OVERVIEW and HISTORY

The UNIVERSITY SECTION CLUB at U.C. Berkeley had its origin in 1907 when the College Teas were instituted by Mrs. Benjamin Ide Wheeler, wife of the President of the University. They were held successively in the Men's Faculty Club, the first Hearst Gymnasium for Women, The Women's Faculty Club, and, briefly at The Town and Gown Club. Their purpose was to provide an opportunity for women from all departments and neighboring campuses to meet. That purpose has since been extended to include furthering the educational activities of U.C. Berkeley by offering grants and support to students and student-related groups of the University, providing assistance to foreign students, scholars and their families, and by promoting student and international understanding among University-related persons and groups.

The Section Club, as such, was founded in 1927 and now includes 20 sections: Adventure, Art Museum, Birding, Book Discussion, Bridge, Drama, Fitness & Longevity, French, German, Gourmet, Italian, Music, Newcomers, Photography, Plants and Gardens, Sew and So, Spanish, Tai Chi, Tennis, Walking, and Writers' Workshop. A new section may be formed with 5 members.

Section Club membership consists of four categories: regular, associate, honorary, and Ex-Officio.
A newsletter, The Breeze, is published three times a year to inform Section Club members about the activities of the club.

In the "Social Side of the Section Club's History," member Mary Lee Noonan points out that in 1972 there were over 3,200 women on the mailing list, and the membership approached 800. But were they only drinking tea and socializing?

"We also emphasize our service to the campus community and the financial support which we give to individual students and programs. But to deny the social dimension of the Section Club is to misunderstand our role as a force for community within the vast, often impersonal reaches of the Berkeley campus. Over the years the Section Club has constantly experimented with different ways of bringing people together that supplement the social life of the individual sections. Hospitality, generosity, friendship, kindness - these are values that we must continue to express, individually and collectively, as we map the future of the University Section Club. Often the best way to get to know someone is to work with her on some shared activity."

Mary Flanders

October 2005

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BY-LAWS (Revised May 6, 2008)
UNIVERSITY SECTION CLUB, INC.
A California Nonprofit Public Benefit Corporation
ARTICLE I - PURPOSE
The specific purpose of University Section Club, Inc. (Section Club) is to further the educational activities of the University of California, Berkeley (University) [one of the campuses of the Regents of the University of California, a constitutionally-created California corporation organized exclusively for educational purposes] by offering grants and support to deserving students and student-related groups of the University, by providing assistance to foreign scholars and students and their families, and by promoting study and international understanding among University-related persons and groups.
ARTICLE II - CORPORATE POWERS
Subject to the provisions and limitations of the California Nonprofit Corporation Law and any other applicable laws, and subject to any limitations of the bylaws regarding actions that require approval of the members, the activities and affairs of Section Club shall be managed and all corporate powers shall be exercised by the Board of Directors who shall be members in good standing of Section Club.
ARTICLE III – OFFICE
Section Club shall maintain its principal office at 2222 Bancroft Way, Berkeley, California 94720-4300, but may have additional offices and transact business at such places as the Board of Directors may appoint.
ARTICLE IV - BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Section I.
The Board shall consist of sixteen (16) directors, eight (8) of whom shall be elected officers and eight (8) of whom shall be directors-at-large. The Chancellor (or his/her representative) shall be an ex-officio voting member of the Board. In addition the spouse of the Chancellor of the University, the Section Club Historian and the Parliamentarian shall serve as ex-officio advisors to the Board. The President of the Section Club is entitled to vote on all motions, with or without a tie vote among the other voting members present. Nine (9) directors shall constitute a quorum at any Board meeting.
Section II.
The Board of Directors, Sections and Committees shall conduct financial affairs in compliance with Section 501 (c) (3) of the Internal Revenue Code of the United States of America, and the current Policy on Support Groups and Administrative Guidelines of the Regents of the University of California.
Section III.
There shall be at least four (4) regular meetings of the Board of Directors during the academic year. Special board meetings may also be called with four (4) days notice, if notice is given by first class mail or 48 hours notice if notice is given by telephone.
Section IV.
The Board of Directors shall have the power to incur indebtedness, the terms and amount of which shall be entered in the minutes of the Board, and the note or obligation, if any, given for the same, signed officially by the President and the Treasurer, shall be binding on Section Club.
ARTICLE V - ELECTION OF OFFICERS
Section I.
The elected officers of Section Club, who shall also be directors, shall be: President, President-Elect, Secretary, Secretary-Elect, Corresponding Secretary, Treasurer, Treasurer-Elect, and Past-President. One person shall not hold more than one of these offices.
Section II.
The officers shall be chosen in the following manner:
A. The Chair of the Nominating Committee shall submit the slate of candidates for officers of Section Club to the Board for approval at the Spring Board meeting. All members in good standing must be notified of the slate in writing at least ten days prior to the Annual Meeting (ARTICLE VIII, Section III). The Chair of the Nominating Committee shall subsequently report the nominations of officers for Section Club to the Annual Meeting of Section Club. After this, other nominations for Officers of Section Club may also be made from the floor.
B. Election of the officers shall be by vote of those members present and eligible to vote at the Annual Meeting.
Section III.
The term of office for officers other than the Treasurer shall commence at the close of the Annual Meeting and continue for one year or until a successor is elected. The Treasurer's term shall be from July 1 to June 30. Vacancies shall be filled by the Board of Directors, even though they may lack a quorum, and such member so appointed shall hold office until a successor is elected. No person shall serve as an officer of Section Club for more than two (2) consecutive terms in the same office. An exception is allowed when a recommendation by the Chairman of the Nominating Committee is presented to the Board of Directors and is approved by two-thirds (2/3) vote of the Board.
ARTICLE VI - DIRECTORS-AT LARGE

