ALUMNI COUNCIL BYLAWS
ARTICLE ONE – Alumni Council
Section One: The mission of the Alumni Council is to make decisions and take all actions within the purview of the Berry Alumni Association except those specifically requiring action by the Association.
Section Two: Those elected or appointed to Council membership shall exhibit these qualifications: leadership ability, commitment to Berry, involvement in Association activities, a willingness to serve the Association and a history of financial support of Berry College in the two fiscal years immediately preceding nomination. All council members shall make a financial contribution to Berry College during each of the college’s fiscal years (July 1 through June 30). Council members who are current Berry students are exempt from the financial support requirements. Alumni who have been out of school for two years or less may also be nominated for council membership regardless of giving history.
Section Three: A Nominating Committee will be appointed by the Association president annually at the fall meeting. The committee shall consist of seven members including the immediate past president or the president-elect, who shall serve as chair, and the Association's secretary. If the immediate past president or president elect is unable to serve as chair of the nominating committee, the Association president shall appoint an active past Association president to chair the committee. Five members of this committee shall constitute a quorum. The Association president and the director of alumni relations shall serve as ex officio members. The Nominating Committee shall review qualifications of the members of the Association and nominate one person for each pending vacancy. The nominations shall be submitted by this committee to the Council at its winter meeting. The nominees shall be approved by a majority of the members present and voting.
ARTICLE TWO - Duties of Executive Committee Members
Section One: The Association president shall oversee the Association and the Council, preside at meetings of the Association and the Council, appoint committees and designate the chair of each, serve as an
ex officio member of all committees, represent alumni to Berry administration and trustees as well as Berry College to alumni, serve as a trustee of the college and perform other duties as indicated by the constitution. The Association president, in consultation with the vice president for Alumni Events and the Alumni Relations staff member who oversees Alumni Work Week, shall also appoint the Work Week Project Coordinator.
Section Two: The president-elect, if in office, or the immediate past president shall be the presiding officer in the absence of the president.
Section Three: One of the vice presidents shall be elected as a vice president for association awards and shall chair a committee by that name. Another of the vice presidents shall be elected vice president for alumni events and shall chair a committee by that name. Another of the vice presidents shall be elected vice president for financial support and shall chair a committee by that name. Another of the vice presidents shall be elected vice president for young alumni and student relations and shall chair a committee by that name. The other vice president shall be elected vice president for Berry heritage and shall chair a committee by that name.
Section Four: The Association secretary shall keep a record of the proceedings of all meetings of the Association, the Council, and the committees and shall perform other duties as may be assigned by the Association president, the constitution, or the bylaws.
Section Five: The historian shall keep a record of major events and significant changes occurring within the Association or instigated by it.
Section Six: The parliamentarian shall advise the president, other officers, and committee members of the Association on matters of parliamentary law. The most recent addition of Robert’s Rules of Order Newly Revised shall govern. The parliamentarian will also chair the Association’s Constitution and Bylaws Committee.
Section Seven: The chaplain shall be responsible for opening prayers at Council meetings and special alumni events and shall perform other alumni-related duties as requested by the president of the Association.
ARTICLE THREE - Committees
Section One: The Association shall have standing and special committees, each with a minimum of five members including the chair, unless otherwise specified in these bylaws. Committee members must be contributing members of the Association. The president may appoint committee members other than those elected to the Council to serve for the duration of that president’s term.
1. The standing committees shall be the Executive Committee, the Committee for Association Awards, the Committee for Alumni Events, the Committee for Financial Support, the Committee for Young Alumni and Student Relations and the Committee for Berry Heritage. Members of standing committees shall serve two-year terms.
2. Special committees shall include the Nominating Committee, the Constitution and Bylaws Committee, and other committees deemed essential or desirable.
Section Two: The Executive Committee, chaired by the president of the Association, shall include the elected and appointed officers and the director of alumni relations. The number to constitute a quorum shall be six. The duty of the Executive Committee shall be to make decisions as necessary to carry on the business of the organization between meetings of the Council. Actions of the committee shall be reported to the Council for information or approval if needed. Executive Committee members shall have served a minimum of one term on the Council prior to election or appointment to this committee.
Section Three: The Committee for Association Awards, chaired by the vice president for Association awards, shall establish criteria for Association awards, screen nominees, and evaluate suggestions in the area of Distinguished Alumni and other awards, study the programs from time to time and make recommendations to the Council. The committee shall recommend honorary memberships or other appropriate recognition for any alumnus, student, parent, friend or present or former member of the faculty, staff or trustees.
Section Four: The Committee for Alumni Events, chaired by the vice president for alumni events, shall assist the Office of Alumni Relations with the continuation, revision, and development of special Association events. Such events will include Alumni Weekend, Alumni Work Week, Mountain Day, and other events as designated.
Section Five: The Committee for Financial Support, chaired by the vice president for financial support, shall assist the advancement office in promoting alumni financial support of Berry College.
Section Six: The Committee for Young Alumni and Student Relations, chaired by the vice president for young alumni and student relations, shall be dedicated to specific interests and concerns of Berry’s students and recent graduates for the purpose of enhancing the effectiveness of the Berry Alumni Association in meeting the needs and interests of those individuals, while maintaining alignment with the mission of Berry and the Berry Alumni Association.
Section Seven: The Committee for Berry Heritage, chaired by the vice president for Berry heritage, shall develop, promote and implement procedures and projects whereby the Alumni Association can help preserve Berry’s traditions and assist with the collection of archival materials for the school.
Section Eight: The Nominating Committee, chaired by the immediate past president, or the president-elect, shall discharge the duties imposed upon it by Article One of these bylaws.
Section Nine: The Constitution and Bylaws Committee, appointed by the Association president and chaired by the parliamentarian, shall review and propose changes in the Association’s constitution and bylaws. The Association president and director of alumni relations shall serve as ex officio members of this committee.
ARTICLE FOUR – Affiliated Alumni Organizations
Section One: The Association shall encourage and assist in the organization and development of affiliate alumni organizations.
Section Two: Upon completion of an organizational meeting, the affiliated alumni organization will submit proposed bylaws based upon those adopted by the Association, a slate of officers, and a meeting event report to the Association’s parliamentarian for approval. The parliamentarian will review the bylaws to ensure consistency with the Alumni Association’s constitution and bylaws and will present a recommendation to the Executive Committee.
Section Three: Upon approval by the Executive Committee, the affiliated alumni organization becomes officially recognized with all rights and privileges as accorded by the Alumni Association and Berry College.
Section Four: To maintain official status and have representation on the Alumni Council, an organization must elect officers according to its organization’s bylaws, have on file with the alumni office a current list of officers, hold a minimum of two meetings annually, and submit reports of events and activities at least annually to the alumni office.
Section Five: When an affiliated alumni organization ceases to meet the criteria, the president of the Association shall have the authority to appoint a chair to reorganize the chapter or to disband the chapter, whichever is deemed more appropriate by the Executive Committee.
Section Six: Where an affiliated alumni organization does not exist, the Association’s president (in consultation with the alumni office) shall have the authority to appoint a chair to coordinate the organization of a chapter. This chair shall be considered as president of the organizing chapter and shall serve on the Council until the election of a chapter president.
Section Seven: Other organizations comprising Berry alumni and serving a purpose directly related to the preservation of Berry’s heritage (such as The Daughters of Berry, founded by Martha Berry) may be considered for representation on the Alumni Council.
Revised March 2012
Ratified March 17, 2012