Pursuant to Article II, Section 13 of the Constitution and Bylaws of the Polish Falcons of America, I hereby issue a call for the convening of the 40th Quadrennial Convention of the Polish Falcons of America, hosted by National Headquarters, on Wednesday, July 18, 2012, in Pittsburgh, PA.  All sessions of the Convention will take place at the Omni William Penn Hotel in Pittsburgh.

Registration of Delegates will begin on Wednesday, July 18, 2012.  The Convention will be called to order on Thursday, July 19, 2012 at the Omni William Penn.

Delegates

The Convention is composed of the National Executive Board, appointed officials, members of the Board of Directors, Executive District Officers, Executive Nest Officers, benefit Members of the Legion of Honor, and duly elected Nest delegates.  Each Nest is entitled to one Delegate for every fifty (50) Members, a fraction thereof, and two (2) alternate Delegates, duly elected by a majority vote on a secret ballot at a special meeting of the Nest held before May 19, 2012. 

A Delegate to the Convention shall be a benefit member of the Falcons in good standing who is a citizen of the United States and who is 18 years of age and who shall have been a member of the Falcons for at least one (1) year prior to the Convention and a member of the Nest for at least one (1) year prior to the Convention, and who is not an officer, delegate, representative, agent or employee of any other fraternal benefit organization doing a life insurance business.

Each Nest should notify National Headquarters as soon as possible of their Delegate election meeting specifying date, time, and location.  This information will be posted on the PFA website and if the timing permits, will be published in the Sokol Polski magazine. 

Quorum

A quorum for the Convention shall consist of the duly elected delegates of at least one-third (1/3) of the number of Nests in good standing.  Therefore, it is incumbent that all Nests send a full complement of the duly elected delegates to the Convention.

Amendments to the Constitution and Bylaws

All amendments to the Constitution and Bylaws of the Polish Falcons of America are presented for adoption at the Convention by the standing Legal Committee.  The standing Legal Committee is in the process of reviewing our Constitution and Bylaws for revision proposals.  Any proposed amendments may be submitted to the Committee in writing, signed and dated by May 1, 2012, and sent to: 

Polish Falcons of America
ATTN: Legal Committee
381 Mansfield Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA 15220

Czolem,
Timothy Kuzma
National President

All amendments to the Polish Falcons of America Constitution and Bylaws for consideration by the Polish Falcons of America National Convention must be submitted to the Legal Committee for investigation and action as per Section No. 139 of the Constitution by May 1, 2012.  All amendments are to be mailed to National Headquarters (381 Mansfield Avenue Pittsburgh, PA 15220), attention Legal Committee.

All proposed amendments are presented to the Convention by the standing Legal Committee and can be approved by a two-thirds vote of all delegates present and qualified to vote at the Convention.

In order to expedite their preparation, amendments to the Constitution and Bylaws should be submitted in duplicate, preferably typewritten and double spaced.

The Nest number of the proponent(s) should be indicated under the signature (hand signed and printed or typed).

Any resolution or measure to amend the provisions of the Constitution and Bylaws of the Polish Falcons of America shall be cast in the following form for presentation to the Legal committee:

1. Language and punctuation to be deleted from an existing provision shall be set forth in full and enclosed by double parentheses, and deleted materials shall be overtyped with a succession of hyphens, ((fifty)).  This requirement does not apply to a proposal to repeal an entire section, which may be done simply by specific reference.
2. New words added to an existing provision shall be underlined. 
3. The deletion of a word or phrase shall precede the new matter; e.g. “…in the sum of ((fifty)) one hundred dollars.”
4. Entirely new sections need not have all words underlined, but shall be preceded by the designation “NEW SECTION” in uppercase, followed by a period and such designation shall be underlined, including the period (example: NEW SECTION.).

YOUR COOPERATION IN SUBMITTING AMENDMENTS IN THE ABOVE PRESCRIBED FORM WILL PREVENT DELAY IN PROCESSING.

Each District is obligated to nominate one candidate for National Director to be elected by the upcoming 40th Polish Falcons of America National Convention, July 18-21 at the Omni William Penn Hotel in Pittsburgh, PA. 

A District Plenary Meeting must be held for this purpose by May 19, 2012, in accordance with the PFA Constitution and Bylaws.

Composition of the District Plenary Meeting

The following shall have voting privileges at a District Plenary Meeting:

1. Executive Board of that District consisting of the following: President, Woman Vice President, Vice President, Recording Secretary, Treasurer, Physical Instructor, Physical Instructress and all elected Members of the District Board of Directors.
2. Each Nest in the District will be represented by the following officers: President, Vice President, (Woman Vice President and Vice President in mixed Nests.  It is a Nest’s option to elect one or both Vice Presidents), Recording Secretary, Financial Secretary, Treasurer, Physical Instructor, and Physical Instructress in mixed Nests.
3. Insured Members of the Legion of Honor are permitted to attend and have a vote at the District Plenary Meeting.  Non-insured Legion of Honor Members have no voice and no vote.

In summary, only the qualified officers of each Nest and District, insured Falcon Legion of Honor Members and the National Director shall be allowed to vote.  Any action contrary to this will result in an illegal meeting. 

