Veterans Day National Committee Bylaws

Table of contents

Objectives, Organization, Membership and Procedures of the Veterans Day National Committee By-Laws

Revised: 21 October 2024

Establishment

Consistent with the Act of Congress (Public Law 380, of the 83rd Congress), and pursuant to the Proclamation by the President of the United States (Presidential Proclamation No. 3071, dated October 8, 1954) designating the Secretary, Department of Veterans Affairs, to lead in the organization of appropriate observance of Veterans Day (November 11th of each year), there is hereby created by mutual agreement a Veterans Day National Committee.

ARTICLE I | COMMITTEE OBJECTIVES

  1. Proclamation. In his 1954 Veterans Day Proclamation, President Dwight D. Eisenhower called for the formation of a Veterans Day National Committee (VDNC) to oversee national planning and coordination of the Veterans Day observance..
  2. Objectives
    1. Promoting promote public interest in the military service of veterans to the United States during peacetime, in time of war or during armed conflict.
    2. Honoring those who served and to encourage the maintenance of an honorable peace while maintaining military readiness to deter aggression, and
    3. Stimulating the participation of the American public in such objectives.

ARTICLE II. | COMMITTEE ORGANIZATION

  1. Guidance. Guidance. A majority of the VDNC’s 25 Principal Members shall constitute a quorum. Non-profit veterans organizations represented by Principal Members and Associate Members/Associate Emeritus Members on the VDNC will be urged to participate in local and regional ceremonies each year when they are not the host organization for the national observance. The VDNC shall observe Robert’s Rules of Order Newly Revised, commonly referred to as Robert’s Rules of Order, RONR or simply Robert’s Rules, in the conduct of its business.
  2. Roles and Responsibilities. The VDNC shall:
    1. Direct the planning, promotion, scope, and operations for the observance of Veterans Day on national and regional levels.
    2. Provide advisory services to local committees or VDNC member organizations throughout the nation in arranging and conducting Veterans Day observances.
    3. Maintain and administer a fund to cover costs associated with the national program.
    4. Review and execute decisions on membership applications in accordance with these Bylaws.
    5. Execute decisions on the discontinuance, for any reason, of any membership.
    6. Make decisions by the votes of Principal and Honorary members present at the meeting, either in-person or virtual (camera on). Two-thirds (2/3) vote of only Principal and Honorary members present at the meeting is required to pass the action. The action/vote is final and binding on the full VDNC.
    7. VDNC Members and Associate Members, unless otherwise noted in these Bylaws, shall contribute to the annual dues’ assessment prior to the deadline date as established by the Committee. Failure to comply with the dues requirement will be cause for VDNC to consider action. Associate Emeritus Members shall be exempt from all dues and levies.
  3. Veterans Day National Committee (VDNC) and its Sub-Committees. The VDNC shall be organized with a Chair, Vice Chair, National Veterans Day Program Manager (NVDPM) and three sub-committees (i.e., Reception Host, Bylaws and Teachers’ Guide), and shall be comprised of Principal Members, Associate Members, Associate Emeritus Members and Honorary Members.
    1. Chair, VDNC. The Chair shall be the Secretary, Department of Veterans Affairs
      1. The Chair shall have the authority to designate a Vice Chair.
      2. Chair’s approval shall be requisite to all VDNC decisions.
      3. Meetings will be held as called by the Chair or may be held by the petition of three (3) VDNC Principal Members.
    2. The Vice Chair shall be responsible for VDNC administration and perform other duties as may be directed by the Chair.
      1. The Vice Chair shall function as Chair, VDNC, in the absence of the Chair, as required.
      2. The Vice Chair shall nominate a National Veterans Day Program Manager (NVDPM), from among the permanent staff of the Department of Veterans Affairs. The VDNC will be advised of that selection.
