STANDING RULES OF
ARTICLE I -- NAME
1.1 The name of this organization shall be
FLOTILLA 03, 04 DISTRICT, 9W
ARTICLE II -- LIMITATIONS OF STANDING RULES
2.1 Any provision in these Standing Rules which
is in conflict with the current edition of the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary
Manual, COMDTINST M16790.1 (Series), and all amendments and additions thereto,
hereinafter referred to as the "MANUAL", Commandant Instructions and
Notices, the National Board Standing Rules, the District Standing Rules, and/or
the Division Standing Rules shall be null and void.
2.2 These standing rules are supplementary to
the policies and procedures established for the formation, operation,
membership, election or appointment of officers and disestablishment of the
Flotilla by the Manual or other appropriate Auxiliary requirements.
2.3 Nothing in these rules shall authorize the
Flotilla to take any action inconsistent with or not authorized by the Manual
or other policies of the Commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard.
ARTICLE III -- ORGANIZATION
3.1 The composition and purpose of the Flotilla
shall be as set forth in the Manual.
3.2 The duties of the elected and appointed
staff officers shall be as designated in the Manual and in any District
Instruction.
ARTICLE VI -- MEETINGS
4.1 The frequency, day, time and location of the
regular meetings shall be established by a majority vote, provided a quorum is
present, and shall remain fixed as such in ensuing years until duly changed in
the same manner.
4.2 Special meetings may be called by the
Flotilla Commander by notifying all members at least seven (7) days in advance
of such meeting, specifying the date, time, location, and purpose.
4.3 Unless otherwise provided in the Manual or
these Standing Rules, all business shall be conducted at meetings in accordance
with Robert's Rules of Order, as last revised.
ARTICLE V -- VOTING
5.1 Twenty-five percent (25%) of the eligible
voting members of the Flotilla shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of
business at any regular or special meeting of the Flotilla.
5.2 Unless a greater number than a majority for
specific action is required by these Standing Rules or by the Manual, a
majority of the voting members in attendance can carry a motion, provided a
quorum is present. Blank votes or abstentions do not count in the total for
determining the number of votes cast. One of the voting members must be the Flotilla
Commander or Flotilla Vice Commander. If neither Flotilla Commander or the
Flotilla Vice Commander is present, Flotilla business cannot be conducted.
5.3 Each eligible member of the Flotilla shall
have one vote.
5.4 Proxy and absentee voting shall not be
permitted.
5.5 Voting on routine matters shall normally be
by voice unless otherwise requested by a member or as provided in these
Standing Rules or by the Manual.
5.6 A closed ballot may be requested by any
member of the Flotilla and the request shall be honored without discussion.
ARTICLE VI -- ELECTION OF OFFICERS
6.1 The Flotilla shall hold an annual election
of officers for the ensuing year, usually at the November meeting but prior to
15 December and after the Division elections.
6.2 The Flotilla Commander shall appoint a
Nominating Committee at the regular meeting in the month of September of each
year. This Nominating committee shall select a nominee for each elective
Flotilla office to be filled for the next year, and determine if their
selectees are willing to serve.
6.3 The Flotilla members may direct the Flotilla
Commander to dispense with the appointment of a Nominating Committee in any
year. This is possible by a motion duly enacted with an affirmative vote by
two-thirds (2/3) of those present, with a quorum present. In this event, the
Flotilla Commander shall not appoint a Nominating Committee in that year and
all nominations to fill elective Flotilla offices for the next year shall be
made from the floor.
6.4 The election of officers shall be by written
ballot unless only one member is nominated to each elective office, in which
event the Secretary may be directed by a voice vote to cast a single ballot on
behalf of the members.
6.5 To be elected, a candidate must receive a
majority vote of the voting members in attendance. If there are more than two
candidates for an office and after two votes, no candidate receives enough
votes for election, the candidate receiving the least number of votes shall be
dropped from the next ballot until only two candidates remain. In the event of
three (3) successive tie votes, the moderator shall place all the ballots cast
on the third vote into a container, blindly select one ballot from the
container, have the ballots minus the withdrawn vote re-counted, and announce
the winner.
