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ASSOCIATION BY-LAWS

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COMMUNITY BEREAVEMENT & SICKNESS SUPPORT (ComBASS)​

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ARTICLE I — NAME

The name of the Organization shall be:

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Community Bereavement & Sickness Support (ComBASS) Trust Fund (Fraternity)

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ARTICLE II — PURPOSE

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• Mindful of the inevitability of death;

• Mindful of the financial burden associated with funeral expenses;

• Mindful of the grief and pain brought about by the loss of a loved one, which may be aggravated by financial hardship;

• And recognizing that grief happens and community support matters;

• Community Bereavement & Sickness Support (ComBASS) was formed for the purpose of supporting members and their families during times of loss and grief through community support, emotional encouragement, pastoral support where appropriate, and financial assistance.

• ComBASS is a member-funded organization sustained through membership enrollment, administrative fees, and event-triggered contributions.

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ARTICLE III — MEMBERSHIP

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Section 1 — Membership Eligibility

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1. Membership shall be open to persons willing and able to comply with these By-Laws and other duly adopted policies of ComBASS.

2. An applicant must have resided continuously in the United States of America for at least six (6) months at the time of initial enrollment.

3. An applicant must be eighteen (18) years of age or older.

4. Documentation shall be required upon the death of a member before any ComBASS benefit may be approved or disbursed.

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Section 2: Enrollment

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a. Enrollment shall be open year-round and shall be completed through the enrollment process established by ComBASS.

b. A one-time, non-refundable registration fee of Twenty-Five Dollars ($25.00) shall be paid at registration.

c. Membership shall become effective upon completion and acceptance of the required enrollment process and payment of the applicable registration fee, subject to all eligibility requirements contained in these By-Laws.

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Section 3 — Sponsorship Requirements for Members Aged Sixty-Five (65) and Older

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 3.1 Mandatory Sponsorship.

Every member who is sixty-five (65) years of age or older shall be required to have a designated Sponsor as a condition of enrollment, continued membership, and eligibility for ComBASS benefits.

The Sponsor shall be a son, daughter, other relative, or member of the Applicant's community who is duly enrolled in ComBASS and satisfies all sponsorship requirements established under these By-Laws.

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3.2 Eligibility, Replacement, and Continuing Membership of Sponsor
 

The Sponsor must be an active and compliant member of ComBASS at the time sponsorship is established and must remain active and compliant for the member aged sixty-five (65) years or older to remain eligible for benefits.

If a Sponsor becomes inactive, noncompliant, withdraws from ComBASS, or otherwise ceases to satisfy the sponsorship requirements, the sponsored member may designate another eligible and compliant Sponsor, provided the replacement Sponsor satisfies all requirements of these By-Laws.
 

Until an eligible replacement Sponsor has been properly designated, the member aged sixty-five (65) years or older shall not be eligible for ComBASS benefits.
 

The Sponsor is expected to maintain his or her individual ComBASS membership and continue fulfilling applicable membership obligations even after the death of the sponsored member. The death of the sponsored member does not, by itself, terminate the Sponsor's individual membership obligations to ComBASS.
 

Following the death of a sponsored member, the Sponsor may thereafter sponsor another member aged sixty-five (65) years or older, provided all applicable sponsorship requirements are satisfied.

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3.3 One-to-One Sponsorship Requirement
 

Each Sponsor may sponsor only one (1) member aged sixty-five (65) years or older at any given time.
 

Each member aged sixty-five (65) years or older must have his or her own individually designated Sponsor.
 

Where two or more members aged sixty-five (65) years or older enroll together or are members of the same family or household, each must have a separate eligible and compliant Sponsor.

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3.4 Sponsor Designation and Multiple Sponsorship
 

The identity of the Sponsor for each member aged sixty-five (65) years or older shall be clearly designated in ComBASS membership records.
 

A Sponsor already designated for one member aged sixty-five (65) years or older may not simultaneously be designated for another.
 

