There are new Bylaws in
effect, I will update this as
soon as I can
Provisional
By-Laws
Fire
& Iron Firefighter MC
These
by-laws were adopted 5-8-08 at the National Rally in New Braunfels,
TX. They will be examined and modified by the National Board in the
next year and presented for ratification at the 2010 National Rally
in Boston, MA. These provisional by-laws will not affect any current
member’s status in the club.
Article
I: Name
The
Trademark name of this organization shall be Fire
& Iron Firefighters Motorcycle Club.
Article
II: Membership
No
member shall be discriminated on basis of race, sex or creed.
A
prospective member must be at least 18 years of age.
Station
28:
All prospective
members must be 21 years of age.
Primary
membership of the club shall be made up of those people who are
currently career Firefighters, retired career Firefighters,
volunteer Firefighters, retired volunteer Firefighters (to be
determined by local control), and fire department support personnel
decided by local control.
Station
28: Verification
of employment is required of all Primary member-applicants (military
firefighters should submit a copy of their DD-214 with their
application).
Primary
members must own and ride a motorcycle. The brand, type and size of
motorcycle are not important but motorcycles must be able to keep up
during group rides.
Spouses
of Primary
members will
also be allowed Primary member status with two variations
The
spouse is not required to own or ride a motorcycle
The
spouse can not sponsor another member.
Union
membership is not mandatory.
The
decision to allow “Sponsored” memberships is at the discretion
of local control. If sponsored membership is allowed in a Station,
a Primary
member can sponsor one, and only one, non-Fire Department applicant
to join the club. This person can be a family member or friend. The
“Sponsored” member must ride a motorcycle. “Sponsored”
members do not have voting privileges in National club elections and
will not be able to hold National office. Voting privileges in
their respective Stations are under local control but they cannot
hold President or Vice President Offices. “Sponsored” member
must meet the final approval of the Station President.
Primary
members are responsible for the actions of their sponsored members
and have the right to withdraw their sponsorship at any time
If
a “Sponsored” member loses their sponsor for any reason, they
must leave the club when their dues run out, unless they are able to
find another Primary
member to sponsor them.
“Sponsored”
members cannot sponsor another member.
“Honorary”
membership status is at the discretion of local control. It may be
granted to an individual who has contributed substantially to the
promotion of Fire & Iron Firefighters MC. Persons
considered for “Honorary” membership do not have to have a
sponsor but must have shown positive actions that support the
“principles and purposes” of our club by acts in assisting their
Station. “Honorary” members may have the same rights as
“Sponsored” members under local control. Such membership should
be limited to no more than 4 persons at any given time.
All
new members waiting for approval will be referred to as Probationary
members, whether Primary
or “Sponsored.”
Probationary
time within a Station shall be under local Station control.
Station
28: New
members, upon acceptance of their application and initial fee, will
be considered as probationary members for a period of one (1) year.
New members must attend three (3) consecutive meetings, and attend
any station events. The new member will only be authorized to wear
the Station “rocker” during their first three months after their
application was accepted. If a probationary member shoud miss a
meeting during the three-month period, they will require to begin the
three-month period again. At the successful completion of the three
month period, the new member will be awarded their club colors. They
shall remain a probationary member until their 1st
anniversary with the club.
A
“Lifetime Membership” shall only be granted to those members who
have passed away. There will be no “Life” membership given for
members who have “FIFL” tattoos. Lifetime
Membership status will be defined as adding their name and picture
to our fallen brothers page and the issuing of their colors to their
family.
Article
III: Dues
Every
Station in good standing will be required to pay to the National
Treasurer, annual National Station dues. At this time, National dues
are set at $55.00. Station 61 (MAL) members will pay annual dues of
$55 each, to the National Treasurer. Annual dues shall be due on
November 30th
each year, for the upcoming year. The cutoff date shall be January
31st
of the year that dues are due for.
