MUTUAL AID PLEDGE SYSTEM (MAPS) ARTICLES OF AGREEMENT

(Amended January 18, 2007)

Article I – Name

• The name of this organization shall be the Mutual Aid Pledge System (MAPS)

Article II – Purpose

• The purpose of MAPS is to provide a means for employees of the Mike Monroney Aeronautical Center (MMAC) to contribute voluntarily to the living beneficiary of a deceased, eligible member of MAPS.  It is a charitable, benevolent and voluntary organization, bound in good faith by these Articles of Agreement.  The organization and its officers exist and function solely to facilitate the collection and distribution of contributions.  Membership herein constitutes solely a moral obligation between the participating members and the beneficiary of a deceased member.

Article III – Membership

• Section 1:  All individuals employed at the MMAC, to include remote employees of an organization based at the MMAC, contractors and those on Term Appointments, Tenant Organization employees (to include inter-regional or inter-agency transfer employees based at the MMAC), employees of the FAA Credit Union, and permanent (Non-Civil Service) employees of the FAA Employees Association, shall be eligible to join MAPS.  Specifically excluded from the membership are employees on temporary appointments of less than one (1) year.

• Section 2:  Eligible employees may join the program at any time.  Membership drives may be conducted as deemed necessary by the board.

• Section 3:  Membership will be effective upon receipt by MAPS officer, Representative, or Board Member of a completed and signed MAPS Membership/Beneficiary card (MAPS Form-1), provided and retained by the MAPS program.  Membership forms may be placed in the EA Bookstore drop box, which will be checked weekly by MAPS Officer.

Article IV – Termination of Membership

• Section 1:  Membership shall terminate at midnight, local standard time, on the effective date of personnel action, which terminates a member’s employment in a position, which qualified him/her for membership.
  
  In the case of an inter-regional or inter-agency transfer, membership shall terminate thirty (30) days thereafter or when membership is established in another Mutual Aid Plan, whichever occurs first.  It will be the responsibility of the member to notify a MAPS Officer or Representative in writing:

1. That he/she wishes to remain a member 30 days following transfer
2. That he/she has arranged to make payment for MAPS deaths, which occur during the 30-day grace period.

• Section 2:  Members must make a donation within six (6) working days after notification of a member’s death.  If the donation is not made within fifteen (15) working days following notification of a member’s death, the employee shall be eliminated from the program.  Official notification of death shall consist of a publication of MAPS Bulletin/Death Notice.  It is the responsibility of the member to make payment as stated above or make arrangements with his/her MAPS Representative for payment if they are going to be absent from their workplace in excess of five (5) working days.
• Section 3:  Membership may be terminated at any time be member advising a MAPS Officer, Representative, or Board member.
• Section 4:  An employee who voluntarily resigns their membership, or is terminated for non-payment as described in Section 2, may not reapply for membership for one (1) year, except reinstatement may occur upon written appeal from the member that is approved by the MAPS Officers.
• Section 5:  Members that are relieved for Military duty will be expected to arrange, before their departure, to make payment for any member’s death during their absence.

Article V – Donation

• Section 1:  Upon each death, collections are made for the next unknown death, and deposited in a non-interest bearing account at the FAA Credit Union.  Collections are based on the current membership at the time of collection, not the time of death.  Upon notification of a member’s death, payment in full of this pre-collected money will be paid the beneficiary within days of notification and verification.  A death notice will be sent to all MAPS representatives to collect donations for the next unknown death.  The donation from each member shall be five dollars ($5.00) to be paid as stated in Article IV, Section 2.  After the collected funds are deposited, refunds will not be made.
• Section 2:  In the event of simultaneous deaths of two or more MAPS members, the MAPS Officers will determine the order in which the deaths shall be considered for collection of donations.

Article VI – Beneficiaries

• Section 1:  Each member will be required to designate at least one beneficiary, and requested to make two alternate beneficiaries.  A beneficiary must be a living person with an address and phone number.  It is entirely the member’s responsibility to keep the beneficiary information up-to-date as this is the primary means used by MAPS Officer(s) to contact the beneficiary.
• Section 2:  In case of a member’s death, the MAPS benefit will be given to the designated living beneficiary or beneficiaries in the order listed on the MAPS Form-1.  Before a valid collection is initiated, contact with a beneficiary must be made.  If no response from any beneficiary is received within 30 days of attempting to make contact, the MAPS Board will convene and evaluate the particular death notice.  A decision by the MAPS Board will be made to proceed with further contact efforts or permanently close out the notice without collection.
• Section 3:  The beneficiary or beneficiaries will be paid in full by the President, Vice President or Bookkeeper according to these Articles of Agreement.

