THE NORTH AMERICAN STATION

OF THE ROYAL SCANDINAVIAN YACHT CLUBS

AND NYLÄNDSKA JAKTKLUBBEN

est. 1945

MEMBER LOGIN
  • Kate Somers
  • January 1, 1945
  • 8:31 pm
  • 0 comments
Constitution and By-Laws

Last Updated: March 1, 2025

ARTICLE I. NAME AND DIVISIONS

  1. The name shall be “The North American Station of the Royal Scandinavian Yacht Clubs and Nyländska Jaktklubben”.
  1. The Station will be affiliated with the following clubs (the “Home Clubs”):

Kongelig Dansk Yachtklub (KDY) The Royal Danish Yacht Club

Kongelig Norsk Seilforening (KNS) The Royal Norwegian Yacht Club

Kungliga Svenska Segel Sällskapet (KSSS) The Royal Swedish Yacht Club

Nyländska Jaktklubben (NJK) of Finland

Göteborgs Kungliga Segel Sällskap (GKSS) The Royal Gothenburg Yacht Club

  1. This Station will encompass the United States and its possessions, Canada, Bermuda, and the Caribbean.
  1. Fiscal year end: December 31

ARTICLE II. OBJECTS

  1. The objects of this Station are to encourage the art of building, rigging and handling small vessels and interest in seamanship and naval architecture, particularly in connection with the promotion of close ties between North American and Scandinavian yachtsmen.
  1. In order to do so, the Station will not seek a large membership, but especially welcome as members those distinguished by their activities in racing, cruising and naval architecture and those who have sailed or are preparing to sail in Scandinavian waters, or who have special interest in Scandinavian yachting.

ARTICLE III. OFFICERS AND GOVERNING BOARD

  1. The officers of the Station shall be the Post Captain, the Secretary, Treasurer, and the Fleet Captain. One person may hold two of these positions simultaneously.
  1. There shall be a Governing Board of not more than fourteen Governors. The Post Captain, Secretary, Treasurer, Fleet Captain and Chairman of the Membership Committee shall be Governors.  Each of the Home Clubs shall have as a Representative a member of the Home Club primarily domiciled in the United States, appointed by the Governing Board and approved by the respective Home Club, who shall automatically be appointed a member of the Governing Board. The remaining Governors shall be nominated and elected as prescribed in Articles VIII and IX.

ARTICLE IV. DUTIES OF OFFICERS

  1. The Post Captain shall be the general executive officer and shall command the squadron and preside at all meetings of the Station and the Governing Board.
  1. The Secretary shall keep records of the Station and shall perform the other duties prescribed by the Constitution and the By-Laws.
  1. The Treasurer shall collect dues and other accounts of the members and shall manage the funds of the Station. He/she shall perform such other duties as may be prescribed by the Constitution and By-Laws and by the Governing Board.
  1. The Post Captain shall administer the affairs of the Station with the approval of the Governing Board.
  1. The Fleet Captain shall oversee all waterborne activities of the Station.
  1. In the event of the temporary absence of the Secretary or the Treasurer, the Post Captain may appoint a member to act in his/her place.

ARTICLE V. ELECTION OF MEMBERS

  1. Every candidate for Full membership, except spouses or partners of members, shall be proposed by a member and seconded by another member over the members’ signatures in a proposal addressed to the Chairman of the Membership Committee. Proposals for membership shall be considered by the Membership Committee according to Rules which the Governing Board shall determine. Members shall be elected by the Governing Board upon recommendation by the Membership Committee; except that members may request, to the chair of the Membership Committee, who is authorized to grant such request, that his or her spouse or partner be admitted to membership. Members of the Governing Board and the Membership Committee shall not be disqualified from proposing or seconding any candidate for membership.
  1. In case a member of a Home Club is proposed for membership in the North American Station, every consideration shall be given to expediting consideration of the proposal.
  1. Members may be elected, or re-classified by the Governing Board, as:
  • a. Full members
  • b. Ex-officio members
  • c. Honorary members
  • d. Life members
  • e. Junior members
  1. The officers and governors of the Home Clubs shall be Ex-officio members of the North American Station and also all honorary members of the Home Clubs with domicile in the territory which this Station covers as stipulated in Article I shall, upon request to the Post Captain or Membership Committee, be Ex-officio members of the North American Station. Ex-officio members shall have all of the privileges of the Station except voting and being eligible for office.
  1. The Governing Board may, by unanimous vote of the Governors present at any meeting of the Board at which a quorum is present and acting, elect to Honorary membership any person who, in the opinion of the Board, by his or her racing or cruising accomplishments, or otherwise, has made an outstanding contribution to the objects of the Station. Honorary members of the Station shall have all the privileges of the Station except voting and being eligible for office.
  1. The Governing Board may appoint Life members, subject to recommendation of a “Senior Membership Committee” appointed by the Post Captain, such Life membership to be subject at a minimum to the following prerequisites:
  • a. Been a member in good standing of the NAS for a minimum of 20 years.
  • b. Such member must also have actively participated in the NAS activities in such a way that it can be concluded that he/she has made a significant contribution to the NAS and its mission.
  1. Junior members are those members who have not reached their 21st birthday. Junior members become Full members on their 21st birthday.

ARTICLE VI. MEETINGS

  1. General Meetings of members: The Annual Meeting shall be held on the first Friday of December of each year, and the Spring Meeting shall be held on the first Saturday of June of each year, unless the Governing Board determines otherwise. Special meetings of members may be called by the Governing Board and shall be called by the Secretary at the written request of nine members.
  1. The Governing Board shall meet as often as it may deem necessary, or at the call of the Post Captain.

ARTICLE VII. QUORUM  

1. Nine voting members present in person or by proxy shall constitute a quorum at any General Meeting. Five Governors shall constitute a quorum at any meeting of the Governing Board. Each committee shall determine its quorum.

ARTICLE VIII. NOMINATING COMMITTEE: NOMINATION OF OFFICERS AND GOVERNORS; APPOINTMENT OF GOVERNORS

  1. The Nominating Committee shall consist of the three most recent Post Captains, each of whom must be a member of The NAS to serve. Any vacancy may be filled by a vote of the past Post Captains then serving on the Nominating Committee. This Committee shall nominate for election at the next Annual Meeting candidates for any vacancies among Post Captain, Secretary, Treasurer and the Governing Board, except the Representatives of the Home Clubs, and shall notify the Secretary of such nominations not later than November first.
  1. Three or more members may put in nomination any other candidates they may agree on, provided such nomination, signed by at least three members, is filed with the Secretary not less than fifteen days before the Annual Meeting. The Secretary shall send notice thereof to all members not less than ten days before the Annual Meeting.

ARTICLE IX. ELECTIONS:  TERMS OF OFFICE:  VACANCIES

  1.  The Post Captain, Secretary, Treasurer and the elective members of the Governing Board shall be elected at the Annual Meeting and hold office for three years and until the election of their successors.
  1. The Fleet Captain shall be appointed by the Post Captain.
  1.  Vacancies in any office or on the Governing Board shall be filled by the Post Captain. Those so appointed shall hold office until their approval at the next Annual Meeting for a full term and until the election of their successors.
  1.  Term Limits: The Post Captain shall be limited to two consecutive terms in office.

ARTICLE X. COMMITTEES

  1. The Governing Board shall appoint and instruct a Membership Committee of not less than three and not more than five members, to serve for three years or until their successors are appointed. The Post Captain shall appoint the Chairman of the Membership Committee from among those so appointed. The proceedings of the Membership Committee shall be confidential.
  1. The Post Captain may create or abolish such other committees, and appoint or remove members of such committees, as he/she may deem necessary.
  1. The Post Captain, or in his/her absence, the Secretary, shall be ex-officio a member of all committees except the Nominating Committee.

