AMPS Constitution

Adoption Date

As adopted at the 2005 Annual General Meeting and subsequently amended. This current version was ratified by Society membership on 14-July-2012.

Article I. Name of the Organization

1. The name of this organization is established as the ARMOR MODELING AND PRESERVATION SOCIETY, referred to hereafter as AMPS.
2. For historical purposes, only, this Society is directly descended from the membership of the ASSOCIATION OF MILITARY MODELERS, which will be referred to hereafter as the AMM. This Society was founded in 1984 by Michael Rogers of Aloha, Oregon, and was disbanded in August 1992.

Article II. Purposes and Functions

1. The purposes of this Society are as follows:
   1. To associate interested individuals and organizations in both sharing an interest in the history of armored vehicles and in cultivating interest in armored vehicles and related subjects via the hobby of modeling.
   2. To ensure timely exchange of information, primarily in the area of modeling, among the members and other interested or affiliated organizations.
   3. To guard against compromise of the integrity of the AMPS and its exploitation by commercial enterprises or organizations.
   4. To provide, via at least a regularly published newsletter or magazine, information on the hobby and the activities of the Society to the membership at large.
   5. To foster an interest in the preservation of armored vehicles, and wherever possible to assist in their maintenance and preservation.
   6. To maintain a free and unaffiliated leadership of, by, and for armored vehicle enthusiasts.
2. To this end, AMPS will remain a non-profit Society, registered as a not-for-profit corporation with the Secretary of State for the State of New York and governed by the applicable laws of that state, or such other state as the Executive Board may choose as the Society’s state of registration from time to time.

Article III. Objectives of the Society

1. The objectives of the Society are as follows:
   1. To foster, maintain, and continue an interest in armored vehicles and modeling armored vehicles as a hobby.
   2. To publish, at regular intervals, a formal newsletter or magazine addressed to the general membership and covering armored vehicle modeling, reviews of model kits and products, activities of interest to the membership in general, and information regarding the preservation of armored vehicles.
   3. To sponsor a national convention, as it can be afforded and with as little detriment to the funding of the Society, whose goal is to present the ideals of the AMPS through seminars, a display of new products, historical research opportunities, and a competition among all members of the Society based on established rules.
   4. To provide guidance and an exportable rules package for accomplishing similar shows or conventions on a regional or international basis with an acknowledged and accepted level of common standards for competitive judging.
   5. To provide a liaison network among members, affiliated organizations, similar organizations, and manufacturers of products of interest to the general membership; this will be accomplished via both the formal newsletter, informal newsletters, and the appointment of a director of field activities for the Society.
   6. To maintain a website with discussion groups for the exchange of information and ideas; reviews of models, detail sets, and other model-related materials; and photographs and other information concerning military ground vehicles.
2. At no time, will the purpose of this Society be to provide any individual, or group of individuals, with income for commercial purposes, or as part of their livelihood. On occasion, the Society may enter into the business of souvenir sales (e.g., T-shirts, decals, booklets, lapel pins, etc.) for the support of a nationally approved project or projects.

Article IV. Dissolution

1. If, for any reason, this Society should be dismantled or dissolved, all remaining assets and monies shall be given to the Ordnance Museum Foundation, Aberdeen, Maryland, for the purposes of preserving historical American armored vehicles and weapons on display at the US Army Ordnance Museum, or, if the US Army Ordnance Museum’s vehicles have been relocated to another public organization, to that organization.

AMPS Bylaws

Article 1. Membership

1. All persons professing a desire to achieve the purposes and objectives of this Society are invited into membership.
2. Dues for the Society will be assessed as required, primarily to cover the cost of national level formal publications and activities. To receive formal Society the member must be paid in full.
3. There will only be one class of membership -- general member. Officers will be elected from the general membership. There will be no special categories offered, e.g., trade members, leader members, associate members, contributing members, honorary members, or life members.
4. The only restriction placed on becoming an officer of the Society is that the general member may not have any of the following conflicts of interest:
   1. An income derived, primarily or indirectly, from the hobby industry, e.g., models, retail sales, hobby related books or publications, or import/export trade;
   2. Close or continuing ties to any specific companies, partnerships, or corporations which derives any income or profit from the hobby industry, to include 'master builders' or reviewers who receive models, books, or other materials on a regular basis, for no or little charge, from a specific company(ies), or, any major investment which provides an income from the hobby industry.
   3. These restrictions may be waived upon proof of good faith on the part of the candidate for office that he has terminated either his source of income or relationship.

Article 2. Dues and Revenues

1. Dues will be assessed based on the costs of preparing and mailing the national level formal publication, averaged informal mailings, and, as events progress, those items required for the support of national and district level activities (e.g., awards, broadsides, fliers, judging materials and packages, website, etc.)
2. All members contributing articles to the national level formal publication or website - reviews with photographs, 'how-tos', historical articles, etc. do so of their own free will. In some cases, based on input, volume, and support to the Society, a specific individual may receive recompense via an extension to their subscription to the national level publication. There will be no monies paid for articles; however, articles which are donated to the Society are not their exclusive property and not copyrighted by the Society.
3. The national level publication may, upon the judgment of the editor and officers, accept advertisements. Monies collected from these advertisements will be added to the general treasury of the Society.
4. Depending upon the status of the national level publication, it may be offered for retail by selected commercial enterprises. Profits from the commercial sale of the publication will be returned to the Society.
5. On special occasions -- support for national level conventions, regional shows, or special projects such as the restoration of a specific armored vehicle -- the Society may permit the promotion of related souvenir items for sale to the general membership. These will be of a non-commercial nature, e.g., convention T-shirts with Society logos, coffee mugs, lapel pins, or of specific interest to the general membership such as a unique decal sheet. All revenues beyond those costs of the vendor to produce them will go into the general treasury for disbursement to the stated purpose of their collection, e.g., national convention expenses.

Article 3. Officers and Controlling Organs

1. AMPS will be governed by an executive council, hereafter referred to as the Executive Board, consisting of the: president, first vice president, second vice presidents forming the competition committee governing body, secretary, and treasurer. Other officers -- notably the Marketing Director, Boresight Editor, Webmaster and Chief Judge of the Annual Competition – will be appointed as necessary, but will not have voting rights. The president, first vice president, second vice presidents, and secretary will be elected. They will form the main governing body of the Executive Board, each with one vote. The marketing director and webmaster will be appointed by the president. The treasurer and publications editor will be appointed positions, subject to confirmation by the Executive Board.
2. The Elected Officers are elected to two-year terms on a staggered basis which run from April 1 to March 31. The President, 2VP East, 2VP Central, 2VP Midwest, 2VP West, 2VP International are elected in odd-numbered years while the 1VP, 2VP Canada, 2VP Northwest, 2VP South and Secretary are elected in even-numbered years. If any of these officers should be unable to serve, the President, on behalf of the Executive Board, will appoint a replacement until that position’s term ends.
3. There will be a varying number of district coordinators appointed by the Executive Board to ensure that local and regional activities will be supported as required. Areas of responsibility will be broken down by area and geographical location. Coordinators will be non-voting members of the Executive Board and may participate as they see fit.
4. All officers, appointees, and coordinators, regardless of position, will be paid up members in good standing with the Society and must remain so during their tenure in office. If any officer, appointee or coordinator fails to maintain his or her membership in good standing, the President, on behalf of the Executive Board, will appoint a replacement until the next election for that position is held.
5. The Executive Board may meet formally once per year at the annual meeting of the Society held at its National Convention or as practical.
6. The Executive Board shall be regularly informed of all executive policy decisions, either by letter, telephone or other electronic media, or in the Society's national publication. In the case of a disagreement, the Executive Board may act at a regular or special meeting to ratify or overturn any executive decision made by the president of AMPS. Majority vote will be the deciding factor.

