Bylaws

of the

Florida Institute of Park Personnel, Inc.

Section I – Name

The Florida Association of Park Personnel was organized in 1950. The Florida Association of Park Personnel became the Florida Institute of Park Personnel, Inc. in 1964 and was incorporated under the authority of Chapter 617, Florida Statutes, 1961.

Section II - Objectives

The principal objectives of this organization shall be:

1. To gather and disseminate new, as well as proven techniques in the development, management, protection and interpretation of park, historic and outdoor recreation areas in Florida.
2. To foster a greater appreciation and awareness for the wonders and beauties of nature and to instill a sense of responsibility for the protection, conservation and interpretation of our natural resources in the minds of the public and of park people.

3. To prepare and plan for the future, while at the same time coping with the present.

4. To upgrade the park profession through education and the exchange of ideas and experience.
5. To better manage, preserve and utilize open space.
6. To protect Florida’s environment for the enjoyment of this and future generations.
7. To develop leadership and professionalism through the educational programs offered by the Institute at the annual meeting, park short course and district meetings.
8. To disseminate educational information and techniques through the regular publication of a newsletter and/or website.
9. To strengthen our sense of stewardship for the lands entrusted to us.
10. To instill and develop a close sense of camaraderie among the members of the institute.

Section III - Membership

1. Professional Membership: shall be open only to executives, employees and retirees of public parks and recreation systems, and others as recommended by the membership chairman and/or approved by the board, and allied public organizations related to this field.  A person holding membership in this classification shall be known as a Professional Member and be currently in the work of, or retired from, municipal, county, state or federal agencies having jurisdiction over parks or recreation areas within the State of Florida. 
2. Corporate Membership: shall be open to representatives of commercial enterprises and others who may qualify by having an associated commercial interest in the servicing of public park or recreational areas with equipment, products or services in the state of Florida.
3. Associate Membership: shall be open to all others interested in or engaged in work contiguous to recreation and parks in the state of Florida, who are not entitled to membership under any other classification of membership in this institute, such as commissioners, board members, foresters, planners, etc.
4. Honorary Professional Membership: will be accorded to those who have been  Professional Members of the Institute for at least five (5) years and in the estimation of the Citation and Awards Committee have been outstanding in the field of public park and/or public recreation administration or have served the Florida Institute of Park Personnel, Inc. in an outstanding manner.
5. Honorary Associate Membership: will be accorded to members of the Institute who are not Professional Members, have been Associate or Corporate members for at least five (5) years and/or who in the opinion of the Citations and Awards Committee have done outstanding work in the field of public park or recreation endeavors or have contributed in an outstanding manner in the field of park or recreation commercial enterprise.

Section IV – Rules and Voting Privileges

1. Membership dues shall be assessed upon receipt of proper and authorized membership application.
2. Professional Members shall pay annual dues and shall have voting power, the right to hold office and be entitled to all privileges and benefits of the Institute.
3. Corporate Members shall pay annual dues and have no voting privileges nor be eligible to hold office. They shall be entitled to all other privileges and benefits of the Institute.
4. Associate members shall pay annual dues and have no voting privileges nor be eligible to hold office. They shall be entitled to all other privileges and benefits of the Institute.   
5. Honorary Professional Members will be exempt from payment of dues and shall enjoy the same privileges of a Professional Member.
6. Honorary Associate Members will be exempt from payment of annual dues and shall enjoy the same privileges of an Associate Member.
7. Membership dues are due and payable during the month of the member’s anniversary date.  Members are in arrears for non-payment of dues sixty (60) days after the anniversary month. After sixty (60) days, all members in arrears are ineligible to vote, hold office, be a candidate for office, receive Park People, or any other publication until their dues are paid.  The fiscal year for the Florida Institute of Park Personnel shall be January 1 through December 31.
8. It is the individual members’ responsibility to insure that their membership is paid in a timely manner each year and to notify the Institute’s Secretary and Treasurer of any address, agency, or contact information change that we have on file.
9. Return of dues: No member shall be entitled to return to of dues upon discontinuance of his/her membership.
10. The membership dues shall be established and adjusted by the Executive Board in accordance with the Constitution and Bylaws.

