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BIGGEST LITTLE SWING DANCE CLUB
POLICY AND PROCEDURES MANUAL
This manual is the combined experience of all the Boards of Directors of the Biggest Little Swing Dance Club (hereinafter referred to as "BLSDC") that served before you. It contains the history of BLSDC, the descriptions and responsibilities of the Board members, the procedures of operation, and the record of current policies adopted by the Board. All policies and procedures adopted prior to November 1, 2003 are hereby superseded by this Manual and are not applicable.
I. PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE
Since we all donate our time and are not professionals, we each grew and learned as we worked together during our term in office. So each Board may learn from the past, this section is the record of the past presidents’ ideas, thoughts on Board’s history, failures, plans, accomplishments, and suggestions for the next Board.
II. Job Descriptions
These are the job descriptions for the Directors and committees of the Board. We have found that the more descriptive this section is, the better understanding there will be for the Board members to know their responsibilities and what is expected of them by the other Directors.
III. Procedures
This section is the written procedures adopted by the Board for the operation of the Board in the day-to-day working environment.
IV. Policies
Policies are those actions voted and approved during the normal course of business as recorded in the minutes, and the date of it's approval. This allows each Director to be aware of the Board’s decisions that currently affect BLSDC and to better represent BLSDC in making future decisions. Policies are amended or terminated at the will of the Board.
This manual is a working document. Unlike the Bylaws of BLSDC, this manual can be changed and updated to better serve each Board as BLSDC grows. Each Director is to be issued a copy for their personal use upon assuming office. It is put together in such a way to be updated and changed by the Directors themselves. It is suggested that each Director bring their copy to all Board meetings and to insure the changes adopted by the Board are recorded properly.
After the November Board meeting, the Parliamentarian and the Secretary will update this manual with all changes occurring during the year by Board action. This new updated copy, with the last President’s message, will be given to the new Directors at the January Board meeting. The full complement of both the out-going and the in-coming Boards should be present at the January meeting to insure a smooth transition from Board to Board.
Great strides have been made since the first Board took office. You are now part of a faithful few who felt BLSDC was important enough for all dancers and the community to donate their time and energy to keep it growing and improving for our members. Have fun and enjoy.
ELECTION OF OFFICERS AND COMMITTEE CHAIRPERSONS
Upon assuming office in February, the first action of the "New Board" is to review these policies and procedures with the outgoing Board. Changes to these procedures may be made at this time if necessary. The Outgoing Board, though present, has no vote or power at this meeting. The New President will conduct the meeting with the advice and counsel of Outgoing President.
The President, with a majority approval vote of the full complement of the Board, shall appoint the Directors to their respective committees.
In the event there are not enough Board members to appoint a different Director to chair each committee, the Executive Committee will either head the committee or appoint a Director to head two committees temporarily until an appointee is located. Filling the Board is top priority and is the responsibility of the Executive Committee.
ESTABLISHING GOALS AND DIRECTION OF THE BOARD
At the December Board meeting, the Board will make decisions as to the goals, direction and possible projects for the year.
ESTABLISHING CALENDAR
The February & March Board meetings are basically planning meetings; setting goals, planning the dances and dates, the basic calendar, becoming familiar with the committees, and learning to work together as a Board. The Activities Committee is to submit the dance calendar no later than the March Board meeting. This calendar will consist of the monthly dance dates, themes if possible, and the location of the dance. It also gives the general plan for social events, the months (dates if possible), the activities that are planned, and what types of events are to be held.
This calendar is to be included in each newsletter thereafter. Other clubs and studios, with enough advance notice, can adjust their own activities accordingly. This also allows the Dance Committee to start planning its workshops.
SWITCHING COMMITTEES
During the month of February, the new Directors are to call a meeting with their committees to establish a working relationship. Directing a committee should be for the entire term of office. However, for different reasons this might not be possible, so, a Director may request a change in committees. This request is made to the President. At the Board meeting for the month, the President advise the Board of the request and the Board will review and make proposals to the Board for action. Switching committees during the term of office must be approved by a majority vote of the Board quorum.
EXECUTIVE SESSION
Executive Session is a special Board meeting called by the President for the express purpose of resolving conflicts. Any Director, to the President, can request this meeting. This is a closed meeting and may be attended by Executive Committee members or those invited to attend only. There are no minutes of this meeting except for motions accepted by the Executive Committee vote, and an entry in the next Board meeting minutes that this session was held. No portion of the conversations within this meeting is to be discussed outside the meeting without resulting in a disciplinary action by the Board.
DIRECTOR ATTENDANCE AT MEETINGS
Per the Bylaws, no Director may miss two consecutive Board meetings. Every attempt should be made to make each one. Be on time and be prepared to start at the prescribed time and stay until the meeting is adjourned. If you, as a Director, cannot attend a meeting for some reason, assure that a representative from your committee is there to make a committee report. This person will not have a vote before the Board. Also, insure the Secretary has been informed prior to the meeting of your action.
