Texas Gun Collectors Association

CONSTITUTION AND BY‑LAWS

Effective as of April 2022

ARTICLE I - Name

The name of this organization shall be the Texas Gun Collectors Association (hereinafter "TGCA").

ARTICLE II - Objectives

To establish in Texas a permanent organization for the mutual benefit of its members and to promote friendship among persons interested in the collection, preservation and use of all types of arms and their accessories; to arrange and hold meetings for the display and exchange of arms and useful information for the membership; to publicize and oppose unfair arms legislation; and to uphold and promote the highest ethical standards in all activities pertaining to the Association. Above all, the Texas Gun Collector's Association supports the second amendment of the Constitution of the United States of America.

ARTICLE III - Membership

Section 1. Membership is to be obtained by application on a standard form for that purpose furnished by the Association. Applications must be accompanied by the initial fees, including one full year's dues and must be endorsed by a member in good standing having personal knowledge of the applicant. The completed form will be forwarded to the Secretary, who will submit the application to the Board of Directors for their approval, and then issue a membership card. The candidate's application having been approved by the Board of Directors, a person of at least 18 years of age, having no criminal record, and who has an interest in the collecting, preservation, use or study of any type of firearm or accessories pertaining to firearms, shall be deemed acceptable for membership.

Section 2. Associate memberships may be extended to minors aged 12 to 18 under the same regulation set forth in Section 1. Associate members shall have all the rights, privileges, and benefits of any other member; including the right to vote, except that any purchase of a firearm at a meeting must be made in compliance with current laws pertaining to firearms. The sponsor of an Associate member is responsible for instructing the minor in proper procedures for handling items in the meetings.

Section 3. Honorary membership, having all the privileges of regular membership except the right to vote, may be granted to:

(a) A gun collector association or official.

(b) Any person who has rendered outstanding service to the Texas Gun Collectors Association.

(d) Any institution of higher learning or museum.

Honorary membership may be granted by recommendation of the President and with the approval of the Board of Directors.

Section 4. Once a person has applied for membership in The Texas Gun Collectors Association and has been rejected by the Board of Directors, the applicant cannot re‑apply for membership within a period of one year from date of application. Further, the applicant may not attend any meetings in any capacity, nor enjoy any privileges of the Association at any time, as guest, visitor, or in any capacity.

Section 5. Life memberships are limited to 225 and are available to those meeting the requirements outlined in Article III, Section I, with the additional requirement that the life member applicant shall have been a regular member for at least ONE (1) YEAR before approval for a lifetime membership. The life membership fee is at present $1,000.00, and is subject to change by the Board of Directors, which sum can be made in a single lump sum payment or paid over a three year period. A Life Member who voluntarily continues to pay annual dues subsequent to being formally granted Life Membership status shall become a Sustaining Life Member and shall be recognized as such in the Association's official publication.

Section 6. Texas Gun Collectors Association does not discriminate on the basis of race/ethnicity, color, national origin, gender, disability, veteran status, or age in the administration of any of its membership policies nor in connection with any aspect of its two annual events, its admissions policies, or any other aspect of its management and operation.

Section 7. All table-holders, whether trade or display, at the association's twice yearly meetings and shows, shall be members in good standing of the association. No non-member tables will be allowed, with the exception of those complimentary tables which, from time to time, will be offered to outside educational institutions or historical societies invited by the board of directors to participate in these events.

ARTICLE IV - Officers

Section 1. The officers shall be President, Vice President, Show Chairman, Secretary, Treasurer, and Sergeant‑at‑Arms, each of whom shall perform the duties usually pertaining to their respective offices. Should circumstance dictate, the positions of Vice President and Show Chairman, or Secretary and Treasurer may be combined and the duties of both be performed by one officer.

