SIGO Membership Information

Membership is limited to self-insuring employers, attorneys and law firms who regularly and exclusively represent employers on worker's compensation matters, third-party claim administrators, rehabilitation companies and investigation companies.

BYLAWS
Code of Regulations of
Self Insurers' Group of Ohio, Inc.

ARTICLE I
Members

Section 1.
Eligibility.
Any person, firm or corporation, which has been granted the privilege to self insure its liability or obligations under the Ohio Workers’ Compensation law, shall be eligible for full voting membership in this organization. Attorneys who regularly and exclusively represent employers on Workers’ Compensation matters shall be eligible as associate members.

Section 2.
Classes of Membership
Membership shall be divided into the following classes:

A. Full Voting Member:
Any person, firm or corporation which had been granted the privilege to self-insure its liability under the Ohio Workers’ compensation law and has obtained a self-insured (SI) number shall be eligible as a full voting member of this organization. Separate operating entities of a parent corporation shall be eligible for full voting membership providing each entity has separate and individual SI members. A person, firm or Corporation, which is entitled to full voting membership, shall designate one individual to act as its voting representative on all business brought before of the membership. The individual who is designated to act as voting representative must be actively involved in the administration of the Workers’ Compensation program of such member.
Full voting member may be admitted to membership upon submission of an
application for membership fee and upon the affirmative vote of two-thirds of the
Board of Trustees.

B. Associate Member:
The following persons, firms or corporations shall be eligible for
associate membership in this organization: Individual attorneys and law firms who
regularly and exclusively represent employers on workers’ compensation matters; third party claim administrators; rehabilitation companies and investigation companies. Associate members shall not be eligible to vote on any matter coming before the organization, or to hold office or to serve on the Board of Trustees. Associate members shall assist fulltime members by providing information from their various fields to further the purposes of the Corporation as outlined in ARTICLE IX, in accordance with procedures established by the President of the Board of Trustees.

Section 3.
Termination
Membership shall automatically terminate in the event that a member shall: (a) cease to have eligibility as defined in Article 1, Section 1 hereof, or, (b) fail to pay dues within the time herein provided. After giving a member an opportunity to be heard, the Board of Trustees, by a two-thirds vote of its members, may also terminate or suspend said membership for cause. Any member in good standing my voluntarily terminate their membership at any time on written notice to the Secretary. The Treasurer shall, upon request, refund to anyone whose membership is terminated the amount of their dues representing the unexpired portion of the year for which they were paid.

ARTICLE II
Board of Trustees

Section 1.
Power and Duties
The corporate powers, property and affairs of this corporation shall be exercised, conducted and controlled, entirely and exclusively, by the Board of Trustees, except as otherwise required by law or provided in these regulations.

Section 2.
Number
The Board of Trustees shall be composed of not more than fifteen (15) nor less than five (5) employee representatives of members. Within these limits the Board of Trustees may by majority vote increase or decrease its number at will.

Section 3.
Election, Term of Office and Vacancies
The members of the Board of Trustees shall be elected by vote of a majority of members present at the annual meeting of the members and shall serve until the close of the next annual meeting of members or until their successors have been elected. A Trustee may resign at any time on written notice filed with any officer of the corporation other than him or herself. A vacancy on the board of Trustees for any cause shall be filled for the unexpired portion of the term by vote of a majority of the Board of Trustees. Nothing herein contained shall prevent a Trustee from being elected to succeed him or herself.

ARTICLE III
Officers

The officers of this Corporation shall be the President, the Vice-President, the Secretary and the Treasurer, all of whom shall be members of the Board of Trustees.

Section 1.
Election, Term of Office and Vacancies
The officers shall be chosen annually by vote of majority of the Board of Trustees at its annual meeting and shall at all times be subject to the orders, rules and regulations of the Board of Trustees. Each officer shall serve until the close of the next annual meeting of members or until his or her successor has been elected. An officer may resign at any time by written notice filed with any officer of the Corporation other than him or herself. A vacancy in any office for any cause shall be filled for the unexpired portion of the term by vote of a majority of the Board of Trustees. Nothing herein contained shall prevent an officer from being re-elected to any office. The same person may hold two or more offices, except those of President and Vice-President.

Section 2.
President
The President shall have general supervision and direction of the Corporation and shall preside at meetings of the Corporation and the Board of Trustees and shall perform such other duties as the Board of Trustees may require.

Section 3.
Vice President
The Vice-President shall perform such duties as the Board of Trustees or the President may require and, in the absence or incapacity of the President, shall perform the duties of that office until a President is elected.

Section 4.
Secretary
The Secretary shall keep the corporate records, including minutes of the meetings of the Corporation, of the Board of Trustees and of the Executive Committee. He or she shall perform all the usual duties of the office and such other duties as the Board of Trustees or the President may require.

Section 5.
Treasurer
The Treasurer shall submit to the Board of Trustees, at each annual meeting, a statement reviewing the financial operations of the corporation for the previous year and shall at all reasonable times exhibit the books of account and records to the Board of Trustees. He or she shall perform al the usual duties of the office and such other duties as the Board of Trustees or the President may require.

