Bylaws Review and Tracking

BYLAWS ARE REQUIRED—BUT TRACKED SEPARATELY

Detachment bylaws are required; Administrative Procedures are optional. National Bylaws Section 905 requires consistency with Department and National rules. The Department Judge Advocate approves detachment bylaws and any Administrative Procedures adopted. Where no jurisdictional Department exists, the National Judge Advocate is the approving authority.

Department bylaws and any Department Administrative Procedures require National Judge Advocate approval and must be on file at National Headquarters under Section 810.

The Midwest dashboard tracks bylaws separately from its ROI, IRS/990, and state-status checks. A missing tracker copy is different from failure to adopt or obtain approval of required bylaws. The dashboard label does not waive the governing-document requirement.

USE THE MIDWEST DETACHMENT TEMPLATE

Open the public template preview below and use Download to save an editable Word copy. Keep an unchanged master and work from a separate copy.
Read the Template Instructions and replace every placeholder with the detachment’s actual information.
Bylaws are required. If Administrative Procedures are not adopted, remove that optional part and resolve references to it in the remaining document.
Keep membership, officer, financial, meeting, and disciplinary provisions consistent with current National and Department rules, including adopted amendments not yet incorporated into a published edition.
Follow the applicable notice and voting requirements, have eligible members adopt the documents, and record the action in the minutes.
Submit the adopted documents to the Department Judge Advocate for approval, or National Judge Advocate when no jurisdictional Department exists.
Keep the final approved version, approval record, and amendments together. Provide the appropriate copy for Division tracking through the internal administrative process.

CORE REVIEW POINTS

The Detachment Board of Trustees and any Past Commandant appointment must match National Bylaws Section 935.
Officer vacancies follow Section 925; discipline, grievances and appeals follow current National procedures.
ROI timing includes submission within 14 days and National receipt of the annual detachment report by June 30. Apply the adopted 2026 shared-responsibility update.
Use current NAP Section 6015 for installing-officer eligibility, including adopted 2026 amendments.
State the detachment quorum in its bylaws and follow applicable rules for in-person, virtual, or hybrid meetings.
Membership eligibility, voting rights, delinquency, and life-member certification must follow current National rules. The 2026 proposal to expand associate voting on bylaws was rejected.
Submit contracts intended to bind the detachment to the entire Detachment Board of Trustees before signing, as required by National Bylaws Section 965.
Follow the local amendment procedure and obtain the appropriate Judge Advocate approval.

ANNUAL BYLAWS REVIEW

Review governing documents when National or Department rules change. An annual check is recommended for Division tracking and may also be requested by the appropriate Judge Advocate or leadership. National Bylaws Section 905 does not itself establish an annual detachment submission deadline.

Record the official name, adoption and approval dates, reviewing Judge Advocate, approved file location, changes needed, and submission dates. A tracker entry is an administrative record, not the approval itself.

The 2026 proposal for mandatory twice-yearly Department submissions was rejected. Follow current adopted requirements and any separately issued applicable review request.

The Detailed Bylaws Tracker shows the information on hand and follow-up status. Send completed records through the designated administrative contact; do not place member rosters or private attachments in public folders.