The Bylaws of the Credit and Financial Development Division of the National Association of Credit Management (City/State Chapter)

Revised June 2006

 

ARTICLE I PURPOSE AND OBJECTIVES

The   purpose   and   objectives   of   the   (City) Chapter  of  the  National  Association  of  Credit Management’s      (NACM)      Credit      Financial Development   Division   (CFDD)   shall   be   to promote  an  active  interest  in  the  credit  and financial profession, to promote the educational programs  that  are  vital  to  the  development  of the  effective  professional,  and  to  be  a  viable force within the NACM network.

ARTICLE II MEMBERSHIP CLASSIFICATIONS

Section 1. General.  Membership in this CFDD Chapter shall be composed primarily of full-time staff  personnel  engaged  in  fields  related  to credit, collections, and finance. Membership will be  denied  to  any  individual  employed  by,  or who   owns,   or   serves   as   consultant   to   a collection  or  credit-reporting  agency  who  was not already a member as of October 20, 2005.

Section    2.   Active   Membership.      Active Membership shall be available to those persons actively   engaged  in  fields  related  to  credit, collections,  or  financial  work for a company or entity which holds membership in NACM, or is a member of the Credit Research Foundation.

Section    3.   Interim   Membership.   Interim membership shall be available to former Active Members who are no longer actively engaged in fields related to credit, collections or finance or to those   whose   employers   are   no   longer members  of  NACM  or  to  those  who  are  no longer         a   member   of   the   Credit   Research Foundation.  Interim  Membership  may  continue for a one year period. An Interim Member may complete   an   elected   or   appointed   Chapter position term, but is ineligible for re-election or re-appointment to a Chapter position.

Section  4.  Honorary  Membership.  Honorary Membership shall be available to a member who has,  in  the  opinion  of  the  Chapter’s  Board  of Directors, rendered distinguished service to this Chapter or to NACM. Upon the recommendation of  its  Board  of  Directors,  a  member  may  be designated   as   an   Honorary   Member.   The recommendation   must   be   approved   by   a majority  vote  of  the  members  of  this  Chapter present at a meeting held thirty (30) days after such       recommendation    has    been    received. Privileges   of   Honorary   Members   shall    be determined by this Chapter.

Section      5.     Chapter    Past     Presidents. Membership  shall  be  made  available  to  any member who has served as President of a CFDD Chapter  and  who  is  no  longer  employed  by  a NACM member firm, is retired, or is no longer a member  of  the  Credit  Research  Foundation. They shall be entitled to all rights and benefits of  regular  Chapter  members  except  they  are ineligible   for   service   on   the   CFDD  National Board of Directors.

Section   6.   Student   Membership.   Student Membership  shall  be  available  to  any  full  time (at least 12 hours) college student approved by the  CFDD  Chapter  Board  of  Directors.  Student members   will   be   eligible   for   local   Chapter scholarships   as   designated   by   the   Chapter Board  and  will  be  eligible  for  member  class registration rates for CFDD Conferences and will receive  all  issues of CFDD National Newsletter. Student  members  will  not be eligible for CFDD National Scholarships or for an elected office on either   the   CFDD   Local   or   National   Board. Student members are eligible to serve on local CFDD Chapter committees.  An amount equal to one-half    (½)    of    the    prevailing    regular membership  dues  will  be  charged  annually  for CFDD  National  dues,  pro-rated  quarterly;   the amount of dues to be paid to the CFDD Chapter will  be  determined  by  the  Chapter  Board  of Directors.

ARTICLE III MEMBERSHIP

Section     1.     Membership     Applications. Persons  desiring  membership  in  this  Chapter shall  file written application with  the Chair of   the   Membership   Committee.     Each   such application shall be referred by the Chair of the  Membership  Committee  to  this  Chapter’s Board of Directors for approval.

Section 2. Termination of Membership.  The membership  of  any  member  who  is  found  by this Chapter’s Board Directors to be abusing the privileges   of   membership,   or   who   is   not observing  the  standards  and  policies  of  the National   Association   of   Credit   Management, may  be  terminated  by  this  Chapter’s  Board upon  thirty  days  prior  written  notice  to  such member,  and  subsequent  to  a  hearing  on  the charges if requested by the member.

ARTICLE IV

FISCAL MATTERS AND DUES

Section 1. Fiscal Period.  The fiscal period of this CFDD Chapter shall be the same as NACM.

