WHEREAS,

Consultants Forum of Central Illinois was established to contribute to the personal, economic and social development of its members through a variety of activities designed for those purposes while at the same time participating in and encouraging its members to participate in activities which benefit the entire community of Central Illinois.

THEREFORE,

Consultants Forum of Central Illinois shall provide a forum for its members to interact in professional and social situations allowing its members to exchange information with each other as to their respective professional offerings in order to facilitate the possibility of referrals to one another.

ARTICLE I

OFFICERS AND OFFICE

The organization shall maintain officers in the following capacities: President, Vice-President, Secretary and Treasurer.

The Officers shall keep correct books of account of the activities and transactions of the Organization, including a minute book, a copy of these by-laws, and all minutes of meetings for their respective position.

ARTICLE II

DUTIES OF OFFICERS

Section 1. Each officer is responsible for his or her duties being performed at each meeting and is obligated to secure a member to take over his or her duties in the event that they will be absent from a scheduled meeting.

Section 2. The President shall preside at meetings and generally guide the affairs of the organization. The President shall be responsible for personally welcoming each new member into the Organization. The President may appoint any committees as he or she shall deem necessary for the operations of the organization

Section 3. The Vice-President shall act in the President’s absence. The Vice-President’s duties shall include welcoming guests and explaining the purpose and operation of the organization. The Vice-President shall be responsible to insure that every regular meeting shall include a member spotlight, relevant topic for discussion or speaker.

Section 4. The Secretary shall record attendance, keep minutes of meetings and keep an active roll of members. The Secretary shall also disseminate Minutes of the previous month’s meeting to the webmaster and webmaster shall post said Minutes of the meeting on the website within ten (10) days. The Secretary shall receive membership applications and retain said records.

Section 5. The Treasurer shall collect dues and other fees, keep the financial records of the Organization, pay duly approved expenses of the organization and report monthly to the membership on the financial condition of the organization.

ARTICLE III

MEETINGS

The organization shall meet on the first Thursday of each month as its regular meeting at a time and place determined by the members, and both may be changed, if not satisfactory, by a vote of a quorum of members present at a regularly scheduled meeting. Should the first Thursday of any particular month fall upon a holiday or otherwise be determined by a majority of the officers to be an impractical meeting date, the regular meeting for that month will be held on the second Thursday of that particular month.

ARTICLE IV

ELECTIONS

Section 1. Officers shall be elected by a majority of the members present at the last meeting in November. For these purposes, a quorum shall be one half of the members present at any time.

Section 2. Officers shall serve for two years. There are no restrictions on the number of terms that may be held. Officers must be members in good standing.

Section 3. An Election Committee shall be appointed no later than October of election years; such committee shall verify the acceptance of nominees and present all nominees who accept nomination on a ballot at the regular meeting in November.

Section 4. Members may nominate candidates for office through the Election Committee prior to the November meeting. Nominees need not be present at the meeting and may not run for more than one office.

Section 5. Unopposed nominees shall be declared the winning candidate.

Section 6. Voting shall be conducted by secret ballot at the regular meeting in November. The candidate receiving the most votes shall be declared winner. Spoiled ballots will not be counted. If more than two or more candidates tie for most votes received there shall be a runoff between the candidates with the most votes; if, after such runoff, two or more candidates are tied for the most votes received, a blind drawing shall determine the winner. The election shall be completed by close of business at the November meeting.

Section 7. Members in good standing but not in attendance may designate another member as their proxy delegate. A proxy delegate must present a statement signed by the member designating him/her as their agent prior to the election. Once a member gives proxy, the vote belongs to the delegate and may be cast as the delegate deems appropriate. Such proxy shall apply only to votes cast for the election of officers, and shall expire upon adjournment of the election meeting.

ARTICLE V

MEMBERSHIP

Section 1. Membership shall be limited to 50 persons; however, the limit may be adjusted at any time by a majority vote of a quorum of the members.

Section 2. One representative shall be sought for each business or profession. Membership in this organization shall preclude the inclusion of another individual from any other like business or organization. Exceptions may be made by a majority vote of a quorum of the members only when there is a written consent from a member or members who currently represent a particular business of profession or business that may be duplicated in the organization.

