MAINE CHAPTER #29 NAPUS CONSTITUTION AND BY-LAWS

 

ARTICLE I:  NAME

ARTICLE II:  OBJECT

ARTICLE III:  MEMBERS

ARTICLE IV:  OFFICERS

ARTICLE V:  MEETINGS

ARTICLE VI:  BOARD OF DIRECTORS

ARTICLE VII:  COMMITTEES

ARTICLE VIII:  PARLIAMENTARY PROCEDURES

ARTICLE IX:   AMENDMENT

ARTICLE X - ENDORSEMENTS

 

 

PREAMBLE

 

For the purpose of advancing the United States Postal

Service to the highest degree of efficiency by an integral

 and economic operation in the interest of the general

 public:

We the Postmasters of the State of Maine firmly believing

 in the old adage, As Maine Goes, So Goes the Nation,

 hereby form ourselves an association.

We pledge ourselves to aid and assist the United States

 Postal Service to bring about the best results and to work

 with a dedicated purpose to promote and maintain an

efficient and high grade Postal Service.

 

PURPOSE

 

The purpose of this organization shall be to advance the

 United States Postal Service to the highest degree of

 efficiency by an integral and economic operation to serve

 the interests of the general public.

 

BY-LAWS

 

ARTICLE I:  NAME

 

This Association shall be known as the Maine Chapter #29

 of the National Association of Postmasters of the United

 States.

 

ARTICLE II:  OBJECT

 

The OBJECT of this organization shall be as follows:

To promote the best interests of the United States Postal

Service

To foster a favorable image of public service

To assure the users of the mails the best service possible

To cooperate with other groups and levels of Postal

 Management in the achievement of these common goals

To cultivate the welfare and enhance the happiness of its

 members

 

ARTICLE III:   MEMBERS

    SECTION 1:  CLASSES OF MEMBERS

There shall be Active Members, Associate Members,

 Honorary Members and Postmaster Retired Members.

    SECTION 2:  QUALIFICATION OF MEMBERS

ACTIVE members shall be Postmasters, Officers-in-

Charge or any other person designated by the United

 States Postal Service to carry out the duties of a

 Postmaster.

ASSOCIATE Members shall be any active member as

 defined in Section 1 above, who has been honorably

 separated or transferred from the position qualifying

 him/her for membership except a Retired Postmaster.

HONORARY Members shall be those persons who have

 been selected by majority vote of the membership at the

 annual State Convention. Those selected for Honorary

 Membership may not be otherwise eligible for

 membership. Nominations may be made by any active

 members.

POSTMASTERS RETIRED Members shall be those who

 have served as Postmasters and were active members

 prior to retirement.

    SECTION 3:  DUES AND FEES

A. Membership dues shall be consistent with the dues

 structure established by the National Association of

 Postmasters of the United States, NAPUS.

B. Membership fees shall be established by the Board of

 Directors. Normally these will consist of registration fees

 which are intended to recover costs incidental to the

expenses incurred at the Mid-Winter and/or the Annual

 State Convention.

C. The failure of any member to pay the dues or fees

 assessed shall result in the cancellation of his/her

 membership. Reinstatement shall be at the discretion of

 the Board of Directors.

 

ARTICLE IV:  OFFICERS

SECTION 1: OFFICERS

The officers of this Chapter shall consist of Elected Officers and Appointed Officers.

A. The Elected Officers are:

President

Executive Vice President

Editor

Secretary/Treasurer

Area Vice Presidents:

    Southern Area (039,040,041,045,048)

    Central Area (042,043,049)

    Northern Area (044,046)

    The County (047)

Director (2)

 

B. The Appointed Officers are:

Immediate Past President

Membership Chairman

Postmasters Retired

Legislative Chairperson

PAC Chairperson

Chaplain

Service Representative

Career Development Chairperson

Parliamentarian

Associate Member Chairperson

Postmaster Representation Chairperson

 

    SECTION 2:  DUTIES

The duties of the Elected Officers shall be:

    A. PRESIDENT:

The President shall be the Chief Executive Officer of this

 chapter. He/She is fully empowered to direct the affairs of the

 chapter. He/She may contract debts, negotiate contracts, issue

 letters, develop instructions, prepare plans, all of which

 shall be subject to the approval of the Board of Directors.

 The President is empowered to appoint such committees

 which he/she deems to be necessary in the interest of, and for

 the good of, the chapter. He/She shall determine such rules

 and/or regulations as are necessary to define their duties.

The President shall appoint the non-elected officers of the

Board of Directors.

 

    B. EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT:

The Executive Vice President shall serve as President in

 the absence of the President. Additionally, the Executive

 Vice President shall coordinate the activities of the Area

Vice Presidents. Other duties may be assigned by the

 President.