Section I.
The Directors-at-Large shall consist of eight (8) members, including the Chancellor of the University (or his/her representative), the Chairs of the International Student and Scholar Committee, Membership Committee, Nominating Committee, Publications (The Breeze editor), S.O.S, Student Grants, and Ways and Means.
Section II.
The following Directors are to be appointed by the President to one-year terms: Membership, Publications, Student Grants, and Ways and Means. The Nominating Committee Chair is appointed at the Annual Meeting by the newly elected President-Elect. The Chair of International Student and Scholar Committee and the Chair of S.O.S are elected by their membership, and shall serve as Directors-at-Large of Section Club. Directors-at-Large shall serve for, but not limited to, one year. The President shall fill any vacancy by appointment.
ARTICLE VII - OFFICERS
Section I. PRESIDENT
A. The President shall preside over meetings of the Board of Directors and of Section Club.
B. The President shall sign and execute all contracts and other written instruments approved by the Board of Directors and shall draw checks upon the Treasury when thereto directed by the Board of Directors, and must co-sign all checks over one thousand dollars ($1,000).
C. The President is an ex-officio member of all committees.
D. The President shall appoint the Section Club Historian, the Membership Directory Chair, the Parliamentarian and the Chairs of Ad Hoc and Special Section Club Committees. These appointments may be for more than one year.
Section II. PRESIDENT-ELECT
A. In the case of the President's absence or inability to act, the President-Elect shall act as President.
B. The President-Elect will appoint the Nominating Chair at the Annual Meeting, following the election of the new Section Club Officers.
Section III. SECRETARY
The Secretary shall maintain the corporate minute book, and record all Board Meetings on tape and store them with the Section Club records at the end of her term.
Section IV. SECRETARY-ELECT
The duties of the Secretary-Elect shall be to assist the Secretary. In the case of the Secretary's absence or inability to act, the Secretary-Elect shall act as Secretary.
Section V. CORRESPONDING SECRETARY
The Corresponding Secretary shall handle all correspondence, including notices of meetings.
Section VI. TREASURER
The Treasurer shall serve as chief financial officer of Section Club and
A. will oversee the financial affairs of Section Club, its committees and sections and monitor compliance with appropriate procedures for handling funds.
B. will comply with the guidelines established by the current Regents' Policy on Support Groups. The Treasurer will provide the University Treasurer, the University Auditor and/or campus internal Audit authorization to receive any information, records, or photocopies of transactions relating to the accounts from any financial institution as the University may at any time request from the financial institution.
C. will be responsible for submitting a budget for the approval of the Board of Directors prior to the Annual Business Meeting.
D. will supervise and control the keeping of the financial records of Section Club and shall receive and safely keep all funds of Section Club and deposit same in such bank or banks as may be designated by the Board of Directors. Such funds shall be paid out only on the check of Section Club, signed by the Treasurer, or, in her absence, by the President or Treasurer-Elect. No Section Club Bank accounts may be opened or closed without the approval of the Board of Directors.
E. will obtain the signature of the Treasurer or Treasurer-Elect, and the President, on all checks drawn on any Section Club accounts for sums in excess of one thousand dollars ($1,000).
F. will keep confidential the Section Club Taxpayer ID number which is available for use only upon approval by a two thirds (2/3) vote of the Board of Directors.
G. will be a signer on all section accounts using The Section Club name and/or tax ID number (Article XI, section VIII, paragraph C3).
Section VII. TREASURER-ELECT
The duties of the Treasurer-Elect shall be to assist the Treasurer. In the case of the absence of the Treasurer or the inability of the Treasurer to act, the Treasurer-Elect shall act as Treasurer.
Section VIII. PAST PRESIDENT
The immediate Past President of Section Club will chair the Policy and Planning standing committee.
ARTICLE VIII - MEETINGS OF THE MEMBERS
Section I.
Section Club shall hold at least one business meeting during the academic year.
Section II.
Special meetings may be called at any time by the President or at the written request of five (5) voting members.
Section III.
Notices shall be given at least ten (10) days (or at least twenty (20) days if mailed other than first class) and not more than ninety (90) days before any meeting. Notices shall specify the place, date and hour of the meeting and
A. for a special meeting, only the general nature of the business and no other to be transacted;
B. for a regular meeting, those matters that the Board, at the time notice is given, intends to present for action by the members, but, except as provided in Article VIII, Section IV, any proper matter may be presented at the meeting.
