BYLAWS: Retired Members Round Table
Name:
The name of this organization shall be the Retired Members Round Table (RMRT).
Purpose:
The Retired Members Round Table (RMRT) shall exist to develop programs of particular interest to retired persons from all types of libraries and all forms of library service, including formal opportunities for continued involvement and learning; a variety of leadership training and opportunities for mentoring; lifelong professional involvement and networking; and, active engagement in the American Library Association and the profession of librarianship.
Membership
Any member of the American Library Association may become a member of the Retired Members Round Table (RMRT) upon payment of ALA and RMRT dues.
The Retired Members Round Table (RMRT) includes both personal members and organizational members.
Only personal members of RMRT are eligible to vote or to hold elective office or committee appointments.
Dues shall be determined by the RMRT Board of Directors with the approval of the membership.
The membership, conference and fiscal years shall be the same as those of the American Library Association.
Board of Directors
The Board of Directors shall consist of the President, Vice-President/President-Elect, Immediate Past President, Secretary, Treasurer, and four Directors-at-Large and an Assistant Treasurer/Treasurer elect. Each shall have one vote, except the Assistant Treasurer/Treasurer-elect, who shall be a non-voting member of the Executive Board, and the President, who shall vote only in the event of a tie vote of the Executive Board.
At such point as the RMRT meets the minimum membership requirements for election of an ALA Councilor, the RMRT Councilor shall also be a member of the RMRT Executive Board.
The Board of Directors shall have the general supervision of the affairs of the RMRT, within the policies of the American Library Association and the Retired Members Round Table.
The Board shall report on its activities to the members of the Retired Members Round Table.
The Board shall review these Bylaws annually at Midwinter so that any changes can go on the spring ballot.
All meetings of the Board of the Retired Members Round Table shall be open except for discussion affecting the privacy of individuals or institutions.
A majority of the Board shall constitute a quorum.
Officers
The officers of the Retired Members Round Table shall be the President, Vice-President/President-Elect, Immediate Past President, Secretary, Treasurer. All officers must be personal members in good standing of ALA and RMRT.
The Vice-President/President-elect will be elected for a three-year term and serves one year of that term as Vice-President, one year as President, and one year as Immediate Past President.
The President shall chair the Board of Directors and shall preside at meetings of the Round Table. The President shall appoint the Nominating Committee, to be chaired by the Immediate Past President, for the next election cycle. The President shall identify actions of interest to the RMRT and recommend such actions to the Board.
The Vice-President/President-elect shall appoint the chair of each standing committee and members to fill vacancies in such committees, for terms beginning with his/her year as president, except the Nominating Committee. If a vacancy occurs in the office of President, the Vice-President/president-elect will assume the duties of the President.
The Immediate Past President shall chair the Nominating Committee.
The RMRT Secretary will be elected for a two-year term and shall be responsible for the general correspondence of the Round Tables and the minutes of board and general membership meetings. The Secretary, coordinating with the ALA staff liaison, shall arrange for preservation of the RMRT archives.
The Assistant Treasurer/Treasurer-Elect will be elected for a three-year term and serves one year of that term as Vice-Treasurer (non-voting) and two years as Treasurer.
The Assistant Treasurer/Treasurer-Elect shall have no fiscal authority but be responsible for learning ALA and RMRT budget and report-writing policies and processes.
The Treasurer shall review and approve all expenses, coordinating with the ALA staff liaison, and prepare reports and a proposed budget for each fiscal year.
The RMRT Councilor will be elected for a term as defined in the ALA Bylaws.
Directors-at-large will serve for two-year, staggered terms. Directors shall be eligible for election to a second consecutive term.
Nominations and Elections
A special Nominating Committee shall be appointed by the Board for each election and chaired by the Immediate Past President.
All members of the Nominating Committee shall be members in good standing of the Retired Members Round Table.
At the ALA Midwinter Conference preceding the regular election of the American Library Association, the Nominating Committee Chair will submit a slate of one or more nominees for each office to be elected, to the RMRT Executive Board. An individual not slated by the Nominating Committee may be nominated by petition of at least fifteen (15) members of RMRT. All nominees, slated or petition, must consent in writing to the nomination.
All nominees shall be members in good standing of the Retired Members Round Table and shall be members in good standing at time of election.
In case of death, disability or resignation of a member of the Executive Board, the Board may appoint a successor, if succession is not otherwise provided, to serve until the next regular election.
Committees
The Executive Board may establish committees and prescribe their purpose and composition.
All persons appointed to RMRT committees must be members in good standing of RMRT.
Committee appointments are for two-year terms, renewable once, except for the initial appointments to a new committee which may be staggered. Committee chairs are appointed for one-year terms from among the membership of the committee. Committee chairs may be appointed for an additional one-year chairmanship.
The Executive Board may remove a Committee Chair if the Chair fails to carry out his/her duties as outlined in the RMRT Handbook, following a period in which the President or other officer, as delegated by the President, provides the Chair with a written warning including a statement of expectations and timeframe for improvement.
Committees shall maintain records of their proceedings and shall report on their activities at the annual meeting and at such other times as they may be directed to do so by the President.
Appointments to vacancies to chair and to committee vacancies in standing committees are made by the RMRT Vice-president/President-elect. Appointments to special committees and task forces are made by the President at the time the special committee or task force is created.
Meetings
The annual meeting of the RMRT membership shall take place during the annual meeting of the American Library Association, and in the same locality.
Special membership meetings may be called by the Board and shall be called by the President upon the written request of 25 members of RMRT. At least thirty (30) days notice shall be given and only business specified in the call to meeting shall be transacted.
There shall be a midwinter meeting of the Executive Board of RMRT when deemed necessary. It will be held in conjunction with the midwinter meeting of the American Library Association.
Executive Board meetings will occur as deemed necessary by the Executive Board.
RMRT shall follow the same parliamentary authority as the American Library Association.
Calendar
The member service or conference year shall be from the close of one annual conference of the American Library Association to the close of the next annual conference.
The membership year shall correspond with the ALA membership year.
The budget (fiscal) year shall be the same as that of the American Library Association, September 1 through August 31.
Amendments
Amendments to the Bylaws shall be proposed in writing and may be introduced by the Executive Board, Governance Committee, or by any twenty-five (25) members in good standing of RMRT.
Printed notice of proposed amendments shall be published to the membership at least thirty (30) days and no longer than ninety (90) days before presentation of the amendments to the membership for ratification.
The Bylaws may be amended by a majority vote of the entire membership voting, to be conducted by ballot according to current ALA procedure.
Limitation
The Retired Members Round Tables is an approved entity of the American Library Association, which is a 501(c)(3) organization incorporated in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, and operates within the policies of the American Library Association.
Dissolution
Upon dissolution of the Retired Members Round Table all assets derived from RMRT dues, products and services remain within the American Library Association.
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