Merl Grove Past Student Association USA

North Eastern American Chapter

MGHS PSA NEAC
PO Box 3697
Gaithersburg, MD 20885-3697
alumni@merlgrovepsaneac.org

By-Laws

By-Laws
Merl Grove High School PSA
North Eastern American Chapter

Foreword

The By-Laws of the MGHS-PSA NEAC Alumni Chapter are based upon and are subordinate to the Constitution and Laws of the National Alumni society.

ARTICLE I
Purpose
Section 1. The purpose of this organization shall be:
1. To promote social unity and friendship among its members.
2. To assist the Board of Directors of MGHS Inc., in the      pursuit of its goals towards furthering the welfare of the School
3.   To assist MGHS chapters in all areas.
4. To maintain a directory of and communicate with all members within its jurisdiction.
5. To continually strive to upgrade and uplift our alma mater and all who enter her gates
6. To provide assistance where and when needed
ARTICLE II
Membership
Section 1. Any alumnus member in good
standing of the MGHS PSA residing in the
following described geographic area shall
be eligible for membership in this Chapter.
The geographical area of this Chapter shall
be bounded

On the North by, _New York, Vermont,
Maine and Michigan

On the East by, _ Maryland, Rhode Island,
Connecticut, New Jersey, Delaware,
Pennsylvania and Virginia
On the South by, __The state of _Florida
on the West by, ___Texas
Section 2. Any alumnus member in good
standing of the MGHS PSA Alumni not residing
within the area as above stated, and who is
not a member of another alumni chapter,
shall be eligible for membership in this chapter.
Section 3. Any alumnus faculty or staff member
in good standing of the MGHS PSA Alumni residing in or outside of the above stated areas, who is not a member of another alumni chapter, shall be eligible for Associate membership in this chapter.
Section 4. Honorary members are chosen or
appointed by the MGHS-PSA-NEAC Board for
their service and commitment to the alma mater.
ARTICLE III
Dues
Section 1. The dues shall be set by
the Board of Directors and shall be payable
in advance by July 31, of each year.
Section 2. No member shall be allowed to vote
in meetings of the Alumni Chapter or to
hold office if her dues have not been paid in full.
ARTICLE IV
Meetings

Section 1. A regular meeting of this chapter shall be held in the evening of
-   the third Saturday in June, and in the evening of
-   the third Saturday in November,
at a place and time to be designated by
the Board of Directors.
Section 2. Fellowship Day, the anniversary
of the birth of this chapter shall be observed
in the June meeting
Section 3. The anniversary of the
MGHS Founding shall be observed at the
November meeting.
Section 4. Other meetings and social events
may be held from time to time as determined
by the Board of Directors
ARTICLE V
Officers and their Duties
Section 1. The officers of this Chapter
shall be elected by a majority vote of the
Board of Directors. The officers shall be:
President
b) Vice President of Membership
c) Vice President of Programs
d) Secretary
e) Treasurer
f) Public Relations
g) Editor
Section 2. All officers shall hold office
for two year, or until their successor has been duly
elected and qualified.
Section 3. The duties of the President shall be:
a) To preside at all meetings of the Chapter
and the Board of Directors, and to perform
such duties as custom and Parliamentary
usage require.
b) To act as Ex-officio member of all
standing and special committees.
c) To make, or cause to be made,
a report to the national headquarters
of the Alumni as to the condition and
activities of the Chapter whenever
called upon to so do.
d) To make an annual report of all official acts
of the Chapter and the Board of Directors.
Section 4. The duties of the Vice President
of the Membership shall be:
a) To promote membership recruitment
and retention and to preside over all meetings
of the Membership Promotion Committee.
Section 5. The duties of the Vice-President
of Programs shall be:
a) To assist the President in the performance
of the duties as above states and to officiate
for her with full powers during her absence.
b) To serve as chairman of the Program
Committee and to preside over all meetings
of the committee.
Section 6. The duties of the Secretary shall be:
a) To keep a true record of, and be responsible
for the proceedings of the Chapter and the
Executive Committee.
b) To be responsible for the papers and records
of the Chapter.
c) To carry on all Chapter correspondence.
Section 7. The duties of the Treasurer shall be:
a) To keep an accurate list of all members of
the Chapter.
b) To be responsible for the books and
financial records of the Chapter.
c) To draw warrants on the funds of the Chapter.
d) To notify each member of his financial
obligations to the Chapter.
e) To make an annual financial report to the
Chapter, and to report the financial condition of the Chapter to the President whenever called upon to so do.
Section 8. The duties of the Editor shall be:
a) To arrange for, and be responsible for,
the publication of a Chapter newsletter to
be printed at such times as approved by
the Board of Directors
b) To make a report of the activities of the
Chapter and its members for each issue of
The Saga MGHS PSA NEAC
c) To arrange for publicity for activities and
events of the Chapter.

