Statement of Purpose and Intent

The Sequassen Alumni Association, INC. is a nonprofit public benefit corporation organized under Section 501(c) 3 of the Internal Revenue Code, and is not organized for the private gain of any person. It is organized under the Nonprofit Public Benefit Law for charitable purposes.

The Sequassen Alumni Association, Inc., is organized exclusively to provide support that addresses the preservation and betterment of Camp Sequassen, which camp is organized and operated exclusively for charitable purposes, which has established its tax status under Section 501( c) 3 of the Internal Revenue Code, and which is qualified to receive “qualified conservation contributions” within the meaning of Section 170(h) of said Code, or the corresponding provisions of any future statute of the United States.

The Specific purposes for which The Sequassen Alumni Association, Inc. is organized include, but are not limited to: the receipt of contributions from members of the public as well as governmental, corporate and other entities and the disbursement of those contributions to the sole benefit of Camp Sequassen, New Hartford CT to further the mission of Camp Sequassen in providing leadership opportunities for all youth through qualified programs, mentoring from trained adult volunteers and on-going learning and personal development through outdoor experiences.

Notwithstanding any other provision in the By-Laws, the corporation shall not carry on any other activities not permitted to be carried on 1) by a corporation exempt from federal income tax under Section 501( c)3 of the Internal Revenue Code.

No substantial part of the activities of this corporation shall consist of carrying on propaganda or otherwise attempting to influence legislation; nor shall the Alumni participate or intervene in any political campaign (including the publishing or distribution of statements) on behalf of any candidate for public office.

The Alumni is to annually sponsor a “Chief Bogan Scholarship” and a “Laurel Leaf Campership” (the guidelines of which are on record with the secretary and can be modified from time to time by the membership).

For a PDF version of the current by-laws, click here.

BY-LAWS  Revised 6-13-2020 
ARTICLE I: ORGANIZATION NAME, PROCEDURES, MEMBERSHIP

ORGANIZATION NAME – SECTION A

The name of this organization shall be THE SEQUASSEN ALUMNI ASSOCIATION, INC. (The Alumni).

GENERAL PROCEDURES – SECTION B

Item 1. The Alumni shall conduct all meetings in accordance with “Roberts Rules of Order”.

Item 2. The Alumni shall always refer to Samuel D. Bogan as “CHIEF” in any of its correspondence or when making any other reference to Chief Bogan.

Item 3. All Alumni functions, unless specifically stated otherwise, shall be restricted to members and prospective members of the Association.

Item 4. The Alumni does not and shall not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion (creed), gender, gender expression, age, national origin (ancestry), disability, marital status, sexual orientation or military status, in any of its activities or operations. These activities include, but are not limited to, selection of volunteers and vendors, and provision of services. We are committed to providing an inclusive and welcoming environment for all members, volunteers, subcontractors, vendors and clients.

STATEMENT OF PURPOSE – SECTION C

Item 1. The “Statement of Purpose and Intent” of this Association can be amended as to aid in their meaning, added to as a means of enhancement or improving, but cannot be changed or otherwise altered in any manner that would detract from the original intent.

BY-LAWS – SECTION D

Item 1. The Bylaws may be amended by vote of the membership present at the annual Fall Reunion Meeting and/or Spring Meeting. Amendments and/ or changes must be provided to all members in good standing at least 30 days prior to the vote.

QUORUM – SECTION E

Item 1. A quorum is required to hold votes on By-Laws changes and election of officers and disbursements of monies from the General Fund. A quorum is defined to be 10% of eligible members who are in good standing with The Sequassen Alumni Association, Inc.

 

MEMBERSHIP REQUIREMENTS – SECTION F

Item 1. Charter Membership: Chief Bogan, Charter members and members who at the time of their passing were in good standing shall be considered members in perpetuity in this Association.

Charter Members are those who were present at the founding and first meeting of this organization prior to incorporation. Don Cornwall, Allan (Lynn) Hart, Ray Delehant, Harvey Hoffman, Pete DeLeonardo, Guy (Tonto) Lampo, Bill Farat, Bob Macklin, Attilio Fasano Jr., Allan Schwartz, Don Fowler, Vinnie Vannicola, Barry (Goldfinger) Gold, John (Zaniewski) Zane.

