Constitution, Regional, Great Lakes

CONSTITUTION AND BYLAWS

GREAT LAKES REGION

OF THE FEDERAL PR0BATION OFFICERS ASSOCIATION

PREAMBLE

We the members of the Federal Probation Officers Association, Inc., Great Lakes Region, recognizing the crucial need to reduce the incidence of crime and delinquency in our nation, and with the belief that it is in the public interest to improve public service through association in a professionally organized group in pursuit of a common interest, and subscribing to the belief that it is necessary to provide:

1. An opportunity to maintain high professional personnel standards;
2. An avenue for advocating appropriate economic status for its members;
3. A medium through which members may function together in matters of mutual professional concern, and
4. A means to provide a program of public relations and information in order to build and maintain an enlightened public interest in the proper administration of pretrial services, probation, parole, and other correctional services.

Do hereby resolve to unite in common efforts as herein set forth:

ARTICLE I

Name

Section 1. NAME

The name of this organization shall be The Federal Probation Officers' Association, Great Lakes Region.

ARTICLE II

Organization

SECTION 1. ORGANIZATION

The association shall consist of the Federal Judicial Districts of the following states:

Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, Ohio and Wisconsin.

 

ARTICLE III

Purpose and Powers

SECTION 1. PURPOSE

The purposes of this organization are:

1. To engage in the primary activity of maintaining a Great Lakes Regional organization consisting of individual members and chapters of Federal Pretrial Services Officers, Probation Officers, Probation Officer Assistants and all Federal Probation Office support staff, operating pursuant to the Constitution and Bylaws of the parent organi­zation, Federal Probation Officers Association.
2. To clarify, strengthen and support the goals and objectives of the Federal Probation Officers Association.
3. To strive for and encourage uniformly high standards of personal and professional conduct and performance.
4. To collect and disseminate to all members and chapters pertinent information relating to federal pretrial services, probation and parole knowledge, experience and philosophy attendant thereto, supplying other criminal justice agencies with information and assistance in matters relating to federal pretrial services, probation, parole and corrections.
5. To promote regional and chapter conferences, seminars and workshops for the exchange of pretrial service, probation and parole knowledge, experience and philosophy attendant thereto, supplying other federal criminal justice agencies with information and assistance in matters relating to federal pretrial services, probation and parole.
6. To establish and maintain appropriate activities and ancil­lary services for the common benefit of chapters and the individual members.

SECTION 2. POWERS

1. To establish a dues schedule, if needed, and provide means of collecting such money as may be necessary and essential to meet the requirements of this organization.
2. To establish, maintain and operate such offices in the Great Lakes Region of the United States as may be necessary or appropriate to carry out any of the foregoing objectives and goals.
3. To do all other acts necessary or expedient for the admin­istration of the affairs of the organization and/or the attainment of any of the objectives or purposes therein after specified.

ARTICLE IV

Membership

SECTION 1. MEMBERS

Members of this Region shall be classified and defined as follows:

1. Regular Active Membership is limited to those United States, Pretrial Services Officers, Probation Officers and Probation Officer Assistants with headquarters within the Judicial Districts of the Great Lakes Region who are in good standing with the parent organization, Federal Probation Officers Association and the Great Lakes Region.
2. Honorary Members include any person or recognized group contributing in some distinctive manner to the Federal Probation Officers Association and have been so designated by resolution of the Officers of the Region or the Members of the Region acting in a regular meeting.
3. Associate Members include all Federal Probation Office support staff, all retired or former Federal Probation Officers, Pretrial Services Officers, Probation Officer Assistants and individuals who have a continuing interest in the field of criminal justice, shall be eligible upon payment of established dues and entitled to all privileges of membership except voting and holding office in the Association.  

SECTION 2. APPLICATION FOR MEMBERSHIP

Any Federal Pretrial Services Officer, Probation Officer, or Probation Officer Assistant with official headquarters in the Judicial Districts of the Great Lakes Region shall be eligible for membership.

SECTION 3. ADMISSION TO MEMBERSHIP - HONORARY MEMBERS

All applications for Honorary Membership shall be filed with the Secretary of the Region on a form provided by said Region. The Secretary shall forthwith acknowledge receipt thereof and shall at the next meeting of the Officers of the Region present said application for disposition.

