Georgia Tech Crew

Alumni

Constitution

Article 1. Mission Statement

The GT Crew Affinity Group is organized to promote and facilitate the engagement of GT Crew Alumni, Affiliated Students, Friends, Faculty and Staff with the Georgia Tech Alumni Association and the Institute as a whole. GT Crew affiliation includes but is not limited to those who have participated in the Georgia Tech Rowing Club (Crew Club). Our primary objectives include:

    • To facilitate the networking of GT Crew alumni, coaches and friends though existing Alumni Association and campus events, as well as through GT Crew club competitions (regattas) and events.
    • To create new programs that provide GT Crew alumni, coaches and friends the opportunity to remain connected with the GT Crew club student members as well and with each other.
    • To provide support to the GT Crew club co-operatively with the student officers to ensure that it continues to exist and function in perpetuity.

Article 2. Membership

Membership in the organization shall be opened to any persons interested in the mission of the GT Crew Affinity Group. Specifically membership shall be open to all faculty, staff, alumni, coaches, friends and students who have participated in the GT Crew club. This includes past and present coaches and friends of GT Crew.

Alumnus/alumna being defined as anyone person who has matriculated at Georgia Tech.

Article 3. GTCA Board Members

A 6-position board group, which includes 6 appointed/elected officers and 3 voluntary committees, will govern the Georgia Tech Crew Affinity Group.

Section 1. President

The primary responsibilities for the President include:

  • Setting up meeting agendas and run bi-weekly board meetings.
  • Promote teamwork and cooperation among Board Members. Ensure board members are maintaining their primary responsibilities and are involved with all committees as needed.
    • Help create initiatives for each board member.
    • Ensure board members consult the appropriate Alumni House employee for new initiatives
  • Updating the GTCA mission, vision, and the board members responsibilities as the GTCA's focus shifts over time. The President must communicate such updates with all of the GTCA including advisors, rowers, board members, and general membership.
  • Being the presiding officer at meetings of the GT Crew Affinity Group.
  • Serve as the spokesperson of the GT Crew Affinity Group
  • Serve as the primary liaison with the Alumni Association.
  • Acting in the best interest of the GT Crew Affinity Group and the Georgia Tech Alumni Association at all times and will strive to ensure that the functions and mission statement of the GT Crew Affinity Group are properly fulfilled.

Section 2. Treasurer (to maintain the voluntary Finance Committee)

The primary responsibilities for the President include:

  • Work very closely with the Alumni Association to
    • Identify fundraising opportunities
    • To ensure our fiscal operations are following the appropriate guidelines
  • Maintain the voluntary Finance Committee
  • Collecting all funds pertaining to the GT Crew Affinity Group and depositing them in the designated bank account.
  • Recording and supervising accurate records of all receipt and disbursement of funds and perform other duties that ordinarily pertain to this office.
  • Provide fellow board members with budgets for projects set forth by the GT Crew Affinity Board.
  • Conducting fundraising or membership efforts set forth by the GT Crew Affinity Board. This includes checking the GTCA mailbox at the Alumni Association and double-checking that checks sent to the GT foundation go into the GT Crew account.
  • Communicating with the current student president of GT Crew regarding any fundraising efforts.

The Treasurer is to work closer with any board member wishing to spend or collect money. Such working relationships include but are not limited to:

  • Events Chair- budget for GTCA focus events
  • Merchandise - collecting membership dues or payments for GTCA products

Section 3. Communications (to maintain the voluntary Communications Committee)

The primary responsibilities for the Communications Board Member include:

  • Maintaining the GT Crew Affinity Group WebPage
  • Handle all Marketing aspects at and in between events
  • Maintain the GTCA e-newsletter that is sent every other Friday during the academic year.
  • Promote publicity of the Affinity group, the GT Crew Team, or individual alumnus in publications such as Tech Topics, the Alumni Magazine or any other appropriate media.
  • Maintain the voluntary Communications Committee

The Communications Board member is to work closer with any board member wishing to communicate any information or project with the Affinity Group. Such working relationships include but are not limited to:

  • Events Chair – marketing support to advertise and to operate events.
  • Regatta Specialist – marketing support to advertise and to operate regatta activity
  • Secretary – to add new members to the e-newsletter list as they update their bio on the webpage.

