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CONSTITUTION

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ARTICLE I.

SECTION 1. This organization shall be known as the LEAGUE OF AMERICAN WHEELMEN.

SECT. 2. Its objects shall be to promote the general interests of cycling; to ascertain, defend and protect the rights of wheelmen; to facilitate touring; to secure improvement in the condition of the public roads and highways, and to promote and regulate cycle racing on the track.

ARTICLE II.

SECTION 1. The League shall be an association sub-divided for convenience in administration and government as follows:

(a) When there shall be twenty-five League members in any State it shall be constituted a Division, and the Secretary shall call an election for a Chief Consul. The election shall be conducted by mail and the Secretary shall receive and count the votes and declare the result. The Chief Consul so chosen shall enter upon his duties at once and conduct the affairs of the Division under rules and regulations made by the Executive Committee.

(b) When there shall be fifty League members in any State, the Chief Consul shall appoint a Secretary-Treasurer and the two officers shall conduct the affairs of the Division under rules and regulations made by the Executive Committee.

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(c) When there shall be one hundred members in any State, the Chief Consul shall appoint a Vice Consul. The Chief Consul and Secretary-Treasurer and the Vice Consul thus appointed, together with such other representatives as may be appointed as hereinafter provided, shall constitute the division board of officers with power to make and execute a constitution and by-laws for the government of the division.

(d) For the purposes of this section, California shall be considered as two States, divided as follows: South California to be composed of the following counties: Santa Barbara, Ventura, Riverside, Los Angeles, Orange, San Bernardino, San Diego, and any other counties that may be formed from these; and all north of these counties shall be known as No. California.

SECT. 2. The status of every division shall be fixed annually on the first day of October, and shall be based on the membership enrolled on the books of the League on that date.

SECT. 3 When the membership of any division shall be less than twenty-five, such division shall be discontinued, and all money and property shall be turned over to the secretary of the League within thirty days after notification by the secretary.

ARTICLE III.

SECTION 1. Any amateur white wheelman of good character, eighteen years of age or over, shall, with the endorsement of two League members, or three other reputable citizens, be eligible to membership in this League upon payment of the initiation fee and dues, as provided in this constitution.

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SECT. 2. All applications for membership shall be forwarded direct to the secretary of the League, together with the proper fees and dues, and such information as may be required.

SECT. 3. The name of each applicant for membership must be published in the official organ, and unless within two weeks thereafter, a protest shall be filed with the secretary, he shall become a member of the League.

SECT. 4. Each applicant shall pay to the secretary of the League an initiation fee of one dollar and shall also pay seventy-five cents for his annual dues.

SECT. 5. All memberships shall expire one year from the date on which the application is published in the official organ.

SECT. 6. A member may renew his membership at any time within sixty days from the date of its expiration by payment of the annual dues of seventy-five cents. (One dollar with L.A.W. BULLETIN AND GOOD ROADS). If he shall postpone the payment of his dues beyond the sixty days he shall pay in addition to the annual dues the sum of fifteen cents for every month or fraction of a month he is in arrears, except that he shall pay no more than one dollar in fines for a full year.

SECT. 7. Objections to the admission of any candidate for membership must be made to the secretary within two weeks after the publication of the name of such candidate, and such objections shall fully set forth the reasons why the candidate should be denied admission, and shall be considered confidential.

SECT. 8. In passing upon the eligibility of candidates as amateurs, the membership committee shall be guided by the following amateur rule, and shall take proper pains to ascertain and [page 6] determine through the racing board the facts in the case where objection is made to a candidate on this ground.

AMATEUR RULE. An amateur is one who has never competed in cycling for a cash prize, or gate money, or who has not engaged in, nor assisted in, cycling, or any other recognized athletic exercise, for money, or other remuneration, nor knowingly competed with or against a professional for a prize of any description; or who, after having forfeited his amateur status, has had the same restored by a unanimous vote of the National Assembly, L.A.W. A cyclist ceases to be an amateur by:

(a) Engaging in cycling or other recognized athletic exercise, or personally training or coaching any person therein, either as means of obtaining a livelihood, or for a wager, money prize or gate money.

(b) Competing with a professional or making the pace for, or having the pace made by, such in public or for a prize.

(c) Selling, pawning, exchanging, bartering or turning into cash, or in any manner realizing cash upon any prize won by him.

(d) Accepting, directly or indirectly, for cycling, any remuneration, compensation or expense whatever.

(e) In this class no prize shall exceed thirty-five dollars in value.

(f) Racing men in the employ of cycle establishments may be transferred to the professional class by vote of the racing board.

(g) An amateur may not compete in any race outside of his own State, at a distance greater than one hundred miles, by the usual line or route of travel, from his legal residence, except at national championships or closed college race [page 7] meetings, or by special permission from the member of the racing board in charge of his district.

(h) The Racing Board shall arrange amateur National Championship events and professional National Championship events to be contested each year. The series of races for these events shall be the same in number and distances for both classes.

(i) Any amateur who neglects or refuses to answer questions touching his status to the satisfaction of the racing board, and within thirty days, shall be transferred to the professional class, and shall have no further opportunity for hearing or appeal.

(j) A professional is any rider other than an amateur.

(k) The League recognizes as athletic exercises, in addition to cycling, all sports over which the Amateur Athletic Union, The National Association of Amateur Oarsmen and other amateur athletic organizations have jurisdiction.

(l) Contestants at closed college or school meets shall for those meets only be governed by the amateur rules of the intercollegiate association of Amateur Athletes of America.

SECT. 9. The Secretary shall retain from the annual dues and from all renewal fees an annual per capita tax of forty cents. The balance of such annual dues and the whole amount of the initiation fee shall be returned to the divisions quarterly. He shall return to the divisions fifty per centum of all back dues and fines.

ARTICLE IV.

SECTION 1. The management of the League shall be vested in a national assembly consisting of [page 8]

All chief consuls,

All vice consuls from divisions having two hundred or more members,

All secretary-treasurers from divisions having one hundred or more members,

All delegates chosen by the several divisions,

All ex-presidents and ex-vice-presidents of the League who shall at the time of a meeting of the national assembly be members of the League in good standing; but no ex-president nor ex-vice-president shall be represented by proxy at any meeting, nor shall he be empowered or entitled to hold the proxy of any other member.

The president, first and second vice-presidents, the secretary, the treasurer and the chairmen of all standing committees.

It shall have power to make a constitution and by-laws for the guidance of the League, to establish regulations for the government of divisions in their relations to the League and to each other, and to generally direct and decide in all matters not provided for in this constitution.

SECT. 2. The general supervision and executive powers of the League shall be vested in the executive and finance committee, but said committee shall not involve the League in any matter not contemplated by the purposes of this organization, without the authority of the national assembly. Said committee shall enforce all rules, regulations and orders made by the national assembly and carry out the provisions of the constitution and by-laws, but shall not have any power of legislation (this being vested solely in the national assembly). They shall be allowed their necessary expenses, and may allow committees their necessary expenses. They [page 9] shall approve all bills before payment by the treasurer, and shall during the months of January, April, July and October of each year publish in the official organ a financial statement up to the first day of each of said months. Said January statement shall be audited by a committee of three to be elected by the national assembly at the annual meeting, and said auditing committee shall have power to employ an expert accountant. All orders for the payment of money by the treasurer shall be signed by the executive committee or a majority thereof.

Before the annual meeting in February the committee shall send to every member of the national assembly a complete detailed printed financial statement, showing the condition of the League to Jan. 1, last preceding.

SECT. 3. Fifteen members personally present at any meeting of the national assembly shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business.

SECT. 4. The annual meeting of the national assembly shall begin on the second Wednesday in February in each year. The place of meeting shall be determined by the national assembly during its session of a preceding year, or the assembly may, by vote, delegate the power of choosing to the executive committee.

SECT. 5. Special business meetings shall be called by the president upon the written request of a majority of the Chief Consuls of the divisions. Said meeting shall be called not later than sixty days after the receipt of the request, at a place designated by the president. Thirty days' notice of such meeting must be given in the official organ, with a statement of the business to be transacted at the meeting, and no other business shall be considered.

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SECT. 6. In case of the refusal or neglect of any division of the L.A.W. to comply with any decision or ruling of the national assembly or of the executive committee when the national assembly is not in session, it shall be within the power of said national assembly by a majority vote, or of said committee by a unanimous vote to impose a fine on said division, which may be collected from the amount of dues in the hands of the secretary of the L.A.W. and withheld from the division until the aforesaid order of ruling shall be complied with.

ARTICLE V.

SECTION 1. (a) Each division shall elect annually a chief consul, vice consul and secretary-treasurer; and shall also elect one representative, for each two hundred League members on its roll October 1.

