Columbia University CLUB OF FAIRFIELD COUNTY (CUCFC)

BY-LAWS OF THE

COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY CLUB OF FAIRFIELD COUNTY, CONNECTICUT

6/14/2018 revised

This document was prepared by the Board of The Columbia University Club of Fairfield County, Connecticut. A final review by the Board was conducted on 1/22/15 and minor changes to the By-Laws were made. The Board approved the By-Laws by email ratification.   By-Law was amend by a unanimous agreement in a Board Meeting  June 4, 2016 and ratified and unanimously approved in the next Board Meeting via teleconference September 16, 2016.   By-Law was again amended by a unanimous agreement in a Board Meeting June 14, 2018 and was ratified and unanimously approved by the Board of Directors on July 6, 2018.

 

BY-LAWS OF THE

COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY CLUB OF FAIRFIELD COUNTY, CONNECTICUT

ARTICLE I   -   NAME AND TERRITORY

  

1. The name of the Club is the Columbia University Club of Fairfield County, Connecticut (also to be known as “CUCFC”). Its region shall include the cities and towns in and around Fairfield County, Connecticut.  

 

1. The Club shall be open to all alumni/alumnae, current undergraduate, graduate students and their parents, those who have attended the University and obtained a professional certificate, extended learning program or those who have completed a minimum of 12 units from one of the Columbia University’s colleges and/or schools of learning, spouses, widows/widowers of Columbia graduates along with honorary Columbians living in and around Fairfield County, Connecticut who deserve special recognition for public effort and accomplishment.

 

ARTICLE II  -  MEMBERSHIP

 

1. Active Members: - Individuals who meet the membership criteria noted above and have paid to date their membership dues.

 

1. Inactive Members – Individuals who meet the membership criteria but who have not paid a membership fee to the Club. Inactive members may not receive benefits from the Club unless the officers of the Executive Committee determine that due to specific circumstances that certain benefits are to be presented.

 

ARTICLE III  -  PURPOSE OF THE CLUB

 

The purposes for which the Club is established include:

• to encourage and promote the interests of Columbia University;
• to present events that interest and benefit  Fairfield County alumni/alumnae and strengthens the bonds with Columbia University. Activities to organize  include academic, intellectual, social and sport events;
• to participate (as mandated by the Columbia Alumni Association)

in Community Service projects that will serve the residents of

Fairfield County, Connecticut. Some past and ongoing projects and activities include, but are not limited to the following:

1. Annual Book Awards (36) presented to high school students each Spring;
2. Annual participation in community service/charity events, i.e., Operation Hope and other community service/outreach programs/projects that are determined over time by the members of the Executive Committee.
3. When sufficient funds are available, present a small scholarship ($1,000-$2,000) to a Columbia student who meets Executive Committee qualifying criteria,

(for example: (i) has a demonstrated record of academic achievement; (ii) who is a Fairfield County resident; and (iii) who also has a recognized financial need for assistance). Note: The Columbia Club of Fairfield County arranged with Columbia University and the Bursars’s office that any scholarship funds awarded by the Club that the same sum as awarded shall not be deducted by the University from other financial assistance provided to the scholarship recipient.

1. To encourage and grow paid memberships in the “Club” in order to assist in the underwriting of the Club’s events;
2. To welcome out of town Columbians; and
3. To interact with our fellow Regional clubs both in the United States and globally.

 

ARTICLE IV   -   OFFICERS

 

1. The Officers of the Club shall comprise an Executive Committee to include a President and many Vice Presidents. The Vice Presidents will lead and fulfill the following roles:
2. Membership (promotion of new and renewing membership);
3. Marketing & Technology;
4. Community Service/Outreach Programs;
5. “40 and Under Alumni group;”
6. Secretary and
7. Treasurer
8. Fund Raising

A Vice President may lead and play more than one role. In addition, some roles may be led by more than one Vice President.

 

 

1. The President shall be the principal executive officer of the Club. He/She shall preside at all meetings of the members and the Executive Committee and shall have the usual authority of a chief executive, including the authority and duties mentioned in these By-Laws. Some of these duties include: working to support/maintain the established programs while, at the same time, consistently seeking additional/innovative programs to attract new and renewing membership; to assist, as needed, with the further development of the “40 and Under Alumni” group;  directing and supporting the efforts of the other members of the Executive Committee in their specific tasks to assist in the growth of the Club; to interact with the Office of Alumni Development; to connect with Columbia professors for the purpose of arranging for them to come to Fairfield County to speak to the Club’s constituency; to assist in the preparation and execution of all of the Club’s annual events; to work actively to increase the Treasury of the Club in order for the Club to pursue obtaining the funds necessary to achieve 501 (c) (3) (tax exempt) status and fulfilling the obligations of a 501 (c) 3 organization;  to communicate, each February, to the approximately 5,500 Columbia Fairfield alumni/alumnae for the purpose of obtaining their new and renewed memberships all of which is essential to fund the Club’s ongoing development and activities; to prepare and distribute communications to the membership during the year; to work with the other members of the Executive Committee (most specifically with the Vice President for Marketing & Technology) to initiate/create appropriate marketing, internet and web communications to the membership.

