MIAMI
VALLEY QUILTERS’ GUILD
CONSTITUTION
REVISED
2007
<=
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color:black'>Article I &nb=
sp; Name
and Purpose
<=
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:"ClassGarmnd BT";
color:black'> =
Section
1 As of September 24, 1980, this gui=
ld
shall be known as the Miami Valley Quilters’ Guild, a non-profit,
tax-exempt organization.
=
Section
2 The purposes of this guild are
=
&nb=
sp; A. to join hands in friendship
=
&nb=
sp; B. to encourage high standards of
design, technique and creativity in quilting
=
&nb=
sp; C. to promote the appreciation a=
nd
preservation of quilts
=
&nb=
sp; D. to preserve the art of quilt =
making
=
&nb=
sp; E. to further the art of quilting
through education and communication
<=
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:"ClassGarmnd BT";
color:black'>Article II &=
nbsp; Membership
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color:black'> =
Section
1 Any person who is interested in the
purposes of this guild as stated in Article I, Section 2 may become a member
upon application and payment of dues.
=
Section
2 This guild will not discriminate
regarding race, color, creed, sex, national origin, religion or age.
=
Section
3 The guild membership year begins
January 1 and ends December 31.
=
Section
4 Members who do not adhere to this
guild’s constitution and by-laws and policies will be removed from the
guild membership after recommendation of the executive committee and a 2/3 =
vote
of the members attending a regular meeting.
=
Section
5 If dissension brings about a divis=
ion
in this guild, all properties revert to those who adhere to the Miami Valley
Quilters’ Guild’s constitution and by-laws.
=
Section
6 All members in good standing are
entitled to one vote.
=
Section
7 All members who joined before Dece=
mber
31, 1981 are known as charter members.
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color:black'>Article III &=
nbsp; Officers
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Section
1 The elected officers are president,
vice president, recording secretary, corresponding secretary and treasurer.=
=
Section
2 Their duties are the ones usually
associated with those titles.
Section 3 =
These
officers (Section 1) together with Immediate Past President and the founder=
of
this guild, Suellen Wassem=
,
constitute the Executive Board.
=
Section
4 The executive board has all the po=
wers
of the guild, in accordance with the Constitution and By-laws, during the
intervals between meetings.
=
Section
5 The management of the guild shall =
be
vested in a Board of Directors consisting of the above Executive Board and =
the
designated committee heads as stated by By-laws, Section 3.
=
Section
6 There shall be a Board of Directors
meeting at least quarterly, said meeting to be on a set date as designated =
by
the president. In addition, this board will meet on call of its president o=
r on
the request of any three members of the Board of Directors.
=
Section
7 Elections will be held in October =
of
each year. Terms of office shall be for one year beginning at the January
meeting the following year.
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color:black'>Article IV &n=
bsp; Meetings
Section 1 =
Regular
meetings will be held on dates fixed by the Board of Directors.
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Section
1 The amount of dues will be determi=
ned
by the By-laws and may be changed by amendment.
=
Section
2 No individual is entered on the
membership roll of the guild until the membership fee is paid unless
specifically excepted.
<=
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:"ClassGarmnd BT";
color:black'>Article VI &=
nbsp; Amending
the Constitution/By-laws
<=
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:"ClassGarmnd BT";
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Section
1 This constitution may be amended at
any general meeting by a 2/3 vote of the guild members present, provided the
amendment has been submitted in writing at the previous meeting.
=
Section
2 The By-laws may be amended at any
general meeting by a majority vote of members present, provided the amendme=
nt
has been submitted in writing at the previous meeting.
<=
span
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:"ClassGarmnd BT";
color:black'>Article VII &=
nbsp; Dissolution
=
S=
ection
1 In the event of dissolution of the guild, all assets and monies
remaining after payment of all liabilities shall be distributed to any
non-profit corporation chosen by the Executive Board. In the event of
dissolution, all assets, real and personal, shall be distributed to such
organizations as are qualified as tax exempt under U.S. Internal Revenue Co=
de or
the corresponding provision of future IRS laws.
