The stated meetings of the Encampment shall be held on the third Wednesday in February of each year, at such place as shall have been selected by the previous Encampment.

Each annual Encampment shall by vote fix the per capita tax for the year. No per capita tax shall be assessed upon new Posts for the quarter during which they are organized.

All Posts hereafter organized shall be numbered consecutively, and according to the date of their charters. In case a Post disbands, or forfeits its charter, the number of such Post shall not be again used by any other Post. The date of each Post charter shall appear on the printed Roster of each year.

Any Post in arrears for semi-annual reports or dues six months shall be "suspended," and if a Post be one year in arrears, it shall forfeit its charter, and such Post be "dropped" from the rolls of the Department, and reinstated only by a majority vote of the Department Encampment, or of the Council of Administration, and upon forwarding reports and payments of all dues at the time of being dropped. All communications from Department Headquarters as to reports are official, and shall be read to the Post, as also receipts for reports and dues.

The Department Commander shall, at the last meeting of the council of Administration previous to the metting of each annual Encampment, appoint a committee on credentials, to consist of three members of such Council of Administration, of which the Assistant Adjutant-General shall be chairman.

That a quorum of the council of Administration shall consist of a majority of its members, including both appointed and elected; also that no proxies shall be used in the transaction of any business. All vacancies in elective offices may be filled by the Council of Administration.

A countersign shall be issued by the Department Commander immediately after his installation, and one on the 1st day of July, to be sent to each Post Commander when his reports for the second quarter are received by the Assistant Adjutant-General.

That every Commander of this Department who dies shall have his name, and date and cause of death, with the company and regiment he served in, date of muster into G.A.R., and offices held in same, placed upon a memorial page, to be printed with the proceedings in the year in which he died.

SECTION 1. The Department Commander shall, immediately after entering upon his office, appoint and Assistant Adjutant-General, and Assistant Quartermaster-General, and Inspector, a Judge Advocate, and a Chief Mustering officer, and may remove these officers at his pleasure. He may appoint as many Assistant Inspectors, on the nomination of the inspector of the Department, and as many Aides-de-Camp as he may deem necessary. He shall preside at all meetings of the Department Encampment and Council of Administration; shall forward the reports and dues to National Headquarters, and see that all orders received from thence are properly published and obeyed; shall issue suitable charters to all Posts organized in his department, and perform such other duties as are incumbent upon officers of like position. Shall act as Commander of the Reunion camp.

SEC 2. The Vice Commander shall assist the Commander, by counsel or otherwise, and in his absence or disability they shall fill his office according to seniority.

SEC 3. The Assistant Adjutant-General shall keep correct records of the proceedings of the Department Encampment and the Council of Administration; he shall conduct the correspondence and issue all orders under the direction of the Commander; draw all requisitions upon the Assistant Quartermaster-General; make out all returns to National Headquarters and transmit the same, through the Department commander, to the Adjutant-General; countersign all charters issued by the Department Commander; keep an Order Book, a Letter Book, an Endorsement and Memorandum Book, and files of all orders, reports, and correspondence received and remaining in his offce, and perform such other duties and keep such other records in connection with his office as may be required of him by the Commander or the Department Encampment. He shall receive as compensation for his services such sum as the Department Encampment may from time to time determine.

SEC 4. The Assistant Quartermaster-General shall hold the funds, securities, vouchers, and property of the Department, and fill all requisitions drawn by the Assistant Adjutant-General and approved by the Commander. The outgoing A.Q.M.-G. shall not deliver up the funds and property in his hands until the incoming A.Q.M.-G. shall file his guarantee bond in the hands of the Department Commander, and the approval by him of the same.

SEC 5. The Inspector shall perform such duties as are prescribed in Chapter V., Article V., and shall receive such compensation for his services as the Department Encampment shall from time to time determine.

SEC 6. The Judge Advocate and the Chief Mustering Officer shall perform the duties properly belonging to their offices.

SEC 7. The Medical Director shall require such returns from Post Surgeons as may be needed and called for by the Surgeon-General, and shall make returns to that officer.

SEC 8. The Chaplain shall perform such duties in connection with his office as the Commander of the Department Encampment may require of him.

SEC 9. The Council of Administration shall have charge of the working interests of the Department, shall audit the accounts of the various officers, shall keep a full and detailed record of its proceedings, and present the same for the consideration of the Department Encampment at each stated meeting thereof.

SEC 10. The various Staff Officers shall make to the Department Encampment, at each stated meeting, full and complete reports, in writing, of the operations of their departments, and when retiring from office shall deliver to their successors all moneys, books, and other property of the Department in their possession or under their control, except as provided in Article IX., Section 4 (guarantee bond of Assistant Quartermaster-General).

At each annual meeting of the Encampment, the following order of business shall be observed:

1. Opening of the Encampment in due form (observing the forms used in opening Posts)
2. Report of Committee on Credentials.
3. Calling roll of officers and members.
4. Appointment of a committee consisting of five members on reports of officers.
5. Appointment of a committee, consisting of five members on communications.
6. Reports of officers.
7. Reception and reference of communications from Posts and members.
8. Reports from committees.
9. Unfinished business.
10. New business.
11. Election of officers and installing same (observing form of installing officers of Posts).
12. Reading minutes of the meeting and approving same.
13. Closing in due form.

Any alterations and amendments to these By-Laws must be offered in writing, and shall lie over until the next annual meeting of the Encampment, and be adopted by a two-thirds vote of all the members present.

Semi-annual reports from Adjutants, Quartermasters, and Surgeons, approved by the Commander, should be promptly forwarded to Assistant Adjutant-General of the Department on the first days of July and January. The necessity of strict compliance with this rule will be obvious by reference to Chapter V., Article II., Section II., "Rules and Regulations," requiring the Department Commander to forward the Consolidated Returns to National Headquarters "on or before the 20th days of July and January." If Post Commanders will bear in mind the time required for transmission by mail, the fact that Post reports must oftentimes be returned for correction, and the labor involved in consolidation, they will see that twenty days is little enough time for Department officers to comply with the rules.

In the absence of the Commander, let the Acting Commander approve reports.

The per capita tax was fixed by a vote of the Encampment at Plattsmouth, February 19, at 16 cents semi-annually for each comrade in good standing, providing reports of Posts are received by the Assistant Adjutant-General on or before the 10th days of July and January, otherwise 20 cents semi-annually for each comrade will be required.

Reports to be made on the 30th day of June and the 31st day of December.