 

1. Each Vice President of the Executive Committee shall have a clearly defined role concerning their voluntary assignment to work on and act on behalf of specific projects: membership, events; marketing & technology; community service/community outreach; recording of meeting minutes; collection of funds and maintaining of the Clubs financial records; fund raising to support club events & activities.

 

1. The Treasurer shall collect annual dues/membership fees and payments for events; they will collect and deposit checks; keep a record of all Pay Pal payments made to pay for events and/or new or renewing memberships;. They shall keep a bookkeeping/accounting record of all dues/fees collected by the Club as well as a record of all expenditures made on behalf of the Club.  They will present a financial report at each meeting of the fees collected during the previous period as well as all expenditures of the Club.  They will pay the expenses of the Club once such expenditures have been reviewed and approved by the President or another officer of the Club designated by the President.

The Treasurer will work with the Vice President for Membership to send out annual notices for membership fees due in February of each year.  They will perform such other duties as the Executive Committee may deem appropriate.

 

1. The Secretary shall give Notice of all regular and special meetings of the Club and they will keep the minutes of each of the meetings of the Executive Committee.

 

1. The Vice President for Membership will regularly send communications to alumni who have expressed a desire to become a member of the Club and they will communicate the clubs appreciation for a new or renewing member to Columbia alumni who sends in or presents a membership form along with a membership fee. The membership form will be amended to include the mailing address of the Vice President for Membership so they can maintain a record of responses. They will either deposit the funds collected for new/renewing memberships in the Club’s People’s checking account or they can turn over the checks collected to the Treasurer who will deposit the checks and record those payments to include the name, mailing address, email address, telephone number, Columbia school from which the alumni/alumnae graduated; the year of graduation.

 

1. The Vice President for “40 and Under Alumni Group” will organize and execute annual activities focused on attracting and retaining members that are 40 and under. The wide array of activities this Vice President organizes may include, but not limited to meeting up for casual cocktail reception, special events and games, networking, career advancement and professional learning events. This Vice President will raise awareness of the benefits of participation and will advocate for the needs of young CU alumni.

 

1. The Vice President for Community Service will develop and implement community service programs and ensure that the members are educated on the importance of being involved in community service. The Vice President will promote and coordinate participation in community service activities and bring back to our chapter best practices from provincial, national and international CU Alum organizations.

 

1. The Vice President for Marketing & Technology will manage the provision and maintenance of the marketing and technology that our organization needs for effective day-to-day marketing and operations. The technologies may include, but not limited to, web and internet, databases, alumni contact management systems, etc., as the CU Board may decide to acquire and deploy.

 

1. The Vice President for Fund Raising will manage all internal and external to Columbia University fund raising on behalf of our club. Funds raised will be used to supplement the cost incurred for our club’s events/activities and our charity work. The funds will be used to fund our Book Awards Program, Scholarship Program, Community Service projects, and other events the club funds on an ongoing basis.

                                                                                                               

1. The officers of the Club shall comprise the Executive Committee.

 

ARTICLE  - V   ELECTION OF OFFICERS

 

1. Election of Officers shall take place every two years at an Annual Meeting to be held in the Spring of that year (the first election following adoption of the By-Laws will be Spring, 2015). Officers shall hold office for two-year service. An officer can be re-elected to two consecutive two-year services  in a specific role, after which the Officer must retire from that role. After two successive terms of a period no more than two years, such officer shall retire from that specific office and will not be eligible for re-election to that specific office for a period no less than one year. Such retiring officer may serve, at his or her discretion, a period of up to six months in a transitional/advisory role only to the office from which he or she retired, so as to facilitate the smooth continuity of the club’s affairs.
2. A Nominating Committee shall meet at least three months prior to the Annual Meeting to propose candidates for the next term’s slate of officers. The Nominating Committee shall be comprised of two members of the Executive Committee and two other Active members  of the Club who will be appointed by the President.
3. Officer vacancies may be filled at any time by the Nominating Committee. The Nominating Committee has the authority to meet on an “as needed” basis to fill, in consultation with the Executive Committee, any prematurely vacated position on the Executive Committee.
4. The Responsibilities of The Nominating Committee
5. The Nominating Committee, which is a team of four members (two appointed by the President and two are members of the Executive Committee), is responsible for nominating the most qualified candidates for open positions on the Executive Committee. The Nominating Committee would elect among them a person who will Chair the committee as a Chairperson. The Nominating Committee would present the qualifications required to be nominated, which include:

• Leadership
• Involvement with the Club
• Desire for the position
• CU school spirit
• Community building efforts and interests
• Be an active member or become an active member of the club prior to the election

1. The Nominating Committee will post all open positions, the roles, responsibilities and qualifications required to apply, to all Club members via the internet and request Club Members to nominate members for those open positions. The open positions may include: The President and the Vice Presidents of one or more of the following areas – Membership; Marketing & Technology;  Community Service/Outreach Programs;  “40 and Under Alumni group;” Secretary; Fund Raising; and Treasurer.
2. The Nominating Committee accepts all nominations, including self-nominations. Members of the Nominating Committee could be nominated for any of the open positions.
3. At least three members (75%) of the Nominating Committee must be present for the committee to deliberate. Three members must vote in favor of a candidate’s nomination for it to be included in the slate of candidates to be presented to all Club members to vote. The decision to support a candidate’s nomination will be based on if the nominee has the qualifications (listed above in Section 4a.), to join the Executive Committee.
4. The Nominating Committee then presents the slate of candidates via email and the web to all members of the Club and gives all active members of the Club two weeks to send in their votes for the nominees. The Nominating Committee then tallies the votes from active members against each nominee to summarize the outcome of the election.
5. The Nominating Committee then presents, for voice ratification, the newly elected members of the Executive Committee to all members of the Club at the Annual Meeting of the Club every two years.

 

 

ARTICLE  - VI   REMOVAL OF AN OFFICER

 

Any officer of the Executive Committee may be removed from office for just and stated cause by a three-fourths vote of the Executive Committee.  A cause may be considered to be any action that is harmful to the University or is clearly not in the best interest of the University and shall include any act that is deemed to be harmful to the effective conduct the Executive Committee and/or of the effective operation of the Columbia Fairfield Club that may be deemed to be disruptive or a danger to both.  A record shall be kept by the Secretary of attendance of all Officers at all meetings of the Executive Committee. Whenever any elected member of the Executive Committee shall have been absent for three consecutive meetings or four meetings non-consecutively, their position may be declared to be vacant by a two-thirds vote of the members of the Executive Committee at a regular or special meeting of the Committee.

 

ARTICLE – VII   STANDING COMMITTEES

 

The Standing Committees are described under the section of “Organization” and include Membership, Marketing & Technology, Community Service/Community Outreach, “40 and Under Group,” Finance/Treasurer; Fund Raising; and Nominating . Other committees may be added as the need arises.

                                                                                                                               

ARTICLE – VIII  MEMBERSHIP DUES

 

The Membership Fees shall be set by the Executive Committee.  The current Membership Fees are $35.00 for one year; $60.00 for two years and $80.00 for three years. The amount of Annual Membership dues can be increased (or decreased) by a vote of the members of the Executive Committee.  

 

Honorary members shall be exempt from the requirement to pay membership fees.  Current students at Columbia University shall pay an annual membership fee of $15.00 and shall enjoy the paid membership discounts to all events that offer such discounts.

 

 

 

 

ARTICLE – IX   -  NON-POLITICAL ORGANIZATION

 

At no time shall the Columbia University Club of Fairfield County, CT involve themselves in the presentation/circulation of propaganda that attempts to influence legislation and the members of the Executive Committee shall not use their association with the Club to participate in or intervene (including publishing/distribution of statements) in any political campaign on behalf of any candidate for public office.

 

ARTICLE  -  X  EXISTENCE

 

Unless sooner terminated as provided in these By-Laws, the existence of this organization shall terminate when fewer than ten (10) regular members of this organization are enrolled as members in good standing evidence by their good conduct participation and payment of annual membership fees.

 

ARTICLE  -  XI  DISSOLUTION

 

Upon the dissolution of this Club, after paying or making provision for all obligations and liabilities, all of the assets of the organization shall be distributed to Columbia University.

 

ARTICLE  -  XII   AMENDMENTS/COMMUNICATIONS

 

The By-Laws may be altered, amended and/or repealed and new By-Laws may be initiated/adopted by a vote of a majority of the members of the Executive Committee of the Club and that the same shall be effected at a meeting of the Executive Committee provided that reasonable notice of any such proposed action shall be given to all the officers of the Executive Committee prior to such meeting in the manner above provided.  “Reasonable Notice” shall be considered valid if such notice is provided, in writing, at least ten days to two weeks prior to such meeting being held for the purpose of By-Laws reform/modification/change.