Blue Angels Alumni Association | Established: November 9, 1996
Third Edition
Article I – Purpose and Name
1.1. Name. The name of this organization is the Blue Angels Alumni Association and may also be referred to as “the BAAA” or “the Alumni”. The Blue Angels Alumni Association name, logo, and such, may only be used with the express written permission of the Board of Directors of the Blue Angels Alumni Association.
1.2. Purpose. The purpose of this organization is to preserve and support the high standards and continuing military traditions, heritage, honor, camaraderie, teamwork, and history of the United States Navy Flight Demonstration Squadron “The Blue Angels” and its predecessor organization, the United States Navy Flight Demonstration Team. The BAAA is a professional fraternity whose membership consists of past or present members of the United States Navy and/or Marine Corps. The goals of which are to facilitate and maintain contact with former members of the team, to sponsor and participate in reunions and social events of the Blue Angels fellowship. This association is organized and operated exclusively for non-profit purposes.
Article II – Board of Directors
2.1. Number and Term. The general management and affairs of the BAAA shall be conducted by a Board of Directors, also referred to as “BOD”, consisting of four (4) elected Officers and six (6) elected Directors. The BOD may also include one or more honorary permanent Executive Directors. Terms of elected offices run from January 01 to December 31. Elections are staggered to prevent a large turn-over of leadership in any given year. Officer positions are a four (4) year term, while Directors serve six (6) year terms. Elections for President and Treasurer will be held every four (4) years.
Elections for Vice-President and Secretary will be held two (2) years opposite the other Officer elections. Two (2) Directors will be elected every two (2) years to coincide with the Officer Elections.
2.2. Terms and Limits. A member may serve a maximum of (12) twelve years in any one office but may run and serve additional years in a different elected position/office. A board member may only hold one office at a time. A sitting officer/ director desiring to run for an open office must resign their current office within 14 days of being elected in a new position.
2.3. Appointment and Qualification. A candidate for office must have been a paid up BAAA member in good standing for a period of one (1) or more years at the time of nomination.
2.4. Vacancies in Office. Any vacancies in office except that of President shall be filled within thirty (30) days by appointment of the President and with approval of the Board of Directors. The approved person will only fill the vacancy of the office until the original term expires.
2.5. Records and Property held by BOD or Appointed Positions. During the last thirty (30) days of their term, or vacating their position, all out going Officers and committee chairs shall deliver to their successors in office all records and property of the BAAA in their possession. Any cost will be considered an expense to the Association.
2.6. Meetings. Unless otherwise determined by the BOD, Bi-annual General Membership meetings will be held in conjunction with reunion years in Pensacola, FL.
Article III – Nominations and Elections.
3.1. Process. Electronic mail/media shall be the primary method used to conduct nominations and elections. Current paid members will be contacted regarding nominations and elections via the BAAA webpage. Members not having access to the webpage may request a paper ballot by email to the BAAA Secretary.
3.2. Eligibility for Office. To be eligible to run for the offices of President, Vice-President, Secretary or Treasurer an Alumni member must have been a member in good standing for at least two (2) years. “Member in good standing” shall mean a member whose dues are paid current and who has not been provided notice of any pending action under Article 5.6.
3.3. Nominations. Only self-nominations will be accepted. A notice of expiring offices and a self-nomination form shall be sent via email to all members in good standing. Interested candidates will be asked to indicate the office they wish to run for, provide a brief profile highlighting their qualifications, and return their completed form by the established deadline. The Secretary shall determine candidate eligibility and place information regarding the qualified nominees on the BAAA webpage for membership review prior to voting.
3.4. Elections. Ballots and candidate profile sheets will be prepared and transmitted electronically to all members in good standing. Members shall be asked to review the profiles, consider each candidate, vote for their choice(s), and reply via email or as provided for on the BAAA webpage.
3.5. Results. All ballots received by the established deadline will be reviewed and results tabulated by the Vice President and Secretary. The candidate(s) receiving the largest vote count shall be declared elected. The results will be posted to the BAAA webpage. The newly elected Officers/Directors shall take office January 01 of the year following their election.
Article IV – Officers
4.1. Officers. The officers of the Blue Angels Alumni Association shall be a President, Vice President, Treasurer, and Secretary.
4.2. Duties. In addition to the duties of the respective officers specified in these By-laws, each officer shall perform such further duties as assigned by the Board of Directors or as necessary to conduct the business of the BAAA. No salary or compensation shall be paid to any person for serving as an Officer/Director of the BAAA.
4.3. President. The President shall serve as the Chief Executive Officer of the Alumni Association. He or, his or her, designee shall preside at all meetings of the members of the BAAA and of the Board of Directors. The President shall see that all orders and resolutions of the Board of Directors are carried into effect. The President shall also have authority to provide general supervision and direction of the officers and shall see that their duties and those assigned to other Directors are properly performed. He/she shall approve of all committees, of all committee chairpersons and serve as member ex-officio of all committees.
4.4. Vice President. The Vice President shall have powers and duties as may be prescribed from time to time by the President or by the Board of Directors. In the absence or disability of the President, the Vice President shall perform all the duties of the President. Upon the resignation, death or removal of the President, the Vice President shall assume all duties of the President.
4.5. Secretary. The Secretary is the principal Administrative Official of the Association shall record minutes of all meetings and decisions of the BOD, and shall have such power and/or perform other duties as directed by the President and/or the BOD Minutes of such meetings and decisions shall be posted in the permanent (electronic) files of the Association. All minutes and decisions of the Alumni General Membership meetings shall be posted on the BAAA webpage.
4.6. Treasurer. The Treasurer shall serve as the Chief Financial Officer and is directly responsible for the day to day financial operation of the Alumni Association. He/she is charged with the supervision, recording, care and custody of all financial activity related to the accounts, receipts and debts of the BAAA. Along with one other officer, the treasurer has final signature authority in the name of the BAAA, and is responsible for and authorized to make prompt payments for all purchases, invoices, business expenses, or other authorized debt incurred by and on behalf of the BAAA. He/she shall keep accurate records of all disbursements and payments. The treasurer shall receive the dues and fees of our members and promptly deposit these receipts into the BAAA account. He/she shall keep accurate records of all monies received and deposits made. He/she shall keep detailed records of the dues payments of all BAAA members. The treasurer shall reconcile the BAAA bank account monthly, note any discrepancies, and follow-up to ensure accurate and complete account balancing. The Treasurer shall be authorized to engage and pay a bookkeeper/CPA (in an amount subject to approval by the BOD) to assist with review of the financial records of the BAAA and with the preparation of a quarterly financial report to the BOD. This report shall include, but is not limited to, a summary of all payables and receivables during the reporting period and indicating opening/closing account balances and noting any concerns, issues, or items requiring further explanation. Annually, the treasurer (with assistance of the bookkeeper/CPA) will prepare and distribute a financial report to the general membership in a form substantially similar to the quarterly BOD report. The treasurer should develop the annual budget by the first quarter of each calendar year with assistance from all BOD members as required. The budget should include all projected expenditures for review by the BOD. The BOD must approve the budget, and all expenditures must be within the budget, once approved the treasurer is authorized to make required expenditures that were included in the budget. Any expenses outside the approved budget will need to be approved by the majority of the BOD.
4.7. Removal from Office. Any Officer/Director may be removed from office upon failure to perform the duties of the office, failure to adhere to the By-laws, or for any reason that brings discredit to the BAAA. Removal from office shall be by majority vote of the remaining members of the BOD. Such removal may be permanent or for such period of time as the BOD deems appropriate under the circumstances.
Article V – Membership
5.1. Membership Eligibility. BAAA membership is restricted to former team members who have honorably served with the United States Navy Blue Angels Flight Demonstration Team / Squadron, regardless of rank or rate, Officer or Enlisted and may include, at the discretion of the BOD, civilian technical and support representatives. Current Team members who apply for Alumni membership immediately (within 90 days) upon honorable separation from the Blue Angels shall have their first year dues waived.
5.2. Application for Membership. Upon request, a former team member will be sent or handed an application for membership. All applications for membership in the Association shall be submitted accompanied by payment of the appropriate annual dues as determined by the Board.
Membership in the BAAA will only be granted after validating the applicant was indeed a former Blue Angel who served honorably while on the Team.
5.3. Transfer of Membership. Membership in the Association is not transferable or assignable.
5.4. Life Membership. Since January 1, 2005, any fully paid up Alumni member, (no missing dues since becoming a member) with five (5) or more years of continuous membership qualifies for life member status in the year of their 70th birthday. This special dues free member status was established to recognize and honor the contributions, long term commitment and continuous support this select group of senior members have made to the Blue Angels Alumni Association. Alumni members who meet these requirements shall become life members at the beginning of the year in which they reach (70) seventy years of age. A life member certificate and ID card will be issued at this time. Life members are encouraged to provide donations to assist with administrative costs associated with running the BAAA.
