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GE Elfun By-Laws
I. General Items
1. These
by-laws are enacted in accordance with the enabling provisions of the
constitution of GE Elfun.
2. The
by-laws of GE Elfun are to record the policies and procedures established for
the management of the affairs of the organization.
3. Nothing
in the by-laws is intended to be in conflict with the constitution of GE
Elfun. In the event of conflict, the
constitution shall prevail.
4. These
by-laws may be amended by a two-thirds vote of the Board members in attendance
at a meeting of said board.
5. Officers of GE Elfun – The Board shall
elect bi-annually a President, Vice President of Regulars, Vice
President–Seniors, Vice President of Communications, Vice President of Programs
and Vice President of Membership who shall along with Immediate Past President
and Corporate Executive Director will be the officers of GE Elfun. All officers shall be members in good
standing and shall be employees of General Electric (as defined in the by-laws)
except for the Vice President-Seniors who shall be a Senior Elfun. A member of the Board shall fill a vacancy of
any officer, other than the President and Vice President-Seniors, for the
unexpired term. The replacement officer
shall be selected by a majority vote of the Board. The term will be a two-year term on calendar
year from Jan 1 to Dec 31.
a. President – shall coordinate all GE Elfun board
activities, ensure compliance with the Elfun constitution/by-laws and promote
the broad interest of GE Elfun, and shall perform other duties as described in
the by-laws and as may be from time to time determined by the Board.
b. Vice President Regulars– shall perform the duties of the
President during the President’s absence or inability to serve and shall
perform other duties as described in the by-laws and as may be from time to
time determined by the Board.
c. Vice President–Seniors – shall be prime interface with
Senior GE Elfun members and may form a Senior Cabinet to assist. He/She shall
perform other duties as described in the by-laws and as may be from time to
time determined by the Board.
d. Vice
President of Communications
– shall be responsible for all communications to the GE Elfun Membership
working with Corporate Executive Director and Administrator and shall perform
other duties as described in the by-laws and as may be from time to time
determined by the Board.
e. Vice President Programs – shall be responsible for all
current and future GE Elfun Program sustainment and generation of GE Elfun and
shall perform other duties as described in the by-laws and as may be from time
to time determined by the Board.
f. Vice
President- Membership
– shall be responsible for evaluate chapter viability and ensure that chapters
report as required perform other duties as described in the by-laws and as may
be from time to time determined by the Board.
g. Corporate
Executive Director
(CED) – shall be appointed by the Vice President, Corporate Citizenship and
shall be a voting member of the Board.
The Corporate Executive Director will be the primary interface between GE company
and GE Elfun and shall perform other duties as described in the by-laws
and as may be from time to time determined by the Board.
6. Selection
of Area Directors (AD) – shall be nominated by the President and approved by
the Board of Directors. They shall serve minimum of a two-year term with second
term allowed if deemed needed by Board of Directors. The selection will be
every year, with no more than half the area directors coming onto or cycling
off the board. Their terms will be
effective from Jan 1 to Dec 31. Any vacancy shall be filled by appointment of a
new member by the President, with approval by the Board, for the unexpired
portion of the term. Area Directors shall be employees of General Electric or an
affiliate of General Electric (as defined in the by-laws).
7. A quorum shall exist
at meetings of the Board. A quorum shall
be 50% of the voting Board membership.
a. Where
the terms “plurality” or “majority” are used, it shall be understood that
unless otherwise provided, this refers to plurality or majority of those voting
members present and voting. “Approval”
shall be assumed to require majority vote.
b. In
addition to business transacted at meetings, in matters where time is of the
essence, the President may call for a vote on a duly moved and seconded motion
of the Board by letter, fax, e-mail or other electronic means. A motion voted on in this fashion must be
approved by majority vote of the entire Board, except for motions to amend the
by-laws, which must be approved by unanimous vote (less recorded abstentions).
8. As
required to accomplish the purpose and carry out the business of GE Elfun, the
President shall assign responsibility for completion of specific tasks to
members of the Board and/or other members of the organization.
