2020 Emergency Plan for Elections and Installations MCL League Detachments

2020 Emergency Plan for Elections and Installations MCL League Detachments

Effective Period: 1 April 2020 to 1 August 2020

The following Emergency Election Procedures (EEP) have been reviewed by a Special Meeting the National Board of Trustees with a quorum present and were approved on 1 April 2020. These procedures for electing and installing officers will not affect the detachments that have already submitted their Report of Officer Installation (ROI) for the 2020 fiscal year. All others are in various stages of nominating, electing or installing their officers. Remember, if there is time to hold a Detachment meeting before the time period ends as required by the National Bylaws, an election can still be held normally, IF SANCTIONS OF MEETINGS ARE LIFTED BEFORE THAT TIME.

By a majority vote, the National BOT hereby authorizes the Detachment’s Board of Trustees to extend the term of office for the detachment’s elected officers, for one additional year if the term was set to expire before 15 July 2020 and the officer election has not occurred. This option must be approved by majority vote of approval by the Detachment’s regular members in good standings. Installation process and ROI’s still required.

It is important to note that the procedures in this EPP appear lengthy, however, these are the procedures that your detachment follows in your election and installation process now. What has been added are procedures to follow for setting up conference calling and using email and texting instead of voices usually heard in your detachment meeting. Let’s get through this emergency together and keep our members safe.

The following is your options:

A. If your detachment elections have occurred since 1 September 2019 and the officers have been installed, your detachment is not affected by these procedures. You should resume your detachment’s duties as best you can while remaining safe and resume normal operations when the National BOT communicates that the national emergency has subsided sufficiently for The League to resume activities. This EEP no longer applies to your detachment.

B. If the emergency restrictions are lifted by the National Board of Trustees and the Detachment is able to conduct their normal elections and installation within the criteria of the National Bylaws, this EEP does not apply.

C. If your detachment elections have not occurred, continue to Option 1 – Elections.

D. If your detachment elections have occurred but the officers have not been installed, continue to Option 2 – Installation.

Option 1 – Elections

The BOT authorizes the detachments of the Marine Corps League to conduct an election meeting via conference call in so far as the following conditions are met. Considering the emergency that precipitated these measures, the following abbreviated procedure is authorized without following the MCL meeting and election rituals

A. The detachment commandant will call for a Special Meeting with the expressed purpose of electing and installing officers. If desired, the commandant may call on any detachment member for assistance in following these procedures.

1. The commandant will contact:

a. an authorized League member who will serve as the Installation Officer (in accordance with

NAP Chapter SIX, Section 6015.b.) to determine the best date and time for the meeting and

b. a regular member in good standing of the detachment will chair the election process. This

person will need to become familiar with the election procedures.

2. The detachment adjutant (see note below) will set up a conference calling process that has the

capability to have the conference call connect for the necessary duration with all participating

simultaneously. The number of participants will be the total number of current detachment

officers, detachment members, all nominees, as well the current and expected appointed

officers. All will need to participate in this conference call because the installation will take place

immediately after the election.

Note – The Detachment Adjutant position must be a regular member of the MCL for any

election. An “acting Adjutant” can be temporarily assigned for the elections and

installation process.

If the detachment has not used a conference calling service before, an option is to use

www.freeconferencecall.com for a free conference calling site or do an Internet search for “free

conference calling” for more options. It is recommended that only audio/phone conferencing be

used because not all participants might not have a camera. Video conference is authorized but

not required.

3. All regular detachment members in good standing must be notified by the Adjutant of the date and

time that a conference call meeting will take place 10-15 days before the call.

4. The notification will be made by email, including an attachment or contained in the body of the

email, the following information. Those members without email access, will be mailed via USPS

the following information.

a. Instructions on how and when the member can participate in the conference call.

b. This EEP authorizes these procedures, overriding any restrictions that might be in the

detachment or department bylaws.

c. A list of the current detachment officers and their intention to run again in the same position or for

another position for this election year. If the detachment had an election committee in place, then

the committee chair presents the committee’s recommendation to the Adjutant for inclusion in

this email.

d. A request for additional nominations for regular members in good standing and include the

elected position, nominee’s name, detachment name, their phone number and email address.

e. The Oath of Office.

5. Each member will report to the Adjutant within 3 days receipt of the email and state their intention to

participate and define what method they will cast their vote privately; email or text. The Adjutant will

record this information.

6. Those members not responding after 3 days will be mailed via USPS the text of the email. They will

need to respond within 4 days via telephone their intention to participate. The Adjutant will record

this information.

7. Once a quorum as defined by the detachment’s bylaws has been met, the teleconference can take

place at the scheduled time.

B. At the scheduled time the Commandant will call the meeting to order and is authorized to conduct this meeting without following the MCL meeting rituals.

