This association shall be called the "Colby College Alumni Association" (hereinafter the "association").
The purpose of this association shall be to promote and to foster the best interests of Colby College and to strengthen relations between the College and its alumni. The Alumni Council provides an organization and structure, which should encourage alumni volunteers to work with the College faculty, staff, and students in the best interest of Colby and its constituents. The Alumni Association works to promote fellowship and pride of affiliation among Colby alumni.
All graduates, all current and former students who have attended Colby College for at least one year, and such members of each senior class as may be elected members of the Colby College Alumni Council shall, by virtue of their college enrollment, become members of the association. Graduates and non-graduates shall be entitled to the same rights and shall have the same duties of membership. Trustees of the College, members of the faculty and administrative staff, recipients of honorary degrees from the College, and any other persons whom the Executive Committee of the Alumni Council may elect to membership shall become honorary members unless, by virtue of attendance at the College, they shall already be members. Honorary members shall possess all the rights of active members, except the right to vote or to hold office.
The Colby College Alumni Council (hereinafter the "council") shall be the representative governing body of the association and shall have the power to conduct and transact all business pertaining to the association. It shall meet at the call of the chairperson on at least 15 days notice by mail to all members. The annual meeting shall be held in the spring on Alumni Reunion Weekend, and a regular fall meeting shall be held on Homecoming Weekend; the annual meeting and the fall meeting shall be held at the College. Special meetings may be scheduled at such other times and places as the Executive Committee of the council shall designate upon 15 days notice by mail to all members. Fifteen members shall constitute a quorum at all meetings. The role of the council shall include reporting to alumni on all phases of the College operation and advising the trustees and the administration of the College on matters upon which they are deliberating.
The officers of the council shall be a chairperson, a vice chairperson, and an executive secretary/treasurer. The chairperson and the vice chairperson shall be elected to terms of two years each by the council at its annual meeting in odd numbered years. The executive secretary/treasurer shall be the director of alumni relations or such other member of the Colby College administration who is then responsible for alumni relations.
The chairperson shall be the chief executive officer of the council, preside at each meeting of the council, appoint all standing and special committees, and perform the usual duties pertaining to the office, unless the council shall specifically vote otherwise. The chairperson shall also be known as the president of the association. In case of the absence of the chairperson, the vice chairperson shall preside. In the event of the death or resignation or inability of the chairperson to perform his or her duties, the vice chairperson shall assume such duties. The vice chairperson shall also be known as the vice president of the association.
The executive secretary/treasurer shall be either the director of alumni relations or such other member of the Colby College administration who is then responsible for alumni relations. The executive secretary/treasurer shall keep all records and attend to the correspondence of the council and of the association and be responsible to the council for the conduct of the business of the association and council. It also shall be the secretary/treasurer's duty to keep safely and administer all monies received by the council and by the association. No bills shall be paid unless first approved by the executive secretary/treasurer. A written account of all receipts and disbursements for the preceding year shall be kept and submitted by the secretary/treasurer at the request of the chairperson of the council.
The council shall consist of one man and one woman from the graduating class, one member from each alumni class, nine members-at-large elected by the council, six members of the Golden Mules Society. Each new graduating class shall have one man and one woman member elected during the spring of their junior year for a term of six years. Each alumni class shall have one elected member whose term of office shall be for five years, and whose election shall be accomplished in accordance with approved alumni class bylaws. The council shall elect three members each year at its annual meeting to serve terms of three years each provided that the total number of council elected members may not exceed nine. The Golden Mules Society shall elect its representatives at the annual meeting. Notwithstanding any other provisions contained herein, the retiring chairperson of the council shall automatically be a member of the council for a term of two years following the conclusion of his or her term of office. Current alumni trustees are full members of the council without committee assignments.
The terms of council members shall begin on July 1 of the year in which they are elected and shall terminate on June 30 of the year in which their successors are elected. Members shall be ineligible for reelection or reappointment for one year after completing two successive terms.
The council at each annual meeting shall elect three members of the association to membership on the council for terms of three years each. Candidates shall be nominated no later than thirty (30) days preceding the annual meeting of the council.
