By-Laws

By-Laws of the Texas Shrine Motor Patrol Association
(2020, as amended through 2020)

By-Laws of the Texas Shrine Motor Patrol Association

(2020, as amended)

Article I – Name

This organization shall be known as the TEXAS SHRINE MOTOR PATROL ASSOCIATION hereinafter referred to as the Association, and shall be a subordinate body of and subject to the lawful control of the Texas Shrine Association.

Article II – Membership

Section 1:

Any motorized Unit of a Shrine Center that is a member of the Texas Shrine Association shall be eligible for membership.

Section 2:

The governing body of the Association shall be invested in the duly elected officers as per Article IV, Section 1, and the delegate body consisting of three (3) delegate votes from each Shrine Center Member with at least one motorized Unit in attendance. Each Shrine Center delegation shall elect its own chairman who shall be responsible for announcing the vote of his Shrine Center. The vote may be cast three (3) votes for or against or may be split as the delegation so decides. No Shrine Center may give, assign or permit any other Shrine Center to vote their vote by proxy or any other means.

Section 3:

In order to maintain active membership in the Association, motorized units must:

  • (a). Pay dues as provided in Article III of the By-Laws.
  • (b). Supply rosters of membership and officers of said motorized Unit to the Secretary-Treasurer of the Association by FEBRUARY 1 OF EACH YEAR, also list a contact person (Name, Address, Phone, E-mail, fax, etc.)
  • (c). Immediately notify the Secretary-Treasurer of the Association, by letter, e-mail or fax of any changes in officer personnel, Unit mailing address or Unit Representative Contact.

Section 4:

All past Presidents and past Secretary-Treasurers of the Association become Life Members after completing one term of office. Each may be asked to serve as an aide to the Executive Committee. All past officers of the Association may be used as Inspection Judges, Timing or Drill Count Judges.

Article III – Dues

Section 1:

The dues for each Shrine Motorized Unit (currently $60.00) and each individual member (currently $20.00) shall be set by the association with a majority vote at any business meeting as governed by Articles II and V. Dues will be payable by FEBRUARY 1ST of each year to the Secretary-Treasurer. Life members of T.S.M.P.A. will not be required to pay dues.

Section 2:

Income from the dues collected in Section I will be placed into the T.S.M.P.A treasury to be used for the Association as necessary.

Section 3:

Dues remittance to the Secretary-Treasurer should include a Unit roster formatted as requested by the Secretary-Treasurer. Each Unit will also indicate the class they intend to compete in at the next scheduled T.S.A.

Article IV – Officers

Section 1:

The officers of the Association, to be elected at the Annual Business Meeting shall be as follows:

  • (a). President
  • (b). 1st Vice President
  • (c). 2nd Vice President
  • (d). Secretary – Treasurer

Section 2:

The above four Officers, plus the immediate Past President, shall constitute the Executive Committee for administration of all Association affairs.

Section 3:

Each officer, including the Secretary-Treasurer, shall be elected by a majority of the votes cast after nomination from the floor. Not more than one (1) officer (excepting the Secretary-Treasurer) shall be from the same Shrine Center. Each officer shall serve for one (1) year with exception of Secretary-Treasurer who shall initially serve a three (3) year term. After three (3) years he may be elected to serve additional one (1) year terms or until a successor is elected and installed. The Election will be by secret ballot at the Annual Meeting of the Association. If only one candidate nominated for any office, a hand ballot will be accepted. The Secretary-Treasurer will retain all secret ballots for thirty (30) days following the Annual Business Meeting, and then they will be destroyed.

Section 4:

No individual member shall hold more than one (1) elective office in the Association at any one time.

Section 5:

To be eligible for office in the association, a candidate must be an active member of a motorized unit in his shrine center with the exception of the office of Secretary/Treasurer. The Secretary/Treasurer must be either an active or life member of a motorized unit in his shrine center.

Any officer, including appointed officers of the Association, failing to maintain active membership in his Shrine Center motorized unit shall immediately be suspended from his office. The next officer in line will fill vacancies thus created. In the event two (2) officers are dropped in one year, the remaining officers will call a special meeting for election of officers. If the Secretary-Treasurer should not be a Life Member and become inactive, the President shall appoint a temporary Secretary-Treasurer and a new Secretary-Treasurer will be elected. Any officer advancing to President six months prior to the next T.S.A. Ceremonial will continue as President through the next year, and the same with the Vice President.

Definition of Active Member as mentioned above does not necessarily mean a riding member, but one whom is on the active roster of his motorized unit.`

Section 6:

The commanding officer of any Unit having a member as an Association Officer who becomes inactive shall notify the Association within fifteen (15) days that an Association Officer is no longer a Member of his Unit. Failure to do so will result in a one (1) year suspension from T.S.A. and Obstacle Course Competition of the Unit in violation.

Article V – Meetings

Section 1:

The Association shall meet annually at the same time and place as the Texas Shrine Association Ceremonial.

Section 2:

The Annual Business Meeting shall be at a time and place designated by the First Vice President, the incoming President, for the purpose of transacting the business of the Association.

Section 3:

Paragraph: Special meetings may be called by the President at any time or place at his discretion, or when requested by a majority of member motorized Units of the Association. Each member Unit shall receive notice by mail, e-mail, fax or phone to Unit contact representative, fifteen (15) days prior to such meeting. Such notice will specify time, place and purpose of the special meeting.

Heading level 2: Article VI – Officers’ Duties

Heading level 3: Section 1:

The President is the Executive Officer. He shall preside over all meetings and appoint all committees. The President may do all such acts and perform such duties, not inconsistent with these by-laws, as, in his judgment, the interests of the Association require. He, with the assistance of the other Officers will be responsible for conducting all the affairs of the Association.

Section 2:

Each incoming President will present an operating budget to the Executive Committee for approval prior to taking office. The Executive Committee must approve any expense over $100.00 not included in the original approved budget, prior to incurring the expense.

Section 3:

In the event of the death, removal or physical disability of the President, the Vice President(s) shall assume the responsibilities and discharge the duties of the next higher office. The acting President may call a special meeting in accordance with Article 5, Section 3 to fill any vacancy.

Section 4:

The Secretary-Treasurer shall keep a correct record of the proceedings of all business meetings of the Association and the Executive Committee. All meetings will be recorded or have written minutes and the Secretary-Treasurer will keep the recordings or written minutes on permanent file. The Secretary-Treasurer shall provide a copy of the Business meeting minutes to the contact person prescribed under Article II, Section 3. Said copies may be mailed, handed out, emailed or faxed to each member Unit as soon as possible but no later than sixty (60) days after the completion of the meeting. He shall conduct all correspondence for the Association and collect dues from the members. All monies are to be deposited in a National Bank or Trust Company, in the name of and subject to the orders of the Association. He shall pay all orders authorized to be drawn on him, books, papers and accounts at each annual meeting and shall then make report of his receipts and disbursements. He shall perform other such duties appertaining to his office as may be required.

Section 5:

The outgoing President shall appoint a committee of three (3) T.S.M.P.A. members to conduct an audit of the Secretary-Treasurer’s book for the prior year’s office. The audit shall be conducted prior to the installation of the next slate of elected officers (For Audit purposes only, Fiscal Year for the association will be from January 1 to December 31). Upon completion of the audit, a copy of the Financial Statement will be (1) handed, (2) emailed, (3) faxed or (4) mailed to all member units within sixty (60) days. All information and paraphernalia for that year’s operation of the Association will be carried as a permanent file, or as “inventory” by the Secretary-Treasurer.

Article VII – Competitive Drills

Except with respect to any action taken at the meeting in which these By-Laws are adopted. Rules governing the conduct and judging of competition drills may be changed or promulgated only at the Annual Business meetings of the Association. When such rules are promulgated or changed the same shall become effective at the adjournment of that Business meeting. The same shall remain in effect without change until duly amended as herein provided.

Article VIII – Amendments

These By-Laws may be amended by a two-thirds (2/3) vote, voting as provided in Article II, Section 2. Proposed amendments shall be in writing and shall be delivered to the Secretary-Treasurer at least sixty (60) days prior to the Annual Business Meeting of the Association. The Secretary-Treasurer shall notify each member of a motorized Unit of said proposals within ten (10) days. The entire section to be amended must be fully written out exactly as it is to be read with the proposed amendment incorporated herein.

Article IX – Adoption

These By-Laws shall become effective upon adoption and upon their approval by the Texas Shrine Association.

Appendix A – Summary of Changes

  • Adopted at the February 1975 Mid-Winter Meeting, Houston, Texas by a two-thirds (2/3) majority vote of the Motor Patrol Association.
  • At the T.S.M.P.A Mid-Winter Meeting in El Paso 2000, it was recommended a permanent Secretary/Treasurer be elected. At the T.S.A. Divan Mid-Winter Meeting in Wichita Falls 2001, the recommendation was submitted and approved. At the T.S.M.P.A. Mid-Winter meeting in Garland 2001, a permanent Secretary-Treasurer was elected and installed.
  • Revised at 2001 T.S.M.P.A. Mid-Winter meeting in Garland. Adopted at the 2002 T.S.M.P.A. Mid-Winter meeting in Wichita Falls.
  • Modified at 2013 Mid-Winter.
  • At-Feb-2016 business meeting Article III was modified to allow the association to set unit and Individual dues with a simple majority vote at any business meeting.
  • T.S.M.P.A. Annual Business Meeting August 2, 2019 – A significant revision including the replacement of the wording: Midwinter Meeting by Annual Business Meeting was adopted. The revisions were approved at the TSA Midwinter meeting February 7, 2020.
Download the Official 2020 By-Laws PDF