Constitution

MOREHOUSE COLLEGE NATIONAL ALUMNI ASSOCIATION, INC.

ARTICLE I

Name

The name of this organization shall be the Morehouse College National Alumni Association, Inc.

ARTICLE II

Purpose

The purpose of this organization shall be to foster, advance, and support the interests and welfare of Morehouse College in accordance with its ideals, principles, and traditions.

ARTICLE III

Memberships And Privileges

Section 1. Definitions.

(a) Former Student. A former student is a person who has completed a minimum of one academic year of study at Morehouse College, but is presently not a student.

(b) Good standing. Members in good standing are those persons who have paid their membership dues for the current fiscal year (July 1 – June 30) or is a Life Member of the Alumni Association. 

Section 2. Memberships.

(a) Graduates. Any graduate of Morehouse College is automatically a member of the Alumni Association.

(b) Former students and recipients of honorary degrees. Any former student and any person holding an honorary degree from Morehouse College are eligible for membership in the Alumni Association.

(c) Honorary membership. Any person who shows unusual interest in the welfare of Morehouse College may be selected to honorary membership in the Alumni Association. Unusual interest is to be defined by the Executive Committee of the Board of Directors of the Alumni Association

Section 3. Privileges of membership.

Only members who are in good standing shall be eligible to run for, be appointed to, or hold office in the Alumni Association at the national, regional, or local level. In addition, only members who are in good standing shall be eligible to vote in elections, meetings, and other activities conducted by the Alumni Association, to receive notices and publications issued by the Alumni Association and to receive privileges reserved exclusively for members who are in good standing.

ARTICLE IV

Officers And Elections

Section 1. Officers.

(a) Elected. The elected officers of the Alumni Association shall be: President, Vice President at Large, Regional Vice Presidents, Financial Secretary, Treasurer, and Secretary.

(b) Appointed. The Board of Directors of the Alumni Association, in its discretion, may appoint additional officers, as the Board of Directors may deem necessary for the proper conduct of the affairs of the Alumni Association.

Section 2. Elections.

(a) National. The President, Vice President at Large, Secretary, Financial Secretary, and Treasurer shall be elected by the members of the Alumni Association who are in good standing.

(b) Regional. The Regional Vice Presidents shall be elected by the members of the Alumni Association who are in good standing and who reside in the respective Regional Districts.

(c) Run-off. If an election produces no winner because the top vote-getting candidates receive an equal number of votes, a run-off election shall be conducted between, or among, the tied candidates within 30 days after the election results are certified.

(d) Limits on candidacies. In each biennial election a candidate shall not run for more than one of the officer positions listed in Section 1(a) above.

ARTICLE V

Board Of Directors

Section 1. Composition.

(a) Officers. All elected officers of the Alumni Association and officers who are appointed to one of the elected officer positions listed in Article IV, Section 1(a) above, shall be members of the Board of Directors.

(b) Faculty members. One member of the Faculty of Morehouse College, designated by the President of the college, shall be a member of the Board of Directors.

(c) Director of Alumni Affairs. The Director of Alumni Affairs of Morehouse College may be a member of the Board of Directors, at the discretion of the Board of Directors.

(d) Student members. At the discretion of the Board of Directors of the Alumni Association, The Presidents of the Student Government Association and the Pre-Alumni Club of Morehouse College, notwithstanding any other provision of this Constitution or of the Bylaws of the Alumni Association, may be members of the Board of Directors of the Alumni Association. The two Presidents shall serve from the time they assume their positions on the Board of Directors until their respective presidencies end.

Section 2. Executive Committee.

The Executive Committee shall have such powers as may be delegated to it by the Board of Directors, or as may be provided for in the bylaws of the Alumni Association. The President, Vice President at Large, Secretary, Treasurer, and Financial Secretary shall be members of the Executive Committee. The Board of Directors may elect additional members of the Board of Directors to the Executive Committee, but the total number of members of the Executive Committee shall not exceed nine (9). The terms of such additional members shall terminate no later than the end of the two-year term of the electing Board.

Section 3. Responsibilities of the Board of Directors.

(a) Administration. The Board of Directors shall conduct the affairs of the Alumni Association during the period between annual meetings.

(b) Appointments – authority of the Board. The President shall make appointments with the approval of the , including offices created by the Board of Directors pursuant to article IV, Section 1(b) above, which are unoccupied, regardless of the circumstances that caused the vacancy. An appointment by the Board of Directors shall terminate no later than the end of the two-year term during which the appointment is made.

(c) Filling vacancies – limitations. The President , in exercising his authority to fill vacancies, shall appoint only members of the Alumni Association who are in good standing. In filling unoccupied Regional Vice President positions, the President shall appoint members who are in good standing and who also reside in the respective region for which the appointment is being made.

(d) Nomination and confirmation procedure. In exercising the appointment authority contained in Section 1 of Article IV and in Section 3 of Article V above, the President of the Alumni Association shall nominate persons to an office or to fill a vacant office, and the Board of Directors of the Alumni Association shall vote on the confirmation of the nominee.

ARTICLE VI

Meetings

The Annual Meeting and special meetings.

