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WSURA By- Laws

2012

Article I – Name

The name of this nonprofit organization is The Wright State University Retirees Association (WSURA).

Article II – Purpose

The purpose of this Association is to work for the well-being of its members by providing or promoting for them:

1. Social, recreational, and lifelong learning activities.
2. Ways for improving the economic condition of members.
3. Ways for improving the health of members.
4. Opportunities for continuing service to the University.
5. Support to a member's household in case of emergency or death.

Article III – Membership

Section I: Full Membership

a.     Qualifications:                                                                                     

Membership is open to persons who have retired from Wright State University and who have participated either in the State Teachers Retirement System, the Public Employees Retirement System, or other approved university retirement system options. A membership applies to a dues-paying household, with one vote per membership. However, when both members of a household are WSU retirees and dues-paying, each has a vote.

2. The membership year is from January 1 to December 31.
3. Life or Annual Memberships are available for a fee.  The fee may be changed by Board action.
4. A free annual membership, beginning in January after retirement, is available to each new WSU retiree upon return of a membership application. 
5. Retirees from other state universities may have all rights of membership in WSURA except holding elective office in the organization upon payment of annual dues.

Section 2: Associate Members

Associate members will have all rights of membership except holding elective office in the organization, but shall not be eligible for life membership until they meet the requirements for Full membership

a.      Spouses or partners of deceased members:  The surviving spouse or partner, who is not a WSU retiree or employee, may request to continue the household membership as an associate member upon making application and payment of dues.   

Article IV-Membership Dues

Section 1:  General provisions

a.      Membership dues for each succeeding year shall be set by the Board in October. A change in dues will take effect at the beginning of the next membership year.

b.      Dues for Associate Members shall be the same as annual membership dues.

Article V – Governance of the Association

Section 1: Executive Board

       The Executive Board (hereafter referred to as the "Board") is composed of the officers given in Section 3 of this Article, representatives of the Standing Committees and Liaisons described in Section 6 of this Article and six members –at-large.  All members of the Board are voting members.

The duties of the Board are:

1. to hold regular meetings (the President being empowered to call special meetings). The June Board meeting shall be a joint meeting of the outgoing and incoming Board members, the main purpose of this meeting being the setting of goals and initial program planning for the upcoming year.
2. to receive and review secretarial and financial reports.
3. to develop policies for the planning and promotion of programs and activities
4. to prepare an annual operating budget and to approve budgets for activities and/or special projects.
5. to have general supervision of the affairs of WSURA between general meetings, to make recommendations to WSURA, and to perform such duties as are authorized by the Association.  No action of the Board shall conflict with actions taken at a general meeting of WSURA.
6. to appoint a successor, until the next election, for any member of the Board who is unable to serve out their term.
7. to originate and circulate a newsletter.

Section 2: Actions of the Board

1. Any act or resolution of the Board that either changes the By-Laws or clearly implies the consent of a majority of the Association members must be submitted to the members at a general meeting or by mail ballot.
2. Any action of the Board that is challenged in writing by at least ten (10) members must either be rescinded by the Board or submitted to the membership for a vote. The mail returns shall be tabulated within six weeks from date mailed. Approval of the Board's action requires at least 60% of the returns to favor action.
3. A majority of the voting members of the Board constitutes a quorum.

Section 3: Officers and Duties

1. The President presides over all meetings of the Association and the Board, performs duties that usually pertain to the office, oversees the student worker, approves routine office expenditures, and oversees the development and/or updating of a policy and procedures manual for the organization.
2. The Vice President, who is also President Elect, serves in the absence of the President, and assist with other functions as needed.
3. The Secretary keeps minutes of all meetings of the Association and the Board and performs such duties as generally relate to the office.
4. The Treasurer maintains the accounts of the Association, receives and disburses all monies, assists in preparing budget estimates for new proposals coming before the Board, prepares an annual summary of income and expenditures, and oversees membership records.
5. The Communications Coordinator oversees and edits WSURA publications and (as Chair) coordinates the activities of the Publications Committee.
6. The Immediate Past President serves in an advisory capacity to the Board and assists with other functions as needed.

