(A West Virginia Non-Profit Organization)
ARTICLE I – Name
The name of this organization shall be the Berkeley Community Chorus.
ARTICLE II – Purpose
Section 1: The purpose(s) of this organization shall be to provide a choral music organization for the promotion and enjoyment of the musical arts in the Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia and to offer a performance opportunity for adult singers of all abilities in Berkeley County, WV, and surrounding areas.
Section 2: The Berkeley Community Chorus shall not have any purpose nor engage in any activity inconsistent with the status of a charitable organization as defined in Section 501 (c) (3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 or the corresponding provision of any future U.S. Internal Revenue law.
ARTICLE III – Membership
Section 1: Membership in this organization shall be open to singers 18 years of age and older. Membership shall be for the lifetime of the member while in good standing.
Section 2: Members shall be considered in good standing within the organization as long as they fulfill the following criteria:
A. Pays membership dues by the third rehearsal unless other arrangements are made with the treasurer.
B. Attends at least 7 out of 10 weekly rehearsals.
C. Attends the required Dress Rehearsal unless an absence for extenuating circumstances is approved by the music director.
- An unapproved absence from the dress rehearsal may result in the member being ineligible to perform at the concert as determined by the music director.
- Members who miss 3 weekly rehearsals, along with the dress rehearsal, will not be eligible to perform at the concert regardless of circumstances.
D. Attends the general meeting in the spring to participate in elections.
E. Extenuating circumstances will be considered by the executive committee.
Section 3: Members who remain in good standing are entitled to the following benefits: voting privileges and eligibility for leadership positions.
Section 4: Failure to meet any of the requirements listed in Section (2) may result in loss of any or all privileges listed in Section (3); and, in extreme cases, may be grounds for removal of membership.
A. Loss of privileges/membership shall be determined by the executive committee and the music director.
B. Members considered for removal may appeal by providing a written explanation to the executive committee or attending an executive committee meeting to discuss.
Section 5: It is necessary to record basic personal data to enable communication with members. This includes the member’s name, address, telephone numbers, email addresses, and emergency contacts.
A. This information shall not be shared with other parties.
B. Members have the right to request that their personal details be deleted or amended. This request shall be directed to the executive committee.
C. Members’ names and images may be shared in the public domain, such as the chorus website, concert programs, social media, newspaper(s), etc.
D. Members may request to have their images not shared. This request shall be directed to the executive committee.
Section 6: This organization shall not discriminate on the basis of age, race, color, religion, gender, national origin, ancestry, disability, veteran’s status, sexual orientation, or political affiliation.
ARTICLE IV- Dues
Section 1: The dues of Berkeley Community Chorus are set by a vote of the executive committee based on current expenses.
Section 2: Dues are collected at the first rehearsal by the treasurer. The treasurer records which members have paid and deposits the dues into the Berkeley Community Chorus bank account.
A. Members who do not provide appropriate dues by the third rehearsal are reported to the music director by the treasurer.
B. Members with financial hardship may be eligible to have their dues waived by submitting sufficient evidence, in writing, to the executive committee.
ARTICLE V- Leadership/Executive Committee
Section 1: The elected officers of this organization shall include:
A. President
B. Vice-President
C. Treasurer
D. Secretary
E. Membership Chair
F. Fundraising Chair
G. Public Relations Chair
Section 2: Terms of office shall be:
A. President – Two years
B. Vice-President – One year
C. Treasurer – Two years
D. Secretary – Two years
E. Membership – One year
F. Fundraising – One year
G. Public Relations – One year
Section 3: Elected officers are eligible to hold the same position no more than twice consecutively.
Section 4: The music director will serve as an ex-officio member on the executive committee.
ARTICLE VI – Elections
Section 1: Nominations for elected positions will be held during the last regular rehearsal.
A. Any person considering an elected officer position should become familiar with that respective position by reading the duties listed in the constitution.
B. Nominations must be verified with the member before submission.
C. Nominations shall be submitted, in writing, to the president or secretary during the week prior to the general meeting.
D. Nominations must be formally accepted by the nominee prior to the general meeting and noted in the minutes.
E. Any person nominated must be in good standing.
F. The secretary shall send an email to the membership with a list of nominations prior to the general meeting.
G. Additional nominations will be accepted from the floor at the general meeting.
H. Persons nominated for the positions of president, treasurer, and secretary must confirm they will be committed to a full term of service.
Section 2: Election of officers shall be held during the general membership meeting after the spring concert.
A. Elections will be conducted by paper ballot, facilitated by the membership chair.
If the membership chair is running for a particular office, that specific vote will be facilitated by another member of the executive committee.
Two volunteers from the membership not running for office will oversee counting the ballots.
B. In order to conduct elections, 51% of the membership from the start of the spring session must be present to make a quorum.
C. Officers will be chosen by simple majority.
D. No executive committee member may sit on the ballot count.
Section 3: Should an office become vacant mid-term, a request will be made to the membership calling for volunteers to fill the position. A new officer shall be appointed by the executive committee.
Section 4: Any officer (elected or appointed) may be removed from office by the executive committee in consultation with the music director for failure to fulfill the roles and responsibilities outlined in Article VI.
