The purposes of this Association are to:

  • The purposes of this Association are to:
  • A. Promote and protect the interests, rights, and welfare of the retired educators of the Stevens Point area in conjunction with the Wisconsin Retired Educators’ Association (WREA).
  • B. Monitor and work to improve the benefits for retired educators and other members of the Wisconsin Retirement System (WRS).
  • C. Encourage Association members to maintain membership in the Wisconsin Retired Educators’ Association (WREA).
  • D. Develop working relationships with local service organizations whose main emphasis is on aging groups and with organizations sharing goals similar to those of the Association.
  • E. Inform Association members about and advocate for educational and other relevant societal issues.
  • F. Inform members of activities in the area provided for senior citizens.
  • G. Encourage Association members to be active participants in community affairs on an individual basis.

SPARTA Bylaws, passed May 2018

            BYLAWS

STEVENS POINT AREA RETIRED TEACHERS’ ASSOCIATION (SPARTA)


            Article I. NAME

The name of this Association shall be the Stevens Point Area Retired Teachers’ Association (SPARTA).

            Article II. PURPOSES

The purposes of this Association are to:

A. Promote and protect the interests, rights, and welfare of the retired educators of the Stevens Point area in           
    conjunction with the Wisconsin Retired Educators’ Association (WREA).

B. Monitor and work to improve the benefits for retired educators and other members of the Wisconsin Retirement
    System (WRS).

C. Encourage Association members to maintain membership in the Wisconsin Retired Educators’ Association
     (WREA).

D. Develop working relationships with local service organizations whose main emphasis is on aging groups and
     with organizations sharing goals similar to those of the Association.

E. Inform Association members about and advocate for educational and other relevant societal issues.

F. Inform members of activities in the area provided for senior citizens.

G. Encourage Association members to be active participants in community affairs on an individual basis.

            Article III. MEMBERSHIP

Section 1. Classes of Members

A. Regular (voting) - Any retired educator (teacher, administrator, or school employee) who lives in the area and who   
    was formerly employed by any school system may become a member of the Association.  The term “school
    system” means any public, private, parochial, technical, or university system.  Some regular members are accorded
    special status as enumerated below:

      1. Life Members – Life members are those who pay the SPARTA life Association dues.

      2. Honored Members – Honored members are those who have reached the age of 80 and have been a member                  for 15 years are given special recognition as an honored member.  Honored members pay dues according to                 their membership classification.

      3. Emeritus Members – Any Association member who is confined to home care, assisted living, or a nursing home           and is unable to continue paying membership dues is granted Emeritus membership.
      
      4. Centennial – Any Association member who reaches the age of 100 is granted free centennial membership                        and is given special recognition.
     
B.  Associate (non-voting) – Actively employed educators, spouses of regular members who are not involved in
     education, other Wisconsin Retirement System annuitants, or friends of public education become associate
     members upon payment of dues.  Retired teachers, administrators, and other school employees may not join as
     associate members.  Individuals who qualify for regular membership must join as regular members. Associate
     members may not hold office and may not vote.

C. Inactive (not-voting)- Removal from Membership – Any member who has failed to pay
    Association dues by December 31 for the current year shall be removed from the membership list.

Section 2.  Dues.  The fiscal year for the Association begins September 1 and ends August 31.  The annual dues for each membership category are recommended by the Executive Committee and approved by the general membership at the May meeting.  All dues are payable on or before October 1 of each year.  New Association members have SPARTA dues waived for the following fiscal year.

            Article IV. STRUCTURE

The Stevens Point Area Retired Teachers’ Association (SPARTA) shall maintain an affiliation with the
Wisconsin Retired Educators’ Association (WREA).

            Article V. OFFICERS AND THEIR DUTIES

Section 1. The officers shall consist of the President, the President-Elect, the Secretary, the Treasurer, the Immediate Past President, and the Database Administrator.  A Secretary and a Treasurer may be elected, with the second person listed being the back-up officer.