Each
member in good standing will be required to pay annual dues to their
Stations Treasurer. The amount will be set by the local Station.
National dues will be paid to the National Treasurer in February of
each year. Each Station can set their own time period for the
paying of local Station dues.
Station
28:
Annual dues shall be
payable at the start of each calendar year. Any member who has not
paid their annual dues by May 1st
of that year shall be assessed an additional late fee of $20.00. Any
lapsed member wishing to renew after July 1st
will be required to pay the $75.00 new member fee, or be dropped from
the membership roster, and shall be required to turn in their colors
to the station President. Extenuating financial circumstances should
be brought to the attention of the President, for review by the
executive board for consideration.
Every
new member will be required to pay a “one-time” initiation fee
of $55.00, plus their annual Station dues. This is to cover “local”
administration costs.
Station
28:
Initiation fee of $75.00 for first year dues and initiation.
Dues
will be used to promote activities and/or purchase equipment and
supplies for the individual Stations and National Club.
Dues
allow each member the privilege of membership and the right to
attend all meetings and rallies.
$25.00
of each station’s annual National dues will be set aside to go to
the next “host” station for the bi-annual National Rally, up to
$3500.
Article
IV: Officers
National
Officers
National
President
The
executive duties of the President are as follows:
Preside
over meetings of both the National Board and the club as a whole.
Judge
items not covered in the constitution or in the rules.
Act
as the personal representative of the club in the area of public
relations; as a liaison between Fire
& Iron Firefighter MC
and local-law enforcement agencies; and as a connecting link between
Fire &
Iron Firefighter MC
and other motorcycle clubs.
Represent
the club in any club business contacts and supervise major economic
transactions.
Assist
Fire &
Iron
Firefighter
MC officers
in the interpretation of their club responsibilities, and promote
club life among members in general.
National
Vice President
The
executive duties of the Vice President are as follows:
To
perform the duties of the President in his absence and to assist the
President in all of his duties.
To
perform any duty deemed necessary to complete by the President.
To
take over as President if something happens to the President until
such time as an election takes place.
National
Secretary
The
executive duties of the Secretary are as follows:
Record
and safeguard the minutes of the National Club meetings.
Maintain
the Club By-Laws, recording any additions, deletions, or
modifications.
Handle
any National Club correspondence.
National
Treasurer
The
executive duties of the Treasurer are as follows:
Monitor
and record the club's income and expenditures.
Collect
the dues and fines owed by the Stations.
Sell
National Club merchandise via club store and record all
transactions.
The
National Treasurer shall notify the respective Regional Officer if a
Station in their Region is delinquent in paying their National dues.
The
National Treasurer will prepare a Financial Report before any
meeting or annually if there is no scheduled meeting, for
presentation to the National membership each April.
National
Sergeant-at-Arms
The
executive duties of the Sergeant-at-Arms are as follows:
Maintain
order at National meetings.
Ensure
that members adhere to club rulings, policies, and expected models
of conduct when dealing with outsiders.
To
assist the Regional Officers with any appropriate business.
Defend
club members, property, or territory from outside threats when
possible.
Regional
Officers
There
shall be seven (7) Regional Officers, each representing a designated
geographical region. Additional regions may be established, if
necessary. A review of the regions will be done periodically by the
National Board
to ensure Regional Officer’s duties are relatively equal. Regional
Officers report directly to the National President.
The
executive duties of Regional Officers are as follows:
Regional
Officers shall promote and ensure that those who inquire about the
Fire &
Iron Firefighters Motorcycle Club,
are provided current and accurate information.
Regional
Officers shall receive Station applications and inform the National
President that there is interest in the Region to activate a
Station. The Regional Officer will assist in following through with
the inquiry and activation of the new Station, making sure that all
newly chartered Stations have a solid membership foundation with the
intention of eliminating potential problems before they occur.
Regional
Officers shall establish a relationship with the Station Presidents
within their Region.
