ARTICLE V:
OFFICERS SECTION A. LIST OF OFFICERS
1. The elected officers of the Organization shall consist of:
​
A. President;
B. Vice-President/2nd Vice-President
C. Recording Secretary
D. Corresponding Secretary
E. Treasurer
F. Parliamentarian
2. Appointed Officers: Constitution and By-Law of the Coalition of Black Maryland State Troopers Incorporated
3 The President of the Organization, with the advice and consent of the Board of Directors, may appoint individual members to serve as appointed officers, if deemed necessary, to carry out the business of the Organization.
SECTION B. DUTIES OF OFFICERS
1. President:
A. Act as chief administrative officer and legal head of the Organization;
B. Exercise supervision over the Organization and all activities and employees, if any;
C. Represent and speak for the Organization to other organizations and the public;
D. Preside at all business meetings;
E. Appoint committees and officers as the need arises;
F. Sign all letters and documents necessary to carry out the objectives of the Organization, however, the President may appoint a designee to act in his/her behalf;
G. Shall serve as Chairperson of the Board of Directors;
H. Shall be one of three (3) elected officials authorized to sign checks for the Organization; and
I. Other duties and responsibilities as required carrying out the objectives of the Organization.
2. Vice-President/2nd Vice President:
A. Aids and assists the President in conducting meetings;
B. Shall preside over the Organization in the absence of the President; and
C. While presiding in the capacity of Acting President the 1 st Vice President shall have the same power and authority as the President. Should the office of President become vacant for any reason during the term of office, the 1st Vice President shall assume the office of President for the remainder of the President’s term; and D. The 1st Vice President shall be one of three (3) elected officials authorized to sign checks for the Organization.
3. Recording Secretary:
A. Keeps and has full charge of the minutes book and taking of attendance;
B. Keeps a roster of all members to include; name, address telephone number and current work assignment of each member; and
C. Keeps written notes (minutes) and tape recordings of all meetings of the general body. The tape recordings shall be kept for a period of ninety (90) days and until the general body ratifies the minutes.
4. Corresponding Secretary:
A. Receives all mail addressed to the Organization;
B. Issues all meeting calls;
C. Prepares and forwards all approved mail of the Organization;
D. Maintains a file of correspondence and supplies;
E. Notifies all members of their nomination or election to office or their appointment to a committee;
F. Performs the duties and functions customarily associated with the office of Corresponding Secretary together with other duties as the President prescribes;
G. Gives notices of all meetings of the Organization;
H. Records all proceedings thereof in a book kept for that purpose;
I. Conducts the correspondence for the Organization as the President may direct from time to time;
J. Responsible for preparing and disseminating (newsletter) quarterly.
5. Treasurer:
​
A. The Treasurer shall be responsible for and have constructive custody of all monies, or any other negotiable instruments bearing the name of the Organization.
B. The Treasurer shall be responsible for depositing all monies collected in the name of the Organization, into the accounts of the Organization.
C. All monies withdrawn from the accounts of the Organization for the purpose of either paying or transacting business for the Organization shall be done by check only, signed by any two (2) of the three (3) authorized in the By-Laws;
D. It is the Treasurer’s responsibility to pay all legal debts of the Organization in a timely manner;
E. The Treasurer also bears the responsibility to collect the dues;
F. The Treasurer shall keep an accurate and current ledger of the Organization’s financial status and shall give a financial report to the Organization not less than on a monthly basis, and at other such times as may be requested by the President or the general body;
G. The Treasurer shall be bonded for an amount to be determined by the Board of Directors, reflecting the actual worth of the Organization as determined by the latest financial report. The premium charged shall be an expense of the Organization;
H. The Treasurer shall be one (1) of the three (3) officials authorized to sign checks for the Organization.
​
6. Parliamentarian:
A. Ensures meeting follows the proper parliamentary procedure.
B. Receives & evaluates recommendations for changes in the by-laws.
C. Presents revisions and amendments to body.
D. Shall be Chairperson of the By-Laws Committee.
SECTION C. OFFICERS- GUIDELINES FOR SERVICE
1. The elected officers of the Organization shall consist of:
A. President
B. Vice-President
C. 2 nd Vice President (optional and appointed at the discretion of President)
D. Recording Secretary
E. Corresponding Secretary
F. Treasurer
G. Parliamentarian
​
2. Appointed Officers:
The President of the Organization, with the advice and consent of the Board of Directors, may appoint individuals members to serve as appointed officers, if deemed necessary, to carry out the business of the Organization.
SECTION D. TERM OF OFFICE
The elected and appointed officers of the Organization shall serve a term of two (2) years.
