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IOWA FIRE CHIEFS ASSOCIATION CONSTITUTION AND BY-LAWS
Updated 10/22/2016
ARTICLE I
NAME AND MISSION STATEMENT
This Association shall be known as the Iowa Fire Chiefs Association.
The mission of the Iowa Fire Chiefs Association will be to assist the management, administrative, leadership and command responsibilities of chief officers and to represent the concerns of chief officers in issues concerning the fulfillment of such duties.
ARTICLE II
OBJECT
The objects of the Association shall be:
1. To bring fire chiefs and their associates together in conference at least once a year to discuss problems of fire prevention and protection, to submit educational reports and other informative data for the enlightenment of the Membership, and to transact such business of the organization as may necessary.
2. To assist fire chiefs in maintaining high standards of personal and departmental efficiency through study and application of current and advanced methods of fire department administration and techniques of fire suppression and prevention.
3. To seek aid and counsel from those experts in equipment, building engineering, chemical and research fields, who are interested in, and work with the mutual problems of fire prevention, suppression, and allied subjects.
4. To cooperate with government agencies to promulgate and effectuate plans for all phases of civilian defense in which all fire departments may best serve their individual communities.
5. To formulate plans for mutual aid and assistance to communities that may be afflicted by wide scale disasters.
6. To help develop and expand public relations of the fire service at local, state, and national levels.
7. To sponsor or cooperate in promoting fire prevention programs.
8. To support all legislative matters that may be relevant, pertinent, and for the best interests of fire chiefs and the service they represent.
9. To support present facilities for fire service training, to sponsor higher education for fire service personnel in technical and administrative fields related to the fire service.
10. To sustain the high traditions of the fire service and to promote the welfare and protection of all of its members.
11. To coordinate the effects of all engaged in the field of fire protection to the end that such concerted action shall achieve steady progress against the ravages of fire.
ARTICLE III
MEMBERSHIP
The Iowa Fire Chiefs Association shall consist of Active, Associate,
Active Life, and Honorary Life Members.
(A) Active Members: Active members shall consist of chiefs of city or town fire departments, officers of fully paid and/or volunteer departments who serve as assistant to the chief, (certified by the chief of the department), State Fire Marshal, Bureau Chief of the Fire Service Training Bureau and the chief of any private or industrial fire department.
(B) Associate Members: Associate members shall consist of city officials, members of fire departments and individuals representing firms or corporations interested in the protection of life and property against fire.
(C) Active Life Members: Active Life Members shall consist of those members who have been members of the Association for ten (10) continuous years immediately preceding their retirement, and further provided that they are not identified with fire protection from a commercial standpoint, with approval of the Board of Directors. Active Life Membership carries with it all of the privileges of Active Membership without the payment of dues.
(D) Honorary Life Members: Honorary Life Membership may be conferred on a person who has rendered conspicuous service to the Association, provided that such membership shall be recommended by the Board of Directors and endorsed by a majority vote of the Association.
ARTICLE IV
DUES
The annual dues of the Association shall be determined by the Board of Directors, with the approval of the membership at an annual meeting and payable from January 1 to December 31 of each year.
ARTICLE V
POWERS TO VOTE
Each and every Active and Active Life Member, in good standing, shall be entitled to vote. In the event an active member is unable to attend the conference, he/she shall have the right to appoint a proxy (delegate). This shall be done by letter to the Secretary of the Association advising him of the person authorized as a voting member. No member shall cast more than one (1) proxy vote. No member is considered in good standing that is in arrears for dues.
ARTICLE VI
MEETINGS
The Annual Conference of the Association shall be held in the fall of each year, at such place, as the annual conference shall have designated, on dates set up by the Board of Directors. Any city wishing to invite the Annual Conference shall make application in writing to the Board of Directors, who shall have full power upon a majority vote to select the City and make all necessary arrangements. If no invitation is received, the Board of Directors shall determine the place of the Annual Conference. Acceptance of an invitation for the Annual Conference is subject to agreement by the Host City and its representatives to such conditions, stipulations, arrangements, and rules as may be prescribed by the Board of Directors.
The Board of Directors has the authority to change or alter any arrangements made by the Host City and its representatives if not conducive to the welfare of the Association and its members. In case of an extraordinary emergency or unusual circumstances the Board of Directors shall have the authority to change the time and place of the Annual Conference.
