Articles and Bylaws

The following Articles and Bylaws were approved by the Board on January 14, 2009.

ARTICLES OF ASSOCIATION

Article One - NAME

The name of this organization is The University of Michigan Club of Seattle, Washington hereinafter referred to as UMCSW. The Alumni Association of the University of Michigan issued to this club its Charter No. 4.

Article Two – PURPOSE

The UMCSW is an affiliate of, and chartered by, the Alumni Association of the University of Michigan (AAUM), an educational, non-profit membership organization of graduates and friends of the University of Michigan. The club and AAUM bring alumni together in support of each other and to promote the objectives of the University of Michigan through the establishment and maintenance of contact among the University, its graduates, and present and prospective students. Additionally, the club encourages and supports the matriculation of local students at the University of Michigan through the funding and administration of the Roby Burley Scholarship fund.

Article Three – MEMBERSHIP

UMCSW membership is a benefit of membership in AAUM without additional payment of dues. The classes of AAUM membership are:

  • Regular members who consist of all those who have been regularly enrolled in a degree granting program at the University of Michigan for one semester or more and have paid current annual or life dues to AAUM.

  • Associate members who consist of all persons, excluding those qualified as regular members, who have shown an active or vital interest in the University of Michigan and the AAUM and who have paid current annual or life dues to AAUM.

Article Four - AMENDMENT OF ARTICLES OF ASSOCIATION

A majority vote by the Board is required to amend the Articles of Association.

BYLAWS

Section One – OFFICERS AND DIRECTORS

The UMCSW shall be governed by a Board of Officers and Directors (hereinafter the “Board”) who are elected by the general membership at the May Annual Meeting.

To continue membership, a Board member must attend a majority of meetings in a given year. Absence from three (3) consecutive Board meetings without prior approval of an Officer may result in the removal of that member from the Board, at the discretion of the President. Any such removal shall be confirmed by letter or e-mail to the “removed” member by the President.

Section Two – ELECTION OF OFFICERS AND DIRECTORS

New Officers and Directors shall be elected by a majority vote of the general members at the May Annual Meeting. At the discretion of the President, the Board may recommend candidates for consideration by the general members at the annual meeting, and those candidates may in turn be drawn from a slate of nominees proposed to the Board by a Nominating Committee.

The Board shall consist of the following:

  • Four officers: President, Vice President, Secretary and Treasurer whose general responsibilities are listed in Addendum A. If available, an Immediate Past President may serve on the Board as an ex officio.

  • One (1) to Nine (9) Directors whose general responsibilities are listed in Addendum B.

Section Three - APPOINTMENT AND SUCCESSION OF OFFICERS AND DIRECTORS

In the event that the Board does not have a minimum of nine (9) elected members, other members may be appointed to the Board by the President, with concurrence of a majority of the Board.

If an Officer or Director should resign before his or her term ends or be unable to complete his or her term of office, the President, with concurrence of a majority of the Board, may replace that Officer or Director for the remainder of the un-expired term until the next election, at which time a replacement will be selected by utilizing the nomination and selection process outlined above.

If the President resigns before the end of his or her term, the Vice President shall assume the role of President, and with concurrence of a majority of the Board, may replace the Vice President for the remainder of the unexpired term until the next election, at which time a replacement will be selected by utilizing the nomination and selection process outlined above.

Section Four - QUORUM AND VOTING

A quorum for the Board shall consist of a minimum of five Board members with at least one Officer in attendance. Action by the Board must be by a majority of the quorum. In the case of an even number of Board members, the Immediate Past President has the right to vote as ex officio.

Section Five - COMMITTEES

UMCSW may have a number of standing and/or ad hoc committees, as deemed beneficial by the Board. The President shall appoint Committee chairs as necessary. Addendum C contains additional information on possible committees. All committees shall include among their membership a minimum of one Board member.

Section Six - MEETINGS

The Annual Meeting of the Board shall be held at specified date, time, and location in May each year as the Board or President may designate with proper notice being sent to all members. Such notice shall accompany the notice of the election of Officers and Directors. Alumni and others with an active or vital interest in the University of Michigan may attend.

