Rules and Regulations
Method of Operations

MIAMI VALLEY FOLK DANCERS

 

RULES AND REGULATIONS

 

January, 2011

 

PURPOSE:  The purpose of the Miami Valley Folk Dancers (MVFD) is to develop and promote international folk dancing under the sponsorship of the City of Dayton.

 

MEMBERSHIP:  Anyone interested in folk dancing may become a member of the Miami Valley Folk Dancers after participating in twelve MVFD Thursday evening sessions.    Membership includes the right to vote, serve on the Council and the committees appointed by the Council, and pay membership rates for dues and events.  Activities sponsored by the Miami Valley Folk Dancers are open to non-members.

 

MEMBERSHIP DUES: Members pay annual dues set by the membership.  Dues are payable in January.  Payment may be made in quarterly installments with the first payment due in January.  Members in arrears more than three (3) months shall be dropped from membership.  Membership will be reinstated upon payment of dues for the current year.

 

FEES:    Non-member participants in weekly programs sponsored by MVFD shall pay fees as determined by the membership.  Fees for workshops and special events are determined by Council.

 

THE COUNCIL: The Council shall consist of five (5) members, elected by the membership for two-year terms.  Election shall be held annually for either two or three new members to the Council.  At the first meeting of the Council after election of new Council members, a Council Chair, Vice-Chair, Secretary, Treasurer, and Member-at-large shall be chosen by the members of the new council from among their number to serve for a term of one year. 

 

The Council shall determine such matters as general program policies and anything pertaining to the welfare of MVFD, provided such action shall not be in conflict with the policies of the City of Dayton or the Miami Valley Dance Council. The Council shall appoint standing and ad hoc committees to facilitate the day to day functioning of the Club. The Council shall be responsible for other major decisions, with approval of the membership.

 

COMPENSATION:  No member shall receive any compensation from MVFD except reimbursement for authorized expenses incurred on behalf of MVFD.

 

DISSOLUTION OF MVFD: Upon decision of two thirds (2/3) of the members present and voting, following due notification of the membership, MVFD may be disbanded.  All assets held at the time of such disbandment shall be distributed as determined by the membership.

 

CHANGES IN RULES AND REGULATIONS: Changes in these rules and regulations may be made at any called membership meeting, provided that a notice containing the time and place of the meeting, as well as the proposed changes, is delivered to the membership at least two weeks prior to the time of such meeting.

 

 (This above set of Rules and Regulations is binding on the membership and council.  The following Method of Operations is meant as guidelines.)

MIAMI VALLEY FOLK DANCERS

 

Method of Operations

 

January, 2011

ARTICLE I:  PURPOSE

The Miami Valley Folk Dancers (MVFD) will develop and promote international folk dancing as follows:

1. Weekly Sessions.  Each week on Thursday evening, members and non-members meet in the Michael Solomon Pavilion to share and enjoy international folk dances.  A portion of these sessions will be devoted to club-sponsored instruction.
2. Ethnic Sundays.  On the Second Sunday of each month, members and non-members meet in the Michael Solomon Pavilion to review and/or learn dances selected by the program committee.
3. Special Workshops.  Workshops are sponsored to bring in authoritative instructors to review old dances and teach new dances.  Wide publicity is given to these workshops to encourage other groups and guests to participate.
4. Community Service.  Members are encouraged to promote international folk dancing in the community through demonstrations and instruction.

ARTICLE II:  MEMBERSHIP

1. Member - Those persons interested in developing, promoting, and participating in International Folk Dancing, and who have met the requirements for membership, enjoy the following rights, privileges, and responsibilities in MVFD:

1.      Voting.

2.      Participating in all group activities.

3.      Sharing their knowledge of International Folk Dances not only within the organization but with other groups as well.

4.      Serving on the Council, Standing Committees, and Ad hoc Committees.

5.      Receiving special rates for MVFD activities, if offered.

6.      Being responsible for a weekly session when assigned by the Program Committee.

7.      Serving monthly refreshments when assigned.

8.      Bringing requests for demonstrations to the attention of the Council.

2. Member Emeritus (formerly Honorary Member) – At its discretion, Council may designate a member or former member as a Member Emeritus.  A Member Emeritus has all the rights, privileges, and responsibilities of a member, but is not expected to pay dues.  The intent is to provide a feeling of continuity and continued belonging to the MVFD “family” even though continued participation may not be viable.  Council should be sensitive to the spirit and intent of this section when applying the guidelines for designating a Member Emeritus that follow:

1.      The person should be or have been a member in good standing for a minimum of 10 years.  Current membership is not required as it may have lapsed due to age, health, or location.

2.      The person is unable to participate due to age, health, or location and is not expected to be able to participate in the future.

ARTICLE III:  DUES and Fees

Membership dues are thirty dollars ($30.00) per year.  The fee for non-members for a regular Thursday evening is two dollars ($2.00).  Spectators and first time participants will not be charged a fee for a regular Thursday evening.  The annual dues will be prorated for the first year of membership (only) based on the portion of the year that remains after the individual becomes eligible for membership.  Thereafter, membership may be renewed on an annual basis.

ARTICLE IV:  THE COUNCIL

The primary operations of the organization will be conducted by the Council.  Vacancies on the Council occurring before November 15 shall be filled by special election.  Vacancies occurring after November 15 shall be filled by election at the annual meeting in January.  The Council appoints standing and ad hoc committees as required.  The officers, with their respective responsibilities, are as follows:

A.    Council Chair:

1.      Calls and presides at all meetings of the Council and of the membership.

2.      Notifies the Program Committee Chair of the time and place of Council meetings.

3.      Monitors activities of appointed committees to assure close liaison with the Council.

4.      Authorizes all disbursements made by the Treasurer.

5.      Orients new members.

6.      Brings all requests for MVFD demonstrations to the attention of the Council.

B.     Vice-Chair:

Assists the Chair and assumes responsibility in the absence of the chair.