C. The notice of any meeting at which directors are to be elected shall include the names of all persons who are nominees when notice is given.
Section IV.
Five (5) percent of the voting power shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business at any meeting of members, provided, however, that if any regular meeting is actually attended in person by less than one-third of the voting power, the only matters that may be voted on are those of which notice of their general nature was given pursuant to ARTICLE VIII, Section III.
Section V.
All members' meetings are to be conducted under Robert's Rules of Order. The President shall appoint a Parliamentarian.
ARTICLE IX - MEMBERSHIP
Section I.
MEMBERSHIP CONSISTS OF FOUR CATEGORIES: REGULAR, ASSOCIATE, HONORARY AND EX-OFFICIO.
A. Those eligible for REGULAR MEMBERSHIP in Section Club shall be:
1. Current and emeriti faculty and administrative officers of the University of California at Berkeley, to include, but not limited to, the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, other UC Campuses, the Offices of the President and the Regents.
2. Spouses or domestic partners of current, retired, divorced or deceased faculty and administrative officers of the University of California at Berkeley, to include, but not limited to, the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, other UC Campuses, the Offices of the President and the Regents.
3. Visiting scholars and faculty (active and emeriti) from other institutions of higher education.
B. Those eligible for ASSOCIATE MEMBERSHIP in Section Club shall be those who:
1. have demonstrated, as guests of the section or member of a Section Club service program, their commitment to the program of a particular section and/or to the welfare of the University and its students
2. have been nominated in writing to the Board of Directors by three members of a section or three Section Club members of a Section Club service program
3. have their nomination approved for membership by a majority vote of the Board of Directors.
Associate members may not number more than twenty five percent (25%) of the regular membership of the Section
C. Those eligible for HONORARY MEMBERSHIP in Section Club shall be persons:
1. whom the Board of Directors deems to be exceptionally outstanding in their service to the Section Club
2. who have been nominated by two current members of the Board of Directors or five emeriti Board members to the Board of Directors and elected by a two-thirds (2/3) vote of the Board
D. Those eligible as EX-OFFICIO membership of the Section Club shall be the Chancellor of the University (or his/her representative), who shall be an ex-officio voting member of the Board of Directors, and the Spouse of the Chancellor of the University.
Section II
PRIVILEGES AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF MEMBERSHIP
A. Dues
1. Regular and Associate members will pay annual dues as established by the Board of Directors.
2. Honorary and ex-officio members may pay dues voluntarily.
B. Privileges
1. Regular members, who are current in their payment of dues, shall be extended voting privileges.
2. Associate members may serve as Section Chairs. An Associate member who has served as Section Chair and/or Chair of a club wide event and who is a member in good standing for at least five years may vote and serve as an Officer of the Section Club Board. An exception is allowed when a recommendation by the Chairman of the Nominating Committee is presented to the Board of Directors and is approved by two-thirds (2/3) vote of the Board. Associate members may not number more than 20% of the Board of Directors.
3. Honorary members may be invited as guests to the Board of Directors meetings but cannot vote.
4. All members of Sections are encouraged to support and participate in all programs of Section Club.
5. Members have all rights afforded members under the California Nonprofit Corporation Law as it pertains to public benefit corporations.
ARTICLE X - STANDING COMMITTEES
Section I.
Chairs of Standing Committees (except Nominating and Policy and Planning) shall be appointed by the President, subject to the approval of the Board of Directors.
Section II.
The Standing Committees are Membership, Nominating, Policy and Planning, Publications (The Breeze), and Ways and Means. The Students Sponsored Services shall also be considered Standing Committees.
Section III.
The Ways and Means Committee is to conduct fundraising with the approval of the Board of Directors. All receipts for income and expenditures must be submitted to the Treasurer of Section Club.
Section IV.
The Chair of the Student Grants Committee receives requests for grants on behalf of students. Students (in good standing) apply through the personnel of specific University Agencies or Programs, who work directly with the students. The Student Grants Committee allocates the funds available to qualified applicants.
Section V.
The Chair of the Nominating Committee is appointed by the President-Elect for the next academic year (ARTICLE VI, Section II) at the Annual Meeting, following her own election as President-Elect. Two (2) additional members of the Nominating Committee shall be nominated and elected at the Annual Meeting. This Committee is to meet with the President-Elect to secure the consent of candidates to fill the necessary positions on the Board.