By-Laws

Merl Grove High School PSA

North Eastern American Chapter

Foreword

The By-Laws of the __MGHS-PSA NEAC Alumni Chapter are based upon and are subordinate to the Constitution and Laws of the National Alumni society.

ARTICLE I
Purpose

Section 1. The purpose of this organization shall be:

1. To promote social unity and friendship among its members.
2. To assist the Board of Directors of MGHS Inc., in the pursuit of its goals towards furthering the welfare of the School

3. To assist MGHS chapters in all areas.
4. To maintain a directory of and communicate with all members within its jurisdiction.

5. To continually strive to upgrade and uplift our alma mater and all who enter her gates

6. To provide assistance where and when needed

ARTICLE II
Membership

Section 1. Any alumnus member in good standing of the MGHS PSA residing in the following described geographic area shall be eligible for membership in this Chapter.
The geographical area of this Chapter shall be bounded

On the North by, _New York, Vermont, Maine and Michigan

On the East by, _ Maryland, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New Jersey, Delaware, Pennsylvania and Virginia

On the South by, __The state of _Florida
on the West by, ___Texas

Section 2. Any alumnus member in good standing of the MGHS PSA Alumni not residing within the area as above stated, and who is not a member of another alumni chapter, shall be eligible for membership in this chapter.

ARTICLE III
Dues

Section 1. The dues shall be set by the Board of Directors and shall be payable in advance by July 31, of each year.

Section 2. No member shall be allowed to vote in meetings of the Alumni Chapter or to hold office if her dues have not been paid in full.

ARTICLE IV
Meetings

Section 1. A regular meeting of this chapter shall be held in the evening of
o the third Saturday in June, and in the evening of
o the third Saturday in November,
at a place and time to be designated by the Board of Directors.

Section 2. Fellowship Day, the anniversary of the birth of this chapter shall be observed in the June meeting

Section 3. The anniversary of the MGHS Founding shall be observed at the November meeting.

Section 4. Other meetings and social events may be held from time to time as determined by the Board of Directors

ARTICLE V
Officers and their Duties

Section 1. The officers of this Chapter shall be elected by a majority vote of the Board of Directors. The officers shall be:

President
b) Vice President of Membership
c) Vice President of Programs
d) Secretary
e) Treasurer
f) Public Relations
g) Editor

Section 2. All officers shall hold office for two year, or until their successor has been duly elected and qualified.

Section 3. The duties of the President shall be:

a) To preside at all meetings of the Chapter and the Board of Directors, and to perform such duties as custom and Parliamentary usage require.
b) To act as Ex-officio member of all standing and special committees.
c) To make, or cause to be made, a report to the national headquarters of the Alumni as to the condition and activities of the Chapter whenever called upon to so do.
d) To make an annual report of all official acts of the Chapter and the Board of Directors.

Section 4. The duties of the Vice President of the Membership shall be:

a) To promote membership recruitment and retention and to preside over all meetings of the Membership Promotion Committee.

Section 5. The duties of the Vice-President of Programs shall be:

a) To assist the President in the performance of the duties as above states and to officiate for her with full powers during her absence.
b) To serve as chairman of the Program Committee and to preside over all meetings of the committee.