Section 2. The President shall be the chief executive officer of the association, shall preside at all meetings, appoint such committee chairmen as deemed desirable by the Board of Directors, serve as an ex-officio member of all committees except the Nominating Committee, and shall have general executive charge and management of the association in the ordinary course of its business. The President may agree upon and execute all contracts and other obligations in the name of the association, subject to the concurrence of the Board of Directors. The president shall oversee the work assigned to all Directors and committees and assure it is accomplished timely and well.

Section 3. The Vice President shall, in the absence of the President, perform all duties of the President and also such other duties as may be assigned by the President and/or the Board of Directors. The Vice President is to be automatically nominated for President at the end of the term of the previous President, unless otherwise determined by the nominating committee.

Section 4. The Show Chairman is responsible for the arrangements of the meeting, dealings with the hotel or facility where the meeting is held, rental of the tables, and other duties related to the management of the two annual meetings. The Show Chairman will coordinate these activities with the President, Board of Directors, and the Officers of the Association. The Show Chairman shall make all reasonable attempts to secure arrangements and reservations for a minimum of 2 years (4 shows) in advance.

Section 5. The Secretary shall keep a record of all meetings and notify the members of the time and place thereof, giving at least 10 days notice to the membership of any regular or special meeting. The Secretary shall conduct all correspondence at the direction of the Board of Directors and keep all records. The Secretary shall issue membership cards, collect all dues and report all receipts to the Treasurer.

Section 6. The Treasurer shall keep a record of all financial transactions and give a report at the annual meeting and submit records for annual audit as requested by the Board of Directors. All bills/invoices shall be submitted to the Treasurer for payment and may be required to furnish a surety bond in an amount to be determined by the Board of Directors, the premium for which will be paid by the Association.

Section 7. The Sergeant-at-Arms shall be in charge of conduct, exhibit rules, security and safety of the meetings and shows. The Sergeant-at-Arms will form and head a committee to check and eliminate items from the meetings that are not in keeping with the By-Laws and Policies and Procedures of TGCA.

ARTICLE V - Board of Directors

Section 1. The Board of Directors shall consist of the six regularly elected Officers (each serving a term of two years), six elected Directors (each serving staggered terms of three years), and the Immediate Past President (serving a term of two years), making a total of thirteen. The Directors elected at the annual meeting (Spring Meeting) shall be elected for staggered terms so that the term of office of two directors will expire annually thereafter. The two directors elected or re‑elected annually thereafter shall each be elected for a term of three years. All Officers and Directors must be current annual or Life Members of TGCA in good standing.

Section 2. Honorary Directors, drawn from in‑state or out‑of‑state members who have contributed materially to the Association, may be named or removed by the Board of Directors at any regular Directors' meeting. Honorary Directors may sit in on meetings upon invitation of the Board and advise on matters under discussion but may not vote.

Section 3. The rules concerning Directors Emeritus are identical to the rules regarding Honorary Directors covered in Section 2.

Section 4. The Board of Directors shall determine all questions of policy and it shall in all respects be the governing body of the Association. The Board shall meet on the call of the President or upon the call of the majority of the Board members. Board of Directors' meetings may be held electronically, including but not limited to, by telephone or computer. Whether meetings are held in person or otherwise, a quorum shall be five members of the Board of Directors present.

Section 5. In the event of the ineligibility, resignation or death of an Officer or Director, his or her position shall be filled for the remainder of the current year by vote of the remaining members of the Board. A permanent successor for the balance of the unexpired term shall be elected at the next annual meeting.

ARTICLE VI - Elections

Section 1. Elections of directors and officers shall be held at the annual meeting which will be the first meeting held after January 1st of each year (the Spring Meeting).

Section 2. Nominations shall be made for the offices of President, Vice President, Show Chairman, Secretary, Treasurer, and Sergeant-at-Arms, and Directors by a nominating committee named by the President. The Officers and Directors shall thereupon be elected by a majority vote of the membership present at the meeting. The newly elected Officers and Directors assume office immediately at the conclusion of the election.

