THE BAIL AGENT'S
INDEPENDENT LEAGUE OF FLORIDA INC.
A Not for Profit Corporation
Bylaws
Bylaws of the Bail
Agent's Independent League. Formed
by bail agents for bail agents. The platform
being for the education of bail agents and
to enhance the image of the industry, in the
State of Florida
Article I: The name of this organization
shall be
Bail Agent's Independent League of Florida,
Inc. d.b.a. B.A.I.L. Florida
The principal office of the Association
and it's location shall be the office of
the elected President or as otherwise
directed by the Board of Directors.
Article II: The purpose of the League
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To give all Bail Agents a means for
education
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To provide a voice for the agent
with our regulators
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To promote legislation favorable to
our profession
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To provide every agent with a forum
to speak and be heard
-
To monitor issues impacting our
profession
There are five
classes of membership as follows:
Article III may not be deleted or
altered in any manner.
1. GENERAL Members: Will be bail
agents holding 2-34 licenses issued by
the department of insurance in Florida
and have no other bail-related licenses.
The agent shall be active in the writing
of bail. They must be current in their
dues. General Members will be afforded
every advantage of this association
including the right to vote on all
matters, nominate, hold office, serve as
regional directors and serve on or chair
any committee to which they may be
appointed.
2. Industry Associate Members:
Shall be the officers, employees or
representatives of either insurance
companies or their general agents who
are members of the League. Industry
associate members may serve on
committees when so appointed but may not
constitute, a majority on any committee,
nor chair any committee. Industry
members will not be entitled to vote on
any matter before the membership, or
nominate.
3. Associate Members:
Shall be immediate family members,
spouses or employees of members,
temporary bail-agent licensees or other
interested persons. In no case may an
associate member be a 2-34 licensee who
is actively engaged in the business or a
person who is eligible for industry
associate membership. Associate members
may attend all League meetings and
participate in all social functions but
may not vote, nominate nor serve on
committees.4. Honorary members:
By majority vote of the members,
honorary membership may be awarded to
anyone who has provided great service to
the industry. Honorary members will have
the same benefits as Associate Members
but will never be assessed a membership
fee.
5. Insurance Companies: Insurance
Companies may hold membership in the
League, but will not have the right to
vote, hold office, or sit on committees.
All members who join in 1999 shall be
known as "Founding Members."
During 1999 a member may join as a
"Charter Member", a charter member
shall have no additional rights.
Voting Rights: Only General
Members who are current with League
dues, retain full voting privileges on
matters presented to the general
membership or committees on which they
serve.
The election of officers, shall be held
prior to the election of the Directors,
by the members currently eligible to
vote, and in attendance as certified by
the Treasurer.
The officers shall be elected
annually by a majority vote of eligible
League members and shall hold office for
the term of one (1) year and until
respective successors are duly elected
and qualified. The term of President
shall be limited to two (2) successive
terms.
There shall be no compensation of the
officers or directors except for League
related expenses approved by the board.
Any officer or director may be
removed from office for cause by a two
thirds vote of the Board of Directors or
membership.
A vacancy of officers, or the board, may
be filled for the remaining portion of
the term, by a majority vote of the
board. A vacancy in the presidency shall
be filled for the remaining portion of
the term by the duly elected Vice
President.
The President: Shall serve at
the will of the membership, preside over
the general meeting, appoint committees
and serve as a director-at-large on the
board. The President may purchase for
the League any tangible asset having a
cost not to exceed five hundred dollars
($500.00). Board approval shall be
attained before spending over five
hundred dollars ($500.00).
The Vice President: Shall act in
the place of the President, during the
President's absence, and will promote
the League and assist the President in
all matters, when requested by the
president to do so. The Vice President
will be a director at large on the
board.
The Secretary: Shall be charged
with the taking of minutes at the
general meeting and at the board
meeting, with reading the transcribed
minutes at the next meeting of the
respective bodies and to make
corrections as directed. The Secretary
will be a director at large. The minutes
of all meetings will at all times be the
property of the League. The secretary
will submit a copy of all minutes to the
President and will retain copies which
will be turned over to any new Secretary
when one is elected. The Secretary shall
have custody and charge of all books,
papers, and records of the League except
such as by resolution shall be given to
the President of the League.