A. The President shall:

      1. Call regular meetings and special meetings of the Executive Committee and of the Association.

      2. Preside at all meetings of the Association and all meetings of the Executive Committee and perform the duties                    which are usually associated with this office.

      3. Appoint the chair of each of the committees, except the Nominating Committee, and aid them in selecting the                 members of those committees.

      4. Be an ex-officio (non-voting) member of all committees.
     
      5. Appoint Ad Hoc Committees as deemed necessary.

      6. Direct an annual financial review to be performed at the close of the fiscal year.
     
      7. Be a member of WREA.

      8. Serve as the official spokesperson for SPARTA.

      9. Prepare a newsletter for the meetings to be distributed via email and mailings.

      10. Serve as a delegate to district meetings and state conventions.

      11. Perform any other duty as directed by the Executive Committee or the general membership.

B. The President-elect shall:

      1. Become President when the president completes the term of office or if a vacancy occurs.

      2. Preside at all meetings in the absence of the President.

      3. Assist the President in the execution of the duties of the Presidency, and perform other duties as may be                   delegated by the President.

      4. Act as an ex-officio (non-voting) member of the committees when the President is unable to attend.

      5. Be a member of WREA.           

      6. Act as chair of the Program Committee.

      7. Perform any other duty as directed by the Executive Committee or the general membership.

 C. The Secretary shall:

1. Keep the minutes of the Executive Committee meetings and the general membership meetings of the
    Association and present them for approval.
           
      2. Preside at meetings in the absence of the President and the President-elect.

      3. Provide a copy of the minutes to the President promptly after each meeting.
     
      4. Complete the correspondence of the Association as necessary.

      5. Be responsible for the safe keeping of the meeting agendas, minutes, and the newsletters of the Association.
  
      6. Prepare news articles as needed.

      7. Perform any other duty as directed by the Executive Committee or the general membership.

 D. The Treasurer shall:

      1. Have charge of the funds of the Association.

      2. Keep an accurate record of receipts and expenditures of the Association.

      3. Prepare the annual financial report.

      4. Prepare a budget under the direction of the Executive Committee

       5. Present a treasurer’s report at meetings.

      6. Disburse funds as authorized the Executive Committee, the general membership, or the budget.

      7. Perform any other duty as directed by the Executive Committee or the general membership.

E. The Immediate Past President shall:

      1. Serve as a mentor for the President and President-elect.
           
      2. Act as a member of the Executive Committee.

      3. Monitor the need for bylaw changes, receive recommendations from members, and, when necessary, request                      that the President appoint a Bylaws Committee, with the Immediate Past President serving as chair.
     
      4. Serve as Parliamentarian at Association meetings.

      5. Perform any other duty as directed by the Executive Committee or the general membership.
     
F. The Database Administrator shall:

      1. In cooperation with the Membership chair, maintain an up-to-date list of membership data and furnish copies to      
          officers upon request.

      2. Produce the Association Directory to be distributed in January.

      3. Maintain membership records.

Section 2. The officers shall serve a term of two years.  They shall be elected at the September meeting of years ending in even numbers and shall take office on the November 1 following the election.  Officers may be re-elected for successive terms.

Section 3. Removal from office: An Association officer may be removed by the Executive Committee after due notice and hearing.  A removal requires a two-thirds roll call vote of the Executive Committee at a duly convened or special meeting.

Section 4. If a vacancy occurs in the office of President, the remainder of the vacated term shall be filled
by the President-Elect.  Vacancies in any other office shall be filled by special election.

            Article VI. ORGANIZATION

Section 1. The Executive Committee shall:

A. Consist of Association officers and the chairs of the Membership, Legislative, Public Education
    Outreach, and Book Committees. Other Association members may attend.

B. Meet at the call of the President or at the request of a majority of the Committee.  The first meeting of the year           
    shall be held as soon as feasible after the September meeting.