Item 2. Full Membership: An applicant must be 1) at least twenty one (21) years of age;, and 2) have been a camper, scouter or staff member at Camp Sequassen; and 3) be a member in good standing with the Association. Full members are eligible to vote for By-Laws and Officers. Full members are also eligible to hold the office of President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer or Ancient Advisor subject to eligibility requirements set out in Article II, Section A.

Item 3. Associate Membership: An applicant must be 1) at least seventeen (17) years of age; and 2) less than twenty-one (21) years of age; and 3) have spent at least one night at Camp Sequassen; and 4) be in good standing with the Association. An associate member is entitled to vote for By-Laws and Officers.

Item 4. Honorary Membership: This is extended at no charge and waiving all other eligibility guidelines to any individual holding the following positions:

• Camp Ranger and family
• Camp Director

In addition, the membership may vote at either the Fall or Spring meeting to award lifetime honorary membership to those individuals they see fit to accord such honor. These are non-voting positions. Any Honorary Member who otherwise meets eligibility may become counted as a Full or Associate Member by paying dues and by doing so may gain all voting rights.

Item 5. Charter Membership: This is extended at no charge and waiving all other eligibility guidelines to those members specifically named in Item 1.

These are non-voting positions. Any Charter Member who otherwise meets eligibility may become counted as a Full or Associate Member by paying dues any by doing so may gain all voting rights.

 

ARTICLE II: ELECTIONS, ADMINISTRATIVE STRUCTURE, DUTIES OF THE OFFICERS

SECTION A – ELECTIONS

Item 1. Only Full Membership shall be eligible to hold the office of President, Vice President, Secretary or Treasurer and must have maintained a minimum of three (3) years of continuous and active membership and be in good standing with The Sequassen Alumni Association, Inc..

Item 2. Voting for the purpose of electing a President, Vice President and Secretary shall be held every two (2) years (on the even numbered years) and take place at the annual Fall Reunion Meeting.

Item 3. Voting for the purpose of electing Ancient Advisor and a Treasurer shall be held every four (4) years (on the even numbered years) and take place at the annual Fall Reunion Meeting.

Item 4. Terms of office for President, Vice-President and Secretary shall be for one term (2 years). Terms of office for Treasurer and Ancient Advisor shall be for one term (4 years).

Item 5. Officers can be re-elected to serve in the same position for two consecutive terms . They may be re-elected to that office after a lapse of one term.

This does not apply to the Ancient Advisor who will not serve two consecutive terms. They may be re-elected to that office after a lapse of one term.

Item 6. Voting for officers is open to Full and Associate Membership.

Item 7. In the event that any officer becomes ill or is otherwise unable to fulfill their office, the position will be filled by an appointee of the President until the next Fall or Spring meeting at which time an election for that position will be held.

If the position of President is vacated, it will fall to the Advisory Committee to appoint a replacement until the next Fall or Spring meeting at which time an election will be held.

SECTION B – ADMINISTRATIVE STRUCTURE

Item 1. An Advisory Committee shall be made up, consisting of a Chairman (the Ancient Advisor) and five members, four of which serve at the pleasure of the President and one (the immediate past president) who shall serve for one term (2 years). The four members are appointed by the President.

Item 2. In the event that the immediate past president is unavailable or otherwise resigns this post the opening may be filled by an appointee at the discretion of the President.

Item 3. The Advisory Committee together with the Officers shall make up the Executive Board.

Item 4. The Chairman of the Advisory Committee (Ancient Advisor) shall, in the event of a deadlock, act as the tie breaker vote on the Executive Board.

Item 5. The Executive Board can meet from time to time as the need may arise to recommend programs and committees.

Item 6. Positions on the Executive Board can only be held by full members.

SECTION C – DUTIES OF THE OFFICERS

Item 1. The President shall preside over all meetings. The exception is a meeting of the Audit Committee.

Item 2. In the absence of the President, the Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer and Ancient Advisor shall preside in that order.

