Bylaws
Bylaws |
ARTICLE I
OBJECTIVES
SECTION 1. To create a framework in which the various governmental units of Florida and others may cooperate in the investigation, study, discussion and recommendation of improvements in property ownership mapping and land records management.
SECTION 2. To provide a forum in which officials of various agencies of state and local government and others concerned with property ownership mapping may address common problems.
SECTION 3. To provide a means whereby cadastral cartographers and others interested in property ownership mapping may interchange ideas and experiences and obtain advice.
SECTION 4. To advance property ownership mapping knowledge and practice through education.
SECTION 5. To encourage a high standard of expertise as a means to more effectively serve the public.
SECTION 6. To work toward the improvement of the technical quality of property ownership maps available to the public.
SECTION 7. To support legislation beneficial to cadastral mappers/cartographers, property ownership mapping, and land records management.
ARTICLE II
DEFINITIONS
SECTION 1. PROPERTY OWNERSHIP OR CADASTRAL MAP: A graphic representation of a portion of the earth's surface, showing the demarcation of parcels of land indicating the relative size and position of each parcel in relation to the other properties, rivers, creeks, roads, and major geographic and cultural features. It is drawn to an appropriate scale and displays dimensions and/or areas, and identifying parcel numbers.
SECTION 2. BOARD OF DIRECTORS: The affairs of the Association shall be managed by the Board of Directors as provided in Article VIII of the Articles of Incorporation.
ARTICLE III
MEMBERSHIP
SECTION 1. REGULAR MEMBERS: Cartographers/Mappers, Supervising Cartographers/Mappers, Administrators in charge of mapping, and others interested in property ownership mapping employed by any unit of government, shall be entitled to Regular Membership.
SECTION 2. ASSOCIATE MEMBERS: Persons not eligible for regular membership, but who are actively involved in property ownership mapping.
SECTION 3. SUBSCRIBING MEMBERS: Persons or firms, not eligible for regular or associate membership, that are interested in property ownership mapping, and/or engage in providing supporting services for property ownership mapping.
SECTION 4. RETIRED MEMBERS: Any member, as defined in ARTICLE III, SECTIONS 1 through 3, who has achieved retirement status from regular employment.
SECTION 5. STUDENT MEMBERS: A Student Member shall be a registered student attending a University, College or Vocational School. The applicant will need at least one member of the Association to attest that he or she is eligible for Student Membership status, ie: a full-time undergraduate or a graduate student maintaining a minimum of eight credit hours per semester or the equivalent. Such certification is required for each year of student membership. A Student Member shall be entitled to all rights and privileges of the Association, except for the right to vote or hold office therein. A Student Member shall not have previously held any other membership classification in the Association.
SECTION 6. REJECTIONS: The right to reject any application for membership, after due investigation, is hereby reserved to the Board of Directors.
SECTION 7. VOTING RIGHTS: The right to hold office and vote is open to all members as defined in ARTICLE III, SECTIONS 1 through 4.
SECTION 8. TRANSFER OF MEMBERSHIP: Whenever the dues of a member are paid by his or her employer, and the member resigns, retires, or otherwise vacates the position during the period for which the dues have been paid, the membership may be transferred to the successor upon receipt of written notice to the Association by said employer.
ARTICLE IV
OFFICERS
SECTION 1. SELECTION: There shall be elected annually for a term of one (1) year, by the membership as defined in ARTICLE III, a President-elect, a Secretary, and a Treasurer; and up to three (3) Directors who shall be elected for a term of two (2) years.
SECTION 2. BOARD OF DIRECTORS: The Board of Directors shall consist of the current President, Immediate Past President, President-elect, Secretary, Treasurer and three (3) Directors. Also included on the Board of Directors shall be the current chairs of the Designation and Education Committees who shall be appointed by the President, subject to approval by a majority of the Board. The current President shall be the chairperson of the Board of Directors and may call the Board together in the interest of the Association at his or her discretion, or upon written request of three (3) Board members. The governing body of the Association shall be the Board of Directors and it shall have the power to pass any resolution or by-law it may deem necessary to accomplish the objectives of the Association which is not in conflict with any of the provisions of the Articles of Incorporation. The Board of Directors shall approve the budgets for all committees, and these budgets shall not be exceeded without the prior approval of the Board of Directors.
SECTION 3. QUORUM: For the purposes of transacting official business, a quorum of the Board of Directors shall consist of not less than one-half (˝) plus one of the total members thereof.
SECTION 4. VACANCY OF OFFICE: Whenever a vacancy in the Board of Directors occurs, the Nominating Committee shall appoint a member, as defined in ARTICLE III, SECTIONS 1 through 4, to fill said vacancy, who shall serve until the next Annual meeting, provided that when a vacancy occurs in the office of the President, the President-elect shall immediately succeed thereto.
SECTION 5. COMPENSATION: Officers and Directors shall serve without compensation except for reasonable expense to attend special meetings as may be approved by the Board of Directors.
ARTICLE V
DUTIES OF OFFICERS
SECTION 1. PRESIDENT: The President shall be the Chairperson, and preside at all general Association meetings and Board of Directors meetings, or designate the President-elect, or in his absence, another member of the Board of Directors. The President will act as coordinator of standing committees and shall have the power to appoint regular or special committees as he or she deems necessary.
SECTION 2. PRESIDENT-ELECT: The President-elect shall be a member of the Board of Directors and shall share the duties and responsibilities as outlined by the President, and shall exercise all the powers and duties of the President during his/her absence or inability to act. The President-elect shall serve as chairperson of the Membership/Outreach and Nominating Committees. The President-elect shall assume the office of President after his or her installation at the Annual Meeting.
