ASURA bylaws

ARTICLE I. Name

The name of this organization shall be The Arizona State University Retirees Association, also referred to as ASURA or Association herein.

ARTICLE II. Purposes

1. A. To work on behalf of retired Arizona State University personnel to ensure that they receive maximum retirement benefits and to communicate membership concerns to representatives of the University, legislators, state government agencies and other groups affecting the welfare of retired persons;
    
2. B. To work for the improvement of the retirement program of Arizona State University and to ensure that Association members are made fully aware of the nature and extent of their retirement benefits;
    
3. C. To contribute to the general public understanding about the issues of concern to retired persons;
    
4. D. To assist ASU retired persons so that they can continue their association with the University and continue to receive University benefits including, but not limited to, course registration and entertainment event discounts, volunteering for University programs, and continuing in their professional and educational activities;
    
5. E. To facilitate continuing contributions by members to the furtherance of the objectives of Arizona State University;
    
6. F. To sponsor educational, charitable, service, historical and other programs relating to interests of ASURA retired members.

ARTICLE III. Membership

1. A. Eligibility

   Persons eligible for membership are:

   • Retired employees of Arizona State University;
   • Retired persons who were former employees of ASU;
   • Those who are approaching retirement from ASU;
   • Retirees from other universities;
   • Surviving partners of former ASU employees;
   • Other individuals with approval by a majority vote of the Board of Directors;

   The Board of Directors may also appoint individuals to "Honorary Member" status in order to include them in events and communications. Honorary Members do not need to pay the annual membership donation and do not vote. The Executive Committee will annually review and update the list of Honorary Members.

2. B. Annual Membership Donation

   Members, except for Honorary Members, shall pay an annual membership donation in an amount set by the Board. The membership donation shall be for a fiscal year beginning July 1. Payment covers participation of a member's partner in all ASURA activities except voting.

3. C. Vote Entitlement

   Payment of the annual membership donation entitles the member to one vote.

4. D. Association Meetings

   Association meetings are meetings open to all ASURA members.

   1. Meetings of the Association

      Association meetings may be initiated by the President, Executive Committee or the Board, or upon written request of ten (10) members, submitted to the President.

   2. Quorum

      The voting members present at an Association meeting shall constitute a quorum.

ARTICLE IV. Board of Directors

1. A. Purpose

   The Board of Directors shall manage the affairs of the Association and shall establish policies as needed to carry out the purposes of the Association.

2. B. Composition

   The Board of Directors shall consist of fifteen (15) elected voting members. In the case where the regular Board term of the current President, Vice President, or Immediate Past President has expired, they will sit as an additional member of the Board. To facilitate communication between ASURA and ASU organizations (as determined by the Board), representatives from those organizations will serve on the Board as ex-officio members in a non-voting, advisory capacity. Ex-officio members have automatic Honorary Member status in the ASURA for the duration of their service.

3. C. Eligibility for Board Membership

   All current voting members are eligible for membership on the Board.

4. D. Term of Office

   Members of the Board shall be elected for a term of three (3) years. Board members shall not be eligible to serve consecutive terms whether elected, appointed, or serving by virtue of office. One third of the members shall be elected annually. Any mid-term vacancy on the Board shall be filled by nomination by the President and approval by the Board.

5. E. Elections

   The members of the Board shall be elected by ballot. Election shall be by a plurality of votes cast by members of the Association.

   1. The Immediate Past President shall inform the membership of ASURA’s nominating procedure and invite suggestions from the membership. The Immediate Past President shall also appoint a Nominating Committee from among the Association membership.
       
   2. The Nominating Committee shall prepare a slate of names for the ballot. To the extent possible, the nominees shall be representative of the constituencies of the Association. The slate shall include the names of members agreed upon by the committee and names of members nominated through petitions received by the Chair of the Nominating Committee. Such nominating petitions must bear the signatures of at least ten ASURA members.
       
   3. Before the April Board meeting the Executive Committee shall count the ballots. The President shall announce the results to the Board and to the membership shortly thereafter.
       
   4. Newly elected members of the Board shall assume their duties effective July 1.

6. F. Board Meetings

   1. Regular Meetings

      The Board shall meet monthly from September through May, unless otherwise agreed to. The time and place of such meetings shall be established by the Board.

   2. Special Meetings 

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

   3. Notice of Meetings 

      The Secretary shall provide the agenda for upcoming Board meetings, along with meeting date, time and place to each Board member and committee chair at least three days prior to the meeting date.

   4. Quorum 

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

ARTICLE V. Executive Officers

1. A. Composition

   The Exeuctive Officers of the Association shall be President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, and Immediate Past President.

2. B. Election

   The incoming President in consultation with the Executive Committee shall propose a slate of Exeuctive Officers. The Board shall elect the Executive Officers from among its members at its May meeting.

3. C. Term

   The term of office shall be one year beginning July 1. The President, Vice President and Immediate Past President may not serve consecutive terms in these positions. Exception: In the event of the President's resignation, permanent disability or death, the Vice President shall succeed to the Presidency for the remainder of the term and will then serve the subsequent full term as well. 

   Any mid-term vacancy on the Executive Committee other than the President shall be filled from among the current Board membership through nomination by the President and approval by the Board.