SECTION E. ELIGIBILITY FOR RE-ELECTION No officer, appointed or elected, shall be eligible to serve any one office for more than three (3) consecutive terms, unless approved by a quorum at a special body meeting. Constitution and By-Law of the Coalition of Black Maryland State Troopers Incorporated 5
​
SECTION F. ELIGIBILITY 1. Any active or retired member of the Organization, who has been in good standing continually for a period of one (1) year prior to the election year, may becomes a candidate for any elected office. Further, no member shall be prohibited from becoming a candidate for elective office of President or Vice President because of the rank he/she holds with the Maryland State Police. Commissioned members are eligible to run or hold office. One can hold an office a the rank of First Sergeant, Detective Sergeant and still hold that position if promoted to Lieutenant and serve out his/her two (2) term. No more than two (2) commissioned officers can serve at any one time. 2. A candidate for an elected office must appear before the general membership at a special meeting designed to give all candidates an opportunity to give their views on the particular office which they are seeking. Each candidate will be allowed no more than fifteen (15) minutes to express their views and answer questions. SECTION F. NOMINATIONS The President shall designate a meeting, a quorum being present, at which a portion thereof will be set aside for the specific purpose of nominating candidates for an upcoming election. Nominations will take place no less than sixty (60) days prior to the election.
​
SECTION G. ELECTION DATE AND TIME The election of officers for the Organization shall be held the fourth Wednesday in July, at the time and place determined by the Election Committee. Special elections, shall then become necessary, shall be held on an as needed basis. The elected officers shall officially take office on the first Monday in September.
SECTION H. SUPERVISION OF THE ELECTION The election will be held under the supervision of the Chairperson of the Election Committee. The Chairperson or his/her designee will be held accountable for all ballots, and will bear the responsibility for establishing procedures for keeping an accurate tally of all ballots distributed and cast. A list of eligible voters will be prepared by the Election Committee. Any member desiring to cast a ballot must be on the list of eligible voters.
​
SECTION I. BALLOTS Because the members move from installation/division, etc., ballots will be mailed to each member’s current residence. However, it is the member’s responsibility to update his/her residency in order to receive a ballot at his/her current address. The names of all candidates running for a specific office will be placed on a ballot which will be designed and distributed by the Election Committee. This will be the official ballot used for voting.
SECTION J. ABSENTEE BALLOTS Eligible members wanting to vote, but unable to do so in person, may vote by absentee ballot to the Election Committee no later than 6:30 P.M. on the day of the election. Any ballots not received by this deadline will not be counted. Constitution and By-Law of the Coalition of Black Maryland State Troopers Incorporated 6
SECTION K. MEANS OF DETERMINING A WINNER All elections general and special will be determined by majority vote. Final tally by the Election Committee will determine the winner and the results will be considered as final.
SECTION L. REMOVAL FROM OFFICE 1. The elected/appointed officers of this Organization, i.e., President, Vice President, 2nd Vice President, Recording Secretary, Corresponding Secretary, Treasurer and Parliamentarian, may be suspended or expelled from office for incompetence, inattention to the duties of the respective office, or for any conduct determined inappropriate to the duties of the respective office, or for any conduct determined inappropriate and/or unbecoming the office, by a 2/3 vote of the membership present or quorum at a meeting called for that specific purpose by a majority consensus of the Board of Directors. Any elected officer in this category, subject to disciplinary action Shall: A. Be notified, at least thirty (30) days prior to any such action, by certified mail, of any pending action the Board may be contemplating. The membership shall be notified fifteen (15) days later by U.S. Mail. B. The affected officer shall be given the opportunity to present any evidence in his/her behalf, at the meeting specified in Section K, to the Board. The Board of Directors shall not impose disciplinary action until the parameters of Section K are accomplished. 2. Any officer who has been suspended, or expelled, shall return any property belonging to the Organization no later than one (1) week after such action has been taken.
SECTION M. VACANCY A vacancy occurring within the respective categories listed above in Section L. shall be filled in the order of succession from the next lower position.
ARTICLE VI: Board of Directors
SECTION A. MEMBERS The Board of Directors shall consist of the elected officers of the Organization and elected by the Organization as a whole. They shall serve for a term of two (2) years from the date selected. The entire Board shall consist of the below eight (8) members and any members appointed by the President: 1. President 2. 1 st. Vice President 3. 2 nd Vice President 4. Recording Secretary 5. Corresponding Secretary 6. Treasurer 7. Previous Past President 8. Parliamentarian
SECTION B. ELECTION OF MEMBERS OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS Election of members to the Board of Directors, not including the elected officials of the Organization, shall be held at a meeting of the general body. An announcement of the election shall be made no less than thirty (30) days prior to the election. A quorum of the general body must be present at meeting. Constitution and By-Law of the Coalition of Black Maryland State Troopers Incorporated 7
SECTION C. POLLING PLACE The polling place and time of the election shall be determined by the Election Committee, and in no instance shall notice be given less than thirty (30) days prior to the election.
