BY-LAWS

ARTICLE I - NAME

The Name of the organization shall be New England Relocation Association.

ARTICLE II - PURPOSE

The purposes for which this organization is formed are to educate, evaluate, and communicate information on practices and procedures in the relocation of employees who are transferred to different geographical locations so that the transfer may be accomplished with maximum efficiency and minimum disruption to the employee, family and employer, and generally to carry out activities in support of such purposes as are consistent with the public interest.

ARTICLE III - MEMBERSHIP

Section I - Membership: It is the goal of NERA to maintain a corporate and service partner member ratio that encourages participation by both member classifications. Membership ratios are established with the goal of having 40% of membership from the Corporate sector and 60% from the Service Partner sector.  In an effort to achieve this membership ratio all new Service Partner member applicants will be required to bring a new Corporate member applicant to at least 1 (one) meeting to be eligible for membership. A new Corporate member is defined as “an individual from a Corporation that has not had any employees attend a NERA meeting in the prior two years”.  The Board will review ratios annually in order to establish membership recruiting and retention goals for the year.

***Special Amendment/modification to bylaws for 2021-2022 only. Voted on and approved by the BOD.  In effect as of May 13, 2021

Waiving requirement for new Service Partner member applicants to bring a new Corporate member applicant to at least 1 (one) meeting to be eligible for membership.***

Section II - Corporate membership limit: three free representatives per company. Beyond three free members, additional members shall be allowed to join at the cost of an Individual Member.  Any person actively involved for an employer in the relocation of its employees shall be eligible for Corporate membership. Corporate members shall be eligible to hold office and participate in the activities of the Association. Application for Corporate membership shall be submitted to the Membership Committee for evaluation.

Section III - Service Partner membership limit: three representatives per company.  Any person actively involved in the relocation industry as a supplier shall be eligible for Service Partner membership. Service Partner members shall be eligible to hold office and participate in the activities of the Association. Application for Service Partner membership shall be submitted to the Membership Committee for evaluation. Any Service Partner member who has been inactive (e.g. has not paid dues) for a period of one (1) membership year or longer will be treated as a new member in accordance with Article III, Section I.

Section IV – Individual membership limit: one per person.  Any person who formerly was active in the relocation industry and due to employment termination or retirement is no longer eligible for either a NERA Corporate or Service Partner membership and may be eligible for an Individual membership. Individual members shall be eligible to participate in the activities of the Association. Individual members may hold a board position, if they were serving on the board at the time of their change in employment.  In that case, member will remain in their original status (Corporate or Service Partner) for the balance of the membership year in which the change occurred.  Thereafter, if the member would like to remain with the Association, Individual Member rules and dues will apply.  Those board members may remain on the board for one membership year as an Individual Member.  Application for Individual membership shall be submitted to the Board of Directors for evaluation. An Individual membership is non-transferable.

Section V - Meeting Attendance

There is no limit on the number of attendees by a member company that can attend organization meetings. Attendees in addition to the paid members will pay for the meeting as non-members. 

Guests must be sponsored by a member, or can attend one meeting per fiscal year without sponsorship. A guest is defined as a person who does not currently hold a membership. This can be a colleague or a member, a perspective member, etc.

Section VI - Termination of Membership

The resignation of any member shall be in writing to the Membership Committee and become effective upon submission to the Board of Directors. Any dues paid to a date beyond such resignation period will not be refundable. Membership may be revoked by vote of the Board of Directors when a member becomes ninety (90) days delinquent in any financial obligation or is otherwise ineligible.

Section VII - Membership Transfers

Membership is transferable from one representative to another within a given company, providing the dues have been paid by the company. The company retains the actual membership not the representative.

When a representative transfers from one company to a new company and the new company is not a current Service Partner member the requirements of Article III Section I will apply. This will not apply to Board members. Board members will be allowed to complete their term.

ARTICLE IV - FINANCES

Section I - Fiscal Year

The fiscal year of the Association shall begin July 1 and end June 30 of the following year.

Section II – Dues and Sponsorships

Annual membership dues of the Association shall be payable to the Treasurer, in advance, for each fiscal year as of September 1. The Board of Directors shall determine dues. Members cannot attend meetings if they have not paid their dues. Only guests can pay for a meeting. Dues and sponsorships shall not be refundable in whole or in part.

