CONSTITUTION
PREAMBLE
WE, sworn law enforcement officers of the North Central region of the State of Florida do hereby associate ourselves for the following purposes:
To support and defend the Constitution of the United States and the State of Florida; to inculcate loyalty and foster the impartial enforcement of law and order; to improve the individual proficiency of our members in the performance of their duties; to encourage social and educational activities among our members; to create a tradition of esprit de corps, insuring fidelity to duty under all conditions and circumstances; to cultivate a spirit of mutual helpfulness among our membership and the people we serve; to increase the efficiency of public service and thus more firmly establish the citizens’ confidence in the public service that is dedicated to the protection of their lives and property.
ARTICLE I - NAME, OBJECTIVE AND PURPOSES
Section 1. This organization shall be known as the NORTH CENTRAL FLORIDA CHAPTER of FLORIDA POLICE BENEVOLENT ASSOCIATION, Inc., and its offices and meeting places shall be in North Central Florida, unless otherwise authorized by the Board of Directors.
Section 2. The general objectives and purposes of this Chapter shall be to promote professionalism among law enforcement officers; to influence the youth of Florida in an effort to combat delinquency; to further Police-Community relations by informing the citizens of Florida of the day-to-day stress and problems of their law enforcement officers; and to represent officers and other public employees in the legal, labor, legislative, and political matters which affect the law enforcement profession.
Section 3. The North Central Florida Chapter of Florida Police Benevolent Association, Inc. shall not participate in, nor condone strikes or cessation of duties by law enforcement officers or law enforcement support personnel.
ARTICLE II - ORGANIZATION, MEMBERSHIP
Section 1. The classes of membership in this Chapter shall beActive, Affiliate, Associate, Auxiliary, Booster, Honorary, Life and Retired. The Board of Directors, by policy, shall provide for the appointment, regulation, conduct and rights of each class of membership.
Section 2. All sworn law enforcement officers and law enforcement support personnel employed within the jurisdiction of this Chapter as assigned by Florida Police Benevolent Association, Inc. shall be eligible for membership in the North Central Florida Chapter of Florida Police Benevolent Association. Membership shall not be denied to any person on the basis of sex, race, religion, age, nationality, or creed.
ARTICLE III - BOARD OF DIRECTORS, OFFICERS AND EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
Section 1. The Board of Directors shall be composed of elected officers of this Chapter and one director for each fifty (50) members. The Board of Directors shall be the policy-making body of the Chapter; it shall meet upon the call of the President where a majority shall constitute a quorum; the Board shall have the power to make regulations concerning the conduct and attendance of the general membership-, the Board shall have the power to make such regulations concerning the policies of the Chapter and to initiate and cease programs for the mutual benefit of the Chapter’s members as it sees fit; the Board, by written policy, shall set the dues of the Chapter, the Board shall have the authority to adopt policies that shall have the full force and effect of the Chapter’s Constitution and deviation from or violation of those policies shall be considered a violation of this Constitution; the Board shall have the authority to remove from office any officer or director for proper cause by a three-fourths (3/4) vote of the Board constituting a quorum. Only Active and Life members of the Chapter shall be eligible to hold elected offices in this Chapter. Vacancies on the Board of Directors shall be filled by a majority vote of the Board of Directors.
Section 2. The Board of Directors may delegate any of its powers, authority or responsibilities contained in Section I above to the Executive Committee or the President.
Section 3. The Board of Directors shall be elected in the manner prescribed in the By- Laws and shall serve for a term of four (4) years.
Section 4. The President shall be the Chief Executive Officer of the Chapter; shall preside at all meetings of the Chapter; shall have the responsibility and authority of general management of the business of the Chapter; and the President shalt have the exclusive power to speak and act on behalf of the Chapter when it is not feasible to call the Board of Directors into session.
Section 5. The By-Laws of the Chapter shall prescribe -the duties of the Senior Vice President, the Vice President, Secretary, and the Treasurer.
Section 6. The Chapter’s President, Senior Vice President, Vice President, Secretary, and Treasurer shall be elected by the general membership to a four-year term and shall be known as the Chapter’s Executive Committee. The Executive Committee may exercise the emergency powers of the President should the President choose to call it into session and relinquishes those powers to it; the Executive Committee may be called into session by the President to act as the planning arm of the Chapter.
ARTICLE IV - FLORIDA POLICE BENEVOLENT ASSOCIATION, INC.
The North Central Florida Chapter of the Florida Police Benevolent Association, Inc. is a permanent organizational part of Florida Police Benevolent Association, Inc. The name of the Chapter, Chapter status, all property and assets of the Chapter are held in trust for Florida Police Benevolent Association, Inc. by the Chapter officers. The Chapter shall abide by the Constitution, By-Laws, Policies and formal actions of Florida Police Benevolent Association, Inc. The Chapter shall give maximum cooperation in carrying out the policies and programs of Florida Police Benevolent Association, Inc.
ARTICLE V- PARLIAMENTARY PROCEDURES AND AMENDMENTS
Section 1. Except as provided in the Constitution and By-Laws, “Roberts Rule of Order Newly Revised” shall govern the conduct of meetings of the Chapter.