Article 4. Duties of Officers and Appointees

1. President
   1. Presides over all meetings of Executive Board when called.
   2. Makes all national level policy decisions after due liaison with the members of the Executive Board.
   3. Monitors all activities of the Society via the various officers, appointees, and coordinators.
2. First Vice President
   1. Presides over all meetings of the Executive Board in the absence of the president.
   2. Assists the president in all major policy decisions.
   3. Monitors the activities of the National Convention.
   4. Responsible, with input from the President and the outgoing Show Chair, to select a Show Chair for the National Convention.
3. Second Vice Presidents
   1. Participate in all requisite meetings of the Executive Board.
   2. Nominate, with the President, which members shall form the Competition Committee that is responsible for the formulation, proliferation, and presentation of rules governing competitions. This group sets the standards for classification and judging of model entries.
   3. Ensure timely dissemination of rules and competition guideline packages to participant members in their respective regions for use in AMPS related modeling competitions.
   4. The Second Vice Presidents represent different geographic areas of the world.
      1. There shall be at least four Second Vice Presidents: at least three representing areas of the United States and at least one representing areas outside the United States.
      2. The President, with the approval of the Executive Board, may appoint additional Second Vice Presidents or eliminate Second Vice President positions, from time to time, as the President may find appropriate and useful to coordinate the activities of local and affiliate chapters, and such other matters as the President and the Executive Board may delegate to the Second Vice Presidents.
      3. Any appointed Second Vice Presidents shall serve their terms until the next election for their positions, as set forth in Article 3.c of the Bylaws.
   5. As is possible, at least one second vice president should attend each major show to ensure compliance with national standards, or at least a reasonable attempt at meeting national standards by the judging committee at that show.
4. Secretary
   1. Keeps minutes of all Executive Board meetings as held.
   2. Maintains a full and fair copy of all members of the Society to include addresses, telephone numbers, and date of subscription.
   3. Performs as official historian of the Society.
5. Treasurer
   1. Provides an annual report of finances to the general membership via the Society publication, and will present an accounting at the regular or special meetings of the Executive Board.
   2. Collects all monies and disburses funds as required to pay for expenses incurred by the Society.
   3. Provides a written summary report of financial affairs to the Society at least once per year via the national publication or Annual General Meeting.
6. Appointed Officers
   1. Marketing Director
      1. Provides graphic arts support or advice to the Executive Board and the Society for advertising, show flyers, and other written or printed media which reflect the activities of the Society.
      2. Liaison with industry vendors for the purpose of promoting the Society.
      3. Determines whether locally generated materials present the Society in the manner which it is intended to be by Article II of the Constitution.
      4. Works closely with the Secretary and Webmaster to determine that activities carried out by members of the Society on a local or regional basis reflect the Society in its best light and do not discredit the membership.
   2. Webmaster
      1. The Webmaster is appointed by the President and will be funded from the General Treasury as appropriate. He is expected to:
      2. Maintain a website which announces the Society, its purposes, its achievements, and provides publicly accessible versions of the AMPS Competition Rules and the AMPS Constitution and Bylaws.
      3. He will coordinate closely with the Marketing Director and the Secretary to maintain both a favorable image of the Society and to promulgate Society activities via electronic media.
   3. National Show Chair
      1. Responsible for the National Convention. He will nominate the key show personnel (chief judge and assistant chief judges) in concert with local area representatives and with the approval of the Executive Board.
      2. Will work with the 1st Vice President to ensure show meets National standards
      3. Sits on the Competition Committee for the year he is Show Chair.
      4. Assists the Show Chair for the following year to provide continuity and guidance as requested.
   4. Chief Judge for the Annual National Convention Competition
      1. Is selected on an annual basis by the Competition Committee from suitable Advanced or Masters level AMPS members. Manages the competition on behalf of the Competition Committee.
      2. Organizes all aspects of judging, especially recruiting and scheduling assistant chief judges and field judges. Ensures a supply of judging material is available. Judges should be from as wide an area of members as possible and not confined to a specific club, small area or narrowly focused group of AMPS members.
      3. Runs the competition in conjunction with the Executive Board/Competition Committee and their designated representatives.
   5. International Chief Judge
      1. The International Chief Judge is selected by the AMPS Executive Board. He must successfully complete the AMPS Judge’s Certification process and trained in the administration of the AMPS judging system.
      2. The International Chief Judge is responsible for the contest rules and is the arbiter of these rules, and eligibility of any entry or entrant. He is responsible for judges’ training which includes the certification of AMPS judges. He is responsible for the organization and supervision the International Show model competition. He will organize of the judging teams and shifts and bears the ultimate responsibility for ensuring contest rules are successfully implemented. He will select Assistant Chief Judges to help run the competition. He will assist the Assistant Chief Judges in selecting the Table Captains, Field Judges. He will establish a competition judging area, monitor judging and contest tabulations, assist in compiling the lists of winners, and oversee the presentation of awards.
   6. AMPS Publication Editor
      1. Solicits, receives and publishes content to the AMPS membership magazine Boresight as directed in the AMPS Constitution, Article III (a.)
      2. Distributes Boresight at bi-monthly intervals to AMPS members in good standing.
      3. Publishes advertising and other printed media to Boresight as directed by the AMPS Marketing Director.
      4. Responsible for editing (may delegate if so desired) the content of Boresight.
      5. Represents the society in a manner consistent with the AMPS Constitution, Article II (a.)
      6. Coordinate closely with the Marketing Director and the Secretary to maintain both a favorable image of the Society and to promulgate Society activities via printed media.
      7. Appointed by and reports to the President.
   7. Review Coordinator
      1. Solicits, receives and distributes review samples for the AMPS Review Program.
      2. Administers the Review Program in accordance with the approved Review Program Procedures and Guidelines document.
      3. Responsible for maintenance of the Procedures and Guidelines Document as approved by the Executive Board.
      4. Responsible for staffing of the Review Crew.
      5. Responsible for reviews editing (may delegate if so desired) and content. Appointed by and reports to the President.
   8. Raffle Coordinator
      1. Solicits, receives and distributes donations from vendors for the Annual Show Raffle. Responsible for establishing and maintaining an inventory of promotional sales items such as shirts, cups, hats, pins, etc.
      2. Maintains equipment necessary to run the raffle. Recommends inventory quantities, T-shirt quantities, price structure, sales items and changes to the President, Board and the Annual Show Chairman.
      3. Prepares a final report after the show for Boresight and After Action Review. Appointed by and reports to the President or his designated representative, usually the Show Chairman.

