BCB Constitution, Bylaws, and Policies, 2002-2009

PREAMBLE

The Constitution states the basic purposes of the organization and the basis of membership. The by-laws provide the basic rules and authority for organizing and maintaining the organization. Policies are rules implemented by the Board. They can be changed by the Board–usually through consultation with the membership–but in ways less cumbersome than by-law changes.

CONSTITUTION

  1. This organization shall be known as the Bloomington Community Band.
  2. Its purpose shall be:
  • To contribute positively to the musical literacy and musical environment of the community it serves, whether local or otherwise.
  • To provide opportunity and training for individual musical expression and growth among the membership.
  • To reaffirm the community concert band position in American Music.

III. Members

Membership is a privilege bestowed upon those who have indicated a high level of commitment to the purposes and activities of the Band. Such commitment maximizes the positive impact of our work in the community and among ourselves.

  1. Operation as a Non-Profit Organization

The Bloomington Community Band is organized exclusively for charitable, religious, educational, and scientific purposes, including, for such purposes the making of distributions to organizations that qualify as exempt organizations under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code or the corresponding section of any future federal tax code.

No part of the net earnings of the Bloomington Community Band shall inure to the benefit of, or be distributable to its members, directors, officers, or other private persons, except that the Band shall be authorized and empowered to pay reasonable compensation for services rendered and to make payments and distributions in furtherance of the purposes set forth in Article II. No substantial part of the activities of the Band shall be the carrying on of propaganda, or otherwise attempting to influence legislation, and the Band shall not participate in or intervene in (including the publishing or distribution of statements) any political campaign on behalf of or in opposition to any candidate for public office. Notwithstanding any other provision of these articles, the Association shall not carry on any other activities not permitted to be carried on (a) by an association exempt from federal income tax under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, or the corresponding section of any future federal tax code, or (b) by an association, contributions to which are deductible under section 170(c)(2) of the Internal Revenue Code, or the corresponding section of any future federal tax code.

Upon dissolution of the Bloomington Community Band, the Board, after paying or making provisions for the payment of all the liabilities of the Band, shall dispose of all the assets of the Band exclusively for the purposes of the Bloomington Community Band. Assets shall be distributed for one or more exempt purposes within the meaning of section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, or the corresponding section of any future tax code, or shall be distributed to the federal government, or to a state or local government, for a specific purpose. Any such assets not so disposed of shall be disposed of by a Court of Competent Jurisdiction of the county in which the principal office of the Bloomington Community Band is then located, exclusively for such purposes or to such organization or organizations as said Court shall determine which are organized and operated exclusively for such purposes.

  1. Amendments to the Constitution

This constitution may be amended by a vote of the active members in conformance with Article VI of the Bylaws.

BY-LAWS

  1. Membership
  2. Qualifications for membership:
  3. Any person 18 years of age or over who is interested in the purpose of the Bloomington Community Band may enter the membership process. Those under 18 who wish to play with the band must be sponsored by an active member and approved by the Board.
  4. Membership is divided into the following categories:
  5. Active membership requires attendance at a majority of all rehearsals and concerts of the Band in the ninety-day period prior to an election.
  6. Probationary members have been with the band less than 90 days. This group has no voting rights.
  7. Seasonal membership requires participation when available. This group has no voting rights
  8. Reserve membership is made up of musicians who fill in occasionally to cover absences. This group has no voting rights.
  9. Board of Directors
  10. Executive authority:

The executive authority of the Band is vested in a Board of Directors whose duties shall include:

  1. Management of the general affairs of the Band, taking all action which is compatible with the best interests of the Band.
  2. Management of the financial affairs of the Band, including establishment of an annual budget and the maintenance of financial records.
  3. Appointment and dismissal of the Conductor and Assistant Conductor.
  4. Replacement of members of the Board of Directors who are unable to complete their terms of office.
  5. Establishment of a schedule of rehearsals and concerts.
  6. Titles and Duties:

The Board of Directors shall consist of the following:

  1. Members elected from the active membership:
  • Chair, who shall call and preside over Board meetings and general membership meetings and oversee the responsibilities of other Board members.
  • Vice Chair and Business Manager, who shall make arrangements for concerts, trips, and purchases and substitute for the Chair as needed.
  • Publicity Coordinator, who shall promote and publicize all activities of the Band and be responsible for the printing of handbooks, programs, brochures, advertising matter, and other appropriate material, including the Band’s Web site.
  • Secretary, who shall keep records of all meetings of the Band and Board and maintain other permanent records.
  • Treasurer, who shall collect and disburse all monies as approved by the Board, and prepare appropriate financial reports.
  • Librarian, who shall maintain the music library in good order, keep a file of music, and arrange for transportation of the music folders to and from rehearsals and concerts.
  • Property Manager, who shall be responsible for setting up chairs, stands, and equipment at all rehearsals and concerts, and for transporting equipment to and from the concert sites.
  • Personnel Manager, who shall maintain an up-to-date membership list and distribute this list to Band members at the beginning of each calendar year and to each probationary member. The Personnel Manager also maintains a list of probationary members, keeps a record of attendance at rehearsals and concerts, and processes applications from potential members under the age of 18.
  • Historian, who shall collect and maintain documents and other artifacts pertaining to the history of the Band.
  • Development Officer, who shall develop and coordinate projects to raise funds.
  1. Ex Officio members appointed by the Board:
  • The Conductor, who shall be in charge of the musical direction of the Band, including choice of repertoire and seating within sections.
  • The Assistant Conductor, who shall participate in rehearsals and concerts and substitute for the Conductor as needed.
  1. Organization:
  • Each member of the Board shall have one vote.
  • A quorum shall exist when a simple majority of elected Board members are present.
  • Active members may address the Board upon request to the Board Chair. Active members may attend Board meetings.
  1. Election of Board Members:
  2. On or before the first rehearsal in September of each year, the Chair of the Board shall appoint a three-member Nominating Committee (one, and only one, of whom shall be a Board member; all of whom shall be active members of the Band) for the purpose of preparing a slate of candidates.
  • Candidates in odd-numbered years will be:
  • Business Manager
    · Publicity Coordinator
    · Librarian
    · Historian
    · Development Officer.
  • Candidates in even-numbered years will be:
  • Chair
    · Secretary
    · Treasurer
    · Personnel Manager
    · Property Manager.
  1. The Nominating Committee shall present its report at the first rehearsal in October, listing one candidate for each of the positions listed in paragraph 1. above, as appropriate for the current year. All candidates must be active members.
  2. It shall require a two-thirds majority vote of the active membership present and voting to sustain the recommendation of the Nominating Committee. Lacking the required vote, the Nominating Committee shall be instructed to prepare a revised slate for the following rehearsal.
  3. Each elected member of the Board will serve a two-year term, beginning January 1 following election to the office.
  4. If for any reason a Board member is unable to complete a term, the Board will appoint a successor from the active membership to serve until the next election.

III. Meetings

Meetings of the Board of Directors and meetings of the full Band membership may be called at the request of the Chair of the Board or a majority of the Board. A quorum for a Board meeting is six members. Full Band membership meetings take place only at regularly scheduled rehearsals. Notice of these meetings must be given at a scheduled rehearsal or concert at least one week in advance.
IV. Membership Dues

The Board of Directors may establish membership dues subject to approval by the membership. The Board shall have the power to waive dues in appropriate cases due to financial hardship or for other reasons in the best interests of the Band.
V. Dismissal

Members may be dropped from the roster by 3/4 vote of the Board of Directors for conduct not compatible with the Band’s best interests.

  1. Amendments
  2. This Constitution and By-Laws may be amended by a three-fourths vote of active members at a regularly scheduled rehearsal.
  3. Previous notice of a proposed amendment to the Constitution and By-Laws, along with a copy of the proposed amendment, must be presented at a duly constituted meeting of the Band membership at least 30 days or three full rehearsals prior to voting.