The Treasurer: Shall keep all
financial records and pay approved
obligations incurred by the League. The
Treasurer will provide the membership
and the board with justification for all
moneys paid out. The League will provide
the Treasurer with computer software
with which to keep the League's
financial records. Said software will be
at all times the property of the League
and will be surrendered to a new
treasurer when one is elected or to the
Board of Directors on demand. The
Treasurer shall deposit all moneys and
valuables in the name of and to the
credit of the League in such banks and
depositories as the board shall
designate. The Treasurer shall also be
responsible for the billing and
collection of all dues and assessments
and provide the board a list of members
eligible to vote, hold office, or have
the right to nominate. The Treasurer
shall be a director at large.
The Sergeant-at-Arms: Shall be
responsible for keeping order, both
administrative and otherwise. It will be
his/her duty to deal with meeting
attendees who may become unruly and
he/she shall have the authority to
remove such persons from the room if
necessary. The board shall furnish the
sergeant-at-arms with a copy of Robert's
Rules of Order. If a dispute arises as
to proper meeting procedures, the
sergeant at arms will be the arbiter.
The Sergeant at Arms will also be
certain there is an American Flag in the
meeting room which is to be used for a
general meeting or meeting of the board,
and will lead the members in the Pledge
of Allegiance immediately after each
meeting is called to order. If any
meeting is temporarily adjourned, there
will be no need for a second recitation
of the pledge upon reconvening. The
Sergeant at Arms will be a director at
large.
The meetings of the League will be held
in January, May and September.
The election meeting will be in
January.
The September meeting will be the
meeting at which nominations are
accepted for the next year's officers,
regional directors, and directors at
large.
All three meetings shall be rotated
around the State of Florida. The
meetings locations, shall be chosen
first by the general members. Failure by
the general membership to designate a
location, the board shall select the
location.
The general membership meeting shall be
held prior to the board meeting.
Special Meetings:
Emergency meetings may be called by
giving ten days notice of the date, time
and place to deal with matters of such
urgency that they cannot wait until the
next general meeting. Said notice must
be accompanied with a meeting agenda or
other written statement stating the
reason for calling the meeting.
Special meetings may be called with 30
days notice as to the time and place and
the agenda (if any) from time to time.
These meetings may be for purely social
activity such as a dance, fish fry, corn
boil, or picnic.
Quorum:
The presence of two thirds (2/3) of the
officers plus three regular members of
the general membership shall be
necessary at a regular meeting of the
League to constitute a quorum. The
presence of two thirds (2/3) of the
officers and directors is required to
constitute a quorum for a meeting of the
board.
In case a quorum is not present on
the day fixed for the meeting, the
members present may adjourn from time to
time until a quorum is obtained or
adjourn and reschedule.
Will be made up of the League's
executive officers, regional directors,
and the directors at large. A total of
fifteen, shall sit on the board.
The board shall represent the will of
the membership and may act on its own
only in situations requiring immediate
action.
Each director shall hold office until
the following annual election meeting of
the League and their successor is
elected by an individual vote, by the
eligible members.
The board may, by majority vote,
remove a director from office, if such
director is no longer eligible to serve
or has un-excused absences from two
consecutive meetings. The board shall
notify such director or officer, and the
board shall replace that member by a
majority vote of the board.
For sufficient reason, such as illness
or vacation, a member may request an
excused leave of absence.
The board shall be comprised of the
League's officers, the Immediate past
President, seven (7) Regional Directors,
and two Directors at Large.
Directors at large: The
Directors at Large shall be from any
region of the state, however they may
not both be from the same region.
North Region: Hernando Citrus
Sumter Lake Volusia Alachua Dixie
Flagler Marion Levy Gilchrist Putnam
Far North Region: Baker Bay
Bradford Calhoun Clay Columbia Duval
Escambia Franklin Gadsden Gulf Hamilton
Holmes Jackson Jefferson Lafayette Leon
Liberty Madison Nassau Okaloosa Santa
Rosa St. Johns Suwanee Taylor Union
Wakulla Walton Washington
Central West Region: Hillsborough
Pinellas Polk Pasco
South West Region: Collier Lee
Charlotte Hendry Glades Hardee Highlands
Sarasota Desoto Manatee
Central East Region: Brevard
Osceola Seminole Orange
South East Region: Palm Beach
Martin Indian River St. Lucie Okeechobee
Far South Region: Dade Broward
Monroe
The primary duty of the Regional
Directors will be to inform the members
of their respective district of any
actions being taken by the League. The
Regional Directors shall inform the
League of any concerns from members, or
events in his/her district. To furnish
articles of interest for the Leagues
BAIL REPORT regarding events in his/her
district, which shall include business
matters, as well as special events.