Section III - Dissolution

Upon the dissolution of the New England Relocation Association, the Board of Directors, after paying or making provisions for the payment of all of the liabilities of the association, shall dispose of all of the remaining assets of the association exclusively for the purposes of the association in such manner, or to such organization or organizations as shall at the time qualify as a tax-exempt organization or organizations recognized under Section 501 (c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, or the corresponding provision of any future United States Internal Revenue statute as the Board shall determine.

Section IV - Audit

Should the Board of Directors deem it necessary, an audit of the Association's financial books will be conducted by a committee of three appointed members of the Association, none of whom shall be current members of the Board of Directors.

Section V - Expenses

Any expenses in addition to the normally expected expenses (meeting costs, catering, speaker room/board, etc.) must be approved in advance by the board.

ARTICLE V - ORGANIZATION

Section I - The governing body of the Association shall be known as the Board of Directors, authorized to handle all policy matters of the Association. The Board of Directors shall consist of a maximum of thirteen members, one of whom shall be the President. There must be at least four Corporate members on the board. Only members in good standing may serve as Directors. Board members who are absent for one or more in-person board meeting and/or two or more board meeting conference calls in a fiscal year may be asked to step down from the board. Conference call options will be made whenever possible. The past President shall be the Chairman of the Board of Directors and shall be responsible for proper notification to members of any recommendations made or actions taken.

Section II – A quorum consists of a majority of the Board of Directors.

Section III - Officers of the Association shall be: Past President/Chairman of the Board, President, Vice President, Treasurer, and Secretary.

Section IV - The Officers shall serve for two year terms for each position they hold. Board members can serve on the board for two years and must then assume an officer position, if available, or step down from the board. When an Officer steps off the board, they may have the opportunity to serve on the Advisory Board.

Section V - Appendix A includes job descriptions for all elected officers.

Section VI - Meetings of the Board of Directors shall be held prior to each meeting of the Association or at the call of the President, or a majority of the Board of Directors. Written notice of the Board meeting will be provided to the Board members at least five days prior to the meeting date.

Section VII - The Board of Directors shall conduct the business of the Association during intervals between its meetings, make arrangements for meetings of the Association, and review all applications for membership. 

Section VIII - Vacancy: In the event that a board position becomes vacant the board can fill the vacancy as required in Article V Section I. The process for filling a vacancy will be as follows: (1) the board will announce the vacancy and the need to fill the vacancy to the entire membership, (2) applications will be accepted and reviewed by the board, and (3) the board will vote and select new board members by simple majority.

Section IX - Board of Directors Advisory Board – If needed to further the interest of the New England Relocation Association and the business of the Board of Directors, prior NERA board officers  who are active NERA members will be able to apply to serve as an Advisory Board Member. Their role will be to act as a consultant to the board. The Advisory Board members who are absent for two or more board meetings and/or two or more board meeting conference calls in a fiscal year may be asked to step down from the board. Board of Directors will vote on the addition of any Advisory Board members.

ARTICLE VI - COMMITTEES

Section I - All Committees deemed necessary shall be appointed by the President with the advice and consent of the Board of Directors.

ARTICLE VII - ELECTIONS

Section I - Election of Officers and Directors shall be the responsibility of the Board of Directors.

ARTICLE VIII - MEETINGS

Section I - Regular meetings of the Association shall be held three times annually.

Section II - Special meetings of the Association may be held at the President's call, at the call of a majority of the Board of Directors, or at the call of ten members, which shall state the purpose of the meeting provided, however, that written notice of the meeting is e-mailed at least ten days prior to the meeting date.

ARTICLE IX - PARLIAMENTARY RULES

The rules contained in Robert's Rules of Order, revised, shall govern in all cases where they do not conflict with the Bylaws of this Association as interpreted by the Board of Directors.

Appendix A

Section I - Roles & Responsibilities of the Board of Directors

All Members of NERA’s Board of Directors are expected to be active participants in and to act in furtherance of the Organization, including mentoring other board members and assisting with transitions from officer and committee roles.

Chairperson
Qualification	Past President
Term	2 years
Voting Rights	Yes
Roles & Responsibilities	Provide support and advice to Board of Directors
	Assist in organizing and obtaining speakers and planning NERA meetings
	Discuss membership with any potential new members and/or old members according to published bylaws, as needed

President
Qualification	Majority vote by the Board of Directors
Term	2 years
Voting Rights	Yes
Roles & Responsibilities	Provide support and advice to Board of Directors
	Conduct in-person membership meetings at desired location, currently 3X annually
	Schedule and conduct Board meetings, both in-person and telephonic/virtual, number determined by President and/or board members (approximately 8/year)
	Volunteer and assist with various committees as needed, including organizing NERA meetings and speakers
	Discuss membership with any potential new members and/or old members according to published bylaws, as needed
	Send schedule of events and descriptions of sessions to NERA Admin for updating the website (and obtaining CRP credits) – include bios of speakers
	Work with NERA Admin to create a survey to be given out at the conference, or emailed after the conference
	Collect responses from survey and share feedback with board as appropriate
	Oversee and assist with responsibilities of other board and committee members
	Send hand-written thank you notes to speakers within one week of conferences
	Mentor other board members and provide coaching on President position

Vice President
Qualification	Majority vote by the Board of Directors
Term	2 years
Voting Rights	Yes
Roles & Responsibilities	Fill in as acting President in the event the President is unable to perform his/her duties
	Purchase speaker gifts, as appropriate
	Volunteer and assist with various committees as needed, including organizing NERA meetings and speakers
	Discuss membership with any potential new members and/or old members according to published bylaws, as needed
	Oversee and assist with responsibilities of other board and Committee members
	Mentor other board members and provide coaching on Vice President position
	Seek out local charity, gain approval from board, give back to the Norwood community in our June meeting

Treasurer
Qualification	Majority vote by the Board of Directors
Term	2 years
Voting Rights	Yes
Roles & Responsibilities	Facilitate the payment of all NERA bills/invoices
	Process necessary refunds to members
	Record all transactions in QuickBooks, making sure transaction is assigned to the correct reporting category
	Balance checking account
	Reconcile Authorize.net (Merchant Account) to QuickBooks
	Provide electronic versions of reports 24 hours prior to scheduled board meetings
	Report financial position of NERA to Board members during board meetings
	Bring hard copies of Balance Sheets and P&L statements for current fiscal YTD and prior year for the same time period
	Discuss membership with any potential new members and/or old members according to published by-laws, as needed
	Assist tax accountant with annually tax reporting
	Ensure that board insurance coverage is maintained
	Volunteer and assist with various committees as needed, including organizing NERA meetings and speakers

Secretary
Qualification	Majority vote by the Board of Directors
Term	2 years
Voting Rights	Yes
Roles & Responsibilities	Attend and record minutes at board meetings
	Produce word document of minutes and forward to President for review as soon as possible, but within two weeks of meeting
	Modify and resend revised minutes to board of directors within one month of meeting
	Coordinate and/or create and distribute name tags at NERA events
	Volunteer and assist with various committees (especially membership) as needed, including organizing NERA meetings and speakers
	Discuss membership with any potential new members and/or old members according to published bylaws
	Partner closely with membership committee and send welcome note to new members
	Assist with member and guest registration at each meeting

Advisory Board
Qualification	Majority vote by the Board of Directors
Term	2 years
Voting Rights	No
Roles & Responsibilities	Help with programs and policies
	Provide counsel and expert advice
	Review new proposals
	Contribute input and feedback
	Develop business strategies that help to grow the organization
	Discuss membership with any potential new members and/or old members according to published bylaws

Section II: NERA Committee Responsibilities

All committees shall be overseen by an active member of the Board of Directors and may include members of the organization, as appropriate.

Membership

Increase awareness of membership opportunities and benefits with both Corporate and Service Partner prospects

Maintain a listing of current, former and prospective members in order to ensure that all are retained or join

Call any new member prospects to provide information on NERA’s value and let President know if appropriate to contact as well

Ensure NERA admin makes notes of what supplier a new corporate member is ‘sponsored’ by for future reference

Call any lapsed member to encourage renewing membership and/or gain insight as to the reason they’re not renewing

Review ERC website yearly (and any other available sources) to determine if there are any members we should contact to promote NERA

Act as an ambassador of NERA at organization-sponsored events as well as other industry events

Seek feedback from members and non-member prospects to be shared with the board to overcome any obstacles to membership

