Constitution and Bylaws, OU Retirees Association, Norman Chapter
Enacted 1991-92, Revised 2008, Revised 2014, Revised 2020
CONSTITUTION OF THE NORMAN CHAPTER OF THE UNIVERSITY OF OKLAHOMA RETIREES ASSOCIATION
PREAMBLE:
The retired faculty and staff of the University of Oklahoma, having continuing interest in the affairs of the University and in maintaining active ties to it and to all the members of its community, active and retired, establish this Constitution for the Norman Chapter of the University of Oklahoma Retirees Association.
ARTICLE I: NAME
The name of the organization shall be the Norman Chapter of the University of Oklahoma Retirees Association, hereby referred to as the "Association."
ARTICLE II: AUTHORITY
The Association shall function under its adopted Constitution and Bylaws and shall continue to do so until such time as the Association dissolves itself or the University of Oklahoma no longer recognizes its existence.
ARTICLE III: PURPOSE
The Association shall function for the benefit of the University and for the retired faculty and staff comprising its membership. Activities shall include, but not be limited to, assistance in fulfilling University goals and objectives, assistance in fund-raising and student-recruiting activities, providing informational and social opportunities for retirees, participating in appropriate University organizations, and such other services as may be requested by the University or the Association membership. It shall not function as a lobbying organization within or without the University for the sole benefit of its members.
ARTICLE IV: MEMBERSHIP
All persons meeting the University's policy requirements for retirement from active service, and their surviving spouses, shall be eligible for membership, at their option, in the Association.
The Executive Committee may authorize other individuals to participate in Association activities as Associate Members. Such individuals must have been employed in work bearing directly on the goals and objectives of the University of Oklahoma and must be considered to have a continuing interest in the success of the University community.
Members and Associate Members may approve annual dues to defray the costs of Association activities. Notices of meetings and activities shall be sent to those members and Associate Members whose payments of approved dues are in good standing.
ARTICLE V: OFFICERS
Section 1. The officers of the Association shall be President, President Elect, Immediate Past President, Treasurer, and Recording Secretary. Nominations for President Elect, Treasurer, and Recording Secretary shall be presented at each year's June general meeting, and the elected officers shall take office on the following July 1.
Section 2. Officers of the Association may be removed by a two-thirds concurrence of members in attendance at a regularly scheduled meeting of the Association. Elected replacements shall take office immediately and shall complete the unexpired term of the officers replaced.
ARTICLE VI: MEETINGS
Section 1. Regular meetings of the Association shall be held quarterly during the months of September, December, March, and June. The date, time, and place of the meetings shall be determined by a majority of the Association's officers and standing-committee chairs.
Section 2. Special meetings may be called by a majority of the officers and standing-committee chairs as needed. Such meetings may be called to discuss Association business, to provide information to the members, or to provide opportunities for socialization among the members.
Section 3. The President or his/her appointee(s) shall notify Association members of all regular quarterly meetings and special meetings.
ARTICLE VII: AMENDMENTS, ALTERATIONS, ANNULMENTS, SUSPENSIONS
Section 1. Amendments to, alterations to, or annulment of the Constitution or the Bylaws of the Association shall be made only at a regular quarterly meeting by a two-thirds concurrence of members present.
Section 2. Proposed amendments, proposed alterations, or a proposed annulment of the Constitution or the Bylaws of the Association shall be presented in writing to the President, who shall send copies to the members at least ten (10) calendar days prior to the next regular quarterly meeting of the Association, at which time the proposal(s) shall be voted on by the members present.
Section 3. The Bylaws of the Association, or any part thereof, may be suspended by a two-thirds concurrence of the members present at a regular quarterly meeting.
Approved: Autumn 1991 President: Leonard Harper
Amended: March 13, 2008 President: Brad Quinn
Amended: December 11, 2014 President: Peter Vail
Amended: March 12, 2020 President: Debbie Blasiar
BY-LAWS OF THE NORMAN CHAPTER OF
THE UNIVERSITY OF OKLAHOMA RETIREES ASSOCIATION
ARTICLE I: OFFICERS
President:
Section 1. The President shall be a nonvoting member of the Association except in the case of a tie vote; then he/she may vote.
Section 2. It shall be the duty of the President to preside at all meetings of the Association.
Section 3. The President shall conduct official correspondence of the Association.
Section 4. The President shall appoint all ad hoc committees and shall designate a member thereof to serve as chair.
President Elect:
Section 5. The President Elect shall assist and understudy the President and, in the absence of the President, shall have all the responsibilities, powers, and prerogatives of the President. The President Elect shall succeed the President in office upon expiration of the President's term.
Immediate Past President:
Section 6. The Immediate Past President shall serve as Parliamentarian for the Association and, in the absence of both the President and the President Elect, shall preside at Association meetings.
President Pro Tempore:
Section 7. In the absence of the President, President Elect, and Immediate Past President from any official meeting of the Association, members of the Association present shall elect a President Pro Tempore, who shall preside.
Treasurer:
Section 8. The Treasurer shall be responsible for receiving and disbursing all funds of the Association and for providing a financial report at each Association quarterly meeting.
Section 9. The Treasurer shall maintain the official roll of Association members and shall keep the President and the Communications Committee chair apprised of all updates to the Association's membership.
Section 10. Upon completion of his/her term of office, the Treasurer shall turn over all records and other pertinent Association data in his/her possession to his/her successor.
