SIR's Organization

    Damian Reynolds Branch Number 1 is a branch of a parent or state organization called Sons in Retirement, Inc. This State Organization became effective on January 1, 1991, and consists of four elected officers (President, Vice President, Secretary, and Treasurer). It also consists of a State Executive Committee, seven Regional Directors, and 30 Area Governors. There are also several committees and special appointees that are appointed by the President. The State Board is an umbrella organization that advises and formulates policy for its subsidiary Branches, each of which is also incorporated. It reports to both the State of California and the Federal Government. It also provides liability insurance for all the branches and its members, and conducts training sessions for the branch officers. For reaching the website of the Sons in Retirement, Inc., click on the underlined title.

    Growth of Sons in Retirement continues, but the organization has elected to confine its membership to the Northern California area. It is a basic rule that an established Branch sponsors each new Branch, and growth is controlled so that personal contacts between members are maintained.

Organization Limitations:

    Sons in Retirement, Incorporated (SIR), is a nonprofit public benefit corporation, which was not organized for the private gain or profit of anyone. It operates for the enjoyment of its members and meets a civic need by providing for the welfare of retired men from all walks of life. Sons in Retirement does not endorse any political, religious, ideological, or similar organizations or causes. Because of Internal Revenue regulations and the club's nonprofit tax status, members, their guests, visitors, and speakers are not permitted to advertise,  promote, or solicit any service or product during any function or meeting of Sons in Retirement. Any donation or gift that is made to the organization is not tax deductible.

Branch By-Laws:

    The Damian Reynolds Branch Number 1 By-Laws govern the operations and procedures of the Branch. To view the Branch By-Laws click on the underlined title.

Standing Rules and Procedures:

    The Standing Rules and Procedures for Sons in Retirement can be found on the Sons in Retirement, Inc. website by first clicking on the underlined title and then clicking on the SIR Members and Forms button. These are the rules that must be followed by all the branches of Sons in Retirement, and the duties and obligations of all the officers and directors of these branches are also described in detail on this site. The Standing Rules and Procedures were formed at the time the Charter for Sons in Retirement which was drawn up and approved on February 3, 1959. Revisions to the Standing Rules and Procedures have been made from time to time by the State Board of Directors.

Executive Committee:

    The management of Sons in Retirement Branch Number 1 consists of six elected officers (Big Sir, Little Sir, Secretary, Assistant Secretary, Treasurer, and Assistant Treasurer). There are also six directors (Activities, Bulletin, Meeting Host, Luncheon, Membership, and Special Events). These two groups form the Executive Committee of Branch No. 1. There are also several committees which are not a part of the Executive Committee.

   The Executive Committee meets on the second Wednesday of every month, except for December and the month that is selected as the Ladies Day Luncheon, at 10:00 A.M., in the Lodge Room of The San Mateo Elks Club in San Mateo. It meets in the morning of the same day as the Regular Luncheon Meeting of Branch No. 1. The official business of the branch is conducted at this time. Any member or visitor is invited to attend the Executive Committee Meeting. Only the Executive Committee members are permitted to vote on any measure before the Executive Committee.

    The general agenda for the Executive Committee Meeting is as follows:

    Click on Executive Committee Meeting to read Minutes of past Meetings.

Regular Luncheon Meeting:

    The Regular Luncheon Meeting meets the second Wednesday of every month in the Main Dining Room of the San Mateo Elks Club at 12:00 noon, except for December and the month that is selected as the Ladies Day Luncheon. It is mandatory that every SIR member attend this function, unless he is away from the area or there is an illness. The member must notify the Attendance Committee Chairman at least three days before the luncheon meeting if he can not attend any Regular Luncheon Meeting explaining why he can not attend. Such notification is necessary so that the Catering Service does not prepare a meal for the person who will be absent and thereby be bill SIR for it. Notification is not necessary if one can attend. Twice a year, a special meeting is planned to which the member's wives and friends are invited.

    There is a large Parking Lot that surrounds the San Mateo Elks Club which holds over 240 cars. If one arrives late and there is no more room in the Parking Lot, there is always Street Parking available. One can enter to Elks Club from the Side Entrance on the West side of the building. To enter the front door of the Elks Club, one must have a special key from the Elks Club in order to enter. Only Elks Club Members have such a key. There is always a social hour from about 11:00 A.M. to 12:00 noon before the luncheon begins, which one can socialize with the members who show up. The Elks Club Bar opens at about 11:00 A.M.

