An Act to incorporate the National Conference on Citizenship, and for other purposes
PL 83-257 (S.677), enacted 08/13/1953

562 
PUBLIC LAW 257-AUG. 13, 1953 
[67 S T A T . 
Public Law 257 
CHAPTER 427 
August 13, 1953 
AN A C T 
[S. 677] 
To incorporate the National Conference on Citizenship, and for other puriwses. 
National Confer-
e n c e on Citizen* 
ship. 
Incotporation. 
Be it enacted hy the Senate and House of Representatives 
of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled^ That the following 
persons: Robert N. Anderson, Arlington, Virginia; Emma Mae 
Brotze, Marshall, Texas; Leo M. Cadison, Asheville, North Carolina; 
Thomas F, Clear, Stamford, Connecticut; Earle T. Hawkins, Towson, 
Maryland; Carl B. Hyatt, Rockville, Maryland; Richard B. Kennan, 
Chevy Chase, Maryland; and Justin Miller, Pacific Palisades, Cali-
fornia, are created a body corporate by the name of the National Con-
ference on Citizenship (hereinafter referred to as the "corporation") 
and by such name shall be known and have perpetual succession and 
the powers and limitations contained in this Act. 
COMPLETION o r ORGANIZATION 
SEC. 2. The persons named in the first section of this Act are author-
ized to complete the organization of the corporation by the selection 
of officers and employees, the adoption of regulations and bylaws 
and the doing of such other acts as may be necessary for such purpose. 
OBJECTS AND PURPOSES OF CORPORATION 
SEC. 3. The objects and purposes of the corporation shall be— 
(1) to hold annually a national conference on citizenship on 
or about "Citizenship Day", September 17; 
(2) to assist in the development of more dynamic procedures 
for making citizenship more effective, including the promotion 
and encouragement of local, State, and regional citizenship con-
ferences; and 
(3) to indicate the ways and means by which various organ-
izations may contribute concretely to the development of a more 
active, alert, enlightened, conscientious, and progressive citizenry 
in our country. 
CORPORATE POWERS 
SEC. 4. The corporation shall have power— 
(1) to sue and be sued, complain, and defend in any court of 
competent jurisdiction; 
(2) to adopt, alter, and use a corporate seal; 
(3) to choose such officers, managers, agents, and employees as 
the business of the corporation many require; 
(4) to adopt, amend, and alter bylaws and regulations, not 
inconsistent with the law^s of the United States or any State in 
which such corporation is to operate, for the management of its 
property and the regulation of its affairs, including the estab-
lishment and maintenance of local and State conferences on 
citizenship; 
^5^ to contract and be contracted with; 
(6) to take and hold by lease, gift, purchase, grant, devise, or 
bequest any property, real or personal, necessary for attaining 
the objects and accomplishing the purposes of the corporation, 
subject to-applicable provisions of law of any State (a) governing 
67 S T A T . ] 
P U B U C LAW 257-AUG. 13, 1958 
563 
the amount or kind of real and personal property which may be 
held by, or (b) otherwise limiting or controlling the ownership of 
real and personal property by a corporation operating in such 
State; 
(7) to transfer and convey real or personal property; 
(8) to borrow money for the purposes of the corporation, issue 
bonds therefor, and secure the same by mortgage, subject to all 
applicable provisions of Federal or State law; 
(9) to use the corporate funds to give prizes, or awards, to 
citizens for outstanding contributions toward the achievement of 
the purposes of the corporation; 
(10) to publish a magazine or other publication consistent with 
its corporate purposes; 
(11) to use and display such emblems and badges as it may 
adopt; and 
(12) to do any and all acts and things necessary and proper 
to carry out the objects and purposes of the corporation. 
HEADQUARTERS AND PRINCIPAL OFFICES; STATES AND TERRITORIAL SCOPE 
OF ACTIVITIES; DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA AGENT 
SEC. 5. (a) The headquarters and principal ojffices of the corporation 
shall be located in the District of Columbia, or in the States of Mary-
land or Virginia, but the activities of the corporation shall not be 
confined to these places but may be conducted throughout the various 
States, Territories, and possessions of the United States. 
(b) The corporation shall maintain at all times in the District of 
Columbia a designated agent authorized to accept service of process 
for the corporation, such designation to be filed in the office of the clerk 
of the United States District Court for the District of Columbia. 
Notice to or service upon such agent, or mailed to the business address 
of such agent, shall be deemed sufficient notice or service upon the 
corporation. 
MEMBERSHIP; VOTING RIGHTS 
SEC. 6. Membership in the corporation shall be confined to agencies 
and organizations and the rights and privileges of membership shall, 
except as otherwise provided in this Act, be prescribed by the bylaws 
of the corporation. 
In the conduct of the business of the annual 
national conference on citizenship each agency or organization send-
ing delegates to, and participating in such conference shall have 
one vote. 
NATIONAL OFFICERS; ELECTION OF OFFICERS 
SEC. 7. (a) The national officers shall be a president, who shall serve 
as chairman of the board of directors and of the executive committee, 
a first vice president, a second vice president, a third vice president, a 
secretary, and a treasurer, to be selected from the officers and members 
of the member agencies or organizations participating in the 
conference. 
(b) For the purposes of initiating the corporation, the national 
officers shall be elected within ten days of the date of enactment of 
this Act by the persons named in the first section of this Act, to serve 
until the final session of the next following annual conference. 
There-
after, the national officers of the corporation shall be elected biennially 
by a majority vote of the agencies and organizations sending delegates 
to, and participating in the annual conference, one vote to each such 
agency and to each such organization. 
