Bylaws of the James Bowie High School Choirs Booster Club James Bowie High School 4103 West Slaughter Lane Austin, Texas 78749 Approved Aug. 17, 2015 ARTICLE I NAME The name of this organization shall be James Bowie High School Choirs Booster Club ; hereinafter referred to as the Booster Club. ARTICLE II PURPOSE This club exists as a support organization to assist the choir directors and our students in maintaining the excellent program that has been built at James Bowie High School. Our objective is to lend all possible moral, financial, and physical support to the choir music department of James Bowie High School. ARTICLE III POLICIES The Booster Club shall cooperate with the policies established by the administration of James Bowie High School, the Choir Directors, and the School Board of the Austin Independent School District. ARTICLE IV MEMBERSHIP AND DUES Membership in the Booster Club shall be active and honorary. All parents are automatically honorary members. DUES MUST BE PAID TO BECOME AN ACTIVE VOTING MEMBER. All parents/guardians and teachers at James Bowie High School are eligible for active membership. Any person or persons other than parents/guardians of James Bowie High School students who are interested in the choral music program of said school, may be an active voting member upon paying dues. Members who have contributed dues by December 31 of the current school year are considered to be in good standing and are entitled to all privileges of membership, including full voting rights, eligibility to hold office in the Booster Club, and eligibility for their graduating senior to receive a scholarship. A grace period for membership will be allowed at the discretion of the Board for unforeseen circumstances. The annual dues shall be set by the Executive Board. ARTICLE V OFFICERS The elected officers of the Booster Club shall be President, Vice President, Secretary, and Treasurer. Page 1 of 6
ARTICLE VI DUTIES OF OFFICERS 1. The President shall preside at all meetings of the Booster Club, appoint all committee chairpersons, with the approval of the Board Members, serve as liaison between Choir Directors, School Officials, and Booster Club, and shall be an Ex Officio member of all committees. He/She guides the officers and committees in carrying out the objectives of the Booster Club and enforcement of the provisions of the bylaws, UIL booster club guidelines, the AISD booster club regulations and rules, provided by James Bowie High School regarding booster clubs. 2. The Vice President shall assist the President at all times, and assume all duties of the President in their absence. The VP may coordinate special projects as required. The VP sends email reminders to Board and Booster Club on upcoming activities and meetings and acts as incoming President to Choir Booster Club for the following school year. 3. The Secretary shall record minutes of all meetings, provide copies to members at next meeting for approval, and arrange for substitute when unavailable. The Secretary may perform any of the duties of the President, in the absence of the President and Vice President. 4. The Treasurer oversees the financial activities for the Booster Club using sound, general accounting principles and following AISD and Bowie accounting procedures. He/She shall assist the President and Choir Directors in the creation of an annual budget for the Booster Club, subject to the approval of the Executive Board. The Treasurer shall file all receipts and keep an account of all receipts and expenditures, and shall make a report at each meeting. The records of the Treasurer shall be open at all times for inspection by any member of the Executive Board. ARTICLE VII EXECUTIVE BOARD 1. The Executive Board shall be comprised of the Elected Officers, and the Chairpersons of the Standing Committees. 2. The Executive Board shall designate time and place of all meetings, and shall have general supervision of all affairs of the organization. 3. The Executive Board shall transact necessary business in the intervals between organization meetings and other business, as may be referred to it by the organization. 4. All officers and committee chairpersons shall deliver to their successors any official material as early as possible, but not later than one month following the date on which they assume their duties. Page 2 of 6
ARTICLE VIII GOVERNANCE Section 1 Quorum: 1. A majority of the members of the Executive Board and the attendance of one Choir Director shall constitute a Quorum of the Executive Board. 2. The active membership present and the attendance of one Choir Director shall constitute a Quorum of the Booster Club. All matters shall be decided by a majority of the members present. Section 2 Voting: Each member in good standing shall have one vote. Voting by proxy is allowed for elections of officers. The Choir Directors do not have a vote. Section 3 Meetings: 1. The regular meetings of the Booster Club shall be held on a schedule established each year by the Executive Board with a minimum of two per year, at least once each semester (fall and spring). Additional meetings may be held at the Board s discretion. 