Article I - NAME
The name of this organization shall be The Guild of Oriental Dance ("Guild").
Article II - OBJECTIVES
The objectives of this organization shall be to promote camaraderie amongst the oriental dance community, and to insure good working conditions and a minimum wage guideline for performers.
Article III - MEMBERSHIP
A. Membership shall be open to all oriental dancers, both professional and student, musicians, and other persons interested in Middle Eastern dance and culture.
B. Membership includes one (1) year's subscription to the Guild Gazette, voting rights at Guild meetings, and a list of 0 members of the Guild. Members are eligible to dance in the Annual Show and participate in other Guild activities. Each member is entitled to one (1) vote, to be cast in person at meetings of the membership or by written or emailed proxy as provided.
C. Dues are twenty-four dollars ($24) annually. Dues must be prepaid to receive the newsletter and to vote at Guild meetings. Those persons who have been members in the previous year and who pay after the renewal date will pay the regular annual membership fee. New members will be eligible for a pro-rated fee of two dollars ($2) per month for each month remaining in the membership year. Members will receive two renewal notices before their membership is dropped. These notices may or may not coincide with a Guild Gazette mailing.
D. Honorary membership may be awarded to any non-member considered to have made a significant contribution to the Guild. Honorees can nominate any member at any Guild meeting and the nomination shall be voted on at that time. Honorary membership includes all privileges of regular membership except that Honorary members may not hold a Guild office. Contributions of Honorary members shall be reviewed annually.
E. A Special Recognition Membership may be awarded to any member considered to have made a significant contribution to the Guild. Honorees can be nominated by any member of the Guild at any Guild meeting, and the nomination shall be voted on at that time. A Guild member who is awarded a Special Recognition Membership will have his/her dues paid for them from the Guild treasury for the upcoming membership year and will enjoy all benefits of Guild membership during that membership period (not to exceed one year). Special Recognition Memberships may not be awarded to members of the Executive Board during their term(s) in office.
Article IV - MEETINGS
Meetings shall be held 6 times a year. Time and place will be arranged by the Executive Board and announced in the Guild Gazette. Special meetings of the membership may be called at any time by the First Chairperson. A quorum at any meeting will be met if at least two members in good standing are present. Any issue voted upon at a membership meeting will be considered as passed if passed by a majority of the members present at said meeting.
Article V - EXECUTIVE BOARD
A. The Executive Board shall consist of First Chairperson, Second Chairperson, Secretary, Treasurer, Communications Officer, Newsletter Editor, Website Officer and Membership Officer.
B. Term length of the officers is two (2) years. Officers may serve in multiple consecutive terms.
C. The First and Second Chair roles may hold only one Board position at a time. Other officers may hold up to two (2) Board positions at the same time.
D. All members of the Executive Board shall serve without remuneration unless otherwise voted by the membership at a meeting.
E. In addition to their stated duties, members of the Executive Board shall be permitted to manage the operational duties of the Guild, including authorizing expenditures of up to $250.00 per event, without requiring a vote at a meeting. Such expenditures must be reported at the next regular meeting.
Article VI - ELECTION OF THE EXECUTIVE BOARD
A. Elections will be held on a biannual basis at the October meeting. The membership will be notified of impending nominations, nominees, and elections in the Guild Gazette prior to the election meeting.
B. The Executive Board shall appoint a Nominating Committee two (2) meetings prior to the election meeting. The Committee shall gather nominations for officers for the upcoming term and present the nominations to the membership one (1) meeting prior to the election meeting. Nominees must be eligible members. A nominee may accept or decline a nomination. Nominations will also be accepted from the floor at the meeting before the election meeting.
C. The vote shall be taken by secret ballot. Members may submit their ballots in person or by written or emailed proxy at the election meeting. The Executive Board shall appoint two (2) members in good standing to count the ballots and report the results to the membership at the end of the meeting. In the event of an uncontested ballot, the election may be held by acclamation.
D. The new officers shall assume their duties at the January meeting. The out-going officers shall serve in an advisory capacity for two (2) meetings.
Article VII - DUTIES OF OFFICERS
Section 1: First Chairperson
A. The First Chairperson shall preside at all the regular or special meetings, shall be an ex-officio member of all committees, and shall fulfill the duties and exercise the powers usually assigned to the office of First Chairperson.
B. She/he shall be the Chairperson of the Executive Board and have the power to fill vacancies occurring in the Board for the remaining term of any vacancies.
C. The First Chairperson may direct expenditures not to exceed fifty dollars ($50) in any month, when in her/his judgment, the urgency of a particular situation requires it without Executive Board approval. Such expenditures must be reported at the next regular meeting.
