William Penn Life, 1996 (31. évfolyam, 1-12. szám)

1996-01-01 / 1. szám

January 1996, William Penn Life, Page 11

By-Laws of the Association - 5

all deeds, contracts, agreements, leases, leasehold agreements, lease contracts, bills of sale, assignments, releases, satisfactions of mortgages and judgments, deposit or protective agreements, reorganization or refunding plans, and other obligations and undertakings for and on behalf of the Association, and all other documents and obligations made necessary or desirable for the conduct of the Association’s affairs when duly authorized to do so by the Board or Executive Committee.

b. Limitation. No National Officer or employee shall have any authority express or implied to obligate the Association or to sign or execute any contract or document which requires the Association to pay a consideration, or has a value, in excess of Five Thousand ($5,000) Dollars, without prior written authorization by the Board or Executive Committee.

c. No person shall be hired or retained by the Association or any Branch or subsidiary for a term or more than two (2) years without express written consent of the Board. In any event, no such contract shall extend beyond the date of the next General Convention.

6. BONDS OF OFFICERS AND EMPLOYEES

a. Officers. The National and Branch Officers of the Association shall give bond with surety from an indemnity company, conditioned in such form and sum as the Board may determine.

b. Employees. The Board and/or the National President may require employees of the Association to give bond with surety from an indemnity company, conditioned in such form as the Board may determine.

c. Approval of Bonds. All bonds herein and hereunder required, shall be approved by the General Counsel and deposited with the National Vice President-Secretary. A blanket bond, instead of individual bonds may be authorized.

d. Cost. The cost of every bond required hereunder shall be paid from the general fund of the Association.

e. Any such National or Branch Officer or employee who has not been bonded as herein provided or who has failed to furnish any additional bond required of him within thirty (30) days from the date any such bond requirement is imposed in writing, shall automatically yield and surrender said office or employment with the Association.

7. RETURN OF PROPERTY

Subject to Subsection 8, below, each National and Branch Officer and each employee shall, upon the expiration or termination of their office or employment, as the case may be, account for and deliver to his successor, or other person authorized to receive the same, all monies, bonds, papers, securities and all other property held by him and belonging to the Association.

8. NOTIFICATION OF BONDING

No National or Branch Officer of the Association shall deliver to his successor in office or other person authorized to receive the same, any money, securities or other property belonging to the Association until he shall have been properly notified that such persons have been bonded as required by these By-Laws.

9. LIMITATION

No National Director or National Officer shall hold a contract as a Full-Time Agent or General Agent during his term of office with the Association.

ARTICLE VI

Section 600 - THE BRANCHES

601 - ORGANIZATION

Branches may be created and shall be chartered by resolution of the Board in localities where the Association has not less than fifty (50) Adult Life Benefit Members to provide said members with the opportunity to take part in fraternal, community and benevolent activities; to share in programs of fellowship, sociability, and responsibility; and to share in a democratic form of government.

602 - RULES

The affairs of the Branches shall be conducted in accordance with the provisions of these By-Laws and under rules prescribed by the Board.

603 - AUTHORITY

The Board has full authority over the Branches, Branch Officers and Branch Coordinators. Pursuant to Article VII of these By-Laws, Branch Officers can, at any time, be subject to suspension or removal from office by the Board for cause, improper conduct, incompetence, neglect of duty, conflict of interest, or violation of resolutions of the General Convention or Board. The Branch Officer involved need not be present at the disciplinary proceeding. In addition, the Board shall have

jurisdiction over any complaint of misconduct lodged against any Branch, Branch Coordinator, or member. In all events, the Board shall have the unrestricted authority to suspend the charter of a Branch, place a Branch under trusteeship, dissolve a Branch, transfer members and/or terminate the existence of a Branch subsidiary.

604 - MEETINGS

1. Regular meetings of a Branch shall be held monthly, except that regular monthly meetings may be dispensed with in the months of June, July and August.

2. Special meetings may be called by the Branch President at any time he deems it necessary, or upon the request often (10) Adult Life Benefit Members of said Branch. Members shall be notified of any special meeting and no business shall be transacted at such meeting other than that for which the meeting was called.

3. The following order of business shall be a guideline for the presiding officer at regular meetings:

a. Opening by the President, devotion and pledge of allegiance.

b. Roll call.

c. Minutes of previous meetings.

d. Reports of officers.

e. Reports of committees.

f. Introduction of new members.

g. Unfinished business.

h. New business.

i. Election of officers (annually under Section 606).

j. Appointment of committees.

k. Good and welfare of the Branch.

l. Adjournment.

4. Only the certificate/policy holder who is the basic insured member shall have the right to attend Branch Meetings, to vote, and to hold office.

605 - NOMINATIONS

Candidates for Branch office shall be nominated from the floor at the December meeting.

606 - ELIGIBILITY AND ELECTIONS

1. ELIGIBILITY

Only an Adult Life Benefit Member who is not directly involved in litigation against the Association, except for claims under a certificate/policy of insurance is eligible to be a Branch Officer. No Full-Time Agent, General Agent, or anyone who is licensed to sell for another life insurance company, or a spouse of any of the above, is eligible to be a Branch Officer.