(Such as births, deaths, etc. of the
members in that district.) The Regional
Directors will be nominated and elected
by the members from their respective
districts.
The Board will elect a Chairperson who
will preside over the Board meeting and
report to the membership. The Chairman
of the Board may be an Executive Officer
of the League. The Chairman will preside
over all meetings. In the absence of the
Chairperson, the President may preside
temporarily.
The Board may initiate matters
concerning the League but must submit
their decision to the membership for
approval if time permits.
The purpose of this Board of Directors
shall at all times be to implement the
decisions made by the general membership
and may act on it's own only in
emergency situations when less than 10
days are available to call a special
meeting.
No nomination for the position of a
Director of the League shall be
accepted, unless nominated by a current
general member of the league, and such
person being nominated has attended at
least two (2) of the last three (3)
general meetings of the League. Absence
from a general meeting shall not be
waived unless a written valid excuse was
offered and approval by the board of
directors at the following meeting.
(This clause will take affect at the
January annual meeting in the year
2000.)
If there is no member qualified to hold
office in any one of the individual
districts, the membership may elect
additional directors at large to fill
the vacancy. The Board Meeting shall
follow the general membership meeting.
Salary: No salary shall be
paid to the Officers or Directors of the
Association.
The President or Chairman of the Board
may appoint committees to take up
matters of concern of the membership.
All committees will report their
activities to the membership and to the
Board.
Standing committees will be Education,
Legislation, Publication, County
Liaison, Company Liaison, etc. (and
whatever else you decide on).
County Liaison: To insure a free
flow of information between agents at a
grass roots level and the League, a
committee comprised of representatives
of each County will meet to discuss
issues of mutual concern and to share
ideas.
Company Liaison: Recognizing
that there are many overlapping concerns
that Agents and Companies doing business
in the State of Florida share, it is
important to maintain an ongoing
dialogue on how to best promote our
mutual interests. To that end, the board
has established a committee comprised of
representatives of all surety companies
active in the State of Florida. The
board shall appoint a representative to
meet with the Company Liaison committee
as necessary and report on discussions
held, to the Board.
Special committees may be selected
from time to time as need arises and
will be dissolved when their work is
done. Every odd-numbered year, the
President shall appoint a committee to
recommend changes to Region boundaries,
if any are warranted.
Nominations by the general members will
be accepted at the meeting previous to
the election. A written list of the
aforementioned nominees will be
furnished to all general members at
least 10 days prior to the election
meeting. Nominations will also be
accepted from the floor at the election
meeting prior to the election of each
office.
Officers, Directors at Large, and
Regional Directors will be elected by
majority vote of the general membership.
There can be no cumulative voting.
If no nominations are received from a
region , the membership may make
nominations from the floor for another
Director at Large.
Shall be the current
edition of Robert's Rules of Order
These Bylaws may be altered or amended
by presenting said amendment or
alteration in writing, at any regular
meeting, and then read again at the next
regular meeting. The first reading shall
not be debatable.
The bylaws may be amended by a simple
majority vote of the general membership,
or a 2/3 majority of those present, if
less than the full membership.
Article III and
Article XVII may not be altered at any
time
At the second regular meeting,
amendments to the proposed amendment(s)
or alteration(s) may be offered prior to
the vote. Upon acceptance of said
amendment(s) or alteration(s) by the
majority vote of the quorum, said
amendment(s) or alteration(s) shall
become as though it was a part of these
bylaws.
All members will receive a copy of
the bylaws, after the member, is
approved by the League. The membership
must be provided with the specific
proposed changes 30 days prior to the
meeting. This notice must be in writing.
The notice shall contain the changes in
distinctive type.
These bylaws shall be in full force and
binding on all members. The Board shall
have the power to take any steps
necessary to enforce the provisions of
these bylaws.
The members may adopt a Code of Ethics
and procedures for handling grievances.
