2017 Convention


2017 National Convention, August 8 – 12, 2017, New Orleans, Louisiana

2017 Official Candidates Roster

Elections for VVA Officers and Board of Directors

Proposed Constitutional Amendments

Proposed Convention Resolutions

Nominations for VVA National Awards

Full Convention Details, Registration and Hotels

 

ELECTIONS

Vietnam Veterans of America will conduct its election of all National Officer and Board positions during the 18th National Convention to be held August 8-12, 2017, in New Orleans.

Fellow veterans: The Elections Committee invites you to think about your future role in the leadership of VVA. The committee encourages all those who are considering running for office in 2017 to think about and evaluate whether you are willing to take on the responsibilities of an Officer or a Board member. Take time now to consult with your family, friends, and those whose opinions you value to determine if this is the next step you are willing to take in your involvement in VVA.

Remember: The election process begins January 1, 2017, when the committee starts accepting Letters of Intent. So be ready, be committed, and be sure. The future of VVA could be in your hands as a representative of this organization. The Elections Committee welcomes all those who wish to be a part of the elections process and who aspire to be the leaders of VVA.

POSITIONS OPEN FOR ELECTION

VVA National President
VVA National Vice-President
VVA National Secretary
VVA National Treasurer
VVA National Board of Directors (At-large) [All Ten Seats]
VVA National Board of Directors (Regional) [All Nine Seats]

TERM OF OFFICE

All National Officer and Board positions are for terms of two years, beginning at the close of the 2017 National Convention, through the close of the 2019 National Convention.

ELIGIBILITY

Candidates for all positions open for election must be individual members of VVA in good standing.

Candidates for National Officer positions must meet the requirements to hold office, as set forth in the VVA National Constitution, under Article I, Section 5, Paragraph A, as revised July 25, 2015.

To Wit: “To qualify for election… to any of these offices a candidate must have been an individual member of the Corporation, in good standing, (1) for a continuous period of not less than twelve months immediately preceding the opening of the National Convention at which such candidate seeks election;… and (2) such candidate must have held a position as an officer or board member at the national level or as an officer at the state council or chapter level, during any continuous period of twelve months prior to the date of the opening of the National Convention.”

Candidates for At-large and Regional Board of Directors must meet the requirements to hold office as set forth in the VVA National Constitution, Article I, Section 4, Paragraph B (1 and 2) for Regional Directors and Article I, Section 4, Paragraph B (1 and 3) for At-large Directors as revised July 25, 2015.

To Wit: “To qualify for election, a candidate must have been a member of the Corporation, in good standing, for a continuous period of not less than the twelve months immediately preceding the opening of the National Convention at which candidate seeks election.… The candidate must have held an elected position at the national, state, or chapter level, for any continuous period of twelve months prior to the date of the opening of the National Convention.”

In addition, candidates for Regional Board positions must reside within the region they wish to represent.

ANNOUNCEMENT DATES

The time period this election announcement covers is January 1 to April 30, 2017.

LETTER OF INTENT

Prospective candidates must submit a Letter of Intent to the VVA Elections Committee postmarked no later than April 30, 2017. Starting with this election cycle, prospective candidates considering running for positions will need to include their telephone numbers, email addresses, and physical mailing addresses in the body of the Letter of Intent or on a separate sheet of paper. Prospective candidates also must include the position they seek. A prospective candidate may run for only one position. The Elections Committee will send the Candidate’s Packet by email unless otherwise requested by the candidate.

The Elections Committee will begin accepting Letters of Intent on January 1, 2017, at the following address: VVA ELECTIONS COMMITTEE, c/o Adolph Gardner, 7 Crum Road, Walkersville, MD 21793-8018

IMPORTANT NOTES

All Letters of Intent must be postmarked on or before April 30, 2017, and must be sent to the Elections Committee’s Walkersville, Md., address. Any Letter of Intent that does not meet the postmark requirement or is sent to any other address will be considered invalid and will not be accepted by the Elections Committee.

The Elections Committee encourages everyone considering running for office to send in a Letter of Intent. If you later decide not to run after sending in your Letter of Intent, you can simply submit a signed and witnessed letter stating that you are withdrawing.

RESTRICTIONS

Candidates running for office must abide by certain restrictions. Those who plan to run for an elected position from the floor cannot announce their intent to run for office either publicly or privately, cannot campaign in any way or distribute any campaign materials, including on the Internet, and cannot accept any contributions prior to being approved as a candidate by the Elections Committee at the Convention. Any violation of this rule will result in disqualification.

SPECIAL NOTE

Incumbent Officers and Board members, please refer to the VVA Board Policies Reference Guide, under Strategic Documents, Travel Policy, Additional Criteria, page 65(2)(a-b). Once you have announced your candidacy, this policy applies directly to your travel and budget expenditures.

CANDIDATE’S PACKETS

Once the Elections Committee has received a candidate’s Letter of Intent, the Candidate’s Packet will be emailed, unless requested by U.S. mail. These packets contain further information, instructions, and rules regarding the conduct of the election process that are of vital importance to every candidate. Included in these packets will be all necessary forms. Candidates are required to complete the forms and return them to the Elections Committee.

Please remember to let the committee know if you need the Candidate’s Packet sent to you by U.S. mail instead of email. When the packet is sent by email, it will be in PDF format and the forms will be fillable and printable, with the exception of the signature block. We also will request a delivery receipt and read receipt for our records to ensure that the candidate has received the packet.