5.5. Rights of Members. Every member in good standing shall have the right to attend any and all membership meetings and participate in such meetings in accordance with the recognized rules set forth in the manual of parliamentary procedure adopted by the Association. Members shall conduct themselves in such a manner as not to interfere with the business at hand or obligations of the Officers and the Association.
5.6. Expulsion. Any member of the Alumni Association may be removed from the BAAA for good cause by a majority vote of the Board of Directors. Good Cause shall include, but is not limited to, violations of the By-laws or conduct that brings discredit to the BAAA. Such removal may be permanent or for such period of time as the BOD deems appropriate under the circumstances. Any removed member will be given written notice explaining the reasons for the pending action at least 15 days before the board meets. This will allow the member ample opportunity to address the issues with the BOD before a vote is taken. There shall be no appeal heard by the board once a decision has been rendered. Any removed member may reapply for membership once the period of expulsion has ended.
5.7. Discrimination. The BAAA will not discriminate on the basis of age, color, race, disability, gender, national origin, political affiliation, religion, or veteran status.
5.8. By-Laws. Every member shall be subject to the Associations Constitution and By-Laws as stated and as may be amended in the future.
Article VI – Meetings of the Alumni Association
6.1. Board of Directors Meeting. A meeting of the BOD BAAA shall be held at least annually and shall be held on reunion years in Pensacola, FL. to coincide with the homecoming weekend of the Blue Angels. BOD meetings may be held at more frequent intervals to conduct the business of the BAAA or as deemed necessary by any officer or consensus of the BOD.
6.2. General Membership Meeting. Unless determined otherwise by the BOD, a general membership meeting of the Alumni Association shall be held every two years in Pensacola, FL to coincide with the homecoming weekend of the Blue Angels during reunion years.
6.3. Special Meetings. The Board of Directors may call a special meeting at any time to discuss Alumni business and, when necessary, to vote on proposals before the board. Special meetings of the BOD may be held without notice to the membership to address exigent or urgent (as determined by the Board) matters. Minutes of any such meeting shall be published within ten (10) days of the meeting.
6.4. Notices. Notices of general membership meetings and special meetings shall be distributed to members in good standing via email at least fifteen (15) days before the meeting. No other notice shall be required.
6.5. Voting Eligibility. All members in good standing shall be entitled to vote at any meeting of the general membership and are eligible to be appointed by the Board of Directors to serve on ad hoc committees.
6.6. Quorum. A quorum for a meeting of the BOD shall be a majority of the 10 elected members. A quorum of the General Membership meetings shall be the number of members in good standing present at the meeting.
6.7. Attendance at Meetings. Only members in good standing of the Alumni Association shall be present at any business meeting of the BAAA. Attendance may be taken at all meetings and Membership Dues cards may be checked by the acting Sergeant at Arms with guidance from the Treasurer regarding current dues status.
Article VII – Dues and Assessments
7.1. Establishment of Dues. Dues will be established by the Board of Directors and shall be paid annually.
7.2. Entrance Fee. There shall be no entrance fee into the Alumni Association. First years dues shall be submitted at time of joining, accompanied with a completed membership application.
7.3. Payment of Dues. Dues renewal notices shall be emailed to all active members on or before February 15 of each year, and are requested to be remitted within thirty (30) days.
7.4. Membership Dues Status. Members are assigned to a status based on their dues payment history. The status categories are, Life Member (dues free), Continuously Paid- Up (no missing years), Current Member (current year paid but missing prior years), and Delinquent 1, 2, 3, or more years, Lost (no current address), Resigned, and Deceased.
7.5. Expenses. The treasurer is authorized, upon review of supporting documentation, to reimburse a BAAA member in good standing for expenses incurred in carrying out approved Association functions or duties, provided however, that any single expenditure of funds in excess of $200 dollars requires written approval (email confirmation acceptable) of either two Officers or three members of the BOD.
Article VIII – Committees and Appointments
8.1. Ad Hoc Committees. The Board of Directors may, at its discretion, appoint such ad hoc committees as it deems necessary.
8.2. Appointments. The Board of Directors may, at its discretion, appoint a member in good standing to serve in a unique service capacity within the Alumni Association.
Appointed positions of Photographer, Historian, Sergeant at Arms, Chaplain, E-mail Coordinator, and Website Coordinator have already been defined but as needs change, appointments may be added or eliminated.
