First CWOA Constitution

The Temporary National Committee issued the first Constitution of the Association on January 1, 1929. Spanning 31 pages, the document outlined the organization’s structure, membership requirements, election procedures, officer duties, dues, and rules governing meetings.

This Constitution firmly established the Association as the official service and professional representative of Coast Guard warrant and chief warrant officers. Article II stated:
“The purpose of the Association shall be the betterment of the Warrant Personnel of the United States Coast Guard along social, professional, and materiel lines, consistent with the good of the Service.”
All warrant and commissioned warrant officers were eligible for membership. However, only active-duty Coast Guardsmen were considered “active” members. Retired warrants were designated as “honorary” members.
District Clubs were authorized based upon “the representation of, and the interest manifested by, the eligible officers stationed in and around the various Coast Guard centers.”
Expansion and Early Growth
Within a year, more than 700 Association newsletters were being mailed to Clubs across the country, including Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan; Boston, Massachusetts; New London, Connecticut; New York, New York; Washington, D.C.; St. Petersburg, Florida; Mobile, Alabama; Galveston, Texas; San Pedro and Oakland, California; Astoria, Oregon; and Port Townsend, Washington.
The following Clubs received their first charters on the dates indicated:
Boston, Massachusetts – January 1, 1929
New London, Connecticut – March 1, 1929
New York, New York – May 1, 1929
Astoria, Oregon – July 1, 1929
Port Townsend, Washington – July 1, 1929
San Pedro, California – August 1, 1929
Oakland, California – September 1, 1929
Mobile, Alabama – March 1, 1930
Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan – April 1, 1930
Washington, D.C. – April 1, 1930
Galveston, Texas – April 1, 1930
St. Petersburg, Florida – April 1, 1930
Less than a year later, on January 1, an additional Club was chartered in Norfolk, Virginia—though not by the National Board in Boston.
Relocation to Washington
Although the National Board was originally established in Boston, a vote in July 1930 determined that Washington, D.C., should serve as the “seat of government of the Association.” The headquarters formally relocated to Washington on October 18, 1930.
Subsequent installations of Association officers were held in the board room of the YWCA at 17th and K Streets, Northwest, Washington, D.C.
This relocation placed the Association closer to Coast Guard Headquarters and the center of federal policymaking, reinforcing its role as a professional representative of the warrant officer corps.