C.     Secretary:

1.      Keeps the minutes of all Council and membership meetings.

2.      Maintains the mailing list used for workshop invitations.

3.      Performs any other secretarial functions at the direction of the Council Chair.

D.    Treasurer:

1.      Collects dues and fees and keeps accurate records of payments made by members and non-members.

2.      Notifies any member who owes more than three months' dues.

3.      Makes authorized disbursements and keeps accurate records of all financial transactions made in the name of the group.  The finances of special workshops shall be accounted separately from the regular receipts and expenditures.  Advance payments may be made to those authorized by the Council to make purchases for these activities.

4.      Balances the accounts after each quarter.

5.      Presents a complete financial report at the annual meeting.

6.      Deposits all monies in a bank account, except for a petty cash fund.  All accounts shall be in the name of the Miami Valley Folk Dancers.  New resolutions shall be executed and co-signed by the Council Chair.

7.      Obtains the names and addresses of guests and new members and records changes of addresses for members.

E.     Member-at-large:

1.      Serves as representative to the Miami Valley Dance Council.

2.      Serves as representative to the Michael Solomon Support Committee (MSSC).

ARTICLE V:  STANDING COMMITTEES

A.    Program Committee: The council shall appoint Program Committee members so that there are experienced members serving with those who are new.  The committee will be appointed in January and will serve one year.  Functions of the Program Committee are as follows:

1.      Plans the teaching of old and new folk dance material as required to maintain a well-rounded repertoire by using part of each weekly dance session to provide  one-half hour of instruction for the membership to review dances taught during Ethnic Sundays and workshops.

2.      Assumes responsibility for Ethnic Sunday programs.

3.      Assigns members, on a rotating basis, to plan and conduct the weekly sessions.  New members are to be assisted in both the planning and conducting of the program by a member of the Program Committee or another qualified Miami Valley Folk Dancer.

4.      Develops programming guidelines and repertoire lists and offers assistance to members who are conducting the weekly sessions.

5.      Procures music needed by the group, as determined by a majority of the committee.  Maintains instruction books and the listing of the music.

6.      Plans and conducts the New Year's Eve dance program.

7.      The previous chair of the Program Committee will facilitate the transition to the new Committee.

B.     Publicity Committee:

1.      Submits news and schedules to the media and seeks ways to publicize the MVFD.

2.      Provides information to other organizations about MVFD activities.

C.     Refreshment Committee:

1.      Makes arrangements for refreshments at designated weekly sessions.

2.      Maintains necessary kitchen supplies for refreshments and meals.

D.    Membership Committee: The purpose of this committee is to help provide cohesiveness among members and a feeling of belonging by fostering good communication among members.  A second goal is the retention of members.  These objectives may be met by:

1.      Contacting absentees after a few weeks by phone.

2.      Mailing the newsletter to absent members.

3.      Announcing achievements and losses of members either verbally or in the newsletter.

E.     Equipment Committee:

1.      Maintains and repairs the equipment owned by the MVFD, conducting periodic inspections of said equipment to determine the condition and necessity for repairs.

2.      Advises the Council on replacement and repairs needed.

3.      When so directed by the Council, purchases needed equipment and performs installation operations.

4.      Instructs members on the proper use of new or modified equipment.

5.      Instructs new members on the use of the equipment.

F.      Orientation Class Committee.  The Council shall appoint an Orientation Class Committee consisting of members who are experienced dancers and dance teachers.  The committee will be appointed in January and will serve one year.  The function of the Orientation Class Committee is to provide one hour of dance instruction for new dancers each week.

ARTICLE VI:  ANNUAL MEETING

1. The Annual meeting of the members is held as soon as conveniently possible after January 1.
2. The Annual meeting is held for the purpose of electing new Council members and persons to fill unexpired vacancies, if necessary.  It is also a time to review the progress and activities of the group during the past year, to dispose of other business, and to address suggestions brought forth by the membership.
3. The membership is notified in writing of the date, time, and place of the meeting at least two weeks prior to the meeting date.

ARTICLE VII:  ELECTION

1. Election of members to serve on the Council is by secret ballot.
2. A nominating ballot is cast for as many names as there are vacancies to be filled.  Nominees not present must have given their consent for nomination prior to the balloting.  Nominees receiving the highest number of votes are posted alphabetically for the electing ballot; there should be twice as many nominees posted as there are vacancies (more will be posted in the event of a tie).  Numbers of votes received are not posted.
3. An electing ballot is taken after the posting of nominees.  Each ballot may contain as many names as there are vacancies.  The winners will be announced, but not the number of votes received.  A run-off ballot will be taken between tied nominees, if necessary.

ARTICLE VIII:  SYMPATHY REMEMBRANCES

1. Flowers or other remembrances will be sent only on those occasions when a member, a member's spouse, or a member's child has died.  The cost of flowers or other remembrances should not exceed $50.
2. The Council will be sensitive to the welfare of members and send cards when serious or prolonged illness is involved.

ARTICLE IX:  CHANGES IN THE METHOD OF OPERATIONS

The Method of Operations document supplements the Rules and Regulations and is primarily to guide the Council and Committees.  Changes to this Method of Operations document will be made if required by changes in the Rules and Regulations.  A majority of the Council may waive or add to a specific method if the change does not conflict with the Rules and Regulations.  Any permanent changes to this document will be voted on by the membership at a called annual meeting.