CONSTITUTION AND BYLAWS
OF
TEXAS TWISTERS DANCE CLUB

Article I: Name

The name of the organization shall be: “Texas Twisters Dance Club.”

Article II: Objectives and purposes

Section 1: Objectives

A. To act as a non-profit organization.

B. To produce a group of well-rounded individuals interested in Country/Western dancing and related events.

C. To perform charitable duties for the surrounding area through exhibitions, shows, etc. for any particular charitable organization chosen by the general membership.

D. To promote Country/Western dancing, activities and music to all persons without regard to age, sex, religion, national or cultural origin, sexual orientation, disability or HIV status.

E. To establish a base organization in which members can collectively communicate and work in unison with each other.

F. To establish a group of people who collectively work in their area of interest and organizational activities and who are both proficient and professional.

Section 2: Operational Rules and Restrictions

A. No part of the net earnings of the organization shall inure to the benefit of, or be distributable to, its members, boards, or other private persons, except to make payments and distributions in furtherance of the purposes set forth in ARTICLE II, Section 1 thereof.

B. No substantial part of the activities of the organization shall be the carrying on of propaganda or otherwise attempting to influence legislation; and the organization shall not participate in any political campaign on behalf of any candidate for public office on any level of involvement whatsoever.

C. The rules contained in Roberts Rules of Parliamentary Order, Newly Revised shall govern the organization in all cases to which they are applicable, and in which they are not inconsistent with the rules of order (Bylaws) of this organization.

Article III: Membership

Section 1: Requirements

A. Any person with interest shall be eligible for membership.

B. The Board shall set the amount of the annual dues. Membership shall become effective upon payment of dