Procedures & Bylaws

1. MEETING PROCEDURES
a. Meetings will begin at 8:05 AM every Tuesday, other than holidays, at a meeting place so designated by a majority vote of the Membership.
b. Meetings may be cancelled or postponed as deemed appropriate by the Board (ex. Holidays or other days deemed as appropriate.) Announcements of cancelled meetings will be posted to the Association website and social media as soon as possible.
c. Meetings will be conducted in an orderly and professional manner, to include reading of the Minutes, Treasurer’s Report, Introduction of Guests and New Members by the Presiding Officer, Public Service Announcements, Committee Reports, Old Business, New Business, Guest Speakers, and Listing and Sales reports including cross-sales between Members (also known as Wants and Needs). Public Service Announcements are limited to community oriented not-for-profit events. Any announcement that may be construed as “for business” shall be relegated to “wants and needs”.
d. The President, or in the absence of the President, the President Elect shall conduct the meeting. In the absence of the President and the President Elect, the Secretary shall conduct the meeting or, in the absence of the Secretary, the Treasurer. If the Treasurer is unable to preside over the meeting the Treasurer-Elect, or a Director or the Immediate Past President may preside. The Board Member conducting the Meeting shall be known as the Presiding Officer.
e. The tour of homes are to be conducted in accordance with the Tour procedures. Refer to the exhibit for further instructions.
f. The regular meeting is cancelled during the week between Christmas and New Year’s Day. The current Board of Officers and the new Board will use this time to hold a transition meeting.

2. DUTIES OF OFFICERS:
The President shall:
a. Understand, enforce, and abide by the bylaws.
b. Preside over weekly MLSA meetings.
c. Prepare agenda and submit it to Board Members one week in advance of Board Meetings.
d. Preside over all Board meetings.
e. Appoint Committees as needed.
f. Fill vacancies on the Board with a Member in Good Standing, subject to Board Approval. The President shall make every effort to maintain a balance between Real Estate Broker and Affiliate members in the composition of the Board.
g. Act as primary contact for grievances.
h. Oversee website and ensure that membership list is current.
i. Select someone to lead the Flag Salute.

The President Elect shall:
a. Preside over meetings in the absence of the President.
b. Engage and schedule speakers or delegate responsibility. Communicate the schedule for speakers to the Secretary. Announce speakers at the meetings.
c. Arrange and schedule Three Minutes of Fame (avoiding those who would compete with that month’s Tour sponsor.)
d. Circulate the microphone during meetings for Wants and Needs, etc.
e. Circulate the Tour Director and Sponsor sign-up sheets at the meeting following MLSA appointments in November.
f. Maintain a waitlist of prospective Tour Sponsors and share this list with the President, Treasurer and Secretary.
g. Remind sponsors two weeks prior to their Tour month to pay their sponsorship fee in advance. Provide invoice if requested.

The Secretary shall:
a. Record minutes of MLSA meetings, including
1. When meeting was called to order, and by whom
2. Who led the Flag Salute
3. The number of Members present, noting the number of Real Estate Brokers and the number of Affiliates
4. Names of guests and new Members
5. Upcoming events and public service announcements
6. Reported cross-sales
7. Number of homes on Tour, names of Tour Director and Tour Sponsor including company they are with.
8. Guest Speaker
9. Treasurers Report
10. Paid Member count.
11. Time of adjournment

b. Read minutes from the previous meeting, excluding events which have already occurred and correct or amend if necessary. Keep a permanent record of all General Membership and Board Meetings on website.
c. Email meeting announcements and reminders to Members.
d. Upon formation of a Committee, the Secretary shall ask the Chair of that Committee to appoint a Secretary. Notes from that Committee’s meetings shall be submitted by the Committee’s Secretary within 3 business days to the MLSA Secretary, who will keep them in the permanent record and will have them available at the next MLSA Board meeting to be referenced, if necessary.
e. In advance of a Board Meeting, notify any Committee Chairs to be available to attend and be prepared to report on their committee’s progress.
g. In case of absence, the Secretary-Elect shall substitute to fulfill these duties, supplying the minutes of the previous meeting to be read and a template to ensure that all necessary information regarding the new meeting is recorded.