Section  2.  Membership  Dues.    The  Annual dues, for the fiscal year, for the Active, Interim, Honorary, Past President, and Student members shall  be established  by  this Chapter’s Board of Directors.     This   Chapter   shall   invoice   their membership   for   annual   dues   no   later   than October   31   of   each   year.     New   members admitted  to  this  Chapter  after  the  year  has commenced shall be invoiced   on   a   pro-rated basis  determined  by  this  Chapter’s  Board  of Directors.

Section  3.  Disbandment.     If  this  Chapter should  at  any  time  disband,  any  unexpended funds   in   its   Treasury   shall   be   disposed   of (specify how and to whom).

ARTICLE V BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Section 1.  Authority and Responsibility.

The business and affairs of this Chapter shall be managed   by   its   Board   of   Directors.   This Chapter’s  Board  of  Directors  shall  have  the power to transact  all business between regular Chapter  meetings.  It  shall  be  the  duty  of  the Board of Directors to present an annual budget to the membership at the first regular meeting of  each  fiscal  year.     Such  budget  shall  be subject to approval by vote of a majority of the active members present at such meeting.   The budget    shall    make   suitable    provision   for payment   of   the   expenses   of   this  Chapter’s President/President Elect to attend the Regional NACM CFDD Conferences in 2006 and beginning in  2007,  the  CFDD  National  conference.    If funds permit, the budget shall provide financial support  for  a Chapter  representative  to  attend the NACM Annual Credit Congress.

Section   2.   Composition.        This  Chapter’s CFDD  Board   shall   consist   of   Officers,   the Immediate  Past  President,  and  at  least  two Active  Members  elected  by  this  Chapter.   Any member selected to serve on the CFDD National Board             of   Directors   shall   be   an   ex-officio member,  without  the  right  to  vote,  of  this Chapter’s Board.

Section  3.    Quorum  of  the  Board.  At  any meeting  of  this  Chapter’s  Board,  a  majority  of the       voting   Board   members   present   shall constitute  a  quorum  for  the  transaction  of the business.  Any  such  business  thus  transacted shall be valid providing it is affirmatively passed by a majority of those present and voting.

Section 4.   Regular Meetings of the Board. Regular  meetings  of  this  Chapter’s  Board shall be held at such time and place as the President may determine, but there shall be at least four regular meetings of the Board during each year.

Section     5.       Special    Meetings.    Special meetings  of  this  Chapter’s  Board  of  Directors may  be  called  at  any  time  by  order  of  the President,   or   by   written   application   to   the Secretary   by   at   least   three   voting   Board members.

Section 6.  Vacancies.  Any vacancies, except that  of  President,  shall  be filled  by  decision of this Chapter’s Board for the unexpired term.  If the  office  of  President  should  become  vacant, the  Vice  President  shall  automatically  become President.

Section 8.   Removal.  This Chapter’s Board of Directors  may  remove  any  Officer  or  Director for cause including, but not limited to, failing to fulfill the duties, responsibilities, and obligations of  the  office,  failing  to  abide  by  the  code  of conduct  or  conflict  of  interest  policy  of  the Board,  or  any  like  policy  so  adopted,  by  an affirmative two-thirds vote of the Board present at any regular or special meeting.

ARTICLE VI OFFICERS

Section   1.   Officers.   The   officers   of   this Chapter shall be a President, a Vice President, a Secretary, and a Treasurer.  (Additional officers are optional.)

Section 2.  Term of Office. The term of office for Officers shall be for one (1) year.

Section  3.    Duties  of  the  President.  The President  shall  preside  at  all  meetings  of  this Chapter.   The  President  shall  annually  appoint the Chair of this Chapter’s committees and be   an   ex-officio  member   of   all   committees during the term of office.

Section 5.  Duties of the Vice President.  In the absence of the President, the Vice President shall  perform the duties of and have the same authority as the President.   The Vice President may  be  Chair  of  Program  Committee,  and shall perform such other duties as the Board of Directors designates.

Section  6.    Duties  of  the  Secretary.  The Secretary shall give notice of time and place of all meetings of this Chapter           and          its Board of Directors, (or provide said information to    the    Chapter    Publicity    Chair    for distribution),  and  shall  keep  minutes  of  such meetings.  The Secretary shall keep the records and correspondence of this Chapter.

Section  7.    Duties  of  the  Treasurer.    The Treasurer shall collect all monies payable to this Chapter and deposit same, under its name and Federal   Identification   Number,   in   a   bank designated by this Chapter’s Board of Directors. The  Treasurer  shall  keep  the  accounts  of  this Chapter in accordance with Federal 501(C)6 Tax Exempt Status, pay all bills certified correct by the President, and shall prepare and distribute a financial  statement  to  each  member  when  so directed by this Chapter’s Board.

