Philadelphia Chapter

Milton Hershey School Alumni Association

Philadelphia, Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania

 

By-Laws

Ratified: August 12, 1999

Amended: January 9, 2003

Revised: March 10, 2005

 

Article I

Chapter Identity

 

Section 1:  Name.  The name of the organization shall be the Philadelphia Chapter of the Milton Hershey School Alumni Association (PCMHSAA).

Section 2:  Place of Business. The place of business of the Philadelphia Chapter can be held in Philadelphia, Bucks, Montgomery or Delaware Counties.

 

Article II

Membership

 

            Section 1:  Eligibility.  All current members of the parent organization, The Milton Hershey School Alumni Association (MHSAA).

            Section 2.  Membership.  Active members of the Philadelphia Chapter are those persons who shall have paid the prescribed annual dues to the Philadelphia Chapter for the current membership year. These persons are collectively referred to as the Philadelphia Chapter General Membership.

            Section 3.  Dues.  The Chapter Officers shall establish annual dues payable to the Philadelphia Chapter for the membership year.  Dues will be payable before or on the second chapter meeting which the individual attends or by February 15th of the year, whichever comes first.  Membership to the Philadelphia Chapter is a $10 non-refundable fee.  All rights and privileges of the Philadelphia Chapter shall be conferred upon active members who have paid the dues for the current year.

             Section 4. Voting.  You must be a current dues paying member living in the surrounding Philadelphia, Bucks, Montgomery or Delaware Counties.  New Jersey residents are also recognized as Chapter Members upon board approval.  All new members must be approved and ratified by the PCMHSAA Officers before being allowed to vote.

 

Article III

Officers

 

            Section 1:  Election of Officers.  The officers of the Philadelphia Chapter will be elected and qualified at least thirty (30) days prior to the Annual Business Meeting of the Milton Hershey School Alumni Association, and shall be collectively referred to as the Philadelphia Chapter Board.
            Section 2:  Titles.  The Philadelphia Chapter Board shall consist of a President, Vice-President, Communications Officer, Treasurer, Parliamentarian, and Chapter Representative.

            Section 3:  Term.  The Philadelphia Chapter Board shall be elected annually by the General Membership, except as provided otherwise in these By-Laws, for the term of one (1) year, or until a successor shall be elected and qualified, subject to the provisions of these By-Laws.

            Section 4:  Collective Philadelphia Chapter Board Responsibilities.  The Philadelphia Chapter Board members shall (a) be current dues paying members of the Philadelphia Chapter and MHSAA;  (b) miss individually, not more than twenty (20) percent of all Philadelphia Chapter Board meetings and Philadelphia Chapter meetings annually; and  (c) assign and send proxies to all meetings to which an absence can be determined in advance.

            Section 5:  Duties of the President. The President shall  (a) preside at all meeting of the Philadelphia Chapter, including but not limited to General Membership Meetings and Chapter Board Meetings;  (b) commission all Philadelphia Chapter committees, appoint all committee chairpersons and serve as an ex-officio member of all committees;  (c) at times as he/she deems proper, commend to the membership of the Philadelphia Chapter such matters and make suggestions as may tend to promote the prosperity and increase the efficacy of the Philadelphia Chapter; and  (d) represent the Philadelphia Chapter as a member of the Milton Hershey School Alumni Association Board,  will convey to the Association such actions as deemed necessary by the Philadelphia Chapter which will contribute to the good and prosperity of the Association and shall report on the Association Board meetings to the Philadelphia Chapter General Membership and Philadelphia Chapter Board.

            Section 6:  Duties of the Vice-President. The Vice-President shall  (a) fulfill the duties of the President in the event of the President’s absence; and  (b) perform other duties as may be incident to this office subject to the direction of the President.

            Section 7:  Duties of the Communications Officer.  The Communications Officer shall  (a) conduct all official correspondence, including but not limited to meeting notices, invitations and maintaining Philadelphia Chapter web presence;  (b) preserve all books, documents and communications; (c) will have frequent access to or be in possession of a computer and printer with internet/email capabilities; (d) maintain accurate record of the proceedings of the Philadelphia Chapter;  (e) perform other duties as may be incident to this office subject to the direction of the President, and;  (f) at the expiration of his/her term, deliver to the incoming Communications Officer, all books, papers and property of the Philadelphia Chapter.        

Section 8:  Duties of the Treasurer.  The Treasurer shall  (a) account for and administer all Philadelphia Chapter monies and deposits in the name of the Philadelphia Chapter, in a bank as directed and agreed on by the Philadelphia Chapter Board;  (b) keep accurate financial records and make reports to the Philadelphia Chapter Board and General Membership;  (c) sign all checks paying out Philadelphia Chapter funds;  (d) perform other duties as may be incident to this office subject to the direction of the President, and;  (e) at the expiration of his/her term, deliver to the incoming Treasurer, all books, papers and property of the Philadelphia Chapter.

