TUARA Constitution & Bylaws – tuara.ua.edu

View the TUARA Constitution and Bylaws in pdf.

THE UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA RETIREES ASSOCIATION CONSTITUTION
Adopted November 2003
Revised December 2004, February 2007, February 2010, February 2014, April 2015, April 2018, April 2019, March 2020

ARTICLE I.	Name
	The name of this Association shall be The University of Alabama Retirees Association (TUARA).
ARTICLE II.	Purposes
	TUARA is organized for the following purposes: To present the problems and needs of retired University of Alabama personnel by communicating with representatives of the University, government, and other groups; To educate the public about the problems and needs of retired persons; and To promote continuing support by members, alumni, and friends of the University to help enhance the scholarly and other professional objectives of the institution in order to more effectively serve the students and citizens of the state and nation in the years ahead.
ARTICLE III.	Membership and Dues
Section 1.	Membership Persons eligible for membership shall include all retirees of The University of Alabama and spouses, widows, and widowers of such persons. Also eligible are persons who once worked for the University and are now retired, and spouses, widows and widowers of such persons. Persons presently employed by the University of Alabama who expect to retire in five years or less, and their spouses, are eligible for membership as prospective retirees.
Section 2.	Dues Annual dues shall be fixed by the Executive Board and stated in the Bylaws.
ARTICLE IV.	Executive Board
	The Executive Board shall be responsible for governing the organization.
Section 1.	Composition The Executive Board shall be composed of the elected officers, the appointed officer and twelve (12) members-at-large. The elected officers of TUARA shall be a President, a President Elect, a Vice President for Programs and Arrangements, a Vice President for Membership, a Recording Secretary, and a Treasurer. The President shall appoint a qualified member to serve as Database Secretary. The Database Secretary shall be a full voting member of the Executive Board. The Immediate Past President shall serve as a full voting member of the Executive Board.
Section 2.	Eligibility for Election All members whose dues are paid are eligible for election as officers and members-at-large of the Executive Board. To the extent possible, the Executive Board shall be representative of the several constituencies of the University and the Nominating Committee shall seek this balance. In order to represent the association and serve as official delegates to meetings and activities of the state retired teachers’ organization, all candidates for membership on the Executive Board shall be members of the Alabama Education Retirees Association (AERA) and remain so during the time that they serve on the Executive Board.
Section 3.	Term of Office Officers shall be chosen by the membership and shall serve for a term of two (2) years except where an exceptional change is made to the Constitution, and may be reelected for one additional term. At-large members of the Executive Board shall be chosen by the membership and shall serve for a term of three (3) years and shall not be eligible to serve consecutive terms. One third (4) of these members shall be elected annually. The Database Secretary shall serve at the pleasure of the President. Except when a vacancy occurs while the Nominating Committee is engaged in nominating individuals for the coming year, the Executive Board shall fill any vacancy on the Board during the year. The replacement shall serve for the remainder of the term. Such a member may then be eligible for a full term if the individual has not served at least two (2) years. The Immediate Past President shall serve on the Executive Board for a year after completion of his or her service as president.
Section 4.	Elections All members of the Executive Board shall be chosen by vote of the members present at the annual meeting. Election shall be by plurality of votes cast. Voice votes are permissible for uncontested positions. Newly elected members of the Executive Board shall assume their duties at the conclusion of the annual meeting.
Section 5.	Nominations The Nominating Committee shall invite suggestions from the members and prepare a slate with at least one (1) candidate for each vacancy on the Board. The committee shall verify all candidates as members of AERA before placing their names on the ballot. The slate shall be completed and reported to the Executive Board in time for appropriate communication to the membership. Nominations will be accepted from the floor.
Section 6.	Each member whose dues are paid is entitled to vote.
Section 7.	Balloting A committee designated by the President shall count the ballots and report the results to the President.
Section 8.	Committees The Executive Board shall have the authority to establish such standing and ad hoc committees as it deems desirable, as indicated in the Bylaws.
ARTICLE V.	Amendments
Section 1.	Notice Written notice of proposed amendments to the Constitution must be sent to the membership one (1) month before the meeting at which time they are to be acted upon. Should the Executive Board decide to submit proposed amendments by mail ballot, a period of one (1) month must be allowed for the receipt of valid ballots. Amendments may be proposed by any member(s) of TUARA.
Section 2.	Vote Requirement The constitution may be amended by a majority vote of the members voting on the amendment.
ARTICLE VI.	Procedures Parliamentary procedures shall be according to Robert’s Rules of Order.

THE UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA RETIREES ASSOCIATION BYLAWS
Adopted November 2003
Revised December 2004, March 2007, August 2007, March 11, 2010, February 20, 2014, April 27, 2016
April 17, 2018, April 16, 2019 and March 2020

ARTICLE I.

Membership meetings

Section 1.

Annual Meeting
There shall be an Annual Meeting of the members of the University of Alabama Retirees Association (TUARA). The Annual Meeting shall be held at a time and place designated by the Executive Board. At this meeting the members of TUARA shall transact such business as may properly be presented for action by the members.

Section 2.

Other Meetings
Other meetings of the members may be called as the Executive Board directs.

Section 3.

Quorum
A quorum for actions of TUARA shall be the number of members attending.

