The Cushing Academy Alumni Council is a group of alumni who provide guidance and recommendations to the Academy's leadership on issues of importance to the school's alumni. The Council meets about every six weeks via conference call, so members need not be local to the Ashburnham area to participate.

Alumni Council Members

• Kathleen "Kate" Marlow ’99 (Chair)
• Marina "Boo" Vernon ’07 (Vice Chair)
• David Nevins ’16 (Secretary)
• Dean Boecher ’67
• Valerie Bono-Bunker ’97 
• Courtney Houston Carter ’04
• Jack Casady ’15
• Matt DeFeo ’82
• Robin Lockwood Hall ’78
• Chelsea Cummings Koski ’03 
• Mary O'Neill ’13
• Hassan Robinson ’91
• Kurt Scanio ’92
• Kim White Sousa ’75 (former faculty)

CUSHING ACADEMY ALUMNI ASSOCIATION AND ALUMNI COUNCIL BY-LAWS

CUSHING ACADEMY ALUMNI ASSOCIATION

ALUMNI COUNCIL BY-LAWS
Revised – December 6, 2022

Article I – Name

The name of the organization shall be the Cushing Academy Alumni Association, known as the Association.

Article II – Purpose

The Association shall bring together alumni of Cushing Academy to advance in the interests of and promote the welfare of the Academy through open communication, understanding, and a close relationship between the Academy and its alumni, and to ensure that the alumni resources will benefit the Academy.

Article III – Membership

Membership shall consist of any former student who attended Cushing Academy for not less than one school year.

Article IV - Alumni Council

The Alumni Council (the “Council”) shall consist of the officers of the Alumni Association, three ex-officio (non-voting) members, namely, the Head of School, Director of Advancement and Director of Alumni Relations, and a minimum of nine (9) representatives and a maximum of twenty (20) other members, to be selected so as to achieve equal representation to the extent possible from each decade of graduates spanning 50 plus years, such representatives to include the officers as the council deems necessary. A quorum shall consist of five (5) representatives.

The term of office for Council members shall be three (3) years and a member may be reelected for no more than three (3) successive terms. Members who miss three (3) successive Council meetings may be removed by a majority vote of the Council.

The terms of office for officers shall be two (2) years and officers may be elected for no more than two (2) successive terms.

The duties of the Council shall be:

• To transact necessary business
• To approve committees
• To create or dissolve committees as necessary
• To present a report committee activity at Council meetings

The officers of the Council shall be the chair, the vice-chair and secretary, each officer shall be a member of the Alumni Council and will serve at least one two-year term.

The chair shall:

1. Preside at all meetings
2. Appoint chairs for standing and special committees upon approval of the Council
3. Serve as a member ex-officio of all Council committees
4. Provide a list of the standing and special committees and a description of their function
5. Create or dissolve committees as necessary, and
6. Set the date and agenda for the general meetings with the advice and consent of the members of the Council.

The vice-chair shall:

1. In the absence of the chair, perform all the duties of the chair, and
2. Assume the office of the chair if the chair is no longer able to fulfill the duties of that office. Upon filling a vacancy in the office of chair, the vice-chair shall appoint another member of the Council to serve as vice-chair until the next annual election.

The secretary shall:

1. Keep the minutes of the Council meetings *
2. Keep roll at Council and Council meetings
3. Keep the bylaws current

* All meetings not held in person shall be electronically recorded

All officers shall perform the duties outlined in these bylaws and such others as may be assigned to them from time to time by the council. Upon the expiration of the term of office or in case of resignation, each officer shall turn over to his or her successor or the chair, without delay, all records, books, and other material pertaining to the office. 

Election of officers for the ensuing year shall take place at one of the last two meetings of the school year. Any person nominated for an office and not elected may be nominated from the floor for any other office on which voting has not taken place.

No members of the Council shall profit financially from any activities associated with this Council.

All policies developed and defined by the Council and these bylaws as established or amended, shall be consistent with the mission of Cushing Academy and the Board of Trustees.

Article VI – Governance

Meetings of the Council will normally be held not less than four times a year when school is in session, and as deemed necessary by the chair and members of the Council. The meeting schedule for the ensuing year shall be established at the last meeting of the school year. The Council will hold a minimum of one (1) general or open meeting of the Alumni Association per year. This meeting may be combined with another school function or reunion. At that time, Council members shall present their respective committee annual reports. Special meetings of the Council may be called by the chair or by a majority of the Council.

Excepting only the open meeting, all Council members entitled to vote on matters at a Council meeting may participate by means of tele-conference or other communications equipment by means of which all persons participating in the meeting can simultaneously hear each other, and such participation in a meeting shall constitute presence in person at the meeting.

Article VII – Committees

Executive Committee:

The Executive Committee shall consist of the chair, the vice-chair and the secretary. The Executive Committee may meet with the ex—officio members of the council from time to time to develop meeting agendas, topics of discussion for committee programs and other items of interest to be brought before the Council, The Executive Committee may also meet at other times to be determined by the chair to conduct or review administrative affairs to be brought before the Council.

Nominating Committee:

1. There shall be a Nominating Committee composed of three (3) current Council members who shall be appointed by the Council, provided however, that the Council chair may in his/her discretion appoint two more Council members for the remainder of the current year;
2. The Council vice-chair will serve as the Nominating Committee chair;
3. The Nominating Committee chair will accept nominations for officers; nominations to be received no later than thirty (30) days before election;
4. The Nominating Committee shall nominate eligible alumni for each Council seat to be filled and report its nominees thirty (30) days prior to the general meeting. Additional nominations may be made from the floor;
5. Only those persons who have signified their consent to serve, if elected, shall be nominated for or elected to such seat; and
6. The Nominating Committee will be responsible for determining and administering the election process.

Special Committees:

1. Special Committees may be appointed by the chair as necessary, and/or upon recommendation by current Council members, with the approval of the Alumni Council. All current Council members shall be engaged in active projects toward the Academy’s mission to be regulated by the Office of Advancement.
2. Special Committee membership is not limited to members of the Alumni Council. Committees may, at the discretion of their respective chairpersons, extend participation rights to other members of the Alumni Association with the approval of the Alumni Council Chair.

Article VIII – Amendments and Rules

These by-laws may be amended by a two-thirds vote of the members present at the meeting at which the vote is taken, provided that the proposed amendment has been presented in writing to the Council at least two (2) weeks prior to the meeting designated for voting on such amendments.

The rules contained in Robert's Rules of Order, Newly Revised, shall govern the Council in all cases in which they are applicable and consistent with these bylaws.