Operating Policy and Procedures
Article
1.0: Name
1.1:
This non-stock, non-profit organization will be known to all as the
1.2: This non-stock, non-profit organization will be
identified to all as a
Guild
and will be referred to, herein, as The Guild.
Article
2.0: Objective and Purpose
2.1: The Objective and
Purpose of The Guild will be “To promote, develop, and expand higher qualities
of Leatherworkers.
Article
3.0: Memberships
3.1: Individual
Member is
one having
3.1.a: made
application for membership
3.1.b: expressed at an open meeting or in writing a
true desire to learn and/or maintain The Guild’s objectives, and
3.1.c: has paid the membership fee and/or annual dues
3.3: Family Member is one having
3.3.a: made application for membership
3.3.b: expressed at an open meeting or in
writing a true desire to learn and/or
maintain The Guild’s objectives, and
3.3.c: has paid the membership fee and/or annual
dues plus an additional amount(s)
for other dependents living in the same household.
3.4:
Life-Time Member is a current member who has paid a one-time fee
and/or dues.
3.5: Honorary
Life-Time Member is
a current member
3.5.a: who’s annual fee and/or dues have been waived,
3.5.b: for the remaining and
continuing years of natural life of the member,
3.5.c: by majority vote of the membership
3.5.d: for the
special reasons of past meritorious contribution to The Guild’s
objectives and continuing
support and involvement in The Guild.
3.6: Sponsored
Membership is
a current member
3.6.a: who’s annual
fee and/or dues have been paid by another member, or
3.6.b: who’s annual
fee and/or dues have been waived for special reasons by
a majority vote of the
membership, and
3.6.c: for a period
of twelve (12) month.
Article
3.0: Memberships Continued
3.7: Honorary Member is one who
3.7.a: is not a
current member,
3.7.b: who’s annual
fee and/or dues have been waived for very special reasons
of
meritorious contribution to The Guild’s objectives and by a majority vote
of
the membership, and
3.7.c: for a period
of twelve (12) months.
3.7.d: Voting rights
and holding an office will NOT apply.
3.8: Guest Member is a prospective
non-member who
3.8.a has been
invited by a member to a stated meeting to witness the activities, or
3.8.b: has been
invited by a member to demonstrate a skill to The Guild.
3.8.c: A maximum of
three (3) meetings are allowed as a guest.
3.8.d: Voting
rights and holding an office will NOT apply.
Article
4.0: Dues, Fees, Assessments, and
Management
4.1: The membership will be
assessed a dues to be paid on an annual basis by each member (unless otherwise
waived by a majority vote of the membership).
4.2: The dues assessment rate
can be reviewed on an annual basis by the Executive Board. The dues assessment rate schedule and due
date will become a part of this Policy and Procedures as Addendum I.
4.3: The dues assessment rate
will be published and sent to The Guild’s membership each of three (3) months
before due date of payment and for each of two (2) months following the due
date of payment.
4.5: Dues will be
NON-REFUNDABLE. Moneys will NOT be
returned or rebated to a member at any time for any reason after dues payment.
4.6: Failure to pay the
annual dues within thirty (30) days after the due date will result in a
notification by the Treasurer of The Guild.
4.7: Failure to pay the
annual dues within sixty (60) days after the due date will result in the
non-paying member’s name being taken off the roster of members and mailing
list of The Guild. All membership
rights will cease on the sixty-first (61st) day of non-payment of
dues and NO further notification by the Treasure will be sent.
4.8: Re-instatement will
occur after the non-paying member pays the assessed amount in full. There will be NO prorating of annual dues
which are paid after due date.
Re-instatement of the member will occur as if dues were paid on or
before due date.
Article
5.0: Meetings
5.1: A monthly stated meeting will
be held on
a regularly scheduled
basis. This schedule will be
identified in Addendum
II which is a part of this Policy and Procedures.
5.2: The date, place
or location, and time may change from time to time and will be
determined by the majority vote of the membership of The Guild. The monthly stated meeting may occur
or take place any where in the world.
5.3: One or more
meeting locations, monthly dating, and times can be identified in Addendum II.
Article
5.0: Meetings Continued
5.4: The agreed upon schedule
of the stated meetings will be published and distributed to The Guild’s
membership within ninety (90) days of stated meeting(s).
5.5: When any one stated
meeting date occurs on the day of a major holiday the meeting will take place on the following week
on the same day of the week.
5.6:
5.7: Cancellations or
rescheduling of any stated meeting may occur as a result of an emergency (a.e. Act of God, fire, theft, flood, snow, etc.). This decision will be made by the Line
Officers. Notification can be made by
personal contact with each guild member or by public notification thru the
local news media (a.e. radio or television).
Article
6.0: Elections, Voting, and Voting
Rights
6.1: Elections of officers
will be held in the stated meeting with a published notice no less than thirty (30) days prior to the election
date. Election date can be postponed or
rescheduled for special circumstances by a majority vote of the membership.
6.2: To nominate, vote, or hold an office, the Member In Good
Standing must be eighteen (18) years of age or older.
6.3: OFFICERS will be elected
by the majority vote of a quorum of The Guild’s Members In Good Standing.
6.4: A QUORUM will consist of
five (5) Members In Good Standing with at least one
(1) member being a Line Officer.
6.5: A MAJORITY will be one
(1) more than one/half (1/2) of the Members In Good
Standing that are present.
