Toledo Secton: Bylaws

The revised Toledo Section Bylaws we propose to present to the section membership for adoption at Institute Night on November 10th, 2011 is available by clicking the link above. The bylaws the Toledo Section presently operates under were adopted by the membership on April 26th, 2001 at Institute Night. Since that time the organizational structure of the IEEE, as well as the Toledo Section have changed. The Executive Committee of the Toledo Section has also adopted new management practices within the section. The proposed bylaws reflect these changes and are summarized below:

1. Bylaws have been updated to reflect the current IEEE organizational structure. The existing bylaws refer to the Regional Activities Board (RAB) and the Technical Activities Board (TAB). The Member & Geographic Activities Board (MGA) has replaced both RAB and TAB. The proposed bylaws reflect this change.
2. Bylaws have been updated to reflect the current Toledo Section organization. A Graduates of the Last Decade (GOLD) Affinity Group has formed within the recent past and is supported by the Toledo Section. The proposed bylaws reflect that the leadership of the GOLD Affinity Group have full voting privleges within the Executive Committee.
3. Bylaws reflect the current management practices of Toledo Section. At the time the existing bylaws were adopted, practically all communication with the membership was by the newsletter delivered via the U.S. Postal Service. Today the majority of communication with membership is electronic, either by e-mail or by social media sites. The proposed bylaws reflect this change and also include provisions to communicate via U.S. Postal Service when necessary.
4. Proposed bylaws reflect that all Toledo Section bank accounts are maintained within the IEEE Concentration Banking system. Concentration banking was implemented by IEEE-USA approximately one year after our present bylaws were adopted. Before Concentration banking each section, chapter, and affinity group maintained separate bank accounts for their organizations. Concentration banking was developed to assist the sections by making annual reporting a uniform process and to meet the tax filing requirements.
5. Bylaws fully reflect the section fiscal year coincides with the calendar year. At the time the existing bylaws were adopted the Toledo Section operated on a fiscal year that coincided with an academic year (September - May). IEEE suggested all sections adopt a fiscal year that was based on the calendar year. The existing bylaws reflect the Toledo Section's transition from an academic fiscal year to a calendar year. The Toledo Section remains on a calendar based fiscal year. All references to this transition period have been removed from the proposed bylaws.

The Executive Committee thanks you for your review of these documents and your participation in the ratification process. If you have any questions on these proposed changes, do not hesitate to contact Ed McConnell (2011 Executive Committee Chair) at emcconnell@ssoe.com, or any of the other Executive Committee members listed on the Toledo Section website.