ARTICLE VII - Quorum

A quorum for a regular or special meeting of the membership shall comprise the members in good standing and no less than five members of the Board of Directors present at the meeting.

ARTICLE VIII - Rules of Order

The rules contained in the current edition of Robert's Rules of Order shall govern this Association and its meetings in all cases to which they are applicable and in which they are not inconsistent with these By-Laws and any special rules of order that the Texas Gun Collectors Association may adopt.

ARTICLE IX - Publications

The Board of Directors is empowered to periodically publish an official journal to be known as The Texas Gun Collector which will be distributed to all members in good standing, and to the general public under such terms as the Board of Directors may authorize or prescribe.

The purpose of the official journal is to inform the membership of the acts of the Association and the Board of Directors; to disseminate the information and news of general value to the gun collecting hobby and to promote research in the field of collector's firearms.

The editorial policy, business policy, and advertising rates shall be established by the Board of Directors and executed through a Magazine Editor, appointed by the Board of Directors.

The appointment of the Magazine Editor shall take place at the first meeting of the Board of Directors following their annual election (the Spring Meeting).

No article or editorial of a controversial nature shall be published in The Texas Gun Collector without the approval of the Board of Directors.

ARTICLE X - Suspension or Expulsion

Section 1. Any Officer or Director may be removed by TWO‑THIRDS vote of the members in good standing present at any special or regular meeting called for this purpose. No vote on suspension or removal may be taken unless at least FIFTEEN DAYS' notice in writing of the reasons for removal shall have been given to the Officer or Director concerned, and also the time and place of the special or regular meeting at which such ballot on his removal is to be taken. At such special or regular meeting, the Officer shall be given a full hearing.

Section 2. Any current member, whether his status is regular, associate, honorary, or life, may have his membership suspended or terminated by a majority vote of the Board of Directors for violations of the Association's rules or the felony conviction of the member. The Board of Directors has complete discretion with regard to the length of any suspension, the necessity of any such termination and the complete or partial reimbursement of any of the membership fees previously paid.

ARTICLE XI - Dues

Section 1. Each member, other than life members and honorary members, shall pay dues for each calendar year (January 1 through December 31), payable on January 2 of each year in advance. Dues payments postmarked and received after February 14 shall be subject to a ten dollar ($10) late fee. The amount of membership dues shall be determined by the Board of Directors.

Section 2. A new member shall pay in advance of annual dues.

Section 3. No person shall be in good standing or be qualified to exercise or be entitled to receive any privileges of membership who is in default in the payment of the annual dues by thirty‑one (31) days or by the first annual meeting.

Section 4. Each member shall receive and shall be entitled to retain while he is a member in good standing, a membership card which the member is required to wear prominently at all TGCA events.

ARTICLE XII - Meetings

Section 1. Responsibility will rest with the Board of Directors in determining the number of regular meetings to be held annually, and in establishing the time and place of such regular meetings.

Section 2. Meetings shall be open to all paid‑up members of the Texas Gun Collectors Association and their immediate families and guests. Members of the public shall also be admitted as guests within times set by the Show Chairman, and upon payment of an admission fee or presentation of a complimentary pass issued at the discretion of the Board of Directors.

ARTICLE XIII - Policies and Procedures Manual

The Board of Directors shall establish a Policies and Procedures Manual detailing the management of the Association and describing the routine operations of its meetings, and which will include a listing of items prohibited from shows as well as a safety program for the shows. This manual, intended to be a guide for the Board of Directors in the execution of their individual and collective duties, is available to any member who is interested upon application to the Board of Directors.

ARTICLE XIV ‑ Amendments

Amendments to these By-Laws may be initiated by any member in good standing, but must be submitted to the Board of Directors in writing and must be approved by the Board before being placed on the agenda for a vote of the membership at a Business Meeting. Upon rejection by the Board of Directors, any amendment may be submitted to the membership for vote upon petition of fifty percent (50%) of the members present at any regular meeting.

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