      3. The National Veterans Day Program Manager (NVDPM) shall manage the VDNC’s day-to-day affairs, serve as a liaison between veterans organizations, the Department of Veterans Affairs, and the White House. Additionally, the NVDPM will keep a record of the VDNC decisions and actions and inform VDNC members accordingly and oversee nationwide Veterans Day observances. The NVDPM shall also organize and manage the annual Veterans Day Poster Contest and maintain the VDNC financial accounts and provide its Principal and Associate Members quarterly copies of VDNC fiscal statements, i.e., in January, April, July and October of each calendar year. In addition, the NVDPM shall oversee the following VDNC sub-committees:
        1. Reception Sub-Committee (RSC). The RSC shall consist of the current year VDNC Principal Member Reception Host Organization (chair) and two VDNC Principal Members, the latter two representing the prior year and next (future) year Reception Host Organizations. Principal responsibilities shall include proposing the annual Veterans Day theme, to include the annual Veterans Day Poster theme, in coordination with the Teachers’ Resource Guide Sub-Committee (TSC). Reception Host Organization responsibilities include hosting the annual Veterans Day Reception and inviting all of the Commanders of Principal, Associate and Emeritus member Veteran Service Organizations (VSO), and select others, to it. Last, the annual Reception Host Organization shall present prepared remarks during the annual Veterans Day Observances held in the Memorial Amphitheater at Arlington National Cemetery, Virginia. Said remarks shall be coordinated with and approved by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs (SecVA) prior to presentation.
          1. Reception Host Continuity Book. At the conclusion of each year, the Reception Host Organization shall submit a consolidated After-Action Report to the NVDPM. This report shall include any Reception Host Organization lessons learned and best practices submitted annually from the Host Organization, the RHSC and any other VDNC members, and shall incorporate them into a permanent Host Reception (“How To”) Continuity Book and annually improve it. This Continuity Book shall be maintained in a digital format (i.e., Microsoft Word.doc) to allow its annual revision and update. The NVDPM shall retain the Continuity Book in the Department of Veterans Affair’s permanent files and shall annually provide it to RHSC members.
          2. Appointment and Terms of Office. All RSC Principal Members shall be appointed by the Vice Chair, VDNC. Only the RHSC’s VDNC Principal Members may vote. The NVDPM may appoint VDNC Associate Members as RHSC members at the NVDPM’s sole discretion, however they shall not vote. To ensure continuity, terms of office shall be three years for each RHSC Principal Member with each rotating annually as the next future year Host Organization member is added, i.e., a total of three years on the committee as future, present and past hosts, respectively. Associate Members shall have a term limit of two years.
          3. In the event of a national emergency or comparable circumstances, and if the Secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs determines that an annual reception cannot be held, the Vice Chair, VDNC, will consult with the reception host and the RSC to determine the host order for that affected year and following years. Full VDNC Committee approval shall be required to execute the new host order.
        2. Bylaws Sub-Committee (BSC). The BSC shall consist of a VDNC Principal Member chair, two other VDNC Principal Members and two VDNC Associate Member appointed by the Vice Chair, VDNC, for a total of five BSC members. Roles and responsibilities shall include reviewing and making recommendations to the Chair, VDNC, and annually briefing the full VDNC membership on their recommended disposition of all membership applications for all VDNC membership categories.
          1. VDNC Bylaws. The BSC shall annually review the VDNC Bylaws for currency and adequacy and develop proposed amendments and/or review amendment proposals submitted by other VDNC members for adoption. The BSC shall annually present VDNC Bylaws amendment proposals for consideration and vote by the VDNC’s principal members, with associated BSC recommendations regarding the disposition of all proposed amendments submitted annually. The BSC shall also develop draft letters in response to VDNC membership applications informing the applicants of the VDNC decision. The BSC shall provide these draft letters to the NVDPM for further staffing and ultimate signature within the Department of Veterans Affairs.