Article VII – Directors

• Section 1:  MAPS shall be governed by a Board of Directors consisting of elected members form the Staff and Program Divisions at the Aeronautical Center.
• Section 2:  The directors shall elect from their members a President, Vice President, Secretary, and Bookkeeper.  Officers shall run for a two (2) year term from 1 March of year one to 28 February of year two.  Officers can run consecutive terms as long as it is agreed on by the incumbent and approved by the Board of Directors.  Elected terms will be effective each even year for the President and Bookkeeper, and each odd year for the Vice President and Secretary.
• Section 3:  The President shall call at least one meeting each year, and any other deemed necessary to efficiently and adequately conduct the program.  He/she or the Vice President shall disburse or designate the disbursement of the donations deposited with the FAA Credit Union to the beneficiary in accordance with Article VI, Section 3.
• Section 4:  The MAPS Bookkeeper shall act as custodian of the records and forward the proper forms to the collection representatives upon the death of a MAPS member.
• Section 5:  Special meetings may be called by the President or five members of the Board, and the Secretary will give notice of special meetings.
• Section 6:  The President and Vice President have the authority to recover/use funds, directly associated with the actual cost of distributing donations, operation of the program, and safe storage of program and member information (i.e. a safe deposit box or fireproof box), and promotion/advertisement material to educate and inform the MMAC employees about our program.  Money will be stored in a MAPS sub-account at the FAA Credit Union.  Collection will never exceed $25.00 per death.  Any expenditure of more than $100 from this fund must have Board of Director (BOD) approval.  Approval vote may be obtained by email with a 75% approval of replies from BODs or by meeting with 75% approval of BODs in attendance.

Article VIII – Amendments

• Amendments to these articles shall be adopted by a two-thirds vote of the members of the Board in attendance at a meeting called by the President for the purpose of making such amendments.  Additionally, no change to the Articles of Agreement may be voted upon without at least two weeks (14 calendar days) notice to the Board Members of the specific changes under consideration.

1.  Amended, January 10, 2006:  a) Article III Section 1 – removed, “and employees of all” and added, “and employees not physically working at the Mike Monroney Aeronautical Center in OKC, OK”; b) Article III Section 4 – grandfather clause added at the end of this document; c) Article IV Section 1 – added “/her” to avoid gender specific statement; d) Article V Section 1 revised for advance collection; e) Article VI Section 3 – revised payment method for one check.

2.      Amended, April 04, 2006: a) Article II – added “Mike Monroney” before “Aeronautical Center” and added (MMAC) after “Aeronautical Center. “; b) rewrote Article III – Membership Section 1 as follows:  “All individuals employed at the MMAC, to include remote employees who are employees of an organization based at the MMAC, including contractors and those on Term Appointments, Tenant Organization employees, (to include inter-regional or inter-agency transfer employees based at the MMAC), employees of the FAA Credit Union, permanent (Non-Civil Service) employees on temporary appointments of less than one (1) year.”; c) Article VI Beneficiaries Section 1 changed “and” to “as this”. d) Article VIII Amendments – added: Additionally, no change to the Articles of Agreement may be voted upon without at least two weeks (14 calendar days) notice to the Board Members of the specific changes under consideration. e) GRANDFATHER CLAUSE: Deleted.

3.  Amended, January 18, 2007: a) Article VII – Directors Section 2 changed to add: Officers shall run for a two year term from 1 March of year one to 28 February of year two.  Officers can run consecutive terms as long as it is agreed on by the incumbent and approved by the Board of Directors.  Elected terms will be effective each year for the President and Bookkeeper, and each odd year for the Vice President and Secretary. b) Article VII – Directors Section 6 – changed and added:  ...operation of the program, safe storage of program and member information (i.e. a safe deposit box or fireproof box), and promotion / advertisement materials to educate and inform the MMAC employees about our program.  Money will be stored in a MAPS sub-account at the FAA Credit Union.  Collection will never exceed $25.00 per death.  Any expenditure of more than $100 from this fund must have Board of Director (BOD) approval.  Approval vote may be obtained by email with a 75% approval of replies from BODs or by meeting with 75% approval of BODs in attendance.