PIFD - Phoenix International Folk Dancers

Club By-Laws

Phoenix International Folk Dancers

ARTICLE I
Name

Section 1. The name of this organization shall be Phoenix International Folk Dancers, hereinafter referred to as the "Organization."

ARTICLE II
Purpose and Objectives

Section 1. The purpose of this Organization shall be to teach, dance and promote International Folk Dancing.

Section 2. The Organization shall be a non-profit and politically non-partisan organization.

ARTICLE III
Membership

Section 1 The active members of the Organization are those who have indicated their willingness to participate in the Organization's activities and have paid their annual dues, which shall be set each year by the Executive Committee.

ARTICLE IV
Meetings

Section 1. The annual meeting of the Organization for the purpose of electing Officers and Members-at Large of the Executive Committee shall be held during the month of September on a date and at a time and place to be fixed by the Executive Committee. Notice of the annual meeting shall be given by mail to active members of the Organization, not less than two weeks before the date fixed for the meeting. Inclusion of a notice of the meeting in the Organization's newsletter shall be sufficient, provided that the notice is featured prominently on the first page of the newsletter and that the newsletter is mailed to each active member sufficiently prior to the annual meeting as specified above. Additional meetings of the Organization may be called by the Executive Committee or upon the request of three active members of the Organization. Notice of all meetings of the Organization other than the annual meeting may be given orally or in writing and shall be given at least 48 hours in advance of the time specified for the meeting.

Section 2. Meetings of the Executive Committee may be called at the discretion of the President and shall also be called upon the request of three (3) members of the Executive Committee.

Section 3. Dances shall be held every week except in those weeks when a holiday causes a conflict or at the discretion of the majority of members.

Section 4. Quorum:

(a) A quorum for the annual meeting of the Organization shall be ten (10) members. Members may attend the annual meeting in person or by proxy. A simple majority of the members present in person or by proxy shall be required for action at the annual meeting except as otherwise provided in these By-Laws. A quorum for all other meetings of the organization shall be five (5) members and a simple majority of those present shall be required for action. No proxies shall be recognized at any meeting other than the annual meeting.

(b) A quorum for the Executive Committee shall be a simple majority.

(c) In the event of the lack of a quorum at a scheduled meeting requiring a vote, members shall be provided the opportunity to vote using mail ballots.

ARTICLE V
Executive Committee

Section 1. The Executive Committee shall consist of a minimum of five (5) and a maximum of ten (10) members. The number of Executive Committee members shall be determined at each annual meeting.

Section 2. Members:
(a) The members of the Executive Committee shall be the following officers: (1) President, (2) Vice President, (3) Secretary, (4) Treasurer, (5) Immediate Past President (6) Member-at-Large, (7) Member-at-Large, (8) Member-at-Large (9) Member-at-Large, and (10) Member-at-Large.

(b) No member shall hold more than one (1) elective office at the same time except the offices of Secretary and Treasurer may be combined as determined by the membership at the annual business meeting.

Section 3. Term and Election:

(a) The time of the election of the Executive Committee shall be at the annual business meeting. The Executive Committee shall take office immediately.

(b) The term of office shall be one (1) year with the privilege of re-election.

(c) Candidates for election as members of the Executive Committee shall be presented by the nominating committee and by nominations from the floor.

(d) The officers and members-at-large shall be elected separately and in the following order: (1) President, (2) Vice President, (3) Secretary, (4) Treasurer, (5) Immediate Past President (6) Member-at-Large, (7) Member-at-Large, (8) Member-at-Large (9) Member-at-Large, and (10) Member-at-Large..

(e) Vacancies occurring between annual meetings shall be filled by the Executive Committee.

Section 4 Duties:

(a) The duties of the Executive Committee shall be to plan, coordinate, administer and evaluate the work of the Organization and in particular to monitor and regulate the teaching and dancing program.

(b) No capital expenditures are to be made unless agreed upon prior to purchase by the Executive Committee. Operating expenses shall be approved by the Executive Committee.

(c) President: The President shall preside at the meetings of the Organization and of the Executive Committee. The President shall appoint all committee chairmen, with the approval of the Executive Committee, and shall be ex-officio member of all committees except the nominating committee.

(d) Vice President: All duties of the President shall be assumed by the Vice President in case of absence or disability of the President. The Vice President shall also assume the post of Chairman of the Programming Committee.

(e) Secretary: The Secretary shall keep accurate records of the proceedings of all meetings of the Organization and of the Executive Committee. The Secretary shall conduct the official and courtesy correspondence of the Organization and the Executive Committee, keep current lists of Organization and Executive Committee members, and Committee Chairmen, and shall notify members of the meetings.

(f) Treasurer: The Treasurer shall keep and maintain adequate and correct accounts of the properties and business transactions of the Organization, including accounts of the assets, liabilities, receipts and disbursements. The Treasurer shall disburse such funds and assets as ordered by the membership body. All disbursements of funds shall be signed by the Treasurer or the President or one other officer designated by the President. The accounting books shall at all times be open to inspection by any member in good standing. The Treasurer shall deposit all money and other valuables in the name and to the credit of the Organization with such depositories as may be directed by the Executive Committee. The Treasurer shall advise the membership at least annually of the Organization's financial condition and shall prepare, at the close of the term of office a statement of receipts and disbursements. The fiscal year shall be September 1 through August 31.

ARTICLE VI
Committees and Responsibilities

Section 1. The committees shall be set annually by the Executive Committee. Committees may be established for Program, Teaching, Publicity, Nominating, and any additional committees as agreed upon by the Executive Committee. The Committee Chairs are responsible for compiling an annual report of the past year's activities to be presented to the Executive Committee at the annual business meeting.

Section 2 Program committee: The Program Committee is responsible for providing a program for the weekly dances. It is responsible for maintaining a balance of different dances to meet the needs of the membership. The first hour of the dance meeting shall usually be devoted to teaching and reviewing dances; the remaining time may be used for requests, programmed dances, and reviews.

Section 3. Teaching Committee: The Teaching Committee is responsible for teaching beginning, intermediate and advanced dances.

Section 4. Publicity Committee: The Publicity Committee is responsible for making known the Organization and its activities. The committee shall provide information on current dance meetings or special activities of the Organization to local newspapers and folk dance publications.

Section 5. Nominating Committee: The Nominating Committee shall consist of three (3) members appointed by the President with the advice and consent of the Executive Committee. The duty shall be to nominate officers and members-at-large. The Committee shall represent its recommendations one week prior to the annual business meeting.

ARTICLE VII
Dissolution

Section 1. The Organization shall be dissolved only by vote of two-thirds (2/3) of the entire active membership of the Organization present in person or by proxy at the annual meeting or a special meeting of the membership called for the purpose. In the case of a special meeting, the notice of the meeting shall be given in the same manner as the notice for an annual meeting, and in the case of either the annual or a special meeting, the notice shall state that a proposal has been made by the Executive Committee or by _____ members for the dissolution of the Organization. In the event the proposal for dissolution is approved by two-thirds of the total active membership of the Organization, such vote shall also include a determination as to the disposition of the money and other property of the Organization.

ARTICLE VIII
Amendments

Section 1. An amendment of any section of the By-Laws shall require a vote of two-thirds (2/3) of the membership present at a business meeting or by two-thirds of the membership voting in a mail ballot.

ARTICLE IX
Parliamentary Procedure

Section 1. Robert's Rules of Order, Revised shall be the parliamentary authority for all matters of procedure for the Organization not specifically covered in its By-Laws.

By-Laws amended September 24, 2000