National Longhouse, Ltd. is a not-for-profit, 501 (c) (3), volunteer-run organization and a subsidiary of Lighthouse. It was created to develop and administrate the NATIONAL LONGHOUSE® programs. Enrollment into one these programs entitles a participant with non-voting NATIONAL LONGHOUSE® membership and an open invitation to attend any of the periodic events, conventions, or general assembly meetings which it offers.


Administrations of National Longhouse, Ltd.

There are two administrative branches of National Longhouse, Ltd.

  1. The corporate branch called the National Board of Elders (NBE).
  2. The operational branch called the National Council of Officers (NCO).

1. NATIONAL BOARD of ELDERS
The governing body for National Longhouse, Ltd. is the National Board of Elders (NBE) which serves as its board of trustees. The National Board of Elders establishes policies, sets long-term corporate goals, and oversees the general interests of National Longhouse, Ltd. The NBE reports directly to the Board of Trustees of Lighthouse, Inc. There are three types of elders on the NBE:

  • Executive Elders
  • Active Elders
  • Representative Elders

Executive Elders
The Executive Elders are the corporate officers of National Longhouse, Ltd. who hold two-year terms. They are as follows:

PRESIDENT
The President serves as the Chief Executive Officer of National Longhouse, Ltd. and executes all authorized deeds, mortgages, bonds, contracts and other obligations, in the name of the National Longhouse, Ltd.

CHAIRMAN
The Chairman presides over all meetings of the National Board of Elders and performs general supervision over the property, business, and affairs of National Longhouse, Ltd.

SECRETARY
The Secretary records the minutes of all National Board of Elders meetings and performs any necessary bookkeeping as prescribed by the NBE.

Active Elders
Participating elders not holding an executive office are considered to be Active Elders. These may be individuals who are new to the NBE or former executive officers wishing to remain on the NBE. Active Elders must declare their active status every two years.

Representative Elders
There are two Representative Elders on the National Board of Elders:

LIGHTHOUSE ELDER
The Lighthouse Elder serves as liaison between Lighthouse, Inc. and National Longhouse, Ltd. The two-year appointment is made by the Lighthouse Board of Trustees for whom the individual represents. The Lighthouse Elder is ineligible to serve as an Executive or Active Elder.

NCO ELDER
The NCO Elder is the representative from the operational branch of National Longhouse, Ltd. This is always the National Chief of the NATIVE SONS AND DAUGHTERS PROGRAMS® family activites who sits as a two-year NCO Elder, ex officio. This elder acts as a liaison between the NBE and the National Council of Officers (NCO) which is the administrative body for programming operations. Basically, the NCO Elder represents the general membership on the Board of Trustees of National Longhouse, Ltd.

2. NATIONAL COUNCIL of OFFICERS
The administrative body for the operational branch of National Longhouse is the National Council of Officers (NCO). The NCO consists of three groups:

  • National Officers
  • Regional Officers
  • Representatives

National Officers
These officers serve as the organization's executive programming directors and are elected by the National Council of Officers. There are five National Officers:

NATIONAL CHIEF
Serves as the Chief Operating Officer for National Longhouse, Ltd. and spokesperson for the NATIVE SONS AND DAUGHTERS PROGRAMS® family activites. The National Chief presides over the NCO meetings and is responsible for the day to day operations of NATIONAL LONGHOUSE ® parent-child programming. As stated previously, the National Chief serves as the NCO Elder, ex officio.

ASSISTANT NATIONAL CHIEF
Assistant to the National Chief. Assumes the role of the National Chief in his or her absence.

NATIONAL TALLY KEEPER
Recorder, archivist, and general secretary for the NCO. Responsible for the recording of minutes for all NCO meetings. Notifies and documents of all administrative votes. Archives all important administrative documents.

NATIONAL WAMPUM BEARER
Treasurer for National Longhouse, Ltd. Responsible for all financial transactions and accounting.

NATIONAL SACHEM
Previous National Chief. Assists in the smooth transition of the incoming and exiting administrations.

Regional Officers
The Regional Officers are the collective of regional programming officials elected from their respective part of the country. Each region elects five trustees called Regional Officers who serve ex officio, on the National Council of Officers and to their regional administrative body called the Regional Advisory Lodge (RAL). The officers are elected every two years by, and from within its body of voting lodge officers and local representatives.

Representatives
There are two types of NCO representatives, appointed and designated:

APPOINTED LIGHTHOUSE REPRESENTATIVE
At its choosing, the Board of Trustees of Lighthouse, Inc. may appoint a two-year representative to serve on the National Council of Officers as a liaison between Lighthouse and the NCO. The Lighthouse Representative is ineligible to serve as a National or Regional Officer on the NCO, but may be appointed to multiple terms.

DESIGNATED REPRESENTATIVES
The Regional Advisory Lodges may designate an alternate representative to the National Council of Officers from within its ranks to temporarily or permanently substitute for one of its regional officers.