The Secretary Elect Shall:
j. Maintain the MLSA Website and social media.
k. Fulfill the duties of the Secretary in their absence.

The Treasurer shall:
a. File updated non-profit corporation form (in Treasurer’s manual and website) to the Internal Revenue Service by Jan. 31st.
b. File updated signature cards with the bank by January 31.
c. File the necessary papers with the State to update Officers Roster by January 31.
d. Prepare and distribute Membership application forms
e. Collect and record Membership dues.
f. Deposit funds within 1 business day after weekly meeting, retain all deposit slips.
g. Report at weekly meeting on the balance in the account, the number of new Members and the total Membership.
h. Email new Member applications to Treasurer-Elect and President within 3 business days after weekly meeting.
i. Reconcile bank statements within 5 days of receiving the monthly statement to be presented at the next Board meeting.
j. Maintain a roster of paid Members.
k. Approve and pay or reimburse, with a second signing officer, Association-related expenses based on submitted receipts.
l. If the Board of Directors opts for an Installation Event, Treasurer will serve on the committee to handle ticket sale receipts and expenses.
m. Pick up mail at P.O. Box once a week. Has possession of one P.O. Box key.

The Treasurer-Elect shall:
a. Fulfill duties of Treasurer as needed.
b. Add new Members to website within 1 business day of receipt of new Membership Applications from Treasurer.
c. Admin of Facebook Group Page. Add new Members/remove Members as needed on a weekly basis. Maintain Facebook Group Page.
Send email to Brokers via the website on Friday to remind them to send their listings to the Tour Director by Sunday. Post tour reminder on Facebook Page the same day.Pick up mail at the P.O. Box in the event Treasurer cannot. Has possession of one P.O. Box key.

The Immediate Past President shall:
a. Serve on the Board.
b. Serve on the Nominations Committee and chair the Committee.
c. Contact all Nominees and inform them of results (won/not won) one day prior to the meeting.
d. Fill in if needed for duties related to President or President-Elect

The Broker Director shall:
a. Collaborate with the Affiliate Director to maintain a schedule for guest speakers
b. Fill in as needed for absent Broker Officers
c. Director may serve on the Installation Event Committee attending and participating in Committee meetings and activities (as needed).

The Affiliate Director shall:
a. Collaborate with the Broker Director to maintain a schedule for guest speakers
b. Fill in as needed for absent Affiliate Officers
c. Director may serve on the Installation Event Committee attending and participating in Committee meetings and activities (as needed).

The Committee Chairs shall:
a. Be available to report on their Committee’s progress at any Board meeting which they are asked to attend.
b. Within 15 days of completion of their event:
1. Submit a Final Report to the Board.
2. Submit a proposed budget for the next year’s event.
3. Return the event manual to the Secretary, including recommendations and notes for the next year’s Committee Chair.
4. Be prepared to brief the next Committee Chair to facilitate transition

3. NOMINATIONS AND ELECTIONS COMMITTEE:
At the first meeting in October, the Past President will serve as the Nominations and Elections Committee Chairperson and will form a committee consisting of the Secretary and two other members in Good Standing no later than the first Tuesday in October.
a. Every effort should be made by the Committee to secure candidates resulting in an equitable balance between Real Estate Brokers and Affiliates on the Board of Directors. Nominations by the Committee are to be announced to the general Membership on the third Tuesday of October at which time additional nominations may be presented from the floor. A nominee from the floor must be present to accept the nomination or must provide signed written acceptance to the Board prior to this meeting. Elections shall be held on the first Tuesday meeting in November. Installation of the new Officers shall be performed at either the Installation Event during the month of December or the second meeting in December. The duties of the new Board shall commence at the beginning of the New Year.
b. At the second meeting in October, the Committee asks the Members for volunteers or nominations.
c. At the third meeting, the list is presented to the Membership in attendance. The meeting is opened for additions to the slate. A nominee must accept the nomination to be added at the meeting or by presenting a signed written statement of acceptance to the Board prior to the meeting.
d. At the last meeting in October, the final slate of candidates is presented to the Membership in attendance and the slate of candidates will be closed by the Presiding Officer. Any nominee who accepts their candidacy in writing must confirm with the Committee Chair in person or by telephone before the beginning of this meeting.
e. Ballots will be distributed on the first meeting in November; the voting is closed by the second meeting in November. You may vote by electronic voting and/or ballot. If a member of the Nominations and Elections Committee runs for office, they cannot participate in counting the ballots and the Committee Chair or the Presiding Officer shall solicit a volunteer from the Membership who is not a candidate. No Member is allowed to run for office and count ballots. The Presiding officer will announce the results to the membership at the third meeting in November.
f. In the event of a tie, there shall be a runoff election of the tied candidates only. A new ballot will be sent out to the members for the runoff election.
g. If the runoff election ends again in a tie, each board member will vote for one candidate to decide the winner.