MEMBERSHIP ATTENDANCE AT MEETINGS
Monthly meetings of the Board are open to the general membership and guests. The time and location should be published in the newsletter. Special meetings of the Board may be, but are not required to be, open to the membership or published in the newsletter. In either case only the Directors will have a vote on matters of the board.
FORMAT OF BUSINESS MEETINGS
The main purpose of the Board is policy making and supervision of BLSDC. The Board meetings are not used to discuss in detail all aspects of every given issue. Detailed discussions are handled in committee.
In theory, the system works as follows: A suggestion is given at the meeting and passed to a committee. The committee will discuss, examine, research, and make proposals for the Board. At the next meeting, the proposal(s) is entered as a motion. The committee Chairperson then gives brief basics of the committee's discussion and options. The Board conducts a BRIEF discussion and will either vote or send it back to committee for more information. The President's responsibility at a meeting is to insure that the meeting moves along as the agenda has been set up.
Any motion sent to committee must be reported on at each Board meeting until approved, denied, or permanently tabled. It is the President's responsibility to insure that this is accomplished.
CONSENT OF THE BOARD
Unless specifically noted otherwise, consent of the Board is to be an affirmative vote by the majority of the quorum of Directors present at a meeting. Keep in mind that to have a vote, or even hold a Board meeting, there must be a quorum of the Board (majority or better of the full complement of the Board) present at the meeting to begin with. Of that quorum there must be a majority affirmative vote to have consent. Example: If the full complement of the Board is 12 Directors, then only 7 are required to have a quorum. If only the minimum quorum of 7 are present at the meeting, then an affirmative vote of 4 would constitute consent. If the full complement of the Board were present, then an affirmative vote of 7 would be required for consent. Since most Board meetings will require some voting, it’s easy to see how important it is to attend every meeting. The President does not vote except to break a tie vote. The President may Veto an action pass by a majority vote of the Board quorum. The Board may override the Veto with a 2/3 majority vote of the full complement of the Board.
SPECIAL MEETINGS AND MEETINGS ON LINE (OR WITHOUT LOCATION)
Special meetings of the Board may be called by the President or at the request of three (3) Board members. Minutes of these meeting are at the discretion of the President but all actions are to be recorded with the proceedings recorded in the minutes of the next regular Board Meeting. These meetings are generally held in person at a specified time and location to cover a specific agenda. These meetings are sometimes hard or inconvenient to schedule but are found to be necessary at times.
A meeting On-Line (e-Mail or Instant Messaging) or by conference calling, when available, can be a useful tool when time is crucial or regular Board meetings are insufficient. These meetings could be employed when face-to-face contact is not practical or necessary. It is the intent that every effort is made to include all Board members in such meetings. These meetings will follow the same criteria as Special meetings. All e-mail or on-line meeting requests will always include all Board members with that capability, and any decisions must follow the quorum guidelines.
ACTION WITHOUT MEETING
Any action by the Board may be taken without a meeting if two thirds (2/3) of the full complement of the board consent to the action. Such action and consent(s) shall be filed with the minutes of the next regular Board meeting. The President, or at the request of three (3) or more Board members, can call for an action without meeting. Since there is NO physical meeting with open discussion, it is recommended that extra precaution be given to clarity and written consent. All decisions made at such meetings shall be confirmed by a majority vote at the next regular meeting and made a part of the minutes.
SUSPENSION OR EXPULSION OF MEMBERS
If a general member is called up for suspension or expulsion, the following procedure will be followed: The person(s) making the complaint will do so in writing, one copy to the President and another copy to the Secretary. The President will have an Executive Committee meeting and conduct an investigation into the matter. If the charges are warranted, the President will call a Board meeting. Every attempt should be made to have the person(s) making the charge and person(s) accused at this meeting. The Board will hear the information that pertains to the matter and vote by secret ballot. The suspension or expulsion of the member will require a 2/3 vote, by secret ballot, of the full complement of the Board.
NOMINATING COMMITTEE
The President establishes the Nominating Committee for the expressed purpose of selecting a slate of candidates for the upcoming election. Like all other committees, the Board is not required to approve the members of the committee, but must be informed of their identity. Once the committee is formed, the Vice President will chair the committee. It is recommended that this committee be comprised of previous (not current) Board members because of their knowledge of the responsibilities of the Directors and ability to answer questions if the candidates have any, but this is not required. This committee is dissolved as soon as the slate of candidates is presented to the Board at the October meeting, or whenever the Board deems appropriate, to insure that a minimum of 30 days written notification prior to the election is met.
ADDITIONAL NOMINEE AND APPOINTEE REQUIREMENTS
Prospective Directors are required to be members of BLSDC for a minimum of six (6) months and in current membership standing (dues paid in full) prior to taking office. It is also recommended that they meet the requirements of the Job Description for which they are to be appointed to. In conjunction with these general requirements, certain positions on the Board will have specific additional requirements as follows:
1. Executive Committee – shall be eighteen (18) years of age or older.
2. Junior Director – shall have no age restriction but it is recommended that he or she be seventeen (17) years of age or younger.
