Vice-President General Duties

Reference: SAR Handbook, Volume II, History, Organization and Protocol, Revised March 2012, Page 8

Vice Presidents General are established as General Officers of this Society. They are nominated by the state societies within a district and elected by a majority vote of delegates at the Annual Congress of the National Society, where they are installed into office.

State presidents should recognize Vice Presidents General (VPG) within his district and provide every courtesy as a national officer. Protocol establishes the VPG as second in rank to the President General of the National Society in his respective district. The principal duties and responsibilities of the VPG are presented here as a guide to assist them in their performance.

No compatriot should accept the office unless he is willing to assume all the inherent responsibilities and duties. The office requires considerable time, effort, traveling and expense. The interest of the Society must take precedent over the personal aspirations of any member. The prime factor in selection of a nominee should be his SAR experience, knowledge, ability and previous performance. There is no budgeted expense allowance for the VPG.

Vice Presidents General should confine their duties to their district, except when requested by the President General, and concentrate on state and district concerns. Exceptions are:

  • The VPG is concurrently a National Society chairman of a committee and required to coordinate a national program with all of the states,
  • The VPG is under special instructions from the President General or Executive Committee.

A Vice President General:

  1. Assists the President General in the affairs of the Society, performing any assigned or delegated task the President General may request.
  2. Escorts the President General on official visits within the district of the Vice President General, except when the President General and VPG may make other arrangements.
  3. Is knowledgeable of the Constitution and Bylaws of the National Society, the official handbook, national programs, administrative requirements and inner workings of the National Society and his District.
  4. Attends all scheduled meetings of the National Society to include Fall and Spring Leadership Meetings and the National Congress.
  5. Serves as an ex-officio member of the NSSAR Membership Committee.
  6. Prepares and submits timely written reports as required by the Executive Director, normally two to three weeks prior to a Leadership Meeting and one month prior to a National Congress, or whenever requested by National staff. This facilitates publication and binding in time for distribution to members in attendance to Leadership Meetings and National Congresses. Copies of reports by the state society presidents to the Vice President General should be included in the report to the National Society.
  7. Schedules and conducts a meeting of all state societies within the district at least once annually.
  8. Visits each of the state societies within the district at least once annually during the term of office and attends the annual meeting of each state society except in the case of scheduling conflicts.
  9. Assists the state societies in any areas of weakness or in response to any request for assistance, including disputes within the District, but always functioning within the knowledge and approval of any pertinent state society president.
  10. Organizes and conducts district or state workshops. Indoctrinates newly elected state officers to ensure that they fully understand National Society procedures and programs. Suggested topics for discussion may include, but are not limited to, promotion of attendance at the NSSAR Congress and Leadership Meetings, protocol and parliamentary procedures, purposes and functions of national committees and programs, establishing speaker bureaus for schools, public functions and holidays, and reporting requirements of the state societies to the Vice President General and the National Society.
  11. When informed of any visit by the President General within his district, assists the state society president with hosting and other arrangements for said visit and insures that protocol procedures and preparations are in place, but always in coordination with the state society.
  12. Upon election to office, coordinates calendars of events with each state society president within the district, arranging an information stream through e-mail, web sites, or other means of correspondence including telephone, USPS, or facsimile.
  13. Obtains copies of Constitutions and Bylaws plus rosters of officers for each state society in the district.
  14. Is prepared to promote the programs and activities of the National Society. This includes, but is not limited to, the following:
    • American History Teacher Award
    • Americanism Poster Contest
    • Joseph S. Rumbaugh Historical Patriotic Oration Contest
    • George and Stella Knight Essay Contest
    • Eagle Scout Scholarship Program
    • JROTC Recognition Program
    • C.A.R. Recognition Program
    • Current Membership Activities Program
    • Changes to the Constitution and Bylaws
    • Information from Leadership Meetings and National Congresses
    • Committee programs that affect state societies and chapters
    • Instructions to state societies and chapters on any SAR matter that are not fully understood
  15. Each VPG should inform state societies of a planned visit and coordinates with the state president.
  16. Is prepared to participate in certain SAR activities and ceremonies to include, but not limited to:
    • Marking graves of Revolutionary War Patriots and deceased SAR members
    • Submitting articles and photos for publication in THE SAR MAGAZINE
    • Speaking at meetings of the state societies and chapters, the C.A.R., DAR, and other functions that promote the SAR.