Section 6. The duties of the Secretary shall be:

a) To keep a true record of, and be responsible for the proceedings of the Chapter and the Executive Committee.
b) To be responsible for the papers and records of the Chapter.
c) To carry on all Chapter correspondence.

Section 7. The duties of the Treasurer shall be:

a) To keep an accurate list of all members of the Chapter.
b) To be responsible for the books and financial records of the Chapter.
c) To draw warrants on the funds of the Chapter.
d) To notify each member of his financial obligations to the Chapter.
e) To make an annual financial report to the Chapter, and to report the financial condition of the Chapter to the President whenever called upon to so do.

Section 8. The duties of the Editor shall be:

a) To arrange for, and be responsible for, the publication of a Chapter newsletter to be printed at such times as approved by the Board of Directors
b) To make a report of the activities of the Chapter and its members for each issue of The Saga MGHS PSA NEAC

c) To arrange for publicity for activities and events of the Chapter.

ARTICLE VI
Board of Directors

Section 1. The Board of Directors shall be the legislative body of the Chapter and shall conduct all business, except as otherwise provided in the By-Laws.

Section 2. The Board of Directors shall be composed of delegates from card carrying members

In addition. The President, Vice President of Membership, Vice President of Programs, Secretary, Treasurer, and the Editor shall also be members of the Board of Directors.

Section 3. The Board of Directors shall hold regular meetings as follows: the second weeks in January, May, and September, at a place and time designated by the President.

Section 4. A minimum of five members of the Board of Directors shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business.

ARTICLE VII
Committees

Section 1. The Membership Promotion Committee shall be a standing committee, whose members shall be appointed by the Vice President of Membership to serve for a period of one year, with the following duties:

a) To encourage all eligible alumni members of MGHS within the Chapter's jurisdiction to become members of the Chapter.
b) To be responsible for the introduction of new members at meetings and other Chapter activities.

Section 2. The Program Committee shall be a standing committee, whose members shall be appointed by the Vice President of Programs to serve for a period of one year, with the following duties:

a) To arrange for and be responsible for the programs for each meeting of the Chapter.
b) To arrange for and be responsible for the special event programs of the Chapter.

Section 3. The following committees, and others may also be appointed by the President:

a) Collegiate Chapter Support and Activities Committee, to assist:
the Regional Vice President and other officers of MGHS PSA NEAC with service to the chapters, and
the collegiate and alumni officers of area chapters when such service is both requested and appropriate.
b) Collegiate Chapter Extension, to
promote the establishment of new chapters.
c) Alumni Chapter Extension, to
promote the establishment of new alumni chapters
c) Awards, to
recognize outstanding and exemplary service and leadership to the Alumni Chapter.

ARTICLE VIII
Election of Officers

Section 1. The Board of Directors at the January meeting of the Board shall elect the officers of the Chapter.

Section 2. The Chapter Secretary shall be empowered to accept written proxy of Directors unable to attend the January meeting.

ARTICLE. IX
Grand Chapter Delegates

Section 1. The President shall be designated by the Chapter as its delegate to the biennial meeting of the Grand Chapter.

Section 2. An alternate delegate shall be designated by the Board of Directors to represent the Chapter at the Grand Chapter if the President is unable to attend,

Section 3. The amount of the registration fee and mileage allowance to be paid by the Chapter from its general fund for its delegate's expenses to the Grand Chapter shall be determined by the Board of Directors

Article X
Amendments

Section 1. These By-Laws may be amended at any time by any member introducing the amendment in writing before a regular meeting of the Chapter; said amendment to be voted upon and passed, by at least a majority of the members at the next regular meeting of the Chapter.

