USS Paul F. Foster Association

Under Construction!

By-Laws
Adopted February 21^st, 2026, at the General Membership Reunion meeting for 7th Association Reunion, Oxnard, California

Articles of Bylaws:

1. Mission Statement:

This Association seeks to provide the highest quality support and information in reconnecting shipmates, shipmates’ families, and all detachments of the ex-USS Paul F. Foster (DD-964) or Self Defense Test Ship (SDTS). To promote camaraderie among those who served or are currently working on board, encourage membership through a website and other means and maintain a database of shipmates, whether or not they are members. The Association shall schedule activities such as (including but not limited to) reunions.

2. Membership:

2.1 Membership levels and eligibility criteria:

Contributing Shipmate: Any former USS Paul F. Foster crew or embarked detachments, any current or former SDTS crew, or any adult family members of Vice Admiral Paul F. Foster, must be current on dues.

Shipmate: Any former USS Paul F. Foster crew or embarked detachments, any current /former SDTS. crew, or any adult family members of Vice Admiral Paul F. Foster.

Contributing Associate: Any adult family member of any former USS Paul F. Foster crew or embarked detachments, or any adult family member of any current or former SDTS crew, or any crew members of any other Spruance class ships who supports the Associations mission statement, must be current on dues.

Associate: Any adult family member of any former USS Paul F. Foster crew or embarked detachments, or any adult family member of any current or former SDTS crew, or any crew members of any other Spruance class ships who supports the associations mission statement.

Honorary: Any widow or widower of any former USS Paul F. Foster crew or embarked detachments.

Lifetime: Any former USS Paul F. Foster crew or embarked detachments, any current or former SDTS crew, or any adult family members of Vice Admiral Paul F. Foster, that has paid the Lifetime membership.

Lifetime Associate: Any adult family member of any former USS Paul F. Foster crew or embarked detachments, or any adult family member of any current or former SDTS crew, or any crew members of any other Spruance class ships who supports the associations mission statement and has paid the Lifetime membership.

2.2 Contributions:

Contribution amounts for membership in the Association shall be set at the General membership meetings during the reunions.

Annual Individual Membership is twenty-five dollars ($25.00) for each contributing Shipmate or contributing Associate Member.

Annual membership term is January 1st to December 31st each year.

Three Year Individual Membership is seventy-five dollars ($75.00) or three (3) times the annual contribution for each contributing Shipmate or contributing Associate Member, good for 3 calendar years, remainder of current year (year of purchase) plus 2 more years, expires Dec 31st of 3rd year. Cannot be transferred.

Lifetime Membership will be granted to any contributing Shipmate or contributing Associate member making a one-time contribution equal to or greater than twenty (20) times the current annual contribution ($500.00), as applicable. Cannot be transferred.

2.3 Membership Drive: An annual membership drive will be conducted by the officers or their assigned committee to begin on or about January 1 each year.

3. Eligibility of Officers:

Any contributing Shipmate, contributing Associate member, or Lifetime member is eligible for office in the Association.

Nomination of officers will only be accepted from the floor during the general membership meeting.

3.1 Only USS Paul F. Foster contributing Shipmates or Lifetime members can hold the offices of President and Vice-President.

3.2 Contributing Shipmates, contributing Lifetime Associate members, or contributing Associate members may hold the positions of Secretary, Treasurer, and Membership Directors or any appointed position.

4.  Elections:

Officers shall be elected at reunions to serve a term of approximately three (3) years to coincide with the general membership reunions. There are no term limits for any officers.

Officers to be elected shall follow the latest Robert’s Rules of Order except where inconsistent with these by-laws. and elections shall be by simple majority of those contributing members present and voting.

4.1 Officer Vacancies:

Should the President or Vice President be unable to fill their term before the next reunion, the Board shall fill the vacant position by succession from eligible board Officers to serve out the term until the next scheduled reunion.

Order of Succession:
President → Vice President → Treasurer → Secretary

The remaining Board members shall elect the successor by a simple majority vote from among the eligible officers listed above.

If the President or Vice President vacancy cannot be filled through succession, the Board shall call a remote meeting with current contributing members to accept nominations and conduct an electronic or virtual election to fill the position.

In the event of a vacancy during a board term in the office of Secretary or Treasurer, the remaining board members shall elect by simple majority vote from among the contributing Association members at large, a replacement Secretary or Treasurer to serve until the next association reunion.

The vote of the prospective replacement Officer shall not count towards the majority vote.

A board officer may be removed from office by two-thirds vote of the board.

5. Board Elected Directors of Membership:

An effort should be made to elect a Director of Membership from each era:

• Early (Pre Commissiong to 1986) San Deigo, Ca. era.
• Mid (1987 to 1995) Long Beach, Ca.
• Late (1996 to 2003) Everett, Wa. era.
• SDTS (2003 to retirement) Port Hueneme, Ca. era.

The board may elect Directors by a two-thirds majority vote from among the contributing Association members at large

5.1 Vacancies: In the event of a vacancy in the office of a Director, the board members shall elect by two-thirds majority vote from among the contributing Association members at large a replacement Director.

Board elected Directors may be removed from office by two-thirds vote of the board.

6. Officers’ Duties:

All elected officers shall actively promote the USS Paul F. Foster Association and support the growth and retention of membership. Officers are expected to represent the Association in a positive and professional manner, encourage participation in reunions and events, assist with outreach and communication efforts, and foster camaraderie among members. Officers shall work collaboratively to strengthen awareness, engagement, and the long-term sustainability of the Association.

Officers shall promote transparency in Association business while safeguarding the Association’s business interests and the personal information of members and shipmates. Such information shall be used only for legitimate Association purposes.

6.1 President: The President shall act as the Chief Operating Officer of the Association

6.2 Vice President: The Vice-President in the absence of the President shall act in his place. The Vice-President shall share duties with the President as appropriate.

Assists the President in promoting the Association and supports membership growth and retention. Represents the Association when delegated and encourages member involvement in events and activities.

6.3 Treasurer: The Treasurer shall maintain financial transaction records of the Association and make a report to the Officers at meetings. The Treasurer shall also maintain banking and checking accounts as required to serve the needs of the Association. All records shall be maintained and reported with a common personal financial manager or small business software application. A spreadsheet may be used if the format is approved by a two-thirds vote of the officers.

6.4 Secretary: The Secretary will record minutes of all meetings of the Officers and the membership. The Secretary will maintain a membership list (in the absence of a database manager) and write correspondence as the need dictates. All membership applications or renewals shall be submitted to the Secretary who in turn will send monies to the Treasurer. The Secretary shall retain any and all legal documents pertaining to the Association.

6.5 Administrative Account Access: Following officer elections, administrative access to all Association accounts shall be reviewed and transferred, as necessary, within thirty (30) days.

All account credentials and related information shall be stored securely, and access shall be restricted to authorized officers.

In the event required administrative access is not transferred within thirty (30) days, the Board shall be authorized to take necessary steps to secure Association accounts and ensure continuity of Association operations.

The Board may change Officer duties as the needs of the association change.

7. Membership Director Role:

The Directors of Membership represent contributing members from designated service eras of the USS Paul F. Foster and support recruitment, engagement, and continuity of the Association.

Directors of Membership assist the board by:

• Promoting membership within their respective service eras.
• Assist with reunions, ship visits, ceremonies, and other Association events as directed.
• Provide periodic reports to the Board regarding recruitment efforts, member engagement, and notable issues.
• Bring forward member concerns, suggestions, and historical perspective relevant to their service era.

8. Finances:

All elected officers and/or appointed committee chairpersons or committee members shall serve without compensation. All reimbursements for expenses incurred must have received prior approval by electronic means. All checks drawn on Association account(s) shall be signed by the Treasurer with written (E-mail or hard copy) concurrence of the President or Vice-President.

