Penn State Alumni Association

Greater Ft. Lauderdale Chapter Bylaws

Revised 7/22/2003

ARTICLE I

Section 1: Name

The name of this organization shall be the Greater Ft. Lauderdale 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 the Broward County area. 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.
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.  Dues will cover the membership period beginning July 1^st thru June 30^th of the following calendar year.  Membership dues will not be pro-rated, however dues paid in After April 30^th will be credited towards the following membership period.
ARTICLE III

Section 1: Officers

The officers of the chapter shall consist of a president, vice-president, 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 9 regularly elected members from the chapter, and ex-officio members. Ex-officio members shall not be entitled to vote or hold office in the chapter.

Section 3: Terms of Office

Officers: The term of office for the officers of the chapter shall be one year. Officers of the chapter may be re-elected, but successive full terms of office shall be limited to three.

Board of Directors: The term of office for voting members of the board shall be three years. Board members may be re-elected.  There are no term limits for Board members.

Ex-Officio Members

Past-Presidents: A past-president who is not re-elected to the board may be an ex-officio 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.

Leaders of Other Local Organizations Officially Recognized by Penn State or the
Alumni Association: The president may appoint the leaders of other local organizations that have been officially recognized by Penn State or the Alumni Association to serve as ex-officio members of the board.

Legal Counsel: The president may appoint a chapter member to serve as legal counsel to the board.

Vacancies: If vacancies occur, the board may elect new board members to serve for the remainder of the unexpired terms.

Section 4: Elections

One-third of the voting members of the board, and any remaining vacancies, shall be elected at the annual chapter meeting. The officers shall be elected at the subsequent meeting of the board.

ARTICLE IV

Section 1: Duties of 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 may serve as an ex-officio member of 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 national Penn State Alumni Chapter Office (the “Alumni Office”) of chapter activities and shall submit to that office an annual “State of the Chapter” report immediately following the annual meeting.

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 such additional duties as may be delegated to him/her by the president.

Secretary: The secretary shall keep the official minutes of the meetings of the chapter and the board and shall send copies to the Alumni Field Director. He/she shall maintain the official copy of the chapter’s charter, constitution, past-chapter, and board meeting minutes, and shall be responsible for archiving the chapter’s documentation reflecting historical experience from programs and committee work.

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, recommended by the finance committee and approved by the board. He/she shall be responsible for submitting a current financial statement regularly. He/she shall submit an annual financial report at the annual meeting of the chapter and shall send a copy to the Alumni Office.

Section 2: Duties of the Board

The board is the legislature of the chapter and is empowered to establish local policy, consistent with the program set forth by the Alumni Association. The board shall meet on a regular basis. The location and time of chapter meetings is discussed and agreed upon 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, confirm future meeting locations with the secretary or another officer. The board shall hold a minimum of four meetings each year and other meetings called by the president at his/her discretion or upon petition to the president bearing the signature of at least one-third of the voting member of the board. A petition for meeting shall state the specific purpose for holding such a meeting. The president shall call a meeting within seven days and shall hold such a meeting within 14 days of receipt of a petition. Voting members of the board shall attend all meetings of the board with the exception of two absences per term year. More than two absences is grounds for removal from the board. The third and subsequent absences require board approval. 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

Eight standing committees (Membership, Communications, Finance, Nominating and Volunteer Development, Social Events, Community Service, Student Affairs, and Professional Development) and ad hoc committees established by the president shall be appointed from the voting members of the board. Each committee shall consist of at least two members, including the ex-officio members. The president or vice-president shall serve as an ex-officio member of all committees.

Section 2: Functions 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 the list of all current Alumni Association members in the Broward County. area (the “Alumni Association list”) which shall be obtained from the Alumni Office. The membership chair shall use the Alumni Association list only for chapter and Alumni Association purposes and shall not, under any circumstances, release the Alumni Association list for outside commercial purposes, political activities, or any other reason not directly related to chapter or Alumni Association activities. The membership committee shall review the Alumni Association list and devise ways to encourage area alumni to participate in chapter activities and to become members of the chapter and the Alumni Association. The committee shall maintain contact with the Alumni Association and shall notify the Alumni Office of address changes, job changes, achievements, and other pertinent information. The president and secretary shall be ex-officio members of this committee.

