Article I. Name
The
name of this organization shall be "Inyo County Sheriff's Posse,
Inc." (Posse ), and as such, is duly constituted
as a volunteer unit under the direction and control of the Inyo County Sheriffs
Office (ICSO), in accordance with The Inyo County Volunteer Policy.
Article II. Objectives
The
purpose of the Posse is to provide services in cooperation with the Inyo County
Sheriff's Office (ICSO) in cases of emergency, disaster, searches, rescues, and
to perform other duties as requested by the ICSO.
Article III. Membership
Section 1.
The requirements for membership on this team will be those set forth in these
Bylaws, the Inyo County Sheriff's Department Rules and Regulations, and the
Inyo County Volunteer Policy.
Section 2.
All applicants will be subject to background character checks by the ICSO and
must be approved by the ICSO.
Section 3.
Subsequent to submission of an application, prospective members attain the
status of Probationary Member, and begin a six-month probationary period. During
this probationary period, the Probationary Member shall attend meetings and
trainings regularly.
Section 4. A
General Member (Member) is one who has completed the probationary period, has
been accepted by the Board of Directors (Board), and been approved by a
majority vote of the General Membership at a General Meeting. General
Membership is the only membership status that has voting privileges.
Section 5.
Posse equipment may be furnished to General Members for the purpose of Posse
operations and training. Such equipment shall remain the property of the Posse.
Any member leaving the Posse for any reason shall return such equipment to the
President. No unauthorized patches shall be worn on Posse uniforms. An
identification card may be issued to each Member by the ICSO. No Member shall
display his or her identification card for unofficial or unauthorized purposes.
Section 6.
Any Member who plans to be absent for six weeks or longer shall notify a member
of the Board to obtain a Leave of Absence. A Member on Leave of Absence shall
leave his or her Sheriff's credentials and Posse equipment with the Secretary
until they return.
Section 7.
Members of the Posse who have not paid their dues by January 31 shall forfeit
,
their membership. Subsequent to payment of delinquent
dues, such Members may be reinstated by the Board.
Section 8.
Any member of the Posse who is inactive for six (6) months or more may forfeit
his or her membership at the discretion of the Board. Should such a Member
resume activity , he or she may be reinstated by the
Board.
Section 9.
Any Member may apply in writing for retirement status upon completion of five
years or more of service to the Posse. A Retired Member may attend meetings,
but shall not vote or hold office.
Section 10.
The ICSO may refuse the services of any General or Probationary Member of the
Posse, as provided for in the Inyo County Volunteer Policy. Such an action by
the ICSO constitutes expulsion from the Posse. Any such expelled Member shall
be given ten days notice in writing, and shall, upon his or her request, be entitled
to appear before and be heard by a quorum of the Board. Upon a majority
affirmative vote of its members, the Board shall designate a representative to
plead the affected Member's case before a representative of the ICSO.
Section 11.
The Board, by vote of five or more of its members, may recommend the expulsion
of a Member from the Posse. Before any such expulsion goes into effect, the I
affected Member may present his or her case to the General Membership at a
General Meeting, prior to which the Member shall be given ten days notice in
writing. A representative of the Board shall present its case at the same
meeting. The expulsion shall become final only upon a two-thirds vote of the
General Membership present.
Article IV .Dues
Dues
are assessed annually to each Member. Dues are payable January 1 of each year
and must be paid in full by January 31.
Article V. Elected
Officers
Section 1.
The Officers of the Posse shall be President, Vice President, Secretary, and
Treasurer. Officers shall serve one-year terms. The President and Vice
President shall be limited to two consecutive terms.
Section 2.
The President shall be the chief executive officer of the Posse, Chairperson of
the Board, and shall preside at all General Meetings. In any committee
appointed by the Board or the President, the President shall serve as an
ex-officio member.
Section 3.
The Vice President shall assume all presidential duties in the absence of the
President. Upon the permanent absence or resignation of the President, the Vice
President shall preside until the next regular election.
Section 4.
The Secretary shall keep a record of all General Meetings of the Posse. The r
Secretary shall maintain an accurate roster of the membership and shall update
the list every sixty days. The Secretary shall send out notices and other
correspondence when required by the President. The Secretary will furnish a
written copy of the minutes of the previous General Meeting to the President prior
to the next Board Meeting.
Section 5.
The Treasurer shall be responsible for the proper accounting of all Posse
funds. The Treasurer shall pay Posse debts regularly and submit a written
financial report at each General Meeting. The Treasurer shall submit a written
year-end financial statement at the January General Meeting.
Section 6.
Board of Directors
6a.