 

Article 5. Procedural Matters

1. Elections
   1. Nominations (including self-nominations) will be accepted by submission to the Webmaster during January and February. A call for nominations will be made in the Society publications and on applicable web sites. The Secretary will serve as the Election Overseer. If the Secretary is up for election, then the Webmaster will serve as the Election Overseer.
   2. On March 1, a list of eligible nominees will be posted on the club website. Voting is through the website and members may cast votes from March 1 to March 15. The winner for any position will be determined by a simple majority of votes cast.
   3. On March 16, the Election Overseer will verify the vote totals and the winners. The results will be tabulated and published on the club Website. If there is a tie, a tie-breaking meeting will be held no later than March 21. It will be conducted by the Election Overseer with at least 2 non-candidate AMPS members present to ratify the result. Other interested parties can be physically or telephonically present. If the tie is between 2 candidates, a coin flip will determine the winner. If the tie is between more than 2 candidates, straws will be drawn to determine the winner.
   4. Any currently subscribed member may run for office, providing he/she meets the restrictions listed in Article 1d of the Bylaws.
2. Meetings
   1. Most Executive Board administrative meetings will be held either via email, letter correspondence or by teleconferencing.
   2. Face-to-face general meetings will be open to the general membership and will be announced well in advance. They will usually coincide with national level conventions and shows.
   3. General meetings will be informal, but an agenda will be used for conduct of the meeting.
3. Amendments to the Constitution and Bylaws
   1. Amendments may be recommended to the Executive Board at any time by any Society member.
   2. After an evaluation by the Executive Board as to applicability and relevance, all constructive recommendations will be placed on a ballot and offered to the general membership for adoption via a website-based voting process approved by the Executive Board. Adoption/defeat will be based on a simple majority of ballots received.

 

Article 6. Local and Affiliate AMPS Chapters

1. Based on a common shared interest in the principles and goals of AMPS, as set forth in the Constitution and Bylaws, local chapters may be created by members, based on the AMPS philosophy. Also, clubs of similar bent, but with broader interests, may wish to be affiliate AMPS member clubs.
2. Local chapters may use the term AMPS in their name, e.g. 'AMPS Cucamonga', or 'Cucamonga Area AMPS'. Affiliate clubs do not have to use the name.
3. Local chapters are expected to adhere to the Constitution and Bylaws of AMPS. Affiliate clubs are not required to, but, in the case of conducting a contest set in the AMPS manner, are expected to adhere to the rules as laid down by the AMPS National Leadership in the conduct and judging of that contest.
4. Both local and affiliate chapters are expected to have at least one member of the National organization in their membership. The National Constitution and Bylaws, as well as the Contest Rules, may be copied and used as required by the local and affiliate clubs. However, clubs are reminded that the BORESIGHT magazine is the proprietary journal of AMPS, and is not to be copied or distributed without prior permission of the National Leadership,
5. Local or affiliate chapters are encouraged to report their activities so that they may be included in BORESIGHT or the Society website, de-conflict show dates and activities, and provide assistance with AMPS related activities.
6. Failure to adhere to the above rules, or presenting the society in a negative light due to undesirable activities, will result in the subject chapter losing its affiliation with AMPS.

 

Article 7. Hosting of the National Convention

1. The national convention may be organized and managed by the Executive Board working through an appointed show committee, or by a group of members who have successfully bid to host the show.
2. At the time that they submit to the membership a bid to host the AMPS National Convention, any organization or group of individuals, other than the Executive Board, seeking to host the convention must have been a local AMPS chapter (not merely an affiliate) for at least one year and must have held at least one successful local or regional show.

 

Article 8. Fiscal Year

1. The fiscal year for all AMPS financial matters shall be January 1 through December 31.