Filipino American Association of El Paso, Texas 2017 BY-LAWS

Transcription

1 Filipino American Association of El Paso, Texas 2017 BY-LAWS ARTICLE I Membership 1. A person eligible for membership in this Association may apply for membership through the membership committee. Final approval of the application shall be by majority vote of the Executive Board. a. Active member shall be those members who are of Filipino descent or extraction: 18 years of age or over, and who have resided in El Paso or vicinity for at least three months. Spouses of active members may also be accepted as active members. Active members are constituent members of the Association. Active members shall be current on their membership dues. b. Associate members shall be those members, 18 years of age or over, who are otherwise ineligible for active membership. Associate members shall be current on their membership dues. c. Junior members shall be those members under 18 years of age who are dependents of active or associate members. d. Honorary membership shall be distinctly an honor to be bestowed upon any non-member who had rendered to the Filipino community with outstanding service. e. Lifetime membership shall have paid lifetime membership dues. This membership will be grandfathered from the date of the ratification of these Constitution and By-Laws. From this point forward, there will be no new lifetime memberships granted. 2. All members shall have the same rights and privileges within this Association, except as follows: a. Active members may vote in elections and in regular or special meetings. b. Associate member may not vote in elections and in regular or special meetings. c. The right to hold elective office is reserved for active members only. d. Only an active member who is of Filipino descent or extraction may serve as Chairman of the Board, President, or Vice President of this Association. 3. Any member that brings discredit to the Association shall be dropped from the Association membership roster. ARTICLE II Board of Trustees 1. The Board of Trustees is the rule-making body of the Association in between sessions of the general membership meetings. It shall set the short and long term goals of the Association to include strategic plans and budget. The members of the Board of Trustees shall serve as the guardians of the finances. 2. Board of Trustees shall be composed of the following seven (7) members: Chairman of the Board (1) Vice Chairman of the Board (1) Board of Trustees at-large (2) Past two Presidents (2) Current President (1)

2 3. In the event of a vacancy in a Board of Trustees position a special nomination will be held. 4. Judicial Board shall be composed of the Chairman of the Board of Trustees and the two (2) previous presidents. It shall be the duty of this Board to resolve matters brought before the association. 5. Audit reports will be communicated to the Board of Trustees. Audit Reports with significant findings should require a corrective action plan. ARTICLE III Executive Officers 1. The Executive Officers shall be the implementing body of the Association. The Executive Officers shall be composed of the following: President 1 st Vice President 2 nd Vice President Treasurer Assistant Treasurer Secretary Assistant Secretary Auditor Sergeant-at-Arms (2) 2. President a. Shall preside at all meetings except Board of Trustees meetings and shall enforce the constitution and by-laws of the Association. b. The President shall be an ex-officio member of the Board of Trustees and all committees. c. The President shall appoint committee chairpersons and/or special committee members as necessary. d. Follow-up on projects that were initiated during previous administrations. e. Call for special meeting when an urgent matter requires. f. Make commitments in the name of the Association on external activities as approved by the Board of Trustees st Vice-President a. Shall perform the duties of the President in his absence. b. He shall perform such other duties as the President may request. c. In-case of a vacancy in the office of the President, the 1 st Vice-President shall assume the office of the President for the unexpired term nd Vice-President a. Shall perform duties of the President and/or their absence. b. Assists the President and 1 st Vice-President as needed. c. Performs duties as the president may request. 2

3 5. Secretary a. Shall keep the minutes of all meetings and prepare same for permanent record. b. Shall at each meeting, at the request of the President, read the minutes of the previous meeting. c. Shall make such corrections as may be required. d. Shall conduct and maintain the correspondence of the Association. e. Shall keep a record of the names, addresses and telephone numbers of all the members. 6. Assistant Secretary a. Shall perform duties of the secretary in their absence. b. Assists the secretary as needed. c. Performs duties as the president may request. d. Assumes the position of the secretary if vacated. 7. Treasurer a. Administers and manages the financial assets and liabilities of the Association. b. Shall collect all dues, fees or other revenues. c. Shall keep record of all receipts and disbursements. d. Shall deposit all revenues in a designated local bank. e. Shall disburse monies only upon proper authorization and with proper documentation per established guidelines. f. Shall render to the membership for approval each month a treasurers report of financial activities for that period. g. Shall prepare and present in proper form the year s receipts, disbursements, and preparation of taxes at the end of each fiscal year. h. Any disbursement over $500 requires two (2) signatures including the president. 8. Assistant Treasurer a. Shall perform duties of the treasurer in his absence. b. Assists the treasurer as needed. c. Performs duties as the president may request. d. Assumes the position of the treasurer if vacated. 9. Auditor a. Shall provide an independent examination of the accuracy of finances and taxes. b. Shall prepare and present an annual audit report to the Board of Trustees. c. Shall perform an annual inventory of assets of the Association. 10. The Sergeant-at Arms a. Shall assist in maintaining order and security in all meetings. b. Shall prepare the venue for the meeting. c. Shall also perform other duties as requested by the President. d. In the absence of a Sergeant-at-Arms, the President may designate a temporary Sergeant-at-Arms for that meeting. 11. Officers shall safeguard entrusted Association assets, have such assets available for official inspection if required, and relinquish all assets intact to their successor. 3

