Tech Squares Bylaws

Adopted 22 May 1984
Amended 19 January 1988
Amended 1 March 1988
Amended 16 August 1994

Article I.  Membership

Section 1.  A person who did not go through the class must have attended at least five club or monthly dances in a four-month period to become a member of the club.

Section 2.  Voting members shall have attended at least five club or monthly dances in the last four months, except that non-attendance during June, July, and August shall not be counted against a person.

Section 3.  Club membership does not expire, though a club member may relinquish membership.

Article II.  Officers and Their General Duties

Section 1.  Club dances shall be run by elected officers, appointed officers, committee members and interested club members. A schedule assigning duties to these people will be published in advance. One of the assignments will be a Dance Supervisor, who will have overall responsibility for the dance. Other duties are

• to open the hall before dances
• to assist the caller and cuer at dances, including ensuring them help to and from the hall
• to ensure that members bring refreshments, coordinate the refreshments to be brought, and set up the refreshments at appropriate club functions
• to see that admission for non-class people is taken at club dances, and keep a record of attendance at dances and submit it to the Secretary
• to see that admission for class members is taken during the class and keep a record of attendance and submit it to the Secretary
• pay the caller and cuer by the end of each club and monthly dance
• ensure that the hall is closed properly after dances

Section 2.  Executive Committee members shall attend Executive Committee meetings.

Section 3.  An officer's vote on the Executive Committee may be transferred only by written proxy.

Section 4.  Officers shall train and advise their successor.

Section 5.  Committee chairs shall appoint assistants to their committees. Four assistants are recommended. The committees members are appointed subject to the approval of the Executive Committee. Committee members shall serve for one year at the discretion of the Executive Committee except for Class Assistants. Class Assistants shall serve from six weeks before the start of a class until class graduation.

Article III.  Officers' Specific Duties

Section 1.  The President shall

• call and chair meetings of the club and the Executive Committee
• be a member of all committees
• appoint temporary officers as necessary
• review the club's contracts with the club caller and the club cuer each year
• make announcements at dances
• schedule and coordinate people for dance duties.

Section 2.  The Treasurer shall

• receive and pay all monies of the club as authorized by it
• be directly responsible for its financial transactions
• handle all financial records, keeping them orderly, accurate, and up-to-date
• report at each club meeting on the financial status of the club
• report to the President.

Section 3.  The Secretary shall

• maintain up-to-date written minutes of club and Executive Committee meetings
• maintain a list of club members, and their voting status
• handle club correspondence, except as otherwise governed by the Constitution or Bylaws
• each year review the copy of the Constitution on file with the Association of Student Activities (ASA) and ensure that it is up-to-date
• inform the ASA of the names of all persons elected as officers of the club within one month of their election
• inform the ASA of any changes in the club Constitution within one month of their adoption
• attend ASA meetings as appropriate
• report to the President.

Section 4.  The Publicity Coordinator shall report to the President. The Publicity Assistants shall report to the Publicity Coordinator. The Publicity Coordinator and Publicity Assistants shall organize club and class publicity including, but not limited to

• coordinating all advertising copy
• providing and distributing posters advertising each class
• organizing other special projects to advertise club and class activities
• with the Secretary, writing and distributing a newsletter to club members regularly.

Section 5.  The Class Coordinator shall report to the President. The Class Assistants shall report to the Class Coordinator. The Class Coordinator and Class Assistants shall

• coordinate the class
• take admission from class members
• handle, with the Treasurer, the finances of the class
• take attendance of class members
• maintain and display a list of calls taught to the class
• act as liaison between the club and the class
• take requests for and place orders for club badges, with the assistance of the Treasurer.

Section 6.  The Booking Director shall

• book and sign contracts with callers and cuers for monthly dances
• confirm arrangements with the caller and cuer shortly before each monthly dance
• report to the President.

Section 7.  The Rooming Director shall

• reserve rooms for club dances and other club functions
• report to the President.

Section 8.  The Banner Raids Director shall

• organize banner raids and other visits to/from other square dance clubs
• report to the President.

Section 9.  The Archivist/Historian shall

• maintain all club records except as otherwise governed by the Constitution or the Bylaws
• keep and maintain an up-to-date copy of the Constitution and the Bylaws
• maintain a list of standing club policies
• develop and maintain an accurate history of the club
• report to the President.

Section 10.  The Members-at-Large shall become as involved as possible in club affairs.

Section 11.  Officers may exchange duties among themselves and their assistants as they see fit. An officer who will be unable to perform a duty may assign that duty for a period of no more than four weeks to a non-officer to be supervised by the Executive Committee.

Section 12.  All officers and assistants may choose temporary helpers to assist them in executing their duties. A helper must be under the supervision of an officer or assistant who has responsibility for that task. The helper is assigned for a specific task and has no other club duties or responsibilities.