The Executive Board of the Board of Directors shall also have the power to vote on questions when the Board is not in regular session, by a mail vote, conducted by the President of the Association. The President shall preserve the said mail vote until it can be presented to the next meeting of the Executive meeting.
Registration at the Annual Conference: The registration fee shall be detremined by the Conference Host City, with approval from the Board of Directors, for members of all classifications when in attendance at the Annual Conference. This registration fee shall entitle a member to register one guest. The Secretary Treasurer shall be in full charge of registration and the Host City shall retain all registration.
ARTICLE VII
OFFICERS
1. The officers of this Association shall consist of a President, Vice President, and Secretary-Treasurer.
2. There shall be a eight- (8) member Board of Directors, which shall consist of the President, Vice President, Secretary-Treasurer, immediate Past President and four (4) Directors.
3. The President, Vice President, and Secretary Treasurer shall be elected by secret ballot at the Annual Conference, for a term of two years. The Directors shall be elected by secret ballot at the Annual Conference. Two (2) Directors shall be elected at the Annual Conference for a three-year term, and shall hold office until their successors are elected.
4. In the event of a vacancy occurring in the office of the President, the Vice President shall assume all the duties and authorities of the vacant office and a Vice President shall be elected by the remaining members of the Board of Directors. A vacancy occurring in the office of Vice President or Secretary- Treasurer shall likewise be filled by election by the Board of Directors. Vacancies filled by the Board of Directors shall serve until the next Annual Conference, at which time shall be filled by a vote of the membership.
5. Any Member seeking election to an office in the Association shall:
(A) Be an active member in good standing,
(B) Have paid all dues and assessments of the Iowa Fire Chiefs Association.
6. In the event a member retires from the Fire Service while holding an elective office, he may continue to hold said office until the expiration of his term when his successor shall be elected.
ARTICLE VIII
AMENDMENTS
1. The Association shall have full power at any meeting to alter, amend and/or revise this Constitution and By-laws, provided that notice of such alteration, amendment, or revision shall have been given in writing to the Secretary of the Association. The Secretary shall see that every member shall have at least thirty days clear notice that such proposed alteration, amendment or revision, previous to the date set for the opening of the Annual Conference. A two thirds vote of the members entitled to vote are present and voting shall be necessary for the adoption of any such alteration, amendment or revision.
2. Nothing contained in the preceding section shall prevent the Association, in Conference regularly assembled, from altering, amending or revising any part of the Constitution and By-laws upon a four fifths majority vote of the members entitled to vote, who are present and voting, provided however, that notice of such action shall be given in writing and printed copies made available to all eligible voters present at least twenty four (24) hours previous to the time when such proposed alterations, amendments or revisions shall be read in open conference when first presented. Amendments with less than twenty-four (24) hours’ notice shall be referred to the Board of Directors for their presentation.
3. A session of this Association shall mean any number of meetings, which have taken place on the same day, each day meeting being considered as on session.
ARTICLE IX
DUTIES OF THE OFFICERS
PRESIDENT
The President shall preside at all meetings of the Association, and shall sign, as such officers, all papers executed by, or on behalf of the Association as shall require the signature of such officer. The President shall receive and lay before members at their meetings, and such other times as deemed necessary, the reports of the Board of Directors, Officers and Committees, and generally do and perform such duties pertaining to the office, as required by the Constitution and By-laws, or as may be required of him by the Board of Directors. The President shall have the authority to instruct the Secretary to poll the membership for opinions on any subject considered urgent by him and to set a date on which replies must be returned to the Secretary. The President shall be an ex-officio member of all committees (without power to vote). He shall act as chairman of the Board of Directors. The President shall approve all expense allowances for members of the Board of Directors in attending meetings called to transact business for the Association.
VICE PRESIDENT
The Vice President, during the absence or disability of the President, or in case of Presidents neglect or refusal to perform such duties, or in case a vacancy occurs in the Office of President, shall perform the duties and be vested with all the powers of the President. When the President is presiding the Vice President shall assist the President in every way possible. Should a vacancy occur in the Office of President, the Vice President shall at once assume all of the duties and responsibilities of that office.