ARTICLE II.

Composition of the Executive Board
The Executive Board responsible for governing the Association shall be composed of the six elected officers, twelve (12) elected members-at-large and the Database Secretary, appointed by the President. The Immediate Past President shall serve as a member of the Executive Board. The President will appoint four (4) members of the Executive Board to serve as the Nominating Committee.

ARTICLE III.

Responsibilities of Officers and Members-at-large of the Executive Board

Section 1.

The President shall serve as Chairperson of the Executive Board, preside at meetings of the general membership, act as spokesperson for the organization and prepare agendas and updated Calendars of TUARA events for board and general meetings.

The President Elect shall become familiar with the responsibilities of the Office of President as well as the overall operation of the Executive Board.

The Vice President for Programs shall act as Chairperson of the Program and Arrangements Committee, and shall, if necessary, assume the duties of the President.

The Vice President for Membership shall manage the recruitment of new members and the retention of present members, provide information about TUARA to new retirees and to others who request that information, and provide monthly membership reports to the Executive Board including the names of members of TUARA who have died.

The Recording Secretary shall record and provide copies as needed of the minutes of all board meetings and general meetings, provide assistance with correspondence as required by the President, and provide notice of the time, place and purpose of all meetings of the Executive Board and of the membership.

The Database Secretary shall maintain the membership database, provide reports as needed from that database and serve as the manager of Listserv.

Duties of the Treasurer are described in Article VI, Section 1 of the Bylaws.

All Members-at-large of the board are expected to serve periodically as chairs or members of committees. Ad Hoc members and committees are assigned duties by the Executive Board.

The immediate Past President shall serve on the Board to give continuity to the governance of the organization.

The President shall provide oversight of these duties.

Members of the Executive Board shall attend all meetings of the Board and all general membership meetings unless illness or out-of-town travel prevents their attendance. In these cases, notice must be given by board members to the Recording Secretary. After three absences in a 12-month period by a member, the President may ask for that member’s resignation.

Section 2.

The President may appoint with the consent of the Executive Board a person to assume the responsibilities of any officer or member-at-large in the case of that person’s temporary inability to perform his/her duties. This replacement may be a present member of the Board or another TUARA member.

Section 3.

In times of national or state emergency declarations, the Executive Board may make adjustments to procedures, including meetings and elections, in order to ensure continuity of operations.

ARTICLE IV.

Meetings of the Executive Board

Section 1.

Planning Meeting
The Executive Board shall hold a planning meeting within one (1) month after the Annual Meeting to plan the work of TUARA for the ensuing year, approve a projected budget, and to approve the Chairperson of the standing and other committees. The President shall designate the time and place of the meeting.

Section 2.

Regular Executive Board Meetings
The Executive Board shall meet monthly, unless otherwise determined. The Executive Board shall establish the time and place of such meetings.

Section 3.

Special Executive Board Meetings
Special meetings of the Executive Board may be held upon call of the President, or upon request of any three (3) members of the Executive Board.

Section 4.

Quorum
A majority of the members of the Executive Board shall constitute a quorum.

ARTICLE V.

Membership Dues and Databases

Section 1.

Amount
The amount of annual dues shall be based on the following categories of membership:

a. UA retiree		$25.00
b. UA Retiree & UA retired spouse		$25.00
c. UA Retiree and spouse		$25.00
d. Surviving spouse of UA retiree		$25.00
e. Prospective UA retiree		$25.00
f. Prospective UA retiree and spouse		$25.00

Section 2.

Dues Period and Time of Payment
Dues are payable between January 1 and March 1. Persons joining after March 1 shall pay the full amount.

Section 3.

Databases that contain information about the members of TUARA are the property of the organization and may be used by its members as directed by the Board. These databases or information from these databases shall not be shared with any person or entity outside The University of Alabama Retirees Association.

ARTICLE VI.

Funds and Liability

Section 1.

Funds
All funds shall be deposited to the account of The University of Alabama Retiree Association and shall be disbursed by the Treasurer or the President as authorized by the Executive Board. Furthermore, the Treasurer shall maintain the financial records of the association, and shall report the current financial status of the association at each meeting of the Executive Board and at the Annual Meeting.

Section 2.

Liability
No member of the organization shall be liable for its debts or claims against it except for unpaid dues. No personal liability shall in any event attach to any member of this organization in connection with any of its undertakings, but all its liabilities shall be limited to the common funds and assets.

ARTICLE VII.

Committees

Section 1.

Standing Committees
Permanent Standing Committees shall be designated as Constitution and Bylaws, Legislative, Membership, Programs and Arrangements, Publicity, and Volunteer Activities. Other standing committees shall include committees that the Executive Board determines to be essential or desirable to carry out the purposes of TUARA.

Section 2.

Ad Hoc Committees
The Executive Board may appoint Ad Hoc committees for the study of special needs and problems.

ARTICLE VIII.

Amendments
The Executive Board, by two-thirds vote, may amend the Bylaws at any regular or special meeting, providing that the proposed amendment has been circulated to the Executive Board at least one (1) week before the meeting at which the amendment is to be voted on. An exception is made for a change of dues. A proposal for a change in dues must be proposed to the general membership prior to an announced meeting.

View the TUARA Constitution and Bylaws in pdf.