SOUTHERN MANATEE VOLUNTEER

FIREFIGHTERS ASSOCIATION

Rules of Membership

ARTICLE I - Name and Purpose

Section 1 -    This organization shall be known as the SOUTHERN MANATEE VOLUNTEER FIREFIGHTERS ASSOCIATION.(Herein referred to as AAssociation@)

Section 2 -   The purpose of the Association shall be to promote the good and welfare of the membership, provide support to the community, provide education to the firefighters and the community, and enhance and support the functions of the Southern Manatee Fire & Rescue District.(Herein referred to as ADistrict@)

ARTICLE II - MEMBERSHIP

Section 1 -    The Association shall consist of regular and honorary members.  No limit to honorary members.

The Assocation shall consist of regular and honorary members.  Membership may be limited to 50 regular members, not including the full-time/career members or as regulated by the District.  No limit to Honorary members.

Section 2 -   Any person who has attained the age of eighteen, graduated from high school or equivalent, has been a resident of the State of Florida for a minimum of six continuous months prior to making application, and is of good repute as determined by a background investigation and in compliance with District rules and regulations, may be eligible for induction as a regular member.

Section 3 -   A member shall, prior to being afforded membership status, successfully complete the District's probationary process.  Upon completing District entry requirements, the applicant may become eligible for membership to the Association. A member shall be required to comply with any additional requirements that may be created from time to time by the District. Such requirements include but are not limited to, residency, physical capabilities, insurance, licensing, policies and procedures.

Section 4 -

Only regular members, in good standing of the Association, are entitled to vote on any matter coming before the Association.  A quorum shall consist of the majority of the voting members present.

Section 5      All volunteer personnel shall comply with all rules, regulations, standard operating procedures, and standard operating guidelines of the District.

Section 6      Regular members are required to maintain the following level of activity in order to remain in good standing:

a.      Have not more than three (3) consecutive un-excused absences from regular  business meetings.

b.      Maintain, during an annual period, an attendance record of at least fifty percent (50%) of the total of all regularly scheduled business meetings.

c.      Maintain the minimum activity/training requirements as described

by the Districts policy.

d.      Attend scheduled expanded volunteer opportunity program shifts.

Section 7      Any action will be decided on a case by case basis.

Any member, excluding honorary, that fails to comply with the membership responsibilities, may, with the Districts approval, be voted out by the Association by a majority vote of the membership present.

Section 8      Any member, excluding honorary, that fails to comply with the membership responsibilities and/or District rules or regulations, may be subject to disciplinary action by the District as set forth in District Standard Operating Procedure Manual.

Section 9      Any member, regardless of class, may be terminated for cause upon a majority vote of the members present or by the District. Reasons include, but are not limited to: falsification of information on any application to the Association or District, failure to meet attendance, or activity requirements, and conduct that would discredit the Association or the District.

Section 10    Any member or employee of the District that is terminated by the District for any cause or no cause, resigns, or is no longer employed by the District for any reason, will not be able to hold membership with this Association unless written consent is given by the District.  Any member or employee that resigns, whether full-time or volunteer, must reapply to the Association, following District procedures for entry into the Department, in order to be considered for membership in the Association.

Section 11     Any person who has rendered distinguished service to the Association, or any person that the District or Association deems appropriate, may be eligible for induction as an honorary member by a majority vote of the membership.

Section 12    Honorary members are not required to maintain any minimum levels of activity.  However, honorary members must maintain any other District ethical or moral standards in order to maintain honorary status.

ARTICLE III - Advisory Board/Officers

Section 1 -    The officers of the Association shall be a president, vice president, secretary, and treasurer, and shall be considered an advisory board to the District Chief.  The officers shall collectively be refered to herein as the ABoard.@

Section 2 -   Any member of the Association in good standing; except an honorary member, is eligible to be an officer of the Association.

Section 3 -   The Chief, or his designee, shall be entitled to define and enforce District policy where applicable.

Section 4 -   No officer may hold more than one elected office at any one time, nor serve more than two consecutive terms in any such office.

Section 5 -   The President shall preside at all regular and specially called meetings of the Association and shall preserve order and conduct at the meetings. The President shall discharge all duties commonly belonging to the office or as assigned by the membership and shall order all disbursements of funds by the Treasurer. The President shall not vote on any questions other than election of officers, unless there is an equal division of the assembly, and then, the President's vote shall be given to resolve the issue.

Section 6 -   The Vice President shall assist the President and in the absence of that officer, shall perform all duties assigned to that office. The Vice President shall assume the office of President should it become vacant, and serve the remainder of the term or until a successor is elected, as decided by the body.

Section 7 -   The Secretary shall keep a true and accurate record of the proceedings of  each meeting in a book provided for that purpose. The Secretary shall also keep an accurate list of all members in the Association.  Such records shall be  available for inspection by every member. The Secretary shall call roll at each  meeting and shall be responsible for notification being made to each member of any special meetings being called. The Secretary shall attend to the Association=s correspondence and discharge other such duties customarily associated with the office or as may be assigned by the President or  membership.

Section 8 -   The Treasurer shall keep a record of all monies and assets of the Association and shall provide financial reports to the District, as well as, to the membership.  Reports shall be given at all regular meetings or as otherwise directed.  The Treasurer shall collect all monies due the Association and  prepare all bills for payment, as well as accounts receivable. The Treasurer shall countersign all checks and make payments only by such means and only then when such payment is authorized by the President.