9. The
Vice President-Seniors, with the approval of the President, may appoint up to
four senior members of GE Elfun to assist in providing guidance and counsel to
the organization and chapters and supporting programs for senior Elfun members. The appointees shall serve a minimum two-year
term with two new members appointed each year on this “Senior Cabinet.” Members of the Senior Cabinet may serve
successive terms at the invitation of the Vice President-Seniors, with approval
of the President. The Vice
President-Seniors, with the approval of the President, shall fill vacancies in
the Senior Cabinet by appointment of a senior member for the unexpired term. In
case of vacancy in the office of the Vice President-Seniors, a member of the
Senior Cabinet will fill the office for the unexpired term. The nominee shall be selected by a majority
vote of the Board.
10. The Board will work with the GE
Corporate Headquarters staff in support of GE Elfun objectives.
11. To provide continuity in certain vital
administrative areas, the Board may designate the legal counsel, corporate
liaison, GE Foundation liaison, Elfun Mutual Funds liaison and Benefits
liaison, who may be invited to attend all Board meetings, but not voting
members.
12. GE Elfun may sponsor certain benefits
for its members, such as Elfun Mutual Fund, Elfun Medical Benefits, etc. Eligibility for each benefit program is
governed by the terms of the applicable plan. The terms of such programs may be adopted, amended or discontinued by
two-thirds vote of the entire Board.
II. Administration
1. The
Board is established in accordance with the constitution and by-laws. Members of the Board are selected in
accordance with the by-laws. Vacancies
are filled in accordance with the by-laws. Area Directors completing their
second year on the Board shall be responsible for recommending a suitable
replacement to represent their area. Said Area Directors named to the Board must be employees of the General
Electric Company or its affiliates.
2. The
President, as prescribed in the Constitution, calls GE Elfun Board
meetings. There shall be minimum of six
meetings per year. One meeting must be face to face but the remaining can be
teleconference meetings.
3. Powers
and duties of the Board are stated in the constitution.
4. Each Director is responsible to the
President of GE Elfun. In addition, Area
Directors are held accountable for representing all the chapters in their area
to the Board of Directors of GE Elfun. The Area Director will confer with chapter officers to provide
information and guidance on matters affecting the chapter or GE Elfin as a
whole. All Directors shall also fulfill
additional duties as assigned by the President.
5. The Corporate Executive Director duties include, but are not limited to the following:
a. Management of organizational reporting metrics including membership and
activities counts as well as senior leadership engagement statistics (i.e.
Corporate Speaker series).
b. Management of Area Directors accountability.
c. Regularly report to the board on organizational health and gaps.
6. The Treasurer of the GE Elfun board
will be the financial steward at the GE Corporate Headquarters Office. The Treasurer duties include, but are not limited to the following:
a. Complete daily operational transactions such as paying expenses,
banking activities, etc.
b. Maintain financial records and prepare budgets and/or forecasts.
c. Regularly report to the board and external stakeholders.
7. The
Secretary of GE Elfun Board will be the administrator at the GE Corporate
Headquarters Office
a. The
Secretary will be responsible for facilitating meetings, including scheduling
and logistics, recording minutes of meetings, compiling and tracking actions
items, archiving books and records as required and maintaining the Elfun
support system at the corporate level.
8. GE
Elfun's global Website (www.elfun.org) will display some or all of the
following information about the organization, the global Board, Senior Cabinet,
Liaisons, Headquarters personnel, and chapter officers, project leaders, and
event leaders, subject to applicable data privacy requirements:
a. Regular Elfun's:
name, job title, office outside phone, office DialComm number and picture
b. Senior
Elfun's: name, home phone number and picture
III. Membership
Eligibility
requirements for initial membership
in GE Elfun shall be reviewed at least annually by at least three members of
the Board who shall constitute the Membership Committee.
1. Initial eligibility requirement:
- Individuals who are employees of
GE or any corporation whose voting stock is 50% or more owned directly or
indirectly by the General Electric Company (such corporation being
referred to herein as a “consolidated affiliate”) are eligible to be
members of GE Elfun.
- Chapters may invite new members
per the above criteria at any time during the year.
2. Union-represented employees: Union-represented employees may not
be considered for Elfun membership unless a collective bargaining waiver is
completed. Any Chapter desiring to extend membership to union-represented
employees shall contact the Elfun Executive Director and local or headquarters
union relations management for procedures.
3. Member
Definitions:
a. An
Elfun member who is an employee as described in 1. above shall be designated a
“Regular” Elfun. A member who retires
directly from GE or an affiliate or who terminates service after becoming
eligible for optional retirement (under a GE or affiliate retirement income
plan) may continue as a member of GE Elfun. Such members shall be designated as “Senior Elfuns”. To become a “Senior” member an individual
must be a “Regular” member at the time of retirement or termination of service
after becoming eligible for optional retirement or must qualify under the
”Long-service GE employees” provisions described in Section 4.d.
b. “Regular”
members as of July 1, 2005 will be continued as “Regular” members to the date
of their termination of GE service. If
any such “Regular” members fail to pay any required dues, the provisions of
Section 4.c. will not apply and they will be considered as inactive “Regular”
members.
4. Special membership situations -- Any other break
in service (as defined by the rules of GE or it’s affiliates) other than
retirement will terminate membership in GE Elfun except as noted below:
a. Former
employee is re-employed: If a member resigns from the Company, is
laid-off and terminates service (as defined by Company
Rules) or terminates service as a result of sale to a successor
employer and is subsequently re-employed by GE, his membership may be
immediately reinstated in GE Elfun.
b. Employee
absent from work: A member who is absent from work under conditions which do not break his
continuity of service as defined by the company may continue to be a member of
GE Elfun as long as other obligations of membership are met.
c. Re-instatement
of previous member: If a member resigns from GE Elfun or is removed for non-payment of dues,
but continues employment with the Company, such previous member may later apply
for reinstatement of membership. Upon
approval of the application, such previous member shall be reinstated.
d. Long-service
GE employees:
i. Elfun
members who have 25 years of GE or affiliate service and who are terminated
because of plant closing or layoff may continue as members of GE Elfun on the
same basis as “Senior Elfuns”.
ii. An
Elfun member who is transferred to a successor employer and who is eligible to
retire from GE or who has 25 years of GE service as of the closing date shall
be permitted to subsequently rejoin GE Elfun as a Senior members provided he or
she has separated from the service of the successor employer and agrees to
abide by then-current membership rules. Re-affiliations may be accomplished through notification to a local
chapter or to GE Elfun headquarters, who will assign the member to a Chapter.
e. Associate status: A chapter may invite individuals in
the following circumstances to participate in GE Elfun activities as an Elfun
Associate. An Elfun Associate is
eligible for membership plans and programs for which he/she meets all other
underlying requirements.
i. An Elfun member with at least 10 years of continuous GE service who was an
Elfun member in good standing when he/she left GE but was not eligible for
“Senior” membership status.
ii. The
spouse of a deceased Senior member.
iii. GE
retirees who were not Elfun members at the time of retirement.
iv. A
former GE employee with at least 10 years of continuous GE service who was not
an Elfun member and is at least 60 years of age.
5. After admission to GE Elfun, a member
may retain membership as long as he/she remains an employee or retiree of GE or
its affiliates and abides by GE Elfun’s rules.
6. All
chapters must summarize each year’s financial information in sufficient detail
to meet IRS tax-reporting requirements. This information must be submitted to Elfun Headquarters.
7. If, in the opinion of a Chapter executive committee
or the Board, a member establishes associations that create a conflict of
interest with GE, the member may be excluded from any or all functions,
and the Chapter executive committee or the Board may take such other actions as
are necessary in the best interest of GE Elfun.
8. Elfun
Medical Benefits Plan eligibility requirements are established in the
provisions of the plan documented in the applicable GE benefits handbook for
health care benefits at age 65, as amended from time to time.
IV. Elfun Recognition Program
1. Gerard Swope Award - Annually, at the
discretion of the Board, a Gerard Swope Award may be presented to an Elfun,
Regular or Senior, for long and meritorious service to GE Elfun.
a. Suggestions
for the recipient of this award may be made to the President.
b. The President or the President’s appointees will select this award
winner.