Section VI.
It is the duty of the Publications Chair to publish a newsletter, The Breeze, at least once a year or at the discretion of the Board. The publication will inform members about the activities of Section Club. The Publications Chair will also be responsible for publicity and public relations.
Section VII.
A. The Chair of the Policy and Planning Committee is the immediate Past President. The co-Chair is the President. Committee members are: President-Elect, Treasurer, Membership, Ways and Means and others appointed as needed by the Chair of the Committee.
B. The Fiscal and Oversight sub-committee deals with compliance issues. It is made up of the President, the President-Elect, the Treasurer, the immediate Past President, and the immediate Past
Treasurer.
Section VIII.
A. The Membership Committee is charged with recruiting potential members in the categories laid out in Article IX, Section I. To do so, it supervises the activities of the Newcomers group and of the Outreach Committee by actively involving newcomers in the Sponsored Services for Students and Sections Activities, and by reaching out to its original constituencies and beyond.
B. The Outreach Committee, a subcommittee of Membership, shall consist of the Membership Chair, President-Elect, Newcomers Chair, Lawrence Berkeley and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratories representative, and UC Berkeley Retirees representative(s). It works with Membership to invite potential new members to become participants in all aspects of the Section Club activities.
C. A mailing list of all possible sources is to be maintained by the Chair of Membership and kept in the President’s administrative binder, with a copy to the Chair of Membership Directory. The list is to be used at the annual mailing of the Bulletin.
ARTICLE XI - SECTIONS
Section I.
The program responsibilities of University Section Club, as it seeks to implement the purposes stated in ARTICLE I, are vested in the various Sections and sponsored activities.
Section II.
Any member of Section Club may start a new Section consistent with the purposes of Section Club by notifying the President, in writing, prior to the Annual Meeting, indicating the nature of the Section, including the signatures of four (4) additional persons who will be active members.
Section III.
The size of the Section is determined by the members of the Section. No Section may continue with fewer than five (5) members.
Section IV.
The time of meetings is determined by the members of the Section with the approval of the Secretary of Section Club so as to avoid any conflict of time with any other Section. A Section may meet during the summer if the members so desire.
Section V.
The Section leadership is determined by the members of the Section.
Section VI.
Program decisions rest with the Sections and must not conflict with the rules set forth in ARTICLE XIV - POLITICAL AND PARTISAN PARTICIPATION.
Section VII.
The Officers and Directors of Section Club do not assume responsibility for indebtedness, indemnity or liability of the Sections. All financial responsibilities for each Section rest with the members of that Section. No money from Section Club is to be used in the ordinary conduct of the program and activities of the sections.
Section VIII.
All sections shall comply with the following financial procedures in accordance with the current Policy on Support Groups and Administrative Guidelines of the Regents of the University of California.
A. Each section must keep a current record of income and expenses. A copy of the year and financial statement must be given to the Treasurer by June fifteenth (June 15th).
B. All money collected for operating funds should be held as petty cash. All Sections’ funds kept in individual checking accounts must list the name of the account, account number and Bank name and address with the Section Club Treasurer.
C. All Section accounts that use Section Club’s name and/or contain over five hundred dollars ($500) must:
1. use the Section Club’s non-profit ID number
2. be Board approved (ARTICLE VII, Section VI D)
3. have the Treasurer or Treasurer-Elect as signer on the account
D. Funds exceeding those needed for Fall operating expenses should:
1. be transferred to the Section Club Treasury and designated for a Section Club service program, a University program or group, or the general fund before June fifteenth (June 15th)
2. not be transferred to a non profit group outside the University in the name of the Section or Section Club.
Funds may be donated as a gift of individual members of the Section, with the approval of a majority of the Section members, a list of all Section members’ names as donors, and in consultation with the Treasurer.
Section IX.
No section, may participate in any fundraising activity using the Section Club name without written consent and approval of the Board of Directors (ARTICLE XV).
Section X.
