"We, the law enforcement officers of the State of Illinois and the several political subdivisions thereof, as representatives and delegates of the subordinate Lodges, do hereby associate the several Lodges we represent and the members thereof for the following purposes...
2011 National FOP Conference
The National Fraternal Order of Police held its 60th Biennial Conference from August 14-18, 2011, in Salt Lake City, Utah.
The national conference serves as a forum to set the goals and agenda for the organization, review and amend the constitution and bylaws, and elect the executive board and national trustees. More than 3,300 law enforcement officials across the country attended, including nearly 300 from Illinois.
2011 National Conference at a Glance
The 2011 National FOP Conference began Monday morning with a beautiful presentation by the color guard and the FOP Auxiliary. Impassioned members of the Utah legislature and highly esteemed public servicemen welcomed 43 States from across the nation, as well as Canada and Ireland, to the 60th Biennial Conference in Salk Lake City. As the meeting moved on, newly elected National Trustees were announced on Tuesday morning. Nominations for National Officers were then held directly before close of business on Tuesday. Voting for the 2011-2013 National Officers took place on Thursday directly before Conference Adjournment.
This year’s conference showcased many interesting classes after the close of the General Session each day including;
Street Survival, Economic and Political Issues facing the FOP, Critical Incident Support Management, The Pension Crisis and The Pros and Cons of Social Media. Additionally, Utah State Lodge put together an events package for FOP members with nighttime activities including; an FOP picnic, a baseball game, and an MMA fighting match. One of the most popular events of the week was a presentation sponsored by Beacon Financial Group and given by decorated Navy Seal and author, Marcus Luttrell.
Review & Amend Constitution & Bylaws
Up for consideration during the national conference was “Amendment 3” which called for additional duties and responsibilities of the National Secretary. The proposed change to the National Constitution and Bylaws (under Article 12, Section 15;
Article 2, Section 6; and Article 3, Section 1, Subsection K) states that the staff at the National office will be overseen directly by the National Secretary and that this elected official is their immediate supervisor for the purposes of streamlining the flow of work and to aid in providing a stable work environment. This Amendment was voted on and adopted by the general membership and is now reflected in the 2011-2013 National Constitution and Bylaws.
Election Executive Board & Trustees
On August 18, 2011, delegates in attendance at the national conference voted in the 2011 Executive Board Election. The following are the newly elected officers for the 2011-2013 term:
President
Chuck Canterbury, South Carolina
Vice President
Ed Brannigan, New Jersey
Second Vice President
Frank Gale
Secretary
Patrick Yoes, Louisiana
Treasurer
Tom Penoza, Delaware
Sergeant-of-Arms
Roger Mayberry, California
In addition, the Illinois delegation unanimously voted to keep Robert “Rocky” Nowaczyk from Park Ridge, Illinois as their National Trustee. Rocky has served in the Illinois delegation in this capacity since 1993.