RALEIGH-WAKE CHAPTER BYLAWS
ARTICLE I. Name
The name of this organization shall be the Raleigh-Wake Chapter of Jack and Jill of America,
Incorporated.
ARTICLE II. Objectives and Aims
Section 1. The objectives of this nonprofit organization are:
- To create a medium of contact for children which will stimulate growth and development.
- To provide for children, constructive educational, cultural, civic, recreational, health and social programs.
- To aid mothers in learning more about their children by careful study.
- To seek for all children the same advantages which we desire for our own.
- To support all Jack and Jill of America, Inc. National legislation aimed at bettering the conditions of all children.
ARTICLE III. Membership
Section 1. Individual Classification
Raleigh-Wake Chapter Membership shall consist of Active, Associate, Alumni and Life members. The
chapter shall not be restricted to a maximum number, but shall maintain a minimum level of
membership as set forth in the National Bylaws. If the chapter falls below the minimum membership
requirement, it will be subject to review by Regional and National. Determining factors for our
chapter's continuation shall be our documented attendance at conferences, conventions, activity in
the community, the ability to carry out the aims and objectives of the organization, the
demographics of our location and our chapter's recruitment efforts.
A. Active Membership
1. Mothers, female legal guardians or female custodial caretakers with children between the
ages of two (2) through nineteen (19) years of age may hold active membership.
2. To maintain membership, a member must be “in good standing”. Good standing as used in
this document means a mother must be active and financial.
3. Active is defined as participating in local chapter activities, sponsoring age-group activities
and supporting the Foundation. An active member shall be required to attend one national
convention or one regional conference or one regional area workday or cluster within each
four-year period for the duration of her membership tenure. Financial is defined as having
paid all chapter, regional and national dues, assessments and fees. Additional criteria for
active membership, as set forth in the National Bylaws, must be met.
4. Members are required to inform the Recording Secretary if they are unable to attend Chapter
Mothers meetings and planning meetings. The Recording Secretary will check the roll at each
meeting. The roll check at regular meetings, as stipulated in the National Bylaws, will be used
to establish the record of attendance.
5. Mothers who do not attend a majority of mothers meetings including the annual planning
meeting [as indicated by the Recording Secretary records] or who do not fulfill their duty to
sponsor age-group activities [as indicated by age group reports] or who do not meet
national, regional and chapter financial obligations [as reported by the Financial Secretary]
may be terminated from membership.
6. Names of members terminated from the local chapter shall be sent to the National Secretary
and Treasurer. The reasons for the action shall be given.
7. Special Exception: Should a member be unable to host age-group activities, sustain
attendance and/or financial status due to extended illness, financial hardship or other
personal hardship, upon written request from the member, the Executive Board will review the
circumstances and approve or deny, in whole or in part, a Special Exception.
Upon approval, the Chapter shall, if needed, maintain National and Regional per capita
dues for this member and their children (teens). In addition, upon acceptance of this request,
chapter obligations and chapter dues and assessments shall be waived. The member will be
responsible, however, for payment of any age group, mother, father auxiliary or family
activities in which the member, her husband, children and/or family participate.
a. The Special Exception must be requested in writing to the President with an
explanation of the circumstances.
b. The Executive Board may grant approval for a period of time, not to exceed one
chapter program year (June 1 through May 31). Members may not use Special
Exception for consecutive years, but are not precluded from future use if their personal
circumstances meet the criteria.
c. Once the Special Exception period has expired, the member will be responsible for
any future dues, fees and assessments.
8. To sponsor a prospective mother for membership in the Raleigh-Wake chapter, the sponsoring
member must have completed one full year of membership unless she is a transfer member
from another chapter in which she has been a member for at least one program year.
9. Active members eligible to sponsor new members cannot sponsor more than two (2)
candidates per year.
10. Active members are required to attend at least 1 membership intake function (sponsored by
the membership committee) in order to be eligible to vote on the candidates.
11. Members should not use the membership intake process or approach candidates for their
own personal and/or professional gain. This includes professional solicitation related to
entrepreneurial ventures, business plans, etc.
12. Concerns about any prospective candidate should be submitted to the Membership Chair
and/or sponsor[s] prior to the February mothers meeting when sponsors endorse candidates
so that they may be addressed by the sponsor[s] at the February meeting, or subsequently by
the candidate or sponsor[s] via phone or email, prior to the March vote. The membership
committee is the conduit for clarifying, confirming or dismissing concerns and notifying the
membership as such.
B. Associate Membership
1. A mother may become an associate member of the organization either when the youngest
child reaches age twenty, or when the youngest child completes high school and by paying
the National and Regional per capita tax and any other fees upon which the local chapter
and associates mutually agree.
