Advocacy

ARTICLE X

DUES

Section 1. Annual Membership and Associate Membership Dues
a. Annual Membership dues for veterans meeting the require- ments of Article III, Section 1 of these Bylaws shall be eight dollars ($8.00).
b. Annual Associate Membership dues for veterans meeting the requirements of Article III, Section 4 of these Bylaws shall be eight dollars ($8.00).
c. Annual Membership and Associate Membership dues shall be paid directly to the National Headquarters; and, they are due and payable on October 1 of each year and are delinquent on January 1 of the following year.

(1) All rights and privileges of delinquent Members and Associate Members shall be suspended during the period of their delinquency.
(2) Delinquent Members and Associate Members may be reinstated when they pay their dues.

d. Should an application for Membership or Associate Membership be rejected, dues or application fees paid by the applicant shall be refunded and his/her application shall not be entertained again for a period of one (1) year.
e. All annual dues collected by the National Headquarters from Members and Associate Members within the jurisdiction of any regional group shall be divided between the National Association and the regional group concerned on the basis of eighty percent (80%) to the regional group and twenty percent (20%) to the National Association.

Section 2. Life and Associate Life Membership Dues
a. Life Membership dues for veterans meeting the requirements of Article III, Section 1 of these Bylaws, and Associate Life Membership dues for veterans meeting the requirements of Article III, Section 4 of these Bylaws, shall be based upon the age of the blinded veteran at the time payment toward Life or Associate Life Membership is initiated and shall be as follows:

b. Life, or Associate Life Membership may be paid in full or may be initiated with a down payment of ten dollars ($10.00) or more; the balance shall be paid within two (2) years of the date of initial payment.

(1) If the balance is not paid within the succeeding two (2) year period, the person will be reverted to an annual dues paying status and the amount paid towards Life or Associate Life Membership will be applied against that person's dues at the annual rate commencing with the date of initial payment.
(2) This may result in that person being declared delinquent.

c. Any Life or Associate Life Member who has died shall have his/her membership continued in memoriam unto perpetuity.

(1) If a Member or Associate Member who has been paying towards Life or Associate Life Membership dies, anyone may pay the balance of the Life or Associate Life Membership and have it placed in memoriam unto perpetuity.
(2) A roster of perpetual Life and Associate Life Members shall be maintained at the National Headquarters.

d. Life and Associate Life Membership dues shall be paid to the National Association and shall be placed in a Life Membership Fund, and the net income earned in dividends and interest from the Life Membership Fund shall be divided among the various regional groups in good standing.
e. The Life Membership Fund shall be administered by a Board of Trustees, consisting of six (6) individuals appointed by the National President with the advice and consent of the National Board of Directors.

(1) At least one (1) trustee shall be on the Administrative Staff of the National Headquarters, and not less than onehalf (1/2) of the trustees shall be Members or Associate Members of the Blinded Veterans Association with at least one (1) being on the National Board of Directors.
(2) The terms of office shall be three (3) years, with two (2) trustees appointed three (3) year terms each year.
(3) The National President shall designate one (1) of the trustees as Chairperson.
(4) The Life Membership Fund Board of Trustees shall elect such other officers it may deem necessary and shall adopt rules of procedure governing the investment of funds, such rules of procedure to be subject to approval by the National Board of Directors.
(5) The Board of Trustees shall have the power to buy and sell securities.  In so doing, the Board of Trustees shall have the power to engage a Corporate Investment Manager and to give such Manager discretionary authority to buy and sell securities for the Investment Account of the Life Membership Fund.

Section 3. Regional Group Dues
a. Payment of dues for membership in the National Association automatically enrolls a Member, Associate Member, Life Member or Associate Life Member into the regional group having jurisdiction over the area of his/her residence without payment of additional dues to that regional group.
b. A regional group shall not levy any additional assessment upon its Members, Associate Members, Life Members or Associate Life

Members as a requirement for Membership or Associate Membership in the group.