Rules & Bylaws-(archived revised text adopted at Executive Board meeting on February 2, 2010)

ARTICLE I. Membership

Section 1. Active Members: Any woman who has completed at least one year of an accredited college, or its equivalent, and supports the mission of the club, shall be eligible for membership. Individual exceptions to this requirement shall need approval of the Executive Board.

Section 2. Other Members:

(a) Honorary Members: Any woman who is a resident of Princeton, New Jersey, or its environs who is not eligible for active membership, and who has been awarded an honorary degree from a United States college or university accredited by its regional association may be elected an honorary member by the Executive Board. Honorary members shall not contribute regular dues and shall have no vote.

(b) Associate Members: Any woman over eighty (80) years old who has been in the club more than ten (10) years may become an Associate Member with relief from dues at the discretion of the Executive Board.

Section 3. Continuation of Membership: No active member shall at any time be deprived of her standing in the Club by reason of any change in the requirements of eligibility for membership or by a change of her residence.

Section 4. Termination of Membership: Any active member whose dues remain unpaid after December first in any year shall be dropped from membership.

ARTICLE II. Club Meetings

The regular meetings of the Club shall be held the third Monday afternoon or evening of each month from September to May, or as established by action of the Executive Board. The regular meeting in May shall be the Annual Meeting.

ARTICLE III. Officers

The officers of the Club shall be a President, a Vice-President, a Recording Secretary, a Corresponding Secretary, a Treasurer, and an Assistant Treasurer.

The officers of the Club shall be elected at the annual meeting in May to hold office for one year. No office except that of the Treasurer may be filled by the same person for more than two consecutive years. Given a special situation, the Nominating Committee can recommend an officer for subsequent terms.

The President shall be the Chief Executive Officer of the Club and shall preside at meetings of the Club membership and of the Executive Board. The President shall be an ex officio member of all committees except the Nominating Committee. She shall report the actions and plans of the Executive Board at the club’s Annual Business Meeting in May.

The Vice-President shall act for the President in the event of her absence or disability and shall undertake such duties as the President assigns her.

The Recording Secretary shall keep minutes of the Annual Meeting of the club membership and of the Executive Board and shall be custodian during her term of the general corporate records and official documents of the Club. She shall ensure that the Historian has a duplicate set of such records in the archives for access by the membership/public.

The Corresponding Secretary shall manage official Club inquiries and correspondence by phone, email, and letter, in addition to publishing the club newsletter on its website.

The Treasurer shall be the Chief Financial Officer in charge of financial transactions, income and expenditures, checking accounts, savings accounts, and securities; shall maintain financial accounts and records; and shall make financial reports monthly to the Executive Board and shall oversee that, as a public charity, The Women’s College Club of Princeton, N.J. INC  is in compliance with Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. The Treasurer shall file in the office of the New Jersey Secretary of State, within the time prescribed by New Jersey 15A:4-5, an annual report executed on behalf of the corporation.

The Assistant Treasurer shall assist the Treasurer and, in the event of her absence or disability, shall act for her. She shall be responsible for the billing and receiving of membership dues and shall maintain an up-to-date file on membership. She shall assist the Chair of the Directory Publication Committee in the preparation of a Membership Directory for distribution to all members.

ARTICLE IV. The Executive Board

Section 1. Membership: The Executive Board shall consist of the following members: the six Officers of the Club; President, Vice-President, Recording Secretary, Corresponding Secretary, Treasurer, and Assistant Treasurer; the Chair of the following Standing Committees: Annual Benefits, Newsletter Mailing, Directory Publication, Club Historian, Hospitality, Membership, Programs, Publicity, Scholarship Awards, Scholarship Endowment Fund, Trips, and Webmaster.

Section 2. Meetings: The Executive Board shall meet to transact business each month from September to June, or as established by the Board.

Section 3. Quorum: A quorum of the Women’s College Club of Princeton Executive Board is a majority of the members of the Board required to be present at a meeting in order to legally transact business.

Section 4. Duties and Responsibilities: The Executive Board shall control and manage the affairs of the club; shall approve all investments of the club; shall preapprove all expenditures of the club; may fill vacancies occurring in the Board; and shall report its actions and plans at the annual business meeting of the club in May.

ARTICLE V. Nominations

Not later than the Board’s December meeting, the President with the approval of the Executive Board, shall appoint a Nominating Committee Chair, who may designate as large a committee as needed to draw up the nominated slate of officers for the following year.  The President shall be an ex officio member of all committees except the Nominating Committee.  At least two of the nominating committee members shall be from the general membership. The committee shall also recommend Chair of committees who shall be appointed by the President for the ensuing year.

ARTICLE VI. Committees

The standing committees of the Club shall be those named in Article IV. Each shall consist of a chairman and appointed members when deemed necessary. The Executive Board shall establish any special committees. The chairman of ad hoc committees shall be appointed by the President and may be invited to attend meetings of the Board. The President shall be an ex officio member of all committees except the Nominating Committee.

Section 1. Annual Benefit Committee: The Annual Benefit Committees are responsible for the major fundraising efforts of the Club. Members of the committees shall be appointed by their co-chairs.