Regional
Officers shall assist Station Presidents in coordinating promotions
and events that the Stations in their Region may be sponsoring.
Regional
Officers shall keep a current roster of all Stations in their
Region. If there any changes, the Regional Officer shall notify the
National President, National Secretary and National Web Master for
web site updating.
Regional
Officers are responsible for collecting votes for all National
voting. Station Presidents will forward the voting results of their
membership to their Regional Officer. Regional voting results will
be sent to the National President.
If
a Regional Officer has a conflict of interest in any matter within
his own region, the National Board will select a Regional Officer
from another region to intervene.
National
Board
The
National board consists of National and Regional Officers of the
club. Meetings will be held at every National Rally. National
Rallies will be held on the even numbered years. Individual state
rallies may be held on odd numbered years. Emergency meetings can be
called if a situation develops that demands immediate attention.
The
National board is responsible for:
Monitor
conflicts between the Stations.
Apply
disciplinary procedures above the Station President level.
Evaluate
prospective Stations.
Present
summarized assessments of the overall club situation to the
membership.
Station
Officers
President
The
duties of the president are as follows:
Preside
over meetings and the Station as a whole.
Judge
items not covered in the constitution or in the rules regulations
that are under local control.
Act
as the personal representative of their Station and the club.
Represent
their station in any club business contacts.
Promote
enjoyable club life among members in general.
Station
28: Holds
the right to spend club funds fro club activities, materials,
supplies, etc, with a limit of $100. Accountability via receipts for
any and all expenditures is required.
Vice
President
The
duties of the Vice President are to assume the responsibilities of
the Presidency when the President is unable to do so.
Secretary
The
duties of the Secretary are as follows:
Record
and safeguard the minutes of the station meetings.
Maintain
the Station bylaws, recording any additions, deletions, or
modifications.
Handle
any station correspondence.
Treasurer
(May be combined with Secretary)
The
duties of the Treasurer are as follows:
Monitor
and record the stations income and expenditures.
Collect
the dues and fines owed by the members.
Station
28: Holds
the right to spend club funds fro club activities, materials,
supplies, etc, with a limit of $100. Accountability via receipts for
any and all expenditures is required.
Road
Captains
The
duties of the Road Captain are as follows:
Plan
the travel routes and organize the basic itinerary of the station
prior to going on a ride.
Lead
or trail the club in formation while riding.
Enforce
station rules and procedures for group riding.
Sergeant
at Arms
The
duties of the Sergeant at Arms are as follows:
Maintain
order at station meetings in particular, and station activities in
general.
Ensure
that members adhere to station rulings, policies, and expected
models of conduct when dealing with other members or outsiders.
Defend
station members, property, or territory from outside threats.
Article
IV: Elections
National
and Regional Officers of this club serve a two year term of office.
In
order to be eligible for office, a member has to have been an active
member in good standing for a minimum of two years.
National
Officers will be voted on at every National Rally, on even numbered
years, beginning in 2008.
National
Officers can be nominated by any Fire
& Iron Firefighter MC
member. Candidates for nomination may be from any region. All
Primary
members will vote on all National Officers.
Regional
Officers will be voted on in both even and odd numbered years.
Even numbered Regions will vote in even years; and odd numbered
Regions will vote in odd years, beginning in 2009. Elections will
be held by September in odd years and during the month of the
National Rally in even years.
Regional
Officer candidates will be nominated by Fire
& Iron Firefighter MC
members from the region they will serve. All Primary
members from the effected region will vote on Regional Officer for
their region.
Station
Officers will be voted on by individual Station members per local
policy.
Station
28:
Nominations of
candidates for all elected officer positions shall be made during the
January and February meetings each year. Election of Officers shall
be held during the new business portion of the March meeting each
year. The voting for each position shall be made by the members in
attendance. Votes shall be made by secret ballot, to be collected
and counted by the Secretary, and verified by the Sgt-at-Arms. The
Secretary shall then announce the winners of the election, and record
the names and positions. In the event of a tie, a separate “run-off”
tie-breaker vote shall be held for just the position(s) in question.
