Prince William Community Band By-Laws

Updated 2/7/2003

SECTION I -- PURPOSE

The Prince William Community Band, Inc. shall serve the following purposes:

Perform and participate in a broad range of musical programs to extend an awareness of band music in Prince William County and the local area.

Provide an opportunity for members of the community to increase proficiency in the playing of musical instruments.

Provide an opportunity for local residents to participate in a quality community band and in related activities.

A Board of Directors shall administer the Prince William Community Band as a non-profit cultural, charitable, and educational organization.

SECTION II -- MEMBERSHIP

Dues Paying Membership shall be defined as:

Board of Directors -- Officers of the Band will collectively be recognized as the Board of Directors, which hereinafter may be referred to as the Board. Officers are voting members of the Prince William Community Band and the Directors of the corporation.

Conductor(s) -- The Conductor(s) is a voting member of the Prince William Community Band, is in charge of rehearsal and concert activities, and is a member of the Board of Directors.

Voting members -- Voting members are musicians 19 years of age or older, attend a minimum of one-half of the rehearsals and one-half of the concerts and have paid their annual dues. Voting members are eligible to vote at Band meetings and may be elected as Officers of the Band and become members of the Board of Directors. New voting members shall receive an Information Packet when they turn in a Personnel Sheet.

Dues – the Board following Board elections in October will set the amount of yearly dues. Dues will be collected annually, during January and February, from each returning, voting member. Dues for new members joining the Band after January and February will be prorated every four months.

Non Dues Paying Membership shall be defined as:

Associate members -- Persons less than 19 years old may only join as associate members with the approval of the PWCB Conductor(s). Associate members will be non-voting members of the Band. Associate members will not be required to pay dues. New associate members shall receive an Information Packet when they turn in a Personnel Sheet.

Patron Members -- In addition to the above members, the PWCB may invite individual members of the community to be non-voting honorary members. These honorary Patron Members may be any individuals who have shown an interest in the welfare of the Band through a substantial contribution of money or work effort.

Guest Players -- Individuals invited to rehearse or perform, with the permission of the Conductor, are considered non-voting guest players. They will not be compensated for their participation in Band activities and they will be encouraged to become members. Guest players must attend at least one rehearsal before playing in a concert unless otherwise approved by the Conductor.

SECTION III -- BAND MEETINGS

Notice of Meetings -- A minimum of seven days notice shall be provided for called meetings. General notice shall be given at a minimum of one rehearsal prior to the day of the meeting. The Secretary shall take roll at these rehearsals and make a good faith effort to contact eligible members and provide at least 48 hours prior notice of Band meetings to members who were not in attendance at one of the rehearsals announcing the meeting.

Meetings -- The annual meeting is a called meeting and shall be held in October each year. The Board may call additional meetings as needed. Conduct of business, except amending the Bylaws, shall require a quorum consisting of one-third of the voting members.

Proxy Votes -- Voting members may vote by proxy for, against, or abstain. Proxies must be signed by the absent member and shall clearly indicate how the vote is to be cast. Proxies must be submitted to the Secretary prior to voting.

Amending the Bylaws -- Bylaws may be amended at any properly called Band meeting for which amending the Bylaws are on the agenda. Proposed amendments to the Bylaws shall be presented to the Board and voted on by the Board at a Board meeting prior to placing the Bylaws amendment(s) on the Band meeting agenda. Changes to the Bylaws shall require a 51% majority of the voting members.

SECTION IV -- BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Purpose -- The Board of Directors shall support the purpose of the Band and shall be aware of the community needs for band and music ensembles in the area.

Criteria -- Members of the Board of Directors shall number no less than five and no more than 14. Board members must be voting members and, except for the Conductor shall be elected as officers at the annual meeting in October. New Board members shall attend Board meetings for training purposes in November and December and assume the duties of their offices in January. Board member vacancies shall be filled by election at the annual meeting or a called meeting. The Band shall elect Board members to additional positions as recommended by the Board. Board members shall be elected for a one-year term. Board members may be re-elected to office.

Meetings -- Board meetings shall be held monthly with additional meetings called as needed. A quorum shall consist of at least two-thirds of the Board members. It is at the discretion of the Board to decide which matters, except changes in the Bylaws, will be brought before the members of the Band for voting. Meetings may be held informally or in accordance with Roberts Rules of Order at the discretion of the President. Any voting member may attend these meetings.

SECTION V -- BOARD MEMBER RESPONSIBILITIES

The Band shall annually elect the following seven officers as Board Members with duties as described:

President -- The President shall call, preside at and provide an agenda for all meetings. The President shall disseminate information to the Board and Band members. The President shall oversee and coordinate the activities of the other Officers. The President shall coordinate nominations for Officers elections. The President shall amend the Bylaws as required by member/Board voting. The President shall maintain a Strategic Plan for the Band. The President shall recognize significant contributions from members at the Annual Meeting. All the other Officers shall report directly to the President. All committee members shall report to their Board member, who in turn reports to the President.

Vice President -- The Vice-President shall call and preside at meetings in absence of the President. The Vice-President shall set the concert schedule/season for the following concert year (June-May), coordinating dates with the Conductor. The VP shall make arrangements for concert performances including the location, seating, parking, directions, and sound system. The VP shall provide rehearsal/concert information; including any equipment individual Band members need to bring, to all Band members as soon as possible. The VP shall also notify the Prince William Arts Council Liaison about future Band concerts as soon as possible. The VP shall oversee the Equipment Committee.

