Bylaws

ARTICLE 1

NAME: The name of the Association shall be Mobile Claims Association.

ARTICLE 2

The object of the Association shall be:

  • (a) To insure better understanding and to promote professionalism among claims people.
  • (b) To promote a feeling of good will, friendship, cooperation and understanding between the members.
  • (c) To provide an organization to facilitate an interchange of ideas and information on subjects of common interest.
  • (d) To provide programs to keep the memberships in touch with new developments of general interest.
  • (e) To assist each member to enable himself to render his Company better and more valuable services.
  • (f) To bring about more uniform treatment of common problems affecting all members without binding any member to adhere to a plan incompatible with the best interest of his Company because of particular circumstances.
  • (g) To adopt a Code of Ethics for the conduct of our profession.

ARTICLE 3

MEMBERSHIP :

  • (a) Active Membership shall be composed of persons who devote their full time to investigation, appraisal and/or adjustment of insurance claims and losses, who are acceptable to the Association and located in the metropolitan Mobile area. In addition, Associate members, including attorneys, rehabilitation specialists, private investigators, contractors, body shop repairmen and other vendors and supporting industries become eligible for active membership after that individual has been a dues paying member of the Association for more than three (3) years.
  • (b) Active Non-Resident Membership shall be composed of persons who devote their full time to investigation, appraisal and /or adjustment of insurance claims and losses, who are acceptable to the Association and are located outside the metropolitan Mobile area, excluding any salaried adjuster of any members Company.
  • (c) Associate Membership shall be composed of persons engaged in insurance work as follows: attorneys, rehabilitation specialist, private investigators, contractors, and body shop repairman and vendors of other supporting industries who have been members of the association for less than three (3) years. Associate members shall be acceptable to the association and located in the Metropolitan Mobile area. Upon the written request of any member of the Association, the Officers shall consider the suggestion that a member be expelled, and upon unanimous vote of the Officers the matter will be submitted to the Association. Upon a two-thirds vote of the membership, the member shall be expelled. Any appeal by the offended shall be made to the entire Association at a meeting within sixty (60) days of the expulsion, and a majority of the membership present and voting shall be required to ratify or overrule the findings of the purposed expulsion.

ARTICLE 4

OFFICERS: The officers of the Association shall be the President, Vice-President, Secretary, Treasurer and Sergeant of Arms. Any active member shall be eligible to hold office. Any active Associate Member shall be eligible to hold the office of Secretary.

ARTICLE 5

MEETING: There shall be a regular meeting of the Association on the second Tuesday in each month, unless otherwise ordered by a majority vote of the members present. There are no regular meetings held in July, August and December. The regular annual meeting shall be the May meeting. A called meeting may be held upon the written request of a majority of the Active Members of the Association.

ARTICLE 6

DUTIES:

  • (a)The President shall preside at all meetings of the Association. He may call a special meeting of the Association whenever such meetings seem to him necessary or advisable. He shall call special meetings at any time upon the written request of a majority of the active members of the association. He shall have no vote except in the case of a tie.
  • (b)The Vice-President shall perform the duties of the President when the later is absent or incapacitated. He shall be in charge of the Mobile Claims Association Directory and shall be in charge of making arrangements for the bar at each meeting.
  • (c)The Secretary shall notify the Membership of the time and places of all regular meetings: shall take minutes of all regular meeting; shall handle correspondence for and no behalf of the Association:; shall obtain membership applications from prospective members; and shall perform all duties incidental to the office of the Secretary.
  • (d)The Treasurer shall collect and be the custodian of the dues and any other monies that comes to the Association; shall disburse the funds in accordance with the direction of the vote of the membership; shall perform all other duties ordinarily incidental to the office of the Treasurer. Dues or revenue collected by the Treasurer shall be deposited to the Association’s account in a bank designated by the Officers, and such funds shall be withdrawn only upon the direction of the Officers, by check signed by the Treasurer.
  • (e)The Sergeant of Arms shall be responsible for seeing that order is maintained during the meetings and shall have the right to request a person to leave if necessary. He shall perform any other duties as assigned to him by the President.

ARTICLE 7

ELECTION OF OFFICERS: The Officers of the Association shall be elected at the May meeting of each year.

The newly elected officers shall be installed at the first meeting in June following the election. The Term of office of each Officer shall be for one year, or until a successor is chosen. If a vacancy shall occur, the President shall appoint a replacement, except for the office of President and then the Vice-President would become President.

The President of the Association shall appoint a nominating committee at least thirty (30) days in advance of the regular meeting in June for the purpose of presenting to the Association recommended Officers for the coming year. Nominations will be accepted from the floor provided the nominee has given his written consent to serve if elected. The election shall be by secret ballot, and the vote of the majority of those present shall elect. In the event of only one nominee to an office, voice vote will be allowed for that office.

ARTICLE 8

DUES/FISCAL YEAR: The dues of the Association for all classes of members shall be fixed by the recommendations of the Officers and upon a majority vote of the members of the Association present and voting. The dues shall be per person. The dues are payable on the first day of September; a second notice shall be given in the regular newsletter sent out by the Secretary for the October meeting; those members who have not paid dues by the first day of November shall be dropped from the membership of the Association.

ARTICLE 9

GUESTS: Any member and their invited guests shall have all of the privileges of the meeting and social functions of the Association. A guest is limited to the following classes:

  • (a) A speaker invited to a particular meeting as a guest of the Association
  • (b) An out-of-town person who is employed by the same company as a member of the Association and visiting or working temporarily in the Mobile area.
  • (c) A person not residing in metropolitan Mobile who is a member of a claims association in another city.
  • (d) A person residing in the Mobile area who is eligible for membership in the Mobile Claims Association.
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  • (d) A person residing in the Mobile area who is eligible for membership in the Mobile Claims Association.

ARTICLE 10

DONATION: No monies shall be spent on any functions other than those exclusively sponsored by the Association.

ARTICLE 11

AMENDMENTS: Amendments to these By-Laws shall be submitted to the Secretary at least thirty (30) days in advance of any regular meeting. The secretary shall notify members of such proposals in the next newsletter so that members may be aware of such proposal prior to the meeting said proposal would be discussed and voted upon. An affirmative two-thirds vote of the members present and voting on the proposed Amendment shall be necessary for said proposed Amendment’s acceptance.

ARTICLE 12

PARLIAMENTARY PROCEDURES: Robert’s Rule of Order, Newly Revised shall be the parliamentary authority for all matters of procedure for this Association not specifically covered by its By-Laws.

Last update: 9/2021