2. The "Associate Membership" shall be in accordance with the rules set forth in the National
Bylaws.
3. The chapter shall have an associate liaison to help recruit tenured mothers and disseminate
associate information to associates and associate groups. The associate membership may fall
under the responsibilities of the vice president.
C. Life Membership
Any mother, legal guardian, or custodial caretaker who has been continuously active in Jack
and Jill for at least ten [10] years (Associate membership may be included in tenure calculation),
has completed her tenure “in good standing”, and who has reached associate membership
status may apply for Life Membership. Life membership shall be in accordance with the rules set
forth in the National Bylaws.
D. Honorary Life Member
Outstanding and influential mothers who have made meritorious contributions to children and
children's welfare shall hold Honorary Life Membership, when recommended by the membership
and approved by the National Executive Board.
E. Alumni Membership
Children who have completed high school or are between the ages of (19) nineteen and twenty-five (25) who graduated while the mother, legal guardian, or custodial caretaker was either
active or completed her tenure “in good standing” and who are not eligible for regular
membership in Jack and Jill according to Article I, Section 1-A of the National Bylaws, shall be
eligible for alumni membership.
Section 2. New Membership Requirements
A. Candidates for membership come through a chapter's in-take process, legacy status or
through establishment of new chapters as described in the National bylaws.
B. The quota for new member intake shall be set at the annual retreat/planning meeting. New
members joining through legacy status shall be in addition to the chapter quota and shall be
initiated yearly.
C. A prospective candidate for membership must be sponsored by two active and, financial
members of the chapter who shall give oral endorsements of the qualifications of the
prospective member to the membership at the time specified by the membership
committee. A candidate shall be entitled to membership as a result of legacy status, if she
satisfies the criteria in D below.
D. Legacy Status is granted to each child (male or female) who graduates from a Jack and Jill
Chapter and whose mother is a member “in good standing” at the time of the child’s
graduation from the chapter or to a child that has been granted immediate legacy status due to the death of their mother, whom at the time of her death was in good standing.
The female child or spouse of a male child shall be entitled to automatically become a
member of the chapter where they are presently living upon submission of an application
and payment of any required monies under the following conditions:
Each Legacy (male or female) shall attain membership through this process only once.
If legacy status was granted to the first spouse of a male child, any subsequent spouse
must seek membership as a new member.
Members entering our chapter under this legacy classification are oriented and
initiated on the same timetable as other incoming members.
Members entering our chapter under this legacy classification shall be in addition to
the established chapter quota and shall be initiated yearly.
Members entering our chapter under this legacy classification are expected to fulfill
the requirements of membership as established by our local chapter and the national
organization.
Members entering our chapter under this legacy classification are subject to the same
process of membership termination as outlined in these bylaws.
Members who are terminated may not re-apply for membership under legacy status.
E. A mother who has completed her tenure "in good standing" and due to changed
circumstances, desires to again become a member of Jack & Jill of America, Inc. shall be
entitled to automatically become a member of the chapter where she is presently living upon
submission of an application and payment of any required monies.
F. Names of prospective members shall be presented once a program year in January and voted on by ballot at or before the April Mother’s Meeting. An orientation for newly elected members or new legacy members shall be held before the initiation ceremony. The initiation ceremony shall be held no later than May 31. The roster of new members, their joining fees and the Headquarters assessment must be sent to National Headquarters no later than May 31st.
G. In order for a prospective member to be declined membership, she must receive "no" votes
from 15% of the active membership [financial]. If a second ballot is necessary for elimination,
those persons receiving the highest number of votes will make up the quota of members.
H. Letters of invitation shall be given to applicants selected for membership within five (5) days of
the March meeting at which the voting occurred stating:
1. The purpose of the organization
2. The obligation of membership
3. The joining fee and current dues
I. A letter of acceptance or non-acceptance must be received from prospective members
within ten (10) days of receipt of the letter of invitation.
J. A joining fee, set by the chapter (includes the price of the Jack and Jill Manual and the Jack
and Jill National Constitution and Bylaws), should be paid by certified check or money order.
This fee which is non-refundable may be paid in two installments; 1/2 within
thirty (30) days after the date of the letter of invitation to the prospective member; and
the remaining half no later than 2 weeks prior to initiation. The joining fee for all members shall
be paid to the National Treasurer at least two weeks prior to the initiation ceremony, but no
later than May 31st.