Section 2. The Constitution of this Chapter may be amended by the general membership of the Chapter at any meeting of that body, provided that at least ten (10) days notice of the proposed amendment was provided to the membership prior to consideration. In order to be adopted, amendments must receive a two-thirds (2/3) vote of the members present and voting. The Constitution, By-Laws, Policies and amendments thereto of this Chapter must be approved by Police Benevolent Association of Florida Board of Directors prior to adoption.
NORTH CENTRAL FLORIDA CHAPTER
OF THE FLORIDA POLICE BENEVOLENT ASSOCIATION, INC.
BY-LAWS
ARTICLE I - MEMBERSHIP
Section 1. The Board of Directors of this Chapter shall have the power to appoint individuals to Active, Associate, Booster, Honorary and Life membership.
Section 2. The classes of membership in this Chapter shall be as follows:
A. Active members shall be those persons who are presently serving as full-time, sworn employees of law enforcement agencies within the North Central Florida jurisdiction.
B. Associate members shall be those businesses or businesspersons who wish to support the aims and purposes of this Chapter.
C. Auxiliary members shall be those persons who hold unpaid, part-time positions in the same service as active members.
D. Booster members shall be those individual citizens who are not members of the Chapter, but who support the aims and purposes of this Chapter.
E. Honorary members shall be those persons who are not eligible for active membership in the Chapter, and who have shown outstanding support for this Chapter -and its members.
F. Life members shall be those active or retired members of the Chapter who have earned the respect and admiration of the Chapter and its members. Life members of the Chapter may be appointed by the Board of Directors following nomination by the the Chapter President and approved by the Board of Directors of Florida Police Benevolent Association, Inc.
G. Retired members shall be those persons who have honorably retired from public service while an active member of the Association.
H. Affiliate members shall be those persons who are public employees and whose organization is affiliated through agreement with the Florida Police Benevolent Association.
Dues for each class of membership shall be established by the Board of Directors, except that Honorary and Life Members shall not be required to pay dues.
ARTICLE II - DUTIES OF OFFICERS
Section 1. The Chapter Secretary-Treasurer shall maintain minutes of each meeting of the Chapter and shall furnish surety bond in the amount specified by the Board of Directors. The Secretary-Treasurer shall submit the financial records of the Chapter to the Comptroller of Florida Police Benevolent Association for auditing, and shall make periodic financial reports to the Chapter Board of Directors.
Section 2. The Senior Vice President shall perform such duties as assigned by the President and shall temporarily succeed the President should there by a vacancy in that office as provided in the following Article until a successor to the President is elected.
Section 3. The Vice President shall perform such duties as are assigned by the President.
ARTICLE III - NOMINATION AND ELECTION OF OFFICERS
Section 1. Chapter officers as described in Article III of the Constitution shall be elected to a four (4) year term by the general membership. Except as otherwise provided herein, vacancies in an office shall be filled by vote of the Board of Directors.
Section 2. This Chapter hereby designates Florida Police Benevolent Association, Inc. as its Trustee to administer an independent third party nomination and election process.
Section 3. Should a vacancy occur in the office of president, it shall be filled for 45 days by the Senior Vice President during which time an election shall be conducted and a new president elected to fill the remaining term of office.
Section 4. In order to be eligible for nomination to the offices of President, Senior Vice President, Vice President, Secretary, or Treasurer, a member must be a member in good standing and must have paid dues through the month preceding nomination. After January 1, 2009, however, in order to be eligible for nomination to the offices of President, Senior Vice President, Vice President, Secretary or Treasurer, a member must have previously served in an elected or appointed position on the Executive Committee or Board of Directors. Additionally, a person who is, or has been, within the preceding two (2) years, elected or appointed an officer in a rival employee organization which has been registered in the State of Florida shall not be eligible to run for or hold office. Furthermore, effective January 1, 2009 a person running for office must have been a member for a total of at least two (2) years prior to nomination for office.
Section 5. Resignations from officers, in writing, shall be deemed to be accepted when received by the Association President. If resignations are submitted orally, they shall become effective 15 days after the Association President confirms them in writing, if not withdrawn during that period.
Section 6. In the case of exigent circumstance emergency appointments can be made by the current Board of Directors. These appointments will be binding until the next general election or until a reversal of the appointment is approved by a majority vote of the Board of Directors.
ARTICLE IV - GRIEVANCES AND DISCIPLINE
Any member who has a grievance against another member of this Chapter, group of members of this Chapter, or the Chapter itself, may present the grievance to the Board of Directors. The action of the Board of Directors with respect to the member’s grievance shall be the final administrative remedy within the Chapter.
ARTICLE V - AMENDMENTS
These By-Laws may be amended in the same method prescribed for amendments to the Constitution of this Chapter.
ARTICLE VI - CONFLICT
Should any conflict exist between the Constitution and By-Laws or Policies of Florida Police Benevolent Association, Inc. and those of this Chapter, the Constitution, By-Laws and Policies of Florida Police Benevolent Association, Inc. shall have supremacy and shall prevail.
As Amended,Passed, and Adopted: May 29, 2008
AMENDED: January 8,1997
ADOPTED by FPBA: July 12, 1997