SECTION 1. PREAMBLE

1.1. PURPOSE OF INTERNAL RULES AND REGULATIONS

Internal rules and regulations are designed to ensure the smooth running of the organization. They will provide guidelines for maintaining a close and supportive relationship between the office/council and the members. They are also intended to resolve confusion, facilitate day-to-day activities and improve the management of the office/council. These by-laws will serve as the articles of incorporation for this organization.

1.2. LIVING DOCUMENT

The internal regulations are a living document for managers and members, establishing rules to be respected. They will be accessible to all CABI associations and their members via the website or by email.

SECTION 2. OFFICIAL NAME

The official name of the organization is CABAC Insurances. Associations and members refer to the organization as CABAC Insurances, abbreviated to ‘CABI’.

SECTION 3. MISSION AND PURPOSE

CABI’s mission is to create a network of Cameroonians living in the United States, particularly in the states of Illinois, Iowa, Missouri, Kentucky, Indiana, Michigan and Wisconsin, to help families in the community ease the financial burden of losing a loved one.

CABI’s objectives include:

1. The creation of an electronic database of the various Cameroonian members and associations in the above-mentioned states.
2. Facilitating the repatriation of the remains of members who have died in the United States, excluding Cameroon.
3. Assisting in the burial of members who have died in the United States, and informing all associations and members in the event of death.
4. Collecting contributions (donations) from each association and CABI member.
5. The transfer of collected contributions to the funeral home and the beneficiary, after deduction of administrative costs.

SECTION 4. OFFICERS

1. The Officers/Board of Directors of CABI shall consist of a President, Vice-Presidents, one or more General Secretaries, a Treasurer and an Auditor. Other officers may be appointed, and the functions of officers not specified in the bylaws are defined by the Board of Directors.
2. All CABI Board members are co-opted by the Chairman of the CABI Steering Committee, and approved by the Board of Directors.

SECTION 5. GENERAL MEETING

The Annual General Meeting is convened by the CABI Board of Directors. The Bureau/Council decides on the place and time of the General Meeting. Presidents, delegates, associations and individual members must attend the General Meeting.

SECTION 6. REGULAR MEETING OF THE BOARD

1. CABI’s Board of Directors meets three times a year to review the organization’s consistency with its mission and objectives.
2. In an emergency, the Chairman may convene a meeting.

SECTION 7. EXTRAORDINARY MEETING OF THE BUREAU

The CABI Board of Directors meets 48 hours after the death of a member of an association is announced, to :

1. Officially announce the death.
2. Verify and send all documents required to validate the death.
3. Determine the contributions to be collected from associations and members, based on the pool.

SECTION 8. MEMBERSHIP

1. Membership of CABI is free and voluntary, but reserved for associations and members of the states mentioned.
2. Any association or individual wishing to become a member of CABI must accept the internal regulations.
3. Associations will receive contributions in the event of the death of a member, provided they remain in good standing by paying administration and/or registration fees.
4. Individuals are members of their respective associations and of CABI. They can make complaints or raise issues concerning the operation of CABI.
5. Membership is considered “active” once a CABI registration number has been assigned and communicated by e-mail.
6. CABI reserves the right to accept or refuse membership of any association or individual, but individuals may be members of associations at the discretion of the association.
7. Any member may voluntarily withdraw from CABI by submitting a letter or e-mail to the Board/Council.
8. CABI may terminate the membership of any member whose behavior disrupts the organization.

SECTION 9. REGISTRATION

1. Registration numbers are assigned and published after a waiting period of ninety (90) days and a cash float of $100 which can cover up to 5 deaths.
2. Each CABI member must reside in the United States.
3. No association or individual may have two registration numbers. It is the responsibility of each individual, president or delegate of each association to ensure that members are not double registered. Former members may be reinstated after payment of all outstanding contributions and observance of the waiting period of ninety (90) days following receipt of payment.
4. Names and dates of birth of members must be provided as on official documents.

SECTION 10. REGISTRATION OF NEW MEMBERS

1. Applications for new members may be submitted at any time.
2. CABI accepts individual members, associations or groups.
3. There is an observation period of at least ninety (90) days after receipt of the cash float.