            Section 9:  Parliamentarian.  The Parliamentarian shall  (a) offer an opening prayer at all Philadelphia Chapter meetings;  (b) ensure strict adherence to parliamentary procedure as outlined in Robert's Rules of Order Newly Revised (1997);  (c) call roll at all Philadelphia Chapter Board and General Membership Meetings and, (d) perform other duties as may be incident to this office subject to the direction of the President.

            Section 10:  Chapter Representative.   The Chapter Representative shall (a) attend all MHSAA Board meetings;  (b) provide a written report of the MHSAA Board meeting to the Communications Officer on or prior to the following Philadelphia Chapter meeting;  (c) Present either verbally or in writing to the General Membership a similar status as provided to the Communications Officer.

Section 11:  Vacancies.  The Philadelphia Chapter Board shall have the power to fill all vacancies on the Philadelphia Chapter Board, subject to the approval of the General Membership attending any regular or special meeting.

 

Article IV

Meetings

 

            Section 1:  Meetings of the Philadelphia Chapter.  Regular meetings of the Philadelphia Chapter are held monthly and shall be announced no later than the first of each month.

            Section 2: Philadelphia Chapter Board Meetings. Philadelphia Chapter Board Meetings shall be held, if necessary, between regular meetings and can be otherwise called by the President or a majority of the Philadelphia Chapter Board.

            Section 3:  Special Meetings.  Special meetings can be called by the President or upon written request to the Philadelphia Chapter Board by at least five (5) active members.

            Section 4:  Quorum.  A quorum for the transaction of business at any regular, Philadelphia Chapter Board or special meeting shall consist of not less than ten (10) active members.

            Section 5:  Order of Business. All regular and special meetings of the Philadelphia Chapter will follow Roberts Rules of Order, outlined as follows:

                   I.            Call to Order

                II.            Opening Prayer

             III.            Roll Call

              IV.            Reading and Approval of Minutes

                 V.            Announcements

              VI.            Reports of Officers, Boards, and Standing Committees

           VII.            Reports of Special Committees (if necessary)

        VIII.            Unfinished Business and General Orders

              IX.             New Business

                 X.            Program (if a program or a speaker is planned for the meeting)

 

(Excerpted from the National Association of Parliamentarians publication, The Chair's Guide: Order of Business)

 

 

Article V

Committees

 

Section 1:  Committees.  The committees of the Philadelphia Chapter shall be appointed by the President subject to a majority vote approval of the General Membership in attendance at a regular or special meeting.

Section 2:  Powers.  The President shall authorize and define the powers and duties of all committees and subject to approval of the Philadelphia Chapter Board and General Membership in attendance at a regular or special meeting.

 

Article VI

Chapter Responsibilities

 

Section 1:  Contact with MHSAA.  The Philadelphia Chapter shall maintain close contact with the MHSAA, the parent organization.

 

Article VII

Amendments

 

Section 1: By-Law Amendments.  These By-Laws may be amended by a two-thirds (2/3) vote of those present at any regular or special meeting of the Philadelphia Chapter, provided notice of the proposed change shall be mailed by the Communications Officer to each active member at least five (5) days prior to such a meeting.

Section 2: Term Amendments.   During the first year of the Philadelphia Chapter’s existence, the Board will serve for one year, beginning August 12, 1999 though July 12, 2000.  At the end of this one-year term the General Membership shall vote on all Board positions.  The newly elected Board’s term will then follow the guidelines to its terms as defined in Article III, Section 3.

 

 

 

MILTON HERSHEY SCHOOL ALUMNI ASSOCIATION

 

CHAPTER AND CLUB INFORMATION

 

 

Which structure suits your needs?

 

            An MHSAA CHAPTER is an “organized” group of alumni who have a set of by-laws, annual terms of office, (President, Vice President, Treasurer, etc.) and have an elected Chapter Representative that sits on the MHSAA Board of Directors.  Chapter members are also expected to pay annual dues to their Chapter as well as the Alumni Association.

 

            An MHSAA CLUB is a group of alumni who gather for social occasions.  Usually an alumnus or two from the group will be designated as a contact person.

 

            The Florida “Club” is an excellent example.  They meet once a year, usually during Homecoming, and have a weekend event.  The event includes being “hooked up” by telephone to the Saturday Evening Banquet at Founders Hall and the Memorial Grove Service on Sunday.  The Florida Club has also held banquets and invited both School and Association representatives to speak.

 

            Currently, several “Regional Receptions” have been planned to help alumni network with other alumni in their area and meet with School Administrators and Association Representatives.  Through these receptions, it is our hope to reunite alumni with each other and the current students at Milton Hershey and to generate the commitment needed to support the Alumni Association and its efforts.

 

            The Milton Hershey School Alumni Association is truly interested in providing whatever support you may need once you decide what type of organization you would like to initiate.  Please contact Mike Weller ’66 in the Alumni Office for any assistance you may need.

