Bylaws

University of Missouri–St. Louis Retirees Association Bylaws

Purpose: Details of the activities of the University of Missouri–St. Louis Retirees Association (UMSLRA) will be regulated by the Bylaws.

Article I: Meetings

  1. There will be an annual business meeting of the UMSLRA each spring. The election to fill vacancies of officers and board members and other business brought by the Board of Directors will be conducted at this meeting. The Treasurer will report on the financial condition of the UMSLRA at this meeting and the Secretary will present the minutes of the last annual meeting and any special meetings which have taken place since the last annual meeting. Any other committees of the UMSLRA may report on their activities during the previous year. Individuals and groups will be given an opportunity to express concerns to the membership.
  2. The UMSLRA will meet in the late fall. This will be a social gathering and a business meeting to elect four UMSLRA members to the Nominating Committee, and any other business needing approval.
  3. Special meetings of the membership may be called by the Board of Directors, or by a petition signed by at least ten percent of the regular membership of the UMSLRA, to consider business that is stated in the petition. The membership shall be notified of such a meeting at least 21 days in advance of the meeting date, unless a decision is needed sooner.

Article II: Quorum

A quorum for conducting business of the UMSLRA shall consist of the smaller of 20% of the regular membership or 35 regular members.

Article III: Dues

The Board of Directors shall determine dues for the UMSLRA with approval of the regular membership.

Article IV: Membership Year

The membership year shall begin on June 1 and end on May 31.

Article V: Roles and Responsibilities of Officers

  1. President (See Constitution Article V. Officers, Section A)
    1. Schedule and hold Board meetings throughout the year, including those prior to the annual holiday luncheon and the annual spring business meeting, both attended by all members.
    2. Propose agendas for meetings.
    3. Write a column for each of the two chapter newsletters and for the three UM Connections.
    4. Work with committees on overall issues and concerns.
    5. Attend in-person meetings at UM System to present chapter activities and consider statewide issues.
    6. Participate in systemwide online meetings.
    7. Meet with campus administrators when appropriate.
    8. Propose possible speakers to the Board for both membership meetings.
  2. President-elect (see Constitution Article V. Officers, Section B)
    1. Work with the President on Board matters.
    2. Work with all committees when requested.
    3. Substitute for the President at meetings if needed.
    4. Meet with campus administrators along with the President.
  3. Past President (see Constitution Article V. Officers, Section C)
    1. Chair the UMSLRA Board Nominating Committee (see Article VI. Officers, Section A.1).
    2. Chair the UMSL Retiree of the Year Selection Committee (see Article VI, Section A.2).
  4. Secretary (see Constitution Article V. Officers, Section D)
    1. Prepare Board packets for distribution at each Board meeting. Packets shall include the meeting agenda, minutes from the previous meeting, officer reports, and committee reports.
    2. Take minutes at all Board and general meetings.
    3. Upon approval, the minutes will be made available to the membership by posting them to the UMSLRA website.
  5. Treasurer (see Constitution Article V. Officers, Section E)
    1. Maintain all financial records of the UMSLRA and prepare an annual financial report and other financial reports as directed by the Board of Directors.
    2. Maintain a digital file of all current and former members of the UMSLRA.
    3. Oversee the financial accounts of the UMSLRA.
    4. Prepare and file any and all required State and Federal tax forms and reports pertaining to the UMSLRA, as necessary.

Article VI: Roles and Responsibilities of Committees

  1. There shall be two standing committees charged with performing functions related to UMSLRA elections and selections. The Nominating Committee's charge is to prepare a nomination slate of candidates for the open UMSLRA Board positions. The Selection Committee's charge is to conduct a review of retiree applications for the Chancellor's annual ROTY award and selection of the next awardees.
    1. The Nominating Committee shall consist of the UMSLRA immediate Past President and four regular UMSLRA members elected at the fall UMSLRA meeting. This committee shall identify and verify the willingness of regular UMSLRA members to be nominated to the UMSLRA Board. The committee will assemble and present a slate of candidates for all open board positions at the next annual business meeting in the late spring. Nominations will also be taken from the floor at the meeting.
    2. The Selection Committee shall consist of the UMSLRA immediate Past President and four members, two appointed by campus associations and two selected by the Committee chair from past ROTY awardees. The two campus associations that will appoint a representative are the UMSL Staff Association and the UMSL Faculty Senate. The two chair selected members shall be selected from the pool of past ROTY awardees. One selection shall be a past Staff awardee and the other selection shall be a past Faculty awardee. In the event that a past awardee cannot serve, a member serving on the UMSLRA Board in their first year of their 2-year term will be appointed by the current UMSLRA president. The Selection Committee shall review the applications for ROTY, select a deserving staff retiree and a deserving faculty retiree, then report the selections to the UMSL Chancellor. This award is presented by the Chancellor at one of the Chancellor's sponsored events in the fall. No member of the Selection Committee may be listed as an ROTY candidate on the slate.
  2. There shall be three standing committees to perform the functions of membership services: the Planning and Events Committee, the Membership Committee, and the Communications Committee. Each committee shall be staffed with two regular Board members and as many UMSLRA members as the regular Board members deem necessary to perform the committee's functions. One of the regular Board members shall serve as the committee chair (Constitution Article VI, section E). The current UMSLRA President-elect shall be an ex-officio member of each committee (Constitution Article V, sections A and B).
    1. The Planning and Events Committee shall develop, design, plan, and schedule events that foster the educational and social needs of the membership. This committee, among other activities, shall be responsible for the planning and scheduling of UMSLRA luncheons. The Planning and Events Committee will also
      1. Offer ideas for social activities for the Board to consider.
      2. Work with the UMSL Alumni Association to compose, produce, and send invitations to the membership.
      3. Track and report attendance at all UMSLRA events.
    2. The Membership Committee shall recruit and maintain UMSLRA memberships. This committee shall coordinate information with the Treasurer to identify the paid status of UMSLRA members. The Membership Committee will also 
      1. Develop recruitment strategies and materials to be used with soon-to-retire and newly retired UMSL employees.
      2. Send renewal requests to UMSLRA members of record each April.
      3. Send follow-up requests to non-responsive members throughout the calendar year.
      4. Inform the Treasurer of returned information and send the Treasurer any dues received for recording, supervision, and management.
      5. Maintain the confidentiality of all member information.
    3. The Communications Committee shall compose, develop, and distribute at least two newsletters and other communications for UMSLRA members. Distribution of communications shall be coordinated with the Treasurer's official file of membership contact information and may utilize any Board-approved form (e.g., digital/electronic, United States Postal Service). The Communication Committee will also
      1. Solicit articles from the Board and other relevant sources.
      2. Send content on a regular basis to Facebook and the UMSLRA webmaster to post on the UMSLRA website.
      3. Take or arrange for photos to be taken at UMSLRA events and send them to the President for publications requested by the UM System.
  3. Other committees may be formed as needed (Constitution Article V, section A).

Article VII: Amendments

The bylaws may be amended by a majority of those regular member attending a duly called meeting, provided all regular members have been provided a written notice (digital or paper document) of the proposed amendment(s) at least 21 days in advance of the vote.