SAR Prescott AZ
By-Laws Prescott Chapter, Arizona Society
Sons of the American Revolution
By-Laws Effective Date: May 10, 2025
Article I – Names and Objectives
Section 1. The name of this Chapter shall be “Prescott Chapter” of the Arizona Society and the National Society, Sons of the American Revolution.
Section 2. The Objectives of the Chapter shall be to promote the purpose of the Arizona Society, and the National Society of the Sons of the American Revolution as set forth in their Constitution and By-Laws.
Article II – Membership
Section 1. All members of this Chapter must also be members in good standing of the Arizona Society, and the National Society of the Sons of the American Revolution.
Section 2. Removal from the membership rolls shall be for non-payment of dues and/or other fees or assessments, by transfer, resignation, or death, or for other good and sufficient reason by a majority vote of the Board of Officers (BOO), as set forth in the by-laws of the National Society, the Arizona Society, or the Prescott Chapter, Sons of the American Revolution.
Section 3. Honorary Membership. The membership may, by majority vote at any regular meeting, grant Honorary Membership in the Prescott Chapter to a candidate who meets the following qualifications:
A. The candidate must be a current verified member of the Sons of the American Revolution (S.A.R.), but in a different chapter.
B. The candidate has performed occasional special services to the Prescott Chapter, such as speaker presentations at chapter meetings.
C. The involvement with the Prescott Chapter is not so continual or intense as to justify a dual membership status.
Upon approval by the membership, the candidate shall be added to the membership roster as an Honorary Member. Notification to the Arizona Society, and the National Society of the Sons of the American Revolution is not necessary. If the Honorary Member ceases to meet the above qualifications, his membership may be discontinued upon BOO’s majority vote and approval by the chapter President.
Section 4. Emeritus Members. All members of the S.A.R. Prescott Chapter who are founding members of the Chapter will be recognized as Emeritus Members. They will not be charged local chapter membership dues commencing in the calendar year 2013. The chapter President will advise the Arizona Society S.A.R. Secretary/Treasurer of the names of all active founding members and request local chapter dues not be invoiced accordingly.
Article III – Officers & Board of Officers
Section 1. The officers of this Chapter shall be a President, Vice-President, Secretary, Treasurer, Registrar, Genealogist, Historian, Information Officer, Captain of the Color Guard, Chaplain, Board of Managers State Representative and Chancellor. These positions shall form the Board of Officers (BOO). The BOO shall have a quorum when more than 51% of the installed officers are present, either in person or electronically. A vote from the simple majority of those officers present, either in person or electronically, shall be approval or denial of motions before the BOO.
Section 2. The duties and powers of the officers shall be according to the usual duties of the respective offices and duties and powers hereafter set forth in these by-laws. Every officer in the performance of his official duties shall act within the scope and intention of this Chapter and the Constitution and By-Laws of the Arizona Society and the National Society of the Sons of the American Revolution.
Section 3. All officers are elected for a term of one (1) year. Refer to Article VI for the Election process.
Section 4. The Chapter officers shall be installed as the last order of business at the November meeting and shall hold office until their successors are duly elected and installed.
Section 5. Vacancies in office shall be filled by appointment by the President with majority consent of the BOO.
Section 6. The President shall be the Chief Executive Officer of the Chapter and shall exercise general supervision and control over its affairs. He shall preside at all meetings and appoint all committees, with the consent of the BOO.
Section 7. The Vice-President shall perform the duties and exercise the powers of the president in the absence or incapacity of the President. He shall succeed to the office of the President in the event of a vacancy and will be eligible for election to the next full term as President.
Section 8. The Secretary shall keep all fair and accurate record of all proceedings of all meetings of the Chapter and shall turn over such records to his successor upon leaving office. Under the direction of the President, he shall conduct general correspondence of the Chapter.
In the absence of both the President and Vice-President, the Secretary shall preside at Chapter meetings, or the Secretary may request a past President to do so.
Section 9. The Treasurer shall receive all moneys paid to the Chapter and deposit same in required payments to the Arizona Society, and the National Society of the Sons of the American Revolution, all payments for the necessary and customary operating expenses of the Chapter, and such other disbursements as authorized by the Chapter. He shall keep a fair and accurate record of all funds and transactions of the Chapter. He will prepare an annual budget for approval by a majority of the BOO. See Chapter Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) Manual for more details.
Section 10. The Registrar-Genealogist shall counsel and advise all members and prospective members in matters pertaining to their genealogies and all the preparation of their application papers. He shall submit all applications to the Registrar of the Arizona Society S.A.R.
Section 11. The BOO may from time-to-time designate specific duties to the approved officer positions or other Chapter Members as necessary to operate the Chapter.
Article IV – Meetings
Section 1. Unless changed by the BOO as needed, the Prescott Chapter shall meet at noon for lunch on the 2nd Saturday of each month, except there be no lunch meeting in the months of July, August, and December. Lunch meetings normally include a speaker or other special event. Traditionally, the November lunch meeting is a gala affair held jointly with the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR).