 

 

Adopted:  December 3, 1950

Approved Amendments:  October 12, 1952

Revised:  March 20, 1998

 

Section 1:  When Chapter May be Formed

 

Fifteen (15) active members of the Milton Hershey School Alumni Association may petition for authority to establish a local chapter.

 

Section 2:  Chapter Territory

 

The suggested boundaries of the chapter shall be proposed in the petition subject to the approval of the Board of Directors.  Special boundaries may be established by the Board of Directors to meet local conditions in regard to transportation, adjacent chapter, and similar matters.

 

Section 3:  Preliminary Steps

 

A lesser number of members may meet and form a temporary organization for the purpose of securing the necessary number of members for a permanent chapter.  The preliminary steps in the organization of a local chapter shall be conducted by a temporary chairperson, a temporary secretary, and an organization committee of a least five (5) members elected from among the petitioners.  This group shall draft the by-laws for the government of the chapter.

 

Section 4:  Petition Addressed to the Executive Director

 

Petitions for authority to establish a local chapter shall be addressed to the Executive Director of the Association.  The by-laws of the proposed chapter shall accompany the petition.  The Executive Director shall then submit the application and the by-laws to the Board of Directors for their review and final action.

 

Section 5:  Outline of Petition

 

(A copy of the Petition outline can be obtained by contacting the Alumni Office.)

 

Section 6:  Charter Issued by Executive Director

 

When the petition and by-laws have been approved by the Board of Directors, the Executive Director shall issue a charter to the local chapter bearing the signatures of the President and the Executive Director of the Association.

 

Section 7:  Permanent Officers

 

Immediately after the charter has been issued, the temporary officers shall call a meeting for the purpose of electing permanent officers for the chapter who shall serve for a term of one year, the date of term to be set by the chapter.

 

 

Section 8:  Duties of the Chapter Secretary

 

The chapter Secretary shall maintain a register of chapter members. He/she shall make reports of each chapter meeting to the Executive Director of the Association and report any changes of address of chapter members.  (A copy of an outline describing the report to the submitted can be obtained by contacting the Alumni Office.)

 

Section 9:  Duties of the Chapter Treasurer

 

The chapter Treasurer shall make an annual report of finances of the chapter to the Board of Directors on or before August 15 of each year.

 

Section 10:  Organization Expenses

 

The Association shall pay expenses for correspondence not to exceed fifty dollars ($50) in the organization of the chapter until a charter is issued by the Board of Directors.

 

Section 11:  Year

 

The chapter officers shall serve a term of one year; the date of this term shall be set by the local chapter.  Should a chapter officer be elected to an office of the Board of Directors, the said officer shall resign his chapter office.

 

Section 12:  Delegate to the Board of Directors

 

The chapter shall elect an active member to be a delegate to the Board of Directors.  The chapter shall also elect an alternate delegate who shall replace the delegate, if necessary, at the Board meeting.  This alternate shall have the privilege of voting.

 

Section 13:  Dues

 

The chapter shall collect dues as provided for in its by-laws.  Annual Association dues of chapter members shall be collected by the Chapter Treasurer and forwarded to the Association Treasurer periodically.

 

Section 14:  Charter Members

 

The petitioners and any other active Association members who sign the chapter charter within sixty (60) days after the date of issuance shall be considered charter members of the Chapter.

 

Section 15:  Cancellation of Charter

 

Charters may be revoked by the Board of Directors as set forth in Article VIII, Section 5 of the Association By-Laws.  If any chapter fails to hold a meeting during any period of ninety (90) days in any calendar year of the Association, the charter of the chapter may be cancelled at the discretion of the Board of Directors.

 

Section 16:  Amendments of Rules and Regulations

 

These rules and regulations may be amended by a majority vote of the Board of Directors.

 

 

 

BY – LAWS OF THE

MILTON HERSHEY SCHOOL

ALUMNI ASSOCIATION

 

ARTICLE I

 

Name - Place of Business

 

            The name of the organization shall be the Milton Hershey School Alumni Association.

            The place of business of the parent organization shall be in Hershey, Dauphin County, Pennsylvania.

 

ARTICLE II

Membership

 

            Section 1:        Classes. There shall be three classes of members in the Association: (a) Active;  (b) Honorary, and (c) Associate.

.

            Section 2:        Active Members. Active members of the Association are those persons who shall have paid the prescribed life membership or annual dues of the Association for the current membership year and who received a Milton Hershey School diploma or official Milton Hershey School certificate of attendance and achievement.  

 


            Each new graduating class is inducted into the Association on the same day as commencement from the Milton Hershey School.  Beginning with the Class of 1997, each succeeding MHS Class is extended automatic active membership for the immediately ensuing five-year period—accompanied by reservation of all rights and entitlement to full benefits.  This status is extended to each new graduate with a moratorium on the payment of annual dues during the five-year period.

 

            Section 3:        Honorary Members. Honorary members are individuals of the Milton Hershey School family who have performed some signal service for the Milton Hershey School or the Association, who qualify pursuant to the requirements stated herein, and who are elected as honorary members. Honorary members shall be exempt from paying dues and shall be entitled to all the privileges of the Association except as otherwise provided for in these By-Laws.  Honorary members have all voting privileges but may not hold elected Board positions.

