ARTICLE I. NAME

The name of this organization shall be the Texas Coastal Bend Bellydance Association.

 

ARTICLE II. PURPOSE

The purpose of this organization shall be to provide a common meeting ground for persons with an interest in this form of dance, to provide a supportive atmosphere in which to perform, to expand knowledge of the dance as an art form, to offer special gatherings for members and to serve, educate and benefit our area dance community whenever possible and to provide financial aid and general welfare for the betterment of the community and social improvement.

             

 

ARTICLE III. MEMBERSHIP

The Texas Coastal Bend Bellydance Association (TCBBA) is open to all students, teachers, professional dancers, musicians and fans of Middle Eastern dance.

Section 1. Voting Membership

All members in good standing shall have voting privileges and are eligible to hold elected offices, provided requirements are met.

Section 2. Exclusion of Membership

The Officers of TCBBA, as elected representatives of the Association, shall have the right, at their sole discretion, to exclude from membership any person(s), if it comes to the attention of the officers that the member has a criminal record. Information regarding conviction will not necessarily bar a member from membership, but will be reviewed in light of all surrounding circumstances, including age at the time of offense, seriousness and nature of the violation, rehabilitation, and relationship of the offense to membership. The member shall be notified a minimum of 30 days prior to the vote and shall be given the opportunity to provide a written explanation of the charges. Exclusion of membership shall be determined by a majority vote of the officers. The officers will notify the member in writing of the TCBBA membership exclusion and reimburse in full all dues paid by that member for the calendar year. The excluded member is eligible to reapply after five years, and the membership application will be reviewed at that time.

Section 3. Denial of Membership Renewal

The officers of TCBBA, as elected representatives of the Association, shall have the right, at their sole discretion, to deny membership renewal of a current or past member if said member's behavior toward the Association and/or fellow members is deemed detrimental to the purpose, adequate functioning, and/or spirit of the Association. Denial of membership renewal shall be determined by unanimous vote of the officers. The member shall be notified of the denial of his/her renewal in a letter along with remittance of payment for membership renewal from the officers of TCBBA.

 

ARTICLE IV. DUES Section 1. Fiscal Year

The fiscal year of the Association shall be January 1 through December 31 of the calendar year.

Section 2. Amount of Dues                                                                                 

Annual dues of Regular members shall be $25.00, payable in January of each year.  There is no prorating.  For an additional $5.00 per person, other persons residing at the same address will also be accepted as Regular members.

 

ARTICLE V. OFFICERS AND ELECTIONS Section 1. Officers

The Elected Officers of the Association shall be composed of a President, Vice President, Secretary and Treasurer each shall serve a two (2) year term and shall have one vote.

Section 2. Other Board Members

Three Members at Large serve one (1) year term on the Board and shall have one vote. All other appointed offices as may be required, except as otherwise noted in these Bylaws, shall be appointed by the President at the beginning of the President's term of office. All other appointed offices, regardless of who made the appointment, shall be non-voting.

Section 3. Board Members

The Board of the Association shall consist of the Officers of the Association and the past President (when applicable) of the Association. Each immediate past President shall serve on the Board for a period of two years in a non-voting, advisory capacity. Committee Chairmen shall be appointed and removed by the Board as needed.

Section 4. Election of Officers and Board Positions  Paragraph a. ominating Committee

A nominating committee shall be formed each year and shall consist of the Vice-

President as Chair and two (2) members of the Association appointed by the

Vice-President to serve a one (1) year term. No member shall be eligible to serve

on the Nominating Committee for more than two (2) consecutive terms.

Paragraph b. Nominees

A nominee for an elected office shall be an active member of the Association and in good standing. An active member shall be defined for purposes of nomination as one who has made some contribution to the Association such as having volunteered for a committee, been available for helping with Association activities, given adequate support or otherwise useful to the Association.

Paragraph c. Staggered Terms

In even numbered years the offices of the President and Secretary shall be up for election. In odd numbered years the offices of the Vice-President and Treasurer shall be up for election. Every year the Three Member at Large positions shall be up for election.

Section 4. Election Procedures Paragraph a. Committee nominations

By September 1st of each year, any outgoing board member who does not wish to continue on the board may nominate a member in good standing shall select at least one nominee for each office up for election and obtain the consent of the nominee for his or her name to be submitted to the board for approval. Once approved by the board the membership will vote in the candidate for the office at the Annual Membership Drive meeting. This change was voted on and passed by the membership on February 12, 2022

The Nominating Committee shall submit to the membership in writing their selections for each office. At this time, additional nominations for any office may be made by any member with prior consent of the nominee. Ballots will be mailed to each voting member prior to the November General meeting with enough time for deliberation and return by mail of the ballot by the beginning of the General meeting. As of 2022  we will no longer be sending out ballots.

Paragraph b. Officer Voting

Election of Officers and Board Members shall be held at the Annual General meeting. The election shall be determined by the majority of the votes cast by ballots received as of the beginning of the Annual General meeting. The person receiving the highest number of votes for each office shall be declared elected. In the event of a tie vote, members present at the Annual General meeting will cast a written vote to decide the election for that office. The elected officers shall be begin their elected office By February 1..

Paragraph c. Incomplete Terms

Any vacancy which may occur in any office shall be filled by appointment by the remaining members of the Board.

Paragraph d. Office Compensation

No Board Member shall receive compensation be it monies, goods or service from members or those outside the Association.

