CONSTITUTION
OF THE
ARCHMERE
ACADEMY ALUMNI ASSOCIATION
Table of Contents
Article I ............................................
page 1
Section 1 - Name
Section
2 - Purpose
Article
II ........................................... page 1
Section 1 - Membership
Section 2 - Privileges
Section
3 - Powers
Article
II ........................................... page 2
Section 1 - Council Definition
Section 2 - Council Size
Section 3 - Council Selection
Section 4 - Council Election
Section 5 - Council Terms
Section 6 - Council Ex-officio Members
Article
IV.......................................... page 3
Section 1 - Officers Defined
Section 2 - Officer Selection
Section 3 - Officer Election
Section 4 - Vacancies
Article
V............................................ page 4
Section 1 - Director of Alumni Relations
Defined
Section 2 - Director of Alumni
Relations Role
Article VI
........................................... page 5
Section 1 - Fiscal Year
Section 2 - Meetings
Section 3 - Voting
Section 4 - Excessive Absences
Section 5 - Parliamentary Rule
Article
VII ........................................... page 6
Section 1 - Committee Meetings
Section 2 - Committee Reports
Section 3 - Standing Committees
Section 4 - Special Committees
Section 5 - Ad Hoc Committees
Section 6 - Committee Membership
Article VIII ......................................... page 7
Section 1 - Bylaw Amendment
Section 2 - Bylaw Adoption
CONSTITUTION
OF THE
ARCHMERE
ACADEMY ALUMNI ASSOCIATION
ARTICLE I - NAME AND PURPOSE
Section 1. The name of
this Association is the Archmere Alumni Association
(hereinafter referred to as the Association). It is organized as an
integral part of Archmere Academy, a non-profit
educational
institution chartered under the laws of the State of
Delaware.
Section 2. The purpose of this organization is: (1) to provide mutually
beneficial relationships among the alumni, the student
body, the
Academy, and the entire Archmere community; (2) to
advance the
growth and development of Archmere through individual and group endeavor and through programs to participate in the fund raising objectives of the Academy; and (3) to encourage outstanding academic and extra-curricular achievement by the students.
ARTICLE II - MEMBERSHIP, PRIVILEGES, AND
RESPONSIBILITIES
Section 1. Membership
includes the following: All persons who
have earned
a diploma from Archmere. All persons
who have attended Archmere
and did not earn a diploma and desire membership. The Headmaster and Director
of Development and Alumni Relations of Archmere Academy shall be considered
non-voting members of the Alumni Council.
Individuals
meeting the membership requirements of Article II, Section 1 who are also
employees of Archmere Academy are not eligible to hold office.
Section 2. Privileges of membership include the right to vote, hold office, volunteer and/or be appointed to committees within the Alumni Association.
Section 3. The Association
in coordination with the Director of Development & Public Relations
has certain powers, including the authority to make
a budget, to raise
funds, to make decisions on program offerings in the areas of social,
informational, and educational consequences, and to have input in fund raising
literature and other materials through the Director of Development and Public
Relations.
Section 4. Honorary memberships may be granted
by the Alumni Council of
the Association by the following
process: A written recommendation
for the conferring of honorary
membership upon the nominee may be
submitted to the Council (refer to
Article III, Sec. 1). Alumni Council
reviews and votes on the
recommendation. If the honorary membership
is approved, it shall be conferred upon the individual at
the next council meeting or at such other time as the Council may decide. Honorary members may be appointed to committees within the Association. Honorary members have no voting rights, may chair a committee, but cannot hold office
Section 5. The Association cannot administer
scholarships or compete with other organizations of the school in fund raising
or other areas. The Association may be
dissolved by the Board of Trustees.
Section 6. Attendance of meeting is crucial for the functionality and future development of the Alumni Council. Any member(s) who has 3 unexcused absences or who cannot attend at least half the meetings held in a given year will be interviewed by the Executive Officers with termination of said term as being a possibility.
Section 7. Each member must serve on at least one
committee/event each year and be an active participant.
Section 8. Any member with terms of greater than
two years must chair at least one event in that time period. Serving on another Archmere related activity
or committee would be reviewed as such.
Section
9. Attendance at Alumni
Sponsored Events is a key ingredient to the success
of this Council. Any person involved on
a committee is expected
to participate in that event as well as attend others in support of
fellow council members.
ARTICLE III -
GOVERNING BODY
Section 1. The
Alumni Council is the governing body of the Association and
is herein referred to as the
Council.
Section 2. The Council membership shall number at
least 15 voting members, no more than 18. (The council shall attempt
to include representation from all decades, since the founding of the
school, if possible). The members
should have a record of service to the school, knowledge of alumni activities,
and talents, which will be applicable to the functions of the Council.
Section
3. Selection of Council members
is accomplished as follows: Names
for Council membership will be received by the
Nominating Committee. The Nominating Committee will develop a slate of candidates to
cover expiring or new terms. Such
candidates must be selected, according to the criteria stated in Article III,
Section 2.
Section
4. Election of Council members
is accomplished as follows: The slate
of candidates prepared by the Nominating Committee
shall be E-mailed to all registered alumni, placed in the Archmerean and posted
on the Archmere Alumni Association web site.
The ballot form shall be a check-off of the chosen candidates; the
completed ballot will be mailed or E-mailed or Faxed back
to the Nominating Committee, who will tally all the votes and present the list
of elected members to the Council at the meeting before the election meeting in
December.
Section 5. The term of Council memberships is
three years, initially and then on a staggered basis after completion of
first term (assuming re-nomination and re-election). Council officers are always members of the Council. Council vacancies shall be filled by
Presidential appointment with Council approval and shall be for the balance of
the vacated term (except for the position of immediate past president).