V. Chapters and Areas
1. The
membership of GE Elfun is organized into chapters in accordance with the
following criteria and procedures:
a. A
chapter is the normal operating unit of GE Elfun and is established on the
basis of:
i. Adequate size to be effective
ii. Representing more than one component
of the Company, unless geography or size completely forbids
iii. Definable geography
iv. At least three activities a year in
Engagement, Social or business areas
b. Initial
assignment of members to chapters shall be based on work location or home
address.
c. Members
may transfer to join a chapter that is more convenient for them due to
geography or business relationship.
d. Senior
members will be considered normally as members of the chapter from which they
retire, unless they transfer to a different chapter because of their point of
residence after retirement, such transfer to be made as in “c” above.
2. The
Board shall have the authority to establish or dissolve a chapter.
3. The
Board shall authorize the establishment of a new chapter as follows:
a. Any
GE employee or retiree may request approval of the President to form an
organizing committee for the purpose of establishing a new chapter,
("Organizing Committee"). If
the requesting member has affiliation with an existing chapter, a copy of the
request shall go to any affected chapter chairman.
b. The
organizing committee must submit a written proposal to the Corporate Executive
Director. The proposal shall include the
following information:
i. Justification
for creation of a new chapter
ii. Defined
geographic area
iii. List
of proposed members, including name and business component
iv. Identify
chairman, webmaster and treasurer, if chapter chooses to have dues and/or bank
account
v. Proposed
chapter by-laws
c. The
organizing committee shall review the proposal with the Corporate Executive
Director, the appropriate Area Director, and, if applicable, the affected
chapter chairman.
d. The
Corporate Executive Director will forward the proposal, along with his and the
involved Area Director’s recommendations, to the chairman of the GE Elfun
Membership Committee. The Membership
Committee shall review the proposal and upon their approval the chairman of the
Membership Committee will then prepare a recommendation and forward it to the
Board. At a Board meeting, the proposals
will be placed on the agenda, and any interested parties who wish to present
their views shall be heard.
e. If
the proposal is approved, the Corporate Executive Director will notify the
organizing committee. The following
actions will take place:
i. Eligibility
for new members of the new chapter will be as set forth in Part III.
ii. The
organizing committee will proceed with the election of officers and adoption of
by-laws.
iii. The
organizing committee will report the names and addresses of the new officers to
the Corporate Executive Director.
f. If
the proposal is denied, the Corporate Executive Director will notify the
organizing committee of the reasons for the denial.
4. If
a chapter is judged by the Area Director to be inactive, the Area Director and
Corporate Executive Director shall review the matter with the chapter
chairman. The Area Director will prepare
a recommendation and present the proposal at a scheduled Board meeting. If the Board approves, the chapter shall be
dissolved, its assets transferred to Elfun Headquarters, and its members
transferred to the geographically closest chapter(s).
5. In
accordance with the constitution, the Board designates the areas and chapters
comprising GE Elfun.
a. The
Board will designate the year in which an area is to provide a new Director to
the Board.
b. When
an area is so designated, each chapter within the Area will be eligible to
provide a nominee for Director from among its members.
c. The
outgoing Area Director will recommend the new Area Director, with concurrence
of the Global Board’s Executive Committee and Corporate Executive Director.
6. All
Chapter officers shall be active employees or retirees of General Electric or
its affiliates.
VII. Publications
1. The constitution, by-laws and general
information regarding GE Elfun shall be made available to all chapters.
2. The GE Elfun organization shall publish
a regular communication to all members under the direction of the VP
Communications no less than bi-annually.
VIII. Funds
1. The
Treasurer may invest funds in excess of amounts required for operating needs,
in accordance with the budget approved at the annual meeting.
2. The Secretary, with the approval of the
Treasurer, will disburse funds of GE Elfun.
3. The Treasurer will interface among the
chapters, the VP Membership and the external auditor to consolidate chapter
reporting and provide all information required for any external reporting. In
the absence of the VP Membership, the CED will facilitate this interaction.
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