Florida Public Service Association, Inc. Bylaws Article 1: Name The name of this Career Technical Student Organization (CTSO) shall be the Florida Public Service Association, Incorporated (FPSA, Inc.) also known here as the organization. Article 2: Purposes The purpose or purposes which this organization will hereafter pursue are: a. Be an integral part of the organized instructional programs in public service education that prepares students for a wide range of careers in public service; b. Strengthen the confidence of students in themselves and in their work by developing desirable work habits, learning to assume responsibility; developing competencies in communications, human relations, and other social abilities for successful employment or entrepreneurship in the public service industry; c. Provide public service-related programs and activities which will develop pride, responsibility, leadership, character, scholarship, citizenship and patriotism; d. Encourage and recognize achievement in supervised public service experience programs, scholarship, leadership, and other individual and group activities by providing awards to deserving members and chapters; e. Promote inter-organizational relationships with professional groups, business, industries, and other career technical student organizations. f. Promote involvement in current public issues, policies, environmental concerns, and needs of the community, the nation, and the world; g. Promote greater understanding between youth and adults and those that work in public service.
Article 3: Organization Section 6: The Florida Public Service Association, Inc. shall be governed by a Board of Directors. The FPSA, Inc. board of directors shall employ a State Executive Director to coordinate the overall daily operations, development and management of the organization. The FPSA, Inc. shall be led by state student officers and provide direction and leadership on behalf of our membership. The Florida Department of Department of Education (FDOE) will sponsor and support FPSA, Inc. as an integral part of the secondary or post-secondary public service occupations education programs as defined by all applicable State Board of Education Administrative rules (6A-6.065). FPSA, Inc. is an organization of affiliated Chapters, each operating in accordance with the charter granted by FPSA, Inc. Each Chapter is responsible for operational activities with the Chapter. FPSA, Inc. shall be divided into geographical regions as determined by the Board of Directors. Geographical regions shall not exceed six (6) and shall be review every two (2) years. Each geographical region shall be represented by a regional advisor and a corresponding regional vice-president. Florida Public Service Association, Inc. shall have the following programmatic areas: a. Criminal Justice b. Law Studies c. Public Administration d. Firefighting e. And other applicable career cluster within the spectrum of public service as approved by the board of directors. Section 7: FPSA, Inc. shall exercise its options to create the following divisions; a. Middle School b. High School c. College Section 8: The organization shall have an emblem that is representative of the public service industry. The emblem must be affixed as necessary and appropriate on FPSA, Inc. documents, awards and correspondence.
Article 4: Membership The total eligible members of the chartered FPSA chapters shall comprise the members of FPSA, Inc. Membership in a local Chapter shall be open to persons regardless of age, race, sex, and color, national origin or religious beliefs. FPSA, Inc. membership shall be in compliance with all provisions of the Florida Educational Equity Act and the Federal Rehabilitation Act of 1973. Membership Dues for each classes of membership shall be determined by the board of Directors and be reviewed annually. Classes of Membership for the FPSA, Inc. shall be as followed: a. Active; a student must enrolled in a 6-12 public service education program recognized by the Florida Department of Education or FPSA, Inc. Active members shall have a right to vote, run for office, serve on state committees and compete in career and competitive events. b. Professional; a person participating in the professional development of FPSA, Inc. students. Professional members shall have the right to serve on the board of directors meetings. c. Alumni; former active member who no longer meets the criteria for active membership. Alumni members many serve on the board of directors. Alumni members cannot run for office, compete in career development and competitive events unless there s an organized division. d. Associate; a student who shows evidence of serious interest in pursuing a public service career but who is not enrolled in a public service education program recognized by Florida Department of Education or FPSA, Inc. Associate members cannot run for office, compete in career development and competitive events. e. Collegiate; a student who is enrolled in public service education courses recognized by FPSA, Inc. or who are pursuing career objectives in the industry of public service at a two- or four-year post-secondary institution. Collegiate members cannot run for office, compete in career development and competitive events unless there s an organized division. f. Honorary; - any individual(s) who has made significant contributions to FPSA, Inc. and or its members. Honorary members are nominated by members of state
governance or chapters and voted by the board of directors. Honorary members cannot run for office, compete in career development and competitive events. g. General; a student becomes a general member by being enrolled in at least one public service education course during the school year and/or follow a planned course of study. General members cannot run for office, compete in career development and competitive events. Article 5: Board of Directors The organizations board of directors shall be comprised of a the State President, one (1) advisor from each geographical region as developed by the sitting board of directors and no more than two (2) at-large members appointed by the board of directors. Section 6: Section 7: At-large members shall be appointed in order to bring a particular knowledge base, skill set, or diversity to the board. They shall serve a term of two (2) years, or until their successors have assumed office. They shall assume office after their approval by the board of directors at its organizational meeting. The board of directors shall annually review and determine whether the State President shall serve as a voting or non-voting member to ensure compliance with applicable state law. If it is determine that the State President is unable to serve as a voting member, the State President shall recommend to the board of directors a representative to serve as their voting representative for the duration of his/her term in office. The Florida Department of Education liaison to FPSA, Inc. shall serve as a non-voting member. Regional Advisors shall be elected on rotating basis for a term of two (2) years as determined by the board of directors and formation of each geographically regions. At its organizational meeting, the board of directors shall elect a Chair, Vice Chair and Secretary. The State Executive Director shall serve as the presiding officer during organizational meetings and during the annual election of members of the board of directors. The Board of Directors shall: a. Perform duties as specified in these bylaws, policy and policies as may be adopted by the board of directors,
b. Act on recommendations presented by committees, state staff, state and regional officers and chapter leaders, c. Serve individually on at least one standing committee or special committee, d. Approve the annual budget, e. Approve board and committee appointments as recommended by the board chair, f. Establish organizational policy, provide overall direction based on the strategic plan and g. Make an effort to attend board meetings or make an effort to provide notice of absence. Section 8: Meeting of the Board of Directors arranged and conducted shall be as followed: a. Regular meetings; shall be held at least four (4) times during each calendar year. The first meeting shall be held immediately preceding the Annual State Leadership Conference and at other times as determined by the board of directors. b. Notice of the time and place of each regular meeting shall be given in writing to each member of the board of directors at least thirty (30) hours prior to the date of the meeting. c. Special meetings; may be called by the board chair, State Executive Director or a majority of the board members, with at least twenty-four (24) hours written notice to each member of the board of directors. d. Meetings may be conducted by conference call, teleconference, or other electronic media as permitted by applicable law. e. A quorum of the board of directors shall be a majority of the members currently holding - office. Section 13: Between meetings of the board of directors, the state executive director in consultation with the board chair shall have and may exercise the powers of the board of directors in the management of such affairs of FPSA, Inc. that in their judgment require immediate action. The state executive director shall take no action in conflict with any action taken by the board of directors.
Section 14: Section 15: Section 16: A board member vacancy shall be filled by the board of directors in accordance with board approved policy for the balance of the term A board member can be removed from office by a two-third (2/3) vote for failure to perform his/her duties. With the exception of the state president, all members of the board of directors must be professional members. Article 6: State Officers The state officers of the organization shall be a president, president-elect, secretary, parliamentarian and sergeant-at-arms. With the exception of the president, state officers will elected at the annual State Leadership Conference. The office of president shall be filled by the president-elect. Only active members with an overall unweighted grade point average (GPA) of a 2.5 shall be deemed only active members are eligible to hold an elective state office position. The office of president shall be filled by a rising senior; the office of president-elect shall be filled by a rising junior; the office of secretary, parliamentarian and sergeant-at-arms shall be filled by a rising sophomore, junior or senior. The president and president-elect shall not be allowed to be from the same school at the time of election. Special exception can be waived by the board of directors. The duties of the state officers shall be as followed: a. President; preside over the state conference, meetings of the state officers, and regional leadership workshops, appoint all student committees, serve as an ex-officio member of these committees, attend board of directors meetings, assist with the planning of state events, fill state and regional officer vacancies with board approval, represent the organization at approved functions and performed all other duties as assigned. b. President-elect; serve as an aide to the president, be prepared to attend board of directors meetings, serve as chair of the Student Regional Committee, perform all other duties assigned and duties of the office of president in the president s absence or when the president is unable to perform these duties.
