§9497 Board of Governors

Summary

The Board of Governors is the Civil Air Patrol’s governing body and must have 11 members: four appointed by the Secretary of the Air Force (they may be active or retired Air Force officers, federal employees, or private citizens), four chosen from Civil Air Patrol membership under CAP’s rules, and three chosen from federal agencies or other organizations with civil aviation expertise. The three outside members are appointed together by the Secretary of the Air Force and the Civil Air Patrol’s National Commander; if one of those three seats is not filled within 90 days, the other board members fill it by majority vote. The board picks a Chairman from among the four Secretary-appointed members and the four CAP-selected members. The Chair serves a two-year term and the role rotates between those two groups. The Board exercises the powers given to the Civil Air Patrol under section 40304 of title 36. Any changes to CAP’s constitution or bylaws require a majority of the Board. The Board cannot change or cancel requirements or authorities that appear in the law. The Board may limit a member’s personal money liability for breaking a duty to CAP, but it cannot limit liability for breaches of loyalty, acts not in good faith or intentional misconduct, knowing law violations, or transactions that give the member an improper benefit. Federal conflict-of-interest rules (18 U.S.C. 207 and 208) still apply to members who are Air Force personnel or U.S. employees. Board members and officers generally are not personally liable for harm caused by CAP employees or members unless the board member or officer personally took part in the wrongful act.