MIAMI VALLEY QUILTERS’ GUILD
BY-LAWS
REVISED
2007
&=
nbsp; A. =
The
President shall preside at all meetings and is a member, with the right=
to
vote on all committees. She serves as Chairman of the Board of Directors. W=
ith
the approval of the Board, the president appoints all standing and special
committee chairmen. The president will have served at least one year on the
Board of Directors. She is responsible for appointing a procedures committe=
e to
review and update the Constitution and By-laws and committee job descriptio=
ns
as needed. She also acts as the liaison between the community and the guild=
and
serves as the guild’s spokesman. She is also responsible for appointi=
ng a
reputable, outside auditor to audit the Guild’s financial books at the
close of the fiscal year, which runs from January 1st to Decembe=
r 31
st. The President will see that tax forms=
are
prepared, as required.
It
is the responsibility of the President to notify the members, in writing via
the newsletter if possible, of any major decisions affecting the Guild, pri=
or
to voting at a general meeting. If time constraints do not allow for
notification in writing, members of the executive board and committee chairs
will be responsible to contact members prior to voting at the general
meeting.
&=
nbsp; B. The vice-president
assists the president, upon request, and serves in her absence. The
vice-president serves as chairman of the Program and Budget Committees.
&=
nbsp; C. The recording secret=
ary
is responsible for maintaining the permanent records of the guild, including
minutes of all meetings. She provides the president and the newsletter edit=
or
copies of the minutes of each meeting within seven days immediately followi=
ng
the meeting. She keeps an up-to-date copy of the Constitution and By-laws a=
nd
the policies of the guild and a list of all existing committee chairs,
sub-committees and job appointments.
&=
nbsp; D. The corresponding
secretary is responsible for writing, receiving and dispersing the
guild’s correspondence promptly. She is responsible for all changes of
addresses pertaining to guild correspondence and for picking up mail at the
post office and dispersing it on a timely basis. She is also responsible for
collecting information from magazines, newspapers, guild members, etc., and
informing the newsletter editor of upcoming quilt shows and compiling this
information for publication in the guild newsletter calendar. She takes the
minutes in the absence of the recording secretary and is also responsible f=
or
maintaining the liaison list of other guilds.
&=
nbsp; E. The
Treasurer receives and disburses all monies. She provides a detailed re=
port
of income and expenses, by committee, to the president prior to each monthly
meeting. She presents a statement of the current financial condition at each
meeting and provides a written copy for the recording secretary and the
newsletter editor. She maintains permanent and accurate records of all busi=
ness
transactions. The Treasurer maintains an inventory list of all guild proper=
ties
as provided by committee chairs. She is responsible to see that signature c=
ards
for the bank are updated at the beginning of each calendar year, having the
signature of each of the Officers. All checks written for expenditures for =
the
Guild must have two executive board signatures.
=
F. Provided fifteen =
(15)
days’ notice in writing shall have been given to the incumbent, an
officer may be removed from that position by a 2/3 vote of the membership
present at a general meeting and any chairman may be removed from that posi=
tion
by the Executive Board following a 2/3 vote of the entire Board.
G. In the event an elected officer(s) is unable to
perform her duties, the executive board shall be responsible to find a
candidate for replacement of the position(s). The candidate will be present=
ed
at the next general meeting for approval, according to election procedures =
as
stated in the constitution.
2. &nbs=
p; BOARD
OF DIRECTORS
&=
nbsp; &nbs=
p; The
Board of Directors consists of the elected officers of President,
Vice-President, Corresponding Secretary, Recording Secretary, and Treasurer,
plus the chairs of the standing committees, the immediate past president of=
the
guild, and the founder of the guild, Suellen
=
A. The guild may have the
following standing committees: Budget, Programs, Bus Trips, Challenge,
Friendship, Retreat, Workshops, Community Projects, Demonstrations,
Block-of-the-Month, Historian, Hospitality, Library, Membership, Nominating,
Newsletter, Sunshine, Telephone, Quilt Show, Auctions and Special Projects.=
=
B. Additional committees c=
an be
created by the President with the approval of the Board of Directors.
&=
nbsp; C. Committee chairs are
responsible for:
&=
nbsp; &nbs=
p; 1. Coordinating and reporting the
activities of their committees to the Board of Directors.
&=
nbsp; &nbs=
p; 2. Attending and voting at al=
l board
meetings.
&=
nbsp; &nbs=
p; 3. Adhering to their committee&#=
8217;s
budget. Any anticipated expenditures exceeding this budget must have prior
Board of Directors’ approval.
&=
nbsp; &nbs=
p; 4. Maintaining an inventory list=
of
their committee.
&=
nbsp; &nbs=
p; 5. Submitting a written annual r=
eport
and budget to the president at year’s end.