C. The Adjutant will call the roll of those present and confirm that a quorum, as defined by the detachment bylaws, of regular members in good standing is participating in the call. The Adjutant will record the actions taking place during this call, be one of the tellers, and record the results in the minutes.

1. The Commandant will then turn the meeting over to a member, the Chair, who is not running for an

elected or appointed office. This could be the Nominations Committee Chair or the Installing Officer

or any detachment member in good standing that is not seeking an office and is unwilling to accept

a nomination/appointment to an office.

2. The Chair will open the call to accept nominations, beginning with the commandant’s position. Each

nomination for an elective office shall be made via the conference call with the nominator identifying

him/herself verbally for the record. Each nominee shall be a regular member in good standing in the

Marine Corps League at the time of their nomination. No seconding is required. Each nominee,

when nominated, will state to the Chair, “If elected, I (name of nominee) will accept the office of

_____________ and serve loyally, faithfully, and to the best of my ability during my term.”

3. Step 1 is repeated for all nominees, whether contested or not. If a position is not contested, the

Chair will direct the adjutant to record one vote for that member and say, “Congratulations , <last

name>.” If a position is contested:

a. Each nominee for a specific office will have one (1) minute to convey to those on the conference

call the reason they want the position.

b. For that position each member on the call not running for that position is asked to reply to both

the Adjutant and the Installing Officer their vote.

c. When the Adjutant and the Installing Officer have confirmed that they have the number of votes

representing the attending members, they will count the votes and communicate their count to

accuracy. The Adjutant will report the winner who received over 50% of the vote. If no nominee

receives over 50% of the votes, the nominee having the least number of votes is removed from

the list of nominees and another vote is taken by returning to step 2.b.

d. If additional offices are contested, return to step 2.b. and repeat until all elected offices are filled.

When all offices are filled, continue.

e. The Chair closes the election and turns the meeting over to the Installing Officer to continue the

meeting with the meeting at Option 2 - Installation.

Option 2 – Installation

The Election and the Installation must be accomplished so that the ROI needs to be at National by June 30. It is advisable that the installation take place during this election conference call because all the officers are present. The Installing Officer will recite the prayer following installation unless a Chaplain not being sworn in is present.

A. If you have elected your officers prior to this conference call but not installed them or you are having a second conference call for the installation, continue at Installation Set Up.

B. If you just elected your officers via the conference call and want to continue with the installation on this call, continue at Installation Procedure.

Installation Set Up

The current commandant will call for a special conference call meeting with the expressed purpose of installing the officers. Only the elected and appointed officers need to participate on this call. If desired, the commandant may call on any detachment member for assistance in following these procedures.

A. Appoint Installation Officer: The commandant will contact an authorized League member who will serve as the Installation Officer (in accordance with NAP Chapter SIX, Section 6015.b.) to negotiate the best date and time for the meeting within 14 days hence. The commandant will notify the Adjutant, or another member who can facilitate making the following arrangements, when the conference call will take place.

B. Adjutant’s Call: The Adjutant will phone or email each elected and appointed officer and document each officers’ ability to participate in the conference call for the purpose of officer installation that will take place on the appointed date and time. The adjutant will confirm and document how the officer will receive further instruction, email or USPS. If necessary, time to adjust the date so that all officers can participate, might be necessary and repeat steps 1 and 2.

C. Set up Conference Call: The Adjutant will make the necessary arrangements for the conference call and document them. Follow the procedure described in Step Option 1 – Elections, A.2. and then resume with Step Send Email.

D. Send Email: Once the date and time are set to ensure 100% participation, a follow up email will be sent to each officer. This email will contain a confirmation of the date and time, this document attached to the email from the National BOT explaining the reason this procedure is taking place, the Oath of Office, and an explanation of conference calling and what will occur on the conference call. Continue to Installation Process.

Installation Process

Considering the emergency that precipitated these measures, the following abbreviated procedure is authorized without following the MCL meeting rituals:

A. If the election had previously taken place and the reason for this conference call is Officer Installation only,

1. The participants should call in at the designated time to the conference call, following the Adjutant’s

documented procedures.

2. At the appropriate time, the Commandant will call the meeting to order.

3. The Adjutant will call the roll of those present and confirm that all elected and appointed officers, the

Installation Officer, and Chaplain, if available, are participating in the call. The Adjutant will record

the actions taking place during this call and record the results in the minutes.

4. Continue to Step B.

B. The Installation Officer calls the meeting to order and queries the newly elected Commandant:

1. Installing Officer: “Have the dues of the newly elected officers been paid and have the annual dues

for each of them been forwarded to the proper offices?” The Commandant responds, “They have,

Sir.”

2. Installing Officer: “Have each of the incoming Officers been duly and properly elected?” The

Commandant responds, “They have, Sir.”