2. ELECTION OF BRANCH OFFICERS

The election of Branch Officers shall be held at the annual meeting in December. Each Adult Life Benefit Member shall have one (1) vote for each office. Elections shall be by a majority of those present at the annual meeting. Officers elected at the annual meeting shall be installed immediately.

607 - TERMS AND VACANCIES

1. EXISTING BRANCHES

The term of office of all Branch Officers in existing Branches shall begin upon their installation and shall expire when their successors are elected at the next annual meeting in December. Likewise, the term of office with regard to election to vacancies in existing branches shall expire when their successors are elected at the next annual meeting in December. A vacancy for the offices of Secretary and/or Treasurer or for the office of President when there is no vice president to assume the office, shall be filled by election at the regular meeting next following occurrence of said vacancy.

2. NEW BRANCHES

The election of officers in new Branches shall be held at the first regular meeting of that Branch. The term of office of all Branch Officers elected at that meeting shall expire upon the election of their successors at the next annual meeting in December.

608 - BRANCH OFFICERS AND DUTIES

1. The Branch Officers shall be: Branch President, one Branch Vice President, Branch Recording Secretary, Branch Treasurer, and two (2 ) or more Branch Auditors, but not more than three (3). There shall not be any other Branch Officers or boards appointed or elected.

2. The offices of Branch Recording Secretary and Branch Treasurer may be held by one person. No member may be an

officer unless he is an Adult Life Benefit Member.

3. Any Branch Officer failing to attend three (3) successive meetings without a valid excuse shall be considered as having vacated his office. The Branch membership shall discuss and determine the validity of such excuse. If the Branch membership determines that the Branch Officer has vacated his office, the Branch President or, in the alternative, the Branch Recording Secretary shall immediately forward a report of charges to the Board for action under Article VII of these By-Laws.

4. The Branch President shall preside at all meetings and conduct them according to the prescribed rules. He shall vote only in case of a tie vote; appoint committees; and approve and sign orders, together with the Branch Treasurer, drawn on the Branch treasury for the payment of money. The Branch President shall have the duty of general supervision over the affairs of the Branch.

5. In the absence, disability, or inability to act as the Branch President, the Branch Vice President shall perform the duties of the Branch President.

6. The Branch Recording Secretary shall keep a record of the proceedings of the Branch meetings.

7. The Branch Treasurer shall have the custody of all money belonging to the Branch; give receipts; keep a correct account of all money received and paid by him; and pay all orders drawn by the Branch Recording Secretary and approved by the Branch President. He shall deposit all funds received by the Branch for any of its activities in one Branch checking account so that a clear record of all Branch financial transactions is maintained. If other accounts are established for Branch activities, all deposits or withdrawals must be made through the Branch checking account. Separate records shall be maintained for each account in the Branch ledger, but there shall be only one Branch checking account.

8. The Branch Auditors shall, no less frequently than semiannually, examine the financial records and bank accounts of the Branch Treasurer and, after each such examination, give a written report thereof to the Branch meeting with a copy to the National Vice President-Secretary. The Branch Auditors shall send an annual report to the National Vice President-Secretary on forms furnished by the Home Office.

9. The Branch Officers shall be responsible for filing all forms (and furnishing the Home Office with copies of same at the time of filing) and paying all taxes, fees, and other payments required by Federal, State and local governmental authorities, when due.

10. No Branch Officer or employee shall have any authority, expressed or implied to obligate the Branch or any subsidiary or to sign or execute any contract or document that requires the Association to pay a consideration or has a value in excess of One Thousand ($1,000) Dollars without prior authorization by the Board, Executive Committee or Administration Committee.

609 - BRANCH COORDINATOR

1. Branch Coordinator is a part-time appointive position made by the Board of Directors. A Full-Time Agent shall not be appointed as a Branch Coordinator. The Branch Coordinator shall assist the Branch Officers in fraternal activities, and file annually in January with the National Vice President- Secretary a fraternal activities report covering the operations of the Branch for the previous year.

2. The Branch Coordinator shall notify the Home Office of all address changes brought to his attention; provide required forms for members to properly present claims for benefits; and, when a Life Benefit Member dies, the Branch Coordinator shall immediately forward notice thereof to the Home Office, together with necessary proofs. He is authorized to enroll new members, if licensed as an Agent for the Association.

610 - OWNERSHIP OF ASSETS

All real and personal property and all other assets of any Branch and of all Branch subsidiaries, including all books, records and documents of any Branch and all Branch subsidiaries, are the legal property of the Association. While the Association is the legal and equitable owner of all such property and assets, the Branches may create trust, charity, and entertainment funds, but they must be administered by the Branches in accordance with the rules prescribed by the Board. No real or personal property or other assets in the name of any Branch and/or Branch subsidiary may be sold, expended, bartered, donated, or otherwise disposed of without the approval of the Board.

ARTICLE VII

Section 700 - DISCIPLINE

701 - AUTHORITY AND JURISDICTION

The Board shall have full authority over the individual