Section 5. Duties of Officers Paragraph a. The President

1. Shall preside at all meetings for the whole of the Association and meetings of the Board. At General and Board meetings, the President will follow the guidelines of Roberts Rules of Order, Article X, section 58. This provides for decisions to be made at Board level and presented to members for a final vote. 2. Shall call meetings of the Board, and notify elected officers of the time and place of the meetings of the Board.

• Shall act as liaison between the Association and outside persons, i.e., clubs, persons conducting seminars, workshops, etc.

• Shall submit budget to the Board for approval of anticipated expenditures before expenses occur.

• Shall sign checks only with approval of Board and then only in the absence of the Secretary/Treasurer.

• Shall work directly with the Vice-President Paragraph b. The Vice-President

• b. The Vice President

• Shall perform all duties necessary in the absence of the President.

• Shall call meeting of Board members in the absence of the President.

• Shall make initial contact of persons for Association activities, and at the President’s direction, negotiate with said persons, including performances, seminars, workshops, etc.

• Shall Chair the nominating Committee.( amendment : Nominating committee was voted to be removed by

• membership during the 2022 Member meeting on February 12, 2022)

Paragraph c. The Treasurer

• Shall report to the membership on an annual basis expenses (receipts, disbursement, and the balance).

• Shall receive and hold all funds of the Association and keep an accurate set of records.

• Shall write checks for standing expenses and any expense less than $100.00. All other expenses will require approval of the Board.

• Shall pay all bills incurred, which have been authorized at the Annual General meeting.

• Shall keep all records and books of the Association open to any member in good standing.

Paragraph d. The Secretary

• Shall keep an accurate record of Board and General meetings.

• Shall have available at all meetings a copy of the Association Bylaws and/or amendments.

• Shall include as record in the minutes all motions, seconds, etc. (whether passed or not) including the person making the motions.

• Shall keep a list of persons attending the Annual General meeting and Board meetings making this part of the minutes.

• Shall keep an up-to-date record of membership with a copy of the list going out to members once a year.

• Shall handle all correspondence regarding Association and keep all records and papers in good order.

• Shall keep all records of the Association open to any member in good standing. 

Section 6 Duties of Board Members Paragraph a. Member at Large

1. Develop action plans for TCBBA assigned projects and present to Officers

Section 7. Meetings Paragraph a. Board Meetings

• Will be called by the President as needed.

• All Board members shall be notified at least a week prior to a Board meeting.  

• Quorum shall be at least Two (2) Officers of the Board present and One (1) Member at large or Three (3) Officers of the Board present at the time of the meeting.

Paragraph b. Committee Meetings

• The Chair of a committee shall be under the direction of one officer of the Board as determined by the Board.

• The Chair of a committee shall call and preside over the Committee meeting as needed.

• The Chair of each committee is responsible for the written minutes of all meetings of the respective committee, which may be included in the report given to the Secretary as part of the permanent record. Paragraph c. Annual General Meetings

• An Annual General Meeting shall be open to all members in good standing. The Annual General Meeting will be held in conjunction with the Annual Membership Drive event to be held during the first quarter of the year, anytime between January 15th and March 31st of the Fiscal year at a time and place selected by the Board Officers.

• A quorum for the Annual General Meeting shall be 51% of the members in good standing at the time of the meeting. Valid proxies may be substituted for a portion of the 51% 

• A decision requiring the vote of the Association membership shall be determined by the majority of the membership attending the meeting and by written proxy, except as otherwise stipulated by these Bylaws.

 

ARTICLE VI. DISSOLUTION OF ORGANIZATION Section 1 Distribution of Assets

If the Texas Coastal Bend Bellydance Association Board of Directors decides to dissolve the organization, all remaining assets shall be distributed to valid charities, religious, or educational organizations in the Coastal Bend area.

 

ARTICLE VII. REVIEWS Section 1 Financial Review

A member shall make a review of the financial records in January of each year not to impede the change of administration and write the results of the review for distribution to the membership.

Section 2 Bylaws Review

A reading of the Bylaws shall be done by the members of the Board in April of each year at a Board meeting for the purpose of analyzing the Bylaws for current relevance, errors, consistency and clarity.

Section 3 Registered Agent Review

The Texas Secretary of State requires a Registered Agent for the Association. In April of each year form 401 Statement of Change of Registered Office/Agent shall be filed when necessary with the Secretary of State changing the Registered Agent. The Register Agent must be a member in good standing in regular contact with the Board.

ARTICLE VIII. AMENDMENTS

Amendments/changes to the Bylaws will be voted upon at the Annual General meeting by the Association membership. Said amendments/changes to the Bylaws shall be included in the membership mailing prior to the Annual General Meeting in which the vote will be taken.

 

ARTICLE IX. ROBERTS RULES OF ORDER

(http://www.constitution.org/rror/rror--00.htm)

Roberts Rules of Order, revised edition, shall be followed by the Association in all cases involving parliamentary procedure, when it does not conflict with the Bylaws of the Association.

STANDING RULES

• Names of those members whose dues are not paid by the second past due month shall be deleted from the Association list of members.

• The Vice-President or the person designated to organize a TCBBA sponsored function has the discretion, with the approval of the officers, to determine the number of dancers, the length of individual performances, and appropriate costuming for the event. 

• The membership list distributed to the members is for the convenience of the membership only. Members may use the list for contacting other members with regards to matters pertaining to the Association. 

All members are prohibited from using the membership list for advertising, commercial gain, any matter outside the goals and purposes of the Association and/or otherwise not sanctioned by the Board. Revised 4/6/2014

​