8.3. Duties. The Board of Directors shall prescribe, in writing, the duties, powers and term of existence of all ad hoc Committees and appointments. All actions of these committees and appointments shall be subject to approval of the Board.
Article IX – Fiscal Year
9.1. The fiscal year of the BAAA shall run from January 01 to December 31 of each year.
Article X – Distribution of Assets Upon Dissolution
10.1. Dissolution. No person, firm or corporation shall ever receive any gifts or profits from the undertaking of this Association and upon dissolution of this Association all of its assets remaining after payment of all costs and expenses for such dissolution shall be distributed to a single Not for Profit organization which has qualified for exemption under Section 501 (c) (3) of the Internal Revenue Code, and none of the assets will be distributed to any member, Officer or Director of the Association. One example of such an organization is the National Museum of Naval Aviation. The distribution will be at the sole discretion of the BOD by majority vote.
Article XI – Insurance.
11.1. Liability Insurance. The BAAA will carry Commercial General Liability insurance policy in an amount not less than one (1) million dollars as long as the Association organizes, sponsors and hosts a bi-annual Alumni reunion.
Article XII – Indemnification
12.1 Every Director and Officer of the BAAA shall be indemnified by the BAAA against all expenses and liabilities, including been a paid up BAAA member in good standing for a period of one (1) or more years attorney’s fees, reasonably incurred by or imposed upon he/she in connection with any proceeding or any settlement of any proceeding to which he/she may be a party or in which he/she may become involved by reason of his/ her being or having been a Director or Officer of the BAAA, whether or not he/she is a Director or Officer at the time such expenses are incurred, except when the Director or Officer is adjudged guilty of willful misfeasance or malfeasance in the performance of his/her duties; provided that in the event of a settlement the indemnification shall apply only when the Board of Directors approve such settlement and reimbursement as being for the best interest of the Association. The foregoing right of indemnification shall be in addition to and not exclusive of all other rights to which such Director or Officer may be entitled.
Article XIII – Amendments
13.1 These By-laws may be altered, amended or repealed by a majority vote of the Board of Directors, provided written notice of the proposed amendment had been submitted to the Board of Directors and all members in good standing at least thirty (30) days prior to the date of the vote. Notice shall be provided by email and by posting on the BAAA website.
Article XIV – Miscellaneous
14.1. Roberts’ Rules of Order. In the event that there is a conflict as to the applicable parliamentary procedures to be followed at any meeting of the Boards or members, the rules contained in Roberts’ Rules of Order (revised) shall govern insofar as they are not inconsistent with these Bylaws.
14.2. Copies of By-laws. These By-laws and all amendments and supplements thereto shall be posted on the BAAA website. Printed copies will be provided to a member upon request to the BAAA.
14.3. Notices. Unless otherwise specified, any notice to be provided under these By-laws may be provided by U.S. mail, hand delivery, overnight delivery, facsimile transmission, website posting or electronic mail notification.
14.4. Alumni Website. The BAAA maintains an official website (www.blueangelsalumni.org) which is accessible by members of the Alumni Association in good standing only. There is no public access. The site contains information of interest to our membership including a listing of current officers, directors and other key individuals. Other information which may be included is the current teams show schedule, monthly news update, team history and pictures, pictures submitted by our members, comprehensive email list and links to the official Navy, Marine and Blue Angels websites. Other inclusions will be considered on a case by case basis. Any material submitted for the website must be sent to the Alumni President or the website coordinator only. The website is accessible only by members in good standing. For access to the website, active members in good standing create an account/passcode (via sign-up). The Treasurer shall confirm member is in good standing and approve access. Access will be revoked for members who are not in a paid status. All content of this website is confidential and to be considered as private and protected by all members at all times.
14.5. Privacy Statement. The Alumni Association will never release information about any of its members, outside of the Blue Angel community, without first securing permission of the party involved.
14.6 Record Keeping. All electronic and hard copy records of the Association shall be retained for a minimum of two (2) years, provided however, that financial records of the Association shall be retained for four (4) years or as required by law.
Approval: This 3rd edition of the Constitution and By-Laws of the Blue Angels Alumni Association were voted upon by the Officers and Directors being passed with 08 voting yes with and there was 02 no reply to the vote on July 31, 2022.
Amendments: None
References:
a) Chief of Naval Air Training Letter dated 13 March, 2018. Subject: Trademark Usage.
