NORTH COUNTRY SPINNERS-Bylaws

 

I Name and Object of the Guild

The guild shall be known as the North Country Spinners, Inc. Its purpose shall be to educate and to promote the craft of spinning and related fiber arts both to its members and to the public.

 

II Membership

A. Membership shall be open to persons interested in spinning and related fiber arts.

B. The two categories of membership shall be Individual and Family. Family membership shall include members of      the same household. Family members shall receive one (1) newsletter.

C. The number of persons attending a meeting shall not exceed the number of persons permitted to occupy the            room where the meetings of the guild are held.

D. A guest may attend two (2) meetings before application for membership becomes mandatory.

 

III Dues

A. Dues shall be set at a quarterly business meeting by a majority vote of the members present and voting, upon          recommendation of the Executive Board.

B. Annual dues shall be paid in advance of the first scheduled meeting of the calendar year.

 

IV Meetings

A. Meetings shall be held at a central location, weather permitting, on the first Friday of each month.

B. Any change in schedule required to accommodate special events, workshops, programs or holidays shall be             approved by the Executive Board and announced well in advance.

C. Business meetings shall be conducted quarterly at the January, April, July, and October meetings.

D. The President may introduce a subject for a vote by the members at a regularly scheduled meeting if in her/his        judgment there is a need to reach a decision before the next regularly scheduled business meeting.

E. Special meetings of this organization may be called by the President when she/he deems it in the best interest of      the organization. Notices of such meetings shall be sent to members at least ten (10) days before the scheduled        date set for such special meeting. Such notice shall state the reasons that such meeting has been called, the              business to be transacted at such meeting, and by whom called. At the request of three (3) members of the              Executive Committee the President shall call a special meeting, but such request must be made in writing at least      fourteen (14) days before the requested scheduled date. No other business but that specified in the notice may        be transacted at such special meeting without the unanimous consent of all present at such meeting.

 

V Executive Board

A. The affairs of the guild shall be managed by the Executive Board, which shall be composed of the elected Officers      (Trustees) of the guild.

B. The Executive Board shall:• Conduct all business of the Guild• Approve the plans of all committees• Approve the      budget and any expenditures not included within the budget• Fix the place, date and hours of the meetings and      submit the annual meeting schedule to the manager of the meeting location• Release officers who are unable to      perform their duties.

C. The Executive Board shall meet quarterly, in advance of each business meeting, to review matters anticipated to        arise at the business meeting, prepare the agenda for such meeting, and consider any recommendation it may        make to the members. The President may invite other guild members to attend and participate in meetings of          the Executive Board, but they may not vote.

D. Decisions of the Executive Board shall be made by a majority vote of Board members present and voting. No            decisions shall be made without a quorum, which shall be three (3) members.

E. In emergency situations the board may hold an online meeting, using email, video conferencing, or other                  available technology. All meetings will follow the most current Robert’s Rules of Order.

 

VI Officers

A. The elected officers of the guild shall be its President, Vice-President, Secretary, Treasurer, Membership                  Chairperson and Program Chairperson.

B. The President, with the counsel of the other members of the Executive Board, shall appoint a Newsletter Editor        an Historian, and Outreach Chairperson who shall serve as appointed officers.

C. The terms of all elected officers shall be two (2) years. Officers' terms shall begin on January 1of the year                  following their election. Elected officers may not serve more than two (2) terms, consecutively, in the same office.

 

VII Election of Officers

A. The Nominating Committee shall be formed at the April Business meeting.

B. Nominations for Officers shall be made at the July business meeting that is immediately prior to term expirations.      Elections shall take place at the October business meeting by a majority vote of the members present and voting.      Vote shall be taken by paper ballot.

C. An elected office vacancy that occurs during a term shall be filled in the following manner1. If the remainder of         the term is less than six months, the President shall appoint a successor to hold office until the next regularly           scheduled election.2. If the remainder of the term is more than six months, an election shall be held at the next       regularly scheduled meeting, following notice to the members via the newsletter.

 

VIII Duties of Officers

A. The President shall: 1. Preside at all meetings of the guild and of the Executive Board 2. See that the Bylaws are        faithfully observed 3. Exercise general supervision over the affairs of the guild 4. See that all officers of the guild        properly perform their duties 5. With counsel of the Executive Board, appoint the Newsletter Editor, the                  Historian, Hospitality and the Outreach chairpersons and members of guild committees 6. Have the power to          cast the deciding vote in case of a tie in voting by either the membership or the Executive Board 7. Appoint two        (2) members to audit the Treasurer's accounts at the beginning of each year 8. Obtain guild approval for all              formally proposed activities

