The Blinded Veterans Association (BVA) traces its roots back to the end of World War II. BVA's forefathers were a group of veterans blinded during that conflict. In 1945, they met at Avon Old Farms Army Convalescent Hospital in Avon, CT and founded the Association. Thirteen years later, BVA received its charter from the United States Congress. Ever since, the Blinded Veterans Association has worked to accomplish the mission expressed inour Congressional Charter. To promote the welfare of blinded veterans so that, notwithstanding their disabilities, they may take their rightful place in the community and work with their fellow citizens toward thecreation of a peaceful world. To preserve and strengthen a spirit of fellowship among blinded veterans so that they may give mutual aid and assistance to one another. To maintain and extend the institution of American freedom and encourage loyalty to the constitution and laws of the United States and of the states in which they reside. Throughout our history, Congress and the Department of Veterans Affairs have singled out the Blinded Veterans Association. BVA was and is the only veteran's service organization exclusively dedicated to serving America's blind and visually impaired veterans. Veterans do not have to lose their vision during military service to qualify for BVA assistance. Membership is not a prerequisite for any service. The BVA's Staff and National Officers are the people that bring together all of the BVA‘s services and strengths.

DEPARTMENT OF VETERAN AFFAIRS RIO GRANDE REGIONAL GROUP
BLINDED VETERANS ASSOCIATION 5001 NORTH PIEDRAS RM. B208
EL PASO, TEXAS 79930-4211

Bill Case receiving
the Charter for the
Rio Grande Regional
Group.

CONSTITUTION/BYLAWS

PREAMBLE

We, the members of the Rio Grande Regional Group of El Paso, Texas of the Blinded Veterans Association, in order to develop a closer relationship among the blinded veterans of our Nation, to assist in the rehabilitation of all blinded veterans, to hasten their acceptance into the community of their choice and promote peace with liberty, do adopt and establish this Constitution/Bylaws.

Article I
(Name and Duration)
Section 1. The name of the organization, by which it shall be known,is and shall be the RIO GRANDE REGIONAL GROUP of the Blinded Veterans Association, and its duration shall be perpetual, unless its Charter be withdrawn by the Blinded Veterans Association for good cause shown.

Article II
(Affiliation)
Section 1. The Regional Group is and shall be a subordinate group of the National Association, known as the Blinded Veterans Association, as attested to by a Charter issued by said Association. The Rio Grande Regional Group shall at all times be subject to the jurisdiction of the National Association and to the provisions of that corporation's Charter and Bylaws. Any provision in this Constitution/Bylaws inconsistent with the Charter or Bylaws of the Blinded Veterans Association shall be null and void. Section 2. The Regional Group shall not participate in any way in the promotion of partisan politics or of candidates for political office. Its name, insignia, and membership lists shall be restricted to use by the Regional Groupand by its parent body, the Blinded Veterans Association. The Group shall not join or federate with any other veteran organizations or agency for the blind.

Article III
(Supreme Authority)
Section 1. The supreme authority of the Regional Group shall be vested in its members, whether expressed in convention, in a regularly scheduled meeting, or by a duly authorized mail ballot. Section 2. At all times when the membership is not assembled, the supreme authority of the Regional Group shall be vested in an Executive Committee, consisting of the President, Vice President and Secretary/Treasurer) (see Article VIII below).

Article IV
(Membership)
Section 1. Membership shall be limited to Members and Associate Members of the Blinded Veterans Association in good standing residing within the boundaries of the Texas county of El Paso. *Administrative note: Also includes those few Members and Associate Members in good standing who currently reside in the southernmost portion of the State of New Mexico who have petitioned the BVA National Board of Directors for a transfer of their membership from the Southwest Desert Regional Group to the Rio Grande Regional Group, such petitions having been approved by both regional groups and the BVA National Board of Directors. Section 2. The definitions of the aforementioned categories of membership in the Rio Grande Regional Group and the rights, privileges, responsibilities and restrictions of each category shall be as outlined in the current edition of the BVA National Bylaws, as amended. Section 3. All of the above-mentioned Members and Associate Members,provided they remain in good standing with the National Association and with the Rio Grande Regional Group, shall have and retain rights of membership in said Regional Group, including the right to vote and hold office.

Article V
(Membership Meetings)
Section 1. Regular meetings of the membership shall be called (every second month), commencing January 17, 2001. All such meetings shall have authority to make laws and bylaws, rules and regulations, and generally to conduct all business which may properly come before the Rio Grande Regional Group. Section 2. Every Member and Associate Member in good standing of the Rio Grande Regional Group shall be eligible to attend and assist in all meetings of the membership, and shall be entitled to one (1) vote when present.
Section 3. A quorum at membership meetings shall consist of five (5) members in good standing, two (2) of which must be elected officers of the Rio Grande Regional Group. Section 4. All members of the Rio Grande Regional Group in good standing, as well as National Headquarters (Attn: Administrative Director), shall be notified, in writing, of each meeting of the regional group at least ten (10) days before the date of such meeting. The notification letter will include the date, time, location and purpose(s) of the meeting. Address labels from BVA National Headquarters must be used for all such notification letter mailings.

Article VI
(Officers)
Section 1. The Rio Grande Regional Group shall elect officers each year from among the members in good standing at a meeting of the membership. All members in good standing shall be notified, in writing, in advance of the purpose for which the meeting is called (see Section 4 of Article V above). Section 2. The officers elected shall be a President, Vice President and Secretary/Treasurer, provided that the meeting at its discretion may also elect a Judge Advocate, Chaplain and Sergeant-at-Arms. Section 3. Officers shall serve until their successors have qualified, provided that no officer has serve a period exceeding eighteen (18) months without re-election.