A seven-member Board, consisting of the President,
Vice President, Immediate Past President, and four other elected Members shall
be responsible for the overall policy matters of the Posse.
6b.
The Board shall assume duties as a nomination committee, a membership status
review committee, and shall have authority to approve expenditures not
exceeding four hundred dollars. All expenditures exceeding four hundred dollars
shall be subject to , approval by a majority of the
Members in attendance at a General Meeting.
6c.
Any action by the Board may be rescinded by a
two-thirds vote of the Members in attendance at a General Meeting.
6d.
During meetings of the Board, other Members may be
recognized by the Board Chairperson at the Chairperson's option.
6e.
No Member of the Board ~as authority in matters of policy apart from a
scheduled Board meeting.
6f.
If a Board Member is absent three consecutive board
meetings without notifying the Board Chairperson, the Board may replace that
Board Member.
Section 7.
The officers and Board shall be nominated and elected annually as follows:
7a.
Any General Member in good standing for one year may be nominated for any
office.
7b.
Exclusive of the President, Vice President, and Immediate Past President, two
Board Members shall be elected each year .
7c.
Candidates for the offices and Board shall be nominated at the November and
December General Meetings of each year for two-year terms.
7d.
Election of Officers and Board Members shall be by plurality vote of the
General Membership at the December General Meeting.
7e.
Officers and Board Members shall be installed at the January General Meeting.
7f.
In the event of a vacancy in any office, except President, or on the Board, the
President shall appoint a qualified General Member to fill the vacancy, subject
to approval by the Membership at the next General Meeting. In the event of a
vacancy in the office of President, the Vice President shall assume the duties
of the President.
7g.
Absentee voting shall be permitted only for the annual
election of officers. Absentee ballots must be delivered to the December
General Meeting at least fifteen minutes prior to the start of the voting. The
voter must sign the ballot in a place and manner so that the signature can be
removed. The Member(s) appointed to count the ballots shall also open and count
the absentee ballots. In the event of a runoff, absentee ballots shall be
counted for each successive vote so long as the candidate is still in the
runoff. If the candidate is no longer in the runoff, the absentee voter shall
have no vote.
Section 8.
Any Officer or Board Member may be recalled by a two-thirds vote of the General
Members present at a General Meeting. Notice shall be given to all Members at
least thirty days in advance of any recall election.
Article VI. Meetings and
Quorums
Section 1.
There shall be a General Meeting held on the first Thursday of each month,
except when the first Thursday of the month falls on a national holiday, in
which case the General Meeting shall be held on the second Thursday of that
month.
Section 2.
Special General Meetings may be called by the President, the Sheriffs Search
and Rescue Coordinator, Assistant Coordinator, or any ten (10) Members. The
General Membership shall have at least ten days written advance notice of the
date, time, and place of any such meeting.
Section 3.
The Board shall meet monthly or as necessary.
Section 4.
There may be other meetings for the purpose of training, work details, or for
other purposes deemed necessary by the President or Training Officer. These
meetings can be held on any Thursday not reserved for a General Meeting. Other
meetings may be scheduled at the discretion of the President or Training
Officer.
Section 5.
A quorum for all business conducted by the Board shall be four of its seven
members.
Section 6.
One-half of the General Membership shall constitute a quorum for any General
Meeting.
Article VII. Training
The
training policies of the Posse are described in the Inyo County Sheriffs Posse
Membership Levels and Training Guidelines. The President shall appoint a
Training Officer to oversee Administration of the Membership Levels and
Training Guidelines.
Article VIII. Authority
Robert's
Rules of Order, Revised shall govern the proceedings of the Posse, except where
they are inconsistent with the Posse Bylaws, in which case the Posse Bylaws
shall prevail.
Article IX. Changes to
Bylaws
Section 1.
These Bylaws may be altered, amended, or repealed and new Bylaws adopted by a
majority vote of the Board, subject to approval by two-thirds vote of the
Members present at the next General Meeting.
Section 2.
The Board and General Membership shall be given at least one month's notice /
at a General Meeting of any meeting where changes in the Bylaws will be
considered.
Article X
Anything
not covered in these Bylaws shall be referred to the Board.
CERTIFICATE OF THE
SECRETARY
1.
I, the undersigned, do hereby certify:
That
I am the duly elected and acting Secretary of the Inyo County Sheriff's Posse,
a
2.
That the foregoing Bylaws, comprising 6 pages, constitute the Bylaws of said
corporation as duly adopted at a meeting of the Board of Directors thereof held
on ____________, and as duly
adopted at a meeting of the General Membership held on ______________.
_________________________
Secretary