CENTRAL FLORIDA ASSOCIATION FOR MARRIAGE AND FAMILY THERAPY BY-LAWS
REVISED AS OF APRIL 8, 2024
ARTICLE I. Name, Organizational Structure and Relationship
Section 1. The name of this organization shall be the Central Florida Association for Marriage and Family Therapy (CFAMFT) affiliated with the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy (AAMFT).
Section 2. Offices of the Association shall be located in Central Florida and/or such other localities as may be determined by the Board of Directors.
ARTICLE II. Purposes
Section 1. The purposes for which the Chapter is formed are as follows:
- To promote the common professional interests of those who are marriage and family therapists.
Section 2. To further the objectives of the Association by conferences. clinical sessions, publications, research in the field, and other relevant activities.
ARTICLE III. Membership
Section 1. Membership and participation in the Association will be voluntary.
Members must be licensed in the State of Florida by the 491 Board or be a Registered Intern regulated by the 491 Board or be enrolled in an accredited graduate counseling or mental health program. Voting members and officers of the Board shall have a Florida license regulated by the 491 Board.
While we do not require Board members to hold an LMFT license, we are systemic thinkers in theory and practice, viewing an individual’s behavior as being influenced by one’s wider environment, family, and support system. As such, we encourage our educational presentations and monthly offerings to be taught through this systems perspective. Additionally, the Board agreed on 10/5/23 that 75% of the Executive Board members (President, President-Elect, Secretary, Treasurer, and Past President) shall hold an LMFT license. As of October 2023, our Executive Board meets this requirement.
ARTICLE IV. Dues
Section1. Members and attendees may be charged fees for continuing education units on an individual workshop or seasonal/annual subscription basis. Other fundraising activities such as tickets to social events are also permitted.
ARTICLE V. Elections of Officers within the Association
Section 1. The Officers of the Chapter shall be a President, a President-Elect, a Secretary, a Treasurer and a Past-President.
Section 2. The President shall serve a term of two (2) years, preceded by a term of two (2) years as President-Elect. The President shall be the Chief Officer of the Association and of the Board and shall perform such duties as are customary for presiding officers, including making all required appointments with the approval of the Board. The President also shall serve as a member ex-officio with the right to vote on all committees except the Elections Committee. Additionally, the Association President will work with Board and interface with Florida Family Therapy Alliance for support and consultation in the responsible management of the Association.
Section 3. The President-Elect shall serve a term of two (2) years, succeeding to the office of President upon completion of that term. The President-Elect shall serve as Presiding Officer of the Association and Board, or any other relevant duties, during the absence of the President.
Section 4. The Secretary shall serve a term of two (2) years. The Secretary shall keep the records of all business meetings of the Chapter and meetings of the Board, and shall direct the distribution of minutes, reports, and correspondence as authorized by these bylaws and by the Board.
Section 5. The Treasurer shall serve a term of two (2) years. The Treasurer shall be Chairperson of the Finance Committee, shall oversee the management of the funds for duly authorized purposes of the Chapter, and shall prepare the Annual report to the membership. The fiscal year of the Chapter shall begin on January 1.
Section 6. The Past President shall serve a term of one (1) year immediately following completion of the term of office as President.
Section 7. If any Officer ceases to perform his or her duties or fails to remain in good standing with the 491 Board, the CFAMFT Board shall declare his or her office to be vacant. Officers shall be assumed to have resigned from office at such time if they relocate outside of the State of Florida.
Section 8. If any office, other than President or President-Elect becomes vacant, the President with the approval of the Board of Directors may appoint individuals to fill vacancies on the Board. In the event that the President is unable to complete the current term of office, the President-Elect shall assume the Presidential duties and office, and a special election shall be called to elect a new President-Elect through an electronic ballot by the voting membership. In the event that the President-Elect is unable to complete the current term of office, a special election shall be called to elect a successor through electronic ballot by the voting membership. In any event, the term of the presidency shall not be for less than two (2) years and not more than three (3) years.
Section 9. If an officer of the Association ceases to be in good standing or fails to attend three consecutive meetings of the Board, his or her position as an Officer shall be declared vacant by the Board.
Section 10. The Executive Committee shall be composed of the Elected Officers and the Past-President. The Executive Committee (President, President Elect, Treasurer, Secretary, and Past President) shall be empowered to act on behalf of the Board of Directors at regular Board Meetings (or other special meetings) and with limitations established by the Board of Directors.
ARTICLE VI. Board of Directors.
Section 1. The Board of Directors shall consist of the Officers, three (3) Members at Large and a Student-Representative; all must be members of CFAMFT in good standing. Members in Board positions shall serve two (2) year terms, staggered so that at least one Board member shall be replaced as needed. The Student Representative shall serve no more than a two (2) year term. The Election Committee Chairperson shall not be a member of the Board of Directors.
Section 2. The Board of Directors shall exercise all powers of the Association, except as specifically prohibited by these bylaws. The Board of Directors shall be authorized to adopt and publish such policies, procedures, and rules as may be necessary and consistent with these bylaws and to exercise authority over all Association business and funds.
Section 3. The Board of Directors shall meet at the call of the President monthly or at the written request of at least three (3) members of the Board directed to the Secretary. A quorum shall consist of no less than one-half of the membership of the Board at any given time. Each member of the Board shall be entitled to one (1) vote and may take part and vote.
