ARTICLE I – NAME
The name of this Association shall be THE ALFRED-ALMOND ALUMNI ASSOCIATION (AAAA). The Association is an IRC 501 (C) (3) organization.
ARTICLE II – PURPOSES
Encourage good relationships among members of the AAAA, instilling a long-term loyalty among fellow alumni and dedication to the name, reputation and philosophy of Alfred-Almond Central School (AACS), its programs and activities. Promote excellence in academic achievement, good citizenship and leadership among AACS students. To financially assist AACS graduates in achieving their higher education goals with scholarships. To financially assist AACS undergraduates in attending sports, technology and arts camps to help them with their educational success.
OBJECTIVES
Host an annual alumni reunion and encourage social events, activities and class reunions for alumni of
1) AACS, 2) the former Alfred High School and 3) the former Almond High School. Keep members informed of school activities, alumni activities, and other newsworthy activities pertaining to alumni members and the Association. Raise funds and administrate the handling of scholarship and camp donations. Oversee selection of recipients who apply for awards as per guidelines established by the AAAA Board.
ARTICLE III – MEMBERSHIP
The members of this Association shall be known either as regular and associate members. Any person recorded on the permanent records as having attended Alfred-Almond Central School, Alfred School or Almond School is eligible for regular membership. Any current or former faculty or staff person, parent and/or spouse who indicate an interest in the objectives and purposes for which this Association has been formed are eligible to become an associate member. The Board may change, alter or increase the types of membership in this Association by unanimous vote at any regular or special meeting called for that purpose. All regular and associate members shall continue to be members so long as they shall pay Association dues and so long as such regular or associate members shall comply with these by-laws. There shall be membership dues charged by the Association. The annual membership dues and payment date for regular and associate members shall be determined by the Board. All members with
paid dues shall receive the annual newsletter, if one is published, at no charge. Any regular or associate member may withdraw from this Association after fulfilling all obligations to it by giving written notice to the Recording Secretary and his/her membership shall thereby end. Any regular or associate member may be suspended for a period or expelled for actions such as violation of any of the by-laws of this Association or for any conduct prejudicial to the best interest of the Association. Such expulsion or suspension shall be by two-thirds (2/3) vote of the members of the Board of this Association.
The right of any regular member to vote and any right, title or interest of any member in and to the Association shall cease on the termination of his or her membership.
ARTICLE IV – MEETINGS OF THE ASSOCIATION
The annual meeting of the regular and associate members of this Association ( as the Board has qualified to vote) shall be held at a time and place to be designated by the Board, for the election of members of the Board and other such business as may properly come before said meeting. Notice of such meeting shall be given to the regular and associate members duly qualified to vote. This notice shall be in the annual newsletter. In addition to such notice the Board will give notice of the annual meeting to regular and associate members by publishing a copy of same in the newspaper having general circulation in the towns of Alfred and Almond at least once a week for two successive weeks immediately preceding the meeting. Special meetings may be called at any time by the President or by the Board. Upon written request of fifty ( 50) regular members duly qualified to vote, it shall be the duty of the President to call a special meeting of all the members. Notice of every special meeting of regular and associate members stating the time, place and object thereof shall be given in the same publication manner as notices for the
annual meeting. At all meetings of regular members there shall be present, in person, at least fifty (50) members to constitute a quorum. There shall be no proxies. At all meetings of members, each duly qualified regular member shall be entitled to one ( 1) vote.
ARTICLE V – BOARD OF DIRECTORS
General affairs of the Association shall be managed and directed by a Board comprised a maximum of fifteen (15) members. Each member of the Board shall be elected for a term of three (3) years. Five (5) seats shall be voted on by the regular members at each annual meeting. The Board shall determine
the procedure to be used yearly to elect Board members. Any vacancies on the Board occurring during the year may be filled from the regular membership for any unexpired term and if filled, the appointee shall be a regular member approved by a majority vote of the remaining members of the Board. The Board will adopt rules and regulations for conduct of the meetings and management of the affairs of the Association. Regular and special meetings of the Board shall be held at the discretion of the Board. The President may request a “virtual” email or telephone vote of Board members when a decision is
needed prior to the next scheduled meeting. Fifty-One per cent ( 51 % ) of the members of the Board shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business by a majority vote of the quorum. Board members shall attend meetings consistently. Any member missing three (3) meetings in one ( 1) year with no communication or showing of just cause will be dismissed by the Board. Unacceptable public conduct or misbehavior will also be grounds for dismissal from the Board, at the sole discretion of the Board. After a Board member’s term of office expires, the Board member may retire or run for re-election. The rules contained in Robert’s Rules of Order (latest edition) shall govern this organization where and when applicable if they do not conflict with articles contained in these by-laws.