ARTICLE V

Meeting of Members

SECTION 1. PURPOSE

The annual Meeting may carry on and transact any business for the common good of the membership and such other business en­joined upon the membership of the Region by these Bylaws.

SECTION 2. DATE OF ANNUAL MEETING

When possible, the Annual Meeting of this Region shall be held in conjunction with advanced Regional training seminars, or on such day or days as shall be fixed by Officers of this Region.

SECTION 3. PLACE OF ANNUAL MEETING

The place of each Annual Meeting shall he determined by the Officers of the Region reasonably prior to the date said Meeting is to be held, in keeping, when poss1ble, within the constraints specified in Section 2.

SECTION 4, NOTICE OF ANNUAL MEETING

When possible, and at least 30 days prior to the Annual Meeting of this Region, the President of the Region shall give written notice of such Annual Meeting to all members, which shall set forth the agenda, day, hour and place of said meeting.

SECTION 5. VOTING RIGHTS

All classes of members shall have the right to attend Region meetings and to participate in discussions, but only Regular Active Members shall have the right to vote on matters affecting the Great Lakes Region.

SECTION 6. PROXIES

No proxy to any person shall be valid at any meeting of this Region.

SECTION 7. QUORUM

A quorum shall consist of representatives from at least three judicial districts comprising the Great Lakes Region along with the Regional officers in attendance at a meeting of the Region.

SECTION 8. ELECTIONS

Any election held at any meeting of the members of this Region shall be by secret ballot, except where there is only one nominee for the office or offices to be filled. Whenever practical, election of officers shall be conducted by mail ballot. All elections shall be settled by simple majority of members voting.

SECTION 9. SPECIAL MEETINGS

Special meetings of the members of this Region shall be called upon the written request of Regular Members numbering one-­fourth of the number of Regular Active Members from a majority of the Judicial Districts comprising this Region, as fixed on the date the written request is filed with the Secretary of the Region, or as called by the President with the approval of the Regional Board.

SECTION 10. NOTICE OF SPECIAL MEETINGS OF MEMBERS

Each Regular Member shall be entitled to 15 days notice of any and all Special Meetings of the Members. Notice of a Special Meeting of the Members shall contain a statement of the pur­pose or purposes for which the meeting is called and only the business specified in such called meeting shall be acted upon at said meeting.

SECTION 11. ORDER OF BUSINESS

At all meetings of this Region, its Officers or Committees, except as otherwise provided in the Bylaws, ROBERTS RULES OF ORDER shall govern any question of Parliamentary Procedure.

The order of business of the Annual Meeting of this Region shall be:

1. Registration and determination of a quorum.
2. Presentation of the Agenda.
3. Reading and approval of the minutes of the last meeting.
4. Report of the President.             
5. Report of the Secretary.
6. Report of the Treasurer.
7. Report of the Standing Committees.
8. Unfinished business.
9. New business.
10. Adjournment.

ARTICLE VI

Fiscal Year

SECTION l. FISCAL YEAR

The fiscal year of the Region shall be the calendar year.

ARTICLE VII

Income and Capital

The income and capital of this Region shall be, in part derived from donations, gifts, profit from any business act­ivity of said Region or income derived from any organization with which the Region is or becomes affiliated. Additionally, the Region shall receive annually from the Treasurer of the parent organization, Federal Probation Officers Association, a budgetary allowance as authorized by the National Executive Board.

All such funds will be held in trust by the National Treasurer to be appropriated upon demand to meet Regional operating ex­penses as authorized by the Regional President and Treasurer.

ARTICLE VIII

Dues

SECTION 1. MEMBERS SUBJECT TO DUES

All Regular Active Members of the Great Lakes Region, shall support Region incurred expenses through pay­ment of National Association dues.

SECTION 2. SUPPLEMENTAL DUES

Supplemental annual dues of Regular and Associate Members of this Region, if any, shall be fixed by said Members at the Annual Meeting of the Region.

SECTION 3. COLLECTION OF DUES

Upon the adoption of the supplemental dues by and at the Annual Meet­ing of the Members of this Region, the Treasurer of the Region shall render a statement of dues to each Member.

SECTION 4. DUES, WHEN DUE AND PAYABLE

The National dues of Regular and Associate Members, and supple­mental dues if authorized, in this Region shall become payable at the first of each calendar year and shall become delinquent on April 1 of each year.

SECTION 5.   PENALTY FOR NONPAYMENT OF DUES

Members delinquent in the payment of National or Regional dues shall automatically be suspended forthwith from membership; said Members will not be entitled to vote in National or Regional elections or receive the attendant benefits of reg­ular membership until such time as their membership is activated by payment of current dues only. (Any person who is not a member of the National Organization cannot be a member of the Regional Organization.)

ARTICLE IX

Officers

SECTION 1. OFFICERS ENUMERATED

The Officers of this Region shall be a President, a Vice-President, a Secretary and a Treasurer and they shall be known as the Regional Board. The offices of Secretary and Treasurer may be combined into one office, Secretary/Treasurer, an option of the Regional Board. The President shall be known as the National Regional Vice-President and Regional Representative  to the National Board.

SECTION 2. QUALIFICATION AND ELECTION OF OFFICERS

The Officers described in Section 1 hereof shall be elected by the membership of the Region by mail ballot.

SECTI0N 3. TERM OF OFFICE

Unless their offices have been declared vacant, all Officers of this Region shall serve a term of three years or until their successors are elected by the membership by mail ballot. Installation of Officers shall occur at the Annual Meeting of the membership or upon written notification from the ballot committee chairperson so designated by the president.

SECTION 4. COMPENSATION OF OFFICERS

No compensation shall be paid to any Officer of this Region. Expenses actually incurred on Region business will be reimbursed to Officers pursuant to rules established by the Nati­onal Executive Board.

SECTION 5. REMOVAL FROM OFFICE

Any elected Officer of the Great Lakes Region may be removed by a two-­thirds vote of the regular membership from a majority of the Judicial Districts comprising this Region. Said vote to be conducted by mail ballot or at a special meeting of the Region called for that specific purpose.

SECTION 6. VACANCIES

All Officer vacancies of this Region described in Section 1 hereof may be filled by a mail ballot of the membership for the unexpired term of such office or by temporary appointment by the President, Vice-President or Secretary/Treasurer as successor.

SECTION 7. DUTIES OF OFFICERS

1. The President shall act as chairperson at all meetings of the Region and of the Regional Board. The President shall likewise coordinate all activities of the Region. The President shall be a member ex-officio of all committees.
2. The Vice-President, in the absence of the president, shall act in the President’s stead.
3. The Secretary shall keep minutes of all meetings and carry on the necessary correspondence, as well as all non-fiscal records of the Region, and keep the membership advised of the actions of the Regional Board.

1. The Treasurer shall be the chief financial officer of the Region, shall be responsible for the custody and disbursement of the Region’s funds and other assets; shall be custo­dian of the financial records of the Region, and shall have charge of the investment of the Region funds, subject to the direction and approval of the Regional Board. The Treasurer shall give such bond for the faithful discharge of duties as the Regional Board may require, at the expense of the Region, and shall perform such duties as may be assigned from time to time by the Regional Board. The Treasurer shall also be responsible for the maintaining of the member­ship list.
2. If the position of Secretary-Treasurer is authorized, the combined position will carry out the duties and responsibilities attached thereto under Sections 3 and 4 hereof.

ARTICLE X

Amendments

SECTION 1. AMENDMENTS

An amendment to the Constitution and Bylaws of the Region may be proposed by the Regional Board or by a petition in writing signed by at least ten-percent of the members of the Region from a majority of the Judicial Districts comprising the Region. The President shall provide for a mail ballot to be completed within sixty days. Two-thirds majority of the members voting shall be necessary for approval. Any amendment, so approved, shall take effect thirty days after com­pletion of balloting unless a different date is specified in the amendment.

ARTICLE XI

Adoption

SECTION 1. ADOPTION

The Constitution and Bylaws shall become effective upon ratification by two-thirds majority vote of members voting in the Region, as enumerated in Article IV of this Constitution.