Recording Secretary:
Section 11. The Recording Secretary shall record and maintain copies of minutes, financial reports, resolutions, and proceedings of all Association business meetings and meetings of the Executive Committee.
Section 12. The Recording Secretary shall keep the official roll of the Association members and shall, upon completion of his/her term of office, turn over all records and other pertinent data of the Association in the Recording Secretary's possession to his/her successor.
ARTICLE II: COMMITTEES
Executive Committee/Executive Board:
Section 1. The voting members of the Executive Committee (a.k.a. Executive Board) shall be the President, President Elect, Immediate Past President, Treasurer, Recording Secretary, the chairs and co-chairs of all standing committees, and designated ex officio Board members.
Section 2. The Executive Committee shall prepare an annual budget proposal for consideration by the members, select nominees for University advisory organization(s) representation, recommend substantive revisions to the Association Constitution and/or Bylaws as deemed necessary, and shall determine and implement appropriate responses/actions to any other situations as they arise or as directed by the Association members. The Executive Committee shall keep the Association members fully informed of its activities.
Standing Committees:
Section 3. Standing Committees of the Association shall be:
Benefits Committee:
This committee shall serve as liaison with the University Employment Benefits Committee in order to provide Association members with information which may be of interest to them. The chair of the Benefits Committee, or in his/her absence, the co-chair of the committee or the President or President Elect, serves as a voting member of the University committee in order to represent the interests of the Association.
Membership Committee:
It shall be the responsibility of this committee to extend invitations to new retirees to join the Association; to provide them with information concerning the benefits of Association membership; to assist the Treasurer as needed in maintaining a current membership roster; and to represent the Association at each spring's Staff Week in order to provide information to prospective retirees about the Association.
Program Committee:
It shall be the responsibility of this committee to plan the programs for Association meetings, including engaging speakers and/or entertainers; to arrange for meeting rooms, refreshments, and decorations, when appropriate; and to serve as greeters at the meetings.
Communications Committee:
It shall be the responsibility of this committee to prepare communications with Association members, including, but not limited to, preparation of a quarterly newsletter, The Banner, and maintenance of an Internet web site, www.ou.edu/retirees. The chair shall also work closely with the Treasurer in keeping the Association's official roll of members up to date and work with the President and Immediate Past President in contacting members who are delinquent in their dues payments.
Scholarship Committee:
In 2013 the Association created a scholarship fund, and since 2014 a scholarship has been awarded each year to a qualified OU undergraduate student. The chair of this committee shall work with and advise the University's Financial Aids office regarding the selection of each year's scholarship recipient.
These committees may fulfill other duties, as appropriate, from time to time. The standing-committee chairs and members shall be appointed by the Association President. Additional standing committees may be established as needed by majority vote of the Association members present at a quarterly meeting.
Section 4. All standing committees shall meet on call of their respective chairs, and each chair shall be responsible for reporting on that committee's activities at the request of the Association President.
Section 5. The term of office of standing committee chairs and co-chairs shall be one year beginning July 1, and the chairs may succeed themselves upon appointment and approval.
Section 6. No person shall serve as chair of more than one (1) standing committee each year.
Section 7. A standing committee may be abolished by a majority vote of Association members present at a quarterly meeting.
Ad Hoc Committees:
Section 8. Ad hoc committees of the Association and their chairs shall be appointed by the Association President.
Section 9. All ad hoc committee meetings shall be subject to call of their respective chairs, and the chair shall be responsible for reporting on that committee's activities at the request of the Association President.
Responsibility of Association Representatives on University Committees and Other Organizations:
Section 10. When requested by the University, Association representatives may be appointed to serve on various committees and University advisory organizations. Those appointed should participate in the committee/organization meetings and should report to the Association Executive Board on matters of interest to the Association.
ARTICLE III: NOMINATION AND ELECTION OF OFFICERS
Section 1. Nominations for Association officers shall be made by a Nominating Committee chaired by the President Elect or, in the absence of the President Elect, the President. In addition to the chair, the Nominating Committee shall consist of two (2) Association members appointed by the President Elect. The Nominating Committee shall be formed in April to present a slate of officers at the June quarterly meeting. Nominations shall also be accepted from the floor at the June meeting.
Section 2. Election of the President Elect, Treasurer, and Recording Secretary of the Association shall take place annually at the June quarterly meeting, and these shall take office the following July 1.
Section 3. The terms of office of Treasurer and Recording Secretary shall be one (1) year, and each may succeed him/herself upon re-election.
Section 4. The President Elect is elected to a one (1) year term of office. He/she will become President of the Association the following year and shall not succeed him/herself.
Section 5. In the event of vacancies in any of the Association's offices, nominating procedures shall be followed in accordance with Article III, Section 1 of the Bylaws to secure a slate for the election of a replacement at the Association's next regular or special business meeting. Replacements shall take office immediately upon election and will fill the unexpired term of the persons replaced.
ARTICLE IV: RULES OF ORDER
The rules of parliamentary procedure, as laid down in Robert's Rules of Order, shall govern all business meetings of the Association and its standing and ad hoc committees.
Approved: March 18, 1992 President: Leonard Harper
Amended: March 13, 2008 President: Brad Quinn
Amended: December 11, 2014 President: Peter Vail
Amended: March 12, 2020 President: Debbie Blasiar