4. INSTALLATION COMMITTEE:
a. The Installation Committee Chair must be appointed by the end of January in writing.
b. Treasurer and the Treasurer Elect will serve on the Installation Event Committee to track ticket sales, make deposits and pay expenses pertaining to the Installation Event.
c. The Committee should identify and negotiate the venue and if any, entertainment for the event early in the year, if not before the end of the prior year. No contract shall be entered into without the prior signed consent of the Treasurer and Board approval.
d. A detailed budget for the Installation Event should be presented to the Board for approval no later than July 31.
e. Ticket sales will be logged on a separate register recording the name, date of sale, form of payment and date deposited.
f. Any ticket that is comped for an Emcee, Entertainer, etc. shall be approved by the board.
g. The Committee shall secure Event Insurance to indemnify the MLSA and the Board for any liability, with every effort made to purchase coverage from an Affiliate Member. Multiple bids are encouraged from MLSA Associate Members. Bids may also be requested from non MLSA members.
h. Committee members are responsible for all logistics of the installation event.
5. AWARDS COMMITTEE:
a. The Awards Committee will convene by the 15th of October and will be given the suggested standards by the Secretary.
b. The decision of the Committee will be conveyed in writing by the 15th of November to the Treasurer only, who will order plaques for the honorees.
c. The MLSA Broker of the Year and the Affiliate of the Year will be awarded each December. The awards are limited to Members in Good Standing. Individuals are eligible to win again after three years. The past 3 recipients of each award shall serve on the Awards Committee for the current year. The President has the discretion to appoint Board Members to fill vacancies on this Committee as needed in order to ensure that there are 6 Committee Members. A minimum of 4 votes in favor is required to receive an award.
d. The most recent winners shall preside over the Awards Committee, serving as Chair and Vice Chair. In even years, the Broker of the Year will preside and in odd years, the Affiliate of the Year will preside. Award plaques are to be ordered through the Treasurer. Any additional funds needed to cover awards, or expenses related to their presentation, must be requested in advance and are subject to Board approval.
e. Suggested standards for the selection of the Broker of The Year and the Affiliate of The Year:
1. Attendance and contributions to the Association
2. Participation in community activities
3. Reputation among associates and customers
4. Professional development efforts
5. Business accomplishments

6. AMMENDING THE OPERATING PROCEDUREES:
Any amendment to the Operating Procedures shall be by a majority vote of the Board of Directors. Typographical changes or changes that do not affect the content are permitted without a vote, but must be presented to the Board within the lesser of 14 days or at the next scheduled Board meeting. All changes shall be prepared and completed by the Secretary and posted to the website.

7. ANNOUNCEMENTS OF SALES AND LISTINGS (WANTS AND NEEDS):
It is important that all parties have signed and accepted the listing prior to the announcement; however, sharing of information regarding upcoming listings, pocket listings, etc., promotes the benefits of networking and MLSA Membership.

The criteria for announcements of sales shall be that the listing is listed in the MLS.