Section 4. Secretary

The primary responsibilities for the Secretary Board Member include:

  • Record the minutes of each meeting and shall send out the minutes to all members of the GT Crew Affinity Group via e-mail no later than 48 hours after each meeting.
  • Stay in regular contact with the liaison for the Georgia Tech Alumni Association and work with the GT Alumni Association to maintain GT Crew Affinity Group names, e-mails and addresses.
  • At the conclusion of every semester, the secretary shall ensure that any current GT Crew rowers who have graduated or who have completed their eligibility with rowing are added to the alumni list.
  • Update the Alumni Association, the general member list, and the communications board member when GTCA members have updated their bio on the GTCA webpage.
  • Actively seek to update the GTCA membership list with alumni who have slipped past the GTCA communications
  • Maintain the voluntary Membership Committee

Section 5. Events Chair (to maintain the voluntary Events Committee)

The primary responsibilities for the Events Chair Board Member include:

  • Oversee the coordination efforts of several events a year. Each event will have different priorities, locations and details but all events have the goal to facilitate the networking of all GT Crew alumni, current athletes, coaches and friends.
  • Work with the treasurer to maintain accurate and fiscally responsible budgets per event.
  • Work with communications to ensure that each event is advertised well in advance, and that events are well documented for the GTCA members who could not be there.
  • Maintain the voluntary Party Planning Committee

Yearly focus events for the GTCA include but are not limited to:

  • Homecoming weekend (tailgate and banquet. 25 anniversary in 2011)
  • Erg Sprints
  • Spring Picnic
  • Pi Mile Road Race
  • Dad Vail Regatta (Will move to Regatta Chair when that position is added)

Section 6. Merchandising

The primary responsibilities for the Merchandise Board Member include:

  • Purchasing, selling and keeping inventory of GT Crew Alumni merchandise. Work with the treasurer for all purchase plans so that the GTCA remains on budget.
  • Ensure that such merchandise is available for sale at every GTCA event.
  • Ensure that such merchandise is available for purchase at all times outside of such events (via the website and postal mail).
  • Ensure that the GTCA merchandise for sale is representative of what alumni are looking for when supporting GT Crew. Research and analysis should be conducted to ensure inventory is never at a stand still and that quality and modern merchandise is available.

Article 4. Elections Process

Section 1: Term of Office

    • All elected board members shall hold their respective offices for a term of one year
    • Board members can only serve in their respective position again after sitting off one term. In case no other active members are nominated, board members are allowed to serve consecutive terms in the same position.
    • Board members may run for another position during the termination of their current position

Section 2: Dates and Procedures

  • Dates for nominations and elections should be determined no later than August 15.
    • Elections are to be held the first week in October.
    • Nominations open in September. Nominations are open for at least two weeks before elections and close 5 business days prior to elections. An individual may be nominated for more than one office.
    • Nominations will only be taken current members (see bylaw #1 for a definition of a member)
    • A simple majority vote of members is needed to elect an officer. All voting will be done by secret ballot through the GTCA website.
    • Board members should be elected singularly in the order of President, Treasurer, Communications, Events Chair, Secretary and Merchandise Chair.
    • New positions are official sworn in at the October GTCA banquet during homecoming weekend.
    • The previous board members are still responsible for the implementation of Homecoming, but this system allows for a smooth transition during a major GTCA event.

Section 3: Vacancies

    • The President is required to appoint a vacancy within one month of when the vacancy is created.
    • If the President is unable to fulfill his or her duties, the board members will appoint one of themselves by a majority vote to replace the President until the next election period.

Article 5. Communication Tools

The communication activities of the GT Crew Affinity Group will be conducted primarily via website, e-mails, Facebook, newsletters and hard mail. These will served as the basic communication tools through which members and potential members will receive information.

Section 1: Website:

The website will be hosted on a standard web server owned and maintained by the GTCA. The functionality of the website includes the following:

  1. Provide news, such as newsletters and updates to visitors, members and potential members of the organization.
  2. Provide the ability for member registration and member information updating.
  3. Provide information on donations and access to instructions on how to make donations.
  4. Provide data collection services such as survey administration to gather information and feedback.
  5. Provide a forum in which members can correspond

Section 2: Electronic Newsletter/E-mail

The newsletter will communicate news and events to GT Crew Affinity Group members. The current newsletter is sent electronically through Constant Contact and is accessed from the website.

Section 3: Hard Mail

Hard mail will be the option of least frequency, where paper mail, such as newsletters or other important information will be mailed to members. This service will be conducted through the resources of the Alumni Association at the GT Crew Affinity Group per the regulations administered by other groups.

Article 6. Adoption of Constitution

This constitution shall become the governing law of the GTCA when ratified by a unanimous GTCA board, provided this constitution has been made available to the board two weeks prior to the vote. Amendments are made by re-adoption of GTCA constitution.

Bylaws to this constitution may be proposed in writing by an active member of the GTCA. Bylaws are passed by a majority vote by the GTCA board at any time. The date preceding the bylaw is the date the bylaw was implemented, or the date any change to a bylaw was implemented.