ARTICLE XI. STATIONS

1. The Station is located in New York City. 

ARTICLE XII. EXPENDITURES

  1. No expenditures of funds nor contracts binding the Station shall be made except by authorization of the Post Captain with oversight by the Governing Board.

ARTICLE XIII. DISCIPLINE

  1. Every member, on joining the Station, thereby undertakes to comply with this Constitution and the By-Laws; and refusal or neglect to do so, or any other conduct unworthy of a gentleman/lady and sailor or inimical to the welfare of the Station, shall render a member liable to suspension or expulsion by a unanimous vote of the members of the Governing Board present at a meeting.
  1. Notice of such proposed action, with the reasons therefore, shall be sent to the member by registered mail at his/her last known address at least thirty days prior to such meeting, and he/she shall have the right to be present with counsel.

ARTICLE XIV. FLAGS, DEVICES, UNIFORMS

  1. Club Burgee:  The Burgee shall be a pointed flag with a white background. A red cross shall bisect the middle outlined with blue. The device in the upper quadrant shall be a gold crown. The colors shall closely match the colors used in the Scandinavian national flags.

ARTICLE XV. AMENDMENTS

  1. This Constitution cannot be suspended under any circumstances but may be amended by a two-thirds vote at a General Meeting.
  1. Proposed amendments must be in writing signed by three members and sent to the Secretary in time to be included in the notice of the meeting.

ARTICLE XVI. DISSOLUTION

  1. The Station can be dissolved by two-thirds vote of members voting at a General Meeting and will be automatically dissolved if the membership falls below fifteen.
  1. Upon dissolution, any funds and property which belong to the Station will be remitted or transferred to the Home Clubs in equal shares.

BY-LAWS

CHAPTER I. ENTRANCE FEES AND DUES

  1. Each member on his/her election to the Station, except as hereinafter provided, shall pay an entrance fee and dues as determined by the Governing Board except that if a member elected to the Station already has paid an entrance fee to a Home Club, he/she shall not be required to pay the entrance fee to the Station as described above; furthermore any member of the Station who elects to remain or become a member of the respective Home Club and thus is obliged to pay his/her dues abroad, will still be required to pay annual dues to the North American Station.
  1. Any member failing to pay his/her entrance fee or his/her dues within ninety days after the same become due shall be subject to revocation of membership. The member’s name will be submitted to the Governing Board for action.

CHAPTER II. ORDER OF BUSINESS

  1. The order of business at all General Meetings shall be as follows:

Roll Call

Minutes of previous meeting

Reports of officers

Reports of committees

Old business

New business

CHAPTER III. NOTICES

  1. Notices of General Meetings shall be sent to each member by the Secretary at least twenty days previous thereto. The notice for the Annual Meeting shall contain the report of the Nominating Committee. Notices of Special Meetings shall state in detail the subjects to be brought up for action and no other matters may be considered at such meetings.

CHAPTER IV. APPEAL

  1. A member shall have the right to appeal to the members from a decision of the Governing Board, which may be overruled at the next General Meeting by a two-thirds vote of those present in person or by proxy. Notice of such appeal must be stated fully in the call for the meeting.

CHAPTER V. RESIGNATIONS

  1. Resignations shall be forwarded to the Secretary in writing and be presented by him/her at the next General Meeting. No resignation shall be accepted while the member is indebted to the Station, nor shall any dues be refunded for dues payable in the year in which the resignation is tendered.

CHAPTER VI VOTING

  1. None but members of the Station shall be allowed in the meeting room during the meeting of the Station except with the assent of the Post Captain
  1. Every member present when a motion is under consideration shall vote thereon unless excused by the presiding officer.
  1. Proxies must be in writing, signed, witnessed and filed with the Secretary five days in advance of the meeting.

