BYLAWS
OF THE OKLAHOMA CCIM CHAPTER
OF THE CCIM INSTITUTE
AS AFFILIATE OF THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS
ARTICLE I – OBJECTIVES
1. As a Chapter of the CCIM Institute (herein further referred to as the Institute), the objectives of the Chapter shall be the following:
a. Promoting the image and reputation of the Institute and its CCIM designee members.
b. Giving assistance and guidance to candidates seeking to become designees.
c. Providing opportunity for participation by members of the Institute in an ongoing program of real estate education by supporting the education program of the Institute.
d. Conducting approved real estate courses and seminars for the Chapter, local boards of REALTORS, State association of REALTORS, and members of the public within the Chapter’s jurisdiction.
e. Assisting the Institute in achieving their purposes and objectives including: market feedback, course promotion, public relations and membership recruitment and retention.
f. Providing a forum for the exchange of information and business development.
2. In the execution of the objectives set forth in this ARTICLE, the Chapter shall at all times conduct its activities, programs and practices in a manner consistent with the policies of the Institute and NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS.
ARTICLE II – CHAPTER JURISDICTION AND CHARTER
1. The jurisdiction of the Chapter is defined as follows: (For Chapters that do not cover an entire state, please include the zip codes of areas that are covered.)
State of Oklahoma
2. The jurisdiction of the Chapter shall be that jurisdiction assigned to it by the Institute. Therefore, the jurisdiction of the Chapter as defined in Section I of ARTICLE 11 shall be automatically amended, without further action or approval by the Officers, Board of Directors or Members of the Chapter, to incorporate any changes in jurisdiction of which the Chapter is notified by the Institute.
3. A Chapter’s charter may be revoked if the Chapter is found to be in violation of the terms, conditions, and restrictions set forth in the Institute Bylaws if the Chapter does not meet the following requirements:
a. Maintain a minimum membership of 25 Designee and Candidate members.
b. Hold Chapter meetings a minimum of four times per year.
c. Annually elect officers.
d. Annually appoint committee chairpersons for major Chapter committees
e. Establish an active Chapter designation promotion committee,
f. Establish an active candidate guidance committee.
g. Establish an active membership committee.
h. Prepare an annual Chapter budget.
i. Prepare an annual directory of Chapter members.
j. Arrange for Chapter representation at one national meeting per year.
k. Offer two educational offerings per year for Chapter members.
l. Offer at least one Chapter event per year where the primary purpose is member networking.
m. Chapter participation in regional meetings and activities.
n. Maintain an active Chapter executive committee and/or board of directors.
4. In the event that the charter issued to the Chapter by the Institute is revoked by the Institute pursuant to Section 5 hereof, the Chapter shall immediately cease all activities and functions as a Chapter of the Institute, and the officers without further direction of the Board of Directors or membership of the Chapter, except as required by law, are hereby authorized, empowered, and directed to conclude the affairs of the Chapter, settle or pay all outstanding obligations, forward remaining Chapter funds to their current Regional Vice President to be held for no longer than two years (in the event that the Chapters charter is renewed), and cause the Chapter to be dissolved.
5. Dissolution of the Chapter as described in Section 4 of this ARTICLE ll shall occur upon revocation of the charter issued to the Chapter by the majority vote of the Governing Council of the Institute in accordance with procedures established by the Institute, which guarantee the Chapter or its representatives the opportunity to be heard.
ARTICLE III – CHAPTER MEMBERSHIP
1. All Institute Members residing in or having a place of business within the jurisdiction of the Chapter, or a place of business in a contiguous area which is not within the assigned jurisdiction of any Chapter, shall be eligible for Chapter membership. There shall be four (4) membership classes: 1. CCIM Designee Member, 2. Candidate Member, 3. Affiliate Member and 4. Non-Resident Member.
2. CCIM Designee Members in good standing with the Chapter shall enjoy all rights and privileges of membership, including the right to hold office and to vote.
3. Candidate Members in good standing with the Chapter and who have successfully completed at least one (1) CCIM core course shall enjoy all rights and privileges of membership except the right to hold the office of President or vote on amendments to the Bylaws of the Chapter.
4. All individuals who are not members of the Institute shall be Affiliate Members of the Chapter and enjoy all rights and privileges of membership except the right to hold office or to vote on amendments to the Bylaws of the Chapter or vote in the elections of directors and officers. (Exception: the Affiliate members appointed to the Board by the President under Article VI paragraph (1) shall have the right to hold office of Director during that term and vote on all matters coming before the Board).
