Section 2: The following articles, sections, and paragraphs are set forth in these By-Laws of the Gem State Chief Petty Officer Association members.

Section 2: We establish this Association as an independent and separate Non-Profit organization intended to support, protect, and promote the heritage, and customs of the US Navy Chief Petty Officers past and present. This organization is not associated with, bound by, or to the constraints, policies, or regulations of the US Navy. This Association and members will conduct themselves within the guidelines, policies, decorum, and responsibility standards as set forth within the Articles of these By-Laws.

a. Bring accepted Chief Petty Officers (CPOs) together professionally and socially on a regular basis.

b. If requested, assist, support and enhance local leadership and their efforts with training programs, command events, i.e., Advancement Exams, and help to improve the leadership climate and morale of the commands.

c. To provide support to ALL Service Members as deemed necessary and agreed upon by an Association quorum. Take every opportunity to work with and build better leaders and teams by providing intentional and consistent leadership advice, training and challenges while ensuring positive growth and resilience for both Enlisted and Officer.

d. Allow all CPOs the opportunity to receive information from invited guests, discuss mutual problems, and exchange ideas.

e. Provide a non-profit vehicle for organizing and conducting both professional military and social functions involving Chief Petty Officers.

f. Enhance the quality of life throughout the State of Idaho by raising and donating funds for charitable organizations and other purposes as agreed upon by the Association.

Membership in the Gem State Chief Petty Officers Association is open to and requires the members to be “Accepted” Chief Petty Officers of the Worldwide Chiefs Mess.

a. Memberships are classified as Active, Inactive, Honorary, Retired and Lifetime Retired.

b. Member in Good Standing is defined as those members current with dues and attend at a minimum 50% of all meetings and social events.

c. The Body is the collective group of all members (Active, Inactive, Honorary and Retired) within the Association.

a. Active Membership is limited to personnel, past or present, that have honorably attained and held the rank of Chief Petty Officer and those members of our sister services that have been inducted as accepted Chief Petty Officers according to Naval Customs and Traditions.

b. Anyone meeting the aforementioned criteria (Art. IV, Sec.2, a.) is welcome to join and participate with a full Active membership.

c. Only members in Good Standing, meeting the requirements outlined in Article IV, Section 1: b., may hold an office, serve on any committee, vote, or make a motion before the Body of the Association.

a. An Inactive Member is any member whose dues are in arrears (3 months or more) and/or has not met the minimum attendance requirement stated in Section 1, b., of this Article.

b. These members may not hold an office or serve on any committee, vote, or make a motion before the Body of the Association.

c. Any references to Association funds, entitlements, and/or expenditures within these By-Laws will not apply to, or for, inactive members.

d. Voting privileges are suspended for inactive members as outlined in these By-Laws.

e. Additionally, all expenses for CPOA-sponsored events will be fully incurred by attending Inactive Members.

a. This membership is granted to those individuals who have presented themselves as leaders in the local community or as outlined through Naval Customs and Traditions.

b. Honorary membership is a privilege afforded by the Association to those who have served the Association, and as such, must be voted upon by the Body as a whole.

c. Honorary Members do not participate in meetings or decisions set forth by the Body but are invited to participate in social functions of the organization, provided customs and tradition do not bar them. They may assist on committees and participate in fund-raisers.

d. Honorary members cannot; vote, hold office, or chair committees.

a. This membership status identifies those Chiefs under the age of 65, who have transferred into the Retired Reserve in accordance with Military doctrine, customs, and traditions.

b. These members will maintain their membership in Good Standing (Art IV, Sec. 1.b.) to be eligible to receive the benefit of the Lifetime Retired Membership (Art. IV, Sec. 6., below).

a. This membership status may be requested by and granted to those GSCPOA retired members age 65 or older. Those members who have maintained their membership in Good Standing under Art IV, Sec. 1.b, and Art. IV, Sec. 5., will no longer be required to pay annual dues. Lifetime Retired Members may not recoup previously paid dues should they have a delay in their request for the membership status change following their 65th birthday.

a. The officers of the Association will be elected to (see Article VI, Section 3), retain authority of, and upon acceptance of the nominated office will perform the duties and responsibilities as outlined in these By-Laws and each Pledge of Office for each of the elected Offices (appendices 1 through 5).

b. The elected Officers will assume the office and serve the Association for a period not to exceed one year unless re-elected.

c. Nominated/Elected officers will:

(1) be an Active Member of the GSCPOA, and

(2) be in “Good Standing” with the GSCPOA, as per ARTICLE IV, Section 1., and

(3) Read, publicly agree to, and sign a Commitment of Office Pledge showing acceptance of the elected office, the duties and the responsibilities attached to serving the GSCPOA and its Members.

d. Active Members:

(1) Cannot be elected to more than one office at one time, and

(2) are only eligible to serve two consecutive terms in the same office should they be re-elected into the same office.

e. Elected Officers may be removed from their Office should they fail to uphold their pledge to serve the GSCPOA or its members as determined by the Body and vote, IAW Article VI, Section 3.

a. The President will:

(1) Announce business before the Association to which it will be acted upon.