If the tie cannot be broken by vote, the position will be awarded to
the member with the most seniority (time in club), by the President.
Candidates who accept the position they ran for must understand that
they must assume the responsibility of that position. It is not just
a title and an extra name tag for one's vest. Be willing to do the
job, or don't take the job.
An
emergency election can be called whenever there is a vacancy in an
Officer position.
An
Officer may be relieved of his position if he fails to perform the
duties of the position by a 2/3 vote of:
National
Board.
Members
of a Station for Station Officers.
If
an Officer is relieved of their duties, the position will be
submitted to the general membership for replacement, in accordance
with established procedures, for the remainder of the term.
Article
V: Regions
Geographical
regions are:
|
Region
1
|
Region
2
|
Region
3
|
Region
4
|
|
Florida
|
Wisconsin
Minnesota
Michigan
Iowa
Illinois
Missouri
North
Dakota
South
Dakota
|
Ohio
Kentucky
Indiana
Pennsylvania
West
Virginia
Virginia
Maryland
Delaware
|
California
Washington
Oregon
Idaho
Nevada
Utah
Arizona
Hawaii
Alaska
|
|
Region
5
|
Region
6
|
Region
7
|
|
|
Tennessee
North
Carolina
South
Carolina
Arkansas
Louisiana
Mississippi
Alabama
Georgia
|
New
Hampshire
Maine
Massachusetts
Vermont
Rhode
Island
New
York
New
Jersey
Connecticut
|
Colorado
Montana
Wyoming
Nebraska
Kansas
Oklahoma
Texas
New
Mexico
|
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Article
VI: Colors
The
club Colors belongs to Fire
& Iron Firefighter MC,
Chapter 1, Central Florida Region.
The
club Colors will be worn with honor, pride and respect.
Only
members in good standing will be allowed to wear the club Colors.
If for any reason a member should leave or be removed from the club,
that member shall turn in their Colors to their station President.
Colors
may be affixed to black leather or blue/black denim vests or
jackets. (Leather
is recommended)
Colors
should never be washed.
Colors
are to be worn as the outer most garments and not to be obstructed
in any way.
Colors
will be worn at all Fire
& Iron Firefighter MC
functions, gatherings, runs and sanctioned events.
At
no time will the Colors be placed face down. Respect
your colors.
At
no time will the Colors touch the ground unless
the member is wearing them.
Members
are responsible for their colors at all times regardless of
location. Non members should never be in control of your colors.
Reasons
for a member to lose their Colors and membership in club are:
Non-payment
of dues
Bringing
shame and dishonor to club.
Removing
colors and throwing to the ground/floor.
Losing
your Colors, such as, misplacing them.
Actions
of a member by which a 2/3rd's majority vote of the members’
station feels that are not in keeping with the Club's spirit or
intent.
A
felony conviction.
Incorrect
application of Colors to vest/jacket and not correcting when
instructed to.
Any
unauthorized patch applied to Colors and not removed when
instructed to.
The
wearing of any other motorcycle club's apparel, of any kind, or
"Supporter" apparel or patch while wearing Fire &
Iron Colors is strictly prohibited. It violates the National
Club’s neutrality.
A
violation of any of the above reasons will result in a 6-month
probation/suspension and/or possible termination of membership.
Termination of membership will be by majority vote of the member’s
Station President, Regional Officer and National President.
Subsection 5
above will hold precedence if it is the “will” of that Station.
Colors
should be affixed to the rear of the garment as follows:
The
Fire &
Iron Firefighter MC
back patch shall be worn on the rear of the vest/jacket
approximately centered or slightly higher, in the middle of the
back.
The Station rocker shall be located centered,
approximately 1 to 1 ½ inch below the Fire
& Iron
Firefighter
MC back
patch.
