ALUMNI CONSTITUTION AND BY-LAWS
ARTICLE I—NAME
The name of this Association shall be the Baptist Bible College & Seminary Alumni Association.
ARTICLE II—PURPOSE
The purpose of this Alumni Association will be to promote a unified fellowship among the Alumni family, to foster the interests and advancement of the school toward the achievement of training men and women for Christian ministry vocations to the glory of God, by:
1) prayer and personal involvement,
2) financial support and student recruitment,
3) godly and consistent representation of the school before the public, and to provide a means of communication through the Alumni Executive Council to the Administration and Board of Trustees in matters of mutual concern for maintaining the welfare of Baptist Bible College & Seminary.
ARTICLE III—BASIS
The doctrinal basis of the Association shall be the Confession of Faith of Baptist Bible College & Seminary.
ARTICLE IV—MEMBERSHIP
There shall be three kinds of membership in the Alumni Association: voting, associate, honorary.
A. Voting members —All graduates of Baptist Bible College & Seminary and all who have satisfactorily completed at least twelve credit hours in either division of the school, with the exception of students who are currently enrolled in the college division, shall constitute the voting membership.
B. Associate members—Spouses of alumni and those who have taken less than twelve credit hours shall constitute the associate membership.
C. Honorary members—Those who serve on the Board of Trustees, administration, and faculty of the school shall constitute the honorary membership.
ARTICLE V—GOVERNMENT
A. Leadership—The leadership of the Baptist Bible College & Seminary Alumni Association shall be vested in an eight-member Council to be known as the Alumni Executive Council; at least two of these shall be women. The members of the Alumni Executive Council will be elected to serve for a term of three years and may be re-elected to serve for one additional term. Any Alumni Executive Council members completing two consecutive terms shall be ineligible for re-election for one year. The Council shall function in cooperation with the Alumni Department, specifically the Vice President for Alumni Services. The Vice President for Alumni Services is an ex-officio member of the Alumni Executive Council.
During the Bible Conference/Alumni Week, the Alumni Executive Council will select annually, from among themselves, the following officers: President, Vice-President, and Secretary.
Should the office of President be vacated, the Vice-President shall fill the vacancy. In the event of any other office vacancy, the Alumni Executive Council shall appoint officers pro-tem until the next meeting. The Nominating Committee shall consist of the Alumni Executive Council. Nominees for the Executive Council shall be selected from among graduates of either Baptist Bible College or Seminary.
B. Duties of Officers:
1. President—Chair the meetings, give leadership; delegate responsibilities to Council members as needed to fulfill the objectives of the meeting and the Association; maintain communication with the alumni office of the school and be present to report at the Alumni meeting.
2. Vice-President—Be acquainted with, and prepared to assume, the duties of the President in his absence or should the office become vacant and assist the president in the endeavors of the Association.
3. Secretary—Record, duplicate, and distribute the minutes to all members of the Council and to the following persons on campus: President and Vice-President for Alumni Services.
C. Election of Executive Council Members:
The Alumni shall elect from its membership by ballot those who will serve on the Alumni Executive Council.
D. Method of Nomination and Election:
1. At least two months prior to the annual alumni meeting and election, the Alumni Office will send a reminder to the alumni to send in nominations to replace those council members whose terms have expired. Names of council members whose terms have expired and who are eligible for re-election should be made known. The date when the nominating ballot will be cast should also be stated.
2. The nominating committee, which is the Alumni Executive Council, shall tabulate votes cast and prepare an official ballot for presentation to the alumni at the annual meeting. There will be no further nomination from the floor.
3. Beginning with the name that receives the highest number of votes, the nominating committee will contact those who have been nominated to determine their willingness to serve.
a. No name shall be excluded from nomination unless the nominee prefer NOT to have his/her name placed on the ballot, or unless the name in question is ruled ineligible by his/her failure to meet scriptural qualifications.
4. The nomination committee shall attempt to place more names on the official ballot than are required to fill the offices to be vacated.
E. Meetings—Meetings of the Executive Council shall be held at least three times a year:
1. At the Bible Conference/Alumni Week or designated fall date
2. At mid-winter—in conjunction with the Board of Trustee meeting or designated winter date
3. In May at the time of graduation or designated spring date
Special meetings may be called by the Vice President for Alumni Services or the Executive Council President.
F. Quorum—Four members of the Council shall constitute a quorum.
ARTICLE VI—ASSOCIATIONAL MEETINGS
The annual meeting shall be held during the Annual Bible Conference/Alumni Week. Those of the voting membership present shall constitute a quorum, provided there are at least thirty individuals. They shall have the authority to transact business.
ARTICLE VII—AWARDS
A. Service Awards—Each of the Alumni family may participate in the selection of a graduate, or graduates, to receive the Alumnus of the Year Award and the Outstanding Service Awards. These awards are presented to an individual or individuals who "have completed at least ten years of faithful and profitable Christian service vocation."
B. Alumni Scholarship—Awarded each academic year in the spring semester to a student who is completing the junior year and who is a son or daughter of a graduate, the recipient is selected by the Scholarship Committee for evidence of academic achievement and promise of being a profitable Christian worker.
C. Alumni Merit Awards—Presented to students who meet criteria in areas of financial need, outstanding Christian character, and academic potential, funds are made available to students by alumni through contributions to the Alumni Merit Scholarship fund. Each recipient must receive two written recommendations from members of the Alumni Association. The students' recommendation will be validated by their active participation and meaningful contribution to their local churches.
D. Alumni Christian Ministry Awards—In an effort to recognize current students who are faithfully involved in practical Christian work, a plaque and a Bible are given to these students each spring during the college awards Chapel. The Alumni Executive Council President, or his designee, makes this presentation.
BY-LAWS
ARTICLE I—FINANCE
All finances shall be handled through the Baptist Bible College & Seminary Business Office. Yearly goals for the Association shall be established by the Executive Council and the Vice President for Alumni Services. Methods of fund-raising shall not violate policies established by the Board of Trustees of the college.
ARTICLE II—PROCEDURES
All business shall be transacted according to Robert's Rules of Order. Executive offices of President and Vice-President shall be filled by men.
ARTICLE III—SERVICES
The association, through the Vice President for Alumni Services and with the assistance of its Alumni Executive Council, shall provide such services as are deemed useful in promoting its purpose.
1. Periodic Publications
2. Annual Bible Conference/Alumni Week
3. Class Reunions
4. National Alumni gathering at GARBC Conference
5. Alumni banquet during fall Bible Conference/Alumni Week
6. Regional Chapters
7. Placement - to assist the alumni in finding places of Christian Service
8. Fund Raising
9. Alumni tours and ministries
ARTICLE IV—AMENDMENTS
The Constitution and By-Laws of the Association may be amended at any annual meeting of the Association provided that a copy of the proposed amendment be in the hands of the active membership on or before the third week preceding the annual meeting. If a majority vote is secured, it shall immediately become part of the Constitution or By-Laws.