ARTICLE I – NAM E ( Top of Page )

The name of this organization shall be the Hammond-Batts Family Association (hereinafter referred to as "the Association").

ARTICLE II - PURPOSE ( Top of Page )

To promote family unity and continuing fellowship of all Hammond, Batts and extended family through family reunions and related activities. To create a supportive atmosphere for members who strive for excellence through educational achievements and economic advancements. To publish and distribute periodic newsletters or other material of interest to Hammond-Batts family. To foster continuing research and publish research papers documenting the history of the Hammond-Batts family, from early origins in Europe, through migrations to the New World, to present generations.

ARTICLE III - MEMBERSHIP ( Top of Page )

Membership in the association shall be open to all persons interested in or related to the Hammond Batts family, including all variant spellings of the name, and include, but not limited to these lineages: Allen, Ammons, Baddie, Baats, Bell, Bennett, Bilton, Bolds, Bolden, Boltan, Booker, Boyce, Brantley, Breed, Braughton, Brooks, Bruce, Cash, Chesley, Clark, Clough, Coleman, Collier, Collins, Conley, Cook, Coppage, Cotton, Cross, Crump, Curtis, Deneroex, Dickey, Diggs, Dixon, Donovan, Dreed, Edwards, Esekaww, Felix, Flecther, Ford, Foster, Fulleylove, Gaskin, Gibson, Glass, Glover, Godden, Griggs, Hadnot, Hamilton, Hammond, Haney, Harrington, Hayes, Henderson, Holland, Holyfield, Honore, Hubbard, Hussey, Hutchins, Jackson, James, Jenkins, Johnson, Jones, Lacy, Lawrence, Lewis, Lipscomb, Lister, Lockhart, Love, Lucus, Lynch, Martin, Martson, Maxwell, Mcclarron, McCoy, McKinney, McKissack, McWilliams, Melton, Millard Mitchell, Moore, Moses, Moss, Mucker, Munson, Nash, Noyes, Oliphant, Overstreet, Patterson, Payne, Perkins, Pernell, Perry Pierson, Placido, Powell, Pugh, Resonover, Reed, Rich, Rigsby, Rivers, Rutherfrd, Sadler, Seals, Shaw, Shelly, Small, Smith, Spencer, Staffell, Stanback, Stwward, Stonum, Sturgis, Taylor, Thomas, Thompson, Turner, Waler, Ward Washingotn, Whitehead, Wilder, Wiley, Williams, Wilson, Woode, Wooten, Wright. 

ARTICLE IV - OFFICERS ( Top of Page )

The officers of the Association shall be a President; a Vice-President; an Administrative Secretary; a Correspondence Secretary; and a Treasurer -- all elected by the general membership. Their duties shall be as follow:

President - shall preside at all meetings of the Association; serve as chairperson of the Executive Committee; issue a call to all meetings of the Association; represent the Association at functions germane to the advancement of the Association; perform other functions and duties as may pertain to the office of the President.

Vice President - shall act in the president's absence; serve as parliamentarian; perform such other duties as may pertain to the office of the Vice President.

Administrative Secretary - shall keep record of the proceedings of the annual business meeting; perform such other duties as may pertain to the Administrative Secretary.

Treasurer - shall collect and document all membership dues; record all financial expenditures; perform such other duties as may pertain to the office of the Treasurer, including providing periodic financial reports to Association members.

Historian/Genealogist - shall research, document, and maintain the history and genealogy of the Hammond-Batts family, from early origins in Africa, through the middle passage to the New World, to present generations.

Editor - shall publish the Association's newsletter, The Hammond-Batts Quarterly.

ARTICLE V - ELECTION OF OFFICERS ( Top of Page )

Election of Officers - shall be held bi-annually at the business meetings of the Association, during the family reunion. Any vacancies during the interim between business meetings shall be filled by appointment of the Executive Committee.

1) Candidates for any of the above stated offices shall be members of the Association, and must have attained an age of twenty-one (21) years old.

2) Candidates for any of the above stated offices must prove a direct lineage to the Hammond-Batts family.

3) Services provided as officers of the Association or as members of committees of the Association shall be gratuitous service.

Terms of Office - shall be a maximum of two (2) consecutive terms for all Association officers. Terms of office for members of the Education Committee will be determined and detailed in accordance with the directions of the Education Foundation Board of Trustees.

NOTE: Incumbent officers of the National Committee are serving a term in office.

ARTICLE VI - STANDING COMMITTEES ( Top of Page )

Executive Committee - shall consist of Association officers and chairpersons of the Education and the Membership committees; shall administer the business affairs of the Association. It shall have power in the interval between general meetings of the Association to act on all administrative matters on behalf of the Association.

Education Committee - shall establish and administer a not-for-profit Education Foundation for the purpose of providing financial assistance to Association members who strive for excellence through educational achievements and economic advancements.

1) The Education Foundation (hereinafter referred to as the Foundation) shall consist of a committee and a Board of Trustees. Details of the Education Foundation shall be prepared by the Education Committee with the advice and consent of the Executive Committee

2) Specific details of the activities of this committee will be addressed in documents prepared by officers of the committee -- under the supervision and approval of the Executive Committee. All financial affairs shall be managed by the Treasurer of this committee -- with the advice and consent of the Executive Committee.

Membership Committee - shall be responsible for developing, implementing and administering a membership plan. The plan shall address membership requirements and benefits in detail, and will be implemented with the advice and consent of the Executive Committee.