The
back patches, Colors, will be obtained from only one vendor to keep
the uniformity of the colors. Currently, the vendor is 100 Monkeys
in Orlando, FL.
Station
28:
Temporary
suspension of a member for “conduct unbecoming” may be imposed
by the President. The time frame of said suspension shall be
determined by the executive board.
Article
VII: General Information
There
will be only one Chapter in this club, Chapter 1. All other
chapters will be referred to as Stations.
Station
meetings will be held on days of rides with the exception of
prearranged meeting days or emergencies. Each Station will strive
to have at least one ride or meeting a month. All members are
encouraged to set a ride day.
Station
28: Meetings
will normally be held on the second Sunday of every month.
All
members must attend three (3) functions per year (i.e.: event,
charity, meeting or ride)
Safe
riding practices will be followed. Members not adhering to the
"accepted" rules-of-the-road will not be tolerated!
Personal
conflicts or fighting within the "ranks" reflects poorly
on the membership and will not be tolerated. Any disagreements will
be brought to a Station Officer for settlement.
Membership in other associations or groups is allowed;
i.e., H.O.G., CMA or IAFF Motor Group. Holding Officer positions is
discouraged but not completely forbidden. Holding an Officer
position in another association or group will be dealt with by the
individual Fire
& Iron Firefighter
MC
Station it affects. Members
may not be a member of any other motorcycle club.
Your
rank or position within the Fire Department does not carry over into
Club or hold sway over any Club activities. What happens in the
Club stays in the Club.
Respect
is to be shown to all officers and club members, rides, homes and
jobs. In other words, if it's not yours respect it and don't mess
with it.
National
Dues, Station Dues and initiation fees can be raised without prior
notice if the cost of doing business goes up.
If
a member’s membership is terminated for any reason, they must wait
a minimum of one year before reapplying for membership in any
Station. They must also make up any past dues during their absence.
If they are going to change Stations, they must inform their
previous Station President of their intentions to reapply with
another Station. If
the membership is terminated due to "bringing shame and
dishonor to the club," the member is banned from rejoining
permanently.
Any
apparel using any of the three Fire
& Iron Firefighter MC
trademarked logos must be pre-approved by the National Treasurer.
Local
Stations have the ability to modify these by-laws to meet local
needs or issues; however, they cannot be less restrictive than the
National By-laws. Any modifications of the National By-laws must
receive approval of the National Board.
Placement
and color scheme for name and rank patches are as follows:
Name
and rank patches will have a black background, red border and gold
writing
In
the event the standardized colors are impossible to use at your
station you may petition the National Board for an exception.
Name
patch goes on the right side of your vest/jacket
Rank
patch goes on the left side of your vest/jacket.
The
current vendor is A Little Crafty (585) 319-3053
Article
VIII: Amendments
Any
of the above listed rules are subject to change with 2/3rds majority
vote of the current, active membership and/or by the National Board.
All members will be informed of any changes.
Station
28: Any
of the above listed rules are subject to change by a vote of the
Station Officers of Station 28.
Station
28 Meeting Format
All
meetings shall utilize the following format (Robert's Rules of
Parliamentary Procedures)
President
call the meeting to order
Secretary
records the number of members in attendance
Secretary
read the minutes from the last monthly meeting. Motion to accept,
second, and vote.
Treasurer
reads the Treasurer's Report. Motion to accept, second, and vote.
President
calls for any old business to be discussed. Discussion and vote as
necessary.
10
Minute Break
President
calls the meeting back to order
President
calls for any prospective members present to identify and introduce
themselves.
President
calls for new business to be discussed. Discussion and vote as
necessary.
President
calls for adjournment. Motion to accept, second, and vote.
Guidelines
for Courtesy During Meetings
During
any club meeting, please respect your fellow members in attendance.
Refrain
from holding side conversations while the meeting is being held. Pay
attention to the topic at hand and to who has the floor. If you have
something on topic to say, please raise your hand, and wait to be
recognized by the President. Your opinion is always valued, but not
at the expense of disrupting the order of the meeting.