c. Secretary; prepare and post the agenda for each state officer s and regional vice-president s meeting. At each state officer s meeting he/she will present the Minutes of the prior meeting. The Secretary will also be responsible for all correspondence and keeping a record of attendance. The secretary shall also write the minutes of state leadership conference and state events. The secretary shall also research, develop and maintain a scrapbook of memorabilia in which to record the organization's history. d. Parliamentarian; be proficient with parliamentary procedures, rule on all questions of parliamentary conduct at state officer and regional meetings, state conference and perform all other duties assigned. e. Sergeant-At-Arms; assist the president in maintaining order at all meetings, welcoming guests and visitors to meetings, and assist with the candidates during campaigning, speeches, the election of officers for the next year and perform all other duties assigned. Section 6: Section 7: Section 8: State Officers shall be elected by ballot at the annual State Leadership Conference during general session(s). The term of office for State Officers shall begin with the last gavel tap at the state conference at which they were elected, and will continue until the last gavel tap of the state conference the following year. State Office Vacancies shall be filled as followed: a. In case of a vacancy in the office of president, the president-elect shall become president and shall hold office for the balance of the term. In filling the vacancy, the president-elect shall be entitled to continue in the presidency for the following term providing not more than one-half (1/2) of a full term as president has been served. b. A vacancy in the office of president-elect shall be filled at the next state leadership conference by the voting body. In the interim, duties of the president-elect shall be delegated by the president. c. A vacancy in the office of secretary, parliamentarian or sergeant-at-arms shall be filled by an appointment by the state president with board approval. d. Should the organization find itself unable to fill state office vacancies, the board of directors shall make every effort to appoint a replacement.
Section 9: A State Officer may be removed from office if they fail to complete their duties of office as outlined in the State Officer Handbook, application or commitment form. Removal must receive a 2/3 vote from the Board of Directors. Article 7: Regional Officers There shall be on regional vice-president for each geographic region created by the board of directors. Only active members with an overall unweighted GPA of a 2.5 shall be deemed only active members are eligible to hold an elective state office position. The office of regional vice-presidents shall be filled by a rising sophomore, junior or senior. The duties of the regional vice-presidents shall be as followed: f. Regional Vice-President; preside over regional leadership conferences, appoint all regional student committees, serve as an ex-officio member of these committees, assist the president in the promotion and development of FPSA; and assist in compiling and publishing state annual newsletter, attend state and regional board meetings, assist with the planning of state and regional events, represent the organization at approved functions and performed all other duties as assigned. Section 6: Regional Officers shall be elected by ballot at the annual State Leadership Conference during regional meeting(s). The term of office for Regional Officers shall begin with the last gavel tap of the state conference at which they were elected, and will continue until the last gavel tap of the state conference the following year. Regional Office Vacancies shall be filled as followed: e. In case of a vacancy in the office of regional vice-president shall be filled by the state president with board approval. f. Should the organization find itself unable to fill regional office vacancies, the board of directors shall make every effort to appoint a replacement.