ARTICLE VII - AD HOC COMMITTEES ( Top of Page )

The Reunion Committee shall be responsible for planning, coordinating and administering the bi-annual family reunion. The specific details of the ad hoc activities of this committee will be addressed in documents prepared by the committee -- under the supervision and approval of the Executive Committee. All financial affairs shall be managed by the Treasurer of the Reunion Committee.

1) The Reunion Committee shall be an Ad Hoc committee which will be organized during each general meeting of the family reunion and exist for a period of two years -- not to exceed the time of the succeeding family reunion. The Reunion Committee shall consist of a Chairperson; a Vice-Chairperson; a Secretary; a Treasurer, and such other members as may be determined by the Committee Chairperson, with the advice and consent of the Executive Committee.

2) The Reunion Committee shall be responsible for planning, coordinating and administering the bi-annual family reunion. Details of specific activities of this committee will be addressed in documents prepared by the Reunion Committee -- under the supervision and approval of the Executive Committee. All financial affairs of this committee shall be administered by the Reunion Committee Treasurer, under the management of the Reunion Committee Chairperson.

3) All residual funds remaining in the Reunion Committee treasury after all obligations have been satisfied shall be transferred to the Association treasury.

Election Committee - shall be responsible for collecting a panel of candidates and conducting the election of new officers; dismissal of incumbent officers; and installation of newly elected officers. The committee shall consist of a Chairperson and such other members as may be determined by the Executive Committee from time to time.

By-Laws Committee - shall be responsible for establishing, chartering and implementing the structure by which the Association shall function. The committee shall consist of a Chairperson and such other members as may be determined by the Executive Committee from time to time.

ARTICLE VIII - HISTORIAN/GENEALOGIST ( Top of Page )

The Family Historian/Genealogist shall administer continuing research and publish research papers documenting the history of the Hammond-Batts and extended family, from early origins in Africa, through migrations to the New World, to present generations.

ARTICLE IX - QUARTERLY NEWSLETTER ( Top of Page )

The Association Quarterly Newsletter (hereinafter referred to as the Quarterly) shall be the official publication of the Association, will be used to disseminate information to Association members, and serve as a medium for publication of research on the Hammond-Batts and extended family. The staff of the Quarterly shall consist of an Editor, and such other Contributing Editors as necessary from time to time. The Editor shall be elected by the general membership of the Association on a bi-annual business meeting.

ARTICLE XI - FINANCE ( Top of Page )

The finances of the Association shall be accounted for under a budget system.

1) No officer, committee, committee member or member of the Association shall receive any funds or incur any expense for the Association not provided for in these By-Laws unless authorized in writing by the President, with concurrence of the Vice President; nor shall the Treasurer or other authorized person make any payment except for expenditures which have been so approved.

2) There shall be an annual audit of all accounts by an independent accounting firm. The accounting firm will be selected by a general consensus of the Executive Committee.

ARTICLE XII - FAMILY REUNION ( Top of Page )

A reunion of the Hammond-Batts family will be held during the second weekend of July annually (i.e., 2005, 2006, etc.). Every other year the family reunion shall be held in Texas.

ARTICLE XIII - BUSINESS MEETINGS ( Top of Page )

A business meeting shall be held on Saturday morning during the hours of 8 a.m. and 12 o'clock noon, or such time as decided by the Executive Committee on the site of the bi-annual family reunions. These family business meetings are open to all members of the Association in good standing. All other meetings (committee meetings, social events, etc.) do not constitute business meetings. Final decisions on issues brought to the business meeting shall be passed by a grand majority of a quorum of members present at the business meeting.

Majority - Simple majority shall mean greater than fifty percent (i.e., 51% and greater) of those members casting a votes, while Grand majority shall mean greater than two-thirds (i.e., 67% and greater) of those members casting votes.

Quorum - shall mean thirty (30) active members of the Hammond-Batts Family Association. The chairperson of the Membership Committee shall be responsible for maintaining an accounting of active Association membership.

During the intervening years between family reunions (i.e., 1998, 2000, etc.), members of the Executive Committee (as applicable) and all other interested Association members shall meet at a location in South Carolina, as agreed upon by the Executive Committee, to discuss and resolve, when possible, issues related to the management, operation and administration of the Association.

ARTICLE XIV - RATIFICATION ( Top of Page )

These By-Laws shall become effective on January 1, 1998, upon affirmative votes by a grand majority of incumbent members of the Hammond-Batts Family National Committee. Voting ballots will be mailed to members of the National Committee no later than November 1, 1997, and must be completed and postmarked by mid-night November 30, 1997 in order to be included in the tally.

Incumbent members of the Hammond-Batts Family National Committee are: Michael McCoy (President), Terrence Payne (Vice President), Bernita Walker (Secretary), La Toya Cantrell (Treasurer),

Upon ratification and effectuation of these By-Laws, the Hammond-Batts Family Association will nullify and/or replace the Hammond-Batts National Committee.

ARTICLE XVI - DISCLAIMER ( Top of Page )

The Association disclaims responsibility for the actions and personal opinions of individual members who are in violation of the association's policies and procedures.

We, members of the By-Laws Committee of the Hammond-Batts Family National Committee, do hereby subscribe to these sixteen articles, and in accordance with the wishes and desires of the full membership of the National Committee (identified in Article XIV of these By-Laws), and by our signatures, establish the Gourdin-Gourdin Family Association.

Signed By:

President: Michael McCoy (Albany, GA)

Vice President: Marvin V. Greene (Los Angeles, CA)