C. Prepare an annual budget for the presentation at the September meeting.  The budget shall include the         
    amount of Association dues for the next year and mileage rate at which expenses of Association members are         
    to be reimbursed.

D. Arrange for the election of a Nominating Committee at the November meeting of years ending in uneven numbers.     
    The members of the Nominating Committee shall select a member to serve as chair.

Section 2. Standing Committees

A. The Membership Committee shall:

      1. Recruit and maintain membership.  The chair shall collect dues paid by members and turn the amount                          collected over to the Treasurer.

      2. Assist WREA in providing educational resources for pre and post retirees.     

      3. Contact retired educators in the area and extend to them an invitation to join the Association.

      4. Contact all members whose dues are not paid by the November meeting.

      5. Coordinate with the Database Administrator, keep a list of members and their contact information, submit a                    copy to the Wisconsin Retired Educators’ Association (WREA) membership chair, and send notifications of any           deaths or contact information changes to the WREA membership chair.

B. The Legislative Committee shall:

      1. Research legislative issues.     

      2. Keep informed on state and national legislation of importance to retired educators.

      3. Initiate contact with our assembly representatives, state senators, and congressmen regarding legislation of                   interest to educators.

      4. When needed, attend selected sessions called by the WREA president or the WREA legislative chair on                     proposed bills of interest to educators and keep members of the Association informed on their progress.

      5. Help to organize email alerts to members encouraging contact with legislators when necessary.

      6. Review educational issues and studies and support legislation that promotes quality public education.
     
      7. Monitor and advocate for a strong Wisconsin Retirement System (WRS).

C. The Public Education Outreach Committee shall:

      1. Inform members on issues proposed by area School Boards.

      2. Keep members apprised of area School Board candidates.

      3. Encourage members to become liaisons to area schools under SPARTA’S “Adopt a School” program.

4. Assemble and review the end of year reports with the Grant and Scholarship and Endowment Committees for                
    submission to WREA.

      5. Sub-Committees under the Public Education Outreach Committee

            a. The Grant Committee shall:

                  1) Solicit and prioritize applications for grants.
                 
                  2) Recommend the dollar amount to be awarded.
           
                  3) Recommend grant recipients.

                  4) Prepare and submit an end of the year report to the Executive Committee for the WREA                             annual report.

            b. The Scholarship and Endowment Committee shall:

                  1) Solicit and select scholarship recipients.

                  2) Serve as liaison between SPARTA and the Community Foundation where the endowment                             fund is held.

                  3) Prepare and submit an end of the year report to the Executive Committee for the WREA                             annual report.

D. The Book Committee shall:

      1. Receive, sort, and maintain book donations for bi-annual book sales.

      2. Organize workers for set-up, working at sales, and clean-up.

      3. Plan, organize, and advertise the book sales.

      4. Account for daily sales receipts, give a report of total sales to the Treasurer, and then coordinate with the                   Treasurer for the deposit of the funds.

E. The Program Committee shall:

      1. Plan the meeting programs for the coming year under the leadership of the President-elect.

      2. Contact presenters prior to the meeting and arrange for audio-visual and other needs.

      3. Introduce the speaker at the meeting.

      4. Write a follow-up thank you letter.

      5. Determine stipend recipient and arrange for payment.

F. The Health Committee shall:

      1. Promote educational and service programs centered on preventive health care and related programs.

      2. Keep the membership informed of WREA health programs.

      3. Arrange for periodic sessions for assistance in the preparation of Advanced Directives.


G. The Social Committee shall:

      1.  Select places for general membership meetings, take reservations, select menus, and receive payments.

      2. Act as greeters at all general membership meetings and make those persons in attendance feel welcome.

      3. Have nametags available at meetings.
     
      4. Plan and organize social events for the Association.


H. The Sunshine Committee shall:

      1. Phone, send a card, or visit ill Association members.

       2. Send a sympathy card to the family in the event of the death of an Association member.

      3. Inform the Secretary of actions taken.

 I. The Historical Committee shall:

      1. Store and maintain the history of the Association, photographing events, and clipping relevant newspaper                   articles for the record books.
     