Item 3. The President shall have the power to appoint all committees with the exception of the Audit Committee.

Item 4. The Secretary must keep accurate minutes of all meetings and be prepared to provide said minutes to the membership within 30 days of the next business meeting. The Treasurer must keep accurate financial records and be prepared to present at meetings an accurate accounting of all expenditures and assets.

Item 5. The Secretary & Treasurer will ensure that the Articles of Incorporation, Declaration of Charitable Status, Tax Returns and other information that will serve to confirm that the purpose and mission of The Sequassen Alumni Association, Inc. is being met and will post this information on the website for the Association at sequassenalumni.org.

Item 6. The President has the power to create and fill new positions subject to approval by the Executive Board.

Item 7. The Vice President will be responsible for the overseeing events hosted by the Alumni.  They will also be responsible for a Winter Banquet separate from all other events on the anniversaries ending with 0 & 5.

 

 

 

 

ARTICLE III: DUES AND FINANCES

SECTION A – DUES

Item 1. Annual dues are established as follows:

Full Membership:

• $25 Individual Membership
• $50 Family Membership

Associate Membership

• $10 Individual Membership

“Family” for purposes of Family Membership is defined as multiple individuals living at the same address.

Dues may be changed to meet the needs of The Alumni. Changes to dues are treated as a By-Laws change

Item 2. The fiscal year of the organization shall run from July 1st to June 30th.

Item 3. Dues shall be actively collected by the Treasurer.

Item 4. The Executive Board shall notify the membership, through publishing, of the assessment of dues before the start of the fiscal year, so that dues shall become payable on or before the fiscal year.

Item 5. The Treasurer upon written notice to a delinquent member (at least 6 months in arrears of dues) will revoke membership to that member if payment is not forthcoming within 90 days of such notice.

SECTION B – FINANCES

Item 1. The property and assets of The Sequassen Alumni Association, Inc. is irrevocably dedicated to charitable purposes and no part of the net income or assets of the Alumni shall ever inure to the benefit of any Advisor, Member or Officer of this corporation or to any private person.

Item 2. Upon the dissolution or winding up of the Alumni, any assets remaining after payment of, or provision for payment of, all debts and liabilities shall be distributed to Camp Sequassen, New Hartford, CT, which is organized and operated exclusively for charitable purposes, which has established its tax exempt status under Section 501 ( C) 3 of the Internal Revenue Code, and which is qualified to receive “qualified conservation contributions’ within the meaning of Section 170(h) of said Code, or the corresponding provisions of any future statute of the United States.

Item 3. In the event of a liquidation of the Alumni, all corporate assets shall be disposed of in such manner as may be directed by decree of the superior court for the county in which the corporation has its principal office, on petition to the Attorney General by any person concerned in the dissolution, in a proceeding to which the Attorney General is a party.

Item 4. At a minimum, the Alumni must maintain from year to year an amount equal to the cost of sending each of two registered Scouting youth for one week of summer resident camp under the “Chief Bogan Scholarship” and/or the “Laurel Leaf Campership.”

Item 5. Other than the normal operating expenditures necessary to operate the Association, the President shall be empowered to expend not more than $200 in any one month.

Expenditures over that amount shall be subject to approval by the Executive Board. All expenditures shall be made for the benefit of the Sequassen Alumni Association, Inc.

Item 6. The Executive Board may raise funds as needed to advance programs or offset debts without approval of the membership. This may be accomplished by whatever means deemed necessary, providing it meets the objectives and is in the best interest of the Sequassen Alumni Association, Inc.

 

ARTICLE IV: AUDIT COMMITTEE

SECTION A – FORM AND FUNCTION

Item 1. Any member of The Sequassen Alumni Association, Inc., including officers, members of the Advisory Committee or any member of the public may request that the President form an Audit Committee

Item 2. No officer of the Alumni may sit as a participant on the Audit Committee

Item 3. The Advisory Committee will appoint one of its members to be the chair of the Audit Committee.

Item 4. The Chair of the Advisory Committee will be required to form the Audit Committee. The Audit Committee will include an independent person who is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) and at least two other persons who may be members of the Alumni or members of the public who have particular knowledge or experience that may be brought to bear in investigating and reporting the issue that has raised the need to form an Audit Committee.