Section 3. Members shall represent and/or promote only their business or profession of record at any recognized Consultant’s Forum meeting or event. Exceptions to this are: occasional promotion of area events which do not infringe upon another Member.

ARTICLE VI

NEW MEMBERS AND VOTING PROCEDURES

Section 1. Any member may sponsor a prospective member and shall present him or her to the membership as a potential member at any regular meeting. Prospective members may attend no more than two (2) regular meeting as a guest. The sponsor shall ensure the prospective member’s Application for Membership is submitted.

Section 2. The sponsoring member shall be responsible for having the prospective member provide an application for membership. This information shall be presented to all members present for the meeting at which the prospective member is introduced.

Section 3. The application for membership by the prospective member shall be voted on at the next regularly scheduled meeting and acceptance requires the majority of the quorum present (50% +1). Voting may be by secret ballot or by voice votes.

ARTICLE VII

FUNDS

Section 1. The funds of the Organization shall be deposited as may be designated by the Officers. Such deposit shall be made subject to withdrawal on the signature of the Treasurer and President or their designee.

Section 2. The funds of the Organization shall be disbursed only pursuant to an approved budget or other resolution of the members, but any depository of such funds so designated shall be fully protected in acting upon the orders for withdrawal, including checks, drafts, and other customary banking orders, signed in accordance with the provisions of Section 1 of this Article of the Bylaws or duly certified Organizational resolutions.

Section 3. The Officers may take such appropriate steps including bonding to insure the fidelity of those indicated by the Officers.

ARTICLE VIII

DUES AND FINES

Section 1. There shall be annual dues, the amount to be determined by the Organization membership. Dues are to be billed by the Treasurer in November and are due by December 31^st. Dues shall be pro-rated for new members who join between billing cycles. Such dues are to be deposited in the organizations bank account. Members who fail to pay their dues by December 31st shall be considered delinquent and the member shall not be in good standing. In no case are dues refundable once paid.

Section 2. There may be other special assessments on members as may be determined by a vote of the majority of quorum present. The fee for attending the annual holiday meeting for each individual member shall be paid from the funds of the organization provided the member is not delinquent on their dues or otherwise not in good standing

ARTICLE IX

DELINQUENT MEMBERS

Section 1. A member delinquent in their dues will not be considered an active member entitled to vote or attend any function of the organization. If, after being contacted in writing by the Treasurer, the member does not immediately pay in full the dues within 10 days, the member’s affiliation in the Organization will be deemed forfeited.

Section 2. Any member who misses 6 meetings in a 12-month period will be notified in writing by the Secretary of the member’s status. If said member then misses a seventh meeting in a 12-month period, the member will be deemed to have forfeited their membership.

Section 3. A member who has been deemed to have forfeited their membership can be reinstated by paying a $100.00 reinstatement fee with 30 days of their forfeiture as long as any other unpaid dues or assessments are also paid at that time and their respective profession is open.

Section 4. It shall be the duty of the Secretary to keep an attendance record. In the event of a dispute concerning attendance, the records kept by the Secretary shall be conclusive and shall determine the status of the members.

Section 5. Any member may obtain a leave of absence from active participation in the functions and purposes of the organization for any reasonable cause, and Sections 1, 2, 3 and 4 of this article shall not apply; provided, this section will have application only upon the approval of a quorum of the members.

ARTICLE X

GENERAL

Section 1. Any person dealing with the Organization, or its property in reliance upon any instrument executed in accordance with these Bylaws or duly certified Organization resolutions shall be fully protected thereby, and shall be under no duty to inquire as to the authority of the person executing such instruments.

Section 2. Each and every member is expected to conduct their professional and personal affairs in an ethical manner. Failure to adhere to ethical conduct shall be grounds for revocation of membership in the organization by a majority vote of a quorum of the members.

ARTICLE XI

AMENDMENT AND ADDITIONS

Section 1. These Bylaws may be amended or repealed or new By-laws may be adopted at any regular or special meeting of the members, at which a quorum is present, by majority vote

Section 2. The members may adopt additional rules and regulations, general or specific, for the conduct of its meetings, and additional rules and regulations, general or specific, for the conduct of the affairs of the Organization.