The Blinded Veterans Association’s
Congressional Charter

PUBLIC LAW 85-769

85th Congress, H.R. 13518
August 27, 1958

TO INCORPORATE THE BLINDED VETERANS ASSOCIATION

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That the following persons, to wit: John E. Mattingly, New Britain, Connecticut; Robert A. Bottenberg, San Antonio, Texas; Norbert L. Cormier, Newington, Connecticut; Michael I. Bernay, El Monte, California; Durham D. Hail, Reedsport, Oregon; James H. Butler, Miami Spring, Florida; Melvin J. Maas, Chevy Chase, Maryland; Julius D. Morris, New Britain, Connecticut; David L. Schnair, Bronx, New York; W. Marshall Smith, Springfield, Virginia; Guy Stone, Champaign, Illinois; Walter F. Stromer, Mount Vernon, Iowa; Raymond T. Frey, Lebanon, Pennsylvania; Henry Masse, West Medford, Massachusetts; Joseph Smietanowski, Rochester, New York;

Edward Hoyczyk, Snyder, New York; Russell C. Williams, Maywood, Illinois; H. Smith Shumway, Cheyenne, Wyoming; H.P. Adams, Sommerville, South Carolina; Thomas c. Hasbrook, Indianapolis, Indiana; Leonard E. Shelhamer, North Caldwell, New Jersey; Thomas J. Broderick, Chicago, Illinois; George M. Gillispie, Gardena, California; Peter J. McKenna, Minneapolis, Minnesota; William A. Miller, San Antonio, Texas; Phillip N. Harrison, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania; Vasco de Gama Hale, Bloomfield, Connecticut; William W. Thompson, Bethesda, Maryland; Gordon H. Damery, Brighton, Massachusetts; Irvin P. Schloss, Washington, District of Columbia; Darwin W. Niles, Hammond, Indiana; Curtis F. Waygand, Gadsden, Alabama; Altous Yaughan, Camden, Arkansas;

Walter R. Andrews, Roseda, California; Clarence C. Carlson, Lynwood, California; Jesse S. Castillo, Los Angeles, California; James Harris, Los Angeles, California; Sanji Kimoto, Long Beach, California; Jose Reyes, Lynwood, California; Neftali Sanchez, Los Angeles, California; Derald W. Stange, Los Angeles, California; Paul U. Brower, Oakland, California; Clarence Costello, Oakland, California; Herbert P. Oakes, Denver, Colorado; Robert W. Taylor, Pueblo, Colorado; Ernest M. Bowen, Granby, Connecticut; Dominic Buonocore, Waterbury, Connecticut; Edward Cousineau, Windsor Locks, Connecticut; TheodoreWysocki, West Hartford, Connecticut, Francisco de la Cruz, Washington, District of Columbia; Raymond N. Goldstein, Washington, District of Columbia; John H. Jones, Washington, District of Columbia; John S. Nadeau, Washington, District of Columbia; Adolph E. Anglan, Daytona Beach, Florida;

LaRue S. Milne, Largo Florida; Robert L. Robinson, Orlando, Florida; Charles H. Monroe, Savannah, Georgia; Hisatomi Hiyasaka, Sugar City, Idaho; Fay Anderson; Pocatonia, Illinois, Irvin J. Edwards, Lee, Illinois; Marvin Halladay, Bensenville, Illinois; Vincent Ortiz, Senior, Blue Iland, Illinois; Raymond D. McCarty, La Porte, Indiana; Gerald J. Miller, Rensselaer, Indiana; Charles T. Rachels, Mount Vernon, Indiana; John W. Stalcup, Indianapolis, Indiana; William E. Cassell, Cumberland, Maryland; Frank L. Bavin, Wilmington, Massachusetts; Jerome F. Bowen, Chelsea, Massachusetts; Walter F. Branlund, Braintree, Massachusetts; Daniel B. Carreth, Annisquam, Massachusetts;

Adolfo Cenci, Somerville, Massachusetts; Nathan Cole, Winthrop, Massachusetts; John F. Crowson, Petersham, Massachusetts; Michael Carl Dec, Chester, Massachusetts; Joseph D. DeLaura, Worcester, Massachusetts; Albert de Simone, Revere, Massachusetts; John W. Feeley, Worcester, Massachusetts; Francis V. Hammersley, Malden, Massachusetts; Francis Hennessey, Hyde Park, Massachusetts; H.F. la Blanc, Haverhill, Massachusetts; Edward J. Leslie, Lynn Massachusetts; John Lundgren, Malden, Massachusetts; Phillip Malatesta, Malden, Massachusetts; William McFayden, Ludlow, Massachusetts; Kenneth A. Meister, Amesbury, Massachusetts; J.H. Schuster, Holbrook, Massachusetts;

Chester J. Sweeney, Dorchester, Massachusetts; John c. Taylor, Boston, Massachusetts; Alfred J. Therrien, Lawrence, Massachusetts; Otto Huwe, New Haven, Michigan; Ernest M. Wiedyk, Auburn, Michigan; Ralph H. Sather, North Branch, Minnesota, Wesley E. Burney, Kansas City, Missouri; James A. Schelich, Washington, Missouri; Raymond T. Auprey, Penacock, New Hampshire; John A. Clark, New Brunswick, New jersey; Edward Heimrich, Belleville, New Jersey; Frederich Koch, Parmus, New Jersey; Michael A. Spencer, Belleville, New Jersey; John Abrams, New York, New York; Walter Biedrzycki, Mineola, New York; Francis j. Chambers, New York, New York; Jerome E. Dompierre, Buffalo, New York;
Anthony Duane, Dunkirk, New York; Salvator Indanza, Central Islip, New York; Michael J. Kralovich, Jackson Heights, New York; Michael A. Lettiere, Brooklyn, New York; Joseph A. Marrone, Syracuse, New York; Robert I. McGinnis, Poughkeepsie, New York; Harry J. Owens, Cassville, New York; Alrid Plaskett, South ozone Park, New York; Jack Shapiro, Jackson Heights, New York; Andrew G. Temanek, Jackson Heights, New York; Paul Viviano, Sunnyside, New York; Michael Weber, Watertown, New York; Narcus Zetkin, New York, New York; John Henry Edge, Rock Mount, North Carolina; Herny C. Riggins, Asheville, North Carolina; Geore H. Williams, Rocky Mount, North Carolina; John C. Small beck, Aneta, North Dakota;