Item 5. The Audit Committee will make its first order of business the framing of the mission/purpose of the Audit Committee. This purpose will be published and must satisfy the party raising the concern as providing the necessary scope to address the issue at hand.

Item 6. The Audit Committee will meet as needed. It will keep accurate minutes of its work. Issues before the Audit Committee must be addressed with all due diligence. Its findings will be shared with the President, all officers and members of the Advisory Council. Outcomes from this Committee are expected to be reviewed during the Fall or Spring Business Meeting that immediately follows the conclusion of findings.

Item 7. Once outcomes of the Audit Committee have been made public, and provided no further substantive issue remains unresolved, the Audit Committee will be disbanded.

ARTICLE V: MEETINGS

SECTION A – MEETINGS

Item 1. The Alumni must hold a meeting of the membership at least twice a year: the annual Fall Reunion Meeting and the Spring Meeting.

Item 2. Notice of the biannual meetings must be sent to the membership in writing 30 days prior to the meeting date.

 

 

ARTICLE VI: PATCHES AND INSIGNIA

SECTION A – REGULATIONS

Item 1. Sequassen Alumni patches are to be worn by members in good standing only and as such, trading of the patch to non- members are not encouraged. If the patch is traded away, it should be made clear to the other party that only members of the Alumni are allowed to display the patch on their uniforms and jackets. All other Alumni logos and insignias may only be worn by members and/or their spouses.

Item 2. The Alumni Patch is to be worn 2″ below the right shoulder seam on shirts and the same location or on the right pocket for jackets (at option of the wearer).

 

 

 

ARTICLE VII: OPERATING COMMITTEES (SPECIAL AND STANDING)

SECTION A – COMMITTEES

The following operating Committees shall be established and the President shall appoint their members.

Item 1. Campership  Committee: This Committee shall be comprised of not less than two individuals who will be appointed by the President and who will operate under the supervision of the Executive Board. The purpose of the Campership Committee will be administration of the “Chief Bogan Scholarship” and the “Laurel Leaf Campership”.

The Chief Bogan Scholarship is a scholarship program that may provide at a maximum, an amount equal to the cost of sending a registered Scouting youth to Camp Sequassen, New Hartford CT for a period of one week each summer to participate in the summer resident camping program. The Laurel Leaf Campership is a need-based award that may provide at a maximum, an amount equal to the cost of sending a registered Scouting youth to Camp Sequassen, New Hartford CT for a period of one week each summer to participate in the summer resident camping program. The Committee will have the discretion of awarding additional scholarships in a single year with the approval of the Executive Board and President.

Documentation surrounding these scholarships including the solicitation, collection of applications, screening, review and award on an annual basis will be under the review of the Executive Board. A list of applications and awards made will be maintained for a period of three years and available to any person upon request.

Item 2. Camp Projects Committee: a service committee whose function it is to propose plan and oversee various projects (constructions, restorations, etc.) that would benefit the camp by way of work weekends (the participants being the membership).

Item 3. Program Committee: an activities committee responsible for the planning and operation of the annual gala and reunion weekend.

Item 4. Sequassen Historical Committee: whose purpose is to gather research and preserve all data, artifacts and memorabilia (songs, stories, people, events, etc.) of the Camp.

Item 5. Plaques and Memorial Committee: whose purpose is to initiate and present for the approval of the membership, such honors (awards, dedications, and memorials) as would be appropriate.

Item 6. Honor Committee : This Committee will be comprised of at least 6 members, four of which will be the President, Vice-President, Secretary and Treasurer. The purpose of the Honor Committee shall be the review of recommendations including proposals from the Camp Projects Committee, and the approval of recommendations that may involve capital spending from the Honor Awards account . Spending from this account will be made solely to the benefit of Camp Sequassen. Final approval of these awards, dedications, memorials and any capital projects must come from the Executive Board prior to disbursement.

NOTE: Every Alumnus, who is able, shall serve on one or more of these committees. In this way each member shares in the responsibility for Alumni activities and projects.

Last revised on 6/13/2020