 


(a)                                    Honorary Membership Eligibility. To be eligible for nomination as an honorary member an individual shall have been employed in service with the Milton Hershey School family a minimum of ten (10) years. Periods of absence for civil or military federal government service shall be included as time employed in the service of the Milton Hershey School. "Milton Hershey School family" is defined as the Board of Managers, the Administrative Staff, the Faculty, Houseparents, and Support Personnel of the Milton Hershey School.

 

(b)                    Any active or honorary member of this Association may recommend a candidate for Honorary Membership. To be acceptable, all proposals for honorary membership shall be presented to the Milton Hershey School Alumni Association not later than the first day of August in any given year, be in typewritten format, and be factually documented, stating reason(s) for consideration.  The Honorary Membership Committee shall acknowledge the receipt of the member's proposal and take action on the proposal by viewing the recommendation(s).

 

(i)        The proposal is the key to a review and further processing for    

                                consideration.

 


                                Acceptable proposals based on the facts presented shall be processed as  

   follows:

 

a.      Committee shall review all facts associated with the proposal, make any investigation it deems necessary, on a confidential basis.

 

       b.    Based on data submitted and its review thereof, the Committee shall  recommend either acceptance or rejection of the individual to the Board of Directors of the Association   at any regular or special meeting of the Board of Directors.

 

c.      The Board of Directors of the Association shall take final action on the proposal by vote thereon at a regular meeting of the Board of Directors after the Committee submits its recommendation.  A three-fourths (3/4) vote of the Board present and voting shall be determinative of acceptance or rejection.

 

d.   The Chairman of the Honorary Membership Committee shall advise the                          proposing members of the vote and action taken on his/her proposal regardless of outcome of the vote.

 

            Section 4:        Associate Members.   Associate members are individuals of the Milton Hershey School family, including spouses of alumni, former students, current employees and retirees of the school, and such other groups as the Board of Directors may establish from time to time.

 

            Associate members shall be entitled to receive quarterly editions of the Alumni News, free membership in Travel USA, savings on realty fees, savings on moving expenses, participation in alumni chapters, and participation in various alumni activities.  Associate members would not be entitled to participate in the Homecoming banquet, nor the Alumni-Senior dinner.  No associate member may vote or be a member of the Board of Directors, and membership dues for associate membership would be the same as current membership dues for  active members.

           

            Section 5:    Contest of Eligibility.  The right of eligibility for membership may be contested by an applicant, by any active member, or honorary member of the association.  Any cases of contested eligibility shall be decided by a majority vote of the Board of Directors, after the individual in question has been given the opportunity of a hearing before the Board.

 

ARTICLE III

Meetings of Membership

 

            Section 1:        Annual Meeting of the Association. An Annual Meeting of the Association shall be held in Hershey, Pennsylvania at a time and place to be selected by the Board of Directors. A notice setting forth the time and place of the meeting, and such other matters as the Board of Directors shall direct, shall be sent by first class mail to each active and honorary member of the Association, not less than fifteen (15) days prior to the date of said meeting, addressed to the last address of Association record.

 

            Section 2:        Special Meetings of the Members. Special meetings of the members may be called from time to time by the President of the Association, or by three-fourth (3/4) of the Board of Directors, or by petition of not less than five percent (5%) of the active members. All special meetings of the members shall be held in Hershey, Pennsylvania pursuant to notice of call and specific purpose therefor to be mailed by the Secretary and/or Executive Director of the Association at the last known address of Association record not less than fifteen (15) days prior to the date of said meeting.

 

            Section 3:        Quorum - Annual Meeting. A quorum for the transaction of business at any Annual Meeting of the Association shall consist of not less than thirty-five (35) active members present in person. Only active members shall participate in the meetings.

 

            Section 4:        Quorum - Special Meetings. A quorum for Special Meetings of the Association at large shall consist of not less than thirty-five (35) active members present in person.

 

            Section 5:        Order of Business - Annual Meeting. The order of business at the Annual Meeting shall be as follows:

 

                        A.        Prayer

 

                        B.       Approval of the Minutes of the previous Annual Meeting and any Special Meetings.

 

                        C.        Report of the President

 

                        D.        Report of the Vice President(s)

 

                        E.         Report of the Secretary

 

                        F.         Report of the Treasurer

 

                        G.        Report of the Executive Director

 

                        H.        Report of Foundation Board

 

                        I.          Report of the Chapters

 

                        J.         Report of the Committees

 

                        K.        Unfinished Business

 

                        L.         New Business

 

            Section 6:        Limitation of Discussion. Discussion of any topic at any meeting may be limited to any period so approved by a majority vote of the members present at the meeting.

 

            Section 7:        Procedure. The proceeding of the Association meetings shall be governed by and conducted according to the latest revised edition of Robert Rules of Order, when not in conflict with these By-Laws.