There shall be at least four other meetings of the Board each year. Additional meetings of the Board may be called when deemed necessary by the President or any eight members of the Board. Notice of such meeting may be provided by e-mail, or with mailed notice, provided such notice is given at least seven days prior to said meeting.

Section Seven - RULES OF ORDER

Roberts Rules of Order, or any other set of Rules of Order duly adopted by a majority of the Board, shall govern parliamentary procedure in the UMCSW meetings. All officers shall deliver to their successors in office all official material within ten (10) days following the expiration of their term of office.

Section Eight - BYLAWS

The Bylaws shall be adopted for the governance of the UMCSW by a majority of the Board. A majority vote by the Board is required to amend the Bylaws.

Section Nine – FISCAL YEAR AND CHECK SIGNING

Checks issued on behalf of the UMCSW shall be signed by the Treasurer or President. The fiscal year will be July 1 through June 30.

Section Ten – ROBY BURLEY SCHOLARSHIP FUND

The Roby Burley Scholarship Fund has been established to defray costs for selected students from the State of Washington who attend the University of Michigan. Currently enrolled full-time undergraduates who have completed their freshman year at the University of Michigan are eligible to apply for this scholarship. Recipients may receive this scholarship a maximum of three times. The scholarship committee determines the number of recipients, and the Board determines the maximum amount of scholarship to be awarded each year. Policies and criteria are approved by the Board.

ADDENDUM (A) – OFFICERS

Officers

The responsibilities of the UMCSW officers shall include but not be limited to the following:

  • Set overall strategy for the UMCSW
  • Lead efforts to revise Articles of Association, By-Laws, and Addendums as needed
  • To assist, advise, and direct the organization in achieving its stated purpose
  • To assure compliance with the letter and spirit of these bylaws
  • To appoint, supervise, and approve the work of all committees of the club
  • To serve as resources for committee chairs and to participate in associated activities as needed

President

The President’s responsibilities include:

  • Supervising and coordinating UMCSW activities
  • Calling and presiding over regular and special meetings of the Board
  • Ensuring the holding of the Annual Meeting as called for by club’s bylaws
  • Ensuring the completion of the UMCSW Annual Report for the AAUM
  • Serving, if interested, as a member of any standing or ad hoc committee, with the right to vote
  • Appointing, with a majority vote of the Board, standing or ad hoc committees for the UMCSW and their respective chairpersons
  • Serving as principal liaison with the University, the Alumni Association and other organizations

Vice President

The Vice President’s responsibilities include:

  • Presiding over the UMCSW meetings in the absence of the President
  • Chairing the Nominating Committee, in the event that one is formed
  • Assuming the duties of the President on an interim basis if the President is unable to complete his/her term

Secretary

The Secretary’s responsibilities include:

  • Giving notice of the UMCSW Board meetings
  • Taking and distributing meeting minutes at Board and special meetings
  • Maintaining a permanent record of all UMCSW proceedings
  • Tallying votes from the Board and general membership
  • Maintaining and circulating the current Articles of Association, Bylaws and Addendums of the UMCSW
  • Taking attendance at UMCSW Board meetings
  • Conducting all correspondence for the Club as authorized

Treasurer

The Treasurer’s responsibilities include:

  • Receiving all funds paid to the UMCSW
  • Disbursing money on properly authorized orders/invoices
  • Maintaining the permanent record of all financial matters
  • Preparing an annual budget to be approved by the Board
  • Within the budget, providing due consideration for transfer of UMCSW funds to the Roby Burley Scholarship Fund
  • Preparing a Treasurer’s Report on the status of the operating and scholarship funds for all meetings of the Board, including the Annual Meeting
  • Preparing a final report for the prior fiscal year and submitting such report to the Board
  • Transferring funds to the Office of Financial Aid of the University of Michigan
  • Transferring financial records to the current treasurer no later than the July Board Meeting
  • Assisting in preparation of event-based budgets and related record keeping
  • Serving as a resource for the Director(s) of (1) Scholarship Awards & Student Relations and (2) Fundraising, participating in associated activities as needed

