Executive Committee Responsibilities

Responsibilities of Members of the Executive Committee

Roles shall be reviewed yearly with members of the new Executive.

General Expectations

  1. All members of the BURA Executive serve as voting members and are expected to attend Executive meetings and BURA events whenever possible.
  2. All positions normally have two-year terms, except the positions of vice president, president and past president, whose terms will normally be one year.
  3. Upon retiring from the position held, the incumbent shall review the position responsibilities and all related procedural details with the individual elected to the position to ensure a transition as seamless as possible. The incumbent shall continue to mentor as needed.

President

  1. Serve as Chief Executive Officer of BURA;
  2. Convene and chair the meetings of the Executive at regular intervals (normally, monthly) and to work with the Secretary to set the agenda for those meetings within a reasonable time in advance of each meeting;
  3. Chair the Annual General Meeting (normally scheduled in May or June);
  4. Coordinate the various activities of the BURA Executive;
  5. Monitor the preparation of social and other events the Executive undertakes for BURA members;
  6. Represent the interests of BURA members to the Brock University administration, including, but not limited to the following:
    i. An informal meeting with each new President of the University to establish an awareness of BURA and its activities, and
    ii. Presentation of an annual request for a contribution from the University toward BURA’s activities;
    iii. Establish a liaison with the Development and Alumni Office
  7. Manage the liaison between and among BURA, Brock University, the Brock University Faculty Association (BUFA) Health Care Spending Account, the Niagara community and CURAC;
  8. Mentor incoming Executive members, as applicable;
  9. Serve as Immediate Past President upon retiring as President; and
  10. Serve as one of the signing officers for BURA

Vice-president

  1. Assume the role of President in the absence of the President;
  2. Assume the Presidency of BURA in the event the President is unable to continue to serve in that position;
  3. Represent the President of BURA at those events or occasions when the President is unable to be present; and
  4. Collaborate with the President on special BURA issues, as asked.
  5. Serve as Event Coordinator. Planning the calendar of events is the responsibility of the Vice-President, but members of the Executive Committee will take responsibility for organizing individual events.
    i. At the May meeting of the Executive, present a draft list of events for the September-December period for approval in principle by the Executive;
    ii. At the October meeting of the Executive, present a draft list of events for the January-June period for approval in principle by the Executive;
    iii. Based on the approved list of events, work with the organizer of the event to engage speakers, contract with venues and caterers, and make all necessary arrangements to organize events, keeping the Executive informed of arrangements as necessary;
    iv. Work with the Membership Facilitator to notify members of events;
    v. Work with the Treasurer to ensure that fees for attendees are collected;
    vi. Work with the IT coordinator to establish remote connections for speakers and attendees

Note: The Vice-president normally would be expected to let his or her name stand for nomination to the Presidency at the close of the President’s term in office.

Immediate Past President

  1. Assume the role of President in the absence of the President and the Vice-president;
  2. Collaborate with the President and/or Vice-president on special BURA issues, as asked;
  3. Coordinate the development of a proposed Executive Committee slate for presentation and approval by the membership at the Annual General Meeting each year;
  4. Coordinate the nomination of a BURA representative to the Brock University Board of Trustees Pension Committee upon the expiration of the incumbent’s term;
  5. Collect the following documents from the respective Executive Committee members and transmit them to the Brock University Special Collections Librarian: Executive Meeting Minutes, Annual General Meeting minutes including Executive reports, annual financial statements, newsletters, membership directories, and any additional material that the Executive may deem pertinent.
  6. To send a card of condolence to the family of any BURA member or partner who has died. With the family’s permission, to inform the membership of the death of a member or partner.
  7. To prepare email notices of severe illness or obituary and forward to the Membership Facilitator for circulation to the general membership and to the Newsletter Editor for inclusion in an upcoming Newsletter.
  8. To send cards to BURA members who are experiencing a major illness themselves or in their families;
  9. Serve as one of the signing officers for BURA.

Secretary

  1. Solicit the members of the Executive Committee for possible agenda items for upcoming Executive meetings and to collaborate with the BURA President in order to set the final agenda and then circulate approximately one week in advance of the meeting.
  2. Record and distribute via email the minutes of Executive meetings to the Executive Committee approximately one week after the meeting.
  3. Organize the details of the Annual General Meeting. This includes the selection of an appropriate site for the meeting, the development of a timeline to ensure receipt by members, one month before the Meeting, of any motions to change the Constitution; the development of the Agenda, the compilation of relevant reports; the printing and mailing of copies of these materials for those members who do not receive email; the emailing of the documents for the Annual General Meeting in a timely manner.
  4. Maintain a copy of Executive and Annual General Meeting Minutes, and other
    pertinent documents.