(2) Recognize members who are entitled to the floor.

(3) State and put to vote all the motions and amendments which arise during a meeting, see (5), (6) below.

(4) Assure that any motion requesting an expenditure of any unallocated and available GSCPOA funds totaling:

1. 20% or less, requires a Quorum vote.

2. 21% to 50%, requires a Majority vote from the Association Body.

3. 50% or more requires a 2/3 vote from the Association Body.

(5) Announce the outcome of the vote, or provide the deciding factor on those votes, which result in a tie, after parliamentary procedure has been reviewed and all deciding factors have been reviewed.

(6) Protect the assembly from annoyance of evidently frivolous or dilatory motions by refusing to recognize, restate, or vote on said motions.

(7) Assist in expediting business in every way compatible with the members’ rights.

(8) Restrain the members when involved in debate within the rules of order or put to the vote for the decision of the assembly.

(9) Represent the Association during honors and ceremonies when requested, and act in good faith on behalf of the Association when it is determined to be required.

(10) Adjourn the meeting upon completion of business.

b. Should the office be vacated prior to the next scheduled election; the Vice President will fulfill the responsibilities of the President.

c. In the absence of the President, the Vice President will conduct the meeting but will be referred to as the “Chairman” to the Body and within the minutes recorded.

a. The Vice-President will:

(1) Act in an advisory capacity for those administrative needs of the Association, maintaining liaison with committee chairs and the progress of actions which have an impact on the Association.

(2) Assume the responsibilities for, and act in place of any absent committee chairperson. If any appointed chairperson cannot execute their duties on a reoccurring basis, the Vice-President will recommend to the President to ask the regular chairperson to step aside and nominate another member to fulfill chairperson from the Body.

(3) In the absence of the Master-at-Arms, will assist the President or their agent in maintaining order during all meetings and events.

(4) Call the roll upon the request of the President for items called to vote which require a full member accounting (i.e., a 2/3 Vote).

(5) The Vice-President will function as facilitator for activities that do not require forming a committee.

(6) The Vice-President will be responsible for soliciting the Body for nominees for the Elected Officers of the CPOA.

(7) The Vice-President will fill the position as cosigner for the CPOA bank account.

(8) Utilize the Secretary’s Monthly Member Status Report to track the number of members in Active Status, and who they are should a need requiring action, or motion be presented to the President requiring a vote from membership. Accurate tracking of this data is critical and will allow the current and correct number to properly determine availability for a quorum vote per the Articles of these By-Laws.

(9) In the absence of the President, the Vice-President will conduct the meeting but will be referred to as the “Chairman” to the Body and within the minutes recorded.

a. The Secretary will:

(1) Have the overall responsibility of all correspondence enacted and held by the Association.

(2) Be responsible for the orderly transition of all non-financial Association records and histories.

(3) Provide copies of all previous meeting minutes and record the same.

(4) Maintain a current copy of the Association’s By-Laws, providing copies to any member who requests them.

(5) Maintain and provide the Treasurer with an up-to-date list of all GSCPOA members past and present monthly to include and identify new arrivals or departures from the Association.

(6) Contact all members for any special meetings called.

(7) Maintain a history of all minutes for the Association to verify votes and issues for research purposes (retention may consist of electronic media - but paper proof of all corrections and votes must be maintained). Minutes must be maintained for a period of seven years.

(8) Conduct the business of the Association, reading all correspondence received and that which is slated to be signed out by the Association membership.

(9) Call the meeting to order, in the absence of the President and Vice President, following the procedures set forth.

a. The Treasurer will:

(1) Act as the banker for the Association and is responsible for maintaining strict accountabilities for all monies and properties possessed by the Association.

(2) Be directly responsible for the proper management of all funds.

(3) Collect all dues and provide the Secretary with a monthly status report of membership to include:

a. dues paid and the status of all members past and present,

b. those deployed and their return date/month from deployment to account for and track their one-year Active Deployed Status dues exclusion, per Art. VIII, Sec 2., and

c. the voting statuses of all members.

(4) Maintain strict accountability of funds providing status to any member who requests a review.

(5) Provide annual audit information upon completion to Association membership, providing a plan of action to correct any errors noted.

(6) Receive and account for all fundraising cash, social event expenditures, and any other activities which require a specific amount of time or money from the Association. Ensure monies collected from fundraisers/donations are explicitly applied to the event they were collected for.

(7) Present a bimonthly report to the Association Board as a financial statement that will become an appendix to the bimonthly meeting minutes of all income, expenditures, and overages of money from the previous account report. Copies of the financial report should also be available to Association members at any time, if requested.

