Bylaws and Constitution - At the annual meeting, 25 JUN 2001, the following Bylaws and Constitution were approved by the unanimous vote of all those members in attendance. The Bylaws and Constitution became effective that date and shall govern the operation of the Association henceforth.

Other purposes include serving as the focal point for preservation of U.S. Naval ships and artifacts, especially those relating to the same class of Warship as the USS Cochrane DDG 21 and any future Naval ships holding the same name. The association shall be dedicated to the idea that these ships should be open to the public to remind them of the dedication of those who serve!

An Association newsletter, the name of which shall be chosen by a vote of the general membership at the annual meeting, will be published once each quarter and at such additional times as the Executive Committee may deem appropriate. Distribution shall be made to all Regular Members, widows of deceased members, and such others, as the Executive Committee may deem appropriate. Distribution will be suspended to any Regular Member or Associate Member if their annual dues have not been paid by the annual meeting. The preferred method of distribution shall be by posting on the USS COCHRANE web site, however those members wishing to have a paper copy may do so by notifying the editor of the newsletter. 

A reunion of the Association Membership shall be held each year. The location of the reunion shall be determined two years in advance by majority vote of the Regular Members in attendance at the annual meeting. Associate members, Family members and friends are invited to attend the annual reunion.

An annual business meeting of the Association Regular Members shall be held in conjunction with the annual reunion. The purpose of this meeting is to act on such matters as may be presented and to elect officers for the following year. The conduct of the annual meeting shall be in accordance with Robert's Rules of Order. Except as specified elsewhere in these articles, the majority vote of those Regular Members in attendance shall determine passage of the matter under consideration. The order of business in the annual meeting shall be as follows:

1. Welcome and acknowledgement of members
2. Remembrance of deceased shipmate
3. Reading of minutes
4. President's Report
5. Treasurer's Report
6. Reading of Correspondence
7. Old Business
8. New Business
9. Election of Officers
10. Installation of Officers
11. Adjournment

The elected officers of the Association are President, Vice President, Treasurer, Secretary, and one non-voting Associate Member elected by the Associate Membership. This last position along with the Editor and Web Master shall serve in an advisory position to the Executive Committee. The Editor or Web Master, if a Regular or Life Member, may also hold another office. The officers are all volunteers and receive no pay. The term of office for elected officers with the exception of the Treasurer shall be until the next annual meeting. The Treasurer shall be sworn in at the Annual Meeting but shall not take office until The 1^st of July of the year in which elected. The Treasurer shall serve until June 30^th of the following year. There are no limitations as to the number of years that any individual may hold office.

The Executive Committee of the Association shall be comprised of the elected officers and the three Advisory members. The Executive Committee shall act for the general membership between the annual meetings. In the conduct of said business, virtual meetings consisting of mail, telephone and Email or combinations thereof will suffice in place of physical attendance at one location. Should one individual hold multiple offices, his influence in Executive Committee deliberations shall be as a single individual.

The President shall:

1. Act as Chief Administrative Officer of the Association.
2. Chair the annual business meeting.
3. Chair Executive Committee meetings.
4. Appoint, with the concurrence of the Executive Committee: the Reunion Chairman, replacements for elected officers if required, non-elected officers, and such committees/chairs as appropriate.

The Vice President shall:

1. In the absence of the President, chair the annual business meeting.
2. Encourage participation of DDG 21 personnel and ensure publication of information/articles of special interest to DDG 21 personnel.
3. In the event of that the President is unable to permanently continue his duties, automatically assume the office of President.