Section 4. If any member of the Board fails to attend three consecutive meetings of the Board, his or her position on the Board shall be declared vacant at the discretion of the President. The position may remain vacant or the Board may appoint a successor to serve the remainder of the unexpired term, except that vacancies in the offices of President and President-Elect shall be filled in accordance with the provisions of Article 4, Section 8.
ARTICLE VII. Committees/ Task Forces/ Councils
Section 1. The Standing Committees of the Chapter shall include the following: Finance, Membership, Legislative, Continuing Education Committee, Elections Committee, Information Technology Committee, Newsletter Committee, Holiday Breakfast Committee, Ethics and Diversity and such other committees as shall be authorized by the Board of Directors. The committees are responsible to the Board of Directors.
Section 2.
- All Committee chairpersons shall be Association members in good standing. Members of committees may be removed by the President with the approval of the Board, for malfeasance or non-performance of duties.
b. The President, with the approval of the Board, shall appoint a chairperson for each standing committee, except as otherwise provided by these bylaws. - Membership Committee
The Membership Committee Chair shall be appointed by the President and be responsible for dispensing information on Association membership requirements and application procedures to potential members as well as retention activities for current members.
The Membership Committee chair will work on recruitment and retention activities in collaboration with FFTA as needed.
- Legislative Committee
The President, with approval of the Board, shall appoint a Legislative Committee chair who shall appoint a committee to maintain contact with the offices of local, state, and federal legislators. The chair will report to the Association on any such legislation regarding children, families, and our profession as well as work in grassroots legislative activities relevant to the MFT profession and mental health professions under the 491 Board.
- Elections Committee
The Elections Committee Chairperson and committee members will be appointed by the President with the approval of the Board. Members of this committee shall serve a term of two (2) years, with a new committee chair assuming the chair position after two years.
Each year in September the Elections Committee Chair shall appoint a committee for the purposes of developing a slate of nominees.
The Elections Committee shall solicit nominees for the available positions. All members in good standing of the local Association are eligible to serve in any office. The Elections Committee shall choose at least two nominees for each available position, unless no other candidates present.
Each year on or about the first Thursday in October the slate shall be distributed to all members of the Association. The length of time allowed for return of the ballots shall be approximately 30 days. Ballots will no longer be received after the first Thursday in November. The ballot shall be sent to and tallied by an unaffiliated group or individual as appointed by the Elections Committee Chair. The candidate who receives the largest number of votes for each office shall be elected.
Within 30 days of the election, the Chapter must notify Association members in writing of the results of the election and contact information for all those elected.
ARTICLE VIII. Meetings of the Membership.
Section 1. Regular meetings shall be held monthly via Zoom or in person on the first Thursday of the month except July. The location will be determined by the Board.
Section 2. Special Meetings. The President or a majority of the Board of Directors may call special meetings of the membership, at the written request of at least three (3) members of the Board directed to the Secretary.
Section 3. All meetings shall be conducted according to Robert’s Rules of Order,
revised edition.
ARTICLE IX. Nominations and Elections.
Section 1. The nomination and election of all open elected positions shall be conducted annually. All members of the Association in good standing shall have the right to vote in the election. Discrimination in election and nomination procedures on the basis of gender, age, race, color, creed, national origin or sexual orientation is forbidden. Candidates who are elected shall assume office on the first day of January following their election and shall hold office for the tenure of their office, or until their successors have been elected.
Section 2. The Association will hold elections via electronic ballot so that no mailing costs are required from the Association.
ARTICLE X. Collaboration with Florida Family Therapy Alliance (FFTA)
Sections 1. CFAMFT Board members shall be permitted to vote on FFTA issues if they are voting members of FFTA.
Section 2. Participation on behalf of the organization shall be at the cost of the Association in as much as financially possible:
Send a representative to every FFTA Board meeting.
Send representatives to lobby in Tallahassee once a year.
Send at least one representative to the AAMFT Annual Conference.
ARTICLE XI. Financial Management
Section 1. The Association will hold and manage our own funds, establish contracts, or make obligations.
Section 2. The Association shall:
Have our own EIN
Have our own bank account with the Treasurer’s and President’s signature.
Maintain all financial records
Maintain a business log of income and expenses
File tax information with IRS.
Section 3. The Association may not charge an additional membership fee. The Association may charge for CEU’s, and/or other services, trainings and events and may choose to raise funds.
ARTICLE XII. Disbanding
Section 1. The Association has developed a formal mechanism for disbanding.
Section 2. The Association may disband when these conditions are met:
- When this decision is approved by the Board of Directors
b. When this decision is approved by two-thirds vote of the voting members by ballot returned within thirty (30) days of the date by which members can reasonably be presumed to have received the ballot.
ARTICLE XIII. Amendments
These bylaws may be amended or repealed by two-thirds vote of the voting members by ballot returned within thirty (30) days of the date by which members can be reasonably presumed to have received the ballot. Amendments may be proposed by the Board of Directors on its own initiative, or upon petition by twenty (20) percent of the voting members addressed to the Board. All such proposed amendments shall be presented by the Board to the membership with or without recommendation.