4 ARTICLE IV Executive Board 1. The Executive Board shall consist of the Board of Trustees and the Executive Officers of the Association. The Executive Board shall be presided by the President. 2. The Executive Board shall attend to the affairs of the Association during the interim period between membership meetings. ARTICLE V Meetings and Quorum 1. General membership a. Regular membership meetings shall be established by the Executive Board at the beginning of their tenure. b. Special meetings shall be called by the President or 3 members of the Executive Board in writing. c. A quorum shall be twenty percent (20%) voting members. 2. Board of Trustees a. Board of Trustees meetings shall be determined by the Board of Trustees Chairman as needed. b. Special Board of Trustees meeting may be called by the Chairman or 2 Board of Trustees in writing. c. A quorum shall be majority plus one (1). 3. Executive Officers a. Executive Officer meetings shall be established by the President at the beginning of the president s tenure. b. Special meetings shall be called by the President or 3 Executive Officers in writing. c. A quorum shall be majority plus one (1). 4. Executive Board a. Executive Board meetings shall be established by the President at the beginning of the president s tenure. b. Special meetings shall be called by the President or 3 Executive Board members in writing. c. A quorum shall be majority plus one (1). 5. Abandonment of Office a. An officer that is absent without proper notification for three (3) consecutive meetings will be considered abandonment of office. b. Notification of absence from a meeting should be made to either President or Secretary by the absent party. c. In a case where a presiding president abandons the meeting without proper adjournment, when there is no emergency situation, the successor in attendance shall continue and conclude the meeting. 4

5 Article VI Nomination and Elections 1. The Executive Board will determine the nomination and election process based on the recommendation of the Nomination and Election committee. 2. A vacancy occurring in an elective office, except that of the President, shall be filled by the Executive Board for the unexpired term. ARTICLE VII Tenure of Office 1. The term of office for Board of Trustees is based on Table 1 below. The Association will utilize a staggered tenure of office for continuity of purpose in the Board of Trustee. Table 1 BOARD OF TRUSTEES POSITION Chairman of the Board TERM 2 years Vice Chairman of the Board 1 year UP FOR ELECTION BOT At Large 2 year BOT At Large 1 years UP FOR ELECTION Current President Immediate Past President Immediate Past President EX-OFFICIO EX-OFFICIO EX-OFFICIO 2. The Term of office for the Executive Board is 1 year. ARTICLE VIII Membership Dues 1. Membership dues shall be decided annually by the Board of Trustees. 2. Membership shall be from January 1 December 31. New members who join the Association prior to June 30 shall be assessed the full membership dues. New members who join the Association after July 1 will be assessed half the annual membership dues. 5

6 3. Membership renewal dues are due on January 1 but a 30 day grace period will be extended of each year. Any member shall become delinquent and placed on inactive status if dues are not current by the deadline. 4. Members who leave El Paso and vicinity shall be placed on an inactive status provided that they give proper notice of their departure. Upon their return to El Paso and vicinity, they may revert to active status if they so desire. ARTICLE IX Committees 1. The standing committees of this Association shall be as follows. The chairperson of each committee shall be appointed by the President and confirmed by the Executive Board. Committee members shall be appointed by the chairperson. Committee chairperson are responsible for assets and inventory acquired. 2. The main function and duties of the standing committees are: a. Communication Committee (aka Telephone Committee) - It shall be the duty of this committee to co-operate with the President and the Secretary in giving notices of meetings or other functions of the Association and in communicating with members of the Association. b. Grants - It shall be the duty of this committee to seek external funding through grants to further the interests and goals of the Association. c. Hospitality Committee It shall be the duty of this committee to reach out on behalf of the Association and offer comfort to families of members and Filipinos in our community in times of emergencies or bereavement. It shall also act as a welcoming committee to all prospective members arriving for the first time in El Paso and vicinity. d. Historian It shall be the duty of this committee keep a record of the Association s accomplishments and activities through pictures and journals. e. Membership Committee It shall be the duty of this committee to recruit and renew memberships. Shall maintain and manager the membership list in cooperation with the Secretary f. Nomination & Elections Committee - It shall be the duty of this committee to accept candidates and present a slate of officers to the Board of Trustees for presentation to the general membership and schedule an election. g. Public Relations Committee - It shall be the duty of this committee to prepare press notices pertinent to activities of the Association. h. Scholarship Committee - It shall be the duty of this committee to prepare guidelines for prospective recipients and present recommendations to the Board of Trustees for presentation to the general membership. i. Social Events Committee - It shall be the duty of this committee to arrange all social functions of the Association. 6

7 j. Social Media and Internet Technology Committee It shall be the duty of this committee to maintain social media presence, , website, digital storage and digital securities for the Association. k. Ways and Means Committee- It shall be the duty of this committee to develop methods and means to raise revenue for the Association. 3. Committee Chairpersons shall safeguard entrusted Association assets, have such assets available for official inspection if required, and relinquish all said assets intact to their successor within 30 days after election. ARTICLE X Parliamentary Authority The procedures of this Association shall be governed by the Robert s Rules of Order, Revised. ARTICLE XI Amendments By-laws may be amended at any regular or at a special membership meeting called for that purpose by a twothirds vote of those present and voting, provided notice was given at the preceding two regular meetings. Proposed amendments shall be submitted in writing. ARTICLE XII Transitory Provision The amendments to these By-Laws shall supersede all previous constitution and by-laws of the Filipino-American Association of El Paso, Texas. ARTICLE XIII Certification These By-Laws shall take effect immediately after approval by the Executive Board by two-thirds majority vote and confirmed and ratified by the general membership with a majority vote. Revised 01/08/2017 7