ARTICLE VI – OFFICERS
The Board officers comprise: President, Vice President, Recording Secretary, Treasurer and Corresponding Secretary. Each officer shall serve for a term of one (1) year. No member shall hold over one office at any one time. Officers shall be elected by the Board at the first Board meeting following the annual meeting. Persons desiring to have their names placed on the ballot shall so state at this meeting. Elections shall be decided by the majority of votes. If the position of President becomes vacant, an appointment to fill the vacancy in the office shall be by majority vote of the Board until the next election of officers. Vacancies in other elected positions shall be filled by presidential appointment, approved by the Board, and serve until the next scheduled election. The President shall preside at all meetings of the Association and the Board of Directors, shall select Committees, may call special meetings as necessary, and shall serve as an ex officio member of all standing Committees, with one vote on each. The President will ensure that all Committee chairs report to the Board on all Committee meetings and decisions on a regular basis. The President shall be the official representative of the Association. The President is the liaison between AAAA and AACS. The President presents scholarships at AACS commencement and the AAAA banquet. The Vice-President shall assist the President to perform his/her duties. If a vacancy in the office of President occurs or absence or inability of the President to perform the duties of the office, the Vice President shall exercise the power of the President. In the event that both the President and the Vice President cannot serve, the Recording Secretary shall serve as Interim President. Both the Vice President and the Recording Secretary have the power to designate a Board member to stand in their place to conduct the business of President until the office is filled. The Recording Secretary shall provide notice and proposed agendas of all pending meetings to all Board members, keep the minutes of the meetings and report minutes of meetings of the Board of Directors and other meetings when directed by the President and distribute minutes to Board members. Send out communications on behalf of the Board, be responsible for receiving mail, distribute mail to other officers when necessary, and maintain open communications among Board members. Keep records of address changes, deaths and any other information pertaining to the data base information, and forward these changes to the database manager. The Recording Secretary shall keep a file of all letters and forms used in various Board projects. The Recording Secretary shall maintain and regularly update the directory of Board members, the records of the Board and ensure effective management of organization’s records. The Treasurer shall have charge of the finances of the Association under the direction of the Board of Directors, shall keep accurate accounts of all receipts and disbursements in the books of the Association, deposit funds with duplicate deposit slips, disburse funds after approval of the Board and shall provide the Board with a written financial report of all income, expenses, and current balances at each meeting. She/he shall be a member of the Finance Committee. The Treasurer shall collect and disburse all funds subject to the direction and control of the Board. All disbursements of more than $100.00 must be approved by a majority of the Board and all checks in amounts greater than $100.00 shall require the dual signatures of the Treasurer and the President. The Association shall maintain an adequate surety bond ( as the Association in its sole discretion shall deem appropriate) for the office of President and the office of Treasurer. Annually, the Treasurer shall present the complete fiscal year financial report to the Board. Corresponding Secretary. It shall be the responsibility of the Corresponding Secretary to send thank you cards to donors as designated by the Board. The Treasurer, Recording Secretary and Database
Manager shall insure the Corresponding Secretary receives timely information on donations. The Corresponding Secretary shall send the thank you note or card in a timely fashion after receipt of
donation. The Corresponding secretary shall also be responsible for composing and sending articles,
pictures and stories to all local media outlets.
ARTICLE VII – STANDING COMMITTEES
NEWSLETTER COMMITTEE
This Committee comprises the Board as a whole. The purpose of this Committee shall be to compile, produce and publish a yearly newsletter. The newsletter provides information to the AACS alumni
community. The meetings will be held at the call of the President or the Chair. The President shall appoint the Chair of this Committee whose title is “Editor.” The President and the Editor shall coordinate with the Board, assign duties to various Board members and the Committee shall work on the project during the year. Included in this position are responsibilities for photographs, stories, memorials, donations, congratulations, messages from/about AACS.
MEMBERSHIP/DATABASE COMMITTEE
There shall be four ( 4) members on this Committee comprising the President, the Corresponding
Secretary, the Treasurer and the Database Manager (DM). The Corresponding Secretary shall be chair. The purpose of the Committee is to supervise the membership application process and the electronic database of AAAA information. This committee shall keep records of donations and cross check against the Treasurer’s records. This Committee will provide all necessary information to the Newsletter production staff. Meetings shall be held at the call of the Corresponding Secretary or the President.
Database Manager (DM). The DM shall be appointed by the Board. The DM answers to this Committee. All database information is the property of the AAAA and upon request, shall be delivered to the Board or its designate. Upon request, the President and the Treasurer are entitled to full access to all database information. It shall be the duty of the Database Manager to compile and keep current records of all alumni of AACS and the AAAA membership. The DM shall keep records of names, snail mail addresses, email addresses, phone numbers, married names and yearly donations. The DM shall share said information with the Membership/Database Committee and will work with the Committee to keep records current.