ARTICLE VII MEETINGS

Section   1.   Annual   Meeting.     The   Annual Meeting  of  this  Chapter  shall  be  held  (insert Date) of each year.

Section  2.   Regular  Meetings.   The  regular meetings  of  this  Chapter  shall  be held no less than  six  times  each  year.   The  President  and the  Board  of  Directors,  for  adequate  reasons, shall  have  the  power  to  change  the  date  and the time of the meeting. Not less than 80% of the regular meetings during each year shall be directly  related  to  the  credit,  finance  or  other business topics.

Section     3.    Special    Meetings.       Special meetings may be called upon receipt of written petitions,  individually  signed,  by  no  less  than twenty  five  percent  (25%)  of the  total  eligible voting  chapter  membership  and  filed  with  the Secretary. Within a reasonable time frame, the date, time and place of a (the) special meeting will be set by the Board.

Section     4.    Special    Meeting    Petitions. Individual  special  meeting  petitions  stating  a specific and detailed agenda for discussion must be received by the Secretary within a sixty (60) day  time  frame  from  the  receipt  of  the  first petition. Petitions may be mailed, faxed or sent electronically.

 

Section 5.  Meeting Notices. Written notice of the date, time and place of any meeting of this Chapter  shall  be  given  at  least  five  days  in advance. The notice of the Annual Meeting shall be given at least ten days in advance.

Section  6. Voting.   At  any meeting, the vote of  a  majority  of  those  eligible  and  present  to vote shall carry any motion.

ARTICLE VIII COMMITTEES

Section     1.    Standing    Committees.    The President  shall appoint annually, by April 10, a Chair  for  each  of  the  following  standing committees:   Membership,  Education,  Program and Publicity.  The Chair of each Committee shall   submit   a   written   report,  covering  the year’s           activities,    at    the    Annual    Business Meeting, and any interim reports as required by the President.

Section     2.    Audit   Committee.   An   Audit Committee shall  be appointed by the President to  audit  this  Chapter’s  accounts  for  the  fiscal year, and to report at the Annual Meeting.

ARTICLE IX NOMINATIONS AND ELECTIONS

Section   1.   Nominating   Committee.   The President shall appoint a Nominating Committee at least ninety (90) days prior to the end of this Chapter’s leadership year.

Section  2.     Committee  Composition.  The immediate    Past    President,    in    order    of availability,    shall    be    Chair,    and    the President shall          appoint  to  the  Committee a  minimum  of  two  (2)  Active  Members.  The President shall serve as an ex-officio member of the Committee.

Section    3.    Duties    of    the    Nominating Committee.  At least sixty (60) day prior to the end   of   this   Chapter’s   leadership   year,   the Nominating   Committee   shall   nominate   and present  to  the  Chapter  a  slate  of  officers  and directors  for  the  ensuing  year,  consisting  of  a President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, (others optional) and at least two (2) members- at-large   for   the   Board   of   Directors.      All candidates  must  be  Active  Members  of  this Chapter.

Section 4. Election and Installation.  Officers will be elected at least thirty (30) days prior to the end of the leadership year. Installation and possession  of  office  must  take  place  prior  to close of the leadership year.

Section   5.   Annual   Report.   This   Chapter’s Annual    Report,    providing    details    of    the concluding   year  and  announcing  the  newly- elected Officers and Committee Chairs, must be completed    and    submitted    to    the    CFDD Executive Director by April 15th.

ARTICLE X PARLIAMENTARY AUTHORITY

Section   1.   Rules   of   Order.      The   rules contained   in   the   newly   revised   edition   of Robert’s   Rules   of   Order   shall   govern   the conduct  of this Chapter’s meetings in all cases to which they are applicable and in which they are  not  inconsistent  with  the  Bylaws,  policies, and any special rules this Chapter may adopt.

ARTICLE XI AMENDMENT(S)

This Chapter’s Bylaws may be altered, amended or repealed by a two-thirds vote of the eligible members  present  at  a  regular  meeting  of  this Chapter  provided  the  proposed  amendment(s) shall   first   have   been   filed   with   the   CFDD National  Board  of  Directors  (filed  through  the Executive  Director’s  office)  for  verification  of and compliance with the CFDD National Bylaws. The Secretary of this Chapter shall send a copy of any such  proposals to the members at least thirty  (30)  days  before  the  meeting  at  which they are to be voted upon.