Article I
Section 1. The Association shall be known as the New England Claim Association.
Article II Object and Purpose
Section 1. The object and purpose of this Association are declared to be as follows: To promote good will, harmony, confidence and cooperation generally among companies, and to devise and give effect to measures for the benefit of their policyholders, especially in matters relating to claims; and the observance of the amenities that should exist among Companies and Associations.
Article III Membership
Section 1. Any person on the staff of the claim department or on the staff of a department that supports a claim department of any Life or Accident or Health Insurance Company or any organization whose primary function is the servicing of Life or Accident or Health Insurance companies, or any member of any support organization operating on behalf of such companies or organizations, shall be eligible for membership in this Association.
Article IV Officers
Section 1. The officers of the Association shall consist of a President, a Vice President, a Secretary, a Correspondence Secretary, a Treasurer, and Assistant Treasurer, with the usual powers and duties of such officers, who shall be elected by ballot or verbally at each annual meeting of the Association, to hold office for one year or until their successors are elected. Officers shall be eligible for re-election.
Section 2. If the President shall for any reason cease to serve, the Vice President shall succeed to the office of president, with the usual powers and duties of such office, until the next regular election of a President. In event of a vacancy in any office other than that of President, the Executive Committee shall, as soon as practical, fill the vacancy by electing a member who shall serve with the usual powers and duties of such office until the next regular election of officers.
Article V Executive Committee
Section 1. There shall be an Executive Committee to consist of the President, the immediate Past President, the Vice President, the Secretary, the Correspondence Secretary, the Treasurer, the Assistant Treasurer, and members at large, the number as deemed necessary. The Historian is an ex-officio member. Six members shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business. The President, shall act as Chairman of the Executive Committee and cast the deciding vote in the event of a tie.
Section 2. At each annual meeting, two members at large shall be elected to the Executive Committee to serve for a term of two years. The retiring President shall become a member of the Executive Committee automatically to serve for a term of one year.
Section 3. The Executive Committee shall have power to fill vacancies which may occur on the Committee, including any vacancy created by the death or resignation of the immediate Past President, and members so elected shall serve until the next annual meeting when said vacancies shall be filled for the unexpired term through regular election.
Section 4. Meetings of the Executive Committee shall be called by the President, or in his/her absence by the Vice President, whenever it is deemed necessary.
Section 5. The Executive Committee shall have the power to take whatever action it deems advisable or necessary to promote the purpose and welfare of the Association.
Section 6. The Executive Committee shall have the power to regulate all matters pertaining to dues, disbursements, and expenses of the Association.
Article VI Standing and Special Committees
Section 1. There shall be such Standing and Special Committees as the President, the Executive Committee or the Association shall recommend. The President shall appoint the personnel of such Committees with the exception of the Nominating Committee.
Section 2. The President shall be an ex-officio member of all Committees except the Nominating Committee.
Article VII Meetings
Section 1. The Executive Committee shall designate the date and place of meetings, including the Annual Meeting, and the Secretary shall advise all members in writing thereof at least 10 days in advance of the date of the meetings.
Section 2. At final and annual meeting of the Association, the following shall be the order of business:
- Introduction of guests
- Reading of minutes
- Report of Executive Committee
- Report of Secretary
- Report of Treasurer
- Report of Special Committees
- Deferred business
- New Business
- Speaker’s address
- Discussion of address
- Adjournment
Section 3. On any matters requiring a vote, the vote shall be members present at the meeting, one vote to each member.
Article VIII Nominations and Elections
Section 1. A Nominating Committee of five members, not more than one of whom shall have served on the Nominating Committee of the preceding year, shall be appointed by the Executive committee. The Secretary shall notify all members in writing thereof at least thirty days prior to each Annual Meeting.
Section 2. The Nominating Committee shall report its nominations of candidates for each office for the Executive Committee as the last order of business following the May meeting prior to the Annual Meeting. Nominations other than those made by the Nominating Committee may be made from the floor.
Section 3. Elections shall immediately follow the closing of nominations. In case of a contest for an office or membership on the Executive Committee, such elections as are contested shall be decided by vote as specified in Article VII, Section 3.
Article IX Amendments
Section 1. The Constitution may be amended at any meeting of the Association by a two-thirds vote of the members present.
Article X Incorporation
Under the Articles of Organization, completed on June 7, 1996, the New England Claim Association will be known as the New England Claim Association, Incorporated, a non-profit Massachusetts corporation.
Anti-Trust Policy
The New England Claim Association is committed to adhering strictly to the letter and spirit of the antitrust laws. Meetings conducted under the association’s auspices are intended solely to provide a forum for the expression of various points of view on topics described in the agenda. Under no circumstances shall Association meetings be used as a means for competing companies to reach any understanding, expressed or implied, which tends to restrict competition, or in any way to impair the ability of members to exercise independent business judgement regarding matters affecting competition.