BYLAWS
MOSQUITO VOLUNTEER FIRE ASSOCIATION Adopted 08/05/2021
ARTICLE I
Organization
Section 1 Name
This organization shall be known as the Mosquito Volunteer Fire Association (MVFA). The Association's address shall be 9009 Orval Beckett Court, Placerville, California 95667.
Section 2 Objective
The objective of this organization shall be to promote fire safety awareness, community support and volunteerism in the Mosquito District, to manage and maintain the Mosquito Volunteer Fire Association's assets such as our largest fire protection asset, Finnon Lake Recreation Area, and to assist firefighters and promote the good and welfare of the community.
ARTICLE II
General Membership
Section 1 Membership Qualifications
Any resident of the Mosquito Fire Protection District (MFPD), 18 years of age or older is an eligible member of this organization.
Section 2 Membership Standing
General members may be denied continued membership in the association by a majority vote of all current Board members for:
• Defamation of the MVFA organization or MVFA Board members in public, including on social media.
• Harassment of MVFA Board members.
• Inappropriate behavior at any MVFA event, activity or meeting.
ARTICLE III
Officers and Duties
Section 1 Board Members
The Board of Directors of the association shall consist of up to five (5) current MVFA members who are duly elected to the board by the general membership.
Section 2 Term of Office
A Board member's term of office shall be two calendar years. In general, two (2) Board members will be elected in even calendar years and three (3) Board members will be elected in odd calendar years.
Section 3 Nominations to the Board
A. Nominations for membership on the Board will be made during the general Board meeting held in November.
B. Nominees for Board Director positions shall be accepted from qualified members of the association who are-
• Active MFPD Firefighters
• Active MFPD Support Group Members
• Active MVFA Board Members
• MVFA Committee Members who have served in the past two (2) years
C. In the event that an adequate number of nominees to fill the open positions are not available from the above listing, then nominations will be accepted from the MVFA membership at large by meeting the requirements of having performed volunteer service at an MVFA function, activity or event in the past two (2) years.
Section 4 Election Process and Appointments to the Board
A. Board member nominations shall be made by written submittal to the Board Chairperson indicating
a. the nominee's name,
b. indication of the individual’s category of membership as defined in Article III; Section 3 and confirmation of nomination eligibility,
c. signed acceptance by the nominee to serve and perform the functional requirements identified by the current Bylaws and
d. a brief statement of why they wish to serve.
B. All applications must be received by the MVFA Chairperson via email or postmarked one week prior to the November regular board meeting. C. The current Board Chairperson shall determine prior to the election whether the voting process at the annual general membership meeting shall be by hand or by written ballot. The eligible nominated candidates receiving the most votes by the MVFA members present shall be determined to have been elected to the open positions.
D. A membership quorum as defined in Article V; Section 6 shall be required at any meeting to elect any MVFA member to the Board.
E. The sitting Board may appoint, by a simple majority vote of the Board, an MVFA member to fill a board vacancy. The appointment shall be for the remainder of the unexpired term.
Section 5 Meeting Actions
A. Board members, having one vote each, shall vote on business and financial items at regular monthly board meetings or special meetings as may be called, (see special situations in C below). There must be a majority vote to carry any motion.
B. MVFA members shall have one vote per member on items brought forth at the annual general membership meeting or special general membership meetings as may be called. Typical items voted upon by the general membership are amendments or other changes to the organization's bylaws, and the election of community members to the Board.
C. Issues and/or expenditure requirements that are time-critical in nature and cannot wait to be addressed in a regular Board meeting, may be conducted in a special board meeting.
Section 6 Board Officers
A. At the first regular Board meeting of the year, the Board shall elect from the Director membership a Chairperson and a Vice-Chairperson. A Treasurer and a Secretary may be elected from the Director membership as well. However, if the Board decides to do so, they may, from the general membership, appoint a Treasurer and/or Secretary who shall serve at the discretion of the Board. These appointees shall not have board voting rights.
B. A simple majority vote of the Board is all that is needed to elect officers. C. The Board may, throughout the year, elect or appoint such Committee Chairpersons as may be necessary to carry out the functions of the Board.