 

ARTICLE IV

Board of Directors

 

            Section 1:        Powers. The affairs of the Association, including but not limited to establishing By-Laws and policies of the Association, and the control of the Association's property, shall be vested in a Board of Directors consisting of not less than fifteen (15) members.

 

            Section 2:        Composition. Not less than one-half (½) of the members of the Board of Directors shall be elected by the active and Honorary members of the Association at large. Each Chapter of the Association shall have the right to elect one (1) member to the Board of Directors pursuant to an election held by the Chapter.

 

            Section 3:        Eligibility. Any active member of the Association shall be eligible to be a member of the Board of Directors, provided, however, that no member of the Association shall be eligible for re-election or appointment to the Board of Directors, except the Secretary, the Assistant Secretary and Counsel, a Chapter Representative, and the Treasurer, until after the lapse of one (1) year from his/her term as a Director unless he/she has served less than thirteen (13) months as a Director.

 

            Section 4:        Term. Each member of the Board of Directors shall serve for a period of three (3) years, or until his/her successor shall be elected and qualified, except as otherwise provided for by these By-Laws and provided further, that the President and past President shall be members of the Board of Directors without regard to the term for Directors provided in these By- Laws. The term of office of a member of the Board of Directors elected at the Annual Meeting shall commence on the first day of the fiscal year which next follows the Annual Meeting.

 

            Section 5:        Vacancies. The Board of Directors shall have the power to fill any vacancy thereon, or office, for the unexpired term of such vacancy; provided, however, that each Chapter shall have the power to fill any vacancy on the Board occurring from that Chapter.

 

            Section 6:        Nomination and Election of Directors. One third (1/3) of those members of the Board of Directors who are elected by the active membership at large of the Association shall be elected each year at the Annual Meeting of the Association (sometimes referred to as Homecoming) pursuant to the procedure provided for herein below:

(a)        Nomination of Candidates. The following procedure shall govern the nomination of individuals for the Board of Directors of this Association.

 

1.         A Nominating Committee shall be established consisting of the President of the Association, who shall serve as Chairperson, the Vice President(s), and the three (3) living immediate Past Presidents.

 

2.         The Nominating Committee shall be responsible for notifying all active members of the Association not later than May I of each year of the number of individuals to be elected to the Board of Directors and call for suggestions of names of individuals to be candidates.  Each active member shall have the right to nominate as many persons as shall be elected in the ensuing election.

 

3.         The Nominating Committee shall be responsible for contacting all suggested individuals to determine whether they are willing and able to serve if elected.

 

4.                    The Nominating Committee shall mail to all active members at least forty (40) days prior to the Annual Meeting of the Association, the names of all individuals who were suggested and who are eligible, willing and able to serve if elected.

 

                                  5.           The Nominating Committee shall be required to present a minimum                                                                     of twice the number of individuals as there are to be elected to the                                                                       Board of Directors.

 


6.         After receipt of the Nominating Committee's Report, any active member may nominate further individuals for the Board of Directors providing that (1) such nomination shall be in the hands of the         Chairperson of the Nominating Committee at least sixty (60) days prior to the Annual Meeting, and (2) such nominations must be accompanied    by a written statement from the nominees indicating their willingness to serve if elected.

 

                                    7.         The Nominating Committee shall be responsible to assure that printed ballots are prepared and turned over to the Secretary not later than forty (45) days prior to the Annual Meeting.  Association members may vote by mail as part of the Homecoming registration or may vote at Homecoming.

 

                        (b)        Election of Directors. The following procedure shall govern the election of                                        individuals to the Board of Directors of the Association.

                              

                                     1.   Only those active members whose dues are paid for the current                                                              membership year shall be eligible to vote.

 

 


     2.   Voting shall be by written ballot and on an approved ballot as provided by the Nominating Committee. All ballots must be delivered to the Elections Committee (ballot box) by one o'clock p.m. (1:00) on the Saturday of Homecoming weekend.

 


                                    3.   Members may vote by mail on a ballot provided in the Homecoming

                                        registration material or may vote at Homecoming.

                                         

 

4.     An Elections Committee consisting of a minimum of six (6) active members, none of whom shall be a candidate for office, shall be appointed by the President with the approval of the majority of the Board of Directors.  The President shall designate a member of the committee to be Chairperson thereof.

 

5.     The Nominating Committee shall present a ballot to each active member eligible to vote in a manner prescribed by the Board of Directors. 

 

6. The Executive Director and/or Secretary shall establish a list of all  eligible members who voted by mail to ensure individuals do not vote twice.

 

7.     The Elections Committee shall be responsible for tabulating the ballots and the Chairperson thereof shall report the final results of the voting at a time prescribed by the Board of Directors.

 

8.     Those individuals who receive the highest number of votes cast shall be declared elected. In the event of a tie vote, the Elections Committee shall determine the winner by lot.

 

 

            Section 7:        Meetings. Organizational, Regular, and Special Meetings.