ADDENDUM (B) – Directors

Directors’ responsibilities include:

  • Serving as liaisons among the UMCSW leadership, the membership, and the community at large
  • Representing the diverse interests of the general membership
  • Assisting the Officers in the administration of the UMCSW and in volunteer identification and recruitment
  • Attending Board meetings on a regular basis
  • Attending club events on a regular basis
  • Contributing to the work of committees as needed or as requested by the Board

ADDENDUM (C) – Committees

The following committees, as well as other standing or ad hoc committees, may be formed or dissolved by the Board as needed.

Marketing and Communications Committee

Members of this committee include the MAC Database Administrator, Website Administrator, and Contributing Editor. The responsibilities of the Marketing and Communications Committee may include coordinating the communication and marketing strategies for the UMCSW and assisting other committees with creation and execution of flyers, postcards, and other mailers.

Website Administrator responsibilities include:

  • Managing and updating the content of the website as requested by the Board and the Contributing Editor

Contributing Editor responsibilities include:

  • Writing text for the UMCSW website, listserv messages and Regional e-TrueBlue
  • Submitting UMCSW monthly submissions to Regional e-TrueBlue
  • Submitting information for the AAUM website event calendar
  • Writing text for and coordinating supplemental and other AAUM sponsored paper mailings

Michigan Alumni Connections (MAC) Database Administrator responsibilities include:

  • Updating alumni information for the UMCSW on a regular basis
  • Running queries to download alumni information
  • Updating and maintaining the club’s listserv

Membership Committee

The responsibilities of the Membership Committee may include:

  • Creating and executing strategies to welcome alumni moving to the UMCSW area
  • Creating and executing strategies, with the Alumni Association, to market the value proposition of membership to alumni and others who may be candidates for membership
  • Leading Board recruitment efforts to identify volunteers to serve on committees and to join the Board
  • Insuring that at least one representative on the committee attends events that are planned by the committee
  • Insuring that AAUM membership materials and volunteer sign-up sheets are available at UMCSW events

Nominating Committee

The responsibilities of the Nominating Committee may include:

  • Soliciting nominees for Officer and Director positions by canvassing current Board members and collaborating with the Marketing and Communications Committee to develop a strategy to make opportunities for leadership known to the general membership

  • Presenting a slate of nominees, through the Vice President who serves as chair of the Nominating Committee, to the Board for Officer and Director positions.

Programming Committee

The responsibilities of the Programming Committee may include:

  • Planning, arranging and coordinating events for the UMCSW
  • Establishing financial and operational objectives for UMCSW events
  • Determining subcommittees and electing subcommittee chairs that best fulfill the annual programming goals of the UMCSW
  • Ensuring that the Communications Committee is informed of all events with sufficient time to make sure members are notified of events and encouraged to attend
  • Collecting informal feedback from event attendees and informing the Board of “lessons learned” from each event
  • Insuring that at least one representative on the Programming committee attends events that are planned by the committee

Student Relations Committee

The responsibilities of the Student Relations Committee may include:

  • Assisting in the recruiting of students for the University of Michigan
  • Attending college nights at local high schools
  • Recruiting volunteers for the Alumni Association’s adopt-a-school program
  • Contacting high school guidance counselors within the UMCSW area
  • Developing and coordinating a student send-off reception for newly admitted students, information sessions, and a “conversion” party for accepted students

Scholarship Committee

The responsibilities of the Scholarship Committee include:

  • Disseminating scholarship information and materials to UM students in the UMCSW
  • Awarding scholarships to students from the UMCSW area
  • Serving as liaison to the UM Office of Financial Aid

Young Alumni Committee

The responsibilities of the Young Alumni Committee may include:

  • Advising the Board when necessary to amend the definition of “young alumni”, which is currently defined by year of graduation
  • Serving as the point of contact for initiating and responding to young alumni communications
  • Assisting the Programming Committee in developing programs and events focused on engaging young alumni, including identifying young alumni to serve as volunteers for young alumni events and events involving local high school students