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ARTICLE I.
Section I-This body shall be known by the name, style and title of
THE SOUTHEASTERN SHRINE ASSOCIATION
Section 2-Its object shall be to promote cordiality and friendship between the Shrine Temples chartered by the Imperial Council of the Ancient Arabic Order of the Nobles of the Mystic for North America in the territory assigned the Southeastern Shrine Association which includes nine (9) south- eastern states, namely:
Alabama
Florida
Georgia
Kentucky
Louisiana
Mississippi
South Carolina
Tennessee
and
Republic of Panama
The Temples eligible for membership are listed annually in the Articles of Incorporation, Bylaws and Appendix of Forms, Imperial Council, A. A. O. N. M. S., Part IV. (Amended 1993)
Section 3- The purposes of the Association are:
(a) To promote large classes during all Temple Ceremonials, thereby stimulating interest in Shrinedom generally.
(b) To promote and support fund raising projects for Shrine Hospital programs.
(c) To cooperate with the Imperial Council in promoting close Masonic fraternal association with Blue Lodges and other allied Orders.
(d) To promote membership campaigns through- out our territory to increase membership by obtaining new members and preventing loss of members except of unavoidable causes.
(e) To harmonize territorial and jurisdictional questions.
(f) To set fees and dues.
(g) To formulate plans for the exchange of ideas, cuts, and stunts.
(h) To promote, support and oversee competitive events among the Uniformed Unit Associations.
(i) To support donations in conjunction with the Wills, Bequeaths and Gifts Committee of the Imperial Council
0) To support the One Hundred Million Dollar Club.
(k) To sponsor and support the Order of DeMolay for Boys.
Section 4- The Southeastern Shrine Association yields compliance with Shrine Law and the Articles of Incorporation and Bylaws of the Imperial Council, A. A. O. N. M. S.
Section 5-Unless otherwise provided by resolution or by-laws, Parliamentary procedures shall be governed by Robert's Rules of Order, latest edition copyrighted by the Robert's Rules Association.
ARTICLE II.
Meetings
Section I-THE SOUTHEASTERN SHRINE ASSOCIATION, hereafter referred to as THE ASSOCIATION, shall meet annually on any Thurs- day, Friday, and Saturday during August at such place as shall have been determined by the Time and Place Committee, or a majority of the members at a previous meeting.
Section 2-Special meetings may be called by the President in any emergency, at any time and place in his discretion, or when requested, by twe1ve (12) member Temples of THE ASSOCIATION; due notice of said special meeting to be given to each Representative stating the business to be considered.
Section 3-A quorum for any meeting for the transaction of business shall consist of representation from the majority of member Temples.
Section 4-Notice of annual meetings must be given at least ninety days in advance. Notice of special meetings shall be issued at least ten days prior to such meetings.
Section 5-The various Uniformed Unit Associations within the Southeastern Shrine Association shall arrange their meeting with those of the SESA at the same time keeping their Bylaws amendable' to the laws, regulations and edicts. of the SESA and the Imperial Council (and all Officers of Uniform Units of this Association must.- be ""from Member Temples).
(Amended August 2003, Effective Date August, 2003.)
ARTICLE III.
Membership and Dues
Section 1- The voting power of THE ASSOCIATION shall be vested in a Body composed of FOUR (4) REPRESENTATIVES from each Member Temple, said representatives to be the Potentate, the Recorder, and two (2) additional Nobles to be elected by each Member Temple. Further, that all elective officers of THE ASSOCIATION and all Imperial Officers and Past Imperial Potentates within the jurisdiction of THE ASSOCIATION, shall be Representatives AT LARGE with all rights and privileges and that all Past Presidents of the association shall be Representatives AD VITAM with all rights and privileges, (providing their TEMPLE is a MEMBER TEMPLE in good standing with this ASSOCIATION') The Southeastern Shrine Association I)1ay, by a two-thirds vote of the members present at any session, elect as an Emeritus Member of the Southeastern Shrine Association, (providing their TEMPLE is a MEMBER TEMPLE in good standing: with this ASSOCIATION). If any Noble who has been a representative for fifteen years and who is recommended for such honor by the Committee of Nomination of Emeritus Members; provided, that if there is no meeting of the Association in anyone year for any reason, that year shall be taken into consideration in determining the number of years entitling a representative to be an Emeritus Member provided that he is elected a representative for that year or is a member of the Committee on Jurisprudence and Laws, or is a member of the Committee on Finance and Accounts. Every Emeritus Member shall be entitled to all rights and privileges of an elected representative, (providing their TEMPLE is a MEMBER TEMPLE in good standing: with this ASSOCIATION). Further, that all Past Potentates, Chief Rabbans, Assistant Rabbans and Imperial Council Representatives of each Member Temple, shall be HONORARY MEMBERS OF THE ASSOCIATION without voting power, rights and privileges.
