Pittsfield High School Alumni Association
BY-LAWS
ARTICLE I: NAME
The name of the organization shall be the Pittsfield High School Alumni Association. It shall hereafter be designated and referred to in the By-laws as the Association.
ARTICLE II: PURPOSE
The Association shall be a voluntary, nonprofit organization affiliated with Pittsfield High School for the purpose of meeting the following common objectives:
· Organize and track the location of alumni and maintain a current database of said alumni.
· Support and promote the continued growth and development of the school within the community.
· Promote school spirit and loyalty among alumni, faculty and staff of Pittsfield High School through a variety of activities, including communication and reunions.
· Provide a source of historical information about Pittsfield High School.
· Provide funding for scholarships for students.
ARTICLE III: HEADQUARTERS
The principal office of the Association shall be the office of the principal of Pittsfield High School or such other office within the school as s/he may designate.
ARTICLE IV: MEMBERSHIP
Section A: Eligibility. Any individual who attended (whether graduated or not) Pittsfield High School is eligible to become a member of the Association.
Section B: Classification of Membership.
1. Regular Members – Any person who has attended or graduated from Pittsfield High School. A regular member agrees to comply with the rules of the Association. Regular members are allowed to vote and hold office.
2. Honorary Members – The Executive Board of the Association may nominate individuals to be conferred with an Honorary Membership. Honorary Members shall be individuals who have significantly contributed to the advancement of the Association. Honorary Members are not allowed to vote or hold office.
ARTICLE V: GOVERNING BOARD
Section A: Executive Board. The Executive Board of the Association shall be the President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, Membership Secretary, Historian, Immediate Past President, and two Members-at-Large.
Section B: Elections. Office elections will be held at the annual meeting. The terms of office will be for one year. The term of office shall begin on the day of the election and run until the following election one year hence. The officers shall be elected by a majority vote of members in attendance at the annual meeting. There are no limits on the number of times an individual may seek election to any office.
Section C: 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 be the chief operating officer of the Association, shall make all decisions concerning Association day-to-day operations and shall direct the activities of the Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, and various committee chairs.
The Vice President shall assist the President, perform the duties of the President if the President is incapacitated or otherwise unavailable, and oversee the activities of Membership Secretary and Historian.
The Secretary shall be the custodian of the Association’s business records, including the minutes of meetings, newspaper clippings and articles, committee reports, and documents produced by the Executive Board.
The Treasurer shall be responsible for the financial operations of the Association.
The Membership Secretary shall be responsible for maintaining a database of current members and maintaining the Association’s Web site. Each June, the Membership Secretary shall write a letter to each graduating senior, congratulating them and inviting them to join the Association.
The Historian shall be responsible for maintaining a historical record of Pittsfield High School and the Association by collecting memorabilia to include but not limited to yearbooks.
The Members-at-Large shall be responsible for attending meetings and performing the duties of any officer who is incapacitated or otherwise unavailable.
Section D: Resignation. Any officer may resign by tendering a letter of resignation to the President.
Section E: 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 two-thirds vote of the Executive Board.
Section F: 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, Membership Secretary, Historian or Member-at-Large should resign or are removed from office, the President will nominate to the Executive Board an individual to fill the vacant office for the balance of the existing term. This individual will enter the office upon a majority vote of the Executive Board.
Section G: Quorum. Five members of the Executive Board shall be considered a quorum for the purposes of voting. Either the President or Vice President must be present for the quorum to be met. All votes shall be decided by a majority of those voting. Members of the Executive Board may abstain from voting, and shall be considered to have abstained if they do not register a vote prior to any deadline designated by the President. In case of a tie, the President of the Association may vote to break the tie.
ARTICLE VI: COMMITTEES
Section A: Ad Hoc Committees. The President of the Association may establish Ad Hoc Committees as deemed necessary.
Section B: Committee Control. Each committee shall elect a Chairperson from its membership. The President, as the Association’s chief operating officer, will work with the chairs of each committee to direct and control the activities of all Ad Hoc Committees.
