Constitution and Bylaws 

of the 

Richmond Light Infantry Blues

Preamble

We the subscribers, members of the Richmond Light Infantry Blues, do upon our honor bind ourselves to abide by and observe the following laws for the government of the same.

Article I

Quorum

Twenty members, including four Commissioned or Warrant officers, shall constitute a quorum to do all business at the Battalion level, furthermore, ten members, including two Commissioned or Warrant officers, shall constitute a quorum to do all business at the Company level, each to be modified or nullified by the Battalion Commander, or in cases approved by such, the Commander of the respective company.

Article II

Enlistment

Sec. 1, Any person who wishes to become a member of the Richmond Light Infantry Blues shall put forward an application as given. Upon approval, the Company Commander will submit to the Battalion Commander, who will approve or deny said application for membership, and in the case of admittance, be assigned enlisted rank in accordance with the needs of the Battalion.

Sec. 2, The Battalion Commander holds the right to appoint and commission officers of any rank, as well as the right to enlist personnel at any rank. Furthermore, Company commanders hold the right to appoint and commission officers up to the rank of First Lieutenant, as well as to enlist personnel up to the non-commissioned officer rank of Staff Sergeant with the consent of the Battalion Commander.

Article III

Election of Members at Large

Sec. 1, Members at Large may be elected as the Battalion and its respective Companies see fit.

Sec. 2, They shall be exempt from all yearly contributions, nor subject to any fines imposed upon members of the Richmond Light Infantry Blues for infractions. Additionally, they shall be presented with a lapel pin and certificate of membership.

Sec. 3, Voting for Members at Large shall be done by ballot, and shall require two thirds approval before election, or in special cases may be granted by the Battalion Commander.

Article IV

Appointment and Election of Commissioned Officers

Sec. 1, Any personnel aiming to be an officer shall meet the following requirements.

To be of sound mind.

To be sober.

To be of good moral character.

To currently hold the rank of Sergeant or higher.

Sec. 2, Any personnel who meet the requirements stated above shall be permitted to petition for a commission. During this time the personnel shall be appointed via Warrant given by Company Commander to the administrative grade of Warrant Officer. During this period, the prospective officer shall put together a packet consisting of their certifications, as well as a letter stating their reasons for seeking officership to the Battalion Commander. Upon approval, they shall exchange their warrant for an Second Lieutenant’s commission. Upon denial, the Warrant Officer shall have a period of 6 months to re-submit their packet, and in the case of a second denial, they shall be returned to enlisted status and barred from re-petitioning for a period of one year.

Sec. 3, All members shall serve a total of three years from date of admission into the Richmond Light Infantry Blues, although they hold the right to resign voluntarily at any time of their choosing.

Article V

Appointment and Promotion of Non-Commissioned Officers

Sec. 1, The non-commissioned officers of each company shall consist of one First Sergeant as well as as many Sergeants and Corporals as deemed fit.

Article VI

Duties of Commissioned Officers

Sec. 1, As part of the duties of Battalion Commander, they shall have the power to convene private meetings or parades, meetings, courts martial or courts of inquiry whenever they deem necessary. Additionally, the Commander holds the right to assign members to individual companies for the betterment of the battalion, as well as to use battalion funds for the same reason. Every six months, the Battalion Commander shall convene a committee of three officers to produce a written report of all expenditures made by the unit. He shall require the Secretary to inform the officers, commissioned and non-commissioned, of their duties.

Sec. 2, They shall submit to the Treasurer any fines necessary for collection within ten days of receipt of a report of court martial.

Sec. 3, They shall instruct the Secretary to communicate the names of any members expelled from the unit to any Commanders of other volunteer Corps, as well as to the media as required in events of severe damage to the integrity of the unit.

Sec. 4. The First Lieutenants of the companies shall perform uniform inspections at each parade and meeting.

Sec. 5, The Battalion Commander, should they fail to perform any duty contained in this article, may be fined 100 dollars at the discretion of the Battalion Judiciary.

Sec. 6, The Battalion Commander, once relieved from duty through election or retirement shall be promoted a single grade and will be placed on the supplementary membership list and shall be ineligible for future promotions. Past Commanders will additionally be ineligible to hold positions of leadership within the Battalion but will be held in due regard and shall be considered eligible to be re-elected to the post of Battalion Commander.