Qualifications for National Director

One (1) Director from each District shall be nominated at the Plenary Meeting to be held at least sixty (60) days prior to the National Convention.  The nominee is a benefit Member from a Nest in the District, must be a citizen of the United States, an adult Member in good standing for at least five (5) years at the time of his/her election and a Delegate to the National Convention.  He/she must not be an officer, delegate, representative, agent, or employee of any other fraternal benefit organization doing a life insurance business.  Also, no person shall be elected to office after attaining age 68.

Notice

1. Announcements for all meetings will be posted on the PFA website and if the timing permits, in the Sokol Polski magazine.
2. Every District must submit to National Headquarters a copy of the complete minutes within one week after the meeting, including the full names of all qualified voters.
3. Any District changing the date, time, or place of the previously announced meeting must notify all concerned, as listed above, specifying the valid reason for this change.  Failure to do so will result in an illegal meeting.

For More Information

If you have any questions about the Director Nomination process, you may contact Polish Falcons of America National Headquarters by phone at 1-800-535-2071 or send an email to info@polishfalcons.org.

Election of Commandery Representatives

Each Polish Falcons District Legion of Honor Circle must choose a representative to the Legion of Honor Commandery.  The meeting to select the representative must be held at least 30 days prior to the National Convention.

After the election, the name of the candidate and the results of the election are submitted to the National President.  The National President then submits the names to the Grand Master prior to the National Convention.

The Grand Master presents the candidates to the Legion of Honor Conclave for confirmation.  The newly-confirmed Commandery representatives are sworn in by the Grand Master.

Legion of Honor Delegates

All Benefit Members of the Legion of Honor, who are not elected as a Nest Delegate or who are not a Nest Officer Delegate, are automatically entitled to be a delegate to the National Convention.  Benefit Members of the Legion of Honor wishing to be a delegate must request a National Convention Delegate Credential For Benefit Member of the Legion of Honor form directly from National Headquarters.  Forms will be available in early February.  The deadline for submitting a request is June 18, 2012.  The deadline cannot be extended.  Requests can be sent by the following methods: Mail – Polish Falcons of America, 381 Mansfield Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15220; Fax 412-922-5029; Email – info@polishfalcons.org; Phone (toll free) – 1-800-535-2071.

For any questions or additional information concerning the Legion of Honor, please contact National Headquarters toll free at 1-800-535-2071, or Grand Master Lou Tremiti at 585-392-3607.

Delegate Qualifications

Each delegate to the National Convention shall:

1. Be a benefit Member of the Falcons in good standing for at least one year prior to the Convention.
2. A Member of the Nest he or she is representing for at least 12 months prior to the Convention.
3. A citizen of the United States of America.
4. A newly organized Nest that has been organized a least ninety (90) days before the Convention has the right to full representation at the Convention.

An individual who is an officer, delegate, representative, agent or employee of any other fraternal benefit organization doing a life insurance business cannot be a delegate to the Polish Falcons of America National Convention.

NEST PROCEDURES

Representation at the National Convention

Each Nest is entitled to the following representation at the National Convention:

a. One delegate for every 50 members or a fraction thereof.  Example:  If a Nest has 350 members, this Nest is entitled to seven delegates.  If a Nest has 351 members, this Nest is entitled to 8 delegates. 

b. Executive Officers of the Nest.

c. Benefit members of the Polish Falcons Legion of Honor.

d. Duly elected Nest delegates.

Nest Delegate Procedures

1. For Elected Delegates, determine a date to hold a special meeting for the election of delegates to the National Convention.  This meeting must be held before May 18, 2012.  The Nest should inform National Headquarters of the date, time and place of the meeting so it can be posted to the PFA website and if timing permits, in the Sokol Polski magazine.  Election of delegates is to be done by secret ballot. 
2. After the Elected Delegates are chosen, the National Convention Delegate Credential for Elected Delegates form must be completed.  The Nest President and Financial Secretary must sign this form.  Incomplete or unsigned Credential forms will be returned.  Forms will be available in early February.
3. For Nest Officer Delegates, there is no election required to be a delegate to the National Convention.  The National Convention Delegate Credential For Nest Officers form must be completed.  The Nest President and Financial Secretary must sign this form.  Incomplete or unsigned Credential forms will be returned.  Also, the Nest Officers Form for 2012 must be on file at National Headquarters in order for Nest Officer Delegate Credentials to be verified and issued.
4. For Elected Delegates and Nest Officer Delegates, a copy of the completed and signed Credential form must be submitted to National Headquarters not later than June 18, 2012.  The original is to be presented to the Credentials Committee by the delegate at the Convention Registration.

DISTRICT PROCEDURES

Representation at the National Convention

Each District is entitled to the following representation at the National Convention: Executive Officers of the District: President, Female Vice President, Male Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, Instructor, or Instructress.  (A District has the option of having one or both Vice Presidents.)

District Delegate Procedures

1. For District Officer Delegates, there is no election required to be a delegate to the National Convention.  The National Convention Delegate Credential For District Officers form must be completed.  The District President and Secretary must sign this form.  Incomplete or unsigned Credential forms will be returned.  Also, the District Officers Form for 2011-2013 must be on file at National Headquarters in order for District Officer Delegate Credentials to be verified and issued.
2. A copy of the completed and signed Credential form must be submitted to National Headquarters not later than June 18, 2012.  The original is to be presented to the Credentials Committee by the delegate at the Convention Registration.