Articles of Incorporation

ARTICLE I

 
The name and title of this corporation shall be LOUISIANA FUNERAL DIRECTORS ASSOCIATION and, under and by said name, unless dissolved in accordance with law, it shall have and enjoy perpetual corporate existence from and after the date of this act, and, generally, shall possess all the powers, rights, privileges, capacities and immunities which non-profit corporations are authorized, and may here-after be authorized, to possess under the Constitution and the laws of this State, and particularly under Title 12, Sec. 201 et. seq., Louisiana revised Statutes.

 
ARTICLE II
 
The domicile of this corporation shall be the City of Lafayette, State of Louisiana, and the location and address of its registered office shall be 309 St. Landry St., Lafayette, La. 70506
 
ARTICLE III
 
The object of this corporation shall be to cultivate and promote public welfare by elevating the standards and ethics of funeral directing in Louisiana; to promote among said profession mutual improvements, social intercourse and fraternalism; to work for the protection and regulation of the practice of said profession, and generally, to do any and all things advisable, desirable or necessary in the interest of said profession. To facilitate these aims, this corporation will be a member of the National Funeral Directors Association.
 
ARTICLE IV
 
The officers of this corporation shall consist of a president, vice-president, treasurer, secretary and sergeant-at-arms who shall be elected yearly at the annual meeting of the membership. These officers, together with district governors and all past presidents shall constitute the directors and be designated as the executive committee.
 
This association, in order to better carry out its purposes, may subdivide the state of Louisiana into four geographical districts, each of which districts may function under the direction of its own officers elected from its midst, each district governor being a member of the association’s executive committee. District governors must be a member of this association and shall have a vote on the executive committee. Past presidents other than the immediate past president, shall not have a vote on the executive committee.
 
The executive committee shall be the administrative body to carry out and effectuate the resolutions and decisions of the membership as expressed in membership meetings, and shall have such powers and duties as may be granted by the membership through the passage of by-laws and resolutions.
 
ARTICLE V
 
This corporation shall be organized on a non-stock basis. There shall be two classes of membership.
 
A Firm Membership shall mean any funeral establishment and, if applicable, its branch establishment(s) licensed by the Louisiana State Board of Embalmers and Funeral Directors.  A funeral establishment may become a member of LFDA by making written application to the Secretary of LFDA and agreeing, as a condition of membership, to comply with the LFDA Articles of Incorporation and by-laws. All licensed funeral directors or licensed funeral director/embalmers employed by a member shall have office holding privileges in LFDA.  Members shall list all such licensed funeral directors or licensed funeral director/embalmers on their membership application and renewals in order to qualify them for office holding privileges.
 
An Allied Membership will be any person employed in a funeral service related business or the surviving spouse of a deceased member. The term “funeral service related business” will be defined, if necessary, by  the executive committee of this association.
 
Membership shall be by invitation only and shall be extended by the method provided in the by-laws.
 
Each firm member shall pay such annual dues as may be provided (for) in the by-laws, and each firm member whose firm membership dues are currently paid, shall be entitled to one vote, in person by a firm member representative or by proxy, as provided in the by-laws, at all elections and on all questions coming before any meeting of the members.  Ten voting members present at any duly called meeting shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business.
 
ARTICLE VI
 
These articles may be amended by a vote of two-thirds of the members present or by proxy at any regular or special meeting duly called and convened, provided that the proposed amendment was mailed to each member at least 30 days before the date of such meeting.
 
ARTICLE VII
 
The names and post office address of the subscribers of these Articles of Incorporation, and who shall compose the first executive committee to serve until the annual meeting or until their successors are elected and qualified, are:
 
President  Raymond H. Pellerin
118 Berard Street
Breaux Bridge, La. 70517
  
First Vice-President  Kenneth D. Kilpatrick
Route 1 Belle Chase
Ruston, La. 71270
 
Second Vice-President Boyd Lynn Mothe
1300 Vallette Street
New Orleans, La. 70114
 
Third Vice-President  Donald Welsh
P.O. Box 1348
Baton Rouge, La. 70821
  
Secretary  Philip J. Schoen, III
3801 Canal Street
New Orleans, La. 70119
 
Sergeant-At-Arms  James A. Gardiner
504 North Polk Street
Rayne, La. 70578
 
Past President C.B. Knight
P.O. Box 2666
Baton Rouge, La. 70821
 
ARTICLE VIII
 
The names and address of this corporation’s registered agent is:
             
Gene Walters
309 St. Landry St.
Lafayette, La.  70506
 
ARTICLE IX
 
No member of this corporation shall ever be held liable or responsible for contracts, debts or defaults of this corporation in any further sum than the unpaid dues, if any, owing by him or her to the corporation, nor shall any mere informality in organization have the effect of rendering these Articles of Incorporation null or of exposing the members to any liability other than as above provided.
 
ARTICLE X
 
In the event that future emergencies make the dissolution of this corporation necessary, all property and assets remaining, after payment of all debts and charges, shall be given to or distributed among one or more local or national agencies or associations having purposes and objects the same or as similar to those of this corporation, as may be decided by vote of the members.
 
Amended at New Orleans, La.
June 13, 1984
Harris Pellerin, President
 
Amended at Baton Rouge, La.
January 19, 1989
Louis A. Muhleisen, Jr., President
 
Amended at Lafayette, La.
January l6, 1996
Wes Castille, President
 
Amended at Lafayette, La.
January 26, 2000
Duane Delhomme, President
 
Amended at Plaquemine, La.
October 12, 2004
Foster Guillory, President
 
Reviewed and Approved for filing with 
LA Secretary of State at Lafayette, LA
February 8, 2006
George Charlet, President