Alumni Association of Atlantic Union College
PREAMBLE
We, the graduates of Atlantic Union College, in order to obtain a permanent and efficient union, do ordain and establish this Constitution. This document supersedes all previous governance documents of this Association and shall become effective immediately upon ratification by a majority vote of the participating membership.
ARTICLE I—NAME
This organization shall be known as the Alumni Association of Atlantic Union College (hereinafter “the Association”).
ARTICLE II—PURPOSE
The purpose of the Association shall be to further the interests of Atlantic Union College (hereinafter “the College“) and to foster Christian fellowship among the members of the Association.
ARTICLE III—MEMBERSHIP
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Section 1—Regular Members
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All graduates of the College, together with all graduates of Lancaster Junior College and South Lancaster Academy prior to 1923, and all graduates of the New England Sanitarium and Hospital School of Nursing prior to 1966 shall constitute the regular membership of this organization.
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Section 2—Associate Members
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All members of the College faculty and staff and the Board of Trustees shall be associate members of the Association for the duration of their term of office or employment.
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Section 3—Honorary Members
The Association may, upon recommendation of the Executive Committee, grant honorary
membership to any person. Any student who has attended the College for at least one semester or any faculty or staff member who has served for at least one year is eligible upon personal request to become an honorary member of the Association.
Section 4—Voting Privileges
The right to vote in Association elections and other affairs is exclusively reserved to the regular members of the Association.
Section 5—Fellowship
Spouses or other guests of regular members, associate members, and honorary members are invited to participate in the activities of the Association and its chapters.
ARTICLE IV—OFFICERS
Section 1—Elected Officers
Only regular members may serve as elected officers. The elected officers of the Association shall consist of:
1. The President, who shall serve a two-year term
2. The President-elect or Past President in alternate years
3. The Treasurer
4. The Secretary
5. At least five Members-at-large and such other officers as may be ordered by the members of the Association in regular annual meeting.
Vacancies and Replacements: The Executive Committee shall fill vacancies that occur between annual meetings. The term of office of any member filling such a vacancy shall begin on the date of said member’s election or appointment and run to expiration of the term of the officer being replaced. Any officer may, by a two-thirds vote of the elected officers of the Executive Committee, be removed from office for cause. The officer in question shall not participate in said vote.
Section 2—The Executive Committee
The Executive Committee shall consist of the elected and appointed officers provided for in Section 1 of this article. Also serving shall be the alumni relations and student services directors at the College and any other persons the Executive Committee deems necessary or appropriate.
Section 3—Elections
In September of each year,
The Executive Committee shall appoint a Nominating Committee of five regular members. The president-elect or past president shall serve as the chairperson of the Nominating Committee.
Each year
The Nominating Committee shall nominate at least five members at-large.
Every other year
1. The Nominating Committee shall nominate a president-elect who shall serve as president-elect of the Association in the first year, as president the second and third years, and as past president in the fourth year.
In even numbered years the Nominating Committee shall also nominate persons to serve as the secretary
and
In odd numbered years persons to serve as treasurer.
The terms of office for the secretary and treasurer shall be two years. After approval by the
Executive Committee, the slate shall be published in the winter issue of the AUC Alumni publication with a ballot to be returned prior to the annual meeting. The regular members, by such ballot, may vote to elect the nominated officers or may write in a candidate for any office to be elected in that year. The results of such vote shall be announced at the regular meeting of the Association and published in the AUC Alumni publication. In the event such vote is not taken, voting shall be done at the annual business meeting during alumni weekend.
Section 4—Duties of the Officers and the Executive Committee
The president, as the senior officer of the Association, shall represent the membership of the
Association in all alumni affairs, preside at all meetings of the Association and of the Executive Committee, be responsible for Chapter organization and for the correspondence of the Association, oversee the activities of the Association, including alumni weekend, and perform such other duties customarily incident of this office.