K. New member orientation shall be held before the initiation ceremony.
L. New members shall be required to attend orientation and initiation and shall be provided a
Jack and Jill Chapter Handbook, the Jack and Jill Manual, and a Jack and Jill National
Constitution and Bylaws (included in the joining fee set by the chapter). They shall also be
required to attend a Cluster Workday within the first 2 years of membership.
M. Applicants must reside in Wake County to become members of the Chapter and should
retain Wake County residence throughout their membership. However, if a member resides in
a surrounding county that does not have a Jack and Jill Chapter within 80 miles, the RaleighWake Chapter may consider the Applicant for membership.
Section 3. Leave of Absence
A. A leave of absence must be requested in writing to the Chapter President. At the
Executive Board’s discretion, a leave of absence may be granted. National and Regional
per capita must accompany this request and the deadline for this request shall be the
same as for chapter dues.
B. A leave of absence prohibits the participation of the entire family from all Chapter
activities, during the leave period, unless the Chapter denotes the activity as a fundraiser.
A fine, as designated by the Chapter, will be assessed to families on leave who attend
Chapter events (except in the case of fundraisers). All fines will be due to the Chapter,
upon written notification of the assessment and/or before the close of the fiscal year, in
which the infraction(s) occurred. Failure to remain financial is cause for termination.
C. Members who have been granted leave of absence from the Chapter must meet all
National and Regional financial obligations.
D. A member who is financial and whose circumstances require leave beyond the program
year in which the leave was granted is considered a non-member “in good standing”
and can be reinstated upon payment of dues without a sponsor.
a. However, written notification must reach the Chapter President before the end of the
approved program year of absence, requesting up to one program year of nonmembership, but no longer; and also, indicating the expected return date. Non-members
(as a result of official leave of absence) may be re-instated without a sponsor if they return
by the end of two consecutive program years (including the program year of the initial
granted leave of absence).
b. Beyond the original leave of absence and one additional program year of nonmembership (2 consecutive years absent), a returning non-member (absent for three (3)
program years) must obtain two (2) sponsors and pay fees equal to that of new
membership for the specified program year; or if no intake occurs that year, the fees
equal to the last assessed new membership and obtain two (2) sponsors.
c. Non-members beyond the end of the third consecutive year of absence must
apply as a new member and meet all requirements set forth for new members.
E. Leave cannot be granted to a mother who is not financial.
F. Leave cannot be granted to new members within the first two years of membership.
Section 4. Transfer of Membership
Transfer of membership, in all instances, must be requested through the Chapter President
and processed in accordance with the National Bylaws. The Chapter President will inform
the requesting member of transfer approval. Members transferring into the Raleigh-Wake
Chapter will be allowed to attend and/or participate in Chapter events once the Chapter
President has contacted the transferring member and extended the invitation and notice of
approval.
Section 5. Termination of Membership
A. Active membership of the mother terminates upon her written request to the Chapter Vice
President or at the end of the program year, which includes all conventions, when the
youngest child reaches age twenty or when the youngest child completes high school. The
President will send a notification letter to the member with a copy to National stating the
effective date of termination.
B. Active membership of the mother terminates upon written notification from the President
when she is not financial.
1. Members who are not financial, after a thirty-day period, shall be sent a registered
letter concerning their standing by the Financial Secretary with a 10-day notice for
dues to be paid or membership will be considered inactive and not “in good
standing”. The registered letter will specifically state the reasons for termination and
her right to appeal to Regional. Notification by email may be sent in addition to a
registered letter, but does not preclude sending notice via registered mail. For
reinstatements refer to Article III, Section 6.
2. Upon receipt of notification of termination, the member shall have thirty (30) days to
appeal to the local chapter Executive Board. If the appeal at the chapter level is
deemed unsatisfactory, the member may then appeal to the Regional Director. If
the appeal at the regional level is deemed unsatisfactory, the member then may
appeal to the National Advisory Council (NAC). The NAC shall send its decision, along
with the rationale, to the member, the chapter and its region by registered letter. The
decision of the NAC shall be final.
3. Members who are not financial relinquish all chapters privileges including voting rights
until financial obligations are met.
C. Active membership of the mother is subject to termination when she continuously fails to
meet any of these requirements: the attendance requirements for regular mothers meetings;
sponsor age-group activities; support the Foundation; attend one national convention or one
regional conference or one regional area workday or cluster within each four year period for
the duration of her membership tenure.
D. Active membership of the mother is subject to termination if false and misleading
information is provided on the new member application.
Section 6. Reinstatement Procedures
A. A terminated member must respond in writing to the Executive Board, explaining why
she is requesting reinstatement. Request must be received within Chapter year of
dismissal.
B. The Executive Board must review the written request and present to the membership