IEEE Life Members Affinity Group Management and Procedures

• Responsibility for Life Members Group management shall rest with the Section/Council, which shall have control of all financial and other aspects of the Group in carrying out its activities.
• Reasonable efforts should be made to notify all members of meetings.  Methods of communication could be hard copy distributions, e-mail distributions in keeping with IEEE e-mail policies, and Group Web site updates.  Not less than once a year, a hard copy mailing should be sent to the active Group membership, including at least the following information: how to remain in the IEEE Life Members Listing and how members may update their contact information in the IEEE master database.  The Life Members Group may serve non-members wishing to receive meeting announcements or other Life Members Group publications.

The Life Member Committee (LMC) Chair will appoint from among the Committee members a Life Members Group Activities Coordinator, who will have the following responsibilities:

• act on behalf of the LMC Chair in keeping contact with the Regional Life Members (LM) Coordinators and bringing their requests to the LMC;
• present to the LMC an annual report on Life Members Group activities, based on the reports of the Regional LM Coordinators;
• present to the LMC a Life Members Group activities plan and annual budget proposal for the following year;
• manage the distribution of the Life Members Group activities annual budget, as approved by the LMC;
• advise the LMC on objectives, activities, and trends of interest regarding Life Members Group activities.

Officers of the Life Members Group shall be at least a Chair and a Vice Chair. 

• Each member of the Life Members Group Committee shall have attained IEEE Life member status and be an IEEE member of Member, Senior Member, or Fellow grade.
• The Group Chair shall serve as Chair for all meetings.  Duties include oversight and/or coordination of the Group activities, submission of brief summary of activities, and submission of reimbursement forms to the Regional Life Members Coordinator.
• The Group Vice Chair shall assist the Chair in the coordination of all activities.  At the request of the Chair or in the absence of the Chair, the Vice Chair shall chair meetings of the Group.

All Officers shall be elected annually.  The term of office for all Officers shall normally be one year, but may continue until a successor has been duly elected and take office.  The term of office will date from 1 January through 31 December.

• A Life Members Group shall be required to maintain a membership of not fewer than six (6) members and to hold not less than two programs per year, or to maintain a level of activity acceptable to the Regional Life Members Coordinator.
• A Life Members Group shall submit annually a meeting report, a roster of Officers, and a budget proposal for the next year, to the Regional Life Members Coordinator.

• Funds within the Life Members Group, from whatever source derived, are the property of IEEE, and shall not be used for purposes other the normal operations of the Affinity Group as defined in the MGA Operations Manual/IEEE Bylaws or published interpretation of policy, without prior authorization of MGA, unless otherwise published.
• Funds derived from member dues shall not be used for scholarships, fellowships, and other education awards. The award activities shall be supported by funds from activities all or in part specifically directed to such usage.  Contributions may be accepted for such use, and donations should be encouraged by the use of tax-exempt mechanisms.
• Life Members Groups shall have the right to obligate their funds for all purposes necessary to promote their objectives, except that no Group or any Officer or representative thereof shall have any authority to contract debts for, pledge the credit of, or in any way bind IEEE for those activities specifically prohibited in the governing documents of IEEE or published interpretation of policy.
• Life Members Groups may accept local voluntary financial contributions.
• Life Members Groups are authorized by the IEEE Life Members Committee an annual budget, not exceeding US$1,000, towards meetings or activities acceptable to the Regional Life Members Coordinator.  The funding will be provided upon actual expenses. Prior to any Life Members Group expenditure requiring additional Life Members Committee funding, the approval must first be obtained from the Regional Life Members Coordinator. The reimbursement of expenses can occur in 2 manners (1) the LM Affinity Group chair to submit the reimbursement request to the IEEE MGA Department for processing (2) the LM Affinity Group chair to obtain reimbursement from their Section and the Section will contact the IEEE MGA Department for reimbursement.

With the concurrence of the Section Chair, the Regional Life Members Coordinator, and the Region Director, a Life Members Group or Joint Life Members Group may be dissolved. Such dissolution will be reported to MGA and the IEEE Life Members Committee.

• Join the RE-SEED program to provide assistance to middle and secondary schools in making science and math attractive to students.
• Provide assistance to IEEE entities holding technical conferences in the area. 
• Publicize those aspects of the IEEE Financial Advantage Program that meet the needs of seniors.
• Arrange technical programs that may not be provided by other IEEE Organizational Units.
• Find and volunteer for areas of public service that need competent technical support. 
• Make presentations to nearby technical firms to show the virtues of IEEE membership and participation as a means of attracting new members, in cooperation with the Section's Membership Development Committee.
• Enjoy each other's company.

Staff support for Life Members Groups will be provided by the IEEE Member and Geographic Activities (MGA) Department.  Please e-mail MGA Staff for Life Members Group support.