8. MLSA TOUR PROCEDURES:
a. Only licensed real estate Brokers are eligible for the position of Tour Director. Tour Sponsor is open to all Members, preferably Affiliates. Tour Director Instructions should be sent to new Directors as well as available on the website.
b. Broker that is Tour Director for the month is permitted to place one of his/her homes on tour each week at no charge.
c. Any Broker placing a home on Tour must be a paid Member of the Association. If the listing Broker is someone other than the Broker who will be showing the home, both Brokers must be paid Members. A nominal charge will apply to include a home on Tour. It is the responsibility of the Tour Director to verify status with the Treasurer or Secretary if there is any question. Only Broker members in good standing may put homes on tour and hand out property flyers. A member in good standing is defined as a member who has paid current all dues and fees and abides by the By-Laws, as well as follows Procedures.
d. The monthly Tour Director shall arrange the Tour. All properties on Tour must be listed through the NWMLS. Tour boundaries are at the discretion of the Tour Director. Generally, the number of homes on Tour at one time is 6-8. The Tour should not take more than approximately 1.5 hours. It is an expectation that all Brokers with homes on Tour will attend the entire tour.
e. The four geographic areas for the Tour are:

Week 1: Tumwater and Westside (Areas 443, 444 and west to the end of Alpine Dr. in Area 442 and south to 113th/McCorkle Rd. in area 454)
Week 2: Olympia and Boston Harbor (Areas 447 south, 448, 449 and south to Waldrick Rd., in Area 454)
Week 3: Southeast, Lacey & East Olympia (Areas 450, 451 and 452)
Week 4: Northeast and Hawks Prairie (Areas 445, 446 and 447 north)
Week 5: Northwest and Black Hills (Areas 441 and 442)

e. If, after placing a home on Tour, the Broker does not attend the meeting and has not arranged for another Broker to show the home, it shall be removed from the Tour.
f. Each office should have equal opportunity to show their listings, The Tour Director will fill the Tour with only one home per Broker per week, unless the Tour schedule permits otherwise. The Tour Director retains the right to refuse listings that are submitted after the Sunday, x:00 deadline. The Tour Director shall have sole and final discretion.
g. If a suitable Tour is not submitted from the Members, the Tour Director should select some listings in the area for that week and call these listing Brokers to ask if they could arrange to put the home on Tour and be present at the meeting.
h. The Tour Director for the current month has final discretion and may cancel the Tour, or any portion thereof, as deemed appropriate (weather, emergencies, etc.)
i. At the conclusion of the last meeting of the month, the outgoing Tour Director will forward the Tour Director kit to the incoming Tour Director. Monthly sponsorship of the MLSA Tour is offered first to the Affiliate Members, next to Real Estate Brokers, and then to outside sponsorship recruitment. Sponsorship of a monthly Tour costs $25 per week ($100.00 minimum), payable to MLSA before the first sponsored Tour of the month. The Sponsor may advertise on the reverse side of the Tour sheets, promote their business through announcements and display of advertising media at the meetings as appropriate, and selection of the winner of the Tour drawing at the first meeting of the following month. If they so choose, there can be more than one sponsor in a month, and each sponsor shall pay the $100 or $125 fee. The time allotted to speak before the weekly Tour remains the same regardless of the number of sponsors and the co-sponsors must share the allotted time as they choose. The allotted time for the Sponsor to speak at the meeting (moment from the tour sponsor) shall be 3 minutes.
k. If there are more prospective Tour sponsors than slots available, the President Elect shall maintain a wait list. The President Elect will contact each month’s Tour sponsor and the waitlisted sponsor after the meeting to determine whether they’re willing to share sponsorship in their given month. Those not awarded time will be given priority the following year for the Tour sponsorship. Sponsorship will be awarded on a first-come, first-served basis, with preference given to a Member who did not sponsor the prior year.