          2. Appointment and Terms of Office. All BSC Principal Members are appointed by the Vice Chair, VDNC. The NVDPM may appoint VDNC Associate Members as sub-committee members at the NVDPM’s sole discretion, however they shall not vote. To ensure continuity, terms of office shall be three years for each BSC Principal Member with one member rotating off the committee and one new member being added each year as each BSC member’s terms ends. In the event there are not enough Principal Member volunteers, a sitting Principal Member may be continued beyond their three-year term at the discretion of the Vice Chair, VDNC. Associate Members shall also have a term limit of three years and shall follow a comparable rotation, apart from the term continuance option.
        3. Veterans Day Teachers’ Resource Guide Sub-Committee (TSC). The TSC shall consist of a principal VDNC member chair and two Principal VDNC Members appointed by the Vice Chair, VDNC. Roles and responsibilities shall include annually updating the Veterans Day Teachers’ Resource Guide (TRG) and collaborating with the RSC on selecting an annual theme for Veterans Day and for the Veterans Day Poster. The TSC may seek the counsel of such advisors from the education or teaching community as they may consider advisable.
          1. Veterans Day Teacher’s Resource Guide. The TRG’s purpose is to provide the Department of Veterans Affairs the means to engage with educators, students, researchers, and the general public to build an appreciation of what all generations of United States veterans have given to the nation, and to help teachers and other educators develop their individual fall curriculum and to explore local veteran histories.
          2. Appointment and Terms of Office. All TSC Principal Members are appointed by the Vice Chair, VDNC. The NVDPM may appoint VDNC Associate Members as sub-committee members at the NVDPM’s sole discretion, however they shall not vote. To ensure continuity, terms of office are three years for each TSC Principal Member with one member rotating off the committee and one new member being added as each BSC member’s term ends. If there are not enough Principal Member volunteers, a sitting Principal Member may be continued beyond their three-year term at the discretion of the Vice Chair, VDNC. Associate Members also have a term limit of three years and shall follow an identical rotation, apart from the term continuance option.
  4. VDNC Membership Categories. The VDNC will consist of four categories of membership: Principal Member, Associate Member, Associate Emeritus Member and Honorary Member
    1. VDNC Principal Members. Said members shall not exceed twenty-five (25). These members shall consist of non-profit veterans serving organizations that are, at a minimum, national in scope, of good reputation, in existence and involved with veterans for a minimum of ten (10) years and dedicated to a wide range of veterans’ issues.
      1. Organizations that are auxiliary, subordinate or otherwise affiliated with current VDNC organizations are considered represented on the VDNC and will not be considered for separate memberships.
      2. Applicants for Principal Membership must be Associate Members for a period of one (1) year.
      3. Applicants for Principal Membership must be Associate Members for a period of one (1) year
    2. VDNC Associate Members. Said members shall consist of non-profit veterans organizations that are, at a minimum, national in scope, of good reputation, in existence and involved with veterans for a minimum of five (5) years and dedicated to a wide range of veteran’s issues. Organizations that are auxiliary, subordinate or otherwise affiliated with current VDNC organizations are considered represented on the VDNC and shall not be considered for separate Associate or Emeritus Memberships.
    3. VDNC Associate Emeritus Members. Said members shall consist of non-profit veterans organizations that are, at a minimum, national in scope, of good reputation, in existence and involved with veterans for a minimum of five (5) years and dedicated to a wide range of veteran’s issues. Organizations that are auxiliary, subordinate or otherwise affiliated with current VDNC organizations are considered represented on the VDNC and shall not be considered for separate Associate or Emeritus Memberships. Said members shall be exempt from all dues and levies
    4. VDNC Honorary Members. Honorary Members shall be prominent persons, approved by the Chair, VDNC, who have an interest in Veterans Day or veterans. They may vote in VDNC and sub-committee proceedings and are exempt from all dues and levies.