Provided, however, that the board of officers of any division may insert a clause in the division constitution providing for the election of one representative for such other number of League members on its roll on October 1st as may be deemed desirable.

And provided further that whenever the board of officers of any division shall adopt a by-law or rule providing that the secretary-treasurer of the division shall hold office during the pleasure of the board, the secretary-treasurer thereafter elected shall perform the duties of his office until the board of officers shall declare his office vacant, by resolution duly adopted at any meeting regularly called, and after thirty days' notice of such proposed action shall have been given by mail to the members of the board of officers.

[page 11] In the event of the removal of a secretary-treasurer by the board of officers, the chief consul shall appoint a secretary-treasurer who shall serve until the next annual election thereafter.

(b) Each League Club under the jurisdiction of a division shall be entitled upon joining the League and annually thereafter, to elect representatives to the board of officers and such representation shall be fixed by the division board.

(c) The chief consul of a division may appoint and League clubs may elect representatives from time to time as the increase in membership of the division or the club may warrant.

SECT. 2. Each division having at least fifty and less than one hundred members shall elect annually a chief consul and secretary-treasurer.

SECT. 3 Each division having at least twenty-five and less than fifty members shall elect annually a chief consul.

SECT. 4. The persons who shall receive the greatest number of votes regularly voted for any office at any election in a division shall be declared elected.

SECT. 5. These officers shall constitute the division boards of officers, and shall be elected annually between the 15th day of October and the 15th day of November, at such time and place, and in such manner as is provided by the constitution and by-laws or the rules and regulations of the division.

SECT. 6. No person shall be nominated for or elected to any office in a division, unless he be at the time of his nomination a member of the League and a resident of the division.

SECT. 7. When any officer of a division or any delegate to the national assembly shall remove from the State or territory in which he [page 12] was elected, or shall cease to be a member of the League, his office shall forthwith become vacant.

SECT. 8. In the event of a contested election in any division, such contest must first be referred to the Division Rights and Privileges Committee, if such there be, within ten days after the result of the election is announced in the official organ of the League, and must be heard and decided by such committee within thirty days thereafter. Any contestant shall have the right to appeal from such committee's decision, or, if such committee delay its decision beyond the thirty days, to refer the contest, to the National Rights and Privileges Committee. Except on appeals, the division must pay all expenses incurred by the National Committee in the consideration, report and settlement of the contest. In case of an appeal, the contestant appealing shall deposit in advance with the chairman of the national committee, a sum sufficient to cover all such expenses, which sum may be refunded to such contestant by vote of the National Assembly, and, if so refunded, the division must pay all such expenses.

SECT. 9. Vacancies in the office of chief consul of a division shall be filled by the succession of the vice-consul. Vacancies in the office of chief consul of a Division having less than one hundred members shall be filled by the president. All other vacancies in divisions shall be filled by the chief consul.

SECT. 10. Each division shall adopt for its guidance, a constitution and by-laws not inconsistent with the national constitution and bylaws, and a copy of the national constitution and by-laws shall be included in or sent with any publication containing the constitution and bylaws of any division which shall be published [page 13] by the division for general distribution among its members.

SECT. 1. The term of office of all division officers shall commence on the 1st day of December in each year.

SECT. 2. Each division board of officers shall hold its annual meeting in the month of December, and shall then elect from the division one delegate to the national assembly for each four hundred members upon its roll on Dec. 1.

ARTICLE VI.

SECTION 1. The officers of the League shall be a president, first and second vice-presidents, treasurer and secretary, who shall be elected by the national assembly, at the annual meeting; provided, however, that the secretary shall hold office as long as he shall render satisfactory service. The national assembly may, however, by a two-thirds vote of the members and proxies present at any meeting, declare the office of secretary vacant and hold an election for his successor, one month's notice of the intended declaration of a vacancy having been given.

SECT. 2. The official year shall begin immediately upon the adjournment of the annual meeting of the national assembly.

SECT. 3. There shall be the following national committees:

1. Executive and finance, to consist of the president and vice-presidents.

2. Membership.

3. Rights and privileges.

4. Rules and regulations.

5. Improvement of highways.

6. Transportation.

7. Racing board.

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8. Auditing.

9. Local organization.

SECT. 4. (a) All national committees except that on auditing, which shall be elected, and that on local organization, shall be appointed by the president, who shall have the power to suspend or remove any member of such committees, and to fill vacancies therein arising from suspensions, removals or from any other cause.

(b) The committee on local organization shall consist of the chief consuls of all divisions having memberships of one thousand and upwards on their respective rolls at the date of the annual meeting of the national assembly next preceding the official year for which this committee shall take office. The members of the committee on local organizations shall select their own chairman by the ballots of those members personally present at the said annual meeting.

(c) The committees on rights and privileges, rules and regulations and membership shall consist of three (3) members each. The racing board and committee on improvement of highways shall consist of not less than five members each, nor more than seven.

(d) The committee on transportation shall consist of a chairman, who shall have power to add members to the committee not exceeding ten in number.

ARTICLE VII.

SECTION 1. The League shall provide an official organ to be known as the " L. A. W. BULLETIN AND GOOD ROADS," in which shall be printed all official announcements and communications, and which shall be devoted in a [page 15] substantial way to the encouragement of fraternal co-operation among its readers in the work for improved roads throughout the United States and to the other benevolent objects of the League. The said official organ shall be sent as a regular periodical publication to each member of the League who shall have paid a separate and sufficient subscription fee for the same, excepting, however, that at any time when the postal authorities of the United States shall permit the distribution by mail of free copies of an official organ to members of the League upon payment of postal rates as second class matter, the executive committee of the League may arrange or provide for such distribution of such official organ to League members without the payment of a separate subscription fee. No division east of the Rocky Mountains shall establish or contract for an official organ of its own.

ARTICLE VIII.

SECTION 1. (a) Any wheeling club in the United States that shall have in its by-laws a provision requiring every active member to be a member of the League of American Wheelmen, and that shall file annually with the secretary of the L. A. W. a certificate thereof together with a correct list of club members certified to by the president and secretary of the club, accompanied by a fee of two dollars, shall become a League club, and entitled to all the privileges accorded League clubs under this constitution.

(b) The board of officers of any division may adopt a by-law providing that any club within such division, at least seventy-five per cent. of whose members are members of the League, [page 16] may become a League club. And upon such club filing a certificate thereof with the secretary of the League, accompanied by a fee of two dollars, and a certified list of all its members, designating those who are members of the League as provided in clause (a) it shall become a League club and entitled to all the privileges accorded League clubs under the constitution. Provided, however, that such club shall be entitled to representation to the extent of its League membership only, and that no action on League matters shall be taken except by the League members of such club.

(c) The membership of every League club, as such, shall expire on the first day of July in each year and may be renewed at any time before the first day of September next succeeding.

Upon receiving from the secretary of the club a certificate to the effect that the club still continues the required by-law in force together with a correct list of the club members with the League members designated as such, certified to by the president and secretary of the club and accompanied by a fee of two dollars, the secretary shall issue a new certificate of membership. The membership of all clubs that fail to renew the same before Sept. 1 shall lapse.

(d) On and after the date of the passage of this rule no club shall be entered as a League club if its name shall be the same or similar to that of any club already enrolled, except by consent of the League club whose name is the same or similar. The appearance in the title of the name of the city or town in which the club is located shall constitute the name a similar one, and therefore it shall be deemed prejudicial to the interest of the club already enrolled.

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(e) Representatives to the division board of officers from League clubs shall file with the secretary-treasurer of the division a certificate of their election, signed by the president and secretary of the club which they represent and the secretary-treasurer shall announce the election in the official organ.

(f) All rights and privileges of any League club, including representation on the division board of officers, may be revoked at any time by the executive and finance committee, fifteen days' notice having been first given by said committee to said club to show cause why the same should not be revoked.

(g) No League member who shall belong to more than one League club in a division shall be permitted to vote for club representatives in more than one of the clubs of which he is a member. On or before the first day of October in each year, such League member shall advise the secretary-treasurer of the division as to the club in which he elects to vote for club representative.

(h) League clubs containing members belonging also to other League clubs will have such members on or before the first day of October in each year, advise the secretary-treasurer of the division as to the club in which he elects to be counted for League club representation in the division board of officers and the secretary-treasurer shall thereupon notify all the clubs to which the member belongs of his decision as to representation.

ARTICLE IX.

This constitution may be altered or amended by a two-thirds vote of the delegates of the national assembly voting in person or by proxy [page 18] at any regular meeting of the assembly, or at any meeting called for that purpose, of which sixty days' notice shall have been given; but no amendment shall be made or considered unless thirty days' notice thereof shall have been given through the columns of the official organ.