9. MLSA WEBSITE:
The website shall have a home page with MLSA banner, basic information on the Association, a list of present Board Members.
a. The home page will highlight upcoming meetings, speakers and provide marketing information on the benefits of MLSA membership to Real Estate Professionals.
b. The home page will highlight the tour homes for the month in a photo rotator.
c. There will be a prominent “Become a Member” section of the website that will allow an easy process for new and returning members to join or renew and pay their dues.
d. Advertising shall be available on the home page. Advertising on the Association’s website shall be available to Members and Affiliate businesses at the discretion of the Board of Directors. The annual cost shall be determined by the Board and reviewed on an annual basis, such review to be completed for the following year by the end of the November.
e. Advertising fees are due in advance of placement of the advertisement on the website and there will be no proration or refunds. All members of an advertising Affiliate business’ members must maintain their Membership in Good Standing in order for the business to advertise on the Website.
f. If there are more prospective ad sponsors than room allows, ads will be awarded on a first-come, first-served basis, a waiting list will be maintained, and the additional sponsors will be given priority in the subsequent year.
g. In the event that an ad sponsor leaves the business, their ad can be purged and another member may purchase the ad space.
h. Links will be provided to the directory, meeting minutes, Tour, and calendar.
i. The Membership Directory will consist of one only alphabetical list of paid Members including name, office, up to two phone numbers, , and an email address. This page will include a revised subdirectory by service description, i.e. title companies, lenders, insurance agents, etc.
j. The minute’s page will have copies of the weekly minutes identified by full date and author updated after each meeting
k. The Tour page will include a definition of eligible homes, a list of weekly Tour areas and a list by month of Tour Directors and Sponsors with phone and fax contact information.
l. The event calendar will list only MLSA, NWMLS or TCRA endorsed events.
10. MLSA FACEBOOK GROUP PAGE
a. Only Members in good standing can be part of the group page.
b. Advertisement of listings and/or business is allowed by Members only.
c. Valuable information to be shared with the group is allowed.

11. FEES AND FINES:
a. Tour Sponsorship is $25 per week, minimum per month.
b. Homes can be placed on Tour for a $5 fee.
c. Website advertising fees are determined by the Board on an annual basis.
d. An audible cell phone fee of $5 shall be assessed when any member’s phone interrupts the meeting. Guests are exempt from this fee. The fee must be paid before the next meeting or the fine will increase to $10; such unpaid fees impact the status as a Member in Good Standing.
12. MLSA OPP SETUP AND THE USE OF THE SQUARE READER
A. Treasurer and Treasurer elect, download Square Register – Point of Sale app onto mobile device.
B. Create account with corporate email: Use your corporate email when creating your account to keep your business and personal information organized. You will receive important alerts and updates are sent to this email address.
C. Enter business and personal information:
Multiple Listing Sales Association
Address: 855 Trosper Rd SW
#108-154
Tumwater WA 98512
EIN: 90-0807869
D. Enter bank account information: You will see deposits within 1-2 business days. You can also add additional bank accounts during location setup later.
Olympia Federal Savings Bank
Account #0000007485
Routing# 325170822
E. Email notifications from Square should be forwarded to all authorized by signature with Olympia Federal Savings
F. For all transactions, please add notes prior to the transaction to reflect who the funds are from and what the transaction is for
G. Download the current guide online at: https://squareup.com/help/us/en/topic/337
13. Paypal Operating Procedures
1. Goto website www.paypal.com
2. Click log in
3. Username –
4. Password –
To view transactions, to be done weekly
1. Click activity, you can view all transactions or a range of transactions
2. Print or save Transactions History weekly report for accounting
3. Review who has paid to contact and send out an membership application if applicable
How to transfer Funds to bank account, to be done weekly
1. Sign in
2. Click the money tab on front page
3. Click withdraw money
4. Click transfer money to your bank account (Free Option)

14. Lost or Stolen Procedures
If the mobile device to which you have downloaded the Square app is lost or stolen, follow these steps to ensure your Square account information is protected:
1. Contact Square (855) 700-6000 and let us know that your device is missing. We’ll automatically log you out of the app on all of your devices, so anyone attempting to access the app will need your password to log in.
2. Change your password. You can do this by visiting Square’s password reset page from a computer. Enter the email address tied to your Square account and click “Send Instructions.” We’ll automatically send you instructions to reset your password within a few minutes. Learn more about resetting your Square password. Where?
For additional security, you may also want to consider password protecting your entire device:
• iOS: Setup a passcode.
• Android: Contact your mobile device retailer for instruction on how to set up passcode protection.
• Make sure to inform other users of the change of password
If you also lost your Square Reader, please see the instruction for ordering a replacement reader. Please note that readers are not linked to any specific account holder or bank account.
Order Online by singing into your Square Dashboard.
Order from the App from the Help>Support menu, tap Reorder Reader, confirm or edit your shipping address and tap “Send me a free reader.”

15. CHARITABLE CONTRIBUTION
In the first quarter, a charitable donation may be given to a non-profit, non-political group or organization, preferably housing related. After inviting input from the Membership, the Board will select the charity and determine the donation, based on the amount of remaining funds in excess of the reserves allowable by the IRS.

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