B. The Vice-President shall: 1. Assist the President in the discharge of her/his duties 2. Perform the duties of the            President in case of her/his absence or disability 3. Sign checks on behalf of the guild if the Treasurer is unable        to do so 4. Coordinate the Guild charity project 5. Perform such other duties as the President may direct

C. The Secretary shall: 1. Attend all business meetings of the guild and of the Executive Board and record minutes of      such meetings. If the secretary is unable to attend such a meeting, she/he shall arrange for another member of        the guild to record minutes in her/his absence  2. Have custody of the records and documents of the guild,              except those which are the responsibility of other officers and committee representatives 3. Publish a summary        of the quarterly business meeting minutes in the newsletter that immediately precedes the next business                meeting, where they are subject to approval, and at such meeting, orally report the minutes of the previous such      meeting for approval 4. After an Executive Board meeting, provide a copy of the minutes to each Board member      and, at the next Board meeting, orally report the minutes of the preceding meeting for approval 5. Perform such      other duties as the President may direct

D. The Treasurer shall: 1. Keep a correct record of all funds received and expended 2. Receive all funds due the            guild from the Membership Coordinator, Program Coordinator or other source, and deposit all funds in the bank      designated by the Executive Board 3. Pay all bills as directed by the President and one other member of the              Executive Board 4. Prepare an annual budget of projected income and expenditures, based on input from the          officers and committee chairpersons 5. Give a written financial report at each quarterly meeting, including any          significant departures from expectations as set forth in the annual budget 6. Sign all checks issued on behalf of        the guild, provided that the Vice President shall have authority to sign such checks if the Treasurer is not                  available to do so 7. Have the financial records and books ready for inspection at any time 8. Submit the books at      the first meeting of each year for an annual audit, which shall be performed by two (2) guild members who shall      be appointed by the President and who shall report their findings to the Executive Board 9. Perform such other        duties as the President may direct

E. The Membership Chairperson shall: 1. Greet all guests and new members 2. Provide new members with a              packet of information about the guild 3. Maintain a list of names, addresses (USPS and e-mail), and phone              numbers of all members 4. Provide each member a copy of the membership list at the February meeting of the        guild 5. Record attendance at each regular meeting of the guild. 6. At the end of each year, provide an annual          attendance summary to the President and to the Secretary for inclusion in the guild records 7. Perform such            other duties as the President may direct

F. The Program Chairperson shall: 1. Plan, schedule, and present monthly programs and periodic workshops 2.            With the concurrence of the Executive Board, represent the Guild in contract negotiations for a program or              workshop 3. Advise the guild of proposed programs and workshops and their associated costs 4. Collect                  workshop fees will be collected at the time of sign-up, and submitted to the Treasurer in a timely manner 5.            Keep accurate and detailed records of workshop finances 6. Perform such other duties as the President may            direct

G. The Newsletter Editor shall be responsible for publishing the monthly Newsletter and distributing it to all guild        members. A copy shall be given to the Guild Historian for the archives.

H. The Historian shall keep a record of the guild's activities and provide an exhibit at one (1) guild meeting during        each calendar year.

 

IX Committees

A. The Outreach Committee shall coordinate outside requests for spinning and other fiber arts demonstration. The       Outreach Coordinator shall collect the pertinent information, present it to the guild at a regularly scheduled             meeting, and send the information to the Newsletter Chairperson for publication in the guild Newsletter. Guild         members who attend an outreach event are encouraged to report back to the Outreach coordinator to critique         and give feedback about the event.

B. The Hospitality Committee shall arrange for hosts/hostesses and refreshments at the regularly scheduled                 meetings and workshops and restore order to the kitchen area. It shall also arrange for setup and restoration of       the meeting area.

C. The Library Committee shall propose, purchase, and be responsible for equipment and library materials and            shall enforce any Executive-Board-approved regulations concerning their use.

D. A Nominating Committee, which shall consist of at least three (3) members, shall propose and present a slate of      nominees to the members for each election and shall count the votes.

E. The President may appoint other committees as the need arises.

F. All committees shall report their activities to the President.

 

X Amendments

A. Amendments to the bylaws may be proposed at any meeting of the guild for approval at the following quarterly       business meeting.

B. Any proposed amendment to the bylaws shall be published in the newsletter in advance of the business meeting     at which it shall be voted on.

C. Passage of any proposed amendment shall require the affirmative vote of two-thirds (2/3) of the members who       are present and voting.

 

XI Dissolution

   If the guild is dissolved, all property and assets of the guild shall be donated to a fiber-related nonprofit                   organization.

 

Adopted: June 1987, Revised: August 1989; 2 December 1992; 1 December 1995; 3 January 1997; 6 April 2001;      12 July 2002; 7 October 2005; 7 April 2014; 22 April 2016