ARTICLE IV - OFFICERS
Section 1. The Officers of the Association are the officers of the
Council,
elected by the Council from Council membership at
the last meeting of the calendar year.
Officers shall have earned a diploma from Archmere. Officers are elected for a two-year term
and may not serve more than two consecutive terms in the same office. The person may remain in that office for an
additional two-year term if elected by the Council. The person may wish to
vacate the Officer position and resume duties as a non-officer on the Council
or the person may wish not to renew and to leave
the Council. Term limit will be set
based on need. The officers are as
follows:
The
President
of the Association is the presiding officer of the Council. He/She makes committee chair appointments
with the vote of the Council and delegates authority as necessary to carry out
Council functions during his/her term of office. He/She shall maintain adequate Council membership in accordance
with Article III, Section 5.
He/She is the primary spokesperson for the Association and serves as the
conduit to the school. The President also serves as a Corporate Member as
required under the By-Laws of Archmere Academy Inc.
The Vice
President is responsible for the functioning of the standing and special committees of
the Council and to fulfill the Presidents duties in his/her absence.
The Secretary
shall record the roll and minutes
of the Council
meetings.
The Treasurer
shall receive and disburse the funds of the Association and perform such other financial duties as
are
pertinent, including provision of a current financial
statement at each
Council meeting.
The Past
President shall act as an advisor to the officers of the council.
The
Executive Committee is composed of the Officers of the Association.
Section 2. Selection of Officers shall be accomplished as
follows: The
Nominating Committee of the Council shall propose a slate
of
candidates to fill each Council officer vacancy. The Chairman of
the Nominating Committee shall present the proposed slate
of
candidates at the Council meeting prior to the
election meeting (November), or to the Office of Development & Public Relations for distribution to the Council members
prior to the election meeting. In the
event the Nominating Committee fails to propose a slate of candidates as
scheduled, the President shall call a special meeting of the Council to
function as a Nominating Committee of the whole.
Section 3. Election of Officers is accomplished as follows: The slate
of candidates prepared by the Nominating Committee shall
be
presented to Council members. (Article
IV, Sec. 2). At the year
end meeting in December, a vote shall be taken to
elect the officers. A simple majority is
required for election to office.
A majority vote of the Council members is
satisfactory for conducting Council business. Council members may vote by
attending the meeting or by proxy. Proxy votes may be solicited by fax, regular
mail or email. The Secretary of the Council is responsible for soliciting and
tabulation all proxy votes. Council members may respond by proxy using fax,
regular mail or email.
be filled by Council vote. If the Presidency is vacated before the
expiration of the term of office, the Vice President will
assume the
Presidency.
ARTICLE V - DIRECTOR OF
ALUMNI RELATIONS
Section 1. The Director of Development &
Public Relations is appointed by the Headmaster
of Archmere as approved by the Board of Trustees.
Section 2. The Director of Development &
Public Relations manages the Alumni Relations, supervises the maintenance of
the Association records, and otherwise assists the Association in the
achievement of its purpose. He/She serves in an advisory capacity on Academy
policy to the Alumni Association and in a similar capacity to the Academy on
the policy of the Association. He/She
is responsible for directing newsworthy information regarding alumni to the
publication of the Association and other appropriate areas. He/She will assist in bringing new members
into active work of the Alumni Association.
ARTICLE VI -
COUNCIL OPERATIONS
Section 1. The fiscal year of the Association shall be from July 1 to the following June 30.
year, with one of the four meetings being an election
meeting for
new council membership in July every year. And one of the four meetings being an election of
Officers in December. Committees will report at
these meetings. Special meetings, as
deemed necessary by the President of the Association, may be called for a
specific agenda.
Section 3. A majority vote of the Council
members in attendance is satisfactory for conducting Council business, provided
a quorum of Council members is in attendance.
One-half of the voting Council members shall constitute a quorum.
Section 4. Apparent excessive absences by a Council member shall be considered by the Executive Committee. Non-compliance in the Responsibility section will be considered by the Executive Committee. The Executive Committee has the right to remove an individual from Council based on recorded infractions
Section 5. Sturgess Rules of Order shall be the parliamentary
authority
on matters not covered by this document.
ARTICLE VII - COMMITTEES
Section 1. Meetings of
Council committees are held as required.
Section 2. A concise report will be made at regular Council meetings by each committee chairman or his/her representative.
Section 3. Standing committees of the Council will be a minimum of
two persons.
Executive Committee - defined in Article IV,
Section 1.
Nominating Committee - prepares slates for Council
and
Association officer elections; acts as election committee
in
counting ballots, and rules upon validity of any ballot;
acts as
awards committee for any alumni/student awards given.
Bylaws Committee - A committee shall be formed
from Council members every five years or when deemed necessary by the Executive
Committee, and as voted on by the Council.
Section 4. Special Committees - are established by the Council
as needed.
The specific purpose of each special committee will be
determined
and stated prior to the formation of the committee.
Section 5. Ad Hoc Committees - are established at the discretion
of the President
as needs arise.
Section 6. All committee memberships terminate automatically at the
conclusion of each calendar year unless extended by
the President of the Association with the consent of the Council.
ARTICLE
VIII - AMENDMENTS
Section
1. These Bylaws may be amended on the approval
of two-thirds
(2/3) of the voting members
of the Council. A proposed amendment shall not be acted on, however, until it
has considered and reported on by the Bylaws Committee.
Section 2. On the adoption of these Bylaws, (1) all previous Bylaws and
(2)
motions of record and rules and regulations in conflict
with these
Bylaws are hereby repealed, provided that all officers,
delegates,
and elected persons now in office shall continue their
incumbency
until their successors are duly elected as provided in
these Bylaws.
Revised: May 20, 2002