&=
nbsp; &nbs=
p; 6. Maintaining the committeeR=
17;s
policy notebook. These are to be submitted to the current president at the =
end
of their present term.
&=
nbsp; &nbs=
p; 7. Being a paid member in good
standing to participate as committee chair or as a member of any committee =
as
you are a representative of the Miami Valley Quilters’ Guild.
=
D. Description of Committe=
es
=
&nb=
sp; These
are general descriptions of committees. For more details, see the job and
policy notebooks.
=
1. The Budget Committee i=
s made
up of the Vice President, the Treasurer and two guild members appointed by =
the
Vice President. Chaired by the Vice President, the committee is responsible=
for
developing and presenting by December to the board of directors, the budget=
for
the following year. The budget is then approved by the general membership at
the Jauary meeting.
=
2.
The Program Committee is chaired by the Vice President and is
responsible for collecting from members, officers and previous chairs, ideas
for desirable speakers and programs; contacting speakers, making arrangemen=
ts
for their appearances, arranging payment, meeting and greeting the speakers,
and helping them unload equipment or props; keeping the newsletter editor
informed of the speaker one month in advance; introducing the speaker at the
meeting.
=
3.
The Bus Trips Committee is headed by an individual responsible for
planning and promoting bus trips to quilt shows of interest to the members.=
&=
nbsp; &nbs=
p; 4.
The Challenge Committee is headed by an individual or pair responsib=
le
for planning the annual design competition, which concludes in October. She
(they) selects themes, rules, fabrics, prizes, sets deadlines, and arranges=
for
display of entries and voting for award winners.
&=
nbsp; &nbs=
p; 5.
The Retreat Committee is headed by a pair who are responsible for
setting the date and coordinating plans with the facility; establishing and
publicizing the deadline dates for member sign-ups and payment; determining=
the
theme, the desirability of a guest teacher and making those arrangements as
necessary; adhering to the budget, recording all expenses, collecting all
payments and presenting a final report to the Board of Directors.
&=
nbsp; 6.=
Workshops: This indivi=
dual
or pair is responsible for soliciting ideas for speakers and teachers who w=
ill
challenge our members and improve their skills; determining availability of
speakers, choosing a location, setting fees, taking reservations and promot=
ing
workshops to members; keeping the program chair (vice president) informed of
future workshops and potential speakers.
&=
nbsp; &nbs=
p; 7. Community Projects Committ=
ee
is headed by an individual dedicated to the notion that we can help and com=
fort
our community by making and donating quilts. She is responsible for setting
annual goals for the types, number and destination of quilts made; keeping a
record of what was donated to each agency, and what we did to help; accepti=
ng
and organizing all donated fabrics and providing for their storage; setting=
up
quilting sessions and encouraging members to attend and to help; keeping the
newsletter editor informed of all projects and progress on them, as well as
crediting the volunteers who help.
=
8=
. Demonstrations
Committee is headed by an individual who coordinates the dates, times a=
nd
volunteers for board-approved demonstrations. She is responsible for solici=
ting
volunteers, personally or by sign-up sheets, and sending a list of their na=
mes
and addresses to the requesting organization, as required, to secure event
passes or meal tickets offered; notifying the newsletter editor of the event
and guild volunteers’ names; providing quilt care brochures and guild
business cards to our demonstrators for them to distribute to the public;
providing a list of guild demonstrators, snapshots, and event brochures, wh=
en
available, to the historian for the guild scrapbook.
=
9. Block-of-the-M=
onth
is headed by an individual or pair who are responsible for selecting the
monthly block pattern, adhering to all current copyright laws, and, when
needed, receiving permission for pattern use; submitting the pattern
illustration and instructions to the newsletter editor by the deadline;
presenting the information and a sample block at the meeting prior to the m=
onth
that the block is due and answering members’ questions; collecting and
displaying blocks at each meeting; and determining the method for selecting=
a
winner of the blocks.
=
10. Historian is an indivi=
dual
who compiles a permanent record of the growth and activities of the guild by
collecting newspaper articles, brochures, photographs, etc., pertaining to
guild activities; mounts this information in a scrapbook to be available at=
all
guild meetings.
=
11. Hospitality is headed =
by a
person or pair who is responsible for organizing food for special events su=
ch
as the quilt show, June pot luck dinner, Christmas party, or any other
designated event.
