TO ALL NC FIRE CHIEFS, FIRE MARSHALS, AND NCSFA MEMBERS:

As the annual business meeting of the Association approaches at conference August 8th – 11^thin Raleigh, there are several recommended changes to the NCSFA Bylaws that have been submitted that have met the deadline for bylaw changes. These will be voted on the morning of August 11^th, at the Raleigh Convention Center in conjunction with our annual conference. Attached is an explanation of the recommended changes including text from those sections with amendments. We are required to give 30 days’ notice of any submitted change to the bylaws. In addition, we have posted the current bylaws as they exist today and the amended bylaws on our website for your review if necessary. These changes are recommended by your NCSFA Board.

 

We previously sent information concerning voting information as well as bylaw changes that had been submitted. The attached is a complete list of recommended changes at this time.

 

We hope your department is represented at conference and participates in the Bylaw Amendment vote. If you have any questions please don’t hesitate to call.

 

Sincerely,

Barry Overman, President

Official Notice

North Carolina State Firefighters’ Association Bylaw Changes to be Recommended for Vote at the 2018 Annual Conference August 8^th– 11^th, in Raleigh.

A Full Text of the Amended and Current Bylaws Are on line at ncsfa.com/bylaws

Enclosed are recommended amendments to Association Bylaws by the NCSFA Board. These have been properly advertised and placed on the Agenda for the 2018 Annual Conference. A brief synopsis of the changes is:

• Change #1Corrects language and removes conflicts concerning authority and privileges of Lifetime Members
• Change #2Makes wording changes to modernize the responsibilities of the Treasurer consistent with current staffing and responsibilities
• Change #3 Modifies the duties of the Statistician adding a historical component to the responsibilities.
• Change #4Adds language to allow any Past President of the Association to have voting rights separate and apart from their departmental delegated vote.

 

Amended Bylaw Text by Article and Section is Enclosed.

Specific Section Explanations Follow:

The following changes and explanations are listed by Section, with the suggested new language underlined and language removed> struck through.  Each section below is followed by a brief explanation of the changes.

 

Change #1

SECTION:  Article II Section 2.2 – Voting Rights of Delegates

Section 2.2      Voting Rights of Delegates: Every fire department in the State which is a member of the Association shall, on or before the first day of July in each year, select two delegates and two alternates to serve for the ensuing year with the Chief and one Chief Officer of the member fire department, who shall represent the department and the individual members thereof. Each member department shall be entitled to four (4) votes consisting of one (1) vote for the Chief, one (1) vote for the Chief Officer, and two delegates with one (1) vote each. In the absence of a delegate the alternate may cast the vote of the absent delegate. Should only one delegate be present, such delegate may cast both delegate votes.If no delegates and only one alternate be present, such alternate may cast both of the votes assigned to the delegates.  The total votes for each member department shall not exceed four (4) votes.   Each county fire marshal office which has less than twenty (20) fire marshals on staff who are members of the Association shall be represented by one (1) delegate vote on each matter submitted to a vote at a meeting of delegates, to be cast by the delegate of said office chosen as provided below or their alternate.   Each county fire marshal office which has twenty (20) or more fire marshals on staff who are members of the Association shall be represented by four (4) delegate votes on each matter submitted to a vote at a meeting of the delegates.  Said votes shall be cast as follows: one (1) vote by the fire marshal, one (1) vote by the deputy fire marshal, and one (1) vote by each of two delegates chosen as provided below or their alternates. On or before the first day of July of each year, each county fire marshal office entitled to vote here under shall elect by majority vote of the fire marshals on staff the appropriate number of delegates here under to cast said votes and an alternate for each such delegate.  In order to be elected as a delegate, a person must be a fire marshal on staff with the office which he would be representing and a member of the Association pursuant to Section 2.1 herein. In the absence of a delegate at a meeting, an alternate shall cast the vote of the delegate.  In the event a delegate is absent from a meeting and no alternative is present, the other delegate from the county fire marshal office, if any, shall cast all votes allocated to the delegates.  In the event no elected delegate from a county fire marshal office is present at a meeting, one or moreofalternatesforsuchcountyfiremarshalofficeshallcastallofthevotesallocatedtothe delegate(s). All firefighter and fire marshals designated as delegates must be membersofthe Association, and their names must appear on the roster submitted by theirrespectiveoffices or departments to the office of the Association’s Executive Director in order tobeentitled to vote. With the exception of members serving as delegates as provided above, no member of the Association shall have any rights to vote except as otherwise expressly provided herein or by theAct.Each voting member shall register with the voting official prior to the start of the annual or special election and state the department or fire marshal office and the category they are voting under (Chief, Chief Officer, Fire Marshal, Deputy Fire Marshal, or Delegate). Once the department or fire marshal’s office has voted the allowed number of votes allocated, no more representatives will be allowed by the election official to vote from that department or office. Any Honorary Memberor Lifetime Member of the Association shall not vote except as accredited delegates selected in accordance with the provision of these Bylaws, and shall not be eligible to hold office in the Association unless otherwise qualified within the provisions of these bylaws.

 

In those cases, in which secret ballots are required, delegates are required to vote only for those persons who are nominated on the floor. The addition of awrite-incandidate to a secret ballot will invalidate the ballot inquestion.