Alumni Council representatives must attend at least two of the three Alumni Council meetings each year to remain in good standing. Representatives missing two meetings will be contacted by the chairperson of the Alumni Council, and, if there is no adequate reason given for their absence, will be asked to resign. Vacancies will be filled by the council Nominating Committee, with those appointed in this way serving until the next class election. Each Alumni Council representative will be expected to communicate with her/his constituents at least once each year. The class representatives are to be accountable to members of their classes, and the class structure will be the primary level of constituency contact to and from the council. All council members will be assigned to one action committee and will attend the informational committee sessions offered.
The chairperson of the Alumni Council shall appoint the chairperson and members of each committee unless otherwise provided. The chairperson shall not be restricted to members of the council in said appointments. All appointed committee members shall be appointed at or immediately after the annual meeting of the council, and shall serve for a term of three years. Appointed members shall be ineligible for reelection or reappointment for one year after completing two successive terms.
There shall be an Executive Committee consisting of no more than 16 members, which shall include the chairperson of the council, the vice chairperson of the council, the chairperson of the Alumni Fund, the immediate past chairperson of the Alumni Council, and such other persons as the council shall elect. A quorum shall be two thirds of the current makeup of the Executive Committee. It shall approve in advance all nominations proposed by the Nominating Committee for candidates for alumni trustees and all nominations proposed by the Awards Committee for candidates for awards. Between meetings of the council, the Executive Committee is authorized to transact business of the council, shall have charge of general interests of the association, and may exercise any of the powers of the council, except the power to amend these bylaws. The Executive Committee shall serve as the investigative body of the council for searching out information concerning the operation of the College from students, faculty, administrators, alumni trustees, and alumni. It shall work to improve communication from the College to the alumni, and from the alumni to the administration and the Board of Trustees. The Executive Committee shall have the responsibility of advising the College and the alumni relations staff on the provision of campus hospitality for alumni, on Family Homecoming Weekend, and on the reunion program. It shall establish projects and goals for the different council committees and may conduct planning sessions to outline the goals of the council and to provide individual committees with specific charges.
A Nominating Committee composed of members of the council shall be appointed by the chairperson. This committee shall present to the council for its action proposed nominations for candidates for council-elected members of the council. This committee shall also present, subject to the approval of the Executive Committee, for action by the council, proposed nominations for candidates for alumni trustees. The executive secretary shall request annually all members of the council to submit to the chairperson of the Nominating Committee names of possible candidates for alumni trustees and for members of the council for consideration by the Nominating Committee.
There shall be an Alumni Fund Committee which shall establish policy for the conduct of, and supervise the operation of, the annual Alumni Fund for the best interests of the College. The Alumni Fund chairperson and the director of annual giving, or such other member of the Colby College administration then responsible for annual giving, shall select the members of the Alumni Fund Committee subject to the ratification of the chairperson of the council. The Alumni Fund chairperson shall be a member of the council and shall serve on the Executive Committee.
An Awards Committee composed of members of the council shall be appointed by the chairperson. This committee shall annually select deserving persons to receive the Colby Brick Award and Distinguished Alumnus Award and shall annually or less frequently nominate deserving persons to receive the Ernest C. Marriner Award for Distinguished Service to the College and such other awards as may be approved by the Executive Committee. The Awards Committee shall establish criteria for and procedures for nominations for such awards. No member of the committee shall be eligible to be considered for an award while serving on the committee. Proposed recipients of all awards shall be presented to the Executive Committee for ratification.
There shall be an Athletic Committee which shall review and make recommendations concerning athletic activities of the undergraduates and generally represent the alumni, in consultation with administration and otherwise, in athletic affairs. A member of the Athletic Committee, appointed by the president of the College, shall be invited to attend and participate in all meetings of the Colby College Athletics Committee and such other athletic committees as may be necessary or desirable.
There shall be an information session at each weekend meeting of the Alumni Council, which all council members attend, for the purpose of sharing current campus information with council members.
There shall be various additional committees which may be established from time to time by the Executive Committee which committees shall review and make recommendations to the council concerning such matters as campus alumni activities, alumni clubs, publications, alumni participation in admissions activities, career services, communications, and such other special projects as the Executive Committee deems appropriate.
The Alumni Fund shall be a group fund through which alumni and other interested persons may make gifts to be used for the best interests of the College. Any motion to discontinue the Alumni Fund or combine it with other fund-raising efforts of the College must meet with the approval of the council. The title of all monies received through the Alumni Fund shall vest in the president and trustees of the College. All monies secured through the efforts of the council shall be delivered to the treasurer.