The president-elect or past-president shall perform the duties of the president in the president's absence or if the president is unable to act, and shall chair the Nominating Committee, transmit all records of the Association including copies of this constitution to the newly elected officers, plan for the following year’s alumni weekend, chair the Alumni of the Year Committee, and perform such other duties as may be designated by the Executive Committee.
The secretary shall participate in all Executive Committee and Association teleconferences and other meetings and shall make a record of their proceedings. Such records shall be under the secretary's control and a permanent copy shall be kept at the AUC Advancement Office. The secretary shall also perform such other duties as may be delegated by the president or the
Executive Committee.
The treasurer shall be responsible for the receipt and disbursement of all funds and shall
prepare quarterly financial reports for the Executive Committee, an annual financial report at the regular meeting, file permanent copies of all records with the AUC Advancement Office, and perform such other duties as may be delegated by the president or the Executive Committee.
The members-at-large shall participate in all Executive Committee teleconferences and other meetings and shall perform such other duties as designated by the Executive Committee.
The Executive Committee shall be responsible for establishing the policies and supervising the direction and management of the affairs of the Association, including but not limited to:
planning all aspects of the annual alumni weekend, such as selecting activities, inviting
speakers, and selecting the alumni of the year and other honorees, approving all expenditures of the Association, establishing and appointing the chairperson and members of such additional ad hoc committees as it deems necessary or desirable to advise and assist in supervising the activities and/or in administering the affairs of the Association. The Executive Committee may modify or revoke the work of any committee.
scheduling meetings to discuss the affairs of the Association and to plan for its events.
ARTICLE V—SESSIONS
Section 1—Annual Meeting
This Association shall hold its regular annual meeting at the College on alumni weekend, which is to be held the weekend nearest April 19, Founders Day.
Section 2—Notice of Meetings
Official notice of all regular meetings shall be published in the Atlantic Union Gleaner at least one month before the time of the meeting, and in the winter issue of the AUC alumni publication. The Executive Committee will make other announcements as necessary.
•Section 3—Rules and Quorums
The current revision of Robert's Rules of Order shall govern the elections and other proceedings of the Association. The members present at any regularly called meeting of the Association, including the president or president-elect or past-president, shall constitute a quorum. A measure is passed when approved by a simple majority of the quorum.
ARTICLE VI—FUNDING
Section 1—Funds
The Association shall receive an annual appropriation from the College and such special donations or gifts as may be contributed by alumni or friends designated especially for the Association. The Association may also receive funds by way of wills or legacies, and income from benefit programs and projections, and offerings, etc.
Section 2—Annual Budget
The treasurer of the Association shall, with the other officers of the Association, develop an annual budget for the ensuing year, based upon the funds allocated to the Association by the College and any other funds received. The Executive Committee shall review the proposed budget and adopt a budget for such year and the expenses provided for therein shall be authorized by such adoption. All other expenditures
and all material transactions not in the ordinary course of the affairs of the Association shall be authorized as needed by vote of the Executive Committee.
Section 3—Administration of the Funds
All funds received by the treasurer of the Association shall be held in trust and disbursed in
accordance with the approved budget or by order of the Executive Committee. Prior to each annual meeting, the business manager Vice-president for Finance of the College, or his/her designee, at his option, shall audit the books of the Association.
ARTICLE VII—CHAPTER ORGANIZATION
The Association shall encourage the formation of local chapters by any group of alumni having the purpose of fostering the objectives of the Association. A local chapter becomes a unit of the Alumni Association upon approval of the Executive Committee. Such units shall report their activities and the names of their officers to the president of the Association.
ARTICLE VIII— AMENDMENTS
The Association may at any regular meeting, by a vote of a majority of the members voting at the meeting, amend or repeal this Constitution or By-laws, provided that no proposal for such
amendment or repeal shall be acted upon unless the text of such amendment or repeal is given at the meeting or published in the alumni journal.
ARTICLE IX— BY-LAWS
The members of this Association in session may enact by-laws and amend or repeal them, and such by-laws may embrace any position not inconsistent with the constitution.