Nebraska

Fellow Law Enforcement Officer:

I thank you for your interest in the Nebraska Fraternal Order of Police. I hope this letter explains what the Fraternal Order of Police does for sister and brother members on the local, state, and national levels.

The Fraternal Order of Police was started by two Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania police officers, Delbert Nagle and Martin Toole. The Fraternal Order of Police has grown from its original 23 officers in Pittsburgh, to more than 318,000 members in all 50 states. The FOP has 43 state lodges and more than 2,000 local lodges. The FOP is by far the largest police organization in the United States. We also have affiliate lodges in Canada, Ireland, and Germany.

One must be a full-time or a retired law enforcement officer to become a member of the Fraternal Order of Police. There must be at least 10 qualified officers to charter a local lodge. Any state having three lodges can form a state lodge. The charter members of the local lodge elect interim officers until formal elections can be held. The local board of directors includes a president, vice-president, secretary, treasurer, second vice-president, sergeant-at-arms, and chaplain. Each local lodge is represented on the state board of directors by a state trustee.

The state board of directors is composed of the same officers as the local lodge, from the state president to the state chaplain. A national trustee is elected every two years to represents the state lodge. The national trustee sit on the national board of directors. The national board of directors is structured the same as the local and state lodges, president, vice-president, etc.

A local lodge sets it own dues structure based on whatever benefits the lodge wants to provide it members. The local lodge is required to pay a yearly per-capita tax of $3.00 per member per year to the Nebraska State Lodge, and a national per capita tax of $5.50 per member per year to the Grand Lodge. There is also an administrative fee of $25.00 per lodge per year panel to the Grand Lodge.

Officers of the Grand Lodge, the Nebraska State Lodge, and most local lodges serve two year terms. The reason the FOP can provide so many services for it members is because we have only three officers on the national level that are salaried President, Secretary, and Treasurer. As you can imagine these are full time jobs and require full-time compensation.

The Fraternal Order of Police Grand Lodge meets every two years. These conferences are attended by approximately 3,500 voting delegates. Each local lodge is encouraged, but not required to send delegates proportionate with is membership. The state lodge has its meeting, which can be attended by all local lodges, in the year following the national conference. It is at this meeting that state officers are elected, the legislative agenda is prepared, and other business is decided.

The key to the FOP' s success its flexibility and its structure as a democratically governed organization. Every member has an equal voice and the opportunity to determine the future of the Fraternal Order of Police.