Ensure that all new meeting attendees receive buddies and welcome bags at their first meeting

Socialize membership gift ideas for June meeting, gain board approval, and make purchase of gifts accordingly

Manage registrations for Mingle and conference to ensure that attendees are registered for the appropriate events

Facilities

Negotiate conf and hotel room rates for NERA board and other members a year in advance

Review and sign contracts with hotel/conference center to secure facilities for board meeting and conference, as well as food and beverage needs, cut-off dates for room reservations, number of rooms pre-reserved for board and speakers

Request that NERA Admin send an email to remind members to reserve rooms at negotiated NERA rate (2 weeks prior to room cut-off date)

Confirm rooms are reserved for board members and speakers

Email confirmation numbers to board members and speakers

Prior to conferences, coordinate AV needs for each meeting (these may change several times for each meeting).  Consider speaker mics, lavalieres, panel tables, speaker seating, etc.rioto conferences, coordinate AV needs for each meeting (these may change several times for each meeting).  Consider speaker mics, lavalieres, panel tables, speaker seating, etc.

Validate that all rooms that are booked for board members and speakers are being used 3 days prior to the conference

Just prior to each meeting, meet with hotel staff to confirm future meeting dates, secure any last-minute facilities changes for the Mingle or conference and finalize food orders

During the membership meeting, remain in contact with hotel staff and monitor lighting and room temperature, food & beverages, A/V needs, etc.

After meeting, review master bill for all charges including NERA-paid rooms, food & beverages, and facilities charges and send to President for final review and approval

Solicit/gather ideas for agenda topics, ensure balance of domestic and international topics

Source availability of speakers for different topics & secure accordingly

Outline proposed agenda to gain board approval on agenda and paid speakers 90 days before meeting date

Submit final agenda to President 60 days prior to meeting (Agenda to include estimated time allotments)

Register each speaker for the meeting

Collect bios from speakers- add to agenda, have printed for meeting & send President (for introduction purposes)

Collect presentations from speakers 2 weeks before event- provide to NERA Admin and board member whose laptop will be used

Ensure all speaker AV needs are communicated to the facilities committee

Determine whether hotel rooms are needed for speakers- let Facilities coordinator know

Determine whether speakers will be at the Mingle the night before- let NERA Admin know, for registration

Ensure speakers have arrived 1 hour prior to their session

Ensure any invoices for paid speakers is sent to treasurer for payment

Send presentations to NERA Admin to post to the website

Communications

Manage NERA LinkedIn (and any other social media accounts created)

Manage members, invitations, promote future events, and add group managers

Post professional news and insights from our members or industry

Provide any announcements to the NERA admin for posting to the site (i.e. job openings)

Maintain oversight to our website to ensure all materials are up to date and working properly (i.e. links, event registrations) and make recommended changes as necessary

Provide pictures from NERA events (Mingle, conference, etc.) to Admin to update the site and post on social media accounts

Mingle

Solicit/gather ideas for mingle           

Gain board approval on location/pricing

Book room (Facility coordinator) or off-site location as needed

Send event details & description to NERA Admin for updating the website & Communications team to post on social media

Nominating Committee

For slate of Officers:            

Select Nominating committee. Nominating committee determined (by current President/Board). Nominating committee should not be part of the Executive Board.

Determine who is willing and able to hold Board positions.  Discuss each’s ability amongst committee.

Discuss suggested slate of officers.

Make recommendation to President, then to Board for a vote.

Board members can also suggest recommendation, submit another name for a particular office.

Board can then vote, by private ballot or verbally.

Discuss potential positions with each candidate to determine if willing to either move up to another position or stay at current position.

Discuss suggested slate of officers.

Make recommendation to President, then to Board for a vote.

Board members can also suggest recommendation, submit another name for a particular office.

Board can then vote, by private ballot or verbally.

For Additional Board Members:

Determine how many Board positions available/open.

Request written letter of intent from possible candidates or communication as to experience, potential desire to join the Board.

Determine experience with respect to their company and Relocation Industry.

Determine best candidates for Board positions and advise NERA Board, open recommendations and discussion at Board meeting.

Board can then vote, by private ballot or verbally.

Nominating committee should communicate to all nominees, both those nominated to the Board. and those not nominated, as to the Boards choice or outcome.