SECTION 11. LIST UPDATE

1. All member update requests must be submitted between the 1st and 5th of each month. No requests will be processed outside this period.
2. Associations are encouraged to keep their lists up to date.
3. No name corrections will be accepted after the death of a member.

11.1. ADDITION OF PERSONS TO MEMBER ASSOCIATIONS

1. Requests to add individuals must be made on the site/application.
2. Names and dates of birth must be written exactly as they appear on official documents.
3. There is an observation period of ninety (90) days after receipt of the registration fee ($100) before the person is added.
4. Added persons must pay their administration and registration fees fifteen (15) days after receipt of the invoice.

11.2. WITHDRAWAL

Withdrawal requests must be submitted with an effective date of the 25th of the month following the request.

 11.3. NAME CORRECTION

1. Requests for name corrections must be submitted to CABI.
2. Corrections only concern minor mistakes such as typos. In the event of a name change due to :

O Divorce: provide a copy of the divorce decree.

O Marriage: provide a copy of the marriage certificate.

O Judicial name change: provide a court-issued document.

11.4. TRANSFER

1. Any member of an active CABI association may change to another association immediately.
2. The transfer must be requested by e-mail to CABI.

11.5 CONTACTS

Requests to update contacts must be submitted to CABI.

SECTION 12. RETURNING MEMBER / ASSOCIATION

1. An association that has left CABI may return with a new registration number.
2. The member must pay the missed contributions and the return costs, and observe a period of ninety (90) days after receipt of payment by CABI.
3. A member who has left a CABI association may return under the rules of his local association, without retaining his old CABI registration number.

SECTION 13. FRAUD

13.1. WHAT IS FRAUD

1. A member with a CABI registration number who does not reside in the United States.
2. Any falsified document.
3. Any misrepresentation.

13.2. SANCTIONS

1. In the event of an infringement, the CABI Board may issue a warning or impose a penalty, depending on the circumstances.
2. If the offence is intended to disrupt the organization, membership will be terminated.
3. In the event of fraud, the individual or association responsible will be excluded from CABI.

SECTION 14. IDENTIFICATION OF CABI MEMBERS

All CABAC Insurances (CABI) identity cards remain the exclusive property of CABI and may under no circumstances be used outside the scope of CABI. The use of CABI names, registration numbers, e-mails and telephone numbers for political or economic purposes is expressly prohibited.

SECTION 15. DISPUTES

15.1. EXCLUSIVE USE OF THE FORUM

CABI’s registered office is located in Chicago, Illinois. Unless CABI has agreed in writing to another forum, any legal action related to (i) a proceeding brought on behalf of CABI, (ii) a claim for breach of fiduciary duty by a director to CABI or its members, (iii) a claim based on Illinois law or CABI’s bylaws, or (iv) a claim under the internal affairs doctrine, shall be brought in the jurisdiction of Chicago, or, in the absence of jurisdiction, the federal court of Illinois.

15.2. CLAIMS

1. Only up to date member associations may report on and challenge the operation of the organization, including the management of funds.
2. Individual members of CABI member associations do not have access to the accounts and cannot challenge the organization’s operations.
3. CABI employees are compensated by the organization for their work.

15.3. LEGAL FEES

In any litigation, arbitration or other proceeding in which CABI is the prevailing party, CABI may collect from the non-prevailing party reasonable fees for the services of its attorneys.

SECTION 16. IN THE EVENT OF THE DEATH OF A CABI MEMBER

16.1. DEATH NOTIFICATION

1. All deaths must be reported to the CABI office within fourteen (14) days of the date of death. After this deadline, the death will no longer be taken into account, preventing any disbursement.
2. To preserve the privacy of the deceased, associations and families are encouraged, but not obliged, to conceal the cause of death, generally mentioned on the death certificate, before providing it to CABI.

16.2. DEATH IN THE UNITED STATES

Documents to be submitted in the event of death in the United States :

1. Death certificate (cause of death may be masked)
2. CABI registration number
3. Photo of the deceased
4. Funeral home invoice
5. Proof that the association / member is in good standing with CABI (form NR1 – Non-redevance)

16.3. DEATH OCCURRED OUTSIDE THE UNITED STATES, BUT NOT IN CAMEROON Documents required for a death occurring outside the United States, with the exception of Cameroon:

16.4. ADMINISTRATIVE FORMALITIES

CABI does not handle the paperwork associated with deaths, as this is the responsibility of the family. In addition, CABI does not keep records of deaths or families.