Any attempted designation that violates the one-to-one sponsorship requirement shall not be accepted. The affected member must designate another eligible and compliant Sponsor before satisfying the sponsorship requirement for benefit eligibility.
 

No payment of contributions, administrative fees, or other amounts shall override or cure the absence of a properly designated, eligible, and compliant Sponsor.

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3.5 Verification and Compliance
 

ComBASS reserves the right to require documentation, records, identification, or other evidence reasonably necessary to verify a member's age, Sponsor identity and status, and compliance with sponsorship and benefit-eligibility requirements.

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Eligibility may be verified at enrollment, when sponsorship is established or changed, when a benefit claim arises, or at another time when ComBASS reasonably determines verification is necessary.

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For a member aged sixty-five (65) years or older, both the member and designated Sponsor must be active and compliant with all applicable ComBASS requirements at the time benefit eligibility is determined.

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Acceptance or receipt by ComBASS of contributions, administrative fees, or other payments shall not constitute confirmation or guarantee of benefit eligibility and shall not waive any requirement of these By-Laws.

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Responsibility for maintaining compliance rests with the member. ComBASS, its Board, officers, and administrators shall not be responsible for continuously monitoring individual members or Sponsors, providing individual reminders concerning compliance status, or ensuring that a member maintains an eligible Sponsor.

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Benefit eligibility shall be determined in accordance with these By-Laws and the membership and contribution records maintained by ComBASS.

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3.6 Continued Eligibility
 

Compliance with the sponsorship requirements contained in this Article is a continuing condition of benefit eligibility for every member aged sixty-five (65) years or older.
 

A member aged sixty-five (65) years or older who does not have a properly designated, active, eligible, and compliant Sponsor shall not be eligible for ComBASS benefits for any event occurring during the period of noncompliance.
 

Subsequent correction of a sponsorship deficiency, including designation of a replacement Sponsor, shall restore eligibility prospectively once all applicable requirements have been satisfied but shall not create or restore eligibility for an event occurring during the period of noncompliance.

Payment or acceptance of contributions, administrative fees, or other amounts during a period of sponsorship noncompliance shall not create, preserve, or retroactively restore benefit eligibility.

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ARTICLE IV — GOVERNANCE AND ADMINISTRATIVE STRUCTURE

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Section 1 — Board of Directors:

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1.1 Authority and Composition

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Overall governance, oversight, and policy direction of ComBASS shall be vested in a Board of Directors consisting of nine (9) members:

• Chairman;

• Vice Chairman;

• Secretary; and

• Six (6) Directors.

The Board shall exercise its authority collectively in accordance with these By-Laws.

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1.2 Term of Office

 

Each elected Board member shall serve a term of four (4) years.

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A Board member may serve successive four-year terms without limitation, provided the member is duly reelected in accordance with established election procedures.

 

1.3 Board Vacancies

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If a vacancy occurs before expiration of a Director's term, the remaining Board members may appoint an eligible ComBASS member to serve until the next scheduled Board election.

At that election, the membership shall elect a Director to serve the remainder of the unexpired term, where applicable.

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1.4 Elections

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Regular Board elections shall take place in May of the applicable election year.

The Board shall establish and communicate election procedures providing reasonable notice and ensuring a fair, orderly, and transparent election process.

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1.5 Board Decisions and Meetings

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Board decisions shall ordinarily be determined by a simple majority of votes cast unless these By-Laws require a greater vote.

The Board shall meet at least twice each year and may hold additional meetings whenever necessary to address significant matters affecting ComBASS.

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Section 2 — Board Officers

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The officers of the Board shall be the Chairman, Vice Chairman, and Secretary.
 

The Chairman shall preside over Board meetings and provide leadership in carrying out the Board's governance and oversight responsibilities.
 

The Chairman may assist the administrative arm with administrative matters when necessary, subject to the authority and oversight of the Board.

In the absence or inability of the Chairman to serve, the Vice Chairman shall perform the Chairman's duties.

The Secretary shall maintain accurate minutes and official records of Board meetings and perform other duties assigned by the Board.
 

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