Section V - Affiliated Association

The Florida Institute of Park Personnel shall be an affiliate in purpose in the state of Florida of the National Recreation and Park Association or any National organization that becomes successor of the National Recreation and Park Association, and continues to espouse the same high purposes and objectives.

Section VI - Districts

1. The Institute shall be divided into (9) nine districts to include all counties, and designated as follows:

• District I- Bay, Escambia, Holmes, Okaloosa, Santa Rosa, Walton and Washington Counties

• District II- Calhoun, Franklin, Gadsden, Gulf, Jackson, Jefferson, Leon, Liberty, Madison, Taylor and Wakulla Counties.

• District III- Baker, Columbia, Duval, Hamilton, Lafayette, Nassau, Suwannee and Union Counties.

• District IV- Alachua, Bradford, Clay, Dixie, Flagler, Gilchrist, Levy, Putnam and St. Johns Counties.

• District V- Citrus, Hernando, Lake, Marion, Orange, Osceola, Seminole, Sumter and Volusia Counties.

• District VI - Hardee, Hillsborough, Manatee, Pasco, Pinellas and Polk Counties.

• District VII - Charlotte, Collier, De Soto, Glades, Hendry, Highlands, Lee and Sarasota Counties.

• District VIII - Brevard, Indian River, Martin, Okeechobee, Palm Beach and St. Lucie Counties.

• District IX - Broward, Dade and Monroe Counties.

1. Each district shall be represented on the Executive Board of this organization by a Chairperson who shall be elected by a vote of the members of his or her own district. Each Chairperson shall be elected for a two year term.  Chairs elected in even numbered districts shall take office in even numbered years and Chairs elected in odd numbered districts shall take office in odd numbered years. 
2. If any district does not hold an election, the Executive Board may appoint a Chairperson.  In the event circumstances cause the office of District Chairperson to be vacant before the expiration of the term, the district shall have sixty (60) days to elect a new Chairperson who will complete the term of office.
3. Districts shall have no delegated authority to levy dues or assessments on members in order to finance the operation of their districts, so they shall submit a proposed budget of annual expenditures for minimum operating items such as postage stamps, envelopes, paper, etc. The proposed budget shall not include expenses incurred from the holding of meetings, officer travel, entertainment, etc. The proposed budget will be presented to the Finance Committee at the request of the Finance Chairperson, by the District Chairperson in each district. The District Chairperson shall have the latitude to levy a registration fee and/or a supporting member fee to facilitate covering any costs that are incurred to host a district meeting. A detailed profit/loss statement and all receipts shall be submitted to the Treasurer and Secretary within thirty (30) days after the District meeting takes place. Any and all profits from any meeting shall be sent to the Treasurer within thirty (30) days after the District meeting takes place. All expenses shall have a detailed receipt and or explanation attached. 
4. Each district shall assume an active leadership in the field of parks and recreation in its own area, disseminate information and publicity concerning parks and recreation and the organization, hold district meetings, encourage and actively assist new park and recreation administrators, employees and volunteers in the betterment of their skills and knowledge in the park and recreation field.

Section VII -Officers and Executive Board

Election of Officers

1. Election of Officers- The President shall be elected by a majority of the voting membership and shall serve for a two (2) year term. The President cannot succeed him/herself, as the President-Elect becomes the President at the annual Fall meeting.

2. The President-Elect shall be elected by a majority of the voting membership, shall serve a two (2) year term and become President at the expiration of the incumbents term of office.

3. The Secretary shall be elected by a majority of the voting membership. The Secretary shall serve a two (2) year term and may succeed him/herself as the pleasure of the voting membership dictates.

4. The Treasurer shall be elected by a majority of the voting membership and serve a two (2) year term and may succeed him/herself as the pleasure of the voting membership dictates.   

5. Three (3) Directors shall be elected for a three (3) year term. The terms shall be staggered so as to have one (1) director elected each year and may succeed him/herself as the pleasure of the voting membership dictates. 