5. Designees and Candidate Members in good standing of another CCIM chapter shall be entitled to Non-Resident Membership. A Non-Resident Member shall enjoy all rights and privileges of Chapter membership except the right to vote or hold office.
6. Designees and Candidate Members who, on an individual basis, have requested to be released from the Chapter in which they reside (or place of business) may affiliate with another chapter. On an exception basis, these individuals would then be eligible to enjoy the rights and privileges of the appropriate classification of membership in the Chapter.
7. The Executive Vice President of the Institute shall be the Institute Member of the Chapter. The Institute Member shall not be entitled to hold office or to vote except on any proposed amendments to the Bylaws of the Chapter.
ARTICLE IV – CHAPTER MEETINGS
1. The President of the Chapter shall schedule not less than four meetings each year at such times as the President, in consultation with the Board of Directors, may deem convenient. These meetings can be held in conjunction with an educational or networking event sponsored by the Chapter. The President may hold additional special membership meetings as deemed necessary and must hold a meeting whenever requested by one-third of the Board of Directors.
2. Members shall be provided with written notice (may include e-mail or facsimile) of any meeting of the membership.
3. A quorum for any regular or special meetings of the Chapter shall be five percent (5%) of the Members in good standing of the Chapter or five Members, whichever is greater.
4. All meetings of the Chapter shall be conducted in accordance with Roberts Rules of Order, latest edition, in all instances wherein its provisions do not conflict with these Bylaws or other regulations and rules adopted by the Chapter.
ARTICLE V – CHAPTER DUES AND FEES
1. The annual dues of the Designee, Candidate, Affiliate and Non-Resident Members shall be those determined from time to time by the Chapter Board of Directors, provided, however, that the dues payable by the Non-Resident Members shall not exceed the dues payable by Designee and Candidate Members.
2. No dues shall be payable by the Institute Member.
3. Dues shall be payable on or before January 31 of each year except as otherwise authorized by the Board of Directors. Any Member failing to make payment by March 31 shall be terminated as a Member automatically and without further notice than this Bylaw.
4. An initiation or membership application fee shall be payable as determined by the Board of Directors; however, if a member is terminated for non-payment of dues and thereafter seeks to reapply for membership, a reinstatement fee shall be payable as determined by the Board of Directors.
5. Applicants for membership on or before May 31 shall pay the full annual dues. Applicants for membership after May 31 shall pay dues as determined from time to time by the Board of Directors. The dues payable shall accompany any application for membership.
6. Upon the prior approval of two-thirds of the voting Chapter Members, the Chapter may levy and collect special assessments to be used for such general or special purposes approved by such Members. Any Member who fails to pay such special assessment within ninety (90) days of receiving notice thereof may be terminated from membership as in the case of non-payment of dues. The Institute Member shall not be subject to any assessment.
7. There shall be a Chapter bank account into which all dues and assessments shall be paid and from which shall be paid the obligations of the Chapter. The Chapter must maintain a minimum treasury level equaling five percent (5%) of annual collected dues. The Chapter may establish such other savings and investment accounts as the Board of Directors may deem appropriate form time to time, but no funds of the Chapter shall be commingled with the funds of any two officers or designated signatory(s) at any time, directly or indirectly.
ARTICLE VI – BOARD OF DIRECTORS AND OFFICERS
1. The Board of Directors shall be the governing body of the Chapter. Members of the Board of Directors shall be the elected officers, the immediate past-President, each chairperson of a standing committee, at least two at-large directors elected from the Designee and/or Candidate membership, and two directors appointed by the President from the Affiliate membership.
2. The President of the Chapter shall serve ex-officio as Chairman of the Board of Directors.
3. The term of office of each member of the Board of Directors shall be one year or until his successor is elected and qualified. In the event of a vacancy among the elected Members of the Board of Directors, the remaining Members of the Board shall elect a Member of the Chapter from the Designee and/or Candidate membership to serve the remainder of the unexpired term. In the event of a vacancy among the appointed Affiliate Members of the Board, the President shall appoint another Affiliate Member to serve the remainder of the unexpired term.
4. The Board of Directors shall not hold less than four (4) regular meetings each year. Such meetings shall be held in addition to the regular meetings of the members. Additional meetings of the Board of Directors may be called at the direction of the President or upon the written request of not less than one-third of the Members of the Board.