Section 4: Fiscal Year and Terms of Office

1. The Fiscal year of the Association is July 1 to June 30   
2. The President and Vice President serve for a term of one year.
3. The Secretary, the Treasurer, and the Communications Coordinator are elected for two-year terms (Secretary and Treasurer elected on off years from Communications Coordinator.)
4. Three members-at large are elected each year for a two year term.
5. Terms of office begin with the University fiscal year.

Section 5: Elections

The By Laws and Elections Committee, appointed by the president with the approval of the Board, shall solicit names annually from the voting membership for open offices and will prepare a ballot, having secured consent of the nominees. Nominations from the membership and the By Laws and Elections Committee shall be placed on a ballot and mailed to the voting membership. Four weeks after mailing the ballot to the membership, the returns shall be tabulated by a Tellers Committee appointed by the President. Any nominee receiving a plurality of the votes from the returned ballots is elected. The annual election process shall begin on April 15.

Section 6: Committees

1.  All committees are appointed by the WSURA President with the approval of the Board.
2.  Standing Committee chairs/representatives and Liaison representatives to some University Committees  will be appointed by the WSURA President in consultation with the Vice President and ratified by the Board.
3. Standing committees are: Bylaws and Elections, Historical Preservation, Sunshine, Membership Development, Activities, Scholarship, OCHER Representative(s), and Publications. All chair/representative positions will be for two-year (2) terms (initial terms staggered).
4. One (1) representative from each standing committee shall have a vote on Board actions. If a chair of a standing committee serves in another voting position a second member of that committee may be appointed to serve as the voting member on the Board.
5. Liaisons are those persons who represent WSURA in other university organizations or units that are of particular interest to WSURA members (for example, Friends of the Library, the Athletic Council and the Office of International Studies). Members who serve as liaisons and are not elected members of the Board shall have the same voting rights as elected members and standing committee chairs.
6.  Ad Hoc committees shall be appointed by the President as needed. Chairs of these committees shall be, attending, non-voting members of the board.

Article VI Meetings

Section 1: General Provisions

One Annual Meeting of the WSURA membership shall be held in the month of June. Other general membership meetings may be called by the President and/or the Board. Those members present and voting constitute a quorum.

Section 2: Meeting Procedures

Robert's Rules of Order, revised, is the guide for questions of procedure not otherwise stated in these By-Laws.

Article VII – Amendments

a.      These By-Laws may be amended at any meeting of the membership by a majority vote of the members present and voting, provided that the proposed amendment has been submitted at a preceding meeting or in a notice mailed to all members of WSURA not less than one month prior to the vote.

b.      A review of and/or recommended changes to these By-Laws should take place every four (4) years.

Article VIII – Dissolution

Section 1: Procedure

       The Board may present a “Resolution for Dissolution” of the WSURA to the membership at an Annual Meeting if the resolution is included as an agenda item, or at a Special Meeting if called by the President for this purpose and if a copy of the resolution is mailed to the membership at least 30 days prior to such meeting. Deposit of the copies of the resolution with the United States Postal Service by the Board constitutes proof of delivery to the membership.

    Action to dissolve the Association requires a majority affirmative vote of the members present at the meeting and voting on the resolution.  The Resolution for Dissolution shall require the elected officers/representative(s) of the Association to function as a Dissolution Committee and authorizes the Committee to take appropriate administrative and legal actions for dissolution of the organization.  

    Upon completion of the dissolution process, the Dissolution Committee shall notify the members of the Board by mail of its actions.

Section 2: Placement of Remaining Funds Following Dissolution

     Upon the dissolution of WSURA, all funds remaining after payment of just debts shall be transferred to the Wright State University Foundation Fund for deposit into the WSURA Scholarship Fund to be administered as determined by the Deed for the WSURA Scholarship Fund on file with the WSU Foundation.

Revised June, 2012