8.1 Financial Security: To maintain continuity of financial accounts, the Treasurer and a second board selected officer shall have dual control and access of all financial account information.

Only these two officers will have purchase authority for the association.

The Treasurer will keep the second officer up to date on all financial account information such as account numbers and passwords.

Only these two officers shall have access to financial accounts, if either position is replaced, the passwords will be changed and account access removed.

9. Appointed Positions:

Members serving in appointed positions serve at the “Pleasure of the President”. Such positions may include but not limited to: Reunion Committee Chair, Membership Committee Chair, Historian, Database Manager, Webmaster, Chaplain, Newsletter Editor, Ship’s Store Manager, and Social Media Director.

9.1 Appointed positions may be added, modified, or discontinued as the needs of the President change.

10. Meetings:

10.1 General Business meetings: (Remote Meetings) The President shall call a quarterly General business meetings of elected officers as a minimum, for the purpose of reviewing the Association’s business and financial records. The meeting may be conducted by telephone or internet-enabled conferencing.

Subjects shall include, but not be limited to, reunions, Officers’ reports and Membership reports.

10.2 General Membership Reunion Meetings: (In Person Meetings) A meeting of the membership shall be called by the President at each reunion with an agenda published seven (7) days in advance.

Subjects shall include, but not be limited to, reunions, Officers’ reports, Membership reports, By-laws review, and election of officers.

11. Records and Correspondence:

All official Association correspondence conducted by email shall be sent from the Association’s official email account, usspaulffoster@gmail.com, whenever practicable.

If a Board member, Director, or person serving in an appointed position uses a personal email account to conduct Association business or to represent the Association, a copy of such correspondence shall be carbon copied (CC) to usspaulffoster@gmail.com to ensure it is retained in the Association’s official records.

All Association business communications shall be conducted in a manner that preserves an accurate and accessible record, ensuring transparency and continuity of Association operations.

11.1 Records Retention:

Association records may be maintained in hard copy or digital format, provided such records are accurate, legible, and accessible.

Records that document the authority, governance, elections, of the Association shall be retained permanently.

Financial records shall be retained for a minimum of seven (7) years.

11.2 Authorization to Act for the Association:

Any person wishing to conduct official Association business on behalf of the Association must first present the matter to the Board during a duly convened General Business Meeting and obtain Board approval before proceeding.

This requirement shall not apply to routine association business conducted by officers within the scope of their assigned duties.

12. Reunions:

General Reunions shall be held approximately every three (3) years. When possible, the reunion schedule will coincide with the SDTS Paul F. Foster’s availability.

13. Amending By-Laws:

These by-laws may be amended only at a General Membership Reunion Meeting (In Person Meeting) and will require a two-thirds majority of those contributing members present and voting.

14. Dissolution:

The Association may be dissolved only upon the affirmative vote of two-thirds (2/3) of the contributing members present. Any action to dissolve the Association shall be carried out in accordance with all applicable federal, state, and local laws and regulations governing veterans’ organizations exempt under Section 501(c)(19) of the Internal Revenue Code.

Upon the dissolution of the Association, and after paying or making provision for the payment of all liabilities of the Association, all remaining assets shall be distributed exclusively to one or more regularly organized and qualified tax-exempt Navy Veterans charitable organizations under Section 501(c)(19) of the Internal Revenue Code, or the corresponding section of any future federal tax code.

No part of the net assets of the Association shall inure to the benefit of, or be distributed to, any officer, director, member, or private individual.

It is highly recommended to consult with a legal or tax professional to navigate state-specific requirements.

Meg Costa
Secretary

Association Officers in attendance  

President Dave Klein,

Vice President ONeal Suire

Secretary Meg Costa

Treasurer Jon Powell

We certify that the foregoing Bylaws were duly adopted and approved by a vote of the membership on February 21, 2026, and are hereby effective on the date publicly published as the official Bylaws of the USS Paul F. Foster Association, a federally recognized veteran nonprofit organization organized under Section 501(c)(19) of the Internal Revenue Code.

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