Allegany Artisans Bylaws
Section 1 - Purpose of the Allegany Artisans
The purposes of the Allegany Artisans and the Open Studio Tour are:
To share with and educate the local community about members artistic work
To give friends, customers, and collectors the chance to visit, learn and purchase at our studios
To strengthen the community of artisans by working together towards a great and more visible role in the cultural enrichment of the area.
Section 2 - Membership
Members:
(Regular) Members shall be practicing artists who have submitted slides or photos or examples of their work for review by the Board of Directors and have been accepted for membership. A member in good standing is one who has paid the registration fee and participated in the most recent Studio Tour.
If a member does not participate in one Studio Tour he/she will lose voting rights for that year but may rejoin for the next consecutive tour without submitting slides or photos of their work.
Members may hold office and have voting privileges and may participate in the open studio tour.
Members may have a page on www.alleganyartisans.com.
Members who change media or add media categories to their work should submit slides or photos to the board for their new work, in order to maintain eligibility for inclusion in the open studio tour.
Members must have studios within the boundaries of Allegany County.
Members may not be paid for any work they do for the Allegany Artisans, but may receive out-of -pocket expenses incurred in their work for the Artisans.
Requests for reimbursement shall be by voucher, and include receipts where appropriate. Reimbursement may be denied if the work was not approved by the Board. Members may be paid for presentations to the membership or the public if pre-approved by the Board.
Studio Tour participation fee:
The Board of Directors shall determine the Studio Tour participation fee .
Section 3 - Board of Directors and Its Duties
There shall be six board members.
Each shall serve a three-year term
Two will be elected each year with staggered terms In the event of the resignation of a board member, the board shall appoint a replacement until the next election, at which time the membership will elect someone to finish that term.
The Board of Directors shall oversee the business and finances of the Allegany Artisans.
Section 4 - Board of Directors; Officers and Their Duties
The Allegany Artisans shall have the following officers:
President
Vice-president/Tour Coordinator
Secretary
Treasurer
Duties of the Officers
President
The President of the Board shall:
Be elected every year at the organizational meeting of the board
Preside over all board meetings and general meetings of the association.
With the approval of the board, appoint committee chairs for each of the standing committees
With the approval of the Board, establish ad hoc committees as needed and dissolve such committees when they are no longer needed.
Vice-President/Open Studio Tour Coordinator
The Vice-President shall:
Be elected every year at the organizational meeting of the Board
Preside over meetings when the president is unavailable.
Coordinate the Open Studio Tour, working with established committee to ensure that all necessary work is completed
Treasurer
The Treasurer shall:
Be elected every year at the organizational meeting of the Board
Maintain the finances and checkbook of the association
Develop a yearly budget for the association, including a Tour budget.
Secretary
The Secretary shall:
Be elected every year at the organizational meeting of the Board
Take minutes of the meetings of the board and the general membership meetings
Be responsible for Board correspondence and mailing of the minutes and meeting notices
Section 5 - Meetings
The general membership shall meet at least three times per year to review association business, elect board members and conduct other necessary business of the Artisans.
An annual meeting shall be held in October and shall be for the purpose of:
Reviewing the most recent Studio Tour in order to evaluate procedures, advertising approaches, etc.
Electing officers for the following year
Considering other business to be conducted by the membership.
A quorum for the General Membership Meeting shall be one-third of the (regular) members in good standing.
The board shall meet at least four times/year to work on association business and oversee the planning and review of the Open Studio Tour. It shall hold an organizational meeting shortly after the annual meeting.
All meetings shall be conducted according to Robert’s Rules of Order.
Section 6 - Elections
Elections shall be held yearly for the two directors whose terms are ending, and for filling unexpired terms of those who no longer serve.
The Elections committee shall solicit nominations for Board of Directors members from the regular membership.
The slate of nominees shall be mailed to all members prior to the annual meeting and voted on by absentee ballot at the annual meeting in October.
Written Absentee Ballots and Nominations from the floor are acceptable.
Those who receive the most votes shall fill the vacancies in order of the number of votes they receive.
Notice of elections shall be sent to the members at least seven days before the election.
Election of the Board of Directors officers shall be held each year at the first meeting of the Board of Directors after the annual meeting.
A majority of the board shall elect the officers.
Section 7 - Committees
Members of all committees shall be appointed by the Board on a yearly basis.
Committee members need not be member of the Allegany Artisans if they provide special expertise and are willing to serve for no fee.
Committees are to meet and make recommendations regarding fees, and spending to the Board for their approval.
There shall be the following standing committees:
Budget Committee - to determine the budget for each year and oversee expenditures.
Open Studio Tour Committee - to organize the necessary aspects of the tour, design the brochure and arrange for its printing.
Sub committees of the Open Studio Tour committee are:
Brochure committee - To design the brochure and arrange for printing
Mailing committee - To manage the mailing list and ensure that the tour brochure is properly distributed.
Publicity Committee - To publicize the events of the Allegany Artisans
Webpage Oversight Committee - To review and recommend changes to the website.
Elections Committee - To seek nominees for positions on the Board of Directors as positions become vacant
Section 8 - Changes in the Bylaws
Adoption of the by-laws and changes in the bylaws must be approved by a 2/3rds vote of the votes cast at any general membership meeting.
The bylaws and proposed changes must be sent to the members at least two weeks in advance of the meeting in which changes are to be considered and voted upon.
Section 9 - Dissolution
The Allegany Artisans may be dissolved by a vote of at least 2/3rds of the membership.
Any assets of the Artisans shall be distributed to another eligible artist association in the southern tier.
Last modified on: 08/08/2009 10:09:52 PM