These shall be binding on all members
and may provide for the expulsion from
membership in this Association. Copies
of a proposed Code of Ethics or changes
therein must be mailed to the members at
least thirty (30) days prior to a
meeting of the members when such items
will be considered.
Definition: Any display of
misconduct, inappropriate speech or
behavior exhibited by a guest or member.
By which, any guest or member, is
slandered, impugned, maligned in any
way. Is characterized on the basis of
gender, race, religious preference,
nationality or ancestry. Nor will any
sexual harassment in the form of
unwelcome sexual advances, requests for
sexual favors or comments or conduct of
a sexual nature be condoned or tolerated
by the Bail Agent's Independent League.
Complaint Procedure: Any guest
or member may file a complaint in
writing with any Board Member, Officer,
or Committee Chairperson, who will note
and document the nature of the alleged
misconduct and bring it to the President
and/or the full Board for action.
Immediate Action: It is the duty
of the President, Board member, or
Committee Chairperson observing any
ongoing misconduct to issue a warning to
the party or parties involved to
immediately desist the conduct in
question. If the behavior is so severe
and/or continues to disrupt the good
order, the guest or member shall be
asked to leave or face removal. The
guest or member may seek a vote of the
majority present. Failure to comply may
result in forcible expulsion by
authorities.
Criminal Wrong Doing: Any case
of criminal wrong doing, shall be
immediately reported to the proper
authorities.
Hearing: Any complaint, filed
against an Officer or Board Member,
shall be heard by the complete Board.
All complaints filed against any other
member will be heard by a committee of
three, comprised of a hearing
Chairperson appointed by the President
or the Board Chairperson, one member
chosen by the complainant and the other
chosen by the accused. The hearing will
be held in no less than thirty days,
unless, the time period is waived by all
parties concerned.
Following presentations by the
accused and complainant, and a review of
all pertinent facts, a report shall be
submitted to the Board of Directors, of
the Committee's findings for action.
If the Board of Directors finds for the
complainant, sanctions may be imposed
based on the severity of the offense,
ranging from a written reprimand to
suspension or permanent expulsion from
the Association. Suspension or permanent
expulsion shall require the concurrence
of 2/3 of the members present.
Emergency Action: To assure
the maintenance of good order, expulsion
from any meeting for disruptive behavior
or misconduct, may be enacted, upon the
recommendation of any member in good
standing present and the majority vote
of the Officers and Directors present at
a meeting of the Board, general meeting
or committee.
At a general meeting or committee
meeting the general members in good
standing present, may override by a
majority vote.
Grievance Procedure: All
grievances shall be in writing and
submitted to any Officer or Board
Member. The President will appoint a
Chairperson, and the parties involved
shall each choose a member to hear the
matter. A date for the hearing shall be
set within 45 days, unless otherwise
agreed upon by all parties concerned.
All persons required to attend shall be
notified in writing.
If the grievance is against the
President, the Board shall appoint the
Chairperson.
Whenever any notice is required to be
given to any member of the Board, a
waiver thereof in writing, signed by the
person or persons entitled to such
notice, whether before or after the time
stated therein, shall be deemed
equivalent to giving such notice.
The Board shall establish a budget and
present it to the membership for
approval at the Annual Meeting.
General Members: Annual dues are
One Hundred Fifty Dollars ($150.00) per
person.
Industry Associate Members:
Annual dues shall be One Hundred Fifty
Dollars ($150.00) per person.
Associate Members: Annual dues
shall be Fifty Dollars ($50.00 ) per
person.
Insurance Companies: Annual
dues shall be Fifty Dollars ($50.00 )
per producing agent.
Charter Members: Dues for the
first year (1999) shall be ($250.00)
Dues for Charter Membership may only be
accepted in the first year. (1999) (The
Charter Membership clause will be
removed from the Bylaws in January
2000.) Charter Members will however,
always retain the designation as a
Charter Member.
Founding Members: All members,
who receive their membership during the
first year, shall always retain the
title of founding member. Founding
memberships shall not be given after the
first year.
Should the, BAIL AGENT'S
INDEPENDENT LEAGUE of FLORIDA, INC.
d.b.a. BAIL Florida, be
dissolved by merger, into another
association. The association surviving,
must upon request of any member past or
present, refund any and all dues paid
into BAIL Florida for the
total number of years that membership
dues were paid and received.
Article XVII may not
be altered or deleted.
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