Section 2. Newsletter Mailing Committee: This committee is responsible for mailing, on schedule, the monthly newsletter which has been prepared by the Corresponding Secretary. The Chair of the committee may appoint members to help her as needed.

Section 3. Directory Publication Committee: The Chair of this committee, with the assistance of the Assistant Treasurer, shall prepare a directory of the membership. Members of the committee are appointed by the Chair.

Section 4. Club Historian: The Club Historian shall maintain an annual record of activities and work  of the Club and shall be custodian of the Club’s archives.

Section 5. The Hospitality Committee: The members of this committee shall be appointed by its Chair. It shall arrange for all refreshments at the regular meetings of the Club.

Section 6. Membership Committee: The members of this committee shall be appointed by its Chair, subject to the approval of the President. Any member of the Club may propose a candidate for membership by sending the Chair of the Committee the candidate’s name and address together with a statement of her eligibility for membership; or a potential member may approach the Chair of the Membership Committee directly for information, applications, etc. The Chair shall maintain an up-to-date file on the membership.

Section 7. Program Committee: The members of this committee shall be appointed by its Chair. It shall be responsible for all Club programs.

Section 8. Publicity Committee: The members of this committee shall be appointed by its Chair. The Committee shall establish deadlines it will accept  notices from the Board Chairs in time to meet press deadlines and shall  be responsible for all Board-requested publicity throughout the year.

Section 9. Scholarship Awards Committee: This committee shall consist of at least three members. The Chair shall have served on this Committee in the preceding year or a prior year, if possible. The other members shall be appointed by the President, subject to the approval of the Executive Board. No teacher of high school grades in Princeton, nor any person related to the candidates for awards may serve on this Committee. The duties of this Committee shall be to present information on Club awards to senior girls in the public and private secondary schools in Princeton; to send application blanks for Club awards to the schools; to receive and consider carefully all applications; and to make awards according to the established procedures of the Committee. Scholarships shall be funded with income from membership dues, endowment earnings, major fundraising activities, bequests, grants and donations. Any money left in the Scholarship Award Fund at the close of the year shall be held for scholarship awards in the next club year.

Section 10. Scholarship Endowment Fund Committee: This committee shall consist of its Chair, the President, the Treasurer, and at least six additional members who shall serve at the pleasure of the Committee Chair and the President. The Committee’s duties shall include investing, selling, and reinvesting Club funds in securities legal for Trust Funds in the State of New Jersey, and present quarterly reports to the Executive Board.

Section 11. Trips Coordinator: The Chair shall plan trips, make all arrangements, and collect expenses and a scholarship fund gratuity from each participant.

Section 12. Webmaster: The club Webmaster at wccpnjweb(at)gmail.com shall maintain an up-to-date website with current news, and timely updates received from Board members via email..  The club website at wccpnj.org shall be the Club’s official authority for correct dates, times, venues and other official announcements, as well as a home for archived club newsletters.

ARTICLE VII. Club Year

The Club year shall be from the annual meeting in May to the annual meeting in the following year. The terms of officers and other members of the Executive Board shall end at the close of the Club’s annual meeting. The fiscal year shall be from July 1 to the following June 30.

ARTICLE VIII. Dues

The annual dues for active and new members shall be announced at the May annual meeting and are payable when billed. The dues are tax deductible within the limits of the law.

ARTICLE IX. Guests

Guests of members will be welcome at meetings, most of which are free and open to the public. Some meetings require reservations and admission fees. The Annual Scholarship Tea and New Members Tea are for invited guests and members only.

ARTICLE X. Amendments

The By-Laws may be amended by a two-thirds vote of the Executive Board at any meeting, provided written notice of the proposed amendment shall have been presented to the members of the Board two weeks in advance; and provided further that any proposal for a change in Article I (Membership), Article III (Officers), Article IV (the Executive Board), or Article XIII (Dues), shall be presented to the membership at a regular meeting of the Club before adoption by the Board, and provided also that any changes in the By-Laws approved by the Board shall be reported to the membership at the next regular meeting.

ARTICLE XI. Property

According to our Certificate of Amendment to the Certificate of Incorporation dated 01/22/2013: Upon dissolution of the Women’s College Club of Princeton, N.J. Inc., assets shall be distributed for one or more tax exempt purposes within the meaning of Section 401(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, or corresponding section of any future federal tax code, or shall be distributed to the federal government, or to a state or local government for a public purpose. Any such assets not disposed of shall be disposed of by the Court of Common Pleas of the county in which the principal office of the organization is then located, exclusively for such purposes or to such organization or organizations as said Court will determine, which are organized and operated exclusively for such purposes.

By-Laws on file:

1. Original dated May 1989
2. Revised text adopted at the Executive Board meeting of November 12, 1991
3. Text incorporating amendments adopted on March 3, 1998, and those adopted on November 14, 2000
4. Section 1(d) under Article I, Membership, adopted February 4, 2003
5. Change of fiscal year in Article VII adopted September 2, 2003
6. Elimination of Loan Fund, March 20, 2006
7. Revised text adopted at Executive Board meeting on February 2, 2010