SECTION 17. CONTRIBUTIONS

17.1. WHO SHOULD CONTRIBUTE?

All associations and active members must participate in current contributions, even if the individual died before registration.

17.2. AMOUNT OF CONTRIBUTION

1. The amount provided is $20,000.00 (twenty thousand dollars) per death, divided among the active members of the affiliated associations. Each association’s contribution depends on its total number of members. With an initial target of 1,000 members, each will contribute $20 in the event of death.
2. The amount of the contribution cannot be changed after the list has been sent.

17.3. CONTRIBUTION DUE DATE

1. The deadline for submitting contributions is seven (7) days after the CABI Bureau / Council has sent the contributions.
2. Associations and members are encouraged to submit their contributions as soon as the list is published.
3. The official announcement of the death will be made after receipt of the required documents by the CABI Office / Board.

17.4. ELIGIBILITY FOR CONTRIBUTIONS

Summary of death-related conditions :

1. Verification by the CABI Board or Council.
2. The name on the death certificate must match the name in the CABI database.
3. The member association must be up to date with its administration and registration fees.
4. The deceased must also have paid his or her expenses prior to death.

17.5. NOT ELIGIBLE FOR CONTRIBUTIONS

Not eligible for contributions in the following circumstances:

1. The person died during the waiting period before a registration number was assigned.
2. The individual has not paid the administration and registration fees.
3. The name on the death certificate differs from the name in the CABI database.
4. Notification of death to CABI is made after seven (7) days.

17.6. CONTRIBUTION MODE

Contributions are made in one of the following ways: 

1. Deposit /Zelle/Cash app / bank transfer to one of CABI’s bank accounts, provided with the list of contributions.
2. PayPal via the CABI website: …………………………………….
3. Online application via CABI email: ……………………………………

17.7. CONTRIBUTION FORMALITIES

1. Bank deposits must correspond precisely to the amount shown on the list of contributions.
2. The deposit receipt must be sent by e-mail or SMS after each deposit on CABI accounts.

SECTION 18. REIMBURSEMENTS

CABI undertakes to pay twenty thousand dollars ($20,000) for each death, to facilitate the repatriation or burial of the body of a deceased member, which amount will be paid to the funeral home or to the beneficiary in the event of a remaining balance.

1. Payment can be made by :

– Transfer funds to funeral home bank account

– Direct payment by cheque or cashier’s cheque at the funeral home

1. In the event of a balance, a cheque for the corresponding amount is issued to the beneficiary. The president or delegate of the deceased’s association must provide the name and address of the beneficiary.
2. Funds will never be returned to the beneficiary in cash.

SECTION 19. PENALTIES

All returning members must pay a $150.00 return fee penalty as well as any missed contribution. In addition, any association or member who fails to pay their contribution by the due date will be charged a late fee of $25.00.

SECTION 20. CABI COSTS

20.1. ADMINISTRATIVE EXPENSES

All returning members must pay a $150.00 return fee penalty as well as any missed contribution. In addition, any association or member who fails to pay their contribution by the due date will be charged a late fee of $25.00.

1. Persons with a matricule number greater than 1001 must pay an administration fee of $1.00 per month, i.e. $12.00 per year, payable on January 5 of each year.
2. Funds raised are earmarked for administrative expenses, including support for day-to-day activities, legal fees to assist CABI Board or Council members.
3. Administration fees are non-refundable.

20.2. REGISTRATION FEES

Each new registrant must pay a one-time registration fee of $100.00 before receiving a registration number. Funds collected for registration will be used to create CABI identity cards, and this fee is non-refundable.

SECTION 21. AMENDMENTS TO RULES AND REGULATIONS

1. CABI’s Internal Rules and Regulations may be amended and modified by a majority vote of the Bureau / Board of Directors. If there are changes to CABI’s internal rules and regulations, they must be amended.
2. The rules of procedure are drawn up by the members of the CABI Board of Directors.
3. Any amendment to the Internal Regulations must be approved by a majority of the Board / Council.

 The CABI by-laws are to be sent to all association presidents and delegates by e-mail