ARTICLE III | VETERANS DAY NATIONAL COMMITTEE MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION PROCESS

  1. Membership Applications. When a vacancy occurs from among the 25 Principal Members, VDNC Associate Members in good standing that meet the minimum qualifications stated in Article II, Paragraph D. 1., shall apply for said Principal Member status by resubmitting a completed VA Form 0918e and any other supporting information as part of the application for Principal Membership to the NVDPM. Likewise, non-VDNC member Veteran Service Organizations may request Associate Membership status by demonstrating they meet the minimum requirements stated in Article II, Paragraph D. 2., by submitting to the NVDPM a completed VA Form 0918e and by submitting any supporting information as part of the application for Associate Membership. Last, current Principal Members in good standing shall apply for Associate Emeritus Member status if circumstances make their continued full participation as Principal Members impossible. The VDNC, with the approval of the Chair, VDNC, approves or denies all VDNC Membership applications for all membership categories
  2. Application Processing. Such applications as outlined immediately above shall be referred to the BSC for action provided the applying organization at least meets the minimum requirements stated in Article II, Paragraph D. 1 (Principal Member applicants) or Paragraph D. 2. (Associate Member/Associate Emeritus Member applicants) and provides additional documented and qualifying credentials and activities.
  3. Membership Approval. A two-thirds (2/3) affirmative vote by the BSC, a two-thirds (2/3) affirmative vote by the VDNC Principal Members and approval by the Chair, VDNC, are required for approval of Principal Member, Associate Member and/or Associate Emeritus Member status. The Chair, VDNC, approves all VDNC Honorary Memberships. Upon said approval, the new Principal Member organization(s) shall be added to the VDNC Principal, Associate, Emeritus and Honorary Members list, as applicable to the particular appendices to these Bylaws, and those newly approved members shall be afforded all the rights and privileges of any VDNC Member according to the applicable membership category. In addition, the Vice Chair, VDNC, will convey a letter to the approved organization informing them of the VDNC decision.
  4. Membership Denial. Applications not receiving the required two-third (2/3) affirmative votes by the BSC, and the Principal members will be denied. Upon disapproval by the Chair, VDNC, the Vice Chair of said committee will convey a letter to the denied organization informing them of the VDNC decision with rationale. Such decisions are final for that annual application cycle, though applicants not approved for VDNC membership may apply again during the next annual application cycle.

ARTICLE IV | BYLAWS ADMINISTRATION

  1. VDNC Bylaws Review. The BSC shall review the VDNC Bylaws annually for currency, with amendments made as affirmed by the VDNC. Such proposed amendments must be submitted so they are received by the BSC by 30 June, annually.
  2. Proposing VDNC Bylaws Amendments. The organizational leader or designee of VDNC Principal Member organizations may submit proposed Bylaws amendments to the NVDPM IAW these Bylaws. The Bylaws amendment process is at Appendix 1, and the proposal format follows:
    1. VDNC Bylaws reference (e.g., Article, Paragraph, Subparagraph) and current Bylaws text.
    2. Proposed Bylaws text.
    3. Rational for the proposed Bylaws amendment.
  3. Administrative changes. The BSC shall be authorized to correct article and section designations, punctuation, spelling, cross-references, and to make such other technical and conforming changes as may be necessary to reflect the intent of the VDNC.

APPENDIX A | VETERANS DAY NATIONAL COMMITTEE PRINCIPAL MEMBERS

The following organizations comprise the 25 Members of the Veterans Day National Committee:

  1. Air Force Sergeants Association
  2. American G.I. Forum of the United States
  3. AMVETS
  4. Army Navy Union, USA
  5. Blinded Veterans Association
  6. Catholic War Veterans, USA
  7. Commissioned Officers Association of the U.S. Public Health Service
  8. Congressional Medal of Honor Society
  9. (DAV) Disabled American Veterans
  10. Fleet Reserve Association
  11. Jewish War Veterans of the USA
  12. Korean War Veterans Association
  13. Legion of Valor of the USA
  14. Marine Corps League
  15. Military Chaplains Association of the USA
  16. Military Officers Association of America
  17. Military Order of the Purple Heart of the USA, Inc.
  18. Military Order of the World Wars
  19. Non Commissioned Officers Association
  20. Paralyzed Veterans of America
  21. Polish Legion of American Veterans, USA
  22. The American Legion
  23. The Retired Enlisted Association
  24. Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States
  25. Vietnam Veterans of America