FINANCE COMMITTEE
The Finance Committee comprises five (5) members; the President of the Board, Treasurer of the Board, and three (3) other Board members appointed by the President. The chair shall be selected yearly by the President after election of Board officers. Appointment to the Committee shall be for a term of one ( 1) year. Members may be re-appointed. The Finance Committee shall assist with reports, tax returns and other information for proper audit. The Committee shall oversee an independent audit of the Treasurer’s records to be conducted every three (3) years by an outside auditor, separate from the Association’s tax preparer. The Committee shall review the audit, discussing the audit with the Board and making any necessary suggestions/motions for changes in the financial procedure of the Board. The Committee oversees income from investments so the Association can most effectively achieve its mission. The Finance Committee is responsible for reporting investment results and in coordinating communication between the investment advisor, the President and the Treasurer. The Finance Committee shall meet at least twice annually and as determined by its Chair.
SCHOLARSHIP COMMITTEE
The Scholarship Committee comprises seven (7) members; including the President, two (2) members of the Board including the chair of the scholarship committee, the AACS School Counselor and three (3) other members appointed by the President. The Chair shall be elected by the Board. Committee appointments are for one (1) year. Members may be re-appointed. Membership identity shall be confidential to all but the members of this committee and shall serve anonymously to the public. The Scholarship Committee shall prepare scholarship applications, review and evaluate the scholarship applications and award scholarships in the name of the Board within the guidelines approved by the Board. All proceedings are confidential and final, even to other Board members. The Chair shall document the activities of the Committee and file said record in a record book to be held during the Chair’s term and delivered to the Chair’s successor. The Scholarship Committee shall meet in May to review scholarship matters related to the Association. Additional meetings may be called as deemed necessary.
BANQUET COMMITTEE
The Board of Directors is a Committee of the whole whose responsibility is to host the annual Association meeting and banquet every summer. The President is the Committee chair or at the President’s option, may appoint a banquet Committee chair.
SPORTS HALL OF FAME COMMITTEE
The Sports Hall of Fame Committee comprises seven (7) members, chosen by the Board, to serve staggered three (3) year terms. The President shall appoint the Committee chair. The Committee’s purpose is to nominate worthy candidates for enshrinement in the Hall. The precise criteria shall be determined by the Board. The nominees shall have demonstrated excellent performance in inter-scholastic athletic achievement, included but not limited to Championships, Medals, Awards, Recognition and Testimonials offered by teammates and coaches. This Committee shall offer its nomination( s) for consideration and approval by the Board, with full dossier or biography of the nominee no later than December 31st All information is the property of the AAAA and upon request, shall be delivered to the Board or its designate.
OUTSTANDING SERVICE AWARD COMMITTEE
The Outstanding Service Committee comprises five ( 5) members, including the President and four ( 4) members appointed by the Board for yearly terms after the election of officers. The President shall appoint the Committee chair. This Committee is charged with the responsibility of nominating an AACS alumni or friend whose outstanding contributions to their communities, over and above any employment or job-related duties, merit special recognition by the Association. Service to the community includes, but is not limited to, Civic, Municipal, Charitable, Educational and Professional activities that better society. The Committee shall offer its nomination for approval by the Board, with full dossier or biography of the nominee no later than December 31st.
ARTICLE VIII:DISSOLUTION PROCESS
The AAAA shall dissolve in the following instances:
1) By unanimous vote of every sitting Director, or
2) In the event there are less than eight (8) sitting Directors on the Board, or
3) In the event a majority of sitting Directors vote to dissolve and take the matter to Court on the
issue of dissolution.
In the event of dissolution, all of the remaining assets and property of the Association shall, after necessary expenses, be distributed for public purposes to such organizations as shall qualify under: 1) IRC s. 501(c) (3) et seq., 2) corresponding provisions of any related or subsequent Federal tax laws, or
3) New York State law, rules and regulations. No matter what triggers the process of dissolution, the
process of dissolution shall include obtaining a Court order from a Court of competent jurisdiction
authorizing distribution of remaining assets, subject to any donor agreements previously approved by the Board.
ARTICLE IX:AMENDMENTS TO THE BY-LAWS
Recommendations for changes or revisions may be submitted by any member of the Alumni Board. These By-Laws and/or any part may be repealed, altered, revised, or otherwise amended by two thirds (2/3) vote of the Board. A copy of the suggested revisions, proposed repeal, or other alterations must be provided to the Recording Secretary prior to the meeting at which discussion of the proposal will be introduced.
Revised & Adopted by the Board on Date: January 10th, 2018