TITLE
Article I.—This Society shall be known as “The United States Naval Institute.”
OBJECT.
Art. II.—Its object shall be the advancement of professional and scientific knowledge in the Navy.
ORGANIZATION AND OFFICERS.
Art. III.—1. The officers, and the permanent and temporary committees of the Society, shall include:
A Patron.
A President.
A Vice-President.
A Council of Regents.
An Executive Committee.
Special Committees.
A Secretary.
Corresponding Secretaries.
A Recorder and Treasurer.
- The Honorable Secretary of the Navy shall be recognized ex officio as the Patron of the Society,
- The Admiral of the Navy shall be ex officio its President.
- The Commanding Officer of the Station at which the Society holds its regular meetings shall be ex officio its Vice-President.
- A Council, with the Vice-Admiral as President, which shall include as ex officio members the Commandants of all Naval Shore Stations all Chiefs of Bureaus, and the Commanding General of the Marine Corps, shall constitute the Council of Regents.
- An Elective Committee of five, to be selected by ballot in session of the Society, and to bold office for one year, shall be chosen to act as an Executive Committee.
- Special Committees may at any time be appointed by a majority vote of the Society, to consider questions not properly under the cognizance of the Executive Committee.
- The position of Secretary shall be considered a permanent office.
- There shall be a Corresponding Secretary in each Squadron, who shall be chosen to hold office for one year by the members of the Society on the Station.
- One member of the Executive Committee will act as Recorder to the Committee and as Treasurer of the Society.
MEMBERSHIP.
ART. IV.—1. All Officers of the Navy, Marine Corps, and of the Academic Staff of the Naval Academy, shall be entitled to become members without ballot, on payment of the entrance fee.
- Honorary members may be elected, by a two-thirds vote of the members present, at any regular meeting; and all persons eligible in the opinion of the Executive Committee to honorary membership may attend meetings of the Society on invitation of that Committee.
- The annual assessment shall be $5.00, payable on becoming a member, and on the first day of each succeeding January. Special assessments may be authorized by a two-thirds vote.
- Membership shall only be forfeited in cases where the recommendation of a Committee, supported by a two-thirds vote of the Society, shall so determine.
NOMINATIONS AND ELECTIONS.
Art. V.—1. There shall be a meeting of the Society, on the second Thursday in January of each year, to choose the Elective Officers.
- Members not in attendance may vote by proxy at such elections, as well as upon questions relating to the Constitution and By-Laws; but vote by proxy will only be allowed in the two cases herein specified. Honorary members will not be allowed to vote on any question.
- A majority of votes recorded shall determine choice.
- Members elected to the position of Officers of the Society will assume their duties as soon as notified.
- Vacancies may be temporarily filled by the Executive Committee, but regular nominations and elections shall follow as soon as practicable.
- All voting for Officers shall be by ballot in session of the Society.
- The members of the Executive Committee shall be voted for collectively, and a majority of all the votes cast shall be necessary to a choice in each case.
- The Recorder of the Executive Committee and Treasurer of the Society will be chosen from the Executive Committee.
DUTIES OF OFFICERS.
Art. VI.—1. The Society will at all times anticipate the same kindly interest from the Patron which is now received.
- It sincerely trusts that the President, Vice-President, and Council of Regents will bring to its notice and lay before it all pertinent matters connected with the service, and that they will note the duties of the Society in connection therewith. It is also expected that they will suggest such changes in the organization of the Society as they may think beneficial; that they will suggest subjects for discussion, etc.
- The President, or in his absence the Vice-President, or in the absence of both a member of the Executive Committee, will preside in Executive Session.
- The transaction of all financial, executive, or administrative business, in which latter shall be included censorship of papers offered for presentation to the Society, shall be in the hands of the Executive Committee. The Committee will determine for itself its routine of business and form of record.
- The Secretary shall attend to all correspondence with members on matters of routine. He shall keep a Register of the Members, a Copy of the Constitution and By-Laws, in which he shall note all changes, a Journal of the Proceedings, and a Letter-Book. These books shall at all times be in readiness for inspection. Papers offered by members unable to be present, if accepted by the Executive Committee, shall be read by the Secretary.
- He shall give duo notice of all meetings, and shall have control of the stenographer, copyists, etc., employed to prepare records of proceedings.
- He shall keep a file-book, in which reports of Committees, etc., shall be entered.
- Corresponding Secretaries shall keep the Institute, through its Secretary, advised of all matters of interest, and shall attend to the collection and transmission to the Treasurer of the dues of members.
- The Treasurer, under the direction of the Executive Committee, shall he the disbursing officer. He shall keep a receipt and expenditure book, and an account current with each member.
- He will submit his books for examination whenever asked for.
- The Society may, by a two-thirds vote of all members present, declare any office vacant for neglect or improper performance of duty.
MEETINGS.
Art. VII.—1. There shall be a meeting of the Society on the second Thursday of each month for the discussion of professional and scientific subjects.
- Special meetings may be called by the Secretary, at the request of one or more of the general officers, or of standing or special Councils or Committees.
- A stenographer shall be employed to keep the record of all proceedings of regular meetings.
- Whenever papers read before the Society, and the discussion growing out of them, shall accumulate in quantities sufficient to make one hundred octavo pages printed matter, they shall be prepared for issue in pamphlet form, and one copy of the same be sent by the Treasurer to each member and one to each ex-officio member.
Papers on intricate technical subjects may be published as a part of the proceedings of the Society without being publicly read, if, in the opinion of the Executive Committee, the subject to which they relate be not of a character to be appreciated on merely casual investigation.
AMENDMENTS.
Art. VIII.—No addition or amendments to the Constitution and By-Laws shall be made without the assent of two-thirds the members voting. Notice of proposed changes or additions shall be given by the Secretary at least one month before action is taken upon them.