C. Installing Officer: “Newly elected Officers, you have been chosen by your fellows Marines, FMF Corpsmen, and FMF Chaplains, to lead them during the coming year. They have indicated their faith and trust in your zeal, ability and integrity and their belief that you will by earnest, honest and faithful discharge of your duties. You should become familiar with the laws of the Marine Corps League, the Department and Detachment, and acquire a complete knowledge of the requirements of your office. Be mindful of the purposes of the League, so that your conduct exemplifies your position. Respect and honor your deceased brothers in arms and assist and protect your fellow Marines and their families. Take every opportunity to advance the interests and welfare of the League and your Detachment. When your tour of duty has been completed, may it with justice be said that you helped to win the respect of the public for the League and your Detachment and the admiration and gratitude of your fellow Marines.

“The Oath you are about to take cannot, in any way, conflict with any political or religious views you may entertain. In view of this assurance and considering what you have heretofore heard, are you willing to accept the oath of office? If so answer-I am.”

D. The Installing Officer continues: “You will follow along, reading to yourself your copy of the Oath of Office, using your own name where I use mine.”

Reading slowly,

“I, do solemnly swear or affirm that I will bear true allegiance to the United States of America and to the Marine Corps League. That I will enforce and uphold, and will myself obey, the laws of the League. I shall ever bear in mind the purposes for which and the principles upon which the Marine Corps League and the Detachment were founded. I will subordinate myself to the best interests of my fellow Marines and the Marine Corps League and will never personally benefit at the expense of the League or my Detachment in the slightest degree. At the termination of my tour of duty I will surrender my office to my duly elected or appointed successor, accounting for any property that may have been entrusted to my care or custody. All this I solemnly swear or affirm. So, help me, God.”

E. The Installing Officer continues: “Following my question to you officers, the Adjutant will call your name. You will wait for your name to be called and respond, ‘I do.’ “Officers, do you understand, agree to abide by, and swear by the oath you just took?”

F. The Adjutant calls out each name beginning with the Commandant and waits for a confirming “I do” and records their affirmation.

G. When completed, the Adjutant says: “Sir, all officers agree to the Oath of Office.”

H. . The Installing Officer continues: “Commandant, Sir, upon you reposes the highest and most important responsibility that can rest upon any officer of the Marine Corps League. The Detachment is the most important unit in the League, for it is composed of the membership, which is the very heart of the League. Without the Detachment, the other units of the League would have no reason for existence. The life and growth of the League begins in the Detachment.

“Yours is a primary and compelling responsibility indeed. Hold constantly before the eyes of your fellow Marines the great principles for which the League strives. Lead and govern fairly and impartially. Strike quickly to prevent political, sectarian, or other improper debate, in your meetings. Strive to promote harmonious interest and effort among your fellow Marines.

“Be alert in supervising the work of your officers. Require them to constantly bear in mind the obligation of their oath. Be quick to praise and cautious to admonish. To you is given the opportunity of so administering the affairs of the Detachment that it can and will improve in interest, work and growth.

“Call upon your Staff of Officers for assistance and advice and with their help formulate a progressive program for your term of office.

“Do not accept your office lightly, conduct yourself with the determination that the end of your tour of duty will mark a task well done. I congratulate you, Commandant, Sir.”

I. The Installing Officer continues: “Fellow Marines, I congratulate you on your selections and venture the opinion that they have been well made. Allow me to admonish you that you cannot now stand aside and expect your officers to guide the destinies of this Detachment or to ensure its growth, success, and welfare. It is your duty to assist them in every way possible and to discharge your assignments cheerfully and well. Help your officers make this Detachment an organization which the Marine Corps League and your community will respect and honor.”

J. The Installing Officer continues: “Officers of Detachment _____________, I proclaim you to be duly installed into office.

K. The Installing Officer or the Chaplain reads: “If you are covered, please uncover. Heavenly Father, Supreme Commandant, we beseech Thee to bless these newly installed officers of the Marine Corps League, so they may serve with as much benefit and credit to themselves as they have already served as United States Marines, FMF Corpsmen, and FMF Chaplains in our beloved Corps. Grant, 0 Heavenly Father, that their guidance in our deliberations prove beneficial for a prosperous term of office. Make us, each one of us, ever mindful of our motto "Semper Fidelis" and may our whole aim be -Thy will be done. Amen.”

L. The Installing Officer continues: “That concludes the installation of the officers of Detachment ____________________ of the Marine Corps League. The Adjutant will prepare the Report of Officer Installation form and email it to me for my signature. I will sign it and return it to the Adjutant for submission to the proper offices. Thank you all for participating in this unusual installation process.”

M. The Adjutant should provide “minutes” of the completed installation for historical purposes and send them to all members.

This process was approved by the Marine Corps League National Board of Trustees on April 1, 2020.

Dennis Tobin

National Commandant/CEO