Article VII

Duties of Non-Commissioned Officers

Sec. 1, The First Sergeant shall bear the duty of communicating with their junior sergeants, as well as his team leaders, to ensure the wellness and safety of the personnel in their company. Upon sufficient response, the First Sergeant shall inform their Company Commander, who shall pass said information along to the Battalion Commander.

Sec. 2, At the discretion of the Company Commander, it shall be the First Sergeant’s duty to inform their personnel of all parades and meetings within two days of said event.

Sec. 3, It is the duty of the First Sergeant to take note of, and to inform the Treasurer of, any delinquents from meetings or parades to ensure proper fines are assessed.

Sec. 4, It is the duty of the First Sergeant to call the roll at meetings or parades, noting any absentees, and reporting their findings to the Commanding Officer.

Sec. 5, It is the duty of the First Sergeant to report infractions of these By-Laws to their Commanding Officer.

Sec. 6, Any non-commissioned officer failing to perform the duties as defined above, or as assigned by their superiors, shall be fined no less than 5 and no more than 20 dollars.

Article VIII

Duties of Personnel

Sec. 1, Every member of the Blues as contained on the rolls and roster, shall consider themselves subject to military law during the performance of their duties as a member, as well as during meetings or parades, and shall be liable at all times, to be subject to disciplinary action, suspended, or discharged from the Battalion at the pleasure of the Battalion Commander in cases of conduct unbecoming.

Sec. 2, No member on the active roster shall be permitted to leave a meeting without the permission of a Commissioned Officer.

Article IX

The duties of the Secretary

Sec. 1, The Company and Battalion Secretaries shall be elected by ballot on the first meeting of every year. It is their duty to attend all meetings, courts martial, and courts of inquiry to act as recorder to the same. The Secretaries shall keep a copy of these By-Laws.

Sec. 2, Said copy will be subject to inspection and observation by any member of the Battalion.

Sec. 3, The Secretary shall take the roll of meetings, and submit the names of absentees to the Treasurer for the collection of fines.

Sec. 4, In the event of an unavoidable or pre-planned absence, the Company shall elect a temporary Secretary until the regular Secretary returns.

Sec. 5, The Secretaries shall also act as the Treasurers and Collectors of each Company, and as such shall be responsible for the record of, and collection of, any fines or otherwise. They shall maintain a log of all transactions and receipts, subject to the scrutiny of their respective Commanders.

Sec. 6, Any Secretaries who shall neglect their duties as described above shall be fined no less than 10 but no more than 30 dollars by the Battalion Judiciary.

Article X

Parades and Meetings

Sec. 1, Parades shall take place according to local laws and at the discretion of the Battalion Commander.

Sec. 2, There shall be set meetings every two weeks on their respective Saturday, this section is subject to modification or nullification at the discretion of the Battalion Commander, or the respective Company Commander.

Article XI

Richmond Light Infantry Blues Band Service

Sec. 1, The Richmond Light Infantry Blues shall maintain a properly equipped and maintained volunteer band organization. This organization shall be placed under the command of an officer in the Battalion Commander’s staff, designated as the Battalion Bandmaster, who shall hold the rank of Major.

Sec. 2, The Bandmaster maintains the right to exercise control over all aspects of the Band Service, including discipline, and necessary staffing. The Bandmaster holds the right to appoint a Battalion Drum Major, who will hold the brevetted rank of Captain. Additionally, the Bandmaster holds the right to appoint section leaders, who shall hold the brevetted rank of Second Lieutenant, as well as band staff, who shall hold the brevetted rank of First Lieutenant.

Sec. 3, Rehearsal and performance schedules will be subject to the discretion of the Bandmaster, with the consent of the Battalion Commander.

Sec. 4, Band personnel shall be initially appointed to the non-commissioned officer rank of Staff Sergeant, and shall be subject to regular promotion regulations.

Sec. 5, The Full Dress uniform for the Band Service shall consist of the regular uniform of the Richmond Light Infantry Blues, with band modifications, consisting of a blue double breasted uniform jacket with white breastplate and blue uniform pants with white striping down the seam. Black shoes shall be worn. Officer’s shoulder accoutrements shall remain the same as the regular uniform, while the enlisted personnel shall wear band accoutrements. Headgear prescribed shall consist of a regular officer’s Chapeau de Bras Full Dress dress hat for the Bandmaster, a ceremonial bearskin busby for the Drum Major, and a metal soldier’s “tin can” dress hat, with ceremonial feather plume, to be substituted with white pompom in case of foul weather for enlisted personnel. Cartridge boxes bearing the “RLIB” insignia shall be worn.

