First Districts Constitution & By-Laws:
Department of Wisconsin’s Constitution & By-Laws:
You can find the Department of Wisconsin’s Constitution and By-Laws, and many other important documents by visiting their Post, County & District Resources page
The following is an excerpt from the Departments C&BL for quick reference, it is current as of 2022 09 25 Check the Department link above for the current version.
SECTION 4. (a) The Department shall be divided into twelve (12) Districts, the areas of which shall be composed as follows:
District 1 – Racine, Kenosha, Walworth, Rock and Waukesha Counties.
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(b) Each District shall have a District organization, the membership of which shall consist of delegates from each Post within the District, and which membership shall be composed of a minimum of two delegates from each Post together with one additional delegate for each one hundred memberships on which the Post shall have paid its dues to the Department. Alternates for each delegate may also be elected by each Post to act in the absence or disability of a delegate. Membership in such District organization shall be mandatory upon all Posts in such District.
(c) Each District shall adopt a written Constitution and Bylaws to govern its operation and functioning, which shall be approved by the Department Executive Committee, and a copy of which shall be filed with the Department Adjutant.
(d) Each District shall elect one District Commander and may elect or appoint one or more District Vice Commanders for each District from among the active Legionnaires of such District. Their respective terms of office shall commence immediately upon the adjournment of the annual Department Convention after their election and shall end at the adjournment of the second next succeeding annual Department Convention. Their election or appointment shall be subject to ratification by the Department Convention following their election. The odd numbered Districts shall elect District Commanders and either elect or appoint District Vice Commanders during even numbered years, and the even numbered Districts shall elect District Commanders and either elect or appoint District Vice Commanders during each odd numbered year. The District Constitution may provide for the election or appointment of additional District officers, except that the District Adjutant shall be appointed by and hold office at the discretion of the District Commander.
(e) The District Commander and District Vice Commanders and such other elective District officers as the District Constitution provides shall be elected at a District meeting held between the first day of April and the first day of July in any year at such time as may be designated by the District Commander. The District Commander shall notify each Post Commander in the District, through Department Headquarters, by mail at least thirty (30) days prior to the date of such election meeting. The number of delegates and alternates to which a Post is entitled at any District meeting at which District officers are elected shall be ascertained and computed on the paid-up membership of such Post as reported to Department Headquarters thirty (30) day prior to such meeting. The names of the delegates and alternates to such meeting shall be certified to by the Post Adjutant and submitted to the District Commander prior to such meeting.
(f) The District organization shall hold at least two meetings a year which shall take the place of, and be known as, the District Spring Conference and the District Fall Conference, and which, at the discretion of the District Commander, may be held in conjunction with the Spring and Fall conferences of other Districts in the Department. The District organization shall hold such other meetings as may be provided by its Constitution and Bylaws.
(g) The District Commander, or such District Vice Commander as the Commander shall designate, shall preside at all meetings of the District organization. The duties of the District Commander and the District Vice Commanders shall be such as are prescribed by the Department Constitution and Bylaws, and as further provided by the District Constitution and Bylaws. The duties of other District officers and committees shall be such as are provided by the District Constitution and Bylaws.
(h) The District shall have the power to levy and collect such per capita and assessments from the Posts within the District as shall be provided by its Constitution and Bylaws.
(i) There shall be a District Executive Committee of which the District Commander shall be the chair and presiding officer. Such District Executive Committee shall be composed of and shall have such powers as shall be defined by the District Bylaws.
County Councils
SECTION 5. (a) Established County Councils to coordinate the County activities of The American Legion are recognized as a definite part of the Department organization.
(b) In any County which has no County Council established as hereinafter provided, the Posts in each County shall be grouped under the supervision of a County Commander who shall be appointed by the Department Commander upon the recommendation of the District Commander of the District in which said County is located. Such appointment shall be made no later than thirty days after each annual Department Convention.
(c) In any County not having a County Council and not embracing one or more Districts, but having two or more Posts, County Councils may be established whenever a majority of the Posts in any County shall so determine. A report of such action shall be transmitted to the District Commander who shall call a meeting of the representatives of all Posts in the County. The representatives of each Post at such meeting shall be on the same basis as its representation in the last Annual Department Convention. After organization, the representation of each Post shall be determined on such basis as each County Council shall, by its Constitution and Bylaws, provide.
(d) In any County embracing one or more Districts, there shall be a County Council composed of delegates from each member Post, elected in such a manner as the Constitution and Bylaws of such County Council may provide to coordinate inter-District activities of The American Legion. The District Commanders shall be delegates-at-large in such County Council. Membership in such County Council shall be mandatory upon all Posts in the County.
(e) Each County Council shall elect a Commander, one or more Vice Commanders, a Finance Officer, and Adjutant, Service Officer, and shall select an Executive Committee and such other officers and committees as may be required by the Department or as may be deemed advisable by the County Council. Membership in such County Council shall be mandatory upon all Posts in the County.