SECTION 3. SECRETARY: The Secretary shall keep a true up-to-date record of all proceedings of the Association and meetings of the Board of Directors, subject to the inspection and approval of the Board of Directors, which shall be turned over to his or her immediate successor in office. The Secretary shall be responsible for sending and receiving ballots for voting in the annual election.
SECTION 4. TREASURER: The Treasurer shall be the chief financial agent of the Association and shall exercise such authority and perform such duties as may be prescribed by the Board of Directors. The Treasurer shall have custody of all funds, securities and legal instruments of the Association, and shall be responsible for their safekeeping. To this end the Treasurer may, subject to the approval of the Board of Directors, determine the place and manner of depositing and safekeeping of such funds, securities and legal instruments. A correct account of all receipts and disbursements must be kept and a complete up-to-date report submitted at each Annual Meeting. The Board of Directors shall have full right to examine and/or cause an audit to be made at any time. The Treasurer shall keep an up-to-date roll of all members of the Association.
ARTICLE VI
NOMINATION AND SELECTION
SECTION 1. NOMINATIONS AND ELECTIONS: The President-elect shall appoint each year a Nominations Committee consisting of a minimum of three (3) members, as defined in ARTICLE III, SECTIONS 1 through 4, who shall select at least one name for each office. Nominations are to be certified by the Board of Directors sixty (60) days prior to the Annual Meeting.
SECTION 2. Officers shall be elected annually by majority vote of members as defined in ARTICLE III, SECTIONS 1 through 4.
SECTION 3. A ballot of nominees shall be sent to the membership, as defined in ARTICLE III, SECTIONS 1 through 4, at least three (3) weeks prior to the Annual Meeting by the Secretary. Any member, except as provided in Article III, wishing to participate in the election may mark the ballot and return it to the Secretary. Said ballot shall be returned in the envelope provided and the envelope must be signed by the member. Any unsigned ballot envelopes shall be rejected.
SECTION 4. Additional nominations for any office may be made by write-in provision made on the Official Ballot.
ARTICLE VII
MEETINGS
SECTION 1. The Association shall hold its Annual Meeting at which time the results of the Annual Election shall be announced and installation of officers shall take place. The Board of Directors shall have the authority to call special meetings at such time as it deems necessary.
SECTION 2. NOTICE: Notice of the Annual Meeting and any special meeting shall be given to all members by mail not less than fifteen (15) days prior to such meeting. Notice shall state the date, time, and place of the meeting along with an agenda of business to be conducted.
SECTION 3. QUORUM: Any business, except the election of officers, may be transacted by a majority of the membership, as defined in ARTICLE III, who are present.
ARTICLE VIII
SCHOLARSHIPS
The Florida Association of Cadastral Mappers, Inc. Scholarship Fund shall be established and maintained in accordance with the established policies and procedures. Scholarships shall be awarded in accordance to the following guidelines:
SECTION 1. Scholarships are to be made to active members only, for the opportunity to further their education within cadastral mapping or other related mapping fields.
SECTION 2. Three (3) scholarships may be awarded annually, not to exceed the amount of five hundred dollars ($500.00) each.
SECTION 3. Awarded funds for school are to be used for tuition and course materials. They shall be sent directly to the institution for payment of fees.
SECTION 4. Prospective applicants shall submit a completed written application to the Board of Directors at least sixty (60) days prior to the Annual Meeting.
SECTION 5. Scholarship recipients must sign a notarized affidavit stating that all funds for educational reimbursement, regardless of their source, shall not exceed the total cost of tuition and course materials.
COMMITTEES
The following standing committees shall be appointed by the President each year:
a. Membership/Outreach f. Nominating
b. Programs/Conferences g. Standards/Legislation
c. Publications h. Ways and Means
d. Education I. Scholarships
e. Awards j. Designation
ARTICLE X
ANNUAL DUES
SECTION 1. The annual dues shall be forty dollar ($40.00) for FIRST TIME Regular and Associate members, and fifty dollars ($50.00) for FIRST TIME Subscribing members. A membership certificate and pin shall be given to FIRST TIME MEMBERS upon payment of dues.
SECTION 2. The annual RENEWAL rate shall be twenty-five dollars ($25.00) for regular and Associate members, and thirty dollars ($30.00) for Subscribing members.
SECTION 3. Renewal period will be considered July 1 to August 31. Dues not paid by August 31 will automatically become delinquent after which, all rights and privileges of membership shall be terminated.
SECTION 4. Anyone allowing their membership to be terminated shall be required to rejoin FACM, Inc. as a FIRST TIME member.
SECTION 5. Any person joining FACM, Inc. for the first time during the period of April 1 - June 30 shall be considered a member for the next fiscal year which begins July 1.
SECTION 6. The dues rate for Student Members shall be five dollars ($5.00) for FIRST TIME and RENEWAL.
ARTICLE XI
TIME OF ANNUAL MEETING
The Association's Annual Meeting shall be held at the discretion of the Board of Directors.
ARTICLE XII
FISCAL YEAR
The Association's Fiscal Year shall begin July 1 and close June 30.
ARTICLE XIII
APPROVAL OF EXPENDITURES
All of the Association's expenditures shall be approved by the President and the Treasurer.
ARTICLE XIV
AMENDMENTS
SECTION 1. Amendments to these By-Laws may be made at any time by the Board of Directors as provided in Article XI of the Articles of Incorporation.
SECTION 2. All proposed amendments shall be submitted to the Board of Directors for its review no later than sixty (60) days in advance of the Annual Meeting.