Riverside High School Alumni Association By-Laws
Article I: Name
The name of this organization shall be the Riverside High School Alumni Association, hereinafter called the “Association.”
Article II: Purpose
The Association exists to preserve the legacy of Riverside High School and to enhance the quality of programs focused on scholarship, communication and fellowship for its former, present and future students and the community.
Article III: Membership
Membership will be granted to those who have graduated and past attendees of Riverside High School, have been employed by the Riverside School District or interested and committed members of the community.
- Voting Members shall be those who have made a contribution to the Riverside Alumni Association and who have paid one-time dues of $25.00.
- Non-Voting Members shall be granted to those who meet the membership criteria but have not paid dues. New graduates must OPT-IN to allow the Alumni Association to contact graduates via email to keep them informed of Alumni Association activities.
Article IV: Annual and Special Meetings
The annual meeting of the Association will be held in the spring of each calendar year, and special meetings may be called at any time by the Board of Trustees. Public notice shall be given at least ten (10) days prior to any meeting.
Article V: Quorum of Association Meetings
One (1) voting member in addition to a majority of the elected Trustees shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business at all meetings of the Association. No proxies shall be recognized for the purposes of quorum or voting.
Article VI: Board of Trustees
The structure of the Board of Trustees shall consist of 9 members.
Section 1: Term
- Trustees shall serve for a three (3) year term.
- Trustees may serve consecutive terms.
Section 2: Nominations
- Nominees for Trustee will be nominated at the meeting BEFORE the annual meeting (or at any meeting necessary to replace a mid-term Trustee resignation).
- New nominees (i.e. not being nominated for a subsequent term), shall be nominated by someone or themselves via the nomination form on the Riverside High School Alumni Association webpage.
- All elected Trustees must comply with the guidelines for volunteers set forth by the Riverside Local School District.
Section 3: Election
- Elections for Trustees shall take place at the annual meeting called in accordance with the provisions of these bylaws. All voting members of the Association are encouraged to attend.
- A majority of attending voting members at the annual meeting is needed for the election of a Trustee.
- Trustees shall serve for three (3) years and continue in office until a successor is elected. All Trustees must have voting member status in the Association.
- In the event of a vacancy, the remaining Trustees shall nominate a replacement at one meeting and vote upon the nomination(s) at the next meeting. The vacancy will be filled only to the end of the Trustee’s term they are replacing.
Section 4: Resignation and Termination
- Resignation:
- must be submitted to the Association in writing.
- Termination: A Trustee may be removed by majority vote of the remaining Trustees for:
- failing to attend 2 (two) consecutive meetings; or
- any other sufficient cause that may exist as grounds for removal.
Section 5: Meetings
- The Board of Trustees shall meet not less than two (2) times per year, on a schedule to be determined by a majority vote of the Trustees present at a regularly scheduled Board of Trustees meeting.
Article VII: Official Communication
Electronic mail (Email) is the official mechanism of communication for the Riverside High School Alumni Association to its registered members.
Privacy Policy
We are committed to protecting your personal information and being transparent about the information we hold. The following statement sets out how the Association uses your personal information.
The Association does not obtain personal information about you when you visit our websites or other online services unless you provide us that information voluntarily. We will collect, store and maintain personal information for, including but not limited to, alumni, donors, students and volunteers when a user voluntarily submits or updates their information through our website.
The Association does not rent or sell your information to third parties.
Only authorized Association staff have access to data, which includes personal information: name, year of graduation (or years of service to the district), home mailing address, Email address, other non-financial information.
The Association will retain information indefinitely in support of your relationships with us or until your request for us to do otherwise.
We will mail select announcements to your home. Please make sure we have that information by sending a request for mail notifications to RHSAA at 585 Riverside Dr., Painesville, OH 44077.
At this time, email communication is the most used and least expensive means to communicate. To be a Registered Alumni Association Member, we must have your email address in the official database. If you do not have an email address, we would need your mailing address. You can check your registered information at this link: https://www.riversidealumni.com.
Article VIII: Committees
Each committee will have a chairperson selected by the board. The chair will then create a sub-committee to create and execute the committee’s activities.
Section 1: Executive
The Board of Trustees may appoint an Executive Committee, comprised of the officers, to conduct affairs of the Association in the interim between meetings of the Board of Trustees. They may not incur debts, except for current expenses, unless specifically authorized by the Board of Trustees. They shall make reports of the acts which shall become part of the records of the Association.
