The 2024 Annual Alumni Banquet will be held June 1, 2024, at the Elks, Webb Brook Rd.
PO Box 8, N. Billerica, Ma 01862
The making of our Alumni Association
The Alumni beginings:
The History of the Alumni Association as in the Howe High School, Billerica Memorial High School Alumni Directory Centennial Edition
(Printed for the 100th anniversary of the HHS-BMHS Alumni Association)
In 1896, a small committee met to discuss the idea of forming an alumni association for interested graduates of the Howe School. The first formal meeting took place on June 17, 1897 to coincide with the school’s graduation ceremonies. The Howe School Alumni Association was formed; the first officers were elected and a constitution was approved at this meeting.
These actions marked the beginning of traditions that continue to be observed by graduates of Howe High School and Billerica Memorial High School today.
Since 1896, the Alumni Association has organized a banquet and reunion each year in June to invite new graduates to join the organization and provide its’ members the opportunity to gather and enjoy remembrances of their high school days. A review of the records reveals just one exception. In 1918, the association decided not to hold a banquet due to the war and convened only its’ traditional business meeting that year.
The organization generated revenue through the payment of modest annual membership dues. On June 26, 1922, a permanent fund was established by a group of contributors for the general welfare of the Alumni Association. The interest realized from contributions to this fund has been used to support the activities of the organization throughout its history.
The name of the organization has changed though the years, reflecting the growth of the school system. When the Howe School Alumni Association was founded, the graduating classes consisted of just five to ten students.
During the period of time the organization was called Howe High School Alumni Association, the senior class size grew to between 50 and 75 students.
After the Billerica Memorial High School building opened in 1955, the school system experienced a period of dramatic growth. By the mid 1970’s, the high school’s physical plant was expanded. During this time, the graduating classes reached a peak of over 500 students! It may come as a surprise to learn that today it is estimated that there are over 19,000 graduates of Howe High School and Billerica Memorial High School.
HHS-BMHS Alumni Association Constitution
Additional Information
Constitution of the Howe High School-Billerica Memorial High School Alumni Association
Amended and updated 1/10/2019 per vote of Annual Business Meeting
Article I
Name and Purpose:
Section 1. The name of the Association shall be:
Howe High School-Billerica Memorial High School Alumni Association.
Section 2. The purpose of the Association shall be to continue school loyalty, to provide an organization for promotion of sociability among the school’s graduates, to stimulate a desire to render service for the members and for the town.
Section 3. Scholarships will be awarded annually to graduates of Billerica Memorial High School. Two scholarships will be awarded annually to those students of BMHS whose parents and/or grandparents graduated from either Howe High or Billerica Memorial High Schools. The Executive Board will set the monetary amount of each award and the number of awards determined by the level of contributions of the Alumni members.
Article II
General Control
Section 1. The general control of this Association shall be vested in the Executive Board members.
Section 2. The aforementioned Executive Board members shall constitute the supervision and the planning of the business of the Association.
Section 3. All meetings shall be conducted according to Robert’s Rules of Order, Revised, unless there is a conflict with the constitution or by-laws.
Article III
Membership
Section 1. Any past member of the Howe High School or the Billerica Memorial High School shall be eligible to join the Association upon paying five ($10.00) annual dues.
Section 2. Any person not a past student of Howe High School, or Billerica Memorial High School (BMHS), whose name is proposed at an annual meeting and whose name is approved by the Executive Board may be elected as an honorary member at any subsequent meeting but shall have no right to vote or otherwise participate in the business part of any meeting.
1.1 The number of honorary members shall never exceed ten (10) at any one time.
Section 3. LIFE TIME MEMBER: Any dues paying member who has served the Association faithfully may, by the vote of the Executive Board, be granted paid-up life membership. Life time members will be afforded free dues and a free dinner at our annual banquet.
Article IV
Officers
Section 1. The officer of this Association shall be one (1) president, two (2) vice-presidents, one (1) secretary, one (1) treasurer, and the members of the Executive Board shall be fifteen (15) in number.
Section 2. The term of officers shall be for two (2) years with elections held each year at the annual business meeting as necessary. The President shall appoint a nominating committee to post and announce positions open, to gather names of interested alumni to run for a respective office, and bring to the annual meeting for a vote
Section 3. The president, with the advice and the consent of the Executive Board, shall appoint replacements for any vacancies arising during the year.