A. The music director will be present for any process to remove an officer.
B. Officers being considered for removal may make appeals to the executive committee in writing.
D. After discussion, the executive committee will approve or deny the appeal.
E. The music director, president, and vice president will meet with the officer to review the decision.
Section 5: Resignation from the executive committee shall be made in writing and addressed to the executive committee.
ARTICLE VII- Duties of Leadership
Section 1: The president shall serve as head of the organization and be responsible for calling for and presiding over all scheduled meetings, serving as a spokesperson and a point of contact for the organization, voting only in the case of a tie, providing general oversight for all committees, establishing goals for the organization, etc.
Section 2: The vice president shall serve in absence of the president and perform duties assigned by the president. If the president is incapable of fulfilling their term, the vice president shall serve as president until the next general election.
Section 3: The secretary shall be responsible for maintaining all records of the organization electronically, as well as, on paper (e.g. constitutional amendments, meeting minutes, membership rosters and attendance at the end of the session), recording the minutes
of all meetings, and communicating with membership on behalf of the executive committee.
Section 4: The treasurer shall be responsible for managing the organization’s
finances. Duties may include collection of dues, coordination of fundraising efforts, general bookkeeping, providing financial reports to the executive committee, depositing funds in the organization’s account, purchasing and reconciling using an organization specific debit card, processing reimbursements, etc.
Section 5: The fundraising chair shall be responsible for ensuring that enough funds are raised annually to cover costs associated with programming, hiring musicians, travel, activities, etc.
Section 6: The public relations chair shall be responsible for creating and distributing publicity materials related to activities, recruitment, fundraising, managing the Facebook page, updating the website, etc.
Section 7: The membership chair is responsible for managing the recruitment of new members, new member orientation, coordinating membership mixers and receptions, verification of good standing, etc.
Section 8: The executive committee may create new committees as needed.
ARTICLE VIII- Executive Committee Meeting
Section 1: There shall be a minimum of one meeting per month during the season (September to May). Additional meetings may be called as necessary by the president. Additional meetings must be announced at least one week in advance.
Section 2: The meetings shall be conducted in accordance with Robert’s Rules of Order, 11th edition.
Section 3: A quorum for conducting business shall be considered to be 1/3 of the members of the executive committee.
Section 4: The president may need to make decisions on urgent matters before they can be discussed at an executive committee meeting.
A. The president will attempt to include as many executive committee members as possible to discuss such matters.
B. The president shall report any such decisions at the next executive committee meeting.
Section 5: The music director should attend at least one regular executive committee meeting per season in addition to the general meeting.
Section 6: Should any member of the executive committee fail to attend three consecutive meetings without sufficient reason, as determined by the executive committee, shall be considered resigned from their position.
Section 7: Minutes from the executive committee meetings shall be provided to the membership upon availability.
ARTICLE IX- Finance
Section 1: The financial year shall operate from July 1st to June 30th.
Section 2: In consultation with the music director, the executive committee will set an appropriate budget for concerts and performances in advance to have all preparations complete prior to the start of rehearsals for each session (fall and spring).
Section 3: A banking account shall be maintained in the name of the chorus and operated by a minimum of two authorized persons, one of which must be the treasurer.
Section 4: All monies received, including membership dues, subscriptions, donations, sponsorships, concert tickets, shall be deposited into the bank account in a timely manner.
Section 5: All payments shall be authorized by the executive committee. All monies paid out shall be properly accounted for with supporting documentation.
Section 6: The financial account(s) shall be reviewed annually by the president and treasurer for accuracy then reported to the membership at the general meeting.
ARTICLE X- Amendments
Section 1: Any member may submit an amendment to this constitution/bylaws.
Section 2: Amendments may be made according to the procedure below.
A. Proposed amendments must be submitted two weeks in advance to an executive committee member; the amendment will be reviewed at the following executive committee meeting.
B. Amendments approved by the executive committee and active members will be eligible to be voted on.
C. For an amendment to pass, a 2/3 majority vote of members and officers present, provided there is a quorum, will be required.
D. Passed amendments will be noted in the minutes and placed in the constitution. The revised constitution/bylaws will be distributed to all members within 2 weeks.
Section 3: Amendment repeals may be made according to the following procedure:
A. Motions to repeal a constitutional amendment must be submitted in writing to an executive committee member. Oral repeals are not accepted.
B. For a repeal to pass, a 2/3 majority vote of members and officers present, provided there is a quorum, will be required.
ARTICLE XI- Dissolution
Section1: Berkeley Community Chorus may be dissolved for involuntary external reasons as well as by a resolution passed by a 2/3 majority vote of the membership present and voting at a special meeting called for the purpose.
Section 2: In the event of dissolution, the executive committee shall be the body responsible for the orderly resolution of any outstanding affairs and informing the public.
Section 3: After the satisfaction of all debts and liabilities, the executive committee shall dispose of its remaining assets in such a manner, or to such organizations as the executive committee shall determine, as permissible under the laws of the State of West Virginia and the applicable provisions of the Internal Revenue Code of the United States.
This Bylaws of the Berkeley Community Chorus has been ratified (or amended) by the executive committee on _____ (date).
_____________________ _____________________ (Signature of President) (Printed name of President)
_____________________ _____________________ (Signature of Secretary) (Printed name of Secretary) ****