South Houston Volunteer Fire Department
Ladies Auxiliary
By-Laws
Article 1 – Name
This organization shall be called the South Houston Volunteer Fire Department Ladies Auxiliary, hereafter referred to as the Ladies Auxiliary.
Article 2 – Mission Statement
The purpose of this organization is to support our fire department in as many ways possible through volunteering, fundraising, and community outreach; and to support each other through fellowship.
Article 3 – Funds Distribution
Section 1 – Auxiliary monies will be raised via annual membership dues and various fundraisers.
Section 2 – This organization will be a 501c non-profit entity using funds to support Auxiliary activities and supplies and to support the SHVFD in community outreach, member support and fire department needs.
Article 4 – Membership
Section 1 – There will be three standings of membership – namely active, honorary, and probationary.
Section 2 – Active members of the Ladies Auxiliary may consist of any person who is related to any active, retired, or deceased member of the South Houston Volunteer Fire Department. Active auxiliary members must be at least 18 years of age, in good standing with the Ladies Auxiliary organization, and may not be a member of any organized fire department.
Section 3 – Honorary members may consist of any person who is sponsored by an active member of the Ladies Auxiliary holding a good standing. Honorary members shall not be able to vote or hold office for the first year of membership. After this time, persons holding a good standing may be voted into active standing by a majority of the members. Persons under the age of 18 must remain honorary members until they become of age.
Section 4 – Probationary members may consist of any active or honorary member who has been voted into bad standing by the Ladies Auxiliary Board. Probationary standing will be no longer than six (6) months. Members will not vote and will not hold any office during this time. Probationary members will be allowed to present an appeal to the board through the proper appeal process; however, the board reserves the right to maintain their initial decision. Officer’s who have been voted into probationary standing will lose their title completely unless re-elected by the membership during elections.
Section 5.1 – Good standing shall be defined as a member who has attended at least half (6 of 12) of all monthly business meetings, participated in or assisted with at least half (1/2) of all Ladies Auxiliary events, whose dues are current, and is executing full compliance with the rules and requirements within the by-laws.
Section 5.2 – Bad standing shall be defined as a member who has not fulfilled the requirements of a member in good standing and/or who has violated any of the rules and requirements listed in the by-laws. The Ladies Auxiliary Board reserves the right to vote a member into bad standing for any reason that may or may not be mentioned in the By-laws. The Board may not vote a member into bad standing based on personal grievance against that member.
Section 5.3 – If, for any reason, a member has not shown improvement in fulfilling the requirements for a good standing status by the end of their probationary time allotment, the Board reserves the right to extend the probationary period or terminate the membership if deemed necessary.
Section 6 – Annual Membership Fees are required of all members. These fees are as follows:
Active – $10.00 annually
Honorary – $5.00 annually until voted into active standing wherein they will pay active membership fees.
Probationary – Members will be required to pay the annual fee that applies to their membership standing before probation (see fees above).
Annual fees are due no earlier than January first and no later than the February business meeting. New membership fees must be paid within two months of joining.
Article 5 – Officers/Board Members and their Duties
Section 1.0 – Officers will consist of President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer and Chaplain.
Section 1.1 – Any active member in good standing may be nominated for an officer’s position. Any elected or appointed officer may not be a member of any organized fire department.
Section 1.2 – If an elected officer is unable or does not fulfill the duties of their respective office the position may be filled by means of an appointment by the Board.
Section 1.3 – It is a universal duty of the officers to be good examples of what a member in good standing should be.
Section 2 – Presidential duties shall be the following:
* Preside over all business meetings.
* Approve payment of bills.
* Enforce all provisions, objects, and purposes of the Ladies Auxiliary.
* Preside as ex-officio for all committees.
* Provide decisive vote in the event of a tie; excludes elections.
* Liaison between the Ladies Auxiliary organization and the Fire Department organization.
* Establish a committee of 2 non-officer members in good standing to assist the Vice President in auditing the treasurer’s financial reports no sooner than the first of December. Audits must be complete before the first of January.
Section 3 – Vice Presidential duties shall be the following:
* Serve the duties of the president in the absence of the president.
* Chair the Auditing Committee.
* Coordinate all committees.
* Keep a current copy of the By-Laws available for those who need them.
* Preside over the rules of order.
* Ensure that parliamentary procedures are being followed.
* Count votes at business meetings, except elections
* Any duty assigned by the president
Section 4 – Secretary’s duties shall be the following:
* Conduct correspondence and read in the business meetings all letters related to Ladies Auxiliary affairs except those related to the Chaplain’s duties.