 

    C. AREA VICE PRESIDENTS

 The Area Vice President shall be responsible to stimulate

 chapter activity in his/her area. They may be assigned

 other duties by the President.

 

    D. SECRETARY/TREASURER:

 The Secretary-Treasurers duties shall be:

To attend all Board of Directors meetings

To attend other meetings as directed by the President

To keep the minutes of the annual Maine Chapter

 Convention business meetings, Board of Directors

 meetings and other records of the Maine Chapter in a

 neat and orderly manner. The Secretary-Treasurer shall .

be responsible for safeguarding the Maine Chapter records

committed to his/her care.

The Secretary-Treasurer may be authorized by the board

of Directors to incur debts, make agreement and/or

contracts. He/she may not incur debts, make agreements

and/or contracts unless specifically authorized to do so by

the Board of Directors. The Secretary-Treasurer shall

perform such other duties as usually pertain to the office

of Secretary-Treasurer:

To collect annual dues

To deposit annual dues, along with other funds belonging

 to this Chapter, to an account established and using the

 name of the Maine Chapter #29 National Association of

 Postmasters.

The Secretary-Treasurer shall be bonded.

 

    E. DIRECTORS:

The Directors duties shall be assigned by the President.

They shall be available to the members in their district

 and they shall act as consultants and advisors at NAPUS

 Area meetings.

    F. EDITOR -

The Editor of the Chapter newspaper shall be responsible

 for the preparation, printing and mailing of official

 Chapter publications. The Editor shall perform his/her

 duties in accordance with the directions of the President

 and/or the Board of Directors. He/she may be assigned

other duties as directed by the President.

 

G. The duties of the Appointed Officers shall be assigned by the Chapter President or the Board of Directors.

 

SECTION 3: NOMINATIONS

    A. Nominations of Officers shall be taken prior to and during the business meeting at the Annual Chapter Convention.

    B. Only those candidates who have been nominated in

accordance with Article IV, Section 3A above, may be

 voted for.

 

SECTION 4: ELECTIONS

The election of officers shall take place at the Business

Meeting. The Business Meeting shall be held at the Annual Convention.

The candidate who receives a majority of votes cast by those present and eligible to vote shall be elected to that office.

 

SECTION 5:  TERMS

Elected Officers shall hold office for a term of one year or

 until their successors are elected. The term will begin on

 January 1 following the Annual State Convention.

 

SECTION 6: VACANT OFFICE

Vacant elected offices may be filled by a majority vote of

 the Board of Directors.

 

SECTION 7:  LIMITATIONS

No Officer may serve more than two consecutive terms.

The Secretary-Treasurer and the Editor are exempt from

 this restriction. This limitation shall not apply to an

 Officer who is appointed to serve the remainder of a

 vacated elected office.

 

SECTION 8:  SALARIES AND EXPENSES

    A. All officers shall serve without direct compensation.

    B. The President, Secretary-Treasurer and Editor shall

 be allowed the following expenses to attend the Maine

 State Convention: mileage at the prevailing Postal Service

mileage rate and lodging (five(5) days maximum) at the

 prevailing rate of the convention hotel.

    C. The President, Secretary-Treasurer and Editor shall

 be allowed the following expenses for attendance at the

 National Convention:

Transportation, (round trip economy class airfare or

 mileage for a privately owned vehicle at the Postal Service

rate), Lodging (not to exceed the lowest room rate

 available in the headquarters hotel), Per Diem at the

 prevailing NAPUS National Office Rate as well as

 Registration Fees at the National Convention.  These

 expenses not to exceed six (6) days inclusive. Should the

President be unable to attend, the Executive Vice-

President shall be entitled to these expenses.

    D. All expense reimbursements will be at the discretion

of the Board of Directors.

 

ARTICLE V:  MEETINGS

 

    SECTION 1:  CHAPTER CONVENTION

There shall be a Maine Chapter Convention each year. The

 members of the Maine Chapter #29 of NAPUS shall meet

 to renew the common bond shared by Postmasters,

enhance their professional skills, conduct the business of

the Chapter and elect Officers for the next year.

    SECTION 2:  SPECIAL MEETINGS

A petition signed by twenty-five (25) or more active

 members in good standing shall obligate the Maine

Chapter President to call a Special Meeting of the Maine

 Chapter #29 NAPUS. The Maine Chapter President

shall direct the Secretary-Treasurer to notify all members

 of the time, date, place and subject of the Special meeting

at least fifteen (15) days prior to said meeting. The Maine

Chapter President shall schedule the Special Meeting no

 later than forty-five (45) days after receiving notification

 of the petition for a Special meeting.