Article VII
(Duties of Officers)
Section 1. The President shall be the executive head of the Regional Group with full power to enforce the provisions of this Constitution/Bylaws and the policies adopted by the membership. He/she shall preside at meetings of the membership. He/she shall have and exercise all of the functions especially entrusted to him/her by the membership and shall perform all of the duties usually performed by such executive officer, including appointment of such committees as he/she may deem necessary to the successful operation of the Group, with full authority to dissolve such committees. Section 2. The Vice President shall perform such duties as are assigned to him/her by the President and shall serve as Acting President during the absence or disability of the President. Section 3. The Secretary/Treasurer shall: ATTN: Administrative Director, in writing, of all regional group meetings, including the purpose(s) for which they are called. a. Maintain true and complete books of accounts reflecting all income and expenditures for the Regional Group. b. Report regularly to the membership on the finances of the Group and file budgets and financial reports with the National Association as requested and/or as required by the current edition of the BVA National Bylaws, as amended. c. Perform such other duties as directed, by the President, or Vice President in the absence or disability of the President. Section 4. The Judge Advocate is the Legal Advisor to the Rio Grande Regional Group President and Executive Committee. a. He/she shall serve as the Parliamentarian at all Regional Group and Executive Committee meetings and other meetings called by the President, and shall be governed in the performance of his/her duties by the latest edition of Robert's "Rules of Order, Newly RIO GRANDE REGIONAL BYLAWS MARCH 21,2001 Revised". b. He/she shall be well versed on the BVA National Bylaws and the Rio Grande Regional Group bylaws, and shall give the President such legal advice and assistance incident to that office. c. He/she shall perform such other duties as may be assigned from time to time by the President, or the Vice President in the absence or disability of the President. Section 5. The Chaplain shall be charged with the spiritual welfare of the Group, and will be responsible for the opening invocation and closing benediction for each Regional Group meeting. At the discretion of the President, he/she may be charged with the same responsibilities for each Executive Committee meeting. He/she is responsible for checking on the welfare of those sick and infirm Group members, and shall perform such additional duties as may be assigned from time to time by the President or the Vice President in the absence or disability of the President. Section 6. The Sergeant-at-Arms shall ensure that all Regional Group meetings are conducted in accordance with the BVA National Bylaws, the Rio Grande Regional Group Bylaws, and Robert's "Rules of Order, Newly Revised". He/she shall be responsible for those present in any meetings as to their eligibility f or participation therein, and shall maintain the sign-in list, and must report any visitors present to the President. He/she shall perform such other duties as may be assigned from time to time by the President or the Vice President in the absence or disability of the President.

Article VIII
(Executive Committee)
Section 1. Between membership meetings, supreme authority of the Regional Group will be vested in an Executive Committee consisting of the President, Vice President and Secretary/Treasurer. Section 2. The Executive Committee shall have full power to act for the Group between membership meetings, provided that the Executive Committee shall take no action contrary to policies established by the membership, and all of its actions shall be reported to the next membership meeting for approval, rejection or modification. Section 3. The Rio Grande Regional Group has elected to use a Secretary/Treasurer; thus, two members of the Executive Committee shall constitute a quorum.Section 4. Any vacancies occurring among the officer personnel of the Regional Group shall be filled temporarily by members appointed by the Executive Committee.

Article IX
(Discipline of members)
Section 1. Discipline of officers and members of the Rio Grande Regional Group shall be in accordance with the provisions of Article XV (Discipline of Members and Associate Members) and

Article XVI
(Trial Procedure)
of the current edition of the BVA National Bylaws, as amended.

Article X
(Finance)
Section 1. Membership dues for members of the Rio Grande Regional Group, and the regulations governing payment of such dues, are as specified in Article X (Dues) of the current edition of the BVA National Bylaws, as amended. Section 2. All monies received by the Secretary/Treasurer shall be placed by him/her in a bank account designated by the members or by the Executive Committee. The bank account shall be in the name of the Rio Grande Regional Group. Section 3. Funds of the Regional Group shall be dispensed only by checks drawn by the Secretary/Treasurer in conformity with a budget adopted by the membership. Section 4. No fund-raising endeavor involving an appeal for funds to the general public shall be undertaken without authorization by a Regional Group meeting and prior approval of the National Board of Directors (refer to Section 13e of Article XIV (Regional Groups) of the current edition of the BVA National Bylaws, as amended).

Article XI
(Procedure for Amending)
Section 1. This Constitution/Bylaws may be amended by a two-thirds (2/3) vote of those voting at any meeting of the membership, a quorum being present, provided that thirty (30) days' written notice of such proposed amendment(s) shall have been given to all members in good standing. Section 2. Any amendment of this Constitution/Bylaws, inconsistent with the National Charter or Bylaws of the Blinded Veterans Association, shall be null and void.

Article XII
(Rules of Order)
Section 1. Robert's "Rules of Order, Newly Revised," shall govern all points of parliamentary procedure not covered by this Constitution/Bylaws.

Article XIII
(Dissolution)
Section 1. In the event of the dissolution of the Rio Grande Regional Group, all assets, real or personal, shall become subject to the provisions of Section 8 of

Article XIV (Regional
Groups) of the current edition of the
BVA National Bylaws, as amended.

ADOPTED: SEPTEMBER 20, 2000

RATIFIED MARCH 21, 2001