Unless changed by the BOO as needed, the chapter board of officers will meet preceding the Chapter meeting each month to discuss Chapter business. However, there will be no meetings in the months of July, August, and December. All members of the Chapter are welcome to attend the Board meetings. Additional Board meetings may be held upon notice to all BOO members as needed.
Section 2. The order of business at the Annual Meeting (held in October) shall be:
A. Call to Order
B. Pledge of Allegiance to the Falg of the U.S.A.
C. The official pledge of the S.A.R.
D. The Invocation or Blessing by the Chaplain or designee
E. Introduction of new members and guests
F. Special reports or remarks by the President
G. Officer reports
H. Committee reports as appropriate
I. Old business
J. New business
K. Benediction
L. Recessional
Section 3. A quorum shall consist of 10% of the members in good standing. Such quorum must be present to validly conduct all Chapter business. A simple majority of the members present, in person or electronically, shall be the majority of members in attendance where a quorum exists.
Section 4. Meetings shall be conducted under Robert’s Rules of Order except where they may conflict with these By-Laws in which case the By-Laws shall govern.
Article V – Fees and Dues
Section 1. The Chapter Dues and Fees shall be established as approved by the BOO from time to time. Such Dues and Fees shall be published annually or will be those as last published. See SOP Manual.
Article VI – Nominations, Elections, and Installation of Officers
Section 1. A Nominating Committee of at least three (3) members shall be appointed by the President before September 1st. It shall be its duty to report to the President nominees for the full written slate of officers not later than the October BOO meeting. This list should be announced at the October membership meeting. Only those members in good standing and whose consent to serve has been obtained may be nominated. Other nominations may be made from the floor at the time of the Annual Meeting provided such nominees are members in good standing and their consent to serve has been obtained.
Section 2. The annual election of officers shall take place at the Chapter meeting in November. A simple majority of those members present at the meeting shall elect. Any contested officers shall be immediately voted on by secret ballot. The Installation of Officers shall be held immediately following the election. See Article III Section 4.
Article VII – Committees
Section 1. The President shall appoint all committees and the chairmen, and he shall be a member ex-officio of all committees. All existing committees shall work with incoming committee members to make a smooth transition. Some members of existing committees may choose to stay in their position for the upcoming year with the approval of the President.
Article VIII – Amendments
Section 1. Proposed amendments to these By-Laws shall be presented in writing to the Secretary.
Upon approval by the BOO, the President shall arrange for presentation to the Chapter membership together with recommendations for adoption or rejection by the Officers. Adoption requires two-thirds (2/3) approval by vote from members in good standing who are present.
Amendment 1. A Standard Operation Procedure Manual (SOP Manual) will be used for managing the Chapter. It may contain Dues, Fees, and any other items needed to run the Chapter not provided for in the By-Laws. The SOP Manual may be changed from time to time without the approval of the membership and will be adjusted as needed by the BOO.
The Chapter shall always be non-religious, apolitical, not endorse nor sponsor a religion, political positions, political candidates, nor invite speakers to give presentations who promote religious. political, platforms or political parties. All invocations and/or blessings shall be conducted in accordance with the National Society of the Sons of the American Revolution Chaplains Committee Manual and S.A.R. Prayer Book.
Board Officer Position Descriptions
All board officer positions of the Prescott Chapter are for one year. A compatriot may continue to serve as a board officer if reelected yearly by the membership.
Executive Committee shall consist of the President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer and Chancellor.
PRESIDENT: Shall be the Chief Executive and exercise general supervision and control over the Chapter affairs. Shall preside at all meetings and appoint all committees with the consent of the board of officers and be an ex-officio member of all committees. Shall appoint officers to vacant position(s) with the consent of the board of officers. Shall guide policies and oversee Chapter operations. Shall represent the Chapter at meetings or in negotiations with other organizations.
Shall, in the event the Vice President cannot attend State Board of Managers meeting(s), appoint an alternate from the Prescott Chapter board.
VICE PRESIDENT: Shall perform the duties and exercise the powers of the President in the absence or incapacity of the President. Will be guided by the President and carry out duties assigned to him. Shall succeed to the office of the President in the event of a vacancy and will be eligible for election to the next full term as President. Shall represent the Chapter as a Board of Manager at State Board of Managers meetings.
SECRETARY: Shall keep an accurate record of all proceedings of the meetings of the Chapter and compile the reports and minutes for distribution at meetings and turn over such records to the Secretary successor upon leaving office. Shall, under the direction of the President, conduct general correspondence of the Chapter and oversee the notices sent by the Information/Notification officer for scheduled meetings. Shall, upon receiving notification by the Chapter Color Guard Captain that Color Guard equipment or uniform have been loaned to a Chapter member, will maintain a copy of signed record of the loaned items. Shall maintain a record of all Chapter owned equipment including but not limited to flags, stands, unforms, etc., and where such equipment is stored. Shall notify the State Secretary of any Chapter members death. Shall, in the absence of both the President and Vice President, preside at Chapter meetings or request a Past Chapter President to do so.