SECRETARY-TREASURER
The Secretary-Treasurer shall keep a complete record of the proceedings of the Association, its Board of Directors, and the Standing Committees, of which the Secretary-Treasurer shall be, an ex-officio member. The Secretary-Treasurer shall keep a true and correct record as between the Association and its members. The Secretary-Treasurer shall cause to be prepared and issued to the members and all others to whom he may be directed by the Board of Directors, a complete record of each Annual Meeting or Conference. The Secretary-Treasurer shall collect all monies due the Association from all sources, and shall have the custody of funds of the Association. All monies in his possession belonging to the Association shall be deposited in a chartered bank, approved by the Board of Directors. The Deposit shall be in the name of the Association. The Secretary-Treasurer shall keep a true and correct record of all monies received and disbursed, pay no money except on a proper warrant drawn on him, and all payments of accounts shall be by an approved method. The Secretary/Treasurer shall be bonded as provided and in an amount as determined by the Board of Directors. The Secretary-Treasurer shall not incur any expense of the Association exceeding the limits approved by the Board of Directors.
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
The Directors shall transact all business of the Association not otherwise provided for, between the Annual Meeting and Conference, and to arrange for topics, papers, reports, and all other business not otherwise provided for, for each annual meeting or conference. The Board of Directors shall supervise all expenditures of the Association and have the authority to make reasonable allowances for expenses incurred by the Officers or its members in the transaction of business of the Association. The Board of Directors shall have full power to expunge from the printed minutes, anything that, in the opinion of the Board, shall be objectionable to the members of the Association. They shall direct the Secretary to publish to the membership such reports and papers as they deem of importance. They shall review a full financial report of the Secretary-Treasurer and they shall have the power to act upon said report by approving or disapproving same or any part thereof.
ARTICLE X
COMMITTEES
1. The Conference Committees of the Association shall consist of the Following: Auditing, Nominations, and Resolutions. The President shall appoint these committees.
2. A quorum for the transaction of business of the Board of Directors shall be a majority of the members present.
3. The President of the Association with the approval of the Board of Directors shall appoint committees for the purpose of fulfilling the mission of the organization.
ARTICLE XI
SECTIONS
1. Groups of members having a substantial community of specialized interests within the Association may be organized in sections upon authorization of the Board of Directors.
2. The Board of Directors of the Association shall establish or approve the government of all sections.
3. The Board of Directors, after due notice and hearing, may suspend or terminate any section which fails to conform to the regulations of the Associations Constitution and By-laws, or whose members do not evidence sufficient interest to justify continuance of the section.
4. If any section of the Iowa Fire Chiefs Association is made aware of a matter of importance to another section and/or the entire membership of the Iowa Fire Chiefs Association, they shall disseminate this information to the entire membership.
ARTICLE XII
DISSOLUTION CLAUSE
Upon the dissolution of the Association, the Association shall, after paying or making provisions for the payment of all the liabilities of the Association, dispose of all assets of the Association exclusively for the purposes of the association in such manner, or to such organization or organizations organized and operated exclusively for charitable, educational, religious, or scientific purposes as shall at the time qualify as an exempt organization or organizations under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 (or the corresponding provisions of any future United States Internal Revenue Law), as the Board of Trustees shall determine.
Any such assets not so disposed of shall be disposed of by the Court of Common Pleas of the county in which the principal office of the Association is then located, exclusively for such purposes or to such organization or organizations, as said Court shall determine, which are organized and operated exclusively for such purposes.
BY-LAWS
OBJECT
The By-laws may prescribe the powers and duties of several committees and may prescribe such other rules and practices as may be needful and are not elsewhere provided, but no By-Laws may be adopted detrimental to the Constitution.
Section 1. All members of the Association shall be required to pay such annual dues as may be set out in the Constitution.
Section 2. Annual dues shall be due and payable on January 1st of each year. All new members making application after the first of November of any calendar year shall be entitled to the privileges of membership for the remaining months of that year and for the entire next fiscal year.
Section 3. No member in arrears for dues of assessments shall be entitled to vote, and any member in arrears after July 1st, of any calendar year, shall, after due notice of such arrears, have his name removed from the membership roll by the Secretary and his name shall be dropped from the mailing list.
Section 4. All active members in good standing may, after retirement from active duty, continue to be active members by continuance of the payment of the annual dues and assessments.
Section 5. Active members, except those released from active service, shall be eligible to hold office on the Association.
Section 6. Active Life Members shall have all of the privileges of active members except that of holding office.