Section 2: Membership
The Membership Committee is responsible for recruiting new members and maintaining the membership list. Working with the other committees, the chairperson will keep the members aware of new events and opportunities to volunteer to help in those events.
Section 3: Communication
The Communications Committee is responsible for all internal and external communication from the Alumni Association. This includes updating website content, publishing the online newsletter, using social media channels, creating Email campaigns, responding to website contact form submissions, event promotion, media relations, production of creative material (brochures, flyers, banners…), and other means of communication.
Section 4: Fund Raising
The activities of the Association are supported through various forms of fund raising. The main resource is the selling of tickets and sponsorships for the Annual Duck Race held in conjunction with the Harvey Alumni Association. All income is split equally between the two organizations. Other sources of income are donations, raffles and auctions held at events throughout the year.
Section 5: Activities
The Association may support any number of events, including such annual events as the Riv-Har Duck Race, the Alumni Picnic, the Hall of Fame Dinner and Induction Ceremony and scholarship recipient’s selection. In addition, on an as-needed basis, the Association supports class reunions through communication of the events as well as resources for hosting reunions.
Section 6: Hall of Fame Selection
The purpose of the Hall of Fame is to recognize and honor outstanding graduates of RHS and outstanding faculty and staff.
Anyone can nominate a person for consideration in one of the three categories (Alumni, Athletic, Faculty and Staff) as long as the person meets the established criteria listed on the nomination form.
The chairperson of the committee facilitates the selection process.
Section 7: Hall of Fame Ceremony
The Chairperson is responsible for the determination, planning and carrying out of the ceremony with the help of the committee. The date of the ceremony is determined in cooperation with the high school principal.
Section 8: Scholarship
The Chairperson reviews and updates the scholarship applications and sends them to the high school guidance office in January of each year.
The Chair seeks approval of the number of scholarships to be awarded each year from the Alumni Board.
Section 9: Annual All-Class Gathering
The Association may host an Annual All-Class Gathering for all Riverside graduates and certified and non-certified staff who have retired from the Riverside Local School District.
The purpose of hosting the picnic is to encourage our alumni to be active members of our Association and help preserve the legacy of Riverside High School.
Article IX: Election of Officers; Term; Compensation
Officers of the Association shall be elected annually by the Board of Trustees, at the first Board of Trustees meeting following the Annual Association Meeting. Officers to be elected by the Board of Trustees shall be President, Vice President, Secretary and Treasurer. They may also elect an Assistant Secretary and an Assistant Treasurer. The Secretary and Treasurer may be the same person. Officers shall be elected members of the Board of Trustees.
Officers are elected for one (1) year, or until their successors are chosen. All officers must have voting member status in the Association. None of the officers shall receive any compensation for serving in that capacity.
Officers may hold the same office for not more than three (3) consecutive terms unless continuation in that same office is approved unanimously by the Board of Trustees.
The Board of Trustees or the Executive Committee may appoint persons to assist with the affairs of the Association for such time and at such compensation as the Board of Trustees may determine to appropriate in each such situation.
Article X: Duties of Officers
Section 1: President. The President shall preside at all meetings of the Association and of the Board of Trustees, sign all records of the Association, and generally perform all duties usually incident to such office.
Section 2: Vice President. The Vice President shall perform all duties of the President on case of the President’s absence or disability.
Section 3: Secretary. The Secretary shall keep accurate records and minutes of all meetings, and give notice required by law and by members and Trustees. An Assistant Secretary shall serve in case of absence or disability of the Secretary.
Section 4: Treasurer. The Treasurer shall receive and disburse all funds of the Association, acting under the direction of the Board of Trustees. Financial records kept by the Treasurer shall be open for inspection or audit by the Trustees at any time, and a report of transaction will be presented at each meeting of the Board of Trustees and at the Annual Meeting of the Association. The Board of Trustees may require the Treasurer to post bond. The Assistant Treasurer shall serve in case of the absence or disability of the Treasurer, and the same duties and restrictions shall apply.
Article XI: Amendments to By-Laws
These By-Laws may be repealed or amended by agreement of two-thirds (2/3) of the voting members present at a meeting held for that purpose, notice of which has been given as provided in Article IV of these By-Laws.
Originally adopted November 26, 1996
Amended June 11, 2019 (Approved by the Riverside (Painesville Township) Board of Education June 27, 2019)
Amended June 13, 2022