(8) Assist the President in projecting costs for planned events using the expenses of the previous year’s events and income.

(9) Maintain files of all financial records, receipts, deposits, bank transactions and monies collated yearly and signed by the audit committee for a period of five years.

(10) Annually, put forward to the body, a request for 3 active members, who do not hold officer’s positions, to form an audit committee to audit and review the previous year’s final GSCPOA Financial Report.

(1) Will assist the President or their agent in maintaining order during all meetings and events.

(2) Will coordinate logistical issues for all meetings and special events.

(3) Act in the capacity of the Treasurer in their absence, collecting membership information and any dues/monies which may be required.

a. Should a vacancy occur within an elected position prior to the scheduled tenure, the President will nominate a replacement to the General Assembly and call for a Special Election or special meeting as required. Nominations shall be received from the floor at this time, and nominees shall be elected by a majority vote of those Active Members present for the Special Meeting.

b. All items required for transition into the new Officer position shall be made available and as required, to the new Office holder.

a. Quorum vote: Requires a simple majority vote with one-third of the total Active Members present when a vote is called.

b. Majority vote: Requires a simple majority with more than 50% of the Active voting members present when a vote is called.

c. 2/3 vote: Requires 2/3 of the total Active Members to be physically present for a vote to be called, before a Majority vote is called.

1) Only active and current Mess members may vote electronically.

2) If two “nay” or “no” votes are cast during an electronic ballot, the CPOA President or Vice-President shall table discussions until a meeting and further in-person discussion can be held.

3) Electronic votes shall be recorded by the Secretary and recorded in the Meeting minutes of the next regular meeting.

Section 1: Regular meeting. 

At a minimum, a regular meeting shall be held bi-monthly. The President or their official representative shall arrange for and specify the time and location for the meeting.

a. Special meetings may also be called upon the written request of at least 1/3 of the Active Members of the Association.

b. When called, the purpose of the meeting shall be stated in the call, and at least three days’ notice must be given prior to the meeting date.

a. Emergency meetings are called for the express purpose of donating to an emergency cause, which requires a quick response that cannot wait for a regularly scheduled or special meeting.

b. The action taken during an Emergency Meeting will be provided to the Body in writing by the Secretary within five days following the meeting and be entered into the minutes of the next bimonthly meeting.

c. Any members who oppose the action taken during an emergency meeting may bring up the action during discussion at the next bimonthly meeting.

d. For the purpose of emergency expenditures of CPOA funds, a vote may be taken by electronic means.

a. Should a quorum not be present, the President may call for a delay not exceeding ½ hour beyond the initial call to order.

b. The following order of precedence will be followed in conducting business:

(1) Reading of the minutes shall be waived unless requested by a 2/3 vote of the Body.

(2) Reading and approval of Treasurer’s report.

(3) Old business

(4) New Business

(5) Hails / Farewells / Special Recognition of members (May be held during special events).

a. Are to be paid to the CPOA Treasurer annually, before the end of August, and rates are set at:

1. $50 for Active Chiefs

2. $25 for Retired Chiefs, and

3. $325 for a Lifetime Retired Membership.

b. Annually, new Chiefs will have their first year’s membership to the CPOA paid for from their fund-raising efforts. Said membership shall run from September of the current year through August of the following year. This is done to bring the new Chiefs into the Association so they may learn how CPOA operates and encourage their continued participation. These members are entitled to all rights outlined herein for Active Members in good standing.

a. Any member who is in arrears for three months or more will become an Inactive Member.

b. Members must pay all owed dues at the full annual rate should they desire to be reinstated as an active member and be able to vote at the next bimonthly meeting.

c. The CPOA Officers will review exceptions to this policy on a case-by-case basis.

a. All expenditures not expressly outlined in these By-Laws shall be presented to the body and approved by a quorum vote.

b. Expenditures not approved by the body, must be incurred by or recuperated from the member responsible for the expense.

c. Any matter of business in which a request for funds is made, exclusively of those budgeted for in these By-Laws, shall be obtained through fund-raising efforts. Said fundraiser shall be planned and scheduled by the member making the motion. In collaboration with the treasurer, the member motioning a fundraiser must ensure that monies raised must be used specifically for the fund-raising event.

d. The Association authorizes the items identified within these By-Laws, to be considered as regular expenditures and shall be recorded on the annual budget. Additionally, the President and Secretary may implement and amend any modification as voted on and accepted through a quorum vote without submitting the By-Laws to the CPOA for approval.

(1) Flowers or gift of sympathy for members and their immediate family during hospitalization for serious illness or upon death not to exceed $75.00. These gifts will be extended to include the member’s parents, member’s spouse, or member’s children. An appropriate card can be mailed to all others who do not meet the above criteria.