Nominations and Election Procedures

1. Nomination and Election Procedures- Prior to ballot mail out on July 1^st, the    Nominating Committee shall draw up a slate of office for President Elect, Secretary, Treasurer and such Directors as are required in any given year.  The slate of the Nominating Committee must receive acceptance from the candidate before placing them on the slate. The slate shall be presented by an official ballot with space allowed for each office for write-in candidates.  In the event that there is only one candidate running for office, ballots will not be mailed and the new officer will immediately be posted on the Institute’s web site.

The president Elect, Secretary, Treasurer, and Directors shall be elected by a statewide election on a printed and mailed ballot. This ballot shall contain the names of each office as recommended by the Nominating Committee and one write-in space for each office being voted on.

Any member submitting a request in writing to the Chairman of the Nominating Committee and meeting the established criteria shall be placed on the ballot.

Official ballots shall be mailed to each member eligible to vote. Ballots shall be mailed to eligible voters by July 1^st of each year. Ballots, to be valid, must be returned postmarked no later than July 20^th.

Ballots will be counted by three independent appointees by the President. The candidates(s) receiving the largest number of votes cast shall win the election.  In case of a tie, a run off election must be held.

New ballots must be mailed out by August 20^th and postmarked no later than August 31^st. Ballots must be retained by the Executive Board for one year and available for inspection at the Annual Fall Business Meeting. The report of the Nominating Committee must be submitted to the Executive Board at the Board’s first meeting following elections.

1. Term of Office – All newly elected officers shall take office at the Fall Conference banquet or at the fall executive Board meeting and shall hold office until their term expires as specified in the election of officers section.
2. The election of officers, whenever necessary, shall be accomplished through the United States Postal Service (mail), and vacancies occurring during a term of any elected officer shall be filled by the Executive Board until the next election of the Institute.  All officers shall hold office until their successors are duly elected and qualified.
3. Executive Board – The Institute shall have an Executive Board composed of the President, President Elect, Secretary, Treasurer, the three Directors, the Chairs of the nine (9) districts and the immediate Past President.

The President shall be the Chairman of the Executive Board.

The Executive Board shall be the administrative governing body of the Institute and shall have full power to act on all matters between regular meetings of the Institute.

1. Responsibilities and Power of Officers-

President: The President shall act as presiding officer at all meetings of this organization.

The President shall be an ex-officio member of all committees except the Nominating Committee.

The President shall convene the Executive Board whenever, in his or her opinion, the affairs of the Institute demand, or upon written request of any five (5) members of the Executive Board. The President, at any time after taking office, may appoint temporary committees to act during the term of office.

President Elect:  The President-Elect shall assist the President and be the Chairman of the Membership Committee.  In the event circumstances cause the office of the President to be vacant before the expiration of the full term, the President-Elect shall automatically and immediately assume the office of the President with its powers and duties.

Secretary: The Secretary shall be responsible for keeping accurate minutes of all Executive Board meetings, the Annual Fall meeting, Spring Short Course Business meeting, meetings of the Institute, and for sending proper notices of all meetings to those who should receive them. The Secretary shall keep the file of all the business of the Institute up to date, complete and pass on this file to the in-coming Secretary within fifteen (15) days after the Annual Meeting.

The Secretary shall be custodian of the official seal of the Institute and affix it to all documents when required by law.

Treasurer: The Treasurer shall be elected for a two year term, which will coincide with the President’s term of office. The Treasurer shall be responsible for the proper financial transactions of the Institute. The Treasurer shall open a checking account at a recognized bank in the name of the Florida Institute of Park Personnel, Inc. Four Board members should be signers on this checking account (President, President-Elect, Treasurer and Finance Director are recommended). Any check in the amount of $500.00 or less will require one signature, and any check in excess of this amount will require two signatures. The Treasurer will maintain the Institute’s financial records in an accepted manner that can readily audited by a Certified Public Accountant.