Section 7 Board Duties
It shall be the duty of all Board members to:
A. Attend board meetings.
B. Support the Mosquito Fire Protection District, all staff and volunteer firefighters, the support group members, the Fire Chief, Finnon Lake Recreation Area, and promote the good and welfare of the community.
C. Keep the general membership of this organization informed of MVFA's activities.
D. Promote cooperation between the Mosquito Volunteer Fire Association Board, the Swansboro Country Property Owners Association Board, and the Mosquito Fire Protection District Board and other charitable groups in the Mosquito community.
E. Perform the duties and functions as described on a routinely maintained “Board Member Auxiliary Duties List”.
F. The Chairperson shall be responsible for signing all legal documents upon approval by the Board.
Section 8 Expulsion
Expulsion of a Board member requires a majority vote of all current Board members.
ARTICLE IV
Committees
The Board shall appoint committees as it deems necessary to achieve the objectives of this association. These may be fundraising, social or any special committee needed. A Board member shall serve as chairperson, if practical, on all committees. All appointed committee members shall be current MVFA members.
ARTICLE V
Meetings
Section 1 Order of Business
All meetings, whether a regular board meeting, general membership meeting or a special meeting, shall be conducted under the general guidelines of Roberts Rules of Order. All board members will conduct themselves in such a way to represent the community and uphold the mission statement of the Mosquito Volunteer Fire Association at all times.
Section 2 Board Meetings
A. Regular board meetings will be held monthly at a date and time determined by the current Board members and announced at the first regular board meeting of the year.
B. All meetings and agendas shall be posted at least four (4) days in advance.
C. Minutes for all regular board meetings shall be maintained and posted in a timely manner once approved.
D. Special emergency board meetings may be called and conducted via mail, facsimile transmission, electronic transmission, or telephone conference call for issues and/or expenditure determinations that must be addressed in a
time-critical manner. The special meeting must be unanimously agreed upon by the Board members. Documentation of these meetings and voting results shall be captured in the minutes of the next regular board meeting.
Section 3 General Membership Meetings
At least one general membership meeting of this association shall be held in the fourth quarter of each calendar year. The time and place for the meeting will be determined by Board action at least 30 days in advance. An agenda for the meeting shall be posted in a visible spot accessible by the general public at least seven (7) days in advance. Any general membership meeting may consist of a business meeting followed by a social event to promote attendance and cooperation.
Section 4 Special General Membership Meetings
Special general membership meetings may be called as the Board deems necessary. An agenda noticing the meeting shall be posted at least four (4) calendar days in advance.
Section 5 Cancelled Meetings
A. Association meetings may be canceled due to instances such as inclement weather, health safety considerations or the absence of a quorum as defined in Article V; Section 7.
B. Rescheduled meetings will be posted at least four (4) days in advance and held, if possible, within two (2) weeks of the meeting cancellation.
Section 6 General Membership Quorum
A general membership quorum will consist of fifteen (15) MVFA members. Section 7 Board Quorum
A board quorum will consist of three (3) Board members.
Section 8 Board Attendance
Any Board member who misses three (3) consecutive monthly board meetings may be expelled as set forth in Article III; Section 8.
ARTICLE VI
Bylaws Adoption, Amendments, and Modifications
Section 1 Precedence
These Bylaws shall supersede all other Bylaws of the Mosquito Volunteer Fire Association upon ratification.
Section 2 Adoption
A. These Bylaws become effective after ratification by vote at a general membership meeting as defined in Article V.
B. Copies of the proposed Bylaws shall be made available at Fire Station 75 or the MVFA website for membership review at least seven (7) days before the meeting.
Section 3 Amendments/Modifications
A. Amendments or modifications to these Bylaws may be submitted to the Board in writing by any MVFA member.
B. The Board shall review the proposed amendment or modification to determine its validity before presenting the document for ratification.
C. A simple majority of the general membership quorum, as defined in Article V, is all that is required for ratification of the updated Bylaws.
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