ELECTIONS
BLSDC By-Laws state that a membership quorum is 10% of the membership. Any matter submitted to the general membership for vote must be voted upon by this minimum 10% to be legal and binding. Each Board is responsible to set up its procedure for the election to insure that the minimum number of votes is received for the election. If the ballots received, including absentee ballots, for the election do not comprise 10% of the membership, another election must be held.
30 DAY WRITTEN NOTIFICATION
At least a 30-day written notification must be given prior to any vote of the general membership. This notification should be published in BLSDC newsletter in all cases. For those times when the newsletter does not meet the 30-day minimum a separate mailing is recommended. E-mail should only be used as a supplement.
For the Election of Directors – notification should include, but not be limited to:
1. The slate of candidates including full names and photos of each candidate.
2. Procedures for conducting the vote.
3. Time and location of the poll.
4. Cut-off date and time for Mail-in Ballots, as deemed appropriate.
For Amendments to the By-Laws – notification should include, but not be limited to:
1. A copy of the "As Is" (when deemed appropriate), "Proposed Change", and "Reason For Change".
2. Procedures for conducting the vote.
3. Time and location of the polls.
4. Cut-off date and time for Mail-in Ballots, as deemed appropriate.
ABSENTEE BALLOT AND MAIL-IN BALLOTS
An absentee or mail-in ballot shall be published, along with rules and regulations of use, in BLSDC's newsletter prior to any vote of the general membership in which they are to be used. They shall accompany the slate or documents for which they are intended. It is recommended that the use of "absentee ballots with secret ballots" or "mail-in ballots alone" be used for general membership votes but this is at the discretion of the Board.
VOTE TABULATOR
The President will appoint, at or before the November Board meeting, one Board member to be the official Vote Tabulator Chairman and two non-Board members to assist the Tabulator as the Tabulation Committee. It is recommended that, but not limited to; a non-returning Director, someone not on the slate, fills this position of Tabulator Chairman.
TABULATOR RESPONSIBILITIES
It is the Tabulator’s responsibility to insure the fairness and accuracy of the vote count. It will be their responsibility to use whatever means they feel necessary to accomplish this goal.
VOTING RULES AND REGULATIONS
1. Absentee ballots must be received by the officially appointed vote tabulator Committee Chairman one day prior to the official voting date published in the November newsletter. One Board member will be appointed solely responsible for retrieving ballots from the P.O. Box prior to the close of the polls. Cut-off time for receipt by mail will be published on the ballot. The Tabulation Committee shall check off the receipt of the absentee ballot so that a member appearing in person cannot vote twice.
2. All absentee ballots are to have written in plain sight, on the outside of the envelope, the words ABSENTEE BALLOT along with the submitting member’s Name and Membership Number. Any ballot without this identification will be invalid.
3. All absentee ballots will remain sealed until close of the polls, at which time the vote tabulator will open all envelopes and place ballots into the ballot box. Any unsealed ballots will be invalid.
4. At the polls, the vote tabulation committee will check off, from the current active membership list, the corresponding members’ name and number as ballots are submitted to the ballot box. Any absentee ballot corresponding to a checked off name will be considered invalid.
5. Ballots will only be accepted by members in current standing as of the day before the voting takes place. Persons new to BLSDC, or renewing membership, on the date of the vote are not eligible to vote for that election.
6. The polls will close in ample time to tabulate and announce the successful nominees before the end of the evening. Successful nominees will also be published in the following newsletter.
RUN-OFF ELECTION
In the event of ties, a run-off election, following the procedures set forth for the regular election, may be conducted as above, however, if there are sufficient members present to establish the required 10% quorum on election day, the President may convene a special General Membership meeting for the expressed purpose resolving all ties. Such election will be by secret ballot. The possibility of the run-off election being on the same day/night of the election, must also be published in the Newsletter when the election instructions are sent to the membership.
CONTRACTS
The President, with the consent of the Board, may authorize any Officer(s) or Agent(s) of BLSDC to enter into any contract or execute and deliver any instrument in the name of and on behalf of the Corporation. Such authority may be general or confined to specific instances.
RULES OF ORDER
The latest edition of "Roberts Rules of Order Revised" shall govern the proceedings of BLSDC in cases not specifically covered by these By-Laws. BLSDC will supply the Executive Committee with two (2) copies. One copy for the President and one copy for the Sergeant-At-Arms.
STANDING COMMITTEES
A complete description of duties and responsibilities for each committee chairperson shall be included in the Job Description portion of this manual. The current list of Standing Committees is as follows:
1. Executive Committee 6. Dance
2. Finance Committee 7. Editorial
3. Membership 8. Public Relations
4. Activities 9. Entertainment
5. Hospitality
DEFINITION: Policies are decisions made by a Board to do a specific thing(s), a specific way(s). Example would be that the monthly club dance will start at 6:30pm and end at 11pm. Polices may be revised at any Board meeting with a majority vote of the quorum and remain in effect until cancelled or amended.
The following Board Policies are in effect:
1. ____________________________________________________
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