Article I. Name

The name of this organization shall be the Penn State Mechanical Engineering Society, hereinafter referred to as PSMES or the Society. This Society shall be an affiliate group of the Penn State Engineering Society (PSES).

Article II. Purpose

The purpose of the PSMES shall be to promote a) fellowship and communication among the alumni, faculty and students, b) the professional development of all graduates of the Mechanical Engineering (ME) Program and c) the continued support of these graduates for both the ME Program and the College of Engineering.

Article III. Membership

Section 1

Members: All living graduates of Penn State’s Mechanical Engineering program who have indicated a desire to be a member of PSMES.

Section 2

Active Members: Members who actively participate in one or more committees or projects being conducted by the society.

Section 3

Associate Members: Penn State alumni who are not Mechanical Engineering graduates but who actively participate in one or more committees or projects being conducted by the Society. Associate Membership requires approval by a two-thirds vote of the Board of Directors.

Section 4

Honorary Members: When appropriate, the Board of Directors may designate non-alumni as Honorary Members in recognition of acknowledged eminence in engineering or who have rendered outstanding service to the ME Program. Honorary Membership requires approval by a three-fourths vote of the Board of Directors.

Article IV. Organization

Section 1

A Board of Directors shall govern the general affairs of PSMES. The Board shall consist of:

a) PSMES Officers: President, Vice ­President/President -Elect and Secretary/Treasurer

b) Department Head of the ME Program, ex officio with vote

c) Current ME faculty member

d) PSMES immediate past president

e) Six to nine members to be elected at-large

f) President of the PSES or designee, ex officio without vote

Section 2

All actions of the Board of Directors shall be decided by majority vote unless specifically noted in this charter. A majority vote is defined as a majority vote of those Board members who are present at any regular or duly called meeting of the Society. A quorum shall consist of six members of the Board.

If a quorum is not present at a Board of Directors Meeting or if a majority vote is not obtained, a detailed description of the proposed action will be prepared and distributed to all Board Members within 14 days of the meeting. Within two weeks of receiving the proposed action, each member must submit their vote by postal mail or email to the Board Secretary/Treasurer.

Section 3

The Board of Directors may solicit funding from members as necessary to cover the cost of special projects or operations.

Article V. Elections

Section 1

The Board of Directors will nominate a slate of candidates for at-large Board positions and for the society officers: President, Vice¬ President/President-Elect and Secretary/Treasurer. The nominations will be posted on the web and the membership will be notified of this electronically three months prior to the election. For those members without an e-mail address, the list of candidates will be sent by mail. Additional nominations from PSMES members may be made over the next 30 days after the list of candidates is sent to the membership by-mail provided that the nominee has agreed to be nominated.

Section 2

Officers and Board Members shall be elected by a majority vote of those members who have submitted their vote electronically. The electronic vote will be taken by posting nominees names on the web at the PSMES site for one month.

Section 3

At-large members’ terms shall be staggered such that half (or approximately half) are subject to rotation annually. At-large members may be appointed between annual meetings by the Board of Directors to fill vacancies. At-large members so appointed will serve the balance of the unexpired term.

Section 4

Officers and Board Members shall be elected for two-year terms, with the exception of the Vice President/President-Elect, who upon election will have a four year obligation. Vacancies may be filled by appointment by the Board of Directors between meetings. Officers so appointed will serve the balance of the unexpired term.

Section 5

No officers or other Board members may be elected to the same office for more than two consecutive terms. The Vice President/President-Elect will have one combined term of four years.

Article VI. Duties of Officers

Section 1

The President shall preside at all meetings and shall be responsible for general supervision of all work of the society. The President and Vice-President/President-Elect must be Penn State graduates.

(a) The President, or designee, shall serve on all committees as an ex-officio member

(b) The President, or designee, shall serve as this society’s delegate to the PSES Board of Directors

Section 2

The Vice-President/President-Elect shall serve in the absence of the President and shall also perform such duties as may be assigned by the President. The Vice-President/President-Elect shall assume the duties of the President in the event of the incapacity or absence of the President.

Section 3

The Secretary/Treasurer shall be responsible for the recording and reading of the minutes of all meetings, taking care of correspondence and reports, and shall be responsible for depositing, disbursing and accounting of all monies of the Society.

Article VII. Committees

The President may appoint standing and/or ad-hoc committees as required to accomplish the purposes and objectives of the Society. Furthermore, the President may terminate previously established standing or ad-hoc committees as required.

Article VIII.Meetings

Section 1

An Annual Meeting of the PSMES will be held at a time and place fixed by the Board. The Secretary shall provide the membership written or email notice of the annual meeting at least one month in advance.

Section 2

Special meetings of the PSMES shall be called at the discretion of the President. The Secretary shall provide the membership written or email notices of special meetings at least one month in advance.

Section 3

The Board shall meet at the call of the President or at the request of a majority of the members of the Board. The Secretary shall send to the membership written or email notices of the Board meetings at least one month in advance. The Board will meet at least twice per year.

Section 4

The committees shall meet on the call of the committee chairman or at the request of the President.

Article IX. Amendments

Section 1

This constitution may be amended by a two-thirds vote of the PSMES members present at the annual meeting provided:

a) The amendments have been placed before the Board of Directors and Members at least one month before the meeting.

b) The amendments have been approved by a majority of the Board.

Section 2

This constitution and its amendments must not be in conflict with the constitution of the PSES or the rules and regulations for constituent societies as established by the Executive Board of the Penn State Alumni Association.