CHAPTER VII. SENIORITY

  1. The date of election to membership in this Station shall determine seniority among the members. In case of members elected the same date, seniority shall be determined by lot.
  1. In the absence of the Post Captain, the Senior member present shall be acting Post Captain. In the event of the resignation or death of the Post Captain, the following persons shall assume the office of Acting Post Captain in the following order: the Secretary, the Treasurer, The European Fleet Captain, The North American Fleet Captain, the Governor with Seniority. Any of these persons may choose to refuse the office and defer to the next person in line.
  1. In case of resignation and re-election, the date of membership shall be the date of re-election.

CHAPTER VIII CONFIDENTIALITY

  1. Members are requested to respect the privacy of their fellow members and guard the integrity of information provided. No commercial use of such information is permitted.

CHAPTER IX. AMENDMENTS

  1. These By-Laws cannot be superseded under any circumstances but may be amended by a two-thirds vote at a General Meeting.
  1. Proposed amendments must be made in writing signed by three members and sent to the Secretary in time to be included in the notice of the meeting.

Rules of The Membership Committee

  1. The purpose of the Committee is to review proposals for Full membership and for Junior membership and on that basis recommend candidates for membership in the Station to the Governing Board.
  1. The Committee Chairman shall be responsible for:
    • a. Keeping the records of the Committees proceedings, in particular all documentation pertaining to the review of new membership proposals
    • b. Calling Committee meetings as necessary
    • c. Communication with Station members about membership rules and procedures
    • d. Communicating with the Station Secretary to ensure posting of recommended candidates with the membership
    • e. of candidates recommended for membership to the Governing Board.
  1. Meetings of the Committee can be in-person, by phone or by email exchange as the Committee deems most practical; in the event of an in-person or phone meeting, three days’ notice of the meeting shall be sent to the Committee members by the Chairman unless waived by all members
  1. The proceedings of the Committee shall be strictly confidential.
  1. Two members shall constitute a quorum for business; in the case of a meeting by email exchange, a response by two Committee members shall constitute a quorum.
  2. Candidates for Full and for Junior membership may be proposed by Station members at any time by contacting the Committee Chairman.
  1. When the Committee Chairman is contacted by a Station member wishing to propose a candidate for membership, the Chairman will assist the Station member in completing the proposal process.  The Chairman will discuss the candidate’s credentials relative to Article II of the Constitution with the proposer.  The Chairman will also help the proposer gather the documentation necessary for a formal Committee review:
    • a. A sailing résumé
    • b. Completed proposal form
    • c. A proposal letter, which may be an email 
    • d. A seconding letter, which may be an email
  1. Sailors under the age of twenty-one who have represented The NAS in The Five Club Regatta, who have been on a Junior Exchange to Scandinavia or who have been awarded The NAS Award at any Home Club or The NAS may request Junior membership directly by contacting the Committee Chairman; these candidates will not need a proposer or a seconder; but they will need to fill out a membership proposal.
  1. A former Station member who left the Station in good standing and wishes to become a member again may request membership by contacting the Committee Chairman, who is authorized to grant such a request; such candidate will not need a proposer or a seconder; but will need to fill out a membership proposal.

A widow or widower of a deceased member who was in good standing at the time of his/her death may request membership by contacting the Committee Chairman, who is authorized to grant such a request; such candidate will not need a proposer or a seconder; but will need to fill out a membership proposal.

  1. Once the necessary proposal documentation has been received by the Chairman, he will call a Committee meeting to review the proposal.
  1. If the Committee is of the opinion that a candidate cannot be elected, the Chairman shall notify the proposer and seconder to that effect and suggest that the name be withdrawn.
  2. The Committee Chairman will provide the Station Secretary with a list of candidates recommended for membership in time for posting with the membership prior to Governing Board meetings at which these candidates will be elected members; the candidate list must be posted with the membership for at least thirty days prior to the meeting of the Governing Board.