NWHA Home Page
NWHA Home Page
An Oregon Non-Profit Corporation Honoring Those Who Served
NWHA Home Page
NWHA Home PageFrequently Asked QuestionsNWHA Bylaws and PoliciesNWHA UnitsNWHA Events ScheduleContact UsPhotosRecent NewsNWHA BulletinInteresting Links

 

By-Laws of the
Northwest Historical Association

(Updated 01 November 2005)
POLICY - UNIT FORMATION AND ORGANIZATION

SECTION 1 - NWHA UNITS

A Unit shall portray an historical military unit of the era 1939-1945 in the European Theater of Operations. Any number of Units may be formed in the NWHA.

SECTION 2 - FORMATION OF A NEW NWHA UNIT

a. A representative of the proposed new Unit shall present a written proposal to the Board of Directors at a regular Board meeting. The proposal shall include:

1. A list of not less than six (6) General Members in good standing who request membership in the proposed unit.

2. The name of the proposed Unit Commander. This Member shall be a General Member in good standing for a continuous period of not less than eighteen (18) months immediately preceding the date of the proposal and shall be not less than eighteen (18) years of age.

3. The proposal shall include a general statement identifying the proposed historical military Unit to be represented, a very short unit history (50-100 words), and a general outline of the types of uniforms to be worn.

b. The proposed new Unit shall be recognized as a Unit within the NWHA upon the attainment of a two-thirds (2/3) approval vote of the Board.

c. The Board may set additional requirements for approval and recognition of a Unit.

d. The Board may waive, at its sole discretion, any or all of the requirements for the formation of a Unit, other than the requirement for a two-thirds (2/3) approval vote of the Board.

SECTION 3 - DEFINITION OF AN ACTIVE UNIT

An Active Unit shall consist of not less than six (6) Members. Any Unit with fewer than six (6) Members shall be considered a Provisional Unit.

SECTION 4 - INACTIVATION AND REACTIVATION OF UNITS

a. If the membership of a Unit decreases to fewer than four (4) Members, that Unit may be placed on probation for a period of six (6) months. If within this time the Unit does not attain six (6) Members, it may be inactivated. The Unit shall not be removed from the NWHA's Unit list.

b. Members of an Inactivated Unit may apply to join an Active Unit of their choice, with the approval of the Unit Commander of that Active Unit.

c. If the membership of an Inactivated Unit increases to four (4) or more Members, that Unit may be reactivated upon the request of the Unit Commander to the Board.

SECTION 5 - TRANSFER BETWEEN UNITS

A Member in good standing may officially transfer from one Unit to another by the following procedure:

1. Written notification to the Unit Commander of the Unit to be transferred from;

2. Written notification to, and approval by, the Unit Commander of the Unit to be transferred to; and

3. Written notification to the Secretary of the NWHA.

SECTION 6 - FORMATION OF ASSOCIATE UNITS

a. Associate Units will be formally recognized as part of the NWHA under the following guidelines. Associate Units shall make an application for approval and recognition by the Board of Directors. This application should include, but is not necessarily limited to, the following:

1. The name of the Unit and its specific historic focus;

2. The name and contact information for a representative to the Board;

3. The number of events the Unit will participate in on an annual basis and a description of how the Unit will participate in these events; and

4. Authenticity guidelines for its members.

b. An application for approval and recognition of an Associate Unit by the Board of Directors shall be considered and determined at the next meeting of the Board following the submission of its application. Approval of the application by the Board shall be determined by a simple majority of voting members. Approval is at the discretion of the Board, and not based on any formal criteria or benchmarks.

c. Approved Associate Units shall receive the following privileges:

1. Use of the NWHA logo and name at events;

2. Inclusion in the NWHA web site;

3. Inclusion in the NWHA newsletter; and

4. A non-voting representative on the Board of Directors;

5. The right to propose NWHA events; and

6. The right to register membership within the NWHA as a primary impression.

d. Associate Units may propose NWHA events under the following criteria:

1. An Associate Unit shall propose the date, location, and description of the event for prior approval by the Board;

2. The proposed event shall not conflict with an existing Board approved event; and

3. The Associate Unit shall be responsible for coordinating the event.

e. Membership in an Associate Unit shall be of two types:

1. Primary impression: An individual may belong to an Associate Unit without being a member of another Unit of the NWHA. Such individual shall list the Associate Unit as his or her primary impression, shall pay the required NWHA Annual Membership Dues, and shall pay any Event Fee as determined by the Event Coordinator when participating in NWHA approved events. Such individual shall be permitted to participate in other NWHA approved events as a Guest Member of a Unit with the approval of the Unit Commander.

2. Secondary impression: An individual who is a member of another NWHA Unit may also be listed as a member of an Associate Unit, but shall be considered a member of the other Unit for NWHA purposes.

f. All participants at approved events sponsored by an Associate Unit, either as a Member or as a Guest Member, are subject to the Bylaws, Policies, and Policies of the NWHA.

SECTION 7 - FORMATION OF LIVING HISTORY UNITS

A. Living History Units will be formally recognized as part of the NWHA under the following guidelines. Living History Units shall make an application for approval and recognition by the Board of Directors. This application shall include, but is not necessarily limited to, the following:

1. The name of the Unit and its historic focus;

2. The name and contact information for a representative to the Board;

3. Planned events for the calendar year and a description of how the Unit will participate in each event;

4. Authenticity guidelines for participants;

5. A list of participating individuals, both Members and non-Members of the NWHA;

6. A list of any events that the Unit participated in during the previous calendar year, and a description of how the Unit participated at each event; and

7. A list of members who participated at events during the calendar year.

b. An application for approval and recognition of a Living History Unit shall be considered and determined by the Board of Directors at the next meeting of the Board following the submission of the application. Approval of the application by the Board shall be determined by a simple majority of voting members. Approval is at the discretion of the Board, and not based on any formal criteria or benchmarks.

c. Approved Living History Units receive the following privileges:

1. Use of the NWHA name and logo at events;

2. Inclusion in the NWHA web site;

3. Inclusion in the NWHA newsletter; and

4. A non-voting representative on the Board of Directors.

SECTION 8 - ORGANIZATION OF UNITS

a. Each Unit in the NWHA shall be autonomous and may adopt Unit policies and standards which do not conflict with policies and standards adopted by the NWHA.

b. Each Unit shall annually fill three (3) positions within that Unit by means of election by the members of that Unit. All positions may be filled by one individual or different individuals may be elected to fill each position at the discretion of the Members of that Unit.

c. The Unit Commander position will serve as the technical lead in all matters related to Unit functioning. This position is responsible to the Unit and to the Board of Directors for the membership of that Unit. The Unit Commander shall be a General Member in good standing for a continuous period of not less than eighteen (18) months immediately preceding the date of the election and shall be not less than eighteen (18) years of age. He or she will approve qualified and desirable applicants for membership within that Unit, except in cases in which that authority is retained by the Board. The Unit Commander will hold commissioned or enlisted rank at his or her discretion.

d. The Board Representative position will serve as the representative to the Board from that Unit, and will serve as the representative from the Board to that Unit, and will serve as a Director of the NWHA. The Board Representative shall be a General Member in good standing for a continuous period of not less than eighteen (18) months immediately preceding the date of the election and shall be not less than eighteen (18) years of age. The Board Representative is responsible to the Unit and to the Board to attend Board Meetings, to represent first the interests of the NWHA and second the interests of his or her Unit, to vote on matters presented for vote by the Board, and to give a valid Proxy to a qualified Member if he or she is unable to attend a Board Meeting.

e. The Unit Authenticity Officer will serve as the technical lead in all matters related to authenticity issues within that Unit.

Copyright 2006 - NWHA
Modified 06 May 2006