Section 8: A Regional Officer may be removed from office if they fail to complete their duties of office as outlined in the State Officer Handbook, application or commitment form. Removal must receive a 2/3 vote from the Board of Directors. Article 8: State Leadership Conference Section 6: Section 7: There shall be an Annual State Leadership Conference with the location and date established by the Board of Directors to allow members of this association to participate in career development and competitive events. Those eligible to attend the State Leadership Conference shall be all members of the organization, participants, and invited guests. Programming shall be organized by the state executive director or designee. The number of voting delegates at the State Leadership Conference per chapter will be three (3) votes per chapter as long as the chapter is in good standing with the Florida Public Service Association, Inc. as defined by board policy. In the event that the school has more than one chapter of the same discipline, three (3) votes will be allocated per school. Quorum at State Leadership Conference shall be at least one (1) chapter from each geographical region. Voting at State Leadership Conference shall be done by secret ballot or by any other means approved by the State Executive Director in compliance with board policy. The state secretary shall serve as the credentials committee chair during the state leadership conference. The state secretary shall provide the minutes from all general sessions within one (1) week. The state president shall appoint a senior FPSA member to serve as the elections committee chair and co-chair under the direction of the state executive director or designee. The state president-elect shall serve as an aide to the president. The state sergeant-at-arms shall serve as chair of the welcoming committee. Article 9: Regional Leadership Conference There shall be a Regional Leadership Conference with the location and date established by the State Executive Director along with the respective regional advisor to allow members of this association to participate in career development and competitive
events. Those eligible to attend the Regional Leadership Conference shall be all members of the organization in each geographical region, participants, and invited guests. Programming shall be organized by the state executive director or designee. Article 10: Chapter Management Section 6: Section 7: Section 8: Section 9: Section 10: An FPSA, Inc. chapter shall be self-governing unit chartered by the Florida Public Service Association, Inc. The FPSA, Inc. reserves the right to deny, suspend or revoke a chapter charter with a two-third (2/3) vote of the Board Directors. Each Chapter is responsible for the state association monetary assessment (membership and charter dues). Each Chapter shall submit to the FPSA, Inc. funds equal to the chapter monetary assessment. Granting charters to chapters shall be issued in accordance with the policy and procedures of FPSA, Inc. and only when all conditions have been completed. All chapters must have bylaws adopted by the membership and approved by FPSA, Inc. No provisions of the Chapter Bylaws are to be in conflict with the FPSA, Inc. Bylaws. All chapter officers must be elected by the membership in accordance with the chapter bylaws. Prior to the suspension of a chapter, State Executive Director and/or designee must conduct an investigation and a hearing may be called with members of the board of directors. FPSA, Inc. may impose sanctions on the chapter(s) as reasonable appropriate. A chapter at a school may be placed on probation for a number of reasons. Just caused must be provided and approved by the board of directors and shall not exceed ninety (90) days. With respect to each chapter being self-governing, a chapter at a school may be revoke, suspended or place on probation for a number of reasons in accordance with board approved policy. Prior to reinstating a chapter, all necessary forms must be submitted to the State Executive Director and/or designee. Individual FPSA membership period for each member shall begin from the time there dues are remitted to FPSA, Inc. till October 15 of the preceding year.
Article 11: Finance The fiscal year of FPSA, Inc. shall run from July 1 through June 30. The Board of Directors shall designate a bonded fiscal agent to be responsible for all accounting records for FPSA, Inc. and for the proper handling and disbursement of state association funds. Books and records of FPSA, Inc. may be reviewed at any reasonable time. Article 12: Parliamentary Authority The rules contained in Robert's Rules of Order, Newly Revised shall govern FPSA, Inc. in all cases to which they are applicable and in which they are not inconsistent with these Bylaws and any special rules of order the association may adopt. Article 13: Amendments to Bylaws These bylaws may be approved for amendment by a two-thirds vote on the Board of Directors, provided that the proposed amendment(s) has been submitted in writing to each board member at least thirty (30) days prior to consideration by the Board. The board shall annually accept bylaws amendment during the month of November of each calendar year. Bylaw changes approved for amendment by the Board of Directors must be submitted to a vote by the voting delegates and members of state governance at the State Leadership Conference for consideration provided that the proposed amendment(s) has been submitted in writing to each Chapter at least thirty (30) days prior to the conference. Article 14: Dissolution Should it become necessary to dissolve this organization after a 2/3 vote of the Board of Directors, all outstanding obligations, liabilities, and remaining assets shall be disbursed by the Florida Public Service Association, Inc. Board of Directors in accordance with one
or more of the purposes of this organization or to be transferred to a qualified exempt organization within the meaning of Section 501 (3c) of the Internal Revenue code.