Article 1: Identity
Article 2: Purpose
Article 3: Membership
Article 4: Officers
Article 5: Committees
Article 6: Class Representatives
Article 7: Meetings
Article 8: Fiscal Policy
Article 9: Elections
Article 10: General Provision
Article 11: Existence
Article 12: Dissolution
Article 1: Identity
Section A: Name. This organization shall be known as the West Burlington High School Alumni Association, hereafter known as the “Association”.
Section B: Domicile. The Association will maintain its principle place of operations in Iowa.
Article 2: Purpose
Section A: Purpose. The purpose of the Association shall be to promote the spirit of alumni unity and camaraderie through communications and reunions, to locate alumni, and to provide a resource to W.B.H.S. through donation of alumni time, talent and treasure.
Article 3: Membership
Section A: Eligibility. Any individual who attended the high school (whether graduated or not) and is not currently enrolled, anyone who attended a West Burlington primary school prior to 1964, anyone who was or is staff of the West Burlington School District, or anyone who served or is serving on the school board is eligible to become a member of the Association.
Section B: Membership. Eligible individuals become members of the Association by submitting an application for membership accompanied by the lifetime or annual dues payment. The term of annual membership shall run from July 1 through June 30 of each year, the Association’s fiscal year. Annual dues will not be prorated.
Section C: Termination. Membership in the Association will terminate upon failure to pay annual dues.
Article 4: Officers
Section A: Officers. The officers of the Association shall be the President, Vice President, Treasurer, Secretary and Corresponding Secretary.
Section B: Elections. The officers shall be elected by a majority vote of the members returning election ballots. There are no limits on the number of terms an individual may serve in any office.
Section C: Term of Office. The term of office for each officer shall be two years. The term of office shall begin on the first day of July and run through the last day of June two years later.
Section D: Powers. The officers are vested with the powers appropriate to their elected office to accomplish the tasks necessary for the successful, day-to-day operations of the Association.
The President shall make all decisions concerning the Association’s day-to-day operations and shall direct the activities of the Vice President, the Treasurer, Secretary, Corresponding Secretary and various committee chairs. The President shall chair all meetings. The President will produce an Association Plan detailing proposed activities and objectives annually by August 1.
The Vice President shall assist the President, perform the duties of the President if the President is unavailable and oversee the activities of the Class Representatives.
The Treasurer shall be responsible for the financial operations of the Association and for preparing the annual Financial Report.
The Secretary shall be custodian of the Association’s business records and shall take minutes at meetings. The Secretary shall prepare an Annual Report by August 1.
The Corresponding Secretary shall be responsible for communicating information about and activities of the Association with its membership.
Section E: Resignation. Any officer may resign by tendering a letter of resignation to the Association Officers.
Section F: Removal from Office. Any officer who fails to perform the duties of the office to which the individual has been elected may be removed from the office by a majority vote of the Association Officers.
Section G: Vacancies. If the President resigns or is removed from office, the Vice President will assume the Presidency for the balance of the existing term. If the Vice President, Treasurer, Secretary or Corresponding Secretary resign or are removed from office, the President will nominate to the Association Officers an individual to fill the vacant office for the balance of the existing term, and this individual will be seated in office upon a majority vote of the Association Officers.
Article 5: Committees
Section A: Standing Committees. The Association will have the following permanent standing committees: Nominating, Scholarship, Fundraising, Events, Communications and Historical. Each of these committees will have a chairperson, membership and scope of work. The Association Officers shall appoint Standing Committee Chairpersons. Standing Committee Chairpersons shall have the right to attend all meetings of the Association Officers. Any member of the Association may volunteer to serve on a Standing Committee.
Section B: Ad Hoc Committees. The Association Officers may establish Ad Hoc Committees as deemed necessary. The Association Officers will approve the scope of work of these Ad Hoc Committees and appoint all committee chairs. Any member of the Association may volunteer to serve on an Ad Hoc Committee.
Section C: Committee Oversight. The Association Officers will direct the activities of the various Standing and Ad Hoc Committees. Committee Chairpersons will be responsible for reporting to the Association Officers. Standing and Ad Hoc Committee Chairpersons will detail their activities in an annual report due August 1.
Article 6: Class Representatives
Section A: Status. Members interested in serving as the Representative of their class will notify the Vice President. Class Representatives may represent a group of class years if necessary for any given class to have representation.
Section B: Role. The role of the Class Representatives shall be to promote communications between the Association and the “found” members of their respective classes. Representatives will also be encouraged to search for “lost” alumni of their respective classes and gather demographic information.
Section C: Oversight. The Vice President shall oversee the Class Representatives and be their principal point of contact for Association activities. The Vice President shall be responsible for searching for Representatives for classes which have no representation and for liaison between all Class Representatives and the Association Officers.
Article 7: Meetings
Section A: Rules. Where not specifically set forth in this Charter or the Bylaws, Robert’s Rules of Order will be followed at meetings.