 

(a)            Members of the Board of Directors whose terms of office commence after the then current fiscal year shall be entitled to attend the organizational meeting of the Board of Directors occurring between the Annual Meeting at which the new Directors were elected, and the commencement of their terms of office, which meeting shall be held not later than November 30 of that fiscal year. The Board of Directors shall elect officers of the Association at the organizational meeting, with only the new Board voting for the officers to be installed after the then current fiscal year.

 

(b)        Not less than four regular meetings of the Board of Directors shall be  held in any fiscal year. The Order of Business at any regular meeting  shall be determined by the President in coordination with and approval by the Executive Committee.

 

(c)         Meetings of the Board of Directors shall be conducted in accordance with these By-Laws.  Assertions of conduct contrary thereto shall be raised as a preliminary Order of Business at the meeting immediately following the regular meeting at which the asserted irregularity occurred.  Resolution of such issue shall be by two thirds (2/3) vote of the directors present and voting.                                                      

 

 (d)       Special Meetings of the Board of Directors' may be held pursuant to call of the President and reasonable notice thereof in writing stating the time, place, and purpose therefore; provided, however, that Special Meetings of the Board of Directors shall be held only on a Saturday or Sunday afternoon.

 

            Section 8:        Budgets/Fiscal Year. Prior to December 31st of each year, the Board of Directors shall prepare a proposed budget showing estimated receipts and expenditures for the following fiscal year. The Board shall adopt the budget for the following fiscal year at its organizational meeting. The fiscal year of the Corporation shall commence January 1st and end December 31st of each year.

 

            Section 9:        Partial Reimbursement of Travel Expenses. Members of the Board of Directors and/or committee members traveling at least twenty-five (25) miles to a Board or Committee Meeting shall be reimbursed from the Association Treasury for mileage expense as the Board may determine.

 

            Section 10:      The Board shall present annually awards to the outstanding scholar and to the outstanding athlete being graduated from Milton Hershey School. The opinion of the Milton Hershey School faculty shall be solicited to identify the awardees.

 

            Section 11:      Quorum. A majority of the Board of Directors shall constitute a quorum at any regular or special meeting. Any member may be present and vote by proxy given in writing to any other member of the Board of Directors. All proxies must be known before the voting is started.  A proxy vote shall not count towards a quorum and shall be attached to the minutes of the meeting.

 

ARTICLE V

Officers

 

            Section 1:        Election of Officers. The officers of the Association shall be elected annually by the Board of Directors, except as provided otherwise in these By-Laws, for the term of one year, or until their successors shall have been elected and qualified; subject however, to the provision of these By-Laws.

 

            Section 2:        Titles: The officers of the Association shall be a President, a Vice President/President Elect, one or more additional Vice Presidents as the Board may deem necessary, a Secretary, a Treasurer, and an Assistant Secretary and Counsel.  Once elected, all of said Officers shall automatically become members of the Board of Directors. All officers, and any Director Emeritus, shall have the right to vote at any regular or special meeting of the Board of Directors.  The officers shall have the duties as set forth herein, which they may delegate to the Executive Director, or other appropriate persons.

 

            Section 3:        Duties of the President. The President shall preside at all meetings of the Association and the Board of Directors and perform all duties incident to this office. He/she shall, subject to the approval of the Board of Directors, appoint all Committee Chairpersons and he/she shall be a member of all committees. He/she shall, at the Annual Meeting of the Association, and at such other time as he/she may deem proper, recommend to the membership or to the Board of Directors such matters and make such suggestions as may tend to promote the prosperity and increase the usefulness of the Association.

 

            Section 4:        Duties of the Vice President/President Elect and other Vice Presidents.   The Vice President/President Elect shall perform the duties of the President in the absence of the President. The Vice President/President Elect shall succeed to the office of President on the vacancy thereof to serve for any unexpired regular term.  The Vice President/President Elect shall then succeed to the presidency upon the expiration of the term of the previous president.   The Vice President/President Elect shall, in addition to the duties described above, become familiar with the duties of the President, and shall assist the President as requested by the President in the performance of the duties of the office of President. Any additional Vice Presidents shall perform duties as prescribed by the Board of Directors.

 

            Section 5:        Duties of the Secretary. It shall be the duty of the Secretary to conduct the official correspondence, preserve all books, documents and communications, maintain an accurate record of proceeding of the Association, the Board of Directors, and all Committees. He/she shall perform such other duties as may be incident to this office subject to the direction of the Board of Directors. At the expiration of his/her term of office, he/she shall deliver to the Board of Directors all books, papers and property of the Association. The Secretary shall keep a Minute Book, including, separately, Resolutions of the Board of Directors, and those made at the meeting of the membership at large, in the order adopted.

 

            Section 6:        Duties of the Treasurer. It shall be the duty of the Treasurer to take care of all Association monies and deposit same in the name of the Association in any bank, or Savings and Loan Association which is insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, or by the purchase of Certificates of Deposit from such banks, or Savings and Loan Associations, or by purchase of United States Treasury Bills. Additionally, the Treasurer is authorized to invest funds determined by him in excess of the Association's immediate needs, in any financial organization approved by majority vote of the Board of Directors. Withdrawals from such funds shall be by the Treasurer after consulting with the President. Such withdrawal of funds shall be transferred to the Association's checking account, or shall be invested again in accordance with the foregoing.  The Treasurer shall report such withdrawals/transfers/reinvestment to the Board of Directors at the regular meeting of the Board of Directors next succeeding such withdrawals/transfers/reinvestment. The Treasurer shall keep accurate financial records, shall prepare tax returns as required by law, make proper reports to the Board of Directors, and annually to the Association at large; and shall sign all checks paying out Association monies.   He/she shall perform such other duties as may be incident to his/her office, subject to the direction of the Finance Committee, ratified by the Board of Directors.   The Treasurer shall be bonded in an amount to be determined by the Board of Directors. At the expiration of his/her term of office he/she shall deliver to the Board of Directors all books, papers and property of the Association, including but not limited to computer related disks and records.

 

            Section 7:        Removal of Officer or Member of the Board of Directors. Any officer or member of the Board of Directors may be removed from office by the Board of Directors pursuant to vote therefor by two-thirds of those Board of Directors present and voting at any regular meeting, for reason, of failure of such officer or member of the Board of Directors to attend two consecutive meetings of the Board of Directors; provided, however, that written notice of intent to consider, and vote thereon shall first be mailed to each member of the Board of Directors and to the officer or member of the Board of Directors whose removal is to be considered.

 

 

ARTICLE VI

Committees

 

            Section 1:        The Committees of the Association shall be either Standing Committees or Special      Committees.

 

                        Standing Committees shall be:

 

                                    Executive Committee

                                    Finance Committee

                                    Membership Committee

                                    Homecoming Committee

                                    Alumni Senior Dinner Committee

                                    Nominating Committee

                                    By-Laws Committee

                                    Honorary Membership Committee

                                    Alumni Service Award Committee

                                    Class Agent Committee

                                    Memorial Grove Committee

                                    Personnel Committee

                                    Student Awards Committee

                                    Ways & Means Committee

                                    Helping Hand Committee

                                    Deed of Trust Committee

 

                        Special Committees shall be:

 

                                    Elections Committee

           

            The Board may create other Standing or Special Committee from time to time, as it may require.

 

            Section 2:        The Board of Directors shall authorize and define the powers and duties of all Committees.

 

            Section 3:        The Executive Committee shall meet pursuant to call of the President, and, in any event prior to each regular meeting of the Board of Directors. It shall be composed of the Officers of the Board, and the Immediate Past President, who shall be the Chairperson of the Committee. The President in coordination with the approval by the Executive Committee shall determine the Order of Business for each ensuing regular meeting of the Board of Directors.

 

            Section 4:        In the interim between meetings of the Board, the Executive Committee shall have charge of the routine business of the Association.

 

            Section 5:        The Executive Committee may refer matters brought before it to a proper committee which it may designate or to the Board.

 

 

ARTICLE VII

Executive Director

 

            Section 1:        An Executive Director may be appointed at the discretion of the Board.

 

            Section 2:        Powers and Duties of the Executive Director.  The Executive Director shall:

 

(a)                  implement the mission as set out in the MHSAA’s corporate charter, the By-Laws thereunder, its tax exemption authorization, and the policies and directives of its Board of Directors;

 

(b)                 be responsible for the daily operation of the Association’s principal offices, for ordinary communication with officials of the Milton Hershey School (MHS) with the approval and/or at the direction of the President, communications with individual alumni, for recordation and organization of the Association’s archives, and performance of all things necessary for the orderly conduct of the office;

 

(c)                  plan and implement a comprehensive alumni relations program, including, without limitation, fund raising, and integration of alumni participation into MHS events and activities;

 

(d)                 implement initiatives developed through Board of Director action, take a lead role in long-range planning and program development, and perform special duties as assigned by the President of the Association;

 

(e)                  work with the Association Treasurer for functions as delegated by the Treasurer, for development of revenue and expense estimates for the purpose of forming annual revenue and expense budgets for review and approval by the President, MHSAA, and for submission to the Board of Directors;

 

(f)                   after budgetary approval is received, be responsible for management of income deposits and disbursement of expenditures within acceptable variances from the approved budgets;

 

(g)        assist the Treasurer of the Association in compilation of data and information for use in filing annual federal and state tax returns; and be responsible for presenting the annual budgets of the Association to the Board of Directors of the Milton and Catherine Hershey Heritage Foundation.

                       

            Section 3:        Removal. The Executive Director may be removed for cause by the Board of Directors whenever, in its judgment, the best interest of the Association would be served.   A vote of two-thirds (2/3) of the entire Board of Directors shall be required for removal.  No proxies shall be permitted for this vote, although Directors may participate by telephone.

 

ARTICLE VIII

Milton and Catherine Hershey Heritage Foundation

 

            Section 1:        Effective with approval of its application for exemption status as a 501 (c) (3) organization on June 20, 1998, the Milton and Catherine Hershey Heritage Foundation is established by the Association. To this end, the Foundation shall manage assets transferred to it by the Association and raise funds for educational and charitable purposes in support of programs of the Association.

 

            Section 2:        The Foundation shall hold, invest and reinvest the assets received from the Association in accordance with terms and conditions set by the Association. Transferred funds may be withdrawn at the discretion of the Association.

 

            Section 3:        The current President, Vice President/President Elect and the immediate Past President of the Association shall sit as voting members of the Board of Directors of the Foundation.

 

            Section 4:        The Foundation shall be governed by applicable statutes and its By-Laws, initially approved by the Executive Committee of the Board of Directors of the Association on March 19, 1998.

 

ARTICLE IX

Dues

 

            Section 1:        Annual Dues. Annual dues payable to the Association shall be established by the Board of Directors for the membership year which shall begin on January 1 and end on  December 31 of the same year. All rights and privileges of the Association shall be conferred upon active members who have paid dues for such current Association year.

 

            Section 2:        Association members shall remit their dues to the Association Treasurer.

           

            Section 3:        Life Membership in the Association may be obtained by any person otherwise eligible to be a member of this Association upon the payment or agreement to pay in installments as provided for below from seven (7) to twenty-five (25) times the annual dues in effect at the time said individual requests Life Membership status. The Life Membership Multiple to be used shall be in accord with the following table:

 

 

 

                                    Age Group                                          Life Membership Multiple

                                    18 to 30                                                                       25

                                    31 to 35                                                                       22

                                    36 to 40                                                                       19

                                    41 to 45                                                                       17

                                    46 to 50                                                                       14

                                    51 to 55                                                                       12

                                    56 to 60                                                                       10

                                    61 to 65                                                                       8

                                    66 & older                                                                  7

 

            Installment payments may be made at a minimum rate of seventy ($70.00) dollars per year.

 

ARTICLE X

Chapters

 

            Section 1:        Approval of Association to Organize Chapter. No chapter shall be organized without the prior approval of the Board of Directors, who shall set forth the procedures for organizing same and identify the territory thereof. The designation of such Chapter and identification of territory shall not mandate membership of any Association member in such Chapter.

 

            Section 2:        General. The organization of Chapters to further the purpose of the Association shall be encouraged whenever sufficient number of Alumni are available to support such Chapters.

           

            Section 3:        Qualifications for Petition to Organize. A Chapter may be organized in any territory in which fifty percent (50%) of the Alumni, or fifteen (15) members, whichever is the least, are active members of the Association.

 

Section 4:       Issuance of Charter. When a petition for a Chapter has been approved by the Board of Directors, the Secretary shall issue a Charter to the local Chapter bearing the Seal of the Association and the signature of the President and the Secretary of the Association.

 

Section 5:       Revocation of Charter. The Charter of any Chapter may be revoked by the Board of Directors of the Association provided that the Officers of the Chapter shall be given notice of such proposed action thirty (30) days in advance of the meeting of the Board, at which time it shall be considered and may be represented before the Board when the question of revocation is discussed. If no meeting of the Chapter is held during any period of ninety (90) days in any fiscal year, the Board may at its discretion, cancel the Charter of the Chapter.

 

Section 6:       Each Chapter shall maintain close contact with the parent organization.

 

Section 7:       Only current dues paying members of the Association shall be eligible for Chapter membership upon payment of Chapter dues, but no member of the Association shall be compelled to be a member of the Chapter.

 

Section 8:       Annual Association dues of a Chapter member may be collected by the Chapter Treasurer and forwarded to the Association Treasurer periodically.

 

Section 9:       Each Chapter shall elect a President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, and one member of the Board of Directors of the Association and such other Officers as it may require and shall function in accordance with any regulations set forth by the Board of Directors.

 

Section 10:     In the year in which a Chapter is to elect a member to the Board of Directors, such election shall take place at least (30) days prior to the Annual Meeting of the Association.

 

ARTICLE XI

Amendments

 

Section 1:       These By-Laws may be amended by a two-third (2/3) vote of those present at any regular or special meeting of the Association provided notice of the proposed change shall have been mailed by the Secretary and/or Executive Director to each member five (5) days prior to such meeting, or by a two-third (2/3) vote of the entire Board of Directors at any regular or special meeting of the Board, provided written notice of the proposed change shall have been mailed to each member of the Board five (5) days prior to such meeting. No proxies shall be permitted for this vote, although Directors may participate by telephone.

 

Section 2:       The decision of the Board of Directors, on any question may be reversed by a two-third (2/3) vote of the members of the Association present and voting at any subsequent meeting.

 

 

                                                            Jerry Gaughan

                                                            Secretary

                                                            September 12, 1999

 

 

John F. Mardula

Chairman, By-Laws Committee

September 12, 1999