(2) Gifts for Retiring Association Members as gifts of congratulations, appreciation, and remembrance are typically given by those whom a retiree has worked closely with. The Association recognizes the contributions that our Association members, in Good Standing, make in service to; our Country, State, the US Navy, fellow Chief Petty Officers and the Gem State CPOA. For this, the Association allows for the expenditure of a maximum of $100.00 from the unallocated/ available funds from the treasury as determined by a quorum vote.

(3) Exceptions to the above, gifts may be authorized by the President.

a. The President has the authority to authorize up to $100.00 toward any gift or necessary Association expense not identified within these By-Laws as a single transaction.

b. For the good of the Association, the President must report in writing to the Association the nature of the expenditure, and why it could not wait for a vote. This report must be signed by at least one other elected Association officer and one association non-Officer member authorizing the expenditure. This must be recorded and discussed as new business at the next CPOA meeting.

a. Outside Individuals or Organizations.

Donations or gifts to individuals or organizations that have supported the Association must be carefully considered before the actual gifting. These transactions to individuals or organizations must meet fairness and equitability standards and have the amount of this gift or donation voted upon by the Association for each case before its expenditure. The actual amount must be agreed upon before voting.

a. Should a member wish a one-time change to any rule in the By-Laws, a 2/3 vote from the Body will allow for said change.

b. If such an occasion should arise, the member must be allowed to present all possible reasons for the opposition, even if it requires tabling such motion until the next bimonthly meeting.

c. The President and Secretary may implement and amend any modification as voted on and accepted through a quorum vote without submitting the By-Laws to the CPOA for approval.

Section 1: The organization agrees to hold harmless the U.S. Government and all military installations for any financial liabilities incurred by the organization.

Section 2: The organization agrees that it will neither propagate extremist activities nor advocate violence against others. Members will not participate in or violate any international, federal, state, or local laws.

Section 3: The organization further agrees that it will abide by all directives, regulations and laws regarding equal rights and will not deprive individuals of their civil liberties or rights.

Section 4: If the organization’s total assets cannot meet the entirety of its financial obligations the Treasurer will be responsible for assessing the balance of all liabilities, and levy in equal parts to all members of the organization balances due to debtors.

Section 5: The organization further agrees to reimburse the Idaho National Guard should the GSCPOA incur any utility expenses, unless the use is incidental and/or would cost more to bill and collect than it costs to provide the utility.

a. invest an initial fundraising amount up to $500 to kickstart the CPO Training Season fundraising effort to offset start-up expenses.

b. Prior to the selection of Season Sponsors the CPOA will debate the investment amount while ensuring the adherence to the spending guidelines as set forth in Art. V, Section 2, (4),

c. decide on the final dollar amount to invest, motioned, seconded and that amount will be decided upon by an Association Quorum Vote.

d. work in an advisory capacity only while ensuring the Boise NRC Senior Enlisted Leader, the Season Chairperson, Co-Chair, and the Chief Select(s) who are responsible for Season financial management have the support needed, or as voted on by the Association Membership. e. make the Treasurer or an objective agent available to assist in the final closeout of Season fundraising and accounting should a request be made.

Section 7: The remaining funds from the Chiefs Season fundraising efforts, following the balancing of all receipts, debts, and payments to and from event participants, from the season fundraising, and should the new Chief(s) choose to donate the amount remaining back to the GSCPOA. These funds will be deposited into the GSCPOA treasury and ear-marked for the support of a Khaki Ball for the newly accepted Chief Petty Officer(s). Any remaining funds will support the established needs and/or future obligations of the GSCPOA as set forth in Art. III of these By-Laws.

Section 8: For those years when there are no new Chiefs selected for promotion, kickstart funds will not be reserved or added to increase the following year’s fundraising balance.

Section 9: Will organize and provide to two junior Sailors, E-4 or below, a $250.00 scholarship program to assist in the tuition for college or trade school attendance, a books and or supplies required for a provided class schedule.

Section 1: The CPOA shall be dissolved by a concurrence of three-fourths of the voting members present to include the Board of Officers at a special meeting to dissolve the association.

Section 2: All assets within the CPOA will be liquidated. Any financial liabilities incurred by the organization will be paid. Before the final adjournment of the Gem State Chief Petty Officers Association, the balance of funds after all financial obligations are met will be donated to a charitable organization as nominated and voted on by the remaining CPOA voting members present to vote.

Section 1: These By-Laws shall be adopted by a majority vote from a quorum of active members.

Section 2: These By-Laws shall be in full force and effect immediately upon its adoption.

Section 3: These By-Laws may be amended, altered, suspended, or have provisions annulled only by a quorum majority of active members during GSCPOA meetings.

Section 4: A copy of these By-Laws shall be provided to each member.

Section 5: These By-Laws shall be reviewed annually, at a minimum, preferably immediately following general elections.