Section B: Scheduling. Meetings shall be called by the President. If an Association Officer requests a meeting, the President must issue a meeting notice within one week. The meeting notice shall include the date, time, venue, and agenda and will be issued at least one week in advance of the meeting. The Association Officers and Committee Chairpersons shall be invited to all meetings. Due to geographic distance, meetings may be held via conference call, internet Chat or similar method, or e-mail.
Section C: Quorum. A quorum shall consist of at least half of the Association Officers. Provided that a quorum is present, binding votes shall be taken. In the event that a quorum does not present itself at a meeting, the meeting may continue but no binding votes shall be taken. Association Officers present may cast their votes during the meeting. Following the meeting the remaining Association Officers shall be given a five day period to vote on the relevant motions.
Section D: Voting. Any Association Officer may make a motion and any other Association Officer may second the motion. After a motion is made and seconded, discussion shall be held followed by voting. Motions shall carry by a simple majority of the quorum.
Section E: Electronic Meetings Over a Period of Time. Meetings may also be held more informally over a period of time via e-mail or web. In the event that any motions are made and seconded, a discussion period shall be opened for a minimum of three days. Immediately following the discussion period, a minimum one week period will be opened for voting. The President shall establish a beginning date and time and ending date and time to consider and vote on said motion/s. The timeframe for discussion shall commence immediately after the seconding of the motion. In order for a motion to pass, at least a quorum must vote. These time frames may be shortened as necessary due to urgent need for action as determined by the President. In such case, the President shall telephone the Association Officers to inform them of the timeframe of the discussion and vote.
Article 8: Fiscal Policy
Section A: Fiscal year. The fiscal year of the Association shall be from July 1 through June 30.
Section B: Annual Dues. The level of annual dues will be approved annually by the Association Officers. Annual dues are due in July of each year and are considered delinquent if not paid by September 1.
Section C: Lifetime Dues. The level of lifetime dues will be approved annually by the Association Officers. Lifetime dues may be paid at the onset of membership or at any point thereafter. Once lifetime dues have been paid by a member, annual dues are no longer required.
Section D: Allocation. All dues will be deposited in a general fund account and may be used to pay any or all expenses incurred by the Association.
Section E: Compensation. Officers, Committee Chairpersons, Committee Members and Class Representatives shall receive no compensation for their services. Compensation for expenses will be made only if the expenditures are approved by the Association Officers.
Section F: Control. Two signatures will be required on all checks, drafts, loans or other orders for payment of money, notes, and other evidence of indebtedness issued in the name of the Association. The Treasurer will sign all checks and any other Association Officer can provide the second signature.
Section G: Financial Report. Within 30 days of the end of each fiscal year, the Treasurer shall prepare financial statements, which shall include as a minimum a Balance Sheet, Income and Expense Statement, and Budget Comparison. These statements and supporting records shall be reviewed by the Association Officers, and if the officers deems necessary, reviewed or audited by an independent public accountant. Upon approval by the Association Officers, the financial report shall be provided to the Association members along with the annual report.
Article 9: Elections
Section A: Timing. The Association will hold elections every other year (on even numbered years) for the Association Officers. Only current members of the Association are eligible to stand for election.
Section B: Management. The elections will be planned and executed by the Nominating Committee. Members interested in fulfilling a term of office shall notify the Nominating Committee Chairperson by April 1 of an election year. The nominating committee shall review and select members to fill a slate of officers.
Section C: Balloting. The nominating committee shall prepare a ballot containing the slate of officers and submit to Association Members no later than May 1. Members will have until June 1 to return their ballots approving or disapproving the ballot. If the majority of ballots returned are in favor of the proposed slate, the slate of officers shall take office July 1.
Article 10: General Provision
Section A: Contracts. All contracts shall require the signature of the Association President and Treasurer.
Section B: Indemnification. In discharging their duties, the Officers, and various Committee Members of the Association shall be indemnified by the Association for judgements and fines (whether civil, criminal, administrative or investigative) as well as reasonable expenses for each, including attorney’s fees actually and necessarily incurred as a result of such action or proceeding, if such Officer or Committee Member is approved by the Association Officers to have acted in good faith, for a purpose which he or she reasonably believed to be in the best interests of the Association, but had no reasonable cause to believe that his or her conduct was unlawful.
Section C: Gifts. Association Officers may accept on behalf of the Association any contribution, gift, bequest for the general purpose of or for any special purpose of the Association.
Article 11: Existence
Section A: Implementation. These Bylaws will be implemented on July 1 of the year following their approval. These by-laws shall be approved by charter Association Officers.
Section B: Amendment. Proposed changes to the bylaws will be sent to the full membership for comment. Association Officers will vote on amendments by majority vote after a 30-day comment period.
Article 12: Dissolution
Section A: Approval. If Association Officers unanimously approve dissolution, the membership will be polled. Dissolution will occur if the majority of the members returning ballots vote in favor of the motion.
Section B: Implementation. Once dissolution has been approved, all liabilities and obligations of the Association will be discharged or adequate provision to discharge them will be made. Any remaining assets will be distributed to any Association or Associations that the Association Officers determine to be consistent with the Association’s purpose as set for the in Article 2 above and with applicable provisions of law.