    On entering the Side Entrance to the Elks Club, you will be greeted by one of the Greeters of the Greeter Committee of SIR's Branch No. 1 who will asked what your badge number is. The Badge Custodian Committee Chairman will then hand you your Name Badge which he obtains from the Badge Storage Box. The reason why the Greeter asks for your badge number instead of your name, is because that all the badges are stored in the Badge Storage Box in numerical order, and not by names. For visitors and guests, they will be ushered to a special table that is set up for welcoming visitors and guests.

    After receiving one's Name Badge, the member should then walk a few steps over to the next table and pick up his Tent from a member of the Table Reservation Committee. The member should then take this Tent that has his name engraved on it and walk into the Main Dining Room and place it at the place on any table that he wishes to reserve for himself, provided the table is not reserved or the place is not taken by another Tent. It is not permitted to move anyone else's Tent without the approval of the member who that Tent belongs to. There is usually a significant reason a member has selected a specific spot at some table he wishes to sit, and every other member should honor this member's wishes. It is permitted to reserve another member's place at a table in the Dining Room, only at the request and with the permission of the other member. There are several groups who have certain tables reserved for members for any of various reasons, such as new members, hard-of-hearing members, etc. These tables have been set aside by the Executive Board. Anyone else can reserve places at any table for other members by placing the other member's tents on the table, provided there is space available. However, the member that is making these reservations for others, should determine that these members will definitely be coming to the luncheon before reserving the place. If the member that has his place reserved for him has not shown up by 11:45 A.M., his tent will be pulled so that  the space is available for someone else. Several of the Regular Luncheon Meetings are filled to the capacity of the Dining Room, and it is only polite to have these spaces available to those who are looking to be seated.

    After the member has made his table selection, he should go over to the corner in the Dining Room where there is a special table set up, and buy his ticket for the Luncheon that day from the Treasurer. The rest of the member's time can be spent socializing with the other members, or browsing through various travel literature that is set for the members at the Travel Desk.

    When the Luncheon Meeting begins at 12:00 noon, the Big Sir will call the meeting to order and ask that everyone to please stand. The members and guests will then recite in unison the "Pledge of Allegiance to the United States" followed by "The Star Spangled Banner". Click on either of the underlined titles to see the written details of these titles.

    After being seated, the regular business of the meeting will be conducted during the course of the luncheon. There will be several periods where there are pauses in the business process, so that the members can socialize with others at the same table as well as having a leisurely lunch..

    The general agenda for the General Luncheon Meeting is as follows:

    When the meeting is adjourned, each member should place their Name Badge into a box at the door where he exits the Elks Club. It is very important that each member does not take his Name Badge home with him. The attendance at the Luncheon Meeting is determined by these Name Badges, and if one or more is missing, it will give an error in the count. The pin on the badge should also be closed before depositing the Name Badge into the box, in order to prevent the member that is reassembling the badges from sticking himself.

Click on Regular Luncheon Meeting to read Minutes of past Meetings.

Finances:

    There are no dues, initiation fees, or assessments in Son's in Retirement. However, a voluntary donation of $2.00 is requested at each General Luncheon Meeting. This donation will be gathered up during the course of the luncheon. A donation of $20.00 at the beginning of each year, one will be excused from any further donations throughout the year. This yearly donation is proportioned at quarterly intervals throughout the year for new members who become members during the year. These donations cover many of the expenses, other than the luncheon service, that are incurred throughout the year by Branch No. 1, such as the Bulletin, insurance, supplies, mailings, etc.

Membership Participation:

    There is an unwritten obligation for members to participate in Branch functions and activities. The club invites the members to help by accepting responsibility for any duty which the Branch may need, or by volunteering for committee work, especially in areas in which one has experience or a personal interest. There are numerous areas in the organization that need to be manned, and without the help of the members, the club will cease to exist. Most of these areas do not require much of one's time, and it is important to know that you are needed. Volunteers fill all the positions in Sons in Retirement. There are no paid employees. The club therefore encourages "The Spirit of Volunteerism", and solicits the member's involvement, including committee duty and bringing in new members.