D. At the completion of her/his term, the First Chairperson shall appoint an Auditing Committee consisting of up to three (3) members in good standing. The Auditing Committee will be responsible for auditing the financial books of the Guild.
Section 2: Second Chairperson (member liaison)
A. The Second Chairperson shall perform the duties of First Chairperson in her/his absence at meetings or as otherwise required.
B. The Second Chairperson shall become First Chairperson in the event that position becomes vacant.
C. The Second Chairperson shall be the Member Liaison and will represent individual member’s ideas, concerns, questions, and suggestions at meetings where the member is unable to be present. She/he will communicate back to the member regarding the outcome.
D. The Second Chairperson is responsible for the maintenance of the Guild telephone and the Guild Portfolio. This includes collecting requests for bookings and assigning such bookings to eligible members who are part of the Guild Portfolio. This duty may be delegated if necessary. Detailed operation of the Guild Portfolio is covered in the Standard Operating Procedures (to be attached).
Section 3: Secretary
A. The Secretary shall keep a written record of all Guild meetings. She/he will read the previous meeting’s minutes at the start of each meeting.
B. Prior to publication, the Secretary will forward the meeting minutes to the First Chairperson for review. The Secretary will then forward the reviewed meeting minutes to the Newsletter Editor for publication in the Guild Gazette.
Section 4: Treasurer
A. The Treasurer shall make expenditures as authorized and keep a record of all the receipts and expenditures of all funds. At each meeting, the Treasurer shall submit a detailed financial report.
B. The Treasurer shall deposit all dues collected by the Membership Officer, and all monies received for the Guild. A log of these deposits will be presented to the Executive Board at each meeting and included in the Guild meeting minutes.
C. At the end of each Guild year, the Treasurer shall submit a set of balanced books for the Auditing Committee, along with a prepared financial statement for their approval and signature.
D. The duties of the Treasurer are detailed in the Standard Operating Procedure (attached).
Section 5: Newsletter Editor
The Newsletter Editor will edit and publish the Guild Gazette, which will contain, at a minimum, future Guild meeting agendas, minutes of the prior meeting, and a notice of the next meeting’s date, time and place.
A. The Newsletter Editor will coordinate with the Communications Officer regarding upcoming events for publication in the newsletter.
B. The Newsletter Editor will accept submission of ads, articles, or updating information for inclusion in the newsletter.
C. The Newsletter Editor will oversee a Mailing Coordinator who is responsible for printing and mailing the newsletters.
Section 6: Communications Officer
A. T he Communications Officer will email event information to members who are on the email distribution list.
B. T he Communications Officer oversees the Telephone Committee. The Phone Committee calls any member who does not have email capability with updates that have been sent via email.
C. The Communications Officer will appoint a minimum of two (2) moderators to the on-line discussion list.
Section 7: Membership Officer
A. The Membership Officer receives new and renewal membership applications and dues.
B. T he Membership Officer maintains a membership log that is provided to the Newsletter Editor for annual inclusion in the first newsletter of the calendar year. Information to be included in the log is defined in the Standard Operating Procedures (attached).
Section 8: Website Officer
A. The Website Officer is the Guild event coordinator, maintaining a calendar of upcoming events and scheduling needs..
B.The Website Officer will ensure that future event planning occurs at the appropriate time.
C. The Website Officer will be responsible for the Guild website. Calendar events must meet the criteria listed in the Standard Operating Procedures (attached).
Article VIII - STANDING COMMITTEES
A. The following committees shall be standing committees of the Guild:
Annual Show Committee; Annual Party Committee; Festival Committee; New Member Committee; Telephone Committee; Auditing Committee; Nominating Committee.
B. Other committees may be formed by the Executive Board as needed.
C. The Executive Board may appoint a chair for each committee unless otherwise provided for in the Constitution and By-laws.
Article IX - AMENDMENTS
A. Amendments to the Constitution and By-laws may be proposed at any meeting of the membership. When an amendment is desired, notice of such intention must be given at one membership meeting and in the Guild Gazette.
B. The amendment may then be presented and voted upon at the next regular membership meeting. An amendment will be passed by a simple majority vote of the membership present at the meeting at which the amendment is voted upon or by written or emailed proxy submitted prior to said meeting.
Article X - PARLIAMENTARY AUTHORITY
Robert's Rules of Order shall govern the Guild where they are not inconsistent with the Constitution and By-laws.
Constitution was:
Adopted December 2, 1984
Amended February 1993
Amended April 1995
Amended October 2000
Amended March 2002
Amended July 2004
By-laws were:
Adopted December 2,1984
Amended February, 1993
Amended April, 1995
Amended May, 1996
Constitution and By-laws (combined) were:
Adopted 2001
Amended July, 2004
