Updated Bylaws of the Harvard Club of Sacramento

 

This year's election for the Harvard Club of Sacramento includes voting for the updated bylaws of the Club, as follows:

                                                BYLAWS OF THE HARVARD CLUB OF SACRAMENTO

 

ARTICLE I: NAME AND PURPOSE

Section 1. NAME. The name of this corporation is Harvard Club of Sacramento.

 

Section 2. PURPOSE. The purposes of the Harvard Club of Sacramento are to foster a spirit of community and promote activities and engagement among graduates, former students, and current students of Harvard University; to educate prospective students and their parents about Harvard and encourage outstanding students to apply to Harvard; and to promote and encourage communication between Harvard University and Harvard alumni in the area.

 

ARTICLE II: MEETINGS OF MEMBERS

Section 1. ANNUAL MEETING. The annual meeting shall be held at a time and place to be determined by the Board of Directors at which time the election of the officers and board of directors shall take place.

 

Section 2. SPECIAL MEETINGS. Special meetings shall be held when called by the board of directors.

 

Section 3. NOTICE OF MEETINGS AND VOTING. Either the president or the secretary as directed by the board of directors shall give notice of meetings, or of any vote of the members. Notice may be given by regular mail or by electronic mail to the most recent address of the member, as maintained by Harvard University and the board of directors. Notice of all meetings shall be given at least twenty days before the meeting.

 

Section 4. QUORUM. Each active member in good standing shall be entitled to one vote upon any matter coming before the members. Seventy-Five Percent of the Board of Directors shall constitute a quorum of any meeting of members.

 

Section 5. ELECTRONIC MEETINGS. A meeting of the members may, at the election of the board of directors, be conducted electronically in accordance with this section instead of being conducted in person at a single location. The meeting may be conducted at multiple locations, as chosen by the board of directors, as long as the meetings are connected via means sufficient to allow all members at all locations the ability to hear and speak to the members at the other locations.

 

Section 6. ACTION WITHOUT MEETING. Any action otherwise requiring a meeting or vote of the members may be conducted as provided by this section instead. The president or secretary, as authorized by the board, may give notice as provided in Section 3 to the members, and may state in the notice that action by the members is being sought by response to the notice in the form of electronic mail or electronic vote, so long as seventy-five percent of the Board of Directors respond to the notice.

 

ARTICLE III: MEMBERSHIP AND DUES

 

Section 1. MEMBERSHIP. Membership in the Harvard Club of Sacramento shall consist of any persons who qualify under one or more of the following categories: (a) Any person who has received a degree awarded by Harvard University; (b) Any person who has completed one semester at Harvard University or Radcliffe College as a student or instructor; (c) Any person who has received a certificate of completion from an official program of Harvard University of six weeks or more; (d) Any person who has received any honorary degree from Harvard University; and (e) Parents of current undergraduates at Harvard College.  

 

Section 2. AMOUNT OF DUES. There shall be no membership dues.  Operating costs of the club shall be covered by event charges.

 

Section 3. FISCAL YEAR. The fiscal year of the club shall be from July 1 through the following June 30, inclusive.

 

ARTICLE IV: GOVERNING BODY

 

Section 1. BOARD OF DIRECTORS. The governing body of the organization shall be a board of directors consisting of the elected officers of the club and any additional directors duly nominated and elected in accordance with these bylaws. The board shall have the authority to set the number of board members to be elected at the next election at any number up to nine. One of the directors shall be the immediate past president of the club.

 

Section 2. POWERS OF THE BOARD. The board of directors shall have full power to carry out the purposes of the club and shall have general charge and control of its affairs, funds, and property, but shall not have the sole right to amend these bylaws. It is responsible for setting immediate goals for the current administrative year and long-range goals for future club achievement.

 

Section 3. BOARD MEETINGS. The board of directors shall meet at least four times per year to plan the activities of the club and to review the general club situation, or at any time designated by the president. The president or secretary will be responsible for notifying each member of the board. At such meetings a majority constitutes a quorum. A meeting may be conducted telephonically or by other audiovisual means provided all participating directors can hear and speak to all other directors and participate meaningfully in the meeting.

 

Section 4. ACTION WITHOUT MEETING. Any action of the board shall be as valid as though at a meeting duly held after notice, if all members of the board unanimously consent in writing to the action.

 

ARTICLE V: OFFICERS

 

Section 1. OFFICERS. The officers shall be the administrative body of the club and shall consist of a president, vice president(s), secretary, treasurer, and any additional officers that the board deems appropriate. All officers shall be elected as provided in the bylaws. One person may hold more than one office.

 

Section 2. PRESIDENT. The president, or in his or her absence another officer, shall preside at all meetings of the club and board of directors. The president shall appoint all committees except as otherwise provided by these bylaws, and perform such other duties as may be required by custom or by the welfare of the club or by request from the Harvard Alumni Association including, but not limited to, the completion of the Harvard Alumni Association Annual Report forms.