MERL GROVE HIGH SCHOOL PSA NEAC

PREAMBLE

This Chapter, as an organization of the Merl Grove High School Alumni Association, does hereby dedicate itself to the academic enrichment of students affiliated with Merl Grove High School through support by its members residing in any of the fifty (50) United States

Members of this organization are encouraged to fully support all activities geared towards this purpose. This organization will serve as a support network for its members as well as any other members of the Merl Grove Family, but the primary role will be to provide support to current students through scholarships, and provide assistance to Merl Grove upon request.

ARTICLE I – NAME

This chapter shall be known as Merl Grove High School Past Student Association North Eastern American Chapter (MGHS PSA NEAC).

ARTICLE II – PURPOSE

The purpose of this organization is to promote scholarship, encourage and recognize accomplishment of past and present students, and past and present teachers of Merl Grove High School.

ARTICLE III – MEMBERSHIP

Section 1. Qualifications
Membership shall be limited to those of high scholarship and of good moral character. that have attended, taught or served the High School in any capacity.

MGHS PSA NEAC, does not discriminate on the basis of age, color, disability, national origin, political affiliation, race, religion or gender in the administration of membership or other programs.

Section 2. Criteria

Subsection 1. Students
Candidates for General Membership must have completed at least one year of attendance to Merl Grove high School in Kingston Jamaica..

Subsection 2. Instructional, Research, and Administrative Staffs
A member of the instructional, research, ancillary or administrative staff may apply for an Associate membership

Subsection 3. Honorary Members
A chapter may induct up to two (2) individuals annually who have distinguished themselves in the practice of business, management, or administration or general service to Merl Grove High or to the members of this Chapter

ARTICLE IV – OFFICERS

Section 1. The Officers of the MGHS PSA NEAC shall be President, 1^st Vice President with a portfolio, 2^nd Vice President with a portfolio, Secretary, Director of Membership, Public Relations, Webmaster and Editor.

Section 2. Election of Officers shall take place at the first scheduled meeting at the close of the designated term of currently elected officers, nominees to be appointed by the president. A majority vote of the members present shall be necessary to elect officer. In case of a quorum not being met proxy votes will be accepted.

Section 3. Term of Office

The term of all officers shall be two years renewable. An Officer may be elected to other positions after fulfilling their current term.

Section 4. Votes A Simple majority vote of the active members present at a duly called meeting shall be required and sufficient for the election of officers and members of the nominating committee. Voting shall be by secret ballot if requested by one or more of the voting members present.

Any vacancy caused by resignation or otherwise shall be filled through an official decision per nominees appointed by the president.

ARTICLE V – DUTY OF OFFICERS

Section 1.

The President shall be the chief executive officer of the chapter and represents the Chapter in all respects. She shall preside at all business sessions. It shall be the duty of the president to coordinates the activities of the Board of Directors and direct the activities of the organization. The president shall serve as a voting member of the Executive Committee and ex officio member of all other committees. It is the responsibility of the president to appoint chairpersons and members of operating committees. Following completion of the president’s term of office, the president will serve on the Executive Board as past president for a term of one year.

The 1^st Vice President shall perform the duties of the president in her absence. She shall be the primary overseer of the progress made on chapter events and report to the president. Perform designated responsibilities in accordance with her portfolio and oversee sub-committees under her jurisdiction.

The 2^nd Vice President shall perform designated responsibilities in accordance with her portfolio and oversee sub-committees under her jurisdiction.

The Secretary shall maintain communication between the Officers and chapter members. Take notes at each meeting and provide minutes to all members. Distribute a calendar of chapter events for the month at the beginning of each month.

The Public Relations Officer shall arrange for publicity and or advertising of the organization and its events.

The Webmaster shall update and maintain the MGHS PSA NEAC website on regular bases. The Website should include photos of the Executive board, a calendar of chapter events, and information regarding the NEAC, Merl Grove High School and its affiliations.

The Editor shall provide editorials for the website and all functions of the NEAC. The Editor is responsible for the publication of a chapter newsletter.

The Director of Membership shall promote membership recruitment and retention as well arrange for publicity of the organization.

ARTICLE VI – MEETINGS

A general meeting of this chapter shall be held on the evenings of the third Saturday in June and the third Saturday in November at a place designated by the Board of Directors.