Article IV- Dues, Fees and Fiscal Matters

Section 1 -    There shall be no dues for membership in the Association.

Section 2 -   Any member owing the organization or District monies shall, if not paid within 30 days have such monies deducted from their next paycheck, upon approval of the District.

Section 3 -   Funds expended to convey sympathy shall be limited to those persons that are in the immediate family, as defined in District rules, of the Association member or those persons that are directly associated with the Association through the fire service or other professional relationship.

Section 4 -   The Board , upon majority vote of the officers, may expend up to one hundred dollars ($100.00) for any purpose it deems reasonably necessary without approval of the membership. The amount and purpose of the expenditures shall be reported to the membership at the next meeting in which a Treasurers report is given.

ARTICLE V - MEETINGS AND ELECTIONS

Section 1 -    The regular bi-monthly meetings of the Association shall be held on the first  Monday of each month. If such meeting night is a holiday or if the meeting cannot be  completed for any reason, the regular meeting shall be automatically transferred to the  Tuesday evening of that week.

Section 2 -   A special meeting of the Association may be called by the President or upon the request of at least one third of the membership in good standing, provided however, that the membership is given twenty four (24) hours notice of such special meeting. Such notice shall be given by posting an announcement of the special meeting in all stations of the District and broadcast over the District=s radio frequency in accordance with standard radio procedures.

Section 3 -   The annual meeting of the Association shall be the December regular meeting. The election of officers shall be conducted at the annual meeting and occur under the order of New Business.

Section 4 -   The election of officers shall be by secret ballot for each office beginning with President, followed by Vice President, Secretary and Treasurer. Nominations for each office shall be from the floor and from the Nomination Committee. At least 51 % of the membership must be present for the election.

Section 5       In the event of only one nomination for an office, the Secretary, upon proper motion and second, shall record a unanimous vote for the nominee to that office.

Section 6 -   Members in good standing and in attendance shall have one vote, cast by secret ballot, for each office. No vote assignments or proxies shall be permitted.

Section 7 -   Members elected at the annual meeting shall assume their offices at the regular meeting in the January following their election.

Section 8 -   All meetings shall be conducted in an orderly manner. ROBERT'S RULES OF ORDER may be utilized by the President to guide, if a question is raised concerning, parliamentary procedures.

Section 9      The Order of Business for all regular meetings and the annual meetings shall be as follows:

Call to Order

1)       Pledge to the Flag

2)      Invocation

3)      Roll Call and collection of Monies

4)      Reading & Approval of Minutes (corrections if necessary)

5)      Treasurers Report

6)      Communications and Bills

7)      Report of Sick or Distressed Members

8)      Committee Reports

9)      Unfinished Business

10)    Fire District Business

11) New Business

12)    Good of the Organization

13)    Adjournment

Included in the above listed items on the agenda shall be "as applicable" and the President shall have no obligation to address items that are not submitted in such a manner as to allow proper preparation of the agenda and/or conduct of the meeting.

Section 10 -  Staggered Terms.  At the first election of the officers pursuant to these rules, the President and Treasurer shall serve two year terms and the Vice President and Secretary shall serve one-year terms.  At the expiration of these initial terms, all terms shall be for one year only.

ARTICLE VI - COMMITTEES

Section 1 -    All committees of the Association shall be appointed by the President who may serve as an ex-officio member and consist of not less than three members.

Section 2 -   The President shall appoint committees as they deem appropriate and necessary, as directed by the Board or membership and as required by this section of the rules of membership or as appointed by the Chief. Required committees shall include an Auditing Committee, on which the Secretary shall serve as an Ex-Officio member, and a Nomination Committee which shall be chaired by the Vice President.

Section 3 -   Any member, in good standing, including all elected officers, except the President, shall be eligible for appointment to any committee provided, however, that the Treasurer not be appointed to the Auditing Committee.

ARTICLE VII - ABSENCES

Section 1 -    A leave of absence may be granted to any member upon written request being made to the Board in advance of the effective date of the absence. Such leave shall be for the purpose of absolving that member of attendance and activity requirements for an extended period of time when it is known in advance that the member will be unable to comply during that time frame approved by the District. A leave of absence may not exceed ninety days. No more than one leave of absence may be granted in any calendar year.

Section 2 -   A member, regardless of class, will be considered to have resigned his/her membership in the Association if any of these conditions have occurred:

a.      A written statement of resignation is forwarded to the President or through an Officer of the Board.

b.      A verbal statement of resignation is given to an Officer of the Board.

c.      The member fails to respond to questions posed or attempted to be posted on the subject of absences by an Officer of the Board.

d.      The member turns in their issued uniforms, equipment and other Association and/or District property with or without comment.

e.      The member is terminated as an employee or volunteer of the District.

Article VIII - Firefighter's Oath

Section 1 -    Immediately following their acceptance as a regular member, each individual shall be sworn in by the President of the Association.

Section 2 -   The Oath of Office for each volunteer firefighter shall be as follows:

"  Do you solemnly swear to carry out  the duties as a firefighter, to answer all alarms day or night, to which  your department responds whenever it is in  your power to do so.  Do you agree to respect and honor these rules and regulations of the Department, to act with all haste in responding to an emergency, to obey ,to the best of  your ability, all orders of  your superior officers and to always conduct yourself  in a manner which will bring credit to yourself and to the department, so help you  God."