Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 112 Part 2.djvu/544

 112 STAT. 1428 PUBLIC LAW 105-225—AUG. 12, 1998 §153701. Organization (a) FEDERAL CHARTER. —National Woman's Relief Corps, Auxiliary to the Grand Army of the Republic (in this chapter, the "corporation"), is a federally chartered corporation. (b) PLACE OF INCORPORATION AND DOMICILE. —The corporation is declared to be incorporated and domiciled in the District of Columbia. (c) PERPETUAL EXISTENCE. —Except as otherwise provided, the corporation has perpetual existence. §153702. Purposes The purposes of the corporation are— (1) to perpetuate the memory of the Grand Army of the Republic, as the National Woman's Relief Corps is its auxiliary and was organized at its request in 1883, and of the men who saved the Union in 1861 to 1865; (2) to assist in every practicable way in preserving, and making available for research, documents and records pertaining to the Grand Army of the Republic and its members; (3) to cooperate in doing honor to all those who have served our country patriotically in any war; (4) to teach patriotism, the duties of citizenship, the true history of our country, and the love and honor of our flag; (5) to oppose every tendency or movement that would weaken loyalty to, destroy, or impair our constitutional Union; and (6) to inculcate and broadly sustain the American principles of representative government, equal rights, and impartial justice for all. §153703. Membership Except as provided in this chapter, eligibility for membership in the corporation and the rights, privileges, and designation of classes of members are as provided in the constitution and bylaws of the corporation. Eligibility for membership is limited to—• (1) women who are the wives, mothers, daughters, and sisters of Union soldiers, sailors, and marines; and (2) other loyal women who have not given aid or comfort to the enemies of the United States of America. §153704. Governing body (a) NATIONAL CONVENTION. — (1) The national convention is the supreme governing authority of the corporation. (2) The national convention is composed of officers and elected representatives from the States as provided by the regulations of the corporation. However, the form of government of the corporation must be representative of the membership at large and may not permit concentration of control in a limited number of members or in a self-perpetuating group not representative of the membership at large. (3) The meetings of the national convention may be held in the District of Columbia or in any State. (4) During the intervals between the convention, the executive officers are the governing board of the corporation and are responsible for the general policies, program, and activities of the corporation.

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