As all REALTOR® members know by now, there was an amendment to the R-BAR Bylaws proposed at the Annual Meeting in December. All qualified members eligible to vote were notified via their home address on file at the R-BAR office. If you did not receive a letter in the mail, please notify us immediately at (610) 375-8458. This amendment was a total overhaul of R-BAR’s Bylaws so that they could be improved, modernized, and streamlined for the future.
President Mark Mohn appointed a Task Force to review every line of the Bylaws and offer advice and guidance. Many of the provisions that NAR requires were not updated in recent years, so a total overhaul in that regard was done as well. What was changed? Here is a list of the major changes that were adopted:
Jurisdiction now allows for future growth
Membership language updated to match the required revisions as provided by NAR
Created a Community Partners membership Created a Builder/Remodeler membership
Length of time to complete orientation extended
Continuing Member Code of Ethics Training language updated per NAR
New Designated REALTOR® Orientation created
Discipline of Realtor Member language updated per NAR
Enforcement of the Code language updated per NAR
Professional Standards and Arbitration section completely updated per NAR
Dues payment refunds clarified
Language added to Officers and Directors to clarify limits of brokerages on board
Language added to allow for military members’ dues to be waived
Added language to require a harassment policy to be adopted
Designated Realtors shall notify association within 3 days of any change in status of licensees in a referral firm.
Language added to provide seats on Board of Directors for CIC and YPN
Executive Committee duties were elaborated
Changed title of Executive Officer to Association Executive
A special thank you goes out to Chair of the Bylaws Review Task Force Angela Tolosky and members Wink Dietrick, Marshall Lytle, Mark Mohn, and Craig Binkley for making the review process go simply and smoothly. You may find the newly adopted Bylaws on the R-BAR website or by emailing me at wesleys@realestateinberks.com.
BUILDERS/REMODELERS COUNCIL
We are very excited to announce the new Builders/Remodelers Council of the Reading-Berks Association of REALTORS®. As per the Bylaws, Builder/ Remodeler members must be any primary representative of a business or legal entity who is in the business of, or employed by, a firm whose business is: building, remodeling, or trade contracting of: homes, apartments, schools, commercial, industrial, other structures, or in land development, shall be eligible to be a Builder/Remodeler Member. In order to qualify under this category, the business must register and obtain a Certificate of Registration as a contractor, issued by the Bureau of Consumer Protection (BCP), which contains a registration number assigned by the Bureau of Consumer Protection (BCP). Said registration number needs to be provided to the Board of Directors. If, at any time, the business fails to register or loses its Certificate of Registration, it will no longer qualify for membership.
This new membership will allow those involved in this membership category to become more involved in R-BAR, particularly in the areas of government affairs and education. We believe the more active we can get builders and tradespeople involved in the affairs of our association, the more it will be mutually beneficial to the greater Reading community.
If you know someone in greater Berks county that might be interested in joining R-BAR as a qualified Builder/Remodeler member, please have them reach out to Stacey Shannon, Manager, Member Services for more information on how to join.