Alumni members of the Board of Trustees of the College shall be chosen for terms of three years, and one third of such alumni trustees shall be elected each year. The term of such trustees shall begin at twelve o'clock noon of the annual Commencement Day of the year in which they are elected and shall terminate at twelve o'clock noon on the annual Commencement Day of the year in which their successors are elected. At least one alumni trustee, during his/her first term, shall be a person elected within seven years of such trustee's graduation from the College. He/She will be eligible to serve a second three-year term. An alumni trustee shall be ineligible for reelection for one year after completing two successive terms. All alumni trustees shall automatically be full voting and participating members of the Alumni Council. Thus, any person who becomes an alumni trustee while otherwise a member of the council shall thereupon vacate such membership. The trustees of the College elected by the council are constituted for the purpose of effecting closer liaison between the alumni of the College and the Board of Trustees, and as an agency to which the council may refer all questions and matters relating to the Board of Trustees. At all meetings of the council or at such other times as the chairperson requires, the alumni trustees shall make a report covering the work of the Board of Trustees, so far as a public report is necessary or desirable, and present such matters as the Board of Trustees may desire to have brought to the attention of the council.
At its regular fall meeting, the council shall nominate by ballot one person for each vacancy in the office of aumni trustee which will occur at the next commencement. Affirmative votes of the majority of the members of the present council shall be necessary to nominate, but if there be no contest a ballot may be cast by the executive secretary in response to a unanimous voice vote of the meeting. Nominations shall be made so far as possible to maintain representation among the alumni trustees in proportion to the geographical distribution, age and gender of alumni. The nominating committee shall present an account of the activities and achievements and the particular qualifications of each person it proposes as a nominee and report his or her willingness to serve if elected. In the next issue of Colby magazine or any other College publication of general circulation to all known alumni, published after the regular fall meeting, the executive secretary shall make a report of the persons nominated by the council and give notice that on or before the February 15 next following, one percent of the members of the association qualified to vote as of the preceding commencement may file with the executive secretary a petition over their own signatures for the nomination of one or more qualified alumni for the office of alumni trustee. In the event that there are no nominations by petition, the candidates nominated by the council at its regular fall meeting shall be confirmed by a majority of the Executive Committee, to be polled after February 15 by mail, fax, or other means. In the event that there are nominations by petition, an election shall be had in the manner provided in Section 3 of this article and the executive secretary shall include the candidates nominated by petition and the candidates nominated by the council on the official ballot.
The election of alumni trustees when necessitated by petition shall be by printed ballot. The ballot, listing the names in alphabetical order of the nominees, shall be mailed to all members of the association qualified to vote not later than the March 15 following receipt of the petition. The ballot shall set forth an account of activities and achievements of all candidates but with no reference to any fraternities or sororities of which they are members. The information shall be sufficiently extensive to enable the voting members to form a fair and just appreciation of all candidates. The marked ballot shall be placed in the official ballot envelope and sealed, then enclosed in the envelope for mailing. The outside of the mailing envelope must bear the signature of the alumnus or alumna who casts the ballot. No voting by proxy shall be allowed, a plurality of votes shall elect and the polls shall close at twelve o'clock noon on the May 1 next following. A ballot committee, appointed by the chairperson of the council, shall promptly count the votes and the chairperson shall declare those persons who are elected. If an election ends in a tie for any office, the members of the council present at a special meeting called for the purpose before the end of May shall ballot for the candidates who are tied, a plurality of the ballots cast shall elect, and the chairperson shall then declare the person who is elected. If any person shall decline or be ineligible for any reason to serve, the person receiving the next highest number of votes shall be declared elected.
Whenever any vacancy occurs on the council, on the Executive Committee of the council, or in any alumni trusteeship, otherwise than by expiration of the stated term of office, the Executive Committee of the council may elect a person to serve for the remainder of the term of such office, except as specifically defined above.
All pronouns used herein shall include any other pronoun of any gender rendered appropriate by the context or circumstances, and the singular shall include the plural and vice versa whenever the facts and the context so require.
These bylaws may be amended or repealed at any meeting of the council at which a quorum is present by a two-thirds vote of the members present and voting, provided that notice of such intended action, giving in full the text proposed to be repealed or adopted, shall have been mailed by the executive secretary to each member of the council at least thirty days in advance of the meeting.
