By-Laws

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Constitution and Bylaws

Southern New Jersey Chapter

Penn State Alumni Association

 Article I

 

Section 1. Name

The name of the organization shall be the Southern New Jersey Chapter of the Penn State

Alumni Association (the “Chapter”), a field organization of the Penn State Alumni

Association (the “Alumni Association”).

 

Section 2. Purpose

The Chapter is organized to promote the welfare of the Pennsylvania State University

(Penn State) and to provide service to Chapter members. In furtherance of this goal, the

Chapter shall assist the Alumni Association to develop programs beneficial to Penn State.

The Chapter shall work to establish a network of close fellowship and cooperation among

members of the Penn State family (alumni, parents of students, friends, and fans) residing

in Southern New Jersey and more specifically in the Burlington, Camden and Gloucester

Counties and surrounding areas. Through this network, the Chapter shall endeavor to

enhance the area’s knowledge of Penn State’s programs and activities and the

accomplishments of its students, faculty and alumni, and shall assist in Penn State’s

recruitment of outstanding applicants for admission.

 

 Section 3. Mission Statement

The Chapter is a charitable group organized to promote the welfare of Penn State, provide

services to Chapter members and give back to the community by conducting charitable events

and providing scholarships to deserving area students.

 

Article II

 

Section 1. Membership

 

Active: Any alumni, parents of students, friends, and fans of Penn State are eligible to

become active members in the Chapter.

 

Honorary: All alumni and non-alumni members of the Penn State family who have

distinguished themselves by their support of Penn State are eligible to become honorary

members of the Chapter. Appointment as an honorary member requires the approval of

the Board of Directors.

 

Section 2. Dues

Annual dues shall be charged to all active members of the Chapter and shall be

determined by the Board of Directors.

 

Article III

 

Section 1. Officers

The officers of the Chapter shall consist of a president, vice-president, recording

secretary, corresponding secretary and treasurer. All officers shall hold concurrent

membership in the Alumni Association and shall be elected from the Board of Directors

 

Section 2. Board of Directors

The Board of Directors (Board) shall consist of a minimum of 10 regularly elected

members from the Chapter and ex-officio members. Board members shall be elected by the

existing Board Ex-officio members shall not be entitled to vote or hold office unless a

specific exception is granted by the Board of Directors. Members of the Board of Directors must

hold concurrent membership in the Penn State Alumni Association.

 

Section 3. Terms of Office

 

Officers: The term of office for the officers of the Chapter shall be two years. Officers of

the Chapter may be re-elected, but successive full terms of office shall be limited to two.

An exception may be approved by the Board of Directors if unusual circumstances prevail. If an

officer other than the president resigns before the completion of his or her term, a successor for

the remainder of the term shall be elected by the majority of members at a regularly scheduled

meeting of the Board.

 

Board of Directors: The term of office for voting members of the Board shall be three

years. Board members may be re-elected but full successive terms of Board membership

shall be limited to five.

 

Ex-Officio Members

Past-Presidents: A past president who is not re-elected to the Board may be an exofficio

member of the Board for one year beyond the expiration of his/her term of office

as a member of the Board, if he/she desires.

 

The Executive Director of the Alumni Association: The executive director of the

Alumni Association shall be a permanent ex-officio member of the Board.

 

Legal Counsel: The president may appoint a chapter member to serve as an unpaid legal

counsel to the Board if no elected officer or Board member is a member of the bar or

declines to serve in that additional capacity.

 

Vacancies: If vacancies occur, the Board may elect new Board members to serve for the

remainder of the unexpired terms.

 

Article IV

 

Section 1. Duties of the Officers

The duties of the officers shall be those set forth below and such additional duties as

assigned by the Board.

 

President: The president shall serve as chair of the Board and shall serve as an exofficio

member of all Chapter committees. He/she shall manage the day-to-day business

of the Chapter, appoint committee chairpersons, call chapter and board meetings, and

preside at those meetings. The president shall inform the Alumni Association of chapter

activities and shall submit to that office an annual report immediately following an annual

meeting or by such date as determined by the Alumni Association.

 

Vice-President: In the absence or disability of the president, or at his/her request, the

vice-president shall perform the duties of the president. If the office of the president

becomes vacant, the vice-president shall become president until the next annual election

of officers by the Board. He/she may serve as an ex-officio member of Chapter

committees and shall perform duties as may be delegated to him/her by the president.

 

Recording Secretary: the secretary shall keep the official minutes of the meetings of the

Chapter and the Board. He/she shall maintain the official copy of the Chapter’s charter,

By-Laws, past chapter and Board meeting minutes, and shall be responsible for archiving

the Chapter’s documentation reflecting historical experience from programs and

committee work. This shall not infringe on the historian’s duties (if there is one named by

the president), who shall keep a written and/or pictorial history of the Chapter.

 

Treasurer: The treasurer shall be responsible for all receipts and disbursements of the

Chapter and shall assist the secretary with the Chapter’s records, as necessary. The

treasurer shall be responsible for overseeing that disbursements are made in accordance

with the guidelines in the Chapter’s annual budget. The annual budget may be

recommended by a finance committee as directed by the president. In the absence of a

finance committee, the Board, as a whole, shall set the annual budget and upon approval

by the Board shall set in motion the annual budget. He/she shall be responsible for

submitting an annual financial report at the annual meeting of the chapter and shall send a

copy to the Alumni Association offices.

