Masters Section

ARTICLE I. NAME

This section shall be known as The Masters Section of the Macomb County Bar Association (“MCBA”).

ARTICLE II. OBJECTIVES

The objectives and purposes of the Masters Section (MS) shall include:

• Serve as a vehicle for veteran lawyers to interact through:

1. 1. Social meetings
   2. Substantive meetings on planned topics
   3. Implementation of programs as set forth below

• Establish a mentoring program with Masters Section members, as mentors, and Young Lawyers Section members and law students, as mentees
• Recommend to the MCBA Board of Directors events or programs honoring selected Masters Section members or other veteran lawyers for achievements
• Coordinate memorial programs for deceased members on annual or other regular basis
• Establish programs to assist lawyers with retirement, disability or other practice wind-down issues
• Other programs or activities as determined by the Masters Section which are not in conflict with, and as are recommended to and as are approved by, the MCBA Board of Directors

 

ARTICLE III. MEMBERSHIP

 

SECTION 1. ELIGIBILITY.  Every attorney who is a member in good standing in the MCBA and the State Bar of Michigan and who is a minimum of fifty-five (55) years of age and has been licensed to practice law for at least thirty (30) years, is a member of the Masters Section as of the June 30 in which the member reaches his or her 55^th birthday.

 

SECTION 2.  WAIVER.  A member in good standing of the MCBA and the State Bar of Michigan as set forth in Section 1 above, may make application to the Board of Directors of MS to be included as a member of the Masters Section, although, he/she has not attained the age of 55 years and/or has not been licensed to practice law for at least thirty (30) years as set forth in Section 1 above.  Such application shall be reviewed by the Board of Directors of MS and upon an affirmative vote of the majority of the Members of the Board of Directors of MS, present at the meeting when such application is considered, may grant a waiver of the age and/or years of practice requirements, and such applicant shall become a member of the Masters Section.

 

 

ARTICLE IV. OFFICERS

 

SECTION 1. OFFICERS.  The officers of the Masters Section shall include a Chair, Chair-Elect, Secretary, Treasurer, and the Immediate Past Chair.

 

SECTION 2. QUALIFICATIONS.  To be eligible to hold office, a person, at the time of the election, must be a member in good standing of the Masters Section.

 

SECTION 3. TERM OF OFFICE.  The term of office shall begin on July 1 and shall be completed on June 30 each year.

 

SECTION 4. VACANCIES.  The Board of Directors, by a simple majority vote at any Masters Section meeting, may fill a vacancy for the remainder of an unexpired term; however, any vacancy for the position of Chair shall be filled by the person holding the position of Chair-Elect.

 

Section 5. CHAIR.  The Chair shall be the chief officer of the Masters Section, who presides and schedules all Masters Section Board of Directors meetings.  In the absence of the Secretary at a meeting of the Board of Directors, the Chair will appoint a Director to take minutes.

 

Subject to approval of the Masters Section Board of Directors and Article IV, Section 4 relating to a vacancy of the position of the Chairperson, the Chairperson may nominate and/or accept nominations of Masters Section members of MCBA interested in filling a vacancy on the Board of Directors.

 

SECTION 6. CHAIR-ELECT.  The Chair-Elect shall assist the Chair in the planning and coordination of the projects and activities of the Masters Section and shall perform the other duties incident to the office.  The Chair-Elect shall automatically succeed to the office of Chair at the conclusion of the term of Chair-Elect.  In the event the Chair-Elect succeeds to the office of Chair prior to the expiration of the term as Chair-Elect, he/she shall continue in the office of Chair through the full term of office that he/she would otherwise have served.

 

SECTION 7. SECRETARY.  The Secretary shall keep all minutes and records of meetings of the Masters Section Board of Directors, and prepare agendas for each meeting of the Board of Directors, as well as the other duties incident to office.  The Secretary shall automatically succeed to the office of Chair-Elect at the conclusion of the term of Secretary.

 

SECTION 8. TREASURER.  The Treasurer shall maintain current information as to the financial affairs of the Masters Section as well as the other duties incident to office.  The Treasurers shall automatically succeed to the office of Secretary at the conclusion of the term of Treasurer.