Section 7. Associate Members shall have all of the privileges of the Association except the right to vote and hold office.
Section 8. No member shall be entitled to register for the Annual Conference until said member has first paid the registration fee and all the dues and assessments owed and the Secretary-Treasurer shall not extend the courtesies of the Conference to any other than a registered member or guest accompanying a registered member.
Section 9. Invited speakers or distinguished visitors shall be permitted to register and receive the courtesies of the Conference without cost, upon approval by the President of the Association.
Section 10. The Association shall, through its Board of Directors, have full power to levy an assessment and collect from the members, an amount sufficient to defray the expenses of the Annual Conference.
Section 11. Nominations and Elections. The Nominations and Elections Committee shall present their report during the business meeting of the Annual Conference, giving a complete list of the nominations for the elective offices of the Association. When the Nominations Committee deems it in the best interest of the Association to nominate two (2) or more members for any office, they may so report in order that the choice may be decided by ballot of the members present at the conference. The presiding officer shall then call for any nomination from the floor for any elective office. Nominations from the floor shall require the nominees concurrence in writing or his verbal concurrence from the floor at the time of nomination, and after calling three (3) times for any further nomination, the presiding officer shall declare the nominations closed. Any nominee who desires to withdraw their name may do so at the time of nomination. For any office for which there is only one (1) nomination, the presiding officer shall instruct the Secretary-Treasurer to suspend the rule or regulation, and cast an unanimous ballot for such nominee and shall thereupon declare such nominee elected. For all officers for which there are two (2) or more nominees nominated the nomination and Elections Committee shall cause to be prepared or prepared or printed, ballots for each of the offices to be filled. The election committee shall distribute ballots to all eligible voting members, the election committee shall collect all ballots, count it, and report immediately to the Conference assembled, the results.
Section 12. In the election of officers, the candidate receiving the highest number of votes shall be elected. In the event of a tie vote, the voting on the second ballot shall be confined to the nominees so tied.
Section 13. The complete conduct of the elections and decisions in any matters of dispute that may arise during such election shall be in the hands of the Nominations and Elections Committee, who from among their own members shall nominate a Chairperson shall be their spokesperson to announce their decision and rulings to the conference.
Section 14. The Association is organized exclusively for charitable, educational, religious, or scientific purposes within the meaning of section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code.
RULES OF ORDER
Section 1. The presiding officer shall preserve order and decorum, and shall take no part in debate while he is presiding. All questions of order shall be decided by him subject to an appeal to the Conference, and upon such an appeal the vote shall be taken without debate. The presiding officer may state his reasons for the decision given and shall put the question as follows: "Shall the decision of the Chair be sustained?" A two-thirds (2/3) majority of those voting shall be necessary to reverse the decision of the Chair.
Section 2. Whenever a member speaks or offers a motion, said member shall rise in place, state his/her name and place of residence and respectfully address the presiding officer, and when finished speaking, shall at ones resume seat. When speaking the member shall confine remarks to the question under debate.
Section 3. When two (2) or more members rise to speak at the same time, the presiding officer shall decide who is entitled to the floor.
Section 4. A member called to order shall immediately cease speaking and resume seat until the point of order in question has been decided, and then shall again be entitled to the floor.
Section 5. A motion to take the previous questions shall always be in order except when a member is in possession of the floor, and must be put without debate, and if supported by a majority vote of the members present, voting shall be declared carried and no further debate or amendments shall be in order until the main question shall have been decided.
Section 6. A motion to adjourn shall all ways be in order, except when a member is in possession of the floor, or a vote is being taken, or if it has been decided that a vote shall not be taken. A motion to adjourn is not debatable, but a motion to adjourn to a given time is open to debate.
Section 7. Any question coming before the Conference for which no provision has been made in the Constitution, By-laws, or Rules of Order, the presiding officer shall be guided in his decision by the rules laid down in Robert's Rules of Order Revised.
Section 8. Order of business for the Annual Conference:
1. Call to order
2. Opening ceremonies
3. Adoption of minutes of preceding meeting
4. Appointment of special committees
5. President's report
6. Report of Secretary-Treasurer
7. Report of Audit Committee
8. Reading of communications
9. Report of Standing Committees
10. Topics and contributing papers
11. Unfinished business
12. Report of Secretary on attendance
13. New Business
14. Election and installation of new officers
15. Adjournment
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