 

Corresponding Secretary: The corresponding secretary shall be responsible for communicating

meeting notices to members of the board and conducting the correspondence of the Chapter as

assigned by the president.

 

Section 2. Duties of the Board

The Board is the legislative body of the chapter and is empowered to establish policy

consistent with the programs as set forth by the Alumni Association.

The Board shall meet on a regular basis. The locations and time of Chapter meetings

s h a l l b e s e t by the Board. It is the responsibility of each board member to

stay current on meeting locations, or in the case of absence from a meeting to confirm

future meeting t i m e s a n d locations with the secretary or another officer. Changes to

the Board meeting schedule or location will be communicated to the Board by the President in a

timely manner.

 

The Board shall hold a minimum of six meetings each year and other meetings called by

the president as his/her discretion or upon petition to the president bearing the signatures

of at least one-third (1/3) of the voting members of the Board. A petition for a meeting

shall state the specific purpose for holding such meeting. The president shall call s u c h a

meeting within seven (7) days and hold such meeting within fourteen (14) days of receipt

of a petition.

 

Members of the Board shall attend a t l e a s t 5 0 % o f all meetings of the Board of

Directors and shall attend at least 50% of chapter events unless excused for cause. The

secretary shall maintain the record of attendance. Voting members of the Board shall serve

on at least one standing committee of the Chapter.

 

Article V

 

Section 1. Committees

Standing committees shall be the following: Membership, Social Events, Newsletter/Web

Page/Social Media, Community Service/Philanthropic, Marketing/Publicity/Advertising,

Finance, Scholarship. Ad hoc committees may be established by the president as needed.

Membership o f these committees shall be from board members a n d C h a p t e r

m e m b e r s chosen by the president. Each committee shall consist of at least three

members including ex-officio members.

 

Section 2. Function of Committees

The function of the committees shall be those set forth below and such additional

functions as assigned and agreed upon by the Board.

 

Membership. The membership chair shall maintain complete records of all active and

honorary members of the Chapter and a listing of Penn State alumni as issued by the

Alumni Association. The membership listing and the listing from the Alumni

Association shall be used only for official business of the chapter. These listings shall

not, under any circumstances be released or made available to any commercial, political

or other association entities. The listings may only be used to further the purposes of the

Chapter and the Alumni Association. The president and vice-president shall be ex-officio

members of this committee.

 

Social Events shall assure that a schedule of activities exists and consists of well-rounded

events designed to promote all aspects of Penn State’s educational programs as well as to

further the membership of the Chapter.

 

Newsletter/WebPage/Social Media shall serve the interests of the Chapter, The Alumni

Association and Penn State by promoting each to members, potential members and others

as directed by the Board through a newsletter, maintaining and keeping current the chapter’s

website, and keeping current the chapter’s Facebook page and other social media platforms.

 

Community Service/Philanthropic shall serve as a liaison between the chapter and the

non-profit community and the service organizations therein for the purpose of providing

chapter members an opportunity to assist in community projects.

 

Marketing/Publicity/Advertising. The committee shall publicize all public events for the

purpose of expanding attendance. They will coordinate with the Webpage/Social Media

Committee to leverage their capabilities.

 

Finance shall prepare an annual budget for the Chapter. The fiscal year shall correspond

to the membership year. The budget shall be provided to the Board at the next regularly

scheduled meeting for approval. The vice-president shall be the chair and the president

and treasurer shall serve in ex-officio capacities for this committee.

 

Scholarship shall work with Penn State in providing scholarship monies to deserving

students in accordance with the guidelines as set forth by Penn State. The committee will

communicate scholarship information and applications to all secondary schools in the Chapter’s

charter area. It will screen and select candidates for all scholarships offered by the Chapter and

present their recommendations to the Board for approval.

 

Article VI

 

Section 1. Annual Chapter Meeting

The Chapter shall hold at least one annual meeting at which time Board members will be

elected.

 

Section 2. Special Chapter Meetings

The president may call special chapter meetings that may be included in the schedule of

activities or that are necessary to carry out the purposes of the chapter.

 

Article VII

 

Section 1. Adoption

This Constitution and By-Laws shall be adopted upon it’s approval by a majority vote of

the members of the Chapter in attendance at any regular or special meeting of the

Chapter. It shall be effective upon grant of charter by the Executive Board of the Alumni

Association and shall continue in force as long as the Chapter’s charter is in force.

 

Section 2. Amendments

This Constitution and By-Laws may be amended by a majority vote of all Chapter

members present at a regularly scheduled or duly called s p e c i a l Board

meeting.

 

Article VIII

 

Section 1. Dissolution of the Chapter

The Chapter may be dissolved only upon the vote of two thirds of members in

attendance at a regular or special meeting of the Chapter, provided however, that notice

of the time and place of the proposed vote on dissolution be disseminated to all Chapter

members by regular mail or email at least two weeks in advance.

 

Section 2. Distribution of Assets Upon Dissolution

Upon dissolution of the Chapter, title to all assets held by the Chapter, including any

scholarship funds, shall be turned over to the Alumni Association within 30 days of

dissolution.

 

This Constitution and By Laws are hereby approved on this _______ day of ________,

2015.

_____________________________

Matt Kirk, President

_____________________________

Cindy Skotnicki, Vice-President