Article XII

Richmond Light Infantry Blues Medical Service

Sec. 1, The Richmond Light Infantry Blues shall maintain a properly equipped and maintained volunteer medical organization and staff. This organization shall be placed under the command of an officer in the Battalion Commander’s staff, designated as the Battalion Chief Medical Officer, who shall hold the rank of Major.

Sec. 2, The Battalion Chief Medical Officer holds the authority to designate deputy medical officers who will be appointed to each of the Battalion’s Companies.

Sec. 3, The Battalion Chief Medical Officer holds the authority to mandate training regulations, schedules, as well as the authority to ensure proper qualifications are maintained.

Sec. 4, Due to the nature of medical work, the Battalion Chief Medical Officer shall hold the authority to dismiss members of the Medical Service, with the notification of the Battalion Commander. The Battalion Commander will work with the member in regards to placement with a non-staff Company.

Sec. 4, Members of the Medical Service shall be entitled to wear the branch insignia of the U.S. Army’s Medical Corps.

Article XIII

Richmond Light Infantry Blues Legal Service

Sec. 1, The Richmond Light Infantry Blues shall maintain a properly equipped and maintained legal organization. This organization shall be placed under the command of an officer in the Battalion Commander’s staff, designated as the Battalion Chief Judge Advocate, who shall hold the rank of Lieutenant Colonel.

Sec. 2, The Battalion Chief Judge Advocate holds the authority to designate legal officers who may be appointed to the Judiciary to serve as a Military Judge over Courts-Martial.

Sec. 3, All other officers shall be designated as Judge Advocates and shall serve in their respective capacity.

Sec. 4, The Battalion Chief Judge Advocate holds the authority to mandate training regulations, schedules, as well as the authority to ensure proper qualifications are maintained.

Sec. 4, In order to be qualified as a Judge Advocate, a member shall be admitted to the Bar of the Commonwealth of Virginia or any of its surrounding states.

Sec. 5, In order to be qualified as a Legal Aide, the enlisted member shall hold the qualification of Paralegal or have verifiable work experience as a legal aide.

Sec 6, Members of the Legal Service shall be entitled to wear the branch insignia of the U.S. Army’s Judge Advocate General Corps.

Article XIV

Richmond Light Infantry Blues Public Affairs Service

Sec. 1, The Richmond Light Infantry Blues shall maintain a properly equipped and maintained public affairs office. This organization shall be placed under the command of an officer in the Battalion Commander’s staff, designated as the Battalion Public Affairs Officer, who shall hold the rank of Captain.

Sec. 2, The Battalion Public Affairs Officer holds the authority to mandate training regulations, schedules, as well as the authority to ensure proper qualifications are maintained.

Sec. 3, Enlisted members of the Public Affairs Service shall be entitled to wear the branch insignia of the U.S. Army’s Public Affairs Branch. Officers will wear the standard Infantry Branch insignia.

Article XV

Richmond Light Infantry Blues Historical Service

Sec. 1, The Richmond Light Infantry Blues shall maintain a properly equipped and maintained historical affairs office. This organization shall be placed under the command of an officer in the Battalion Commander’s staff designated as the Battalion Historian who shall hold the rank of Captain.

Sec. 2, The Battalion Historian holds the authority to mandate training regulations, schedules, as well as the authority to ensure proper qualifications are maintained.

Sec. 3, Members of the Historical Service shall be permitted to wear from time to time the uniform of the Richmond Light Infantry Blues as codified in regulation from various eras of service, i.e. Revolutionary War, Civil War.

Article XVI

Subordinate Commands

Sec. 1, The Battalion Commander holds the authority to create and dissolve new commands within their staff, and as well holds the authority to appoint or dismiss officers to head these offices.

Sec. 2, These offices may be created to serve a temporary purpose, or may be stood up as a dedicated subordinate command of the Richmond Light Infantry Blues.

Article XVII

Sanctioned Fraternal Organizations

Sec. 1, The Battalion Commander may authorize non-uniformed organizations to bear the name of the Richmond Light Infantry Blues.