APPENDIX B | VETERANS DAY NATIONAL COMMITTEE ASSOCIATE MEMBERS

The following organizations comprise the Associate Members of the Veterans Day National Committee:

  1. Air & Space Forces Association
  2. American Ex-Prisoners of War
  3. American Gold Star Mothers, Inc.
  4. Association of the United States Navy
  5. Blue Star Mothers of America
  6. Bowlers to Veterans Link
  7. Enlisted Association of the National Guard
  8. Gold Star Wives of America, Inc.
  9. Japanese American Veterans Association
  10. Marine Corps Reserve Association
  11. National Association of State Directors of Veterans Affairs
  12. National Association of State Veterans Homes
  13. Navy Mutual Aid Association
  14. Navy Seabee Association
  15. Reserve Organization of America
  16. Student Veterans of America
  17. The American Red Cross
  18. The Independence Fund
  19. US Coast Guard Chief Petty Officers Association
  20. Wounded Warrior Project

APPENDIX C | VETERANS DAY NATIONAL COMMITTEE ASSOCIATE EMERITUS MEMBERS

The following organizations comprise the Associate Emeritus Members of the Veterans Day National Committee:

  • American Defenders of Bataan and Corregidor Memorial Society
  • Battle of the Bulge Association
  • Women’s Army Corps Veterans’ Association-Army Women United

APPENDIX D | VETERANS DAY NATIONAL COMMITTEE HONORARY MEMBERS

The following persons comprise the Honorary Members of the Veterans Day National Committee:

  • The President of the United States of America (Honorary Chair)
  • The Secretary Department of State
  • The Secretary Department of Defense
  • The Secretary Department of Homeland Security
  • The Secretary Department of the Department of the Army
  • The Secretary Department of the Department of the Navy
  • The Secretary Department of the Department of the Air Force
  • The Secretary Department of Health and Human Services

APPENDIX E |  – Veterans Day National Committee Host Organization Rotation Order (Principal Members)

The following is the rotation of Veteran’s organizations hosting the national ceremony. If new members are added, they will be placed at the bottom of the list in the order of acceptance. If there are National Committee Member withdrawals, the Committee shall determine the revised order of rotation. In the event of a national emergency or comparable circumstances, and if the Secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs determines that an annual reception cannot be held, the Vice Chair, VDNC, will consult with the reception host and the RSC to determine the host order for that affected year and following years. Full VDNC Committee approval shall be required to execute the new host order

  • 2024 Fleet Reserve Association
  • 2025 AMVETS
  • 2026 Army & Navy Union, USA
  • 2027 Non Commissioned Officers Association
  • 2028 The American Legion
  • 2029 Military Order of the Purple Heart of the USA, Inc.
  • 2030 Marine Corps League
  • 2031 Military Chaplains Association of the USA
  • 2032 Paralyzed Veterans of America
  • 2033 Legion of Valor of the USA
  • 2034 Military Order of the World Wars
  • 2035 TREA: The Enlisted Association
  • 2036 Congressional Medal of Honor Society
  • 2037 Disabled American Veterans
  • 2038 Military Officers Association of America
  • 2039 Commissioned Officers Association of the U.S. Public Health Service
  • 2040 Air Force Sergeants Association
  • 2041 Polish Legion of American Veterans, USA
  • 2042 Korean War Veterans Association
  • 2043 American G.I. Forum
  • 2044 Catholic War Veterans
  • 2045 Blinded Veterans Association
  • 2046 Jewish War Veterans of the USA
  • 2047 Vietnam Veterans of America
  • 2048 Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States

Committee Members

Honorary Chairman

Honorable Joseph R. Biden, Jr.
President of the United States

Chairman

Honorable Denis McDonough
Secretary of Veterans Affairs

Vice Chairman

Adam Farina
Assistant Secretary, Office of Public and Intergovernmental Affairs

Members

Associate Members

Emeritus Members