 

SECTION 9. DIRECTORS.  There shall be four (4) positions for Director.

 

 

ARTICLE  V.   BOARD  OF  DIRECTORS

 

SECTION 1. MEMBERS.  The Board of Directors shall consist of a Chair, Chair-Elect, Secretary, Treasurer, Directors (4), and Immediate Past Chair.  The MS Board of Directors shall make all decisions advancing the objectives of the section.

 

SECTION 2. NOMINATION.  The Board of Directors shall determine procedures for election by the general membership.

 

SECTION 3. TERMS.  Unless otherwise provided in these bylaws, the term of office for any position of the Board of Directors of the Masters Section of the MCBA shall run from July 1 through June 30.

 

SECTION 4. IMMEDIATE PAST CHAIR.  The Immediate Past Chair shall be a member of the Board of Directors of the Masters Section with full voting rights.

 

SECTION 5. MEETINGS.  The elected members of the Masters Section Board of Directors shall take office on July 1.  Regular meetings of the Masters Section Board of Directors shall be held at least four times each year in Macomb County or at such other times and places as the Masters Section Board of Directors shall designate.  Special meetings may be called by the Chair, either upon his/her own initiative or upon written request of two-thirds of the Masters Section Board of Directors and shall be held at the time and place designated by the Chair.

 

SECTION 6. ATTENDANCE.  All Members of the MS Board are expected to attend all regular and special meetings of the Board.  Should a member of the Board be absent without reasonable excuse for two consecutive meetings or for a total of three unexcused absences in any fiscal year, as determined by the Board of Directors, the following shall be the procedure and protocol which shall apply with respect to removal of a Director.

 

1. Upon motion made, supported and carried at any meeting of the Board, a notice of intent to remove will be sent to the affected Member of the Board stating the dates of the meetings missed and the date of the next meeting at which the Board of Directors may consider removal.

 

1. The MS Board of Directors, after notice pursuant to Section (a) above, may remove the Director.

 

SECTION 7.  All vacancies on the MS Board of Directors shall be filled by the Board.  Any person elected to fill such vacancy will serve out the remainder of the term or office vacated.

 

SECTION 8. QUORUM.  At any meeting of the Masters Section Board of Directors, a quorum of the Masters Section Board of Directors shall consist of a simple majority of its members entitled to vote at such meeting.  In the event that a quorum is not present at any meeting, the members present may proceed with the business of the meeting as if a quorum were present and their acts shall become authorized when, and if, said acts are ratified in writing by enough absent members entitled to vote and those members entitled to vote who were present at the meeting, together which shall constitute a majority of the Board of Directors.

 

SECTION 9. VOTING.  Each Board of Directors member eligible to vote is entitled to one vote on each matter submitted to vote.  The vote shall be cast orally.  Any action to be taken by a vote of the Board shall be authorized by a majority of the votes cast by Board members entitled to vote.

 

 

ARTICLE VI. GENERAL MEMBERSHIP

 

SECTION 1. ANNUAL MEETING:  At least one (1) annual membership meeting will be held each year.

 

SECTION 2. VOTE:  All members of the Masters Section are entitled to vote for the Board of Directors.

 

 

ARTICLE VII.    RATIFICATION, AMENDMENT, AND  DISSOLUTION

 

SECTION 1. AMENDMENT.  These bylaws may be amended by two-thirds vote of the members of the Masters Section present and voting at any meeting and such amendment shall be effective upon approval of the MCBA Board of Directors which shall become effective on the date of MCBA Board of Directors approval.  The bylaws shall not conflict with MCBA bylaws and should any provision be found in conflict with the MCBA bylaws that provision shall be invalid however, such invalidity shall not affect the validity of the remaining provisions of the bylaws and the conflicting provision shall be stricken.

 

SECTION 2. PUBLICATION.  All proposed amendments shall be submitted in writing to the Masters Section Board of Directors by any member of the Masters Section  and shall follow the procedures set forth in the MCBA bylaws.