 

Section 3. VICE PRESIDENT(S). The board of directors may appoint one or more board members to be a vice president of the club.   Each vice president shall be charged with a specific set of responsibilities within the club (such as heading a committee) as determined by the board of directors.

 

Section 4. SECRETARY. The secretary shall keep a record of all meetings of the club and board of directors. The secretary shall be the custodian of the records of the club, conduct correspondence, and have charge of the membership and mailing lists. The secretary shall notify all members of club meetings and shall keep available for inspection by the club members, copies of the bylaws. The secretary shall perform other duties of the office and as assigned by the board of directors or president.

 

Section 5. TREASURER. The treasurer shall be authorized to collect all monies payable to the club, shall be charged with keeping the funds of the club, and from such funds shall make the necessary disbursements. The treasurer shall keep the club's financial accounts and shall enter in detail all receipts and disbursements. The treasurer shall be authorized to open an account in the name of the club and deposit all funds therein. The Treasurer shall make an annual statement and report to the club, or, when required, to the board of directors, and perform other duties of the office as assigned by the board of directors or president.

 

Section 6. OTHER OFFICERS. Additional officers may be approved by the Board.

 

ARTICLE VI: ELECTIONS

 

Section 1. NOMINATING COMMITTEE. The president, with the approval of the board of directors, shall appoint a nominating committee. The nominating committee shall choose a slate of nominees for the positions of president, vice president, secretary, treasurer, and any additional members of the board of directors, and it shall give notice of the slate of nominees to the membership not less than 20 days before the annual election. Any two members may nominate additional candidates, and either shall forward the nominees to the nominating committee or secretary not less than five days before the election or shall present the nominees from the floor if the annual election is conducted in person.  The head of schools and scholarships (or the person in charge of alumni interviews of prospective Harvard undergraduates if described by a different title) for the Sacramento area shall be an ex officio member of the board and as such shall not stand for election.

 

Section 2. ANNUAL ELECTION. The annual election shall be held at a time designated by the board of directors prior to the end of the calendar year (see Article II). Newly elected board members will take office on January I.

 

Section 3. TERMS OF OFFICE. All members of the board of directors shall be elected for a one-year term. The president shall not serve more than three consecutive one-year terms, except with the consent of the board of directors and the HAA’s representative for the region the president may serve additional one-year terms.

 

Section 4. OFFICER VACANCY. Vacancies occurring in any office, except the office of the president, shall be filled for the remainder of the unexpired term by the board of directors. In case of a vacancy occurring in the office of the president, the vice president then in office shall serve as president for the remainder of the unexpired term, and the board of directors shall fill the vacancy of the vice president for the remainder of the unexpired term.

 

Section 5. REMOVAL OF OFFICERS AND DIRECTORS. An officer or director may be removed, with or without cause, by 2/3 vote of the board of directors.

 

Section 6. NOTIFICATION OF ELECTION RESULTS. Notification of election results shall be transmitted at once to the Harvard Alumni Association.

 

ARTICLE VII: SPECIAL COMMITTEES

 

The president from time to time may appoint additional committees as are advisable. No committee shall take any action committing the club without the express authorization of the president. Action by any committee shall be upon affirmative vote of a majority of its members.

 

ARTICLE VIII: HARVARD ALUMNI ASSOCIATION

 

Officers and committees of the Harvard Club of Sacramento shall cooperate with officers, regional directors, committees, and staff of the Harvard Alumni Association in carrying out the purposes of the latter Association, and adhere to Harvard Alumni Association requests and policies.

 

ARTICLE IX: HARVARD TRADEMARK POLICY

 

The Harvard Club of Sacramento shall comply with the Harvard University Trademark Policy, as set forth in this article.

 

The Harvard Club of Sacramento is part of the Harvard University community and the University grants it, like other Harvard Clubs, permission to use the "Harvard Club" name and other University trademarks and insignias. The Harvard Club of Sacramento shall comply with policies set forth in the "Policy on the Use of Harvard Names and Insignias" located on the Harvard Trademark Program's webpage at http://www.trademark.harvard.edu as well as the Harvard Club Trademark Policy titled "Use and Licensing of the 'Harvard Club' name, the Harvard Alumni Association logo, and other University Trademarks."

 

ARTICLE X: BYLAWS AMENDMENTS

 

These bylaws may be amended, altered, or repealed at any annual or special meeting of the members by a two thirds vote of those present, provided that notice of the proposed amendment, alteration, or repeal has been sent at least ten days prior to such meetings to all current club members and provided the amendment, alteration or repeal is approved by the Harvard Alumni Association Executive Committee.

 

 

Approved on _________, 2020

_________________________

[Name], Secretary