Treasurer

  1. Serve as the Financial Officer of BURA, being accountable to the membership for all monies received and paid out on behalf of BURA;
  2. Accept and deposit all funds received by BURA including payments from the membership for event participation and membership dues;
  3. Make all valid disbursements on behalf of BURA;
  4. Maintain financial records of all transactions and regularly apprise the Executive of BURA’s financial status;
  5. Prepare annual financial statements for distribution at the Annual General Meeting;
  6. Transmit the annual financial statements to the IT Coordinator for posting on the website;
  7. Transmit the annual financial statements to the Immediate Past President to be sent to the University archives;
  8. Serve as one of the signing officers for BURA.

Membership Facilitator

  1. Strive to increase the BURA membership through publications, the BURA website, group events, etc. To ensure that Brock’s Human Resources has sufficient and up-to-date BURA materials for inclusion in employee retirement packages, including the BURA Membership Registration Form.
  2. Forward, on request, applications to potential members, and to receive and process all new membership applications;
  3. Forward membership fees as received to the BURA Treasurer;
  4. Forward a membership card and current membership directory (or alternative) to new members as they join BURA;
  5. Prepare mailing address labels (as/if required) for new members;
  6. Confirm new BURA memberships to Corsana for those enrolling in the Corsana Group Benefit Plan;
  7. Maintain a current record of the membership of BURA, including the member’s residential and email addresses, telephone number, and name of the member’s spouse/partner, and forward any changes in BURA membership to all members of the BURA Executive;
  8. Manage the annual membership renewal process including the issuing of new BURA membership cards;
  9. Prepare a BURA membership directory for printing and oversee its distribution to the membership, normally every two years;
  10. To provide membership-related information about BURA and to serve as a BURA contact for membership for recent or imminent retirees
  11. To compile lists/reports and circulate as needed e.g., new member lists to be included in BURA Newsletters and keeping the Telephone & Transportation Committee apprised of members requiring assistance.

Notes:
i. When appropriate, responsibility for preparing and distributing the membership directory could be assumed by the Vice-president, another Executive member, or a non-Executive member of the BURA organization.
ii. The Membership Facilitator normally shall not vacate the position during the year in which a new membership directory is being prepared and circulated.

Newsletter Editor

  1. Solicit contributions for the Newsletter;
  2. Arrange for photography at BURA events;
  3. Prepare two issues of the newsletter each year for distribution to the membership;
  4. Work with the IT Coordinator to arrange distribution of the Newsletter to members, other interested people, and CURAC;
  5. Transmit each issue of the Newsletter to the IT Coordinator to be posted on the website.

IT Coordinator

  1. Maintain the BURA website
  2. Liaise with Brock University IT staff
  3. Ensure that the following documents are posted on the website: Constitution, annual reports of Executive Committee members, annual financial statements, agenda and minutes of the Annual General Meeting, agenda and minutes of all Executive Committee meetings, an updated membership list, and any other documents that would be useful to members.
  4. Assist other members of the Executive who need IT expertise in their duties
  5. Recommend the purchase of software, hardware, and related equipment to the Executive

Executive Team Officers or Councillors without Portfolio

Councillors at large will assume one or more of the following portfolios.

Telephone and Transportation Portfolio

  1. To receive information from the Membership Facilitator relevant to calling members not using email about upcoming BURA events;
  2. To call members not on email—to ascertain their attendance and provide the number and names of the telephoned members attending an event to the Event Coordinator;
  3. To keep current the telephone list of members; and
  4. To receive requests for transportation to an event directly from members and/or from the Membership Facilitator on their behalf, and to connect those in need of a ride with a volunteer driver in the same general geographic area.

Note: The previous subsets of responsibilities could be assumed by Councillors and/or other members of the Executive depending on their interests and skills. These could also be assumed by BURA members who are not on the Executive.

Representative on the Brock Pension Committee

  1. To represent, on the Brock University Pension Committee, the interests of all Brock retirees who belong to the University Pension Plan;
  2. To present an annual report to the membership of BURA; and
  3. To mentor the incoming Pension Plan Committee representative.

Approved by the Executive Committee on February 6, 2024