6.6 All notices of any election meeting must be
given to the Division Captain at least fifteen (15) days prior to the election
meeting.
6.7 Election of officers shall be so organized
that if the Flotilla Commander is a candidate for office or is unable to act as
moderator, a member of the
6.8 Upon completion of the election, all ballots
shall be destroyed by the moderator without revealing the count of any closed
ballot.
ARTICLE VII -- REMOVAL FROM OFFICE
7.1 Any elected flotilla officer may be
recommended for removal from the office to which elected by an affirmative vote
of three-quarters (3/4) of the members present and voting at a meeting in which
a quorum is present. A full and fair hearing shall be conducted with the
accused and the accuser present, provided written notice of said meeting and
the charges is sent ten (10) days in advance to all those entitled to vote and
the Division Captain. Recommendation for removal may only be for cause which
brings discredit upon the Coast Guard or the Coast Guard Auxiliary and is
addressed to the Coast Guard District Commander through the Division Captain,
District Commodore and Director of Auxiliary.
ARTICLE VIII -- FINANCES
8.1 The annual Flotilla dues shall be the sum of
money fixed by a majority vote at a regular or special meeting of the Flotilla,
at which 7 days prior written notice of the meeting and intent were given, and
shall remain fixed at such sum in ensuing years until otherwise duly changed by
the Flotilla.
8.2 The annual dues, including Flotilla,
Division, District, and National, shall be levied on each member on a calendar
year basis and shall be payable during the month of October for the following
calendar year. First year dues for new members shall be prorated as determined
by District policy and shall be submitted with the enrollment application.
8.3 No member who is separated from the
Auxiliary by reason of resignation, or otherwise, shall be entitled to a refund
of dues paid.
8.4 The Flotilla Finance Officer shall be the
custodian of all Flotilla funds. With the consent of the Flotilla Commander,
the Finance Officer shall establish an account with a federally insured banking
institution in a location convenient to the Finance Officer.
8.5 All Flotilla funds, other than small cash
sums in the process of collection, shall be deposited in this account which
shall be known as "U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary, Flotilla 04-03". All
withdrawals shall be by check only.
8.6 The Flotilla Commander or the Vice Flotilla
Commander when acting in the absence of the Flotilla Commander, is authorized
to approve payment of all routine obligations as set forth in the approved
flotilla budget. Routine obligations include those incurred by the Flotilla in
conjunction with carrying out officially adopted policy of the Flotilla and
payments within the limits of the budget. This includes, but is not limited to:
Purchases and engraving of authorized awards; Publishing costs of newsletter,
and notices; Purchase of public education and training materials; Purchase of
flags, pennants and Auxiliary uniform accessories; Bills for Flotilla functions;
Division, District and National Dues; Other expenditures authorized in the
Flotilla Budget
8.7 The Flotilla Commander or in his or her absence,
the Flotilla Vice Commander, may authorize emergency expenditures not exceeding
a total of one hundred dollars in any one calendar month and direct the Finance
Officer to pay them. A full report of such emergency expenditures shall be made
to the Flotilla at its next meeting.
8.8 The Flotilla may, upon motion duly made and
carried, set aside separate funds from the general funds to enable committee chairpersons
of Flotilla functions to carry out their committee functions. The Flotilla
Commander may authorize payment of bills from these funds. When the fund is
depleted, no further bill may be authorized for payment without prior approval
of the Flotilla.
8.9 All other obligation, regardless of amount,
will be considered as special obligations. Authorization to incur special
obligations and requests for the appropriation of Flotilla funds must be
submitted to the Flotilla for approval by duly filed and considered motions,
except as otherwise provided by this article.
8.10 All disbursements of Flotilla funds shall
be by check, signed by the Finance Officer and/or the Flotilla Commander.
8.11 The Finance Officer will make a financial
report at each regular meeting of the Flotilla. The report will include all
receipts and expenditures since the last financial report and the balance of
funds remaining as of the day preceding the day of the meeting. Any emergency
expenditures authorized by the Flotilla Commander, included in the reported
expenditures, shall be so designated in the report.