      2. Display archival materials at general membership meetings.

      3. Coordinate with the Portage County Historical Society to obtain volunteers to teach early 19th century lessons                    at the Hie Corners School.

Section 3. Ad Hoc Committees: The President may appoint other committees for special projects such as the Nominating Committee and the Retirement Planning Committee.  Such ad hoc committees shall be dissolved upon completion of their projects.

A. The Nominating Committee shall:
     
      1. In January of years ending in even numbers, begin recruiting candidates for office.     

      2. In May of years ending in even numbers, present a slate of candidates for office for the following year.

      3. Oversee the election of officers at the September meeting and assist the Immediate Past President in the                   installation of the new officers.

B. The Retirement Planning Committee shall:

      1.  In odd-numbered years, organize and publicize a retirement program for active educators and others in the                   community included in the Wisconsin Retirement System (WRS).

      2. Encourage membership in WREA.


            Article VII. GENERAL MEMBERSHIP MEETINGS

Section 1.  There shall be six regular general membership meetings per year.

Section 2.  Regular general membership meetings shall be held on the second Mondays of September, November,
January, March, May and July at a place acceptable to the members.

Section 3.  Should a general membership meeting not be held as scheduled, it may be rescheduled if feasible.

Section 4.  A special general membership meeting of the Association will be held at the request of one-fourth of the average number of members attending regular meetings during the preceding twelve months.  Such a request
shall be accompanied by a signed petition of voting members.


            Article VIII. DUES

Section 1. Annual dues shall be fixed at the May meeting.

Section 2.  Association dues are waived for new members for the first year.

Section 3.  Members paying their dues after May 31 shall have them credited as paid for the following year.

            Article IX. FINANCES

Section 1.  The fiscal year of the Association shall be from September 1 through the following August 31.

Section 2.  An annual budget shall be prepared by the Executive Committee for presentation at the September meeting.

Section 3.  Members shall be reimbursed for expenses they incur in carrying out Association business within the framework of the annual budget.  Such expenses shall be documented in a manner acceptable to the Treasurer.

Section 4.  Donations or contributions by the Association in amounts not to exceed $100.00 may be approved by the President.

Section 5.  Donations or contributions by the Association of more than $100.00 shall be referred to a meeting of the general membership.

Section 6.  Donations to the Association shall be reviewed by the Executive Committee.

            Article X.  PARLIMENTARY PROCEDURE

Section 1.  At regularly scheduled meetings of the Association, those members present shall constitute a quorum.

Section 2.  Robert’s Rules of Order, Newly Revised shall be the authority on all questions of procedure not stated in these bylaws.

            Article XI.  AMENDMENTS

These bylaws may be amended by a vote of two-thirds of the members present at any regularly scheduled general membership meeting, provided notice was given of the proposed changes at a previous meeting.  Amended bylaws become effective upon adoption.





            Article XII. DISSOLUTION
 
In the event of circumstances which cause the dissolution of the Stevens Point Area Retired Teachers’
Association (SPARTA), all funds and other assets of the Association shall be transferred to any successor
organization or disbursed to such not-for-profit educational or charitable agency or institution as the Stevens
Point Area Retired Teachers’ Association (SPARTA) Executive Committee shall designate.


Constitution and Bylaws adopted January 19, 1970.

Amended January 10, 1972; November 11, 1985; March 11, 1991; March 8, 2004; May 11, 2015.

Revised and adopted May 14, 2018 for implementation beginning September 1, 2018.


Ad Hoc Bylaws Committee 2017-2018

Elbert Rackow
Dave Blado
Sherrilee Wallerman
Joyce Chekouras

Jan Langton                                                                                                                                                                                        

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