(Amended August 2003, Effective Date August 2003)
Section I-A - Any Representative who shall be suspended or expelled for the Shrine, shall thereby forfeit his office and it shall be come vacant. If such vacancy shall occur from either of these two causes or if any representative, including the Potentate or Recorder, should resign as a Representative or find that he is unable to attend the annual meeting for any reason, the Potentate is authorized to appoint a Representative to fill such vacancy or vacancies, and the Secretary of the Association shall be immediately notified of such appointment by the Recorder of the Temple in which such event occurs.
Section 2-The annual dues of each member temple in the Association shall be ten (10) cents per capita of its membership as reported to the Imperial Council each Year. Said dues shall be remitted to the Secretary-Treasurer on or before March 1st of each Year. These funds shall be retained by the Secretary-Treasurer for the expenses of the Association and shall be disbursed on order of the Association of any regular meeting or upon order of the SESA President.
(Amended August, 2002, Date Effective Jan. 1, 2003)
Section 2-1 Host Temple may be and is hereby empowered to charge a registration fee, not to exceed $10.00 per person, payable in advance to help defray the expenses of said convention. Six dollars ($6.00) of said registration fee per person shall be rebated each year to the Southeastern Shrine Association for the Conduct of its affairs. (Amended August 2002, Date Effective Jan. 1, 2004)
Section 2.1.2 Also, in order to assist further in defraying the expenses of the Convention the Host Temple is authorized to sell ads in the official program by the Nobility of the Host Temple, retaining one hundred percent (100%) of the net proceeds from ads. No fee shall be charged to any qualified Representative.
Section 2-A Any Temple which fails to pay its annual dues in full on or before May each year shall IPSO FACTO cease to remain a member of the Association and any Representative elected to the annual meeting shall not be entitled to sit as a Representative at said meeting. (Past Presidents and or Emeriti members whose Shrine Centers cease to be members of the Southeastern Shrine Association shall lose all rights and privileges as an AD Vitam and or an Emeriti member of said Association).
(Amended August 2003, Effective Date August 2003.)
Section 2-B Any Temple which may be dropped from the Association for the non-payment of dues shall not be reinstated without the payment in full of the year such Temple is dropped and also payment in full for the current year dues for the year application is made for reinstatement. (Reinstatement of a Temple for any of the above reasons. automatically reinstates the rights and Privileges of the Past President and Emeriti members of said Temple.)
(Amended August 2003, Effective Date August 2003.)
Section 2-C~The SESA authorizes the host Temple to charge a Six dollars ($6.00) per room, per night rebate on rooms used at the SESA Annual Convention. The Proceeds from the rebate to be divided on a 50/50 basis, with Three dollars ($3.00) per room per night to the Host Temple and Three dollars ($3.00) per room per night to the SESA.
(Amended August, @002, Effective Date Jan. 1, 2006)
ARTICLE IV.
Officers, Their Titles, Election, Tenure of Office
Section I-The officers of THE ASSOCIATION shall be:
1-PRESIDENT
2-FIRST VICE-PRESIDENT
3-SECOND VICE-PRESIDENT
4-THIRD VICE-PRESIDENT
5-FOURTH VICE-PRESIDENT
6-FIFTH VICE-PRESIDENT
7-SIXTH VICE-PRESIDENT
8-SEVENTH VICE-PRESIDENT
9-EIGHTH VICE-PRESIDENT
10-SECRETARY-TREASURER
All of whom shall be Representatives to this Body at the time of their election. (Amended 1993 & 1995)
Section 2-A-The Geographical Subdivisions of SESA shall be:
1 - Florida II
2 - Alabama
3 - Mississippi
4 - Louisiana - including Abou Saad
5 - Tennessee
6 - Florida I
7 - Georgia
8 - Carolina
9 - Kentucky
and shall advance annually with the immediate Past President's geographical subdivision providing the eighth vice-presidential nominee.
Section 2-B-Each officer shall be elected by a majority vote. Nomination for officers shall be made through the Committee on Nominations. Each officer elected shall serve for one year or until his successor is qualified. The nominee must be sponsored by the Temple next entitled to an officer from within the geographical subdivision listed in Article IV, Section 2-A and as further identified in Sections 3-A (1), (2), (3) and Sections 3-B (1), (2) (3). Sponsorship shall be by election and proper resolution by the Nominee's Temple at a regular or called meeting. A copy of this election and resolution shall be filed with the Secretary-Treasurer of this Association at least thirty (30) days prior to the annual meeting. .