Communications: The communications committee shall work with the Penn State Office of Public Information, through the local media, to inform the public of notable Penn State achievements and accomplishments of its students, faculty, and alumni. The committee shall assist the standing committees (and ad hoc committees, as necessary) established to organize and conduct chapter activities in securing publicity for those activities. The committee shall be responsible for the generation of a periodical newsletter, the hotline maintenance, and maintenance of the internet I.D. The president and vice-president shall be ex-officio members of the committee.
Finance: The finance committee shall prepare an annual budget for the chapter. The budget shall be based on a fiscal year ending June 30 and shall be submitted for approval to the board no later than July 15. The committee shall work with the treasurer to insure that expenditures are made in accordance with budget. The vice-president shall be the chairperson of this committee, and the president and treasurer shall serve as ex-officio members of the committee.

Nominating: Duties and Membership – The nominating and volunteer development committee shall select nominees for members of the board and the officers of the chapter. Candidates for re-election shall not serve on the committee.
Nomination of the Board Member Candidates: The committee shall be responsible for recognizing outstanding and meritorious efforts of chapter members, officers, or board members. The committee shall also develop and maintain board and volunteer development programs.
Nomination of the Board Member Candidates: The committee chair will periodically send applications for board membership to chapter members who express an interest in joining the board. The committee’s nominations for board member candidates shall be made from the applications received. For elections to the board of directors, the committee shall select no more than one nominee for each vacancy.

Nomination of Officer Candidates: For election of officers, the committee may select more than one nominee for each position, but no individual shall be eligible to run for more than one office at a time. The committee’s nominations for officer candidates shall be presented by the nominating chair to the members of the board during the next scheduled board meeting following the annual meeting. The election of officers shall take place at that time, and any nominee receiving a majority of the votes shall be deemed elected. In the event of a tie, each candidate will be allotted an additional speaking period, after which up to two re-votes shall be taken. Absentee ballots will remain the same. In the event of a continued tie, it shall be resolved fairly and equitably by the toss of a coin. Board members who will not be able to attend the election of officers may submit an absentee ballot to the nominating chair prior to the meeting. Additional nominations for officer candidates may be made by petition of one-third of the voting members of the board filed with the nominating chair at least ten days before the election of officers.
Vacancies: The committee shall select nominees to fill board member and officer vacancies as directed by the board.

Social Events: The social events committee shall assure that the schedule of activities consists of a well-rounded series of events designed to promote all aspects of Penn State’s educational program including its scholastic, athletic, and cultural activities and to support Penn State’s efforts to recruit outstanding students.

Community Service: The community service committee shall serve as a liaison between the chapter and non-profit community service organizations for the purpose of providing chapter members an opportunity to assist in community projects.

Student Affairs: The student affairs committee shall plan an annual freshman “send-off” event for Broward County area students planning to attend Penn State in the coming year. The committee shall administer the chapter scholarship program and also serve as a liaison between the chapter and area recruiters.

Professional Development: The professional development committee shall work in conjunction with other chapter committees to foster the professional development of chapter members by creating continuing education and networking opportunities.

ARTICLE VI

Section 1: Annual Chapter Meeting.

The chapter shall hold an annual meeting in the month of May. At the annual meeting, board members shall be elected to fill the positions for expired terms.

Section 2: Special Chapter Meetings

The President shall call special chapter meetings that are included in the chapter’s annual schedule of activities or that are necessary to carry out the purposes of the chapter.

ARTICLE VII

Section 1: Adoption

This Constitution shall be officially adopted upon its approval by the majority vote of the board members of the chapter in attendance at any regular or special meeting of the chapter. It shall take effect upon the granting of a charter by the Executive Board of the Alumni Association, authorizing its functioning as one of the official Penn State chapters.

Section 2: Amendment

This Constitution may be amended by a majority vote of all chapter board members present at any duly called board meeting. No amendments shall take effect until duly approved by the Executive Board of the Alumni Association.

Ratified on July 22^nd 2003 by:

Sandra Hoover             President

Pravesh Patel               Vice President

Ken Ortner                   Board of Directors

Vincent Yarina             Board of Directors

Victor Sedka                Board of Directors