Article V
Dues
Section 1. The annual dues for the Howe High School-Billerica Memorial High School Alumni Association shall be ten dollars ($10.00).
Section 2. The Annual Dues shall be sent out with the yearly mailings for our Annual Business meeting and Annual Banquet. Since all mailing are done in 5-year cycles, a list of current dues payers will be kept on file from year to year. To be eligible to receive updates, dues should be paid the previous year.
Section 3. The Executive Board will use official funds to pay all routine expenses of the Association as deemed appropriate.
Article VI
Duties of Officers
Section 1. It shall be the duty of the President to
a. Preside at all meetings of the Association and the Executive Board.
b. Represent the Association at all public affairs where the Association is represented.
c. Serve as member of all committees.
d. Appoint all necessary committees.
Section 2. It shall be the duty of the Vice-Presidents to:
a. Perform the duties of the President in his/her absence or at his/her request.
b. Perform any duties delegated to him/her by the President.
Section 3. It shall be the duty of the Secretary to
a. Keep the minutes of all meetings.
b. Keep the minutes of the Executive Board meetings.
c. Conduct all correspondence of the Association, including notices of meetings to board members and officers.
d. Preserve, as directed, the records of the Association.
Section 4. It shall be the duty of the Treasurer to:
a. Keep the books of the Association in accordance with acceptable accounting practices.
b. Pay all bills of the Association in accordance with the by-laws, the constitution and the
direction of the Executive Board.
c. Make report of the Association’s financial status at all meetings.
Section 5. It shall be the duty of the Registrar to:
a. Registrar picks up the mail at the PO Box, collects information on all correspondence and deliver to the appropriate person.
b. Make all deposits that come in the mail and gives tally to the Treasurer.
Section 6. All records of all outgoing officers shall be turned over to the president before August first following the completion of their terms of office.
Article VII
Meetings
Section 1. Annual Meeting and Banquet:
a. There shall be an annual business meeting of the organization each year, to conduct the business of elections, and to update the body on the on goings of the past year and to vote on all matters of business. The date and place to be decided by the Executive Board.
b. There shall be an annual banquet separate from the business meeting or as desired by the Executive board. The banquet shall be for but not solely for the awarding of scholarships to current graduates of BMHS and together past graduates for the purpose of Reunions.
Section 2. There shall be meetings of the executive committee on the second (2nd) Wednesday of each month, at times and places to be decided by the Executive Board itself.
Article VIII
Amendments
Section 1. This constitution may be amended at any annual business meeting only if:
a. Notice of the proposed amendment has been sent to members prior to the annual business meeting, and
b. The amendment is ratified by a two-thirds majority vote of the members present at the annual business meeting.
Article IX
Quorum
Section 1. A quorum shall be considered to be the members present at the annual business meeting or a meeting of the Alumni called by the President or his/her representative.
Section 2. A quorum shall be no less than (sixty) 60% of the elected Executive Board for any Executive Board meeting.
Article X
Permanent Fund
Section 1. The sum of $1,000.00, realized by subscription at the annual meeting on June 26, 1922, will be a fund to be known as the Permanent Fund.
Section 2. Three members to be known as Trustees of the Permanent Fund shall administer the Permanent Fund, whose term of office shall be three years, not to run concurrently. These members may be re-elected at the end of the three-year term.
Section 3. The Permanent Fund’s base amount (the sum of $1,000.00) shall remain intact and shall not be used for any purpose whatsoever except by vote of the majority of the members present at a regular annual meeting.
Section 4. The income from the Permanent Fund shall be available for disposal by vote of the majority of the members of the Executive Board for such purposes that are for the best interest of the Association.
Article XI
Dissolution
Section 1. Upon dissolution of this Association, all remaining money will be assigned to the BMHS Scholarship Foundation, and all Memorabilia will be assigned to the Billerica Memorial High School, if the school does not want or need these artifacts, they shall go to the Billerica Museum if in existence, or the Billerica Historical Society.
This is the current Constitution of this Association as amended January 10, 2019
Date: Date:
