Official Call For 2023 NJ AOH State Convention

The New Jersey State Boards of Ancient Order of Hibernians and Ladies Ancient Order of Hibernians are announcing their joint 2023 Biennial State Convention.

The convention opens Friday, May 19th at 6:00 pm at the Col. David B. Kelly Division 1, Middlesex County AOH (271 Second Street, South Amboy, NJ 08879). An icebreaker will begin at 7:30 PM.

The convention re-opens for business on Saturday, May 20th at 9 am at the APA Hotel Woodbridge, 120 Wood Avenue South, Iselin, NJ 08830.

Saturday Convention schedule to be announced.

Lodging and the Saturday banquet will be at the
APA Hotel Woodbridge,
120 Wood Avenue South,
Iselin, NJ 08830.

Round trip bus transportation to the Division and back to the APA Hotel will be provided.

Please submit nominations to Vice President Leo McGuire for the following awards:

1. Corporal Michael Curtin Award
2. Volunteer Pat Torphy Award
3. McFaul-Mullen Award

• Refer to Article 23 of the NJAOH State bylaws for nomination criteria

Brothers must RSVP for the convention package by 4/10/2023.

Conventions must submit delegate lists to Secretary Gerald Logan by 4/19.

Rooms must be booked by 4/19/2023 – must identify yourself as an AOH member when booking your room. Call Rita Specht at 1-732-603-7791.

All bids for hosting the 2025 AOH/LAOH Biennial State Convention must be submitted to Secretary Gerald Logan no later 5/1/2023.

The procedures for the State Convention are set forth in Article 11 of the NJAOH State bylaws:

ARTICLE 11 CONVENTIONS 20 BIENNIAL CONVENTIONS: Section 1. Conventions shall be held in odd-numbered years in accordance with the National By-Laws. The length will be for two consecutive days. DELEGATES: Section 2. The State Convention shall be composed of the following delegates: Officers (elected). Chairmen (appointed). County Boards (each officer total 8). However, each County Board shall also be entitled to an additional delegate for each 100 members in their County or major fraction thereof (51 members or more) in excess of 100 members. Division Presidents. However, each division receives one vote for every 15 members or major fraction. Major fraction for example means, say if a division has 23 members, they receive one for the first 15 and then one vote for the next eight (eight or a number higher, but less than 15 is a major fraction) DELEGATE OPTION: Section 3. In a County in which only one division exists, that division may choose the option of registering as a County Board or as a division. If they choose registering as a County Board, they will receive eight delegates. Membership count is based upon the membership of each division as recorded in the office of the National Secretary 30 days prior to the first day of the State Convention. DELEGATE SELECTION: Section 4. Delegates, outside of the State Board and division President, shall be elected at a meeting held prior to the Convention. ALTERNATES: Section 5. Each Board or division may elect at a meeting held prior to the opening of a Convention, an alternate for each delegate entitled to a seat in the Convention. Alternates for State Board officer are chosen by the State President. DELEGATES LISTS: Section 6. County and Division Presidents shall furnish a list of elected delegates and alternates to the State Secretary no later than 30 days prior to the date of the opening of any Convention. Division recording secretaries shall furnish a copy the delegates to the County President within the same time limit. The State Secretary shall provide, at no cost, copies of the delegate lists to any member of a division in this, who signifies, in writing, his intention to be a candidate for any elective State Board office. The State Secretary shall forward a copy of each list to the State President upon receipt of the same to aid the State President in making Convention committee appointments. 21 LATE REGISTRATION ASSESMENT: Section 7. Any delegate list received after 30 days prior to the date of the opening of any Convention and any person whose name is not reported on the delegate list, will not be allowed to vote upon any matter before the Convention, unless he is certified by his division President (or designated representative) that he is an elected delegate and upon payment of an assessment of $15.00 per delegate to the Chairman of the Credentials Committee, which sum shall be non-refundable, and shall be turned over to the State Board. QUORUM: Section 8. For the purpose of transacting any business at a State Convention one third (1/3) of the delegates must be registered and present at said State Convention, this shall constitute a quorum. SPEAKING AND VOTING: Section 9. Only qualified delegates, or in the absence of a delegate, his alternate, may speak or vote at Convention sessions. At the discretion of the Chair and subject to Convention rules, members in good standing who are not delegates may be permitted the privilege of speaking, but may not under any situation be permitted to vote on any question before the Convention. Any member of the Ancient Order of Hibernians in America Inc., who is in good standing, whether a resident of New Jersey or elsewhere, and who is properly identified by a National AOH dues card shall be admitted to all sessions of the Convention. ORDER OF BUSINESS: Section 10. The Order of business at any Convention of the State Board shall be: 1. Calling of Convention to Order. 2. Checking membership cards; appointing an assistant Secretary or Secretaries, a Doorkeeper, and Auditing Committee. 3. Prayer by Chaplain. 4. Report of the Credential Committee. 5. Adoption of the Convention rules. 6. Appointment of committee on Finance, By-Laws and Resolutions, Grievances, and such other Committees as may be necessary. 7. Reports of the officers – Chairmen and Committees. 8. Nominations of officers (done on first day only – can not be changed). 9. Nominations for Convention cities (done on first day – can not be changed). 10. New Business. 11. Workshop for Hibernian National documents & Financial Advisement 12. Election of officers and selection of the next Convention site. Balloting to begin no later than 1:00 p.m. on the final day. (cant be changed) 13. Installation of Officers. 14. Adjournment. 15. Closing Mass. 22 ALTERING ORDER OF BUSINESS Section 11. The order of business set forth in Section 10 above, may be altered by a two-thirds (2/3) vote of those delegates present and voting. Items 8 – 9 & 12 cannot be changed, except as provided for in the Rules of the Convention. SPECIAL CONVENTIONS: Section 12. Special Conventions shall be called by the President upon written petition of not less than fifty percent (50%) of the total members eligible to vote at regular meetings of the State Board, and may be called by the President with the consent of a majority of the officers of the State Board. The petition shall be addressed to the President or Secretary of the State Board. Within seven (7) days of the delivery of the petition the Secretary shall forward to all State Board members a notice setting forth the contents of the petition and listing the date and place of the special Convention. Delegates shall be as described above in Delegate definition. No registration fees shall be required for any special Convention. Only those items of business specified in the petition shall be discussed at a special Convention. The Convention rules from the last previous biennial Convention shall govern any special Convention. RULES OF ORDER: Section 13. Roberts’ Rules of Order in all matters not satisfactorily provided for in this document shall govern all meetings. CREDENTIALS: Section 14. At least 30 days prior to the State Convention, County and division secretaries shall forward to the State Secretary a list of the duly elected delegates and alternates from each respective jurisdiction which shall be the official list for the use of the committee on credentials and for proceedings in the State Convention. Alternates may change up to the start of the vote. COMMITTEE REPORTS: Section 15. Reports of committees to the State Convention shall be typed in triplicate, two copies to be filed with the State Secretary, one copy to be retained by the Chairman of the committee. APPOINTMENTS: Section 16. At each State Convention, the State President shall appoint an assistant Secretary; an official stenographer, an auditing committee, doorkeeper and such other assistants as may be necessary to carry on the work of the Convention. OFFICIAL CALL: Section 17. The State Secretary shall prepare the Official Call for the State Convention and forward copies to all concerned not less than sixty (60) nor more than ninety (90) days prior to the State Convention. POWERS OF CONVENTIONS: Section 18. Conventions in sessions shall exercise complete legislative and judicial power over the affairs and funds of the Order – subject to the purpose of the Order as set forth in the preamble and the limits of the National Constitution. 23 REGISTRATION OF DELEGATES AND GUESTS: Section 19. No delegate or alternate to any Convention shall be permitted to register unless he has properly identified himself with his current paid-up Membership Card issued by the National Board or other proof of identification. Visitors, upon proper identification, shall be entitled to register as guests and receive guest badges. A visitor must be a bona-fide member of the Order. SEATING DELEGATES: Section 20. Delegates will occupy seats in a section reserved exclusively for them while the Convention is in session. AGENDA PROCEDURES: Section 21. In order to receive placement on the agenda for all matters relating to new business and/or the adoption of convention rules with respect to the Biennial Convention, such matters must be submitted by a member of the State Board or approved by a County Board or Division and submitted by it’s President in writing and furnished to the State Secretary and the State By-Laws Chairman on or before the second State Board immediately preceding the Biennial Convention. At that State Board meeting immediately preceding the Convention the State By-Laws Chairman will issue a ruling as to whether any requests conflict with the National Constitution and State/or these By-Laws. A finding of no such conflict will entitle the written submission to be placed on the agenda for the Convention.

If you have any questions, please call me at (856)-729-5266 (mobile).

In our motto,

 

Gerald Logan

Secretary, New Jersey State Board

Ancient Order of Hiberninans