The Articles of Incorporation are the club’s real, legal “constitution,” a document filed with the Commonwealth of Virginia. These articles are required to meet certain requirements in accordance with the Virginia legislative codes on nonstock corporations.
The club’s “Constitution and Bylaws” are legally considered bylaws, and operate under the umbrella of the Articles of Incorporation. Where they conflict, the Articles filed with the state govern. VBCA’s articles have not been updated since the club was incorporated in 1996, and are in need of an update, as there are many changes since ’96 in the Constitution that were not reflected in the Articles.
The Board is currently working on updated, minimized Articles, to contain only the minimum requirements of the State and the IRS to maintain non-profit status, and to remove any items that are not required and conflict with the present bylaws. This allows the membership to change most items in the bylaws without needing to re-file with the state in the future.
Editions
- Proposed: 2026 Draft (adopted by the board on 2026-04-28 for recommendation to the members)
- Current: 1996 (Original) Articles of Incorporation