Approved by the Active Members of the Bloomington Community Band, 9/23/2002

POLICIES

  1. Rehearsals and Concerts
  2. Rehearsals will be held on Monday evenings.
  3. Members are expected to exercise common courtesy to avoid disruptions, for example, when late at rehearsals and concerts.
  4. Bring a music stand to rehearsals and concerts, and, as needed, a folding chair.
  5. In sections where there is more than one part, a section leader will have the responsibility to see that all the parts are covered, i.e., at least one player on each part.
  6. Members are expected to attend rehearsals and concerts as regularly as possible.
  • If a member of the Band cannot attend a scheduled concert, he or she is expected to notify the Conductor well in advance so that a substitute can be obtained.
  • The final decision to play a scheduled concert is always contingent on sufficient participation of band members, with adequate representation of parts in all sections as determined by the Conductor.
  1. For outdoor concerts, a decision not to play based on weather at that location will be made by the conductor 1/2 hour before the scheduled start of the concert.
  2. The standard uniform for the Bloomington Community Band is a band shirt (or white dress shirt with buttons) and black pants or skirt. No colored garments are to be worn underneath the shirt, and neither ivory-colored shirts nor navy blue pants or skirts are acceptable. When a concert is played inside, wear black shoes and socks. No headgear is to be worn for indoor concerts (except the holiday concert, where appropriate seasonal caps may be worn). When we play an outdoor concert, you may substitute black shorts, and the choice of color for shoes or sandals is yours. If you choose to wear a cap, it must be the official BCB red cap; no substitutes are allowed.
  3. Each year the Board will approve a list of concerts for which a program is appropriate. The program will list pieces to be performed, with the current BCB schedule of public performances on the reverse side. Conductors will announce any program changes at the concert. If the Publicity Coordinator is to produce the program, it will be made available 48 hours before the scheduled concert.
  4. Audience appeal and nature of the venue are important considerations in the selection of repertoire.
  5. Fund raising: Major fund raising projects involving extensive member partici­pation shall be subject to approval by a majority vote of the membership.

III. Other Responsibilities of Members:

  1. Individual parts may be borrowed from a folder and taken home for practice. They must be returned for the next rehearsal or concert whether or not the borrower is present. A check-out procedure will be established by the Librarian.
  2. Each player should be on the lookout for persons in the community to invite to become Band members. Encourage them to come with you to a rehearsal and/or provide the Conductor or Personnel Manager with the names and phone numbers so official invitations can be extended.
  3. A prospective new member under 18 years of age is to be referred to the appropriate section leader. The section leader must request the Board of Directors to approve or reject the prospective member no later than the fourth rehearsal following the initial date of attendance.
  4. The Bloomington Community Band and its members accept the limitations and privileges implied by the United States Copyright Code (Title 17) and the Fair Use Clause. The following are acceptable reasons for copying music in the Band’s possession:
  • facilitating page turns.
  • enlarging small print,
  • replacing damaged originals,
  • ensuring that all musicians have access to a part,
  • supplementing editions that are permanently out of print.

(Approved by the Board 9/19/2005)

  1. Loan of music to other organizations.
  2. The Bloomington Community Band shall not loan its music to other organizations, but may, at the discretion of the librarian, and within the terms outlined above, provide assistance to other organizations by way of photocopies.
  3. At the discretion of the librarian, and within the terms outlined above, other musical organizations may request assistance with replacement parts.Reimbursement for photocopies and postage are expected, as applicable.

(Approved by the Board 9/19/2005)

  1. Website policies.

The guidelines for the Bloomington Community Band website are general. Broadly speaking, the intent for the web site is that it should reflect the purpose of the Bloomington Community Band as an organization as stated in our constitution:

  • To contribute positively to the musical literacy and musical environment of the community it serves, whether local or otherwise.
  • To provide opportunity and training for individual musical expression and growth among the membership.
  • To reaffirm the community concert band position in American Music.

Specifically, the web site should be used as a promotional tool for communicating information about the band to our potential audience and potential members. Also, it can serve the band itself to provide a means of internal communication with respect to band business. Hopefully, links to sites of interest to band audiences and members helps reaffirm the community concert band position in American music.

Consistency of style for all BCB web pages should always be the goal. Pages should conform to World Wide Web Consortium (W3C, https://www.w3.org/) accepted best practices.Simplicity in visual page design is another worthy goal. Lastly, the site should be easy to navigate, with quick load time for all pages.

(Approved by the Board 10/17/2005)

VII. Dues

  1. Dues of $25 will be assessed in May due by July 1 for active members as defined in the BCB By-Laws.Probationary members will be exempt. Dues will not be assessed for musicians who fill in occasionally to cover absences.
  2. “The Board shall have the power to waive dues in appropriate cases due to financial hardship or for other reasons in the best interests of the band.” (from the BCB By-Laws)A request for waiving of dues must be addressed in writing to the Board chair and will be held in confidence.
  3. Notice will be sent out by e-mail once a year to a current list of active members.
  4. The dues policy does not preclude special collections such as the rehearsal space donations.

(Approved by the Board 10/15/2007 and accepted at a full Band membership meeting on October 29, 2007)