Directors:  The Directors shall perform such duties as assigned them by the President or as designated by these Bylaws. Each Director shall be assigned by the President, as one of his main responsibilities, the chairmanship of one of the following committees:  Finance Committee, Education Committee, or the Protocol and Traditions Committee. The length of may vary according to the desires of the President.

Section VIII – Committees

The Florida Institute of Park Personnel shall have the following standing committees and such temporary committees deemed advisable by the Executive Board and appointed by the President. All committee chairs are to submit an annual report to the membership at the Annual Meeting.

Membership Committee:  The President-Elect shall be the chair, and all members of the Executive Board will be members of this committee. This committee will foster membership in the Institute and will receive and process all applications for membership which must be endorsed by a fellow Member in good standing and submitted to the Chair of this committee. This committee may elect an applicant to any class of membership for which he is qualified by a two-thirds (2/3) vote.

Finance Committee:  The Finance Committee shall have as its chair one of the Directors of the Institute appointed by the President, the Treasurer, and two Fellow Members who are not members of the Executive Board. This committee will submit a proposed annual budget to the Executive Board for review and subsequent presentation by the Executive Board to the membership at the Annual Meeting for adoption. This committee will assist the Executive Board in all financial matters upon request.

Education Committee:  The Education Committee shall have as its chairman one of the Directors of the Institute appointed by the President. It shall have three other members and have as its main responsibility the organization of the educational program at the Spring Workshop Meeting of the Institute. This committee may establish and/or administer a scholarship fund for the purpose of aiding individuals pursuing a career in the Parks and Recreation profession.

Protocol and Traditions Committee:  The Protocol and Traditions Committee shall have as its Chair one of the Directors of the Institute appointed by the President. This Director shall also be Parliamentarian of the Institute. This committee will have three (3) other members and will introduce visiting dignitaries and others to be recognized at regular meetings of the Institute and also maintain decorum at all meetings.  This Director shall also be responsible for presenting citations or awards to recipients as directed by the President.

Citations and Awards Committee: The Citations and Awards Committee will have as its Chair the Immediate Past President of the Institute, and shall have as members of the Committee the President and three (3) Directors. This committee shall receive and review nominations for the various citations, awards and honorary membership categories; conduct background investigations of nominees; and recommend to the Executive Board recipients of awards, based on nominations received and the result of the background investigations compared to the criteria as adopted for the various awards and honorary memberships.

Nominating Committee:  The Nominating Committee shall consist of three (3) immediate Past Presidents and two other members. The duties of the Committee shall be to select a slate of candidates to replace officers whose terms are expiring.

Past Presidents Council:  This committee shall consist of all Past Presidents of the Florida Institute of Park Personnel, Inc. A Past President becomes a member after fulfilling all duties of his or her Presidency, Past Presidency, and no longer is serving as a member of the Executive Board. The council shall elect its chair annually. And this Chair may succeed him/herself as the pleasure of the Executive Board dictates. This Council shall help from the basis of the Florida Institute of Park Personnel, Inc., long-term objectives and programming for the ensuing year. These recommendations shall be presented to the Executive Committee at the annual workshop meeting. The Past Presidents Council will maintain and make available to the Executive Board the historical perspective from the past, and developments and progress of the Institute over the years. The Chair of the Past Presidents Council will represent the Council and serve on the Executive Committee as the Historian of the Institute.

Section IX – Robert’s Rules of Order

Questions not decided upon by this Constitution and Bylaws shall be decided upon according to Robert’s Rules of Order as interpreted by the Protocol Chair.

Section X – Amendments to the Bylaws

The Bylaws may be altered or amended by the following procedure, provided the amendments have been approved by the Executive Board.

1. Amendments to the bylaws may be made at an Annual Meeting, District Meeting or a Workshop Meeting of the Institute by a majority of those voting members present and voting by hand vote, with the proviso that a copy of all proposed amendments shall have been filed with the Secretary at least thirty (30) days prior to the meeting time, posted on the organization’s website and that a listing of the amendments shall be issued to each voting member present at the beginning of the meeting.
2. Any amendments to the Bylaws will be effective immediately upon their adoption by the membership at an Annual Meeting, District Meeting, or a Workshop meeting.