=
12. Library is headed by a
person or pair who is responsible for bringing to the monthly meetings books
and periodicals owned by the guild; keeping a current inventory list; provi=
ding
checkout of materials and assessing overdue fines; and providing the newsle=
tter
editor with a brief review of newly-acquired books.
=
13. Membership is headed b=
y an
individual who is responsible for collecting dues and passing on money to
treasurer; issuing membership cards, member folders (containing current WEL=
COME
letter, Constitution and By-Laws and guild membership roster), and name bad=
ges;
maintaining an accurate membership list; meeting and greeting members and
guests at each meeting and providing sign-in sheets; and giving the newslet=
ter editor
a list of new members’ names, addresses and phone numbers each month =
for
publication.
=
14. Nominating Committee i=
s made
up of five members, two current board members appointed by the president, a=
nd
three nominated by the general membership at the August meeting. This commi=
ttee
studies the leadership needs of the guild and presents nominees for the
Executive Board at the October meeting; a member of the nominating committee
who becomes a candidate should resign from the committee immediately.
=
15. Newsletter Committee
consists of no less than three members, whose suggested jobs are: 1)
editor/writer/publisher, 2) advertising director, and 3) mailing director.
These members are responsible for producing a monthly newsletter mailed to
members approximately two weeks before each meeting; collecting news from
officers, committees, and members; soliciting and collecting advertising art
and payments from quilt-related businesses; writing, pasting up and printing
the newsletter; mailing the newsletters to members and advertisers; providi=
ng
extra copies at each monthly meeting to the membership chair for new member=
s;
and filing a permanent copy of each issue in the newsletter notebooks.
16. Sunshine is headed by =
an
individual responsible for sending expressions of sympathy and get-well wis=
hes
in a timely manner to guild members or their immediate families; setting a
uniform policy for gift-giving; securing a door prize for each meeting exce=
pt
June and December; and securing a door prize box and numbers, passing the b=
ox,
and giving the door prize money to the treasurer.
=
17. Quilt Show is headed b=
y a
chairperson who is responsible for organizing a members’ quilt show e=
very
two years. The Chair is responsible for deciding how to handle the logistic=
s of
the show and communicating monthly with members and Board of Directors. She
will provide a preliminary final report to the general meeting in June and
finished final report at the next scheduled board meeting. The Chair will
appoint a Sub-Treasurer for the quilt show only, for the tracking of expens=
es
and income. Said Sub-Treasurer will provide a written monthly income/expense
report to quilt show chair and the guild president. Two signatures shall be
required on every check. One signature will be that of the Sub-Treasurer an=
d the
second will be that of the Guild Treasurer, President or Vice-President.
=
18. Auction is headed by an
individual responsible for planning an auction at the request of the Board =
of
Directors; deciding what is to be auctioned, the date and time of the aucti=
on;
and appointing an auctioneer and people to assist.
=
19. Special Projects Committee=
is headed by an individual or pair who is responsible for developing special
projects as needed by the guild, as requested by the Board of Directors and
approved by the members.
4. DUES
A. =
Annual
dues are set by the board and are payable January 1 and are delinquent if n=
ot
paid by January 30. For those joining after July 1, dues are half of the ye=
arly
amount.
=
B. Delinquent
members are dropped immediately from the membership list and are not entitl=
ed
to participate in or benefit from any guild activities.
=
5. MEETINGS
=
C. The preside=
nt
will convene a special meeting whenever 1) she receives a petition signed b=
y 20
or more members requesting a special meeting or 2) she receives from the
Executive Board a resolution to that effect, or 3) in her judgment such a
meeting is necessary. A petition or resolution requesting a special meeting
will indicate the topic for disposition or the reason for the special meeti=
ng
and will also indicate the date and place. Members will be notified.
=
6. FISCAL YEAR
=
7. ELECTIONS =
B. After the
committee has reported, nominations shall be accepted from the floor. =
C. The electio=
ns are
by written ballot unless there is only one nomination for an office and the=
re
are no further nominations from the floor, in which case, by general consen=
t,
the ballot may be dispensed with and the vote taken by voice. =
D. Officers wi=
ll be
elected by majority vote of members present; only members may vote. =
E. Officers wi=
ll be
installed and will assume duties of their offices at the January general
membership meeting. =
8. PARLIAMENTARY AUTHORITY A. &nbs=
p; The rules contained in the current edition of Roberts Rules of
Order, Newly Revised, shall govern this guild in all cases to which they are
applicable and in which they are not inconsistent with these by-laws and any
special rules of order the guild may adopt.