5. The secretary shall mail, fax or e-mail a written notice of each meeting of the Board to the Board Members.
6. A quorum of the Board shall consist of fifty percent (50%) of the Board Members, provided at least fifty percent (50%) of the elective officers are present.
7. If the Chapter elects to hire an administrative support person, that individual shall attend all Board of Directors meetings as a non-voting member. Persons performing services for chapters in this manner function as “independent contractors”.
8. The elective officers of the Chapter shall consist of a President, President Elect, Vice President, Secretary and Treasurer or a combined position of Secretary/Treasurer.
9. The elected officers shall have such duties as normally accrue to their offices and as may be assigned to them from time to time by the Board of Directors. The President shall be an ex officio Member of all committees.
10. The officers shall be elected for a term of one (1) year beginning November 1 and will serve until their successors are elected and qualified. A Chapter can choose to re-elect individuals to hold the same office for one (1) subsequent year. In the event any office, except the office of President, becomes vacant, the Board shall elect from their number a person to serve for the remainder of the term. In the event the office of President becomes vacant, President Elect shall automatically become the President during the remainder of the unexpired term.
11. All Board of Directors and Chapter Officers shall serve without compensation but may be reimbursed for travel and expenses as set forth in Article VII, paragraph 3.
ARTICLE Vll – ELECTIONS
1. Officers shall be elected by written secret ballot mailed by the Chapter Secretary to all voting members no later than September 15 of each year to be returned and tabulated no later than October 1 and the newly elected officers shall take office as of November 1 of each year.
2. Ballots received by mail will be tabulated by a three-person Tellers Committee, consisting of the Chapter Secretary and the two non-directors of the Nominating Committee.
3. The newly elected Chapter President and/or his/her representative (s) shall attend the New Chapter Officer Orientation program sponsored by the Chapter Activities Committee of the Institute and held during the November National Convention of the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS. The expenses of attendance at such program and any Institute national training meetings shall be borne by the local Chapter and/or attendee as determined by the Board of Directors.
4. Candidates for Chapter offices shall be nominated as follows:
a. The President with the consent of the Board of Directors shall appoint a Nominating Committee (at least sixty days) prior to the day the ballots are to be mailed. The Nominating Committee shall consist of three (3) members from the Board of Directors (one of whom shall be the President Elect who shall act as chairperson) and two (2) from the voting membership of the Chapter.
b. The Nominating Committee shall nominate two persons for each at-large director and one person for each office to be filled provided the nominees have consented to accept the nomination. The Secretary shall notify the voting membership of the slate of nominees by mail or email at least thirty (30) days prior to the date of the election.
c. The Secretary shall receive and place on the ballot additional nominations for officers or directors received in writing at least fifteen (15) days prior to the day the ballots are to be mailed, provided each such additional nomination is supported in writing by at least ten (10) voting members of the Chapter, excluding the Institute Member, and the nominee has consented in writing to accept the nomination.
5. The Secretary shall provide the Institute with the names of the newly elected Chapter Officers no later than November 1 or thirty (30) days after the date of election, whichever occurs first.
ARTICLE Vlll – REMOVAL OF OFFICERS OR DIRECTORS
In the event that an Officer or Director is deemed to be incapable of fulfilling the duties for which elected, but will not resign from office voluntarily, the Officer or Director may be removed from office under the following procedure:
1. A petition for the removal of such Officer or Director signed by not less than one-third of the voting membership or a majority of all Directors shall be filed with the President, or if the President is the subject of the petition, with the President Elect and shall specifically set forth the reasons for recommending removal of the individual from further service.
2. Upon receipt of the petition, and not less than twenty (20) days or more than forty-five (45) days thereafter, a special meeting of the voting Members of the Chapter shall be held, and the sole business of the meeting shall be to consider the charge against the Officer or Director and to render a decision on such petition.
3. Notice of the special meeting shall be mailed to all voting Members at least ten (10) days prior to the meeting, and shall be conducted by the President unless the President’s continued service in office is being considered at the meeting. In such case, the President Elect shall conduct the meeting of the Members. The Officer or Director who is the subject of the petition shall be permitted to appear and address the Members, either in person or through a representative. Provided a quorum is present, a three-fourths vote of members present and voting shall be required to approve the petition and remove the Officer or Director.
