposal to amend the Constitution is to be voted upon. At the meeting in which the amendment(s) are read and voted upon, an opportunity for questions and discussion will be provided prior to the vote.

Article XIII — Rules of Procedures

Section 1: On all matters not specified in the Constitution, the Post By-Laws, the Post Officers Guide and Manual of Ceremonies, the Department or National Constitution and By-Laws, the Roberts Rules of Order shall govern.

CERTIFICATION

This revised Constitution was presented to the Post # 79 membership at the regular Post meeting on Thursday, December 10, 2009 and a quorum was present.

Certified:

________________________ _________________________

Steven D. Fenton, Richard DeWitt,

Commander Adjutant