ARTICLE VII: MEETINGS
Section A: Annual Meeting. The membership of the Association shall be invited to meet once a year and the date of such general meeting shall be set by the Executive Board and promulgated to the membership at least 60 days in advance. In addition to any business that will legitimately come before the membership, annual elections for the Executive Board shall take place at this meeting.
Section B: Executive Board Meetings. The Executive Board shall meet quarterly at the annual meeting and every three months thereafter.
ARTICLE VIII: ASSOCIATION OPERATIONS
Section A: Database. The Association will maintain a database of alumni of the high school. This database will include, as a minimum, year of graduation, last name, first name, former name, address, telephone number, and e-mail address. The database will be maintained in two locations to decrease the chance of lost information. The database will remain the property of the Association and will be shared only at the discretion of the Executive Board.
Section B: Newsletter. The Association will publish a newsletter at least once a year with information provided directly by members, Committee Members, or Executive Board members. The newsletter will be mailed or e-mailed to all Association members and a copy of the latest newsletter shall be posted on the Web site.
Section C: History. The Historian shall maintain archives of Association memorabilia to include but not limited to yearbooks.
Section D: Reunions. The Association shall host all-class reunions as frequently as deemed appropriate by the Executive Board. The Association will be available to assist any class that may be planning a reunion.
Section E: Scholarships. The Association will solicit special contributions to fund scholarship(s) for deserving graduating students of Pittsfield High School. The Association will work with the administration to determine the method for awarding money with the approval of the Executive Board.
Section F: Official Web site. The Executive Board will designate the official Web site of the Association. The Membership Secretary will maintain the Web site to ensure consistency and timeliness.
Section G: Rules of Order. Meetings of the Association and Executive Board shall be governed by the current Robert’s Rules of Order, Revised, except when in conflict with these By-laws.
ARTICLE IX: FISCAL POLICY
Section A: Fiscal Year. The fiscal year of the Association shall be from September 1 to August 31.
Section B: Allocations. All contributions will be deposited in a general fund account and may be used to pay any or all expenses incurred by the Association. Contributions received by the Association that are designated only for scholarships only may be deposited in the general fund account, but shall be appropriated and used only to fund scholarship(s) as directed by the Executive Board or the wishes of the contributor.
Section C: Compensation. Members of the Executive Board shall receive no compensation for their services.
Section D: Control. The Treasurer shall sign all requests for check, checks, drafts, loans, or other orders of payment of money, notes, and other evidence of indebtedness issued in the name of the Association. If the Treasurer is unavailable, the President may sign in the Treasurer’s place. If at any time the amount of any of the above instruments is greater than $1,000, both the President and Treasurer shall sign the instrument.
Section E: Audit or Review. After the various financial records have been closed at the end of the fiscal year, the Executive Board may, if it chooses, require an audit or review of these records. After the Executive Board has reviewed and approved the report of the audit or review, it will be provided to the Association members either in the newsletter or by other appropriate means.
Section F: Gifts. The Executive Board may accept on behalf of the Association any contribution, gift, bequest, or device for the general purpose of or for any special purpose of the Association.
ARTICLE X: EXISTENCE
Section A: Implementation. These By-laws will be implemented immediately following their approval. These By-laws shall be approved by a two-thirds majority vote of the Executive Board.
Section B: Amendments. The By-laws of this Association may be amended by a two-thirds vote of the Executive Board. Any amendment to be considered must be provided to the members of the Executive Board 30 days prior to its next regularly scheduled meeting.
ARTICLE XI: DISSOLUTION
Section A: Approval. The Association may be dissolved by two-thirds majority vote of the Executive Board.
Section B: Implementation. Once a motion for dissolution has been approved, all liabilities and obligations of the Association will be discharged or adequate provision to discharge them will be made by the President. Any remaining assets will be donated, unconditionally, to Pittsfield High School.