Sec. 2, This authorization will be granted for a period of three years, after which reauthorization will be required.

Article XVIII

Order of Proceedings

Meetings shall be conducted in this order. 1st. Call to order. 2nd. Call the roll. 3rd. Read the proceedings of the last meeting. 4th. Collection of dues and fines. 5th. Unfinished business. 6th. Elections, nominations, and resignations. 7th. Motions and resolutions. 8th. Adjournment.

Article XIX

Contributions and Fines

Sec 1, Every enlisted member shall pay to the treasurer a yearly contribution of 20 dollars, senior enlisted members in the grades of of Sergeant and above shall pay a yearly contribution of 40 dollars, and officers shall pay a yearly contribution of 60 dollars.

Sec. 2, Roll shall be called 15 minutes from the hour the meeting or parade is scheduled, and any member who does not answer their call shall be fined 5 dollars, even if they appear later, unless their excuse is deemed reasonable by an Officer.

Sec. 3, Members who fail a uniform inspection shall be fined a flat fee of 5 dollars.

Sec. 4, If any member shall within a period of 6 months, fail or refuse to pay dues or fines as listed in these By-Laws, they shall be reported to the Battalion Commander by the Secretary, who shall then take action as they deem fit.

Article XX

Withdrawals

Sec. 1, Any member wishing to resign from the Richmond Light Infantry Blues shall pass their request up their chain of command to their First Sergeant. The First Sergeant shall inform the Company Commander, who shall inform the Battalion Executive Officer, who shall inform the Secretary of the resignation, and shall prepare for the collection of fines due.

Sec. 2, A member shall be eligible to be placed on the retired roll of the Richmond Light Infantry Blues after a period of 15 years of honorable service. Retired members shall be permitted to wear the uniform at their pleasure, subject to the same restrictions applied to active members.

Sec. 3, A withdrawal and discharge cannot be finalized until all required dues and fines are collected.

Article XXi

Richmond Light Infantry Blues Reserve

Members of the Richmond Light Infantry Blues who cannot actively participate in official activities, while still paying their dues and fines, shall be considered part of the Richmond Light Infantry Blues Reserve.

Article XXII

Courts of Inquiry

Sec. 1, One commissioned officer, two non-commissioned, and two enlisted shall constitute a court of inquiry.

Sec. 2, Appeals to fines shall be given in front of a court of inquiry. If fines are necessary, the case will move to court martial.

Sec. 3, Members of the court of inquiry shall be fined 10 dollars in the case of absence, unless given proper excuse.

Article XXIII

Military Honors – To whom due

Contributing and at large members of the Richmond Light Infantry Blues shall be entitled to a burial with the honors of war if they so desire, the Battalion shall serve as escort.

Article XXIV

Uniform

All members shall abide by Army uniform regulations for wear of the modified U.S. Army Uniform with Virginia insignia.

All officers shall abide by current uniform regulations for wear of the modified U.S. Army Dress Blue Uniform with Virginia insignia.

The Full Dress uniform for commissioned and warrant officers:

Cap: Officers on the Battalion Staff or Battalion Commander’s Staff may wear a black Chapeau de Bras with ceremonial feather plume, to be substituted with a white pompom in the event of foul weather, bearing the officers insignia of the Richmond Light Infantry Blues.

Coat: A blue double breasted coat with white breastplate. Rank will be worn on silver plated epaulettes. A cartridge box with the “RLIB” insignia will be worn. Ceremonial sword belt will be worn.

Pants: Blue uniform dress pants with white stripe down the seams. White uniform pants will be worn in the summer season.

Shoes: Black ceremonial dress shoes with metal plated inserts.

Full Dress uniform for Sergeants and Enlisted members:

Cap: Metal “tin can” dress hat, with sunburst eagle design. White feather plume will be worn, replaced by white pompom in case of foul weather.

Coat: A blue double breasted coat with white breastplate. Sergeants will wear necessary white epaulettes. Enlisted personnel will wear white shoulder accoutrements. A cartridge box with the “RLIB” insignia will be worn. Sergeants will wear ceremonial sword belt.

Article XXV

Amendments

Sec. 1, An amendment proposed must be submitted in writing, when a majority of the Company is present. The Company Commander will submit the proposed amendment to the Battalion Commander, who will approve or deny the amendment.