TREASURSER: Shall receive all monies paid to the Chapter and will deposit such monies into the Chapter bank account. Shall make payments to the Arizona and National Societies, all payments to the Arizona and National Societies, all payments for the necessary and customary operating expenses of the Chapter, and such other disbursements as authorized by the Chapter. Shall keep a fair and accurate record of all funds and transactions of the Chapter. Shall provide information for individual membership records maintained by the Secretary. Shall notify the Chapter Secretary of all Chapter member resignations and discontinuance as an active member due to non-payment of dues. Shall maintain permanent files of Treasurer’s reports, audits, annual budgets and other financial records of the Chapter for five years and at the end of this period provide such records to the Chapter Historian. Will file annual IRS documents and maintain Chapter IRS identification number in the files. Refer to the Chapter By-Laws and SOP manual for further information.
CHANCELLOR: Shall serve as the legal advisor to the Chapter and as a member of the Executive Committee. Shall render legal opinions on Society matters upon request by the President and shall report on legal matters of concern to the President. Shall make a detailed report on such matters to the Executive Committee and members at large.
CHAPLAIN: Shall open and close meetings of the Chapter with such services as are usual and proper on such occasions. Shall send a card of condolences to the family of a deceased Chapter member and to the Chapter member of a deceased family member. Will advise, assist and minister to the spiritual needs of the SAR members. Shall notify the State Chaplain the date of death, name and address of next of kin and a short bio of a deceased Chapter member. Will notify the Chapter website representative the name of the deceased member, current or past board position and date joined.
COLOR GUARD CAPTAIN/QUARTERMASTER: Shall arrange for Chapter participation at National, State and local events. Shall review and approve each Color Guard member’s event tabulations for Color Guard Bronze, Silver and Von Steuben Medals. Shall, upon such approval, forward the tabulation to the State Color Guard Commander. Shall be custodian of all Chapter Color Guard owned equipment including but not limited to flags, stands and uniforms. Shall notify the Chapter Secretary of any Color Guard equipment or uniforms loaned to a Chapter member.
Shall maintain the original signed record of the loaned items and provide a copy of the signed record to the member receiving the loaned items, and to the Chapter Secretary. May request all loaned items be returned to the Chapter should a member possessing such loaned items not be participating in at least 50% of Color Guard activities.
HISTORIAN: Shall maintain custody of all records and materials turned over by the Secretary and Treasurer for indefinite retention. Will not dispose of any historical Chapter materials without the documented vote approval of the Chapter Board of Officers. Shall turn over all historical records and materials of the Chapter to a new Chapter Historian.
GENEALOGIST: Shall counsel and advise all members and prospective members in matters pertaining to their genealogies and preparation of their application and supplemental applications. As requested, shall assist the Chapter Registrar and provide draft applications and genealogical research documents approval and further processing.
REGISTRAR: Shall prepare and examine all new membership and supplemental applications and approve them, if found acceptable, collecting required fees and signatures before submitting them to the Arizona Registrar for review and approval. Subsequently, the Arizona Secretary approves and forwards applications to National SAR headquarters for final approval and registration. The Registrar retains a duplicate copy of each application submitted for Chapter and State Society archives.
INFORMATION/NOTIFICATION: Shall manage the acquisition and distribution of information via email or by mail relating to luncheons, specials events and business meetings accessible to all Chapter members. Shall select guests and arrange for audio/visual support as needed. Will keep the Chapter Board apprised of the status of speakers throughout the year. Shall notify the Communications/Website representative of the names, dates and subject matter of each speaker.
AZ BOARD OF MANAGEMENT REPRESENTATIVE: Shall be the Chapter Vice President. In the event the Vice President can not attend the BOM meeting the Chapter President shall appoint an alternate from the Prescott Chapter board.
NON-BOARD MEMBERS:
ROTC: Shall contact the senior instructor of the local JROTC/ROTC unit(s) at the beginning of the school year. Shall remain in contact with the instructor throughout the year to identify and evaluate an outstanding candidate for each JROTC/ROTC program. Shall arrange for the presentation of a JROTC/ROTC Medal and Certificate to each candidate selected.
SERGEANT OF ARMS: Shall be custodian of the U.S. and SAR flags, stand and associated meeting apparatus. Shall transport same to and from meetings and will be responsible for position of all equipment.
WEBSITE/COMMUNICATIONS: Shall align the website with the SAR brand and ensure the information displayed on the site is current by relying upon the Chapter board. Shall list each board officer’s name, photo and position including but not limited to all chapter sponsors, newsletters, photos/videos of meetings, awards and Color Guard events