A.W. Brent, Cleveland, Ohio; Floyd H. Miller, Louisville, Ohio; Carl Mock, Logan, Ohio; James L. Park, Middlefield, Ohio; John Bernabo, Bolivar, Pennsylvania; Richard G. Brooks, Philadelphia, PA; Charles P. Hogan, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; Richard A. Neiman, Lancaster, Pennsylvania; Steve T. Olesnanlk, Lake City, Pennsylvania; Curtis W. Sechrist, East York, Pennsylvania; Edward A. Zelonis, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania; Herman W. Nodine, Greenville, South Carolina; Emil M. Larson, Sioux Falls, South Dakota; Randolph H. Greene, Lubbock, Texas; Algred Poe, el Paso, Texas; James A. H. Brown, Lynchburg, Virginia; Harold A. Bussey, Norfolk, Virginia; Bernie O. Lear, Chesterfield, Virginia; Charles F. MacFarlane, Seattle, Washington; John A. Veith, Lost Creek, West Virginia; Richard J. Hunt, Madison, Wisconsin;

Alvin R. Johnson, Milwaukee, Wisconsin; Leo A Urbaniak, Troy Center, Wisconsin; Julio c. Galarz Torres, Rio Piedras, Puerto Rico; John P. Collins, West Monroe, Louisiana; Gerald J. DuBois, Morgan City, Louisiana; James L. Womack, Winnfield, Louisiana; Blaise Angelico, New Orleans, Louisiana; Tom Byrnes, Shreveport, Louisiana; Reynolds T. Liner, Houma, Louisiana; David Martin, Lafayette, Louisiana; Joseph Emile Du Pont, Plaquemine, Louisiana; Joseph C. Hattier, Metarie, Louisiana; Steve Champagne, Saint Martinville, Louisiana; Stephen Carr, new Orleans, Louisiana, Clarence Clark, West Monroe, Louisiana; Bernard J. Cramer, Crowley, Louisiana; Vernon Parenton, Baton Rouge, Louisiana; Daniel Pinchera, Shreveport, Louisiana; Joseph Roth, Gonzales, Louisiana; James Preston Wyatts, Natchitoches, Louisiana, and each other person who, on the date of enactment of the Act, is a member in good standing of Blinded Veterans Association, Incorporated, a corporation organized and existing under the membership corporation law of the State of New York, and their successors, are hereby created and declared to be a body corporate by the names of Blinded Veterans Association (referred to in this Act as the "corporation") and by such name shall be know and have perpetual succession of the powers, limitations and restrictions contained in this Act.

COMPLETION OF ORGANIZATION

SEC 2. A majority of the persons named in the first section of the Act are authorized to complete the organization of the corporation by the selection of officers and employees, the adoption, amendment, and revision of a constitution and bylaws not inconsistent with the provisions of this chapter and the doing of such other acts as may be necessary for such purpose.

OBJECTS AND PURPOSES OF THE CORPORATION

SEC 3. The objects and purposes of the corporation shall be as follows:
(1) To promote the welfare of blinded veterans so that, notwithstanding their disabilities, they may take their rightful place in the community and work with their fellow citizens toward creation of a peaceful world.

(2) To preserve and strengthen a spirit of fellowship among blinded veterans so that they may give mutual aid and assistance to one another.

(3) To maintain and extend the institutions of American freedom and to encourage loyalty to the Constitution and laws of the United States and of the States in which they reside.

(4) To be organized and operated as a corporation not for profit, no part of the income or assets of which shall insure to the benefit of any of its members, directors, or officers, nor be distributable thereto otherwise than upon dissolution or final liquidation; and such corporation is organized and shall be operated exclusively for charitable, educational, patriotic, and civic improvement purposes.

POWERS OF THE CORPORATION

SEC.4. The corporation shall have power –

(1) to sue and be sued, complain and defend in any court of competent jurisdiction;

(2) to adopt, alter, and use a corporate seal;

(3) to choose officers, managers and agents as the business of the corporation may require;

(4) to charge and collect membership dues;

(5) to adopt, amend, apply, and alter a constitution and bylaws not inconsistent with the laws of the United States of America or any State in which the corporation is to operate, for the management of its property and the regulation of its affairs;

(6) to contract and be contracted with;

(7) to take and hold by lease, gift, purchase grant, devise, bequest or otherwise any property real, personal, or mixed, necessary or convenient for attaining the objects of the corporation, subject, however, to applicable provisions of law of any State,

(a) governing the amount or kind of real and personal property which may be held by, or, (b) otherwise limiting or controlling the ownership of real and personal property by, a corporation operating in such State;

(8) to transfer, lease, or convey real or personal property;

(9) to borrow money for the purposes of the corporation and issue bonds or other evidences of indebtedness therefore and secure the same by mortgage or pledge subject to applicable Federal or State to do any and all acts necessary and proper to carry out the purposes of the corporation

10) to do any and all acts necessary and proper to carry out the purposes of the corporation.

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