The name of this organization shall be “The Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom: The Section for the United States.”
The object of this organization shall be to promote that peace between nations, races and classes, which is based in justice and good-will, to outlaw war, substitute law for war, and to cooperate with women from other countries who are working for the same ends.
The membership shall consist of all women who support the object of the organization and pay the prescribed dues.
The affairs of the national organization shall be administered, subject to instructions from the membership, by a National Board of Directors.
The National Board shall have power to organize State branches and to recognize State branches organized independently. State branches shall be encouraged to organize local branches.
The National Board of Directors shall consist of eleven members elected by Annual Meeting and such other members, not exceeding seven (7) in all, whom the Board may at its discretion add to its number at any time.
The National Board may appoint from its own number an Executive Committee to which it may delegate such powers as it considers advisable.
The National Board shall appoint a National Chairman, not more than five Vice-Chairmen, representing as well as possible all sections of the country, a National Secretary and a National Treasurer.
These officers, together with the International Chairman of the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom, the two representatives from the United States on the International Consultative Committee, the State Chairman, and the chairman of national standing committees shall form an Advisory Council. Members of the Advisory Council who are not members of the National Board shall have the privilege of attending all meetings of the Board and taking part in discussion, but without vote. [page 2]
Subject to instructions from the membership, and to the provisions of this Constitution, the National Board shall have entire control of the organization’s affairs and shall adopt such methods for furthering the purpose of the organization as seem to it desirable.
It may engage such salaried staff and appoint such standing committees as the work requires, and may, at its discretion, appoint other officers and committees in addition to those provided for specifically in this Constitution.
It may organize State branches and appoint State Chairmen pending their election.
It shall call an Annual Meeting for the entire membership and as many other general meetings as seem desirable.
It shall have sole authority to issue printed matter in the name of national organization.
It shall have power to fill all vacancies.
It shall act authoritatively in all emergencies as the voice of the national organization.
State branches when organized shall elect their own officers and have complete local autonomy subject to the provisions of this Constitution. In every organized State there shall be a State Chairman and a State Executive Board. There shall be such local organization as may be deemed effective for propaganda, but for political action a chairman shall be elected or appointed in each Congressional District.
State branches shall have power to fix their own dues and to create auxiliary or popular memberships on such conditions and with such dues as seem to them desirable.
Every State branch shall send to the National Treasurer for the use of the national organization fifty [percent] (50%) of all dues paid in the State.
Annual dues for members in unorganized States shall be one dollar.
Any member may become a member of the international organization of the W.I.L.P.F. by paying five dollars annually in addition to State and national dues. Members of the international organization will receive the monthly journal published at the Geneva headquarters.
Voting at the Annual Meeting and at special national meetings shall be confined to regularly elected delegates.
Each State branch and the District of Columbia shall be entitled to one delegate and to one additional delegate for every twenty members beyond the first twenty.
Before each Annual Meeting or special national meeting a Credentials Committee shall be appointed by the National Board to pass on the eligibility of all who present themselves as delegates.
All elections shall be held under the supervision of the National Board by the Hare System of proportional representation.
At the Annual Meeting a nominating committee of five shall be elected to present at the following Annual Meeting candidates for the office of Director and, if delegates to an international Congress are to be elected the following year, for the office of an international delegate. This committee shall receive nominating petitions throughout the year, shall file all valid petitions with the Annual Meeting not later than its first session, and shall include among the candidates whose names are placed on the ballot all candidates for whom valid petitions have been filed.
There may be nominations from the floor provided that the consent of every member so nominated is obtained.
This organization shall be the Section for the United States of the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom.
The National Board shall appoint annually two persons to represent the United States Section in the Consultative Committee of the International League. It shall appoint also twenty delegates and ten alternates to represent the United States at each International Congress.
This Constitution may be amended by majority vote at any Annual Meeting. But no amendment shall be voted on unless it is sent to the National Board at least six weeks before the Annual Meeting. The National Board shall send out with the call for the Annual Meeting a statement of all proposed amendments whose submission has been requested by five or more members.
This Constitution shall take effect immediately upon adoption except as to its provisions for nomination of members of the National Board, which provisions shall become effective only upon the close of the Annual Meeting of the year [nineteen] hundred twenty-two. The method of nomination of members of the National Board to be elected at the Annual Meeting of the year nineteen hundred and twenty-two shall be that formerly prescribed in Article VIII for nomination of national officers.
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