All forms must be sent back to the committee by U.S. mail (return receipt requested) since we require the candidate’s signature on all documents. For candidates requesting that physical packets be mailed, they will be sent via Certified Mail-Return Receipt Requested to ensure proper delivery. Any questions should be directed to Adolph Gardner at 301-845-4296 or by email at adolphgard@aol.com

NOTE: The Candidate’s Packet will include a Deadline Calendar that lists events and dates that are very important to each candidate’s campaign for office. Failure to meet any of the deadlines will be grounds for disqualification. Please pay special attention to the deadlines this year, as they are different from past election years.

CONDUCT OF CAMPAIGNS

Candidates may use the national flag of the United States, VVA national logo, and the VVA national flag on their campaign material. No VVA, state council, or chapter letterhead may be used. Campaign materials are considered to be (but are not limited to) buttons, pins, brochures, posters, pictures, emails, and websites. A photograph of a candidate wearing his or her VVA national, state council, or chapter lapel pin is acceptable. Additionally, a photograph of a candidate who is wearing a jacket, shirt, or hat that has a VVA national, state council, or chapter logo or patch on it is also acceptable.

Candidates may not solicit or accept campaign contributions in any form from VVA or from any VVA state council or chapter. Campaign contributions are considered to be (but are not limited to) money, paper, envelopes, postage, free printing, free phone calls, use of websites, and use of emails.

Candidates may not solicit or accept any campaign endorsements from VVA, any VVA state council, chapter, or VVA newsletters, newspapers, web, or electronic mail sites.

Candidates may solicit and accept campaign contributions and endorsements from any member of VVA, provided that the contributions or endorsements are not in violation of rules and that any written endorsements are on the individual’s personal stationery. It is strictly prohibited for any person to use VVA national, state council, or chapter letterhead, website, or email for the purpose of writing letters of endorsement.

A candidate’s own website or email may be used to campaign, but the restrictions mentioned above remain in effect. The Candidate’s Packet will have more detailed instructions regarding this matter.

It is neither the wish nor the intent of the VVA Elections Committee to make it unnecessarily difficult to run on the 2017 VVA National Election Ballot. There are, however, certain steps that must be followed by all candidates in order to keep the election process within the guidelines of the VVA National Constitution and to ensure a fair election.

Failure to abide by all rules, instructions, and requirements set forth in this announcement and the Candidate’s Packet will result in disqualification from the election.

The VVA Elections Committee welcomes those members willing to step forward and take part in a most important part of VVA: the election of Officers and Board Members who will guide VVA for the next two years.

The Elections Committee: Scott DeArman, Chair, Jill Mishkel, Adolph Gardner, Terry Nolan, and Ben Humphries.

 

PROPOSED AMENDMENTS AND RESOLUTIONS – MARCH 20th DEADLINE HAS PASSED

VVA is now accepting Proposals for Constitutional Amendments and Convention Resolutions for 2017

September 1, 2016 is the first day VVA members may submit proposed 2017 Convention Resolutions and Constitutional Amendments in preparation for the Vietnam Veterans of America, Inc. 18th National Convention to be held August 8-12 in New Orleans LA.

Every two years, chapter and state council delegates from across the country meet at the VVA national convention to elect officers and to act on proposed resolutions and proposed changes to the Constitution.

The Convention Resolutions form the foundation upon which all of the actions of the organization are based.  The resolutions set organizational priorities and provide guidance for the board of directors as they manage the funds and affairs of the corporation.  The 2015 VVA Convention Resolutions can be viewed by clicking on the link at the bottom of this section.

The Constitution of the Vietnam Veterans of America specifies how the organization is structured on the national, state and chapter levels.  It contains provisions that can only be changed by the delegates to a national convention through the amendment process.  The Constitution of Vietnam Veterans of America, Inc. may be viewed by clicking on the link at the bottom of this section.

2017 proposed resolutions and constitutional amendments will be reviewed by the appropriate committee before being presented to the delegates at the convention.

Any VVA member, chapter or state council may submit a 2017 proposed resolution or constitutional amendment following the directions below.

­ Proposed 2017 Convention Resolutions must be submitted online no later than 12 o’clock midnight March 20, 2017. If you prefer to mail or fax the form, it must be postmarked no later than 12 o’clock midnight March 20, 2017. Mail or fax to: Vietnam Veterans of America, 8719 Colesville Road, Suite 100, Silver Spring, MD 20910. Attention: Sharon Hodge, Resolutions Committee or fax to 301-585-.0519.

Proposed 2017 Constitutional Amendments must be submitted online no later than 12 o’clock midnight March 20, 2017. If you prefer to mail this form, it must be postmarked no later than 12 o’clock midnight March 20, 2017. Mail to:  Vietnam Veterans of America, 8719 Colesville Road, Suite 100, Silver Spring, MD 20910.  Attention:  Tracie Houston, Constitution Committee

We look forward to your participation in the 2017 convention process. Click on the links below to submit your proposed resolutions and constitutional amendments.
2017 Proposed Convention Resolution Form

2017 Proposed Constitutional Amendment Form

2015 Convention Resolutions

The Constitution of Vietnam Veterans of America, Inc., as amended 2015

 

VVA NATIONAL AWARDS NOMINATIONS

At VVA’s 18th National Convention in New Orleans, Louisiana, VVA members, chapters, and state councils will be named the best:

 Member
 Incarcerated Member
 State Council
 State Council Newspaper
 State Council Website
 State Council Email Newspaper
 Chapter
 Chapter Newsletter (199 members or fewer)
 Chapter Newsletter (200 members or more)
 Chapter Website
 Chapter Email Newsletter

Nominate as many people or organizations as you wish. But do it by the nominations deadline of May 22, 2017.

VVA National Awards Nomination Form

VVA National Awards Criteria