The Treasurer shall:

1. Maintain records of all financial transactions and full accountability of the Association's funds. The Treasurer shall be bonded by the Association commensurate with the anticipated accountability. Such bonding shall be at the Expense of the Association.
2.  Receive dues and send membership cards in acknowledgment of dues received.
3. Pay/reimburse those legitimate costs to the Association upon receipt of billings.
4. Maintain and distribute, as appropriate, listings of members who have paid dues.
5. At the Annual meeting, report those members who have failed to pay their annual dues.
6. Maintain and distribute, as appropriate, listings of Life Members.
7.  Submit a copy of the Association's bank: statement and status of funds to the President each month.
8. Prepare Financial Report to be presented at Annual Meeting showing actual money on hand and anticipated reunion costs. Submit for President's approval prior to presentation.
9. Bring/send financial records to reunion for open inspection by membership at the annual meeting. Additionally, the President, with the approval of the Executive Committee, shall appoint two members attending the reunion, one from each ship, to audit the financial records and report their findings to the membership at the business meeting.
10. Maintain accountability of Association funds through 30 June following the reunion and transfer fund accountability to the new Treasurer on that date.
11. Prepare Annual Financial Report as of 30 June and submit it for President's approval and publication in the July issue of the Association newsletter.

The Secretary shall:

1. Keep a record of all proceedings of all meetings.
2. Coordinate with the President to insure an accurate record of Executive Committee virtual meeting procedures.
3. Initiate and answer correspondence as directed.
4. Maintain meeting attendance records.

The Editor of the Association newsletter shall:

1. Be appointed by the Executive Committee
2. Collect and edit material, print and distribute the Association newsletter on a schedule of one issue each quarter and such additional times, as the Executive Committee shall deem appropriate.
3. Send a letter of welcome and copy of the Association newsletter to potential members.
4. The Editor, in conjunction with the Web Master, shall be in charge of the collection of information of a historical nature of the USS Cochrane and shall help the Web Master disseminate this information to the members and to the public.

The Webmaster of the USS Cochrane Website Shall:

1. Be permanently the duty of John Freeman unless otherwise assigned by him, with the approval of the Board.
2.  Maintain a listing of publications and Internet web sites that disseminate ship associations/reunion schedule information and ensure the Association's listed data is current
3.  Be listed in various publications and Internet web sites and act as initial point of contact for potential members.
4. Sit as an ex-officio member and adviser of the board unless elected to another board position.
5. Assist any future web site belonging to any future ship named USS Cochrane.
6. In conjunction with the editor of the newsletter, collect and disseminate information of a historical nature concerning the USS Cochrane.

If an Elected officer fails to properly fulfill the requirements and obligations of his office or if he were charged with dishonest conduct, that situation shall be brought before the Executive Committee for investigation. The Executive Committee, through the President, shall notify the accused officer and afford him the opportunity to offer testimony/evidence to disprove the allegations. Should the testimony/evidence or subsequent performance not support continuance in office, the President, with concurrence of the remaining members of the Executive Committee, shall remove that officer from office. The President, with the concurrence of the Executive Committee, shall appoint a replacement to serve the remaining portion of his term. If the President is the object of the allegations, the Vice President shall chair the Executive Committee procedures.

The Reunion Chairman shall be appointed by the President with the concurrence of the Executive Committee. The Reunion Chairman shall be appointed shortly after the location of the reunion is selected by the membership. The period of his responsibility shall run from his appointment until all accounts are settled after the reunion. He shall, with the concurrence of the President, evaluate and select the hotel facilities, arrange for the banquet and ceremonies, setup and stock the hospitality suite, prepare the reunion yearbook, arrange for the display of Association artifacts, and arrange optional tours and activities.

These Articles shall be presented for adoption at the annual meeting 25 JUN 2001. If approved by two thirds or more of the Regular Members in attendance, they will become effective on that date. That fact and the vote count will be recorded in the minutes of the meeting.

Once approved in accordance with Article X, these Articles of Bylaws and Constitution may be changed or amended at any subsequent annual meeting, if such change or amendment is approved by two thirds or more of the Regular Members in attendance. All proposed changes or amendments and reasons therefore shall be submitted to the Executive Committee in January and will be published in the issue of the association newsletter immediately before the reunion

NOTE: The Bylaws and Constitution were unanimously approved by the members in attendance at the annual meeting and became effective that date.