Section 2-C-In the event a Temple next in rotation fails to provide a nominee for Eighth Vice-President, that Temple shall be placed at the end of the rotation list of that geographical subdivision. The Temple next in rotation of the same geographical subdivision shall provide the nominee. The same process shall continue within that subdivision in a timely manner (within 6 months of notification by Secretary- Treasurer) until all possibilities are exhausted.
Section 3-A: (I)-Florida I shall consist of Morocco, Mahi, Bahia and Hadji Temples, with rotation in this order.
Section 3-A: (2)-Florida II shall consist of Sahib, Araba, Amara and Azan Temples, with rotation in this order.
Section 3-A: (3)-Carolina shall consist of member Temples of North Carolina and South Carolina, with rotation in this order.
Section 3-B: (I)-The order of rotation of member Temples within each geographical subdivision shall be as presently (1995) accepted.
Section 3-B: (2)-A new member Temple (including former member Temples) shall be placed at the end of the rotation list of its geographical subdivision as of the date of new membership.
Section 3-B: (3)-The immediate Past President's Temple shall be placed at the end of rotation list of its geographical subdivision prior to addition of new member to that geographical division for that year. Section 4-A-A Noble may not serve as President of Southeastern Shrine Association unless he shall have first been elected and served at least one term of either First Vice-President or Second Vice-President of the Association.
Section 4-B-A Noble may not serve as President of the Southeastern Shrine Association for more than two years.
Section 4-C-In the event a vacancy occurs in the office of Vice-President, the Temple sponsoring said Vice-President shall be extended the privilege of presenting a nominee for the vacancy; except, however, should the vacancy occur in the office of First Vice-President, or Second Vice-President, the sponsoring Temple shall not be permitted to fill that vacancy, but shall be extended the privilege of presenting a nominee for the bottom of the line. (Amended 1993 & 1995)
ARTICLE V. President's Duties
Section I-The president is the executive officer.
He shall preside over all stated and special meetings. Section 2-When in his judgment, the good of THE ASSOCIATION requires it, he shall have power to call special meetings of THE ASSOCIATION, specifying the business to be conducted.
Section 3-He may do all such other acts and perform such other duties not inconsistent with the Constitution, as in his judgment, the interests of THE ASSOCIATION require.
ARTICLE VI.
Vice-President's Duties
Section I-In event of the death, removal or physical disability of the President, they shall, with full power, severally and respectively, assume the responsibilities and discharge the duties of their superior officers according to rank, until the disqualification is removed. At all other times, each shall perform the duties traditionally appropriate to his respective position or assigned to him by the President.
ARTICLE VII.
Secretary-Treasurer's Duties
Section I-The Secretary-Treasurer shall attend all meetings of THE ASSOCIATION and keep a true record of all its deliberations and transactions, and transcribe the same in a book for that purpose.
Section 2- He shall collect and receive all the revenues, giving his receipt therefore, and shall deposit in a national bank or trust company in the name of and subject to the order of the Association. He shall pay all orders authorized to be drawn on him, all payments to be by check drawn on the funds of the Association and he shall give a surety bond in favor of the Association in the sum of not less than $20,000.00, the Association to pay the premium on said bond.
Section 3-He shall make an annual report of his accounts. He shall have his books, papers and ac- counts present at each annual meeting and render a correct account of his receipts and disbursements, prepared for examination by the Committee of Finance and Accounts. He shall have the custody of the official seal and affix it to all the official communications; notify members of THE ASSOCIATION of the annual and special meetings, and perform such other duties appertaining to his office as may be required; and at the expiration of his term of office he shall deliver to his successor all monies, books, papers, or other control as Secretary-Treasurer, and belongings to the SOUTHEASTERN SHRINE ASSOCIATION.
Section 4-He shall prepare uniform credential blanks and mail them to the several temples in ample time for presentation at the Annual Meetings of THE ASSOCIATION.
Section 5-He shall represent THE ASSOCIATION and is fully empowered to coordinate plans for the annual convention and mid-year meeting each year with Host Temples and their Committees.
Section 6-He shall receive for his services a sum recommended by the Finance Committee and approved by the Welfare and Advisory Committee.
ARTICLE VIII.
Amendments
Section I-Proposed amendments to the Constitution shall be in writing, and filed with the Secretary-Treasurer at least sixty (60) days prior to the annual meeting of THE ASSOCIATION, and notice of said proposed amendment shall be sent by the Secretary-Treasurer to each Member Temple.
Section 2-All amendments proposed to this Constitution shall be in writing. They may be modified in any manner by THE ASSOCIATION while the same is under consideration, but such modification must be germane to the subject matter of the proposed amendments. The entire section to be amended must be fully written out as same will read with the proposed amendment incorporated therein. Adoption of amendments will be by a two-thirds vote of the accredited representatives registered and voting.
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