New Constitution and Bylaws

Vote on changes to be taken at Homecoming

A revised and restated version of the MUW Alumnae Association constitution and bylaws will be presented to the membership for adoption at the annual business meeting in April.

These documents have been under review by the Bylaws Committee and a final version is ready for general consideration. The recommended changes were thoroughly discussed and remanded to the committee to be finalized at the February meeting of the Alumnae board. The revised documents may be accessed at the association website: www.muwalumnae.com.

This issue is urgent.  Unless we adopt new governing procedures, our association will continue operating in a state of uncertainty with documents that do not address our current reality.

The timeline below shows you the legal steps that have been in 2007 and so far in 2008.

Significant changes

The new documents incorporate significant changes from the current operating procedures including the makeup of the governing board of the association.

Feedback from active alums indicated that a smaller, more efficient organization was a high priority. The recommended board structure will have 15 elected members with three appointments for a total board of 18.  Opportunities for active committees, for electronic voting and innovative methods for disseminating information are also anticipated with the new structure.

Other changes are:

  • Our current officer structure will remain (six elected with an appointed parliamentarian). Nine directors will be elected also on a rotating basis in order to provide continuity from year to year. The other two appointments will be the chair of the local chapters committee and the chair of the past presidents committee. As in the past, all active members of the association are encouraged to attend board meetings and participate in discussion.
  • Another important change that will affect the entire membership is the institution of a national dues structure.  The new constitution states that active members of the association are those who pay national dues annually, with the exception of the first year after graduation or for lifetime membership prior to 1979.

The alumnae board will be asked to approve the new constitution and bylaws at the April 18 board meeting. The general membership will have the opportunity to vote at the business meeting on April 19.

Please study the documents that have been posted so that you can make an educated decision about the future direction of your association. Questions may be addressed to Donette Lee at donettelee@earthlink.net

Annual Business Meeting

Annual Business Meeting
11:30 a.m. Saturday, April 19
Rear section of Whitfield Auditorium

Election of officers and adoption of new bylaws are the top items on the agenda for the annual meeting of the general membership of the MUW Alumnae Association at 11:30 a.m. April 19 after the regular convocation. Please note that the meeting location has been changed to the rear section of Whitfield auditorium in order to avoid lost time moving across campus. The official Homecoming program indicates a meeting place in the Nissan auditorium.

All active members of the association are encouraged to attend this important meeting to adopt new bylaws and to elect new officers for the upcoming year. Remember that under our current governing procedures, eligibility to vote is granted to those who have made a contribution to the MUW Foundation (in any amount or to any designated fund) within the last fiscal year. If the new bylaws are approved, this requirement will change; in the future active status will be earned by paying national dues.

This meeting of the historic 118-year-old association may be the most important in our history, because we are moving into uncharted waters in our relationship to our beloved MUW.  Every loyal daughter and son is encouraged to be a part of this important meeting.