8.12 The chairperson of any duly appointed
committee which spends flotilla funds will furnish the Flotilla Finance Office
a monthly statement of the financial transactions of the committee. The
chairperson will provide the Flotilla Finance Officer, within (30) days of
completion of the committees activity, with the remaining funds and a complete
financial report.
8.13 The flotilla members may vote to have the
Finance Officer bonded in favor of the Flotilla. The amount is to be determined
by the Flotilla and the cost of the bond paid for by the Flotilla.
8.14 When a new Finance Officer is appointed the
retiring Finance Officer shall promptly deliver all Flotilla funds, books, and
records to the new Finance Officer.
8.15 The funds, books and records of the
Flotilla shall be examined by the Audit Committee yearly and on change of
Finance Officers.
ARTICLE IX -- CONTRACTS
9.1 All licenses and agreements for the use of
real property as well as contracts for the expenditure of Flotilla funds as may
be authorized by a vote of the Flotilla, shall be approved by the District
Staff Officer-Legal (DSO-LP or an attorney designated from the National Legal
Affairs staff), before signing and shall be signed only by the Flotilla
Commander or the Division Captain in the absence of the Flotilla Commander.
ARTICLE X -- COMMITTEES
10.1 Standing Committees and Special Committees
consisting of any number of members may be appointed by the Flotilla Commander.
He or she shall designate the chairperson of the committees and outline the objectives
to be accomplished. If desired, individuals may be appointed as a
committee-of-one.
10.2 The Flotilla Commander shall appoint an
Audit Committee before the regular meeting of the Flotilla in the month of October
each year. The committee shall examine and audit the books and records of the
Flotilla Finance Officer and Material Officer for the preceding year and shall
report their findings at the next regular meeting of the Flotilla.
10.3 The Flotilla Commander shall appoint a
Budget Committee at or before the regular meeting in the month of January of
each year. This committee shall prepare a budget with the assistance of the
Flotilla Financial and Materials Officers and submit the budget to the Flotilla
within 2 months.
10.4 The Flotilla Commander may appoint an
Awards Committee to review and make recommendations to the Flotilla for the
recognition of individuals and groups for special recognition by the Flotilla,
Division, District, or the
10.5 The Flotilla Commander may appoint a Past
Commanders Committee composed of active Past Flotilla Commanders and Vice
Commanders. The chairperson shall be the Immediate Past Flotilla Commander. If
the IPFC is unable to serve, the Flotilla Commander will appoint another Past
Flotilla Commander as Chairperson. The primary purpose of the committee is to
consider all matters referred to it by the Flotilla Commander and other matters
that are of interest to the Flotilla. The committee's recommendations will be
made in writing directly to the Flotilla Commander.
10.6 The Flotilla Commander shall be an
ex-officio member of all committees.
ARTICLE XI -- PROCEDURE FOR RELIEF OF OFFICERS
11.1 It will be the duty of each elected and
appointed officer, at the end of the term of office, to deliver to the
successor, all current materials, supplies and records pertaining to the
office. The officer being relieved shall assist in effecting an orderly
transfer of the administrative function of the office, including but not limited
to the briefing of the successor on the procedures to be followed and the forms
to be completed and submitted.
ARTICLE XII -- AMENDMENTS
12.1 These Standing Rules may be amended at any
flotilla meeting, at which fourteen (14) days prior written notice of the
meeting and proposed amendment are given, by an affirmative vote of two-thirds
(2/3) of the voting members, provided a quorum is present.
12.2 Amendments shall become effective upon
approval of the Director of Auxiliary unless the amendment provides for a later
effective date.
ARTICLE XIII -- APPROVAL
These Standing Rules were adopted on the 9th
day of October, 2008 by a majority vote of the Flotilla members and become
effective upon approval by the Director of Auxiliary.
____________________________
Flotilla Commander
Attest: ____________________________
Secretary
Approved: ______________
____________________________
Date Division Captain
Approved: ______________
____________________________
Date District Staff
Officer-Legal
Approved: ______________
____________________________
Date District
Commodore
Approved: ______________
____________________________
Date Director of
Auxiliary