If
you fell the need to buy a drink or food, etc, please do so before
the meeting is called to order, or wait until the 10 minute break
after old business is concluded. Do not start taking orders for
drinks from other members while the meeting is in session.
If
the Sgt-at-Arms (or any club officer, should the Sgt-at-Arms be
absent) asks you to stop doing something disruptive during the
meeting, please comply immediately. If you find that you simply
can't control yourself, please go home, out of respect to the other
members who are trying to pay attention to what is being said by the
speaker who has the floor.
Please
read and heed the following Rules of the road
Ride in a
Precise Formation as road conditions permit.
Execute
Signs and Turns Properly
Do Not
Fool Around (horse play) when riding with the group. Any member
observing another member fooling around when in formation should
discuss it with that member and the Road Captain or one of his
Assistants.
The Road
Captain shall have the unchallenged right to terminate a members
participation in a given ride or event for the clubs safety or
image. Upon request of the Road Captain, President may suspend the
member pending the lodging of official charges against the member.
Riding
Positions :
While on
any run, the Road Captain or his assistant will ride in front. The
President may ride alongside or just behind the Captain depending
on the formation in use. In the absence of the Road Captain and the
assistants, whomever the Captain appoints will ride point.
The
assistant Road Captain will ride at the rear unless otherwise
decided by the Captain. The assistant Captain will be responsible
for holding a lane open while making a lane change. He will also
assist any member who may break down or fall behind. The Captains
will operate as a team and watch for problems within the group.
Watching for all signals and seeing the need for changes are major
parts of the assistant road Captain's job.
Line up
for a ride as follows: Road Captain, President, Vice President,
Treasurer, Secretary, full color wearing members, followed by the
Sgt. at Arms, then by prospective members, non-members and bringing
up the rear the two Safety Officers and the assistant Road Captain.
Once you are in position keep it for the remainder of the ride.
The Road
Captain will give instructions to all riders prior to the start of
a ride. This will include, if known, the name, address, and phone
number of the destination. When you arrive at the destination point
check in with the Road Captain.
Each
member shall make it his business to know the route to be taken.
Use Common
Sense At All Times :
Anticipate
your next move and those of the group. Maintain "situational
awareness" (in other words, be aware of what's going on around
you!)
We are
all aware of the proper safety procedures and the need for them.
Let us exercise caution at all times and obey all traffic
regulations.
The Road
Captain will occasionally point a control to you. i.e. speed up,
block an intersection. We all must help to make our road trips safe
for everyone.
The rear Road Captain(s) will help the group by
getting out into the lane following the forward Captain's signal.
By doing this he will help secure the chance to execute the
maneuver freely and safely. Stay in position during any lane change
or direction maneuver.
Leaving
the Group
If stopping, let your intentions be known to the Road
Captain or his assistants. The convoy will be pulled into the
nearest and safest rest area and the Captains and/or members he
designates will return to the stopped rider. After ascertaining the
problem, the Captain will then decide to get the group on its way as
soon as possible and make arrangements to have the stopped rider and
his bike taken care of.
Get to
know your machine's cruising capacity with regard to gas. Running
out of gas or making gas stops with large groups is time consuming.
Therefore everyone will arrive for the rides with a full tank of gas
and will top off their tank at every gas stop, no matter how small
the amount. This will avoid staggered gas stops and possibly save
time.
Bike
Maintenance Maintain it carefully, this is considered a must.
Because if one fails to check for loose wires, shorts, dead
batteries, worn tires, or worn chains/belts, this could take away
from the pleasure of the club ride. Bike maintenance will be the
responsibility of each member. Bring necessary tools and parts for
your machine.
Wearing
Apparel It is strongly urged that on club rides each member wear his
club colors. He should also wear the proper clothing when riding.
Strict
adherence to these guidelines will provide for a long, successful and
safe riding season.
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