   All Executive Officers serve at the pleasure of the Board.

4. D. Duties

   1. 1. Executive Committee

      The Executive Officers shall form the Executive Committee. Under the President's leadership, the Executive Committee shall plan meetings of the Board and meetings of the Association and shall administer the various functions of the Association consistent with the Board's policies. Annually, between May and September, the Executive Committee shall identify chairs of the Committees for the year.

   2. 2. President

      The President shall:

      1. Serve as the chief elected official of the Association.
          
      2. Preside at all Executive Committee and Board of Directors meetings and at meetings of the Association.
          
      3. Be responsible for community and University relations.
          
      4. Ensure that an Annual Report is produced by the end of the fiscal year.

   3. 3. Vice President

      The Vice President is President-Elect and will succeed to the Presidency automatically. In the case of temporary absence or disability of the President, the Vice President shall perform all the duties of the President and when so acting shall have all the powers of and be subect to all restrictions upon the President.

   4. 4. Secretary

      The secretary shall:

      1. Prepare or cause to be prepared minutes of all Board meetings and all Association meetings.
          
      2. Submit such minutes to the Board for approval at its next meetings.
          
      3. Keep or cause to be kept at the principal office of the Association, or such other place as the Board of Directors may order, all records, including, but not limited to, the Bylaws and a Book of Minutes of all meetings of the Board of Directors and of the Association, with the time and place of holding, the notice thereof given, the names of those present at Board of Directors meetings, the number of votes represented at meetings of the Association and the proceedings thereof.
          
      4. Give, or cause to be given, notice of all Board meetings to the Board of Directors and notice of all Association meetings to the members.

   5. 5. Treasurer

      The Treasurer shall:

      1. Present a proposed fiscal year budget to the Board at is September meeting for review and approval.
          
      2. Present accurate and complete statements of current financial status as directed by the Board.
          
      3. Review and approve Association financial transactions, including both deposits and expenditures, to assure that these transactions are consistent with the budget and with the policies of the financial institutions used by the Association.
          
      4. Have signature authority on all ASURA financial accounts, assure that other officers of the Association have signature authority as needed and review signature authorities at least annually.
          
      5. Provide, on request of any Board member, access to the official account records.

   6. 6. Immediate Past President

      The Immediate Past President shall serve as a voting member of the Board and Executive Committee and shall serve as Chair of the Board Nominating Committee.
       

ARTICLE VI. Committees

Committee chairs are identified by the Executive Committee. Committee chairs shall appoint members to their committees with the assistance of the Executive Committee as needed, shall oversee committee meetings and activities and shall report regularly to the Board on their activities.

1. A. Government and Health Insurance

   The Government and Health Insurance committees shall act as agents of the Board to provide liaison and advocacy in relation to the Arizona State Legislature, the Arizona State Retirement System (ASRS) and such other agencies as the Board may designate. The Health Insurance committees shall monitor existing health insurance programs for University retirees, propose improvements in insurance programs and suggest actions that should be taken by the Association to provide the best possible health insurance coverage for its members. The committees shall also help make the members aware of their health insurance options.

   The committees shall be responsible for planning and directing any ASURA membership efforts to exert influence on designated agencies. They shall consult with the Board in the planning of their activities, and base their advocacy activities on prior approval by the Board. The committees shall include a person assigned to oversight of the Legislature, and a person assigned to oversight of the ASRS.

2. B. Community Outreach

   The Community Outreach committees shall identify and promote opportunities for members to donate or volunteer resources to better our community and to oversee any outreach programs designated by the Board.

3. C. Events

   The Events committees shall plan and provide for educational programs and for activities such as luncheons, tours and travel, and other interests as indicated by the members.

4. D. Finance

   The Finance committees shall make recommendations regarding current and future financial matters related to the business of the Association. They shall also annually review expenditures of the Association for reasonableness and consistency with the budget. Results of the annual review shall be presented to the Board within seven months after the close of the fiscal year.

5. E. Membership and Communications

   The Membership and Communications committees shall stimulate and develop Association membership. The committees shall promote and facilitate communication with the membership using such methods as direct mailings, newsletters, email, and the Association website.

6. F. Operations

   The Operations committees shall carry out the day-to-day operations of the Association, including office staffing and coordination, membership database management and maintenance, mailings and handling of financial transactions.

7. G. Other

   The Board may determine other areas of responsibility to be carried out by committees.

Article VII. Officers of the Organization

The Executive Officers and committee chairs are considered officers of the organization. The ASURA website shall list all current committee chairs.

ARTICLE VIII. Association Fiscal Year

The fiscal year of the Association shall close on June 30 of each year.

ARTICLE IX. Amendments

The Bylaws may be amended by a two-thirds majority of the ballots returned in a poll of the members. The Board shall approve proposed amendments to the Bylaws before they are submitted to the ASURA membership for a vote.

ARTICLE X. Rules

1. A. Parliamentary Rules

   The current edition of Robert’s Rules of Order, Newly Revised governs this organization in all parliamentary situations not provided for in the bylaws or rules of the Association, or of the University or relevant State or Federal law.

2. B. Regulating Rules

   Such Rules as may be deemed appropriate and consistent with these bylaws may be adopted for the purpose of regulating the business procedures and other ongoing activities of the association. Regulating rules may