Article IV.  The Executive Committee

Section 1.  Meetings of the Executive Committee shall be open to anyone who is entitled to attend club meetings.

Section 2.  Meetings of the Executive Committee shall be announced to the entire club when possible.

Section 3.  Members of the Executive Committee shall be given at least twenty-four hours' notice of all meetings of the Executive Committee.

Section 4.  The decisions of the Executive Committee are binding on all members of the Executive Committee.

Section 5.  Any expenditure over $200 must have the prior approval of the club at a club meeting. The expenditure must be on the club meeting agenda.

Section 6.  Appointed officers may be removed in the same way in which they were appointed.

Section 7.  The Executive Committee may change an officership to a committee for the duration of the current term of office. The current officer will become the committee coordinator and have all current responsibilities. New committee members must be approved by the Executive Committee. Executive Committee may also reduce a committee to an officership for the duration of the current term of office. The current committee coordinator will become the officer and have all current responsibilities. These changes do not affect the distribution of votes on the Executive Committee.

Section 8.  Temporary committees may be created by the Executive Committee or the club as needed.

Section 9.  Any appointed position (officer or committee member) may remain unfilled. The Executive Committee is responsible for executing or delegating the duties of the unfilled position until the position is filled.

Article V.  Meetings

Section 1.  Club meetings may not be held during monthly dances.

Section 2.  Non-specific proxies shall not be allowed at club meetings.

Section 3.  Members of the club shall be given at least two weeks' notice of club meetings.

Article VI.  Dances

Section 1.  The club level is the Callerlab Plus program.

Section 2.  The general format of dances of the club shall be two square dances alternating with two round dances, at the discretion of the Dance Supervisor, caller and cuer.

Section 3.  The Executive Committee may vote on free admission to club functions for any club member. Any such vote must be formally announced to the club and shall expire with the term of that Executive Committee.

Article VII.  Club Employees

Section 1.  Club employee shall be defined as anyone who is paid for services rendered to the club.

Article VIII.  The Class

Section 1.  Except at the discretion of the Executive Committee, the class shall be 14 weeks, preceded by at most two free nights.

Section 2.  A class member must attend 80% of the class to graduate, except at the discretion of the Executive Committee.

Section 3.  The club caller shall be responsible for teaching the class.

Section 4.  The club may hold other workshops as appropriate.

Article IX.  Elections

Section 1.  The term of office for officers elected in the spring shall begin on the earlier of one week after the spring class graduation or June 1. The term of office for officers elected in the fall, if any, shall begin on the earlier of one week after the fall class graduation or January 1. Elections shall be held as close as is practical to two months prior to the inception of office. Fall elections, if any, shall be held only for the positions vacated by elected officers who have chosen not to continue in office. A majority of the votes cast by the voting members present shall be required to elect any of the officers.

Section 2.  Any person who has been a voting member of the club for at least the past three months shall be eligible for election to any office except that of President. To be nominated for the office of President, a candidate must have been a voting member of Tech Squares for at least the past 10 months. This section may be suspended temporarily at a club meeting by a two-thirds vote of those present and voting. Advance notice is not required.

Section 3.  At the time of the elections, the newly-elected President shall appoint a successor from among the other newly-elected officers to assume the responsibilities of the Presidency should a vacancy occur.

Section 4.  The new Executive Committee shall appoint officers as soon as possible after the annual club elections.

Section 5.  If a vacancy occurs in an elected office other than that of President, the President shall appoint someone to fill the vacancy temporarily. A special club meeting shall be called to elect an interim officer within four weeks of the vacancy unless MIT is in summer session, in which case the election shall be held four weeks after the start of the MIT fall term.

Section 6.  If a vacancy occurs in the office of the President, the successor shall assume the office until the second club dance following, when a special election shall be held for the remaining portion of the term of President. If the office is filled by any of the existing elected officers, an election shall be held immediately for the remainder of the term of that officer, and so on in succession. After this election any non-affected officers or committee members shall resume the office and duties they held prior to the vacancy in the office of the President.

Article X.  Amendment

Section 1.  The Bylaws may be amended by a majority of the votes cast by the voting members present at a club meeting.

Section 2.  A proposed amendment to the Bylaws must be submitted in writing to the Secretary. The Secretary shall distribute copies of the proposed amendment to the club at least four weeks before the club meeting at which the vote on the amendment will be held.

Article XI.  Ratification

Section 1.  These Bylaws shall be ratified when approved by a two-thirds vote of those club members voting. A provision for absentee ballots shall be made. At least four weeks' notice shall be given of the club meeting at which the vote on the ratification shall be held.

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16 Aug 94
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