Section 1: All members of the ORSSAR must be members in good standing in the NSSAR, and must be admittedto membership in the ORSSAR as hereinafter provided. A member in good

BYLAW NUMBER ONE: MEMBERSHIP.

Section 1: All members of the ORSSAR must be members in good standing in the NSSAR, and must be admitted to membership in the ORSSAR as hereinafter provided. A member in good standing is one who has been assigned a NSSAR number and an ORSSAR number, and whose NSSAR dues, ORSSAR dues, and chapter dues are fully paid for the calendar year which began on the preceding January 1.

Section 2: Application for membership in the NSSAR shall be made through the ORSSAR using forms approved by the NSSAR. All parts of the application form must be completed by the applicant, paying particular attention to set forth the name, residence and services of the applicant’s Revolutionary War ancestor upon whom he bases his eligibility.

Section 3: An applicant for membership in the NSSAR must be sponsored by two members in good standing, and the applicant shall make oath that the statements in his application are true to the best of his knowledge and belief.

Section 4: Applications for membership in the NSSAR shall be initiated through elected chapter officers. An Applications Committee consisting of the President, Secretary, and Registrar shall take action on all applications for and on behalf of the membership and the Board.

Section 5: A member in good standing may demit from the ORSSAR to transfer to another state society of his choice provided that his membership shall continue in good standing in the ORSSAR until he be accepted by the receiving state society.

Section 6: Members may transfer between chapters of the ORSSAR provided they are members in good standing at the time of transfer. Upon acceptance by the gaining chapter, both chapters shall report such transfer on the “CHANGE IN STATUS REPORT” (Exhibit “D” hereto) to the Registrar. No notification to the NSSAR is required for an intra-ORSSAR transfer.

Section 7: Former SAR members who have been inactive for some time may be reinstated directly into the ORSSAR regardless of their prior state society affiliation subject to acceptance by the ORSSAR. Application forms are available from chapters, the ORSSAR, and the NSSAR. The cost of such reinstatement will be the sum of NSSAR dues, ORSSAR dues, and chapter dues in effect at the time of reinstatement. Reinstatement dues apply to the year in which reinstatement occurs regardless of the date of payment.

Section 8: The official salutation of a member of the ORSSAR shall be “Compatriot.”

BYLAW NUMBER TWO: CHAPTERS.

Section 1: Members of the ORSSAR shall be organized into chapters. A member will usually be assigned to the chapter closest to his residence. However, a member may belong to any chapter he chooses.

Section 2: Each chapter shall elect a president, a secretary, and such other officers as the chapter membership approves. Chapter officers shall manage their chapter affairs subject to the Constitutions and Bylaws of the ORSSAR and the NSSAR. To be considered active, each chapter must have at least eight members, and they must meet at least two times each calendar year. More frequent meetings are encouraged.

Section 3: If the members of a chapter are unable to elect officers who can lead and manage the affairs of the chapter in accordance with the foregoing section, the Board may declare the chapter inactive. The records and assets of such inactive chapter shall be placed under trust of the ORSSAR, and members of the chapter may be reassigned to active chapters until the chapter is reactivated. When an inactive chapter is reactivated and chapter officers are elected and installed, such officers shall receive the chapter records and assets from the ORSSAR, and the former members shall be transferred back to the reactivated chapter.

Section 4: Organization of new chapters.

a) A new chapter may be organized in the ORSSAR by eight or more members in good standing.

b) Members desiring to organize a new chapter shall write a petition to the Board requesting authority to form the chapter. The petition shall bear a statement of intent, a proposed name of the chapter, its intended boundaries, and the signatures of all members in good standing who plan to belong to the chapter. A new chapter will not be formed in the ORSSAR if its organization would deplete the membership of any established chapter below that required to maintain active status.

c) When written authority is given, by the Board the members of the new chapter shall elect their officers and commence operation. They may also adopt a chapter Constitution and Bylaws, such Constitution and Bylaws shall conform to the Constitutions and Bylaws of the ORSSAR and NSSAR.

Section 5: The president of any active chapter having a membership of at least eight members in good standing shall be an ex-officio member of the Board.

Section 6: Chapter officers shall complete the following reports:

a) CHAPTER ANNUAL REPORT (Exhibit “A” hereto.) The report is due in the hands of the Registrar not later than December 1, each calendar year. [Required by changes at the NSSAR.] It reflects all changes in chapter membership (new members, transfers, in and out, dropped for nonpayment of dues, resignations, deaths, etc.) occurring during the preceding calendar year. It reports the names of chapter officers for the coming year, and it reflects the current status of each chapter member in good standing at the beginning of the coming calendar year. Finally, it reports and transmits to the ORSSAR all NSSAR and ORSSAR annual dues and other annual funds collected by chapter officers from each chapter member for the ensuing year.

b) PRESIDENT GENERAL’S STATE SOCIETY AND CHAPTER ACTIVITIES COMPETITION AWARD (Exhibit “B” hereto.) The purpose of this report is to accumulate data needed to enter each chapter and the ORSSAR in the NSSAR, “President General’s State Society and Chapter Activities Competition Award.” (See pages 84-85 in the NSSAR Handbook for a description of this competition.) The report shall be submitted as “Appendix B” to the Chapter Annual Report described in Section “6b” of this Bylaw. See Section 7 of Bylaw Ten below for inter-chapter competitions based on this report.

c) CHANGE IN STATUS REPORT (Exhibit “C” hereto.) The report is submitted to the Registrar any time there is a change in a chapter member’s status, address, or telephone number, etc., during the calendar year; that is, between Chapter Annual Reports.

d) ANNUAL CHAPTER FILING, SONS OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION (Exhibit “D” hereto.) This report is to be sent directly to the NSSAR each year by each new chapter president after installation of incoming chapter officers.

f) Tax identification Number Letter. The NSSAR and all of its affiliates (including the ORSSAR and each chapter) is exempt from Federal Income Taxes under Section 501 (c) (3) of the internal Revenue Code. These arrangements permit the NSSAR to make an annual “Group Filing” by Tax Identification Number, and the NSSAR asks, by letter every November, for verification of the ORSSAR and each chapter Tax Identification Number. Chapter officers must promptly return the letter with updated information to NSSAR to participate in the group filing. Otherwise, chapters may have to file separately to retain their tax-exempt status.

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