The Annual Meeting of the Alumni Association shall be held at Morehouse College during the Commencement Period or at any other place and time designated by the Board of Directors. The Board of Directors may also call special meetings for specific purposes. Notice of the Annual Meeting and of any special meeting called by the Board of Directors shall be given to the membership of the Alumni Association at least thirsty (30) days before the meeting.

ARTICLE VII

Organization Of The Alumni Association

Section 1. Units of the Alumni Association.

The Alumni Association shall be divided into units, which shall be classified as follows:

  1. The Individual Member;
  2. Local Clubs or Chapters;
  3. Regional Districts;
  4. Foreign Club Affiliates.

Section 2. Local Clubs or Chapters, or Foreign Clubs.

(a) Minimum size and other standards. A Local Club or Chapter of the Alumni Association shall not consist of less than five (5) graduates and former students of Morehouse College, or any combination of the two, living within a locality to be defined in the bylaws of the Alumni Association, who have joined together to promote and support the interests and welfare of Morehouse College and the Alumni Association.

(b) Requirements applicable to Local Clubs or Chapters. The requirements for certification as a Local Club or Chapter of the Alumni Association are set forth in the bylaws of the Alumni Association. The rules and regulations adopted by the Local Clubs or Chapters to govern their activities shall be consistent with the principles of the Alumni Association. Notwithstanding any power or prerogative conferred on the Local Clubs and Chapters in the bylaws of the Alumni Association or in this Constitution, such Clubs and Chapters shall cooperate with their respective Regional District to promote and support the interests and welfare of Morehouse College and of the Alumni Association.

Section 3. Regional Districts.

(a) The regional districts shall have such officers, powers, and functions as are delegated to them in the bylaws. Regional alumni districts may be reorganized by the Alumni Association.

(b) Requirements applicable to Regional Districts. The rules and regulations adopted by the regional districts, notwithstanding any powers or prerogatives conferred on the regional districts in the bylaws of the Alumni Association, shall be consistent with the principles of the Alumni Association. Regional districts and their officers are subject to all directives, rules, and regulations issued by both the Alumni Association and the Board of Directors of the Alumni Association, and shall cooperate with the Board of Directors to promote the interests and welfare of Morehouse College and the Alumni Association.

Section 4. Foreign Clubs or Chapters.

A Foreign Club or Chapter Affiliate of the Alumni Association shall consist of graduates and former students who reside in or who are located in countries other than the United States of America.

ARTICLE VIII

Amendments To The Constitution

Section 1. Resolutions to amend.

An amendment to the Constitution may be proposed by (a) a resolution of a Local Club or Chapter, (b) a resolution of any unit of the Alumni Association of broader scope or jurisdiction than a Local Club or Chapters, such as a Regional Board of Directors, or (c) a resolution of the Board of Directors of the Morehouse College Alumni Association.

Section 2. Submitting a proposal to the Board.

A unit of the Alumni Association authorized to propose amendments shall submit a written copy of the resolution and proposed amendment to the Board of Directors through the President of the Alumni Association.

Section 3. Processing of amendments within the Board.

(a) From Local Clubs and Regions. The President of the Alumni Association, within thirty (30) days of the receipt of the proposed amendment, shall send copies of the proposal to the Board of Directors of the Alumni Association. The proposed amendment shall be considered at the next, regularly scheduled meeting of the Board of Directors. Within ninety (90) days from the day the President received the proposed amendment, or within five working days after the conclusion of the regularly scheduled meeting, whichever is later, the Board of Directors shall transmit copies of the proposed amendment together with the recommendations of the Board, if any, to each member in good standing and to each Club or Chapter of the Alumni Association. The Board of directors may also send copies of the proposal to any individual who, in the discretion of the Board, should receive the proposed amendment. The Board of Directors shall cause the proposed amendment to be published at least once either in the Alumni Bulletin or in the Alumni Newsletter together with the recommendation, if any, of the Board of Directors. Thereafter, the Board of Directors shall place the proposed amendment on the agenda of the next Annual Meeting unless a special meeting to consider the proposed amendment precedes the Annual Meeting.

(b) Proposals that originate in the Board. The Board of Directors, with respect to a proposal to amend the Constitution, which originated within the Board, shall comply with the requirements pertaining to notice and distribution as are set forth in Section 3 of this Article. The Board of Directors may, however, vote at any time before a regular meeting of the Alumni Association to withdraw a proposal to amend the Constitution, which originated in the Board.

Section 4. Adoption and effective dates of amendments.

The members of the Alumni Association (a) who are in good standing and (b) who are present at the Annual Meeting, described in Article VI of this Constitution, or who are present at a special meeting called by the Board of Directors for which the Board of Directors has given notice to amend the Constitution, may vote to amend the Constitution. The vote of at least two thirds of such members shall be necessary to adopt a proposed amendment to this Constitution. An amendment shall become effective 30 days after adoption unless the amendment provides for a different effective date.

ARTICLE IX

Dissolution

Dissolution of this Alumni Association shall be governed as is set forth in the Charter of this Association issued by the State of Georgia