Each Section Chair is expected to consider all aspects of the safety and well-being of the members, particularly when outings are planned for the group, and Section Club members should enter into these activities with the knowledge that the Officers and Directors of Section Club cannot be responsible for the special events planned within each Section.
Section XI.
If any Section or Officer thereof acts in violation of these By-Laws, the Board of Directors shall immediately divest the Section or Officer thereof of any association with the Corporation. The Section or Officer shall be so notified in writing by the President of University Section Club, Inc. or the President's deputy.
ARTICLE XII - SPONSORED ACTIVITIES
Section I.
Sponsored Activities of Section Club are S.O.S., the International Student and Scholar Committee and Student Grants.
Section II.
Sponsorship consists of financial support from budgeted funds or Section donations; one-time gifts approved by action of the Board of Directors; advisory support through committees or representatives of Section Club.
Section III.
Sponsored activities will comply with the same provisions required of the Sections as stated in ARTICLE XI – SECTIONS Sections V, VI, VII, VIII, IX,X and XI, and all of ARTICLE IX - MEMBERSHIP.
Section IV.
Sponsored activities may draw upon community members for support.
ARTICLE XIII - PERMANENT RECORDS
Section I.
It will be the duty of the President to see that all records are brought up to date prior to June thirtieth (June 30th), the end of the fiscal year.
Section II.
Current papers deemed important to the Section Club by the Board of Directors will be kept in a Safe Deposit Box in the Section Club's Bank, and will be accessible to the President, President-Elect and Treasurer.
Section III.
All permanent records of Section Club shall be kept by the Board of Directors until such time as they are filed in the archives of the Bancroft Library by the Section Club Historian. These archival records will include: Original Articles of Incorporation, copies of all previous and current Constitutions and By-Laws; Original Minute Book, years 1927-1945; copies of minutes from 1945 to five years previous to the current year; scrapbooks; copies of Bulletins; and a copy of the Section Club Manual.
ARTICLE XIV - POLITICAL AND PARTISAN PARTICIPATION
Neither Section Club as a whole nor any individual Section or Sponsored Activity thereof may participate in political or partisan activities, attempt to influence legislation, carry on propaganda, or participate or intervene in any political campaign on behalf of any candidate for public office. This includes the publishing or distributing of statements. This does not, however, preclude study or discussions of political or partisan issues nor the presentation of debates by candidates for public office.
ARTICLE XV - FUNDRAISING
No Section, Sponsored Activity or individual Section Club member may participate in any fundraising activity using The Section Club name without the written consent and approval of the Board of Directors.
ARTICLE XVI - PUBLIC RELATIONS
All Public Relations of Section Club, its Sections and Sponsored Activities, are to be coordinated and approved by the President.
ARTICLE XVII - USE OF SECTION CLUB PROPERTIES
The property of Section Club may be used by Sections and Sponsored Activities only.
ARTICLE XVIII - EXEMPT STATUS
Section I.
Section Club is a non-profit public benefit corporation organized and operated exclusively for charitable purposes within the meaning of Section 501 (c) (3) of the Internal Revenue Code.
Section II.
No funds shall be solicited for any outside activities other than those conforming to the purposes of Section Club as stated in ARTICLE I of these By-Laws.
Section III.
No Section or any member thereof shall do any act or allow any act to be done by or on behalf of the Section which will affect or cause the denial of any exemption granted under the provisions of Section 501 (c) (3) of the Internal Revenue Code of the United States of America.
ARTICLE XIX - DISSOLUTION
In the event of dissolution, or if The University Section Club, Inc., elects to become a non-recognized organization, its assets shall be transferred within three (3) months to the Regents of the University of California or Berkeley Foundation, as designated by the Chancellor, for purposes consistent with the terms of the individual gifts and purposes of the support group.
ARTICLE XX - AMENDMENTS
Section I.
These By-Laws may be amended in one of the following ways: by a majority of all the members of the Board of Directors; or by a two-thirds majority of the voting members of Section club present at a meeting of Section Club.
Section II.
Amendments to these By-Laws may be proposed by the voting members, by the Board of Directors or by, any voting member of Section Club. Amendments proposed from the floor during a meeting of Section Club shall be acted upon at the next meeting of Section Club, but such proposal does not constitute a waiver of the requirement of written notice to the voting members of Section Club.
Amended: January 17, 1995; April 16, 1996; May 26, 1997; May 8, 2002; May 10, 2005; May 8, 2007; May 6, 2008
Revised: March 10, 1998; May 8, 2002; May 10, 2005
Text omitted on page 5 reinserted on May 9, 2006