6-5-04
- Purpose
The purpose of the Colby College Class Organization is to support the objectives of the Alumni Association as stated in its bylaws through organized class effort. - Membership
- All graduates and non-graduates who have attended Colby College for at least one year shall be regular members of the class.
- Membership in a particular class shall be determined on the basis of permanent college records or, in unusual circumstances, by personal election.
- Honorary class members shall be determined by class election. Honorary class members shall possess all the rights of regular members, except the right to vote or hold office.
- Officers
Officers of the class shall consist of: - President
- Vice president/class representative to the Alumni Council
- Secretary-treasurer/class correspondent
The duties of the class officers are as follows: - President: the president shall:
- Serve as head of the class organization
- Coordinate all class activities
- Become familiar with class bylaws and the duties of all class officers and have ultimate responsibility for their performance
- Preside at all class meetings
- Call special class meetings as required
- Advise the Alumni Office on all matters affecting class activities
- Make appointments of class members to committees as required for the conduct of class activities
- Fill vacated class offices by appointment as required
- Chair or appoint chairperson /reunion committee to plan and organize the next class reunion
- Work with the Annual Giving Office in the selection of a class agent
- Establish the time, place, and agenda for regular class meetings during reunion weekends in conjunction with the Reunion Committee.
- Vice president : the vice president/class representative to the Alumni Council shall:
- Preside at all class meetings in the absence of the president
- Assume the class presidency in the case of resignation or inability of the president
- Serve on the class Nominating Committee that selects the slate of officers at reunion year
- Represent the class at all Alumni Council meetings
- Report to all class members via at least one mailing per year
- Periodically survey class members for attitudes, opinions, etc., as required for effective conduct of Alumni Council affairs
- Attend at least two out of three of all regular Alumni Council meetings and committee meetings annually or be subject to replacement by the council Nominating Committee
- Secretary-treasurer: the secretary-treasurer/class correspondent shall:
- Serve as chief class correspondent to coordinate the activities of all class correspondents in distributing class newsletters and submitting class notes to College publications
- Appoint additional class correspondents as needed, in consultation with the alumni secretary
- Keep records of all class meetings and distribute minutes of these meetings to all class members
- Provide a treasury function for class activities as required
- Serve as chairman of the class Nominating Committee that selects the slate of officers at reunion year
- Terms of Office
- All elected class officers shall serve for five-year terms commencing on July 1 following their regular five-year reunion weekend.
- All class officers may be reelected, or where apropos, appointed for a second consecutive term of five years with the exception of the representative to the Alumni Council who may be reelected after a five-year interval.
- Class Elections
- Regular class elections shall be held by mail in the year prior to the regular class five-year reunion meetings. Each graduating class shall elect its alumni class officers specified herein before graduation.
- A Nominating Committee, consisting of the class secretary-treasurer, the class vice president, and other appointed class members shall prepare a slate of candidates, consisting of one candidate for each office, prior to the class election in the year prior to the regular class reunion year.
- The Nominating Committee chairperson shall contact all candidates for class office concerning their selection for inclusion on the class ballot to ascertain their willingness to serve and to fulfill the responsibilities of the office.
- The Nominating Committee shall solicit suggestions for nominees from the class at large during the fall prior to the class election, as well as from the Alumni Office, the Alumni Council Nominating Committee, and the director of annual giving.
- The chairperson and members of the Nominating Committee are eligible for nomination for any class office.
- Election to class offices shall be made on the basis of a simple plurality of all ballots cast.
- Class Meetings
- Regular class meetings for the conduct of official class business will be held during reunion weekends at a time and place determined by the class president, in consultation with the Reunion Committee.
- Special class meetings, other than the regular meetings, will be held on the call of the class president, with notices of such meetings published at least four weeks in advance of the meetings.
- The agenda for regular and special class meetings will be established by the class president.
- On all class matters requiring a vote, a quorum shall be defined as 10 percent of all regular members of the class whether present at the class meeting or voting by written proxy filed with the class secretary-treasurer.
- Amendment of Bylaws
These bylaws may be amended or repealed at any meeting of the Alumni Council at which a quorum is present by a two-thirds vote of the members present and voting, provided that notice of such intended action, giving in full the text proposed to be repealed or adopted, shall have been mailed by the executive secretary to each member of the council at least thirty days in advance of the meeting.
6-5-04