6.6: A MEMBER IN GOOD
STANDING is one who has met all of the requirements of membership in The Guild,
and is current with the annual dues and assessments.
6.7: NOMINATIONS for each
office may be made by any age qualified Member in Good Standing from the floor
or by letter at time of elections or at a stated meeting prior to elections and
with the consent of the nominee being either verbal or in written form.
Article
7.0: Elected Office, Term of Office, and
Executive Board
7.1: LINE OFFICERS to be
elected are; President, Vice President, Recording Secretary, and Treasurer.
Their term of office will be for two (2) years.
Their term will begin with the stated meeting following the election meeting.
7.2: Two
(2) BOARD OF DIRECTORS will be elected. One
(1) Director on the even numbered years, and one (1)
Director on the odd numbered years.
Their term of office will be for two (2) years with their duties
commencing on the stated meeting after their election.
7.3: The EXECUTIVE BOARD will
consist of seven (7) members,
the four (4) Line Officers, two (2) Board of Directors, and the
Immediate Past President.
Article
8.0: Duties of the Line Officers
8.1: The President will
8.1.a: Have general
supervision of all phases of The Guild’s activities.
8.1.b: Preside at
all meetings of The Guild and the
Executive Board.
8.1.c: Appoint
committees and committee chairpersons. Keep close contact
with each chairperson and
report their activity to The Guild.
8.1.d: Appoint
vacancies in the Executive Board when they occur during a
term of office and until
that vacancy is filled at the next election date.
8.1.e: Audit or
oversee the auditing of the Treasurer’s records annually.
8.1.f: Maintain
possession and control of any and all records and books which
are the property the federations and associations which The Guild
maintains a
membership status. These records will be presented to the next
President to be
elected. (See Addendum III - The Guild’s
Memberships in Federation and
Associations)
8.2: The Vice
President will
8.2.a: Be prepared
and take over duties of the President
in his or her
absence.
8.2.b: With the
Immediate Past President, take an inventory at least once a year
of all
items and personal
property owned by The
Guild. Record item(s),
quantity, location, and responsibility. Copies of this record to be given to each,
the President and the
Recording Secretary.
8.2.c: Assist the
President.
8.3: The Secretary will
8.3.a: Record minutes
of each stated
meetings of The Guild and of the Executive
Board. Keep the permanent records in good order and
in a binder. Supply a copy of
the minutes of each meeting
to the President on a timely basis.
8.3.b: Keep and maintain
an up-to-date membership
list. This list
is to be made
available to all members
once a year. Keeping
extra copies available.
8.3.c: Keep and
maintain a record of who attends meetings of both The Guild and the
Executive Board.
8.3.d: Confirm that
the Treasurer has paid all appropriate dues and fees payable to all
federations and
associations, of which The Guild is a member, on a timely basis and as
required by that federation
or association (See Addendum III)
8.3.e: Inform any
federation or association, as per their requirements for membership,
to any and all of their
stipulations for membership status. (See Addendum
III)
8.4:
The Treasurer will
8.4.a: Handle all moneys of The Guild.
8.4.b: Receive and collect dues, fees,
assessments, any other type of cash receivable,
and keep and maintain as a permanent record for Receivables.
8.4.c: Notify
any individual members of delinquent dues,
fees, or assessments they
may owe.
8.4.d: Pay all bills
which have been approved by
a majority vote
of The Guild’s
members and those expenditures that occur between stated
meetings that do not exceed
Fifty ($50.00) Dollars.
Keep and maintain as a permanent record of Expenditures.
8.4.e:
Pay all dues,
fees, and assessments
required by The Guild’s membership in
federations
and associations on a
timely basis as
they may stipulate
from time to
time. (See Addendum III)
8.4.f: Report
all activity of
receipts and expenditures as shown by the records at the
monthly stated
meetings. Submit a copy of this
report to the President.
8.4.g: Submit
an annual accounting of
all receipts and expenditures as
a result of an
annual audit.
8.4.h: Prepare and submit the necessary and proper Federal and
State forms when and
if required.
Article
9.0: Discipline
9.1: Any member may be
suspended or expelled from The Guild for charges of dishonesty, working against
the principles and purposes of The Guild and/or injuring the professional
standing of a member.
9.2: Charges should be filed
as a written statement, signed by three (3) Members in Good Standing, and then
presented to the Executive Board.
9.3: The charged member will be notified in writing of
the action and will have the right to be present at
the special or
regularly called meeting
of the Executive Board at which time the
charges well be
considered. A vote will be taken
confidentially.
9.4: An accused member may be
suspended by a two-thirds (2/3rd) vote of a quorum, expelled by a
three-fourths (3/4th) vote of a quorum, or asked to resign rather
than being expelled.
9.5:
The situation will be held in confidence.
Article
10: Parliamentary Authority
10.1: Robert’s Rules of Order,
revised latest edition,
will govern all proceedings of The Guild.
10.2: Order of Business may be
1.
Call
meeting to order
2.
Introduction
of visitors
3.
Reading
of minutes of the previous Stated Meeting
4.
Reading
of the minutes of the Executive Board, if necessary
5.
Treasurer’s
report
6.
Committee
reports
7.
Unfinished or old business
8.
New
business
9.
Money
received or dispensed, if necessary
10.
Closing
comments
11.
Adjournment
of Stated Meeting
12.
Program,
speaker, or activity