Secretary -- The Secretary shall record and publish minutes of all meetings, including action items, provide notification of called meetings, and keep a historical record of the Band’s activities, including estimated attendance at concerts. The Secretary shall maintain a Policies and Procedures Manual (Adverse Weather Policy, Dress Policy etc.). The Secretary shall write and send any necessary correspondence on behalf of any board members needing such support. The Secretary shall also be responsible for checking the PO Box for mail and distributing any received mail on a timely basis. The Secretary shall also arrange social events including location reservations.

Treasurer -- The Treasurer shall be responsible for maintaining the Band’s bank account, for receiving and disbursing authorized funds, and for maintaining Band monetary assets. The Treasurer also files yearly tax and corporation forms as necessary and pays all bills related to Band activities. The Treasurer maintains our non-profit, tax-exempt status with the IRS, membership in the Prince William Arts Council, which automatically provides the Band with insurance coverage, and membership in the Association of Concert Bands (ACB). The Treasurer shall coordinate support from our primary sponsor and provide written confirmation for any significant contributions. The Treasurer shall work with the Finance Committee personnel to collect annual dues. The Treasurer shall work with the Finance Committee personnel and other Board members to apply for county or state grants. The Treasurer shall be responsible for all financial aspects of fund raising approved by the Board of Directors. The Treasurer shall generate a proposed budget at the beginning of each fiscal year and a financial summary at the end of each fiscal year for review by the Board. The Treasurer shall oversee the Finance Committee.

Personnel Manager -- The Personnel Manager shall be responsible for keeping attendance, disseminating information to Band members, including changes/additions to rehearsals and performances, and taking a planning roll before specific rehearsals and all performances to ensure needed concert instrumentation. The Personnel Manager shall organize and maintain a member’s phone and e-mail list and provide copies for members semiannually. The Personnel Manager shall provide Information Packets for all new members at the time the Personnel Sheet is turned in. The Personnel Manager shall provide a list of current members for inclusion in concert programs and/or the Web page roster. The Personnel Manager shall also be responsible for communicating with the Conductor and producing the music order list for inclusion in concert programs.

Librarian -- The Librarian shall be responsible for obtaining and returning music from outside sources (library, local schools), obtaining replacement music, accounting of Band folders, maintaining the Band's music library, stamping new music purchases with the Band's name, as well as distributing and collecting music at rehearsals. The Librarian shall keep a record of music owned including the title, purchase price/estimated value, etc. The Librarian shall provide the Conductor(s) with a list of available music and coordinate the purchase of new music with the Conductor and the Treasurer. The Librarian shall oversee the Library Committee.

Public Relations Manager – The Public Relations Manager shall coordinate all communications with the general public via various media including information on concerts, rehearsal schedule and needs for additional instrumentation. The PR Manager shall complete a semiannual information mailing to patrons and past members. The PR Manager shall also coordinate concert preparation (i.e. programs, flyers), front of house and community displays. The PR Manager shall update the Band’s web site (concert dates, library, ensembles, etc.) or coordinate with a member of the Advertising committee to ensure that the web site is updated in a timely manner. The PR Manger shall ensure attendance of a PWCB representative at community functions as requested by community organizations and/or the Board. The PR Manager shall be responsible for all advertising/publicity associated with fund raising activities approved by the Board of Directors. The PR Manager shall oversee the Advertising Committee and enlist their support as necessary to ensure that all advertising is completed in a timely manner.

The officers shall select and, if necessary, release the Conductor who has duties as described:

Conductor(s) – The Conductor shall direct the Band at all practices and concerts. If the Conductor has a schedule conflict, the Conductor is responsible for finding a substitute. The Conductor shall be the Master/Mistress of Ceremonies (MC), or shall designate an MC, for all concerts. The Conductor shall select music for each performance. The Conductor shall recommend or approve new music to be purchased by the Band or donated by our sponsors. The Conductor shall actively participate in the recruitment of new or temporary band members to fill needed instrumentation.

SECTION VI – COMMITTEES

Committees shall serve at the convenience of the Board, and shall include at least one member of the Board. They shall report directly to their Board member, who in turn reports to the President.

Library Committee -- The Library Committee shall assist the Librarian with music stamping, music distribution, music collection, maintaining a music database and other duties as required. Library Committee members shall report directly to the Librarian.

Advertising Committee -- The Advertising Committee shall be responsible for publicizing all Band activities and needs for additional instrumentation. They shall produce flyers announcing upcoming performances. They shall offer advertising space in concert programs and/or list other community support. Their publicity may include news releases to newspapers, television and radio stations. The Advertising Committee shall include a Web-page Manager, who shall make monthly updates to the PWCB web pages, including the concert schedule, and review/respond/forward E-mail sent to the PWCB E-mail address. The Advertising Committee shall report directly to the Public Relations Manager.

Finance Committee -- The Finance Committee shall be responsible for helping with the collection of annual dues, reviewing/auditing the financial records maintained by the Treasurer, assisting the Treasurer with tax forms, determining other monetary opportunities (such as grants) available to the Band as a non-profit corporation, and helping with any fund raising activities. The Finance Committee shall report directly to the Treasurer.

The Equipment Committee-- The Equipment Committee shall assist with the pick-up, delivery, and return of percussion and other equipment. This committee shall include one or more Equipment Managers, who shall coordinate these activities as well as the reservation, pickup and return of the rental truck. The Equipment Manager(s) shall report directly to the Vice-President.

Special Committees -- Special Committees may be formed as needed to serve under the direction of the Board.