ARTICLE IV
Committees

Section 1.
Executive Committee
The President, Vice-President, Secretary and Treasurer shall constitute an Executive Committee of which the President shall be the presiding officer. A majority of this committee shall have and possess all the power of the Board of Trustees, except the power to fill vacancies or admit or terminate memberships. The Executive Committee shall report its actin to the Board of Trustees at the next meeting of the Board of Trustees.

Section 2.
General Committee
The Board of Trustees shall appoint such other committees and assign to them such duties and powers as it deems desirable to further the purpose of the Corporation. Each such committee, unless otherwise structured, may act by a majority of its members.

Section 3.
Control of Committees and Officers
Notwithstanding any other provisions of this Code of Regulations, the Board of Tussles at all times shall have authority to limit the powers and duties of all committees and officers, to delegate to any committee the powers and duties of any other committee, to delegate to any officer the powers and duties of any other officer, to rescind any actin taken by any committee or officer (subject to the rights of third persons), and to control and remove any officer or any member of a committee at any time by a two-thirds vote of members of the Board of Trustees, provided that the vote of any officer or committeeman so under review shall not be counted for purposes of determining what constitutes a two-thirds majority or purposes of the vote.

ARTICLE V

Section 1.
Members
The annual meeting f the members shall be held in May of each year on a date to be fixed by the Board of Trustees or the Executive Committee thereof. Special meetings of the Corporation my be called at anytime by the President on his or her own initiative, provided that upon the request in writing of five (5) members, filed with the President, it shall be the duty of the President to call a special meeting. Then ten (10) or more members shall constitute a quorum at any meeting of members. Notice of the annual or any special meeting shall be mailed to each member by the Secretary at least seven (7) days in advance. Notice of any meting may be waived by any member, either in writing or by attendance at the meeting.

Section 2.
Board of Trustees
The annual meeting of the Board of Trustees shall be held on the same day as the annual meeting of the members. Special meetings of the Board of Trustees shall be called by the President at the request of any member of the board of trustees. A majority of the Board of Trustees shall constitute a quorum at any meeting. Notice of the annual or any special meeting shall be mailed to each member of the board of Trustees by the Secretary seven (7) days in advance. Notice of any meeting may be waived by a member of the Board of Trustees, either in writing or by attendance at the meeting.

Section 3.
Action Without Meeting
Nothing herein contained shall prevent the authorization or taking of any action of the members or of the Board of Trustees without a meeting, in accordance with Section 1702.25 of the Revised Code.

ARTICLE VI
Finances

Section 1.
Fiscal Year
The fiscal year for the Corporation shall be June 1 to May 31.

Section 2.
Dues
At the first meeting of the Board of Trustees in each fiscal year, the Board of Trustees shall fix the dues of the members for the ensuing year, in an amount to be determined each year by the Board of Trustees. Dues shall be payable annually within thirty (30) days of receipt of a statement from the Treasurer. If the dues of any member are not paid within this time, the Treasurer shall mail a notice of delinquency to the member. A member’s failure to pay within thirty (30) days after that date of the mailing the delinquency notice shall automatically terminate the membership, as provided in Article 1, Section 3, but the Board of Trustees may provide for reinstatement.

Section 3.
Statements
At the next regular meeting after the annual meeting, the Treasurer shall prepare a statement reviewing the financial operations of the Corporation for the previous year. These statements shall be approved by the Executive Committee and shall be made available to the members at the annual meeting.

Section 4.
Debts
No member, officer or Trustee shall incur any debt or liability in the name of the Corporation or in its behalf or for its interest, except as fully authorized to do so as herein provided, and any member, officer or Trustee incurring any such unauthorized debt or obligation shall be personally liable for such debt or obligation and shall hold this Corporation and its members harmless from the same. No member, officer or Trustee shall contract or incur any debt or liability on behalf of the Corporation in excess of Twenty-Five Dollars ($25.00), unless the money or funds to meet the same in full is in the Treasury of the Corporation, and the liability or debt has been duly authorized by the Board of Trustees or by the Executive Committee.

ARTICLE VII
Seal
The Board of Trustees shall have the power to devise and use a corporate seal and to alter the same at will.

ARTICLE VIII
Amendments
This code of Regulations may be revised or amended at any time by a vote of two-thirds of the Board of Trustees, but any such revision or amendment shall not become effective until ratified by a majority vote of the members present at any regular meeting. Amendments may also be made by a two-thirds vote of members present at any annual or special meeting, provided that notice of such proposed revision or amendment shall be sent to each member present at least twenty (20) days prior to any such meeting.

ARTICLE IX
The Self Insurers Group of Ohio was founded to provide a forum to help in the development and growth of its members' self-insured programs. The Corporation's meetings and functions are designed solely for this purpose. In keeping with these principles, it is the express policy of the Corporation and its Board of Trustees that business solicitation of its members by any associate member, vendor or service provider of any kind is prohibited at any of the Corporation's functions, unless authorized by the Board. Violation of this policy and regulation will result in appropriate action up to and including revocation of membership and/or revocation of the privilege of attending the Corporation's functions.