2. Meetings of the Executive Board shall be prior to the regular Booster Club meetings or subject to call by a Choir Director, President, or any three (3) members of the Executive Board. Section 4 Parliamentary Authority: The rules contained in the current edition of the Robert s Rules of Order Newly Revised shall govern meetings. Section 5 Bylaw Amendments: 1. Bylaws may be amended after the written amendment(s) have been made available for review by all members. 2. Bylaws may be amended by majority vote of the active members present at a designated meeting of the general membership. ARTICLE IX ELECTIONS 1. A Nominating Committee shall consist of a Choir Director, the President, and the Vice President. They shall present a slate of Executive Board candidates at a general membership meeting in the spring (preferably April). Nominations and elections for officer positions will be solicited from members prior to the last regular meeting. The Nominating Committee shall make its report of the recommended slate of officers to the general membership by written or electronic bulletins of notification. After the report of the Nominating Committee has been submitted, nominations may be made from the floor, provided consent of the nominee has Page 3 of 6
been secured. All nominees must be elected from the active membership or parents/guardians of incoming choir students. 2. Newly elected officers will take office at the close of the school year. 3. A majority vote of the active members present shall be considered a bona fide election. 4. No officers shall hold the same office for more than two (2) consecutive years, except in the case when there is no one else willing to fill the position. ARTICLE X STANDING COMMITTEES The Executive Board may create such standing committees, as it deems necessary to accomplish the goals and complete the work of the Booster Club. The Chairperson(s) and/or the membership of the committees are selected from the general membership. The standing committees and their duties shall be determined by the Executive Board of the Booster Club. They may include, but are not limited to: Concessions Fundraising Hospitality Membership Scholarships ARTICLE XI VACANCY A vacancy occurring in an elected office shall be filled by the Executive Board. ARTICLE XII AMENDMENTS 1. All proposed amendments to the Bylaws shall be presented to the Executive Board for consideration. 2. The Executive Board shall present any approved amendment to the general membership for consideration at a regular membership meeting designated by the Executive Board. 3. The Bylaws may be amended by the majority vote of the active members present at the designated meeting. ARTICLE XIII SCHOLARSHIPS Students will be notified at least two (2) months in advance as to when the Booster Club scholarship application will need to be completed and submitted to the choir directors. Any application submitted Page 4 of 6
after the posted deadline may not be accepted except by a majority vote of the scholarship committee and the choir directors. To prevent any possibility of indiscretion or perceived indiscretion, all applications, after they are submitted, will be handled only by the Choir Directors and the Scholarship Committee. Applications received by the Scholarship Committee shall remain anonymous to committee members until after the scholarship monies have been awarded. No parent of a senior may serve on the Scholarship Committee. The Scholarship Committee must be comprised of the chairman or co-chairmen, along with no less than three parents of choir students. The Scholarship Committee must meet at least once to evaluate and determine recipients, with a follow-up meeting, if necessary. The President should be kept informed of the Scholarship Committee s process, but doesn t need to know the results of the committee s decision until the awarding of the scholarships at the choir banquet. The scholarship fund will be raised throughout the school year by the Booster Club and will be the responsibility of the Treasurer. Scholarship monies awarded may not exceed $3,000. The Scholarship Committee will award the scholarships with the following criteria: 1. The Sheryl Jones Scholarship in the amount of $1,000, to the student who submits the best overall application and who best exemplifies the values of the James Bowie High School Choir Department. 2. Two $500 scholarships: the first, to the student who demonstrates the highest degree of musical excellence and the second to the student who has demonstrated the best record of service to the choir by participating in and leading musical and non-musical events. 3. The remaining $1,000 may be awarded, at the discretion of the Scholarship Committee, in amounts not to exceed $250 to other applicants. 4. Any unused scholarship monies will return to the Booster Club general treasury and will be allocated by the members of the Executive Board. Scholarship fund allocation may be adjusted at any time by majority vote of the Executive Board. Page 5 of 6
ARTICLE XIII UNFORESEEN ISSUESAlthough all efforts to follow the guidelines of these bylaws will be taken, any unforeseen situations can be considered by the affected committee with the acceptance from the Choir Directors to assure what is best for the students and teachers is achieved. Page 6 of 6