* Record minutes, call role, read and give report of all meetings.
* Preserve all papers and books of the organization.
* Any duty assigned by the president.
Section 5 – Treasurer’s duties shall be the following:
* Collect all dues of members and keep accurate record of those who have paid and not paid.
* Accept all monies of the organization and deposit in the organization’s bank account within the 3 next business days.
* Keep accurate records of all expenditures.
* Provide and read a full financial status report at each business meeting.
* Keep one copy of all records to be handed down to her immediate successor.
* Financial books must be audited no earlier than the first of December and must be completed no later than the first of January by the Auditing Commitee
* All business checks must have two Officer’s signatures. These may be President, Vice President, or Secretary along with the Treasurer.
* Any duty assigned by the President
Section 6 – Chaplain’s duties shall be the following:
* Open and close each business meeting in prayer.
* Demonstrate support of the sick and/or injured through personal contact via phone, mail, or personal visits.
* Coordinate arrangements for food, flowers, and donations for the sick, injured, or families of deceased.
* Read and report any letters or business related to chaplain’s affairs to the members during business meetings.
* Any duty assigned by the president.
Article 6 – Elections of Officers – The Officer positions to be filled include President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, and Chaplain.
Section 1.0 – All nominees for an Officer’s position must be an active member in good standing with the Ladies Auxiliary organization.
Section 1.1 – Nominations will be submitted via write in. Elections will be by ballot. Nominations will be open during the November and December business meetings. Voluntary withdrawal from nominations will be submitted in writing by the nominees no later than the December meeting.
Section 1.2 – A ballot counting committee will be formed during the December meeting from three non-nominated members.
Section 1.3 – Election of officers will be held at the January business meeting. ALL nominees will be added to the ballot. 2/3 of the membership must be present to hold election. Members must be present to vote.
Section 1.4 – Member must be present to accept election (with consideration given for extenuating circumstances). Installation of officers will be held at the end of the January business meeting.
Section 1.5 – Officers will pass down any keys, paperwork, books, or other properties of the organization to their successors at the meeting, following the elections.
meeting.
Section 2.0 – Each term shall run for one year, with no term limitation.
Section 2.1 – In the event of only one (1) nomination for an office, the nominee shall be deemed elected, following a motion and a second motion.
Section 2.2 – All members are entitled to one vote
Section 2.3 – If a member is interested in an officer’s position, but is unable to attend any nomination meetings, they may express their interest to a standing Officer. The standing Officer will list them as a nominee at the nomination meeting.
Article 7 – Meetings
Section 1.0 – Meetings will be held every second Wednesday of every month. Scheduled time will be 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Section 1.1 – Meetings will be held at South Houston Fire Department’s Station One (1) unless otherwise noted.
Section 1.2 – Every member will receive a copy of the agenda for the corresponding business meeting.
Section 2.0 – Everyone attending the business meeting will be required to sign in.
Section 2.1 – If a member is not going to attend a business meeting, it is required that another attending member be notified. The notified member is to make the absence known to the Secretary during roll call.
Section 3.0 – In order to minimize drawn out discussions as a means to use the meeting time appropriately, a member will be given the floor by the member responsible for the topic of discussion.
Section 4.0 – Any person who is not a member of the South Houston Volunteer Fire Department Ladies Auxiliary is welcomed. Visitors may address the membership when given the floor by the member responsible for the topic of discussion. These individuals may be asked to leave the meeting for any reason based on the discretion of the President or Officer conducting the meeting.
Section 4.1 – Members of the South Houston Volunteer Fire Department may attend any and all meetings, however, they will hold no voting power and must be recognized by the presiding officer in order to address the membership.
Section 4.2 – Any person, member or non-member, who is being disruptive or otherwise inhibiting a meeting, will be asked to leave the meeting based upon the discretion of the President or Officer conducting the meeting.
Section 5.0 – The order of business shall be as follows:
1. Opening prayer – Chaplain
2. Pledge of Allegiance – Entire Membership
3. Roll Call/Sign-in – Secretary or presiding officer.
4. Hot News
5. Reading of Minutes from previous meeting – Secretary or presiding officer.
6. Treasurer’s Report – Treasurer
7. Unfinished Business / Committee reports – Officer presiding/Membership
8. New Business – Officer presiding/Membership
9. Date/Time/Location of next meeting – Officer presiding/Membership
10. Closing Prayer – Chaplain
11. Adjournment – President or Officer conducting the meeting.
Article 8 – Committees
Section 1.0 – Appointed committee members will hold at least one (1) meeting within thirty days of their appointment or election.