ARTICLE IX – COMMITTEES
1. There shall be a Nominating Committee appointed annually as provided in ARTICLE Vll of these Bylaws.
2. The following standing committees shall be established and
maintained:
a. Candidate Guidance
b. Public Relations (Designation Promotion)
c. Programs/Membership
d. Finance
3. The Chairman and all Members of these, and any other standing committees or subcommittees created, shall be appointed by the President with the advice and consent of the Board of Directors. Members of standing committees shall serve for a term of one (1) year. Each standing committee shall have at least three (3) members and each committee shall have at least one Candidate Member, if available to serve.
4. With the consent of the Board of Directors, the President may establish such special committees as may be determined necessary and appoint the Members thereof, including the Chairman. Each special committee and the terms of all Members thereof shall expire automatically on the anniversary date of its creation or when its purposes have been accomplished, whichever first occurs.
5. All committee members shall serve without compensation.
ARTICLE X – INDEMNIFICATION
The Chapter shall have the power and authority to indemnify and hold harmless to the full extent permitted by law any person who is or was a director, officer, employee or agent of the Chapter. In addition, the Chapter may purchase and maintain insurance on behalf of any person who is or was a director, officer, employee, or agent of the Chapter, against any liability asserted against such person and incurred in any such capacity, or arising out of such person’s status as such, regardless of whether the Chapter would have the power to indemnify against such liability.
ARTICLE XI – CONFLICT OF INTEREST POLICY
All members of the Board of Directors, Chapter Officers and Committee Members shall abide by the following:
All volunteer leaders (members of the Board of Directors, Chapter Officers and Committee Members) shall act reasonably and in the best interest of the Chapter and of the Institute at all times. This involves honesty and good faith. This also includes avoiding situations that have the appearance of conflict of interest including using influence through debate, vote, or action where an individual personally stands to benefit from that action. No volunteer shall vote or be a decision-maker with respect to any transaction between the Chapter and the volunteer where the volunteer or a family member or relative, have a direct or indirect interest in that transaction.
ARTICLE XII- BONDING
Any person entrusted with the handling of funds or payments of the Chapter, at the discretion of the Chapter, shall obtain and maintain a fidelity bond at the cost of the Chapter.
ARTICLE XIII – CHAPTER DISTRICTS
1. Any group of ten (10) or more Designee Members of the Chapter may petition the Board of Directors to form a District within the Chapter. The Board of Directors may authorize the establishment of such groups by adopting a resolution which provides for its name, jurisdictional boundaries, approval of proposed bylaws, method of conducting its affairs, the submission of periodic reports on its activities to the Board of Directors and the appointment of a temporary committee to arrange for the organizational meeting of the District.
2. The officers and majority of members of each District shall be members of the Institute.
3. The Chairman of each District shall serve as a non-voting member of the Board of Directors of the Chapter.
4. The Board of Directors shall not authorize Districts to engage in activities which are inconsistent with the Constitution of the Institute.
ARTICLE XIV- FISCAL YEAR
The fiscal year of the Chapter shall be January 1 through December 31.
ARTICLE XV- AMENDMENTS AND RESTRICTIONS ON CHAPTER POWER
1. The Designee Members of the Chapter may at any regular meeting, special meeting, or by mail ballot, amend the Chapter Bylaws, provided that all Designee Members have been notified by mail or email of the proposed Bylaws changes.
2. To become effective,
a. The vote of the Designee Members required under paragraph 1 of this Article shall be cast in person or by written secret ballot, provided the substance of the proposed amendment is included in the notice of the meeting and provided further that mail ballots shall not be counted in determining the presence of a quorum.
b. An amendment to these Bylaws must receive a favorable vote of two-thirds of the votes cast by the Designee Members present, and if so approved, a favorable vote of the Institute Member.
c. The vote of the Institute Member shall be cast by action of the Executive Vice President of the Institute upon receipt of the copy certified by the Secretary of the Chapter of the proposed amendment(s) as approved by the Designee Members.
d. No amendment to the Bylaws shall become effective until written notice is received that the Institute Member has voted favorably on it.
3. The Chapter shall not commit the Institute to any financial obligation unless such commitment is authorized in writing by the responsible Officers of the Institute.
4. The Chapter shall not speak for or act in the name of the Institute without the prior written approval of the responsible Officers of the Institute.
5. Since the Chapter is exempt as a trade association from federal taxation under Section 501 (c) (6) of the Internal Revenue Code, the Chapter shall not engage in any activities or take any action which will jeopardize exempt status.