 

 

EXPLANATION

Changes to Article II, Section 2.2 makes it clear that individuals who are granted Lifetime or Honorary Memberships may hold office if they meet the NCSFA membership requirements specified in the bylaws. For example, an individual who is granted lifetime membership by the Board, yet continues to maintain their membership on the roster of a member department, is eligible to hold an office in the Association, not because of their lifetime membership, but they would be eligible to hold office without the lifetime membership.

 

 

Change #2

SECTION:  Article VI Section 6.8 – Treasurer

Section6.8      Treasurer: The Treasurer shall have custody oversight of all funds and securities belonging to the Association and shall receive, depositor disburse review the receiving, depositing, and disbursement of the same under the direction of the Executive Board. The Treasurer shall ensure staff maintains maintain appropriate accounting records as may be required by law. In general, the Treasurer shall performallduties incident to the office of Treasurer and such other duties as from time to timemay be assigned by the President or by the ExecutiveBoard.

 

EXPLANATION

Changes to Article VI, Section 6.8 makes it clear that the Treasurer has responsibility for oversight and verification of funds trusted to the Association, but due to the large corporate operation of the Association, does not have custody of all the funds, nor does the position receive, deposit, or disburse all the funds. The Treasurer provides guidance and verification of finances involved in the Association business.

 

Change #3

 

SECTION:  Article VI Section 6.6 – Statistician

Section6.6      Statistician: The Statistician shall compile or have compiled correctly the history of the NC State Firefighter’s Association and the NC Fire Service,  as well as statistics of each village, district, and city in the State of all matters pertaining to the fire service, annually correcting the previous records and histories, which shall include everything of interest to the fire service, and annually the Statistician shall make a report to the Association that is comprehensive in every respect.

 

EXPLANATION

This change adds a responsibility to the job of the Statistician to document the history of the Association and fire service. The statistician may utilize and request resources allocated by the Board for this function. This change is in recognition that our history continues to slip away, and we need to record it as best possible for future generations.

 

Change #4

SECTION:  Article II Section 2.2 – Voting Rights of Delegates

Section 2.2

Voting Rights of Delegates: Every fire department in the State which is a member of the Association shall, on or before the first day of July in each year, select two delegates and two alternates to serve for the ensuing year with the Chief and one Chief Officer of the member fire department, who shall represent the department and the individual members thereof. Each member department shall be entitled to four (4) votes consisting of one (1) vote for the Chief, one (1) vote for the Chief Officer, and two delegates with one (1) vote each. In the absence of a delegate the alternate may cast the vote of the absent delegate.  Should only one delegate be present, such delegate may cast both delegate votes.  If no delegates and only one alternate be present, such alternate may cast both of the votes assigned to the delegates.  The total votes for each member department shall not exceed four (4) votes.   Each county fire marshal office which has less than twenty (20) fire marshals on staff who are members of the Association shall be represented by one (1) delegate vote on each matter submitted to a vote at a meeting of delegates, to be cast by the delegate of said office chosen as provided below or their alternate.   Each county fire marshal office which has twenty (20) or more fire marshals on staff who are members of the Association shall be represented by four (4) delegate votes on each matter submitted to a vote at a meeting of the delegates.  Said votes shall be cast as follows: one (1)vote by the fire marshal, one (1) vote by the deputy fire marshal, and one (1) vote by each of two delegates chosen as provided below or their alternates. On or before the first day of July of each year, each county fire marshal office entitled to vote here under shall elect by majority vote of the fire marshals on staff the appropriate number of delegates here under to cast said votes and an alternate for each such delegate.  In order to be elected as a delegate, a person must be a fire marshal on staff with the office which he would be representing and a member of the Association pursuant to Section 2.1 herein. In the absence of a delegate at a meeting, an alternate shall cast the vote of the delegate.  In the event a delegate is absent from a meeting and no alternative is present, the other delegate from the county fire marshal office, if any, shall cast all votes allocated to the delegates.  In the event no elected delegate from a county fire marshal office is present at a meeting, one or more of alternates for such county fire marshal office shall cast all of the votes allocated to the delegate(s). All firefighter and fire marshals designated as delegates must be members of the Association, and their names must appear on the roster submitted by their respective offices or departments to the office of the Association’s Executive Director in order to be entitled to vote. Any Past President of the NC State Firefighters’ Association,  not already voting as a departmental delegate, alternate, Chief, or Chief Officer, may cast one vote on any and all issues but shall not have the right to delegate their vote to any other individual or alternate.With the exception of members serving as delegates or Past Presidents as provided above, no member of the Association shall have any rights to vote except as otherwise expressly provided herein or by the Act.  Each voting member shall register with the voting official prior to the start of the annual or special election and state the department or fire marshal office and the category they are voting under (Chief, Chief Officer, Fire Marshal, Deputy Fire Marshal, or Delegate). Once the department or fire marshal’s office has voted the allowed number of votes allocated, no more representatives will be allowed by the election official to vote from that department or office. Any Honorary Member or Lifetime Member of the Association shall not vote except as accredited delegates selected in accordance with the provision of these Bylaws and shall not be eligible to hold office in the Association.

 

In those cases, in which secret ballots are required, delegates are required to vote only for those persons who are nominated on the floor. The addition of a write-in candidate to a secret ballot will invalidate the ballot in question.

 

EXPLANATION

Changes to Article II, Section 2.2.  This change grants voting privileges to any Past President of the Firefighters’ Association that does not have the ability to vote as a Chief, Chief Officer, or delegate/alternate for the department already. Such provision does not allow them to pass their vote to an alternate.

 

 

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