564 
PUBLIC LAW 257-AUG. 13, 1953 
[67 STAT. 
BOARD OF DIRECTORS; COMPOSITION; MEETINGS, EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE; 
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR 
SEC. 8. (a) From the date of enactment of this Act until the final 
session of the next following annual conference, the governing body 
of the corporation, which shall exercise the powers herein granted to 
the corporation, shall be the persons named in the first section of this 
Act and such additional persons as shall be named by them. 
There-
after, the governing body of the corporation shall be a board of 
directors consisting of such number (not less than ten including ex 
officio members) as the bylaws may prescribe. 
The Board of Directors 
shall be selected from the officers or members of the member agencies 
or organizations participating in the conference. 
(b) The members of the board of directors shall be elected for such 
term as the bylaws shall prescribe by a majority vote of the agencies 
and organizations sending delegates to, and participating in the 
annual conference, one vote to each such agency and to each such 
organization. 
(c) The board shall meet at least once each year at such time and 
place as may be prescribed by the bylaws. The annual report of the 
board shall be presented at such meeting. 
Special meetings of the 
board may be called as prescribed by the bylaws. 
(d) The board shall designate three of its own members, who 
together with the president and the three vice presidents shall consti-
tute the executive committee which, when the board is not in session, 
shall have and exercise the powers of the board subject to its direction 
and have the power to authorize the seal of the corporation to be 
affixed to all papers which may require it. 
(e) An executive director for the corporation shall be selected by 
the executive committee in keeping with qualifications and terms of 
employment adopted by such committee. 
Other professional staff 
members shall be nominated by the executive director and approved 
by the executive committee. 
U S E 
O F I N C O M E OR ASSETS ; L O A N S TO O F F I C E R S , DIRECTORS, OR 
E M P L O Y E E S 
SEC. 9. (a) No part of the income or assets of the corporation shall 
inure to any member, officer, or director, or be distributable to any 
such person, agency, or organization except upon dissolution or final 
liquidation of the corporation as provided in section 15 of this Act. 
Nothing in this subsection, however, shall be construed to prevent the 
executive committee from adopting terms of employment of the execu-
tive director as prescribed by section 8 (e) of this Act. 
(b) The corporation shall not make loans to its officers, directors, or 
employees. Any director who votes for or assents to the making of a 
loan to an officer, director, or employee of the corporation, and any 
officer who participates in the making of such loan shall be jointly and 
severally liable to the corporation for the amount of such loan until 
the repayment thereof. 
NONPOLITICAL NATURE OF CORPORATION 
SEC. 10, The corporation, and its members, officers, and directors, as 
such, shall not contribute to or otherwise support or assist any political 
party or candidate for elective public office, nor advocate, sponsor, or 
promote legislation in the Congress of the United States or in the 
legislatures of the several States. 
67 S T A T . ] 
PUBLIC LAW 2 5 7 - A U G . 13, 1953 
565 
LIABILITY FOR ACTS OP OFFICERS AND AGENTS 
SEC. 11. The corporation shall be liable for the acts of its officers 
and agents when acting within the scope of their authority. 
PROHIBITION AGAINST ISSUANCE OF STOCK OR PAYMENT OF DIVIDENDS 
SEC. 12. The corporation shall have no power to issue any shares of 
stock, nor to declare or pay any dividends, its objects and purposes 
being solely patriotic and educational. 
BOOKS 
AND RECORDS; 
INSPECTION 
SEC. 13. The corporation shall keep correct and complete books and 
records of account and shall also keep minutes of the proceedings of 
the annual conference, the board of directors, and committees having 
any authority under the board of directors; and it shall also keep at 
its principal office a record of the names and addresses of its members 
entitled to vote. All books and records of the corporation may be 
inspected by any member entitled to vote or his agent or attorney 
at any reasonable time. 
AUDIT OF FINANCIAL TRANSACTIONS,* REPORT TO COMPTROLLER GENERAL 
SEC. 14. (a) The financial transactions shall be audited annually 
for the fiscal year ending June 30 of each year by an independent 
certified public accountant in accordance with the principles and 
procedures applicable to commercial corporate transactions, and under 
such rules and regulations as may be prescribed by the Comptroller 
General of the United States. The audit shall be conducted at the 
place or places where the accounts of the corporation are normally 
kept. All books, accounts, financial records, reports, files, and all 
other papers, things, or property belonging to or in use by the corpo-
ration and necessary to facilitate the audit shall be made available to 
the person or persons conducting the audit; and full facilities for 
verifying transactions with the balances or securities held by deposi-
tories, fiscal agents, and custodians shall be aiForded to such person or 
persons. 
(b) A report of such audit shall be filed annually with the Comp-
troller General in accordance with such regulations and upon such 
form as he shall prescribe verified by the certified public accountant 
by whom the audit is made. 
U S E O F ASSETS ON DISSOLUTION OR LIQUIDATION 
SEC. 15. Upon final dissolution or liquidation of the corporation, 
and after the discharge or satisfaction of all outstanding obligations 
and liabilities, the remaining assets of the corporation shall be trans-
ferred by the board of directors to some recognized agency or agencies 
engaged in the furtherance and advancement of citizenship. 
EXCLUSIVE RIGHT TO NAME, EMBLEMS, SEALS, AND BADGES 
SEC. 16. The corporation shall have the sole and exclusive right to 
use the name, the National Conference on Citizenship, and such em-
blems, seals, and badges as the corporation may lawfully adopt. 
RESERVATION OP RIGHT TO AMEND OK REPEAL CHARTER 
SEC. 17. The right to alter, amend, or repeal this Act is expressly 
reserved. 
Approved August 13, 1953.