Section 2.0 – The Ladies Auxiliary organization may establish the following committees as necessary. However, the organization is not limited to the following list.
Auditing Committee – Examines and audits the accounts of the Treasurer and reports, in writing, the results of the audit at the January business meeting.
By-laws Committee – Formulate and present any proposed changes of the By-laws to the membership at any regular business meeting.
Awards Committee – Recognizes the nominations and selections of the recipients of annual awards or special acknowledgment.
Recreation and Entertainment Committee – Determines events to be held for the benefit of the members subject to approval of the membership. Events approved shall be the responsibility of this committee to execute, with any expenditure approved by the membership.
Fund Raising Committee – Asses and determine annual fundraising events.
Membership Committee – Pursues new ideas that will attract new members and provide a full roster of active members.
Grievance Committee – hear grievances, mediate disputes, deal with any concerns a member may have against the organization or another member. Not to be used for gossiping or slander towards another member. Must have an odd number of members no less than 3. Members may not be a part of the dispute at hand.
Publications Committee – responsible for reviewing, editing, and publishing any articles, papers, books, or newsletters that the Ladies Auxiliary may be interested in or may want to publish. They are also responsible for creating flyers and other texts for the organization, and must follow proper and legal plagiarism and reprint protocols.
Article 9 – General Rules and Regulations
Section 1.0 – Uniforms should be worn by members at any official Ladies Auxiliary or Fire Department event, or at any event where the South Houston Ladies Auxiliary is being represented. The type of uniform should coincide with the event. The determination of which uniform to wear, when it should be worn, and where it should be worn is at the discretion of the Ladies Auxiliary, and is to be discussed with the membership prior to the event.
Section 2.0 – Membership conduct: The integrity of the Ladies Auxiliary is based on the honesty and moral values displayed by its members.
* Intent violation of the By-laws or tasks of this organization, loose talk, improper behavior at response scenes, in the fire station, or at any Ladies Auxiliary or Fire Department function, could be just cause for being voted into bad standing or termination of membership.
* All members are expected to conduct themselves in an ethical and legal manner.
* No member will obligate the Organization for payment or provision of goods or services which may assume the authority of the Organization has been given, without approval by the President.
* At no time will any member attend any meetings or Ladies Auxiliary or Fire Department function under the influence of intoxicants.
* This organization forbids any discrimination in membership or other activities based on race, religion, sex, national origin, or physical handicap.
Section 3.0 – A person whose membership has been terminated may have the opportunity to rejoin the Ladies Auxiliary no earlier than one year of their termination date.
Section 3.1 – A member may request a leave of absence of the Board in the event that they will be unable to meet the requirements of a good standing status in the future. During a leave of absence a member will not be allowed to vote or hold office. A leave of absence will allow a member to be relieved of the requirements for good standing for three (3) consecutive months. Board members taking a leave will have their duties fulfilled by the Board for the duration of the leave. Members shall only be granted one (1) leave of absence per calendar year. There must be a minimum of three (3) months between a member’s yearly leave of absences. A member may request to terminate a current leave of absence term at any time, but will not be granted another for the same calendar year.
Section 4.0 – Amendments to the By-laws of this organization must be conducted at a regular business meeting and must gain a minimum of a positive two-thirds (2/3) vote of the members present. The proposed amendments must be presented in writing, signed by the members of the Auxiliary and read and voted on at the next business meeting.
Section 4.1 – Any amendments to the By-laws, once approved by the Ladies Auxiliary, must be submitted to the Fire Department Chief for further approval.
Special Recognition – It is hereby the duty of the South Houston Ladies Auxiliary to recognize the following organizations due to the fact that their published by-laws were used in part in the creation of the South Houston Ladies Auxiliary By-laws.
Taylorville Fire Department Ladies Auxiliary. By-laws were found on the internet and were used, in part, as a guideline for the construction of the South Houston Ladies Auxiliary By-laws.
Volunteer Firemen’s Association of Pasadena Ladies Auxiliary. By-laws were given to the South Houston Ladies Auxiliary from the current Pasadena Ladies Auxiliary President to be used, in part, as a guideline for the construction of the South Houston Ladies Auxiliary By-laws.
Submitted on March 7, 2012 by the Ladies Auxiliary Members:
B.Ch.
M.M.
M.M.
E.C.
M.G.
N.K
P.L
D.Ma
T. M.
A. M.
D.Me
D.Me
O.R.
G.T.