    SECTION 3:  DIRECTORS

The Board of Directors shall meet as required in Article

 VI, Section 3.

    SECTION 4:  QUORUM

Twenty-five (25) members of Maine Chapter #29 NAPUS

 in good standing constitute a quorum for the transaction

 of business.

 

ARTICLE VI:  BOARD OF DIRECTORS

 

    SECTION 1:  MEMBERSHIP

The Board of Directors shall consist of the Elected Officers

 and the Appointed Officers of the Maine Chapter #29

 NAPUS

    SECTION 2:  RESPONSIBILITY

The Board of Directors shall be responsible for attending

 to the affairs of the Chapter, making necessary rules for

 the orderly conduct of Chapter business and insuring

 financial accountability.

    SECTION 3:  MEETINGS

The Board of Directors shall meet at least four (4) times

 each calendar year. One meeting shall be within five (5)

 days of the Annual Maine Chapter Convention. The other

 required Board meetings shall be at the direction of the

 Chapter President. Other meetings may be called at the

discretion of the Chapter President.

    SECTION 4:  VOTING

The Elected and Appointed Officers of the Board of

 Directors shall vote on all matters before the Board.

    SECTION 5:  QUORUM

Ten (10) members of the Board of Directors shall

 constitute a quorum for the purpose of transacting

 Chapter business. There will be no voting by proxy.

 

ARTICLE VII:  COMMITTEES

    SECTION 1: STANDING COMMITTEES

The Maine Chapter President shall appoint the following

 Committees:

Audit, Nominating, Time and Place, Hospitality

 (Welcoming), Scholarship and Convention. The President

may appoint Special Committees if they are deemed

 appropriate and/or necessary.

    SECTION 2: SPECIAL COMMITTEES- AD HOC

The Maine Chapter President shall appoint Special

Committees (Ad Hoc) as necessary.

    SECTION 3:  SERVICE

The Committees listed in Article VII, Section 1, shall serve until the close

 of business at the Annual Chapter Convention unless

 otherwise requested by the Chapter President.

    SECTION 4: MEMBERS

Normally, the Committees listed in Section 1 shall consist

of three (3) members of the Chapter.

    SECTION 5: EX OFFICIO MEMBER

The Chapter President, or his designee, shall be an Ex-

Officio Member of all Committees, except the Nominating

Committee.

 

ARTICLE VIII:  PARLIAMENTARY PROCEDURE

 

    SECTION 1: ORDER OF BUSINESS

The Order of Business at the Annual Maine Chapter #29 meetings shall be:

1. Call to Order

2. Invocation

3. Pledge of Allegiance

4. Reading of the

Minutes

5. Appointment of Special (Ad Hoc) Committees

6. Unfinished Business

7. New Business

8. Report of Committees - Standing and Special

9. Miscellaneous Announcements

10. Election of Officers

11. Installation of Officers

12. Adjournment

 

    SECTION 2:  PROCEDURE

The Parliamentarian shall rule on matters of procedure,

 rules and by-laws when called on by the Maine Chapter

 President. Roberts Rules of Order shall be the

 parliamentary authority for all matters of procedure

not covered by these By-Laws.

 

ARTICLE IX:  AMENDMENTS OF BY-LAWS

 

    SECTION 1:  AMENDMENTS

These By-Laws may be amended at any Maine Chapter

 #29 NAPUS Convention. The amended By-Laws shall

 become effective at the adjournment of the Business Meeting

that approved the amendments to the By-Laws.

    SECTION 2:  NOTIFICATION

The entire membership of the Maine Chapter #29 NAPUS

shall be notified prior to the Meeting where the proposed

 amendments to the By-Laws are to be presented for a

 vote. Publication in The PineCone of the proposed

 amendments shall satisfy the prior notification

 requirement.

    SECTION 3:  PROCEDURES

The proposed amendments must be submitted in writing,

 signed by ten (10) or more active members, prior to the

 official opening (Call to Order) of the Maine Chapter #29

 NAPUS Convention. 

    SECTION 4:  ADOPTION

The proposed Amendment(s) shall be adopted and

 incorporated into the Maine Chapter #29 By-Laws

 following a two-thirds majority by Active Members in

 favor of the proposed amendment(s).

 

ARTICLE X: ENDORSEMENTS

    SECTION 1

No endorsements for a candidate for National Office,

 except a favorite son, will be made until the State

Convention of the year of the National Convention at

 which the vote will be cast.

 

(Notes from the Webmaster:  Suggestions for by-law changes may be submitted to the address below.  These will be forwarded to the by-law committee for review and possible submission to the membership at the upcoming state convention in the summer of 2006.)