SECTION D. MAJORITY VOTE The Candidate receiving the majority votes, with a quorum present, will be elected for the established term.
SECTION E. WRITTEN ACCEPTANCE Each elected director shall forward a written acceptance to the Election Committed within five (5) working days from the date of the election. Failure to submit said notification shall be considered as a rejection of the elected office. In such an event, the Chairman of the Board of Directors shall have the authority to appoint a director to replace the one previously elected.
SECTION F. DUTIES OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS 1. Determine and approve the amount of the surety body for the Treasurer, President and Vice President; 2. Direct the policies and administer the affairs of the Organization; 3. Annually, and when necessary, require an audit of all financial records of the Organization; 4. Review all incidents where members of the Board of Directors are suspended or terminated from the Agency and take such action as may be appropriate or deemed necessary; 5. Be responsible for the annual review of the contract and retainer fee of the legal representative for the Organization; 6. Shall meet no less than bi-annually with the Organization’s attorney and review any matters, legal in nature, which the Board deems necessary. 7. Have the power to levy and for good cause increase it when necessary for the financial well being of the Organization.
SECTION G. MEETINGS The Board of Directors shall meet at least quarterly, or at the call of the President.
SECTION H. QUORUM Five (5) members of the Board of Directors present shall constitute a quorum. Any business transacted by the Board with a quorum present shall be considered as having been with the approval of the Board.
SECTION I. DISCIPLINARY PROCEEDINGS AGAINST THE DIRECTORS A member of the Board of Directors may be removed or expelled from office for conduct unbecoming, incompetence or inattention to duties of the office. 1. The Board of Directors may suspend a Board member by 3/5 vote on the preponderance of circumstances, known at the time. The suspension imposed under these circumstances shall be for fifteen (15) days commencing immediately following the vote. The Chairperson is responsible for notifying the suspended member in writing by certified mail with five (5) days. a. With the fifteen (15) day suspension, the Board will hold a special general body meeting as described in Article VII. The general body meeting will be for the specific purpose of action to be taken in accordance with this Section. The member subject to disciplinary proceedings will have the opportunity to present any counter information to the charge(s) at the special general body meeting... Constitution and By-Law of the Coalition of Black Maryland State Troopers Incorporated 8 b. If a special body meeting is not held within fifteen (15) days, due to exceptional circumstances, in the opinion of the Chairperson, the Board will reconvene and vote by 3/5 to repeal or continue the suspension for another fifteen (15) day period. This deliberation will include all information known at the time of the meeting. No further extensions of suspension shall be permitted. c. The general body will vote by ¾ to impose discipline as recommended by the Board of Directors. The member subject to disciplinary proceedings will be in seclusion during voting. Discipline imposed by the general body is final and will be imposed immediately. 2. A vacancy occurring as the result of these disciplinary proceedings shall be filled by the Chairperson from active membership of the Organization. The appointed member must have been a member of the Organization for one (1) year prior to appointment.
SECTION J. VACANCIES ON THE BOARD A vacancy occurring on the Board of Directors for any reason shall be filled by the Chairperson, from the active membership in good standing. The appointed member must have been a member of the Organization for at least one (1) year prior to the appointment.
ARTICLE VII: Meetings
SECTION A. PLACE AND TIME Meetings of the general body of the Organization shall be held at least quarterly at 1830 hours and shall adjourn at 2030 hours unless a majority of the membership in attendance votes to suspend this rule. The President shall establish an agenda prior to each meeting and forward a copy of the Agenda to each member of record at the meeting. It is within the discretion of the President to cancel any prior scheduled meeting for good cause shown and hold monthly meetings if deemed necessary.
SECTION B. NOTIFICATION OF MONTHLY MEETINGS Members will be notified of monthly meetings at least two (2) weeks prior to each meeting by the most reasonable means.
SECTION C. SPECIAL MEETINGS Special meetings of the general body of the Organization may be called by the President, or a majority of the Board of Directors. Sufficient notice will be given prior to such meetings.
SECTION D. QUORUM At any meeting of the general body there shall be a quorum of no less than seven (7) members present before the Organization can legally transact any business.
​
​
​
​
​