Other meetings of the Board of Directors may be called by the President or, in her absence, by the 1st Vice President by means of a written notice to the active membership at a time and place agreeable to the Board of Directors. Written notice of such meetings must be sent at least one week prior to the meeting.

ARTICLE VII – DUES & FEES

The induction fee for each new member shall be the national induction fee (plus a chapter fee, if applicable). All dues or fees must be paid in full by July 31, for a member to be considered in good standing.

No member shall be allowed to vote in meetings of the Alumni chapter or to hold office if her dues have not been paid in full.

ARTICLE VIII - OFFICIAL EMBLEM

The emblem shall be the Merl Grove high school badge with the motto Labor Omnia Vincit.

ARTICLE IX - THE OFFICIAL FUNDRAISER

Will be in the form of an annual Gala Event to take place on or around the first Saturday of July

ARTICLE X - DELEGATES TO NATIONAL CONVENTIONS

The President or duly appointed representative shall be the delegate to any convention that serves the Chapter's interests. The President or a duly appointed representative shall be empowered to vote and represent the chapter on all matters brought before the convention.

ARTICLE XI - FISCAL YEAR

The fiscal year of the Merl Grove High School North Eastern American chapter shall end On July 30th of each year.

ARTICLE XII - ANNUAL AUDIT & FINANCIAL REPORTS

The financial records of the chapter shall be presented to the Board of Directors upon request at BOD meetings. The Financial records will be audited annually at the end of each fiscal year by the financial auditor. The Auditor shall report in writing to the President who shall turn the report over to the Treasurer. The Treasurer shall present the report to the members of the chapter at the next meeting.

ARTICLE XIII - DISTRIBUTION OF ASSETS

Section 1. Fundraisers

All funds raised by the Chapter shall be distributed in a designated order which is The Shakara Harris Scholarship Fund, The betterment of Merl Grove High School (Maintenance and upkeep). One third of all funds received must be kept in the account earmarked for operational expenses of the NEAC and General assets of the Chapter for emergency funds as requested by Merl Grove High School

Section 2. Disbursements of Chapter Checks

There shall be three authorized signors. The two major signors to be the 1st Vice President and the Treasurer. Third signor only in the absence of one of the above will be the President.

Tax-Exempt Status

This Chapter is organized and is to be operated exclusively for charitable and educational purposes within the meaning of Internal Revenue Code §501(c)(3) (references herein to the Internal Revenue Code, hereinafter “IRC,” include the corresponding section(s) of any future United States Tax Code).

No part of the net earnings of this Chapter shall inure to the benefit of, or be distributable to, its directors, officers, members, trustees, or other private persons, except that the Chapter shall be authorized and empowered to pay reasonable compensation for services rendered and to make payments and distributions in furtherance of the purposes set forth herein. No substantial part of the activities of the Chapter shall be the carrying on of propaganda, or otherwise attempting to influence legislation, and the Chapter shall not participate in, or intervene in (including the publishing or distribution of statements), any political campaign on behalf of or in opposition to any candidate for public office. Notwithstanding any other provision herein, the Chapter shall not carry on any activities not permitted to be carried on (a) by an organization exempt from federal income tax under IRC §501(c)(3), or (b) by an organization, contributions to which are deductible under IRC §§170(c)(2), 2055(a)(2), or 2522(a)(2).

If there should be dissolution of this Chapter, after paying or making provision for the payment of all the lawful debts and liabilities of the Chapter, the remaining assets shall be distributed to Merl Grove High School in Kingston, Jamaica.

ARTICLE XIIII – AMENDMENTS

This constitution may be amended by a three-fourths (3/4) vote of the members in attendance to a duly called meeting. No amendment to this constitution shall be effective until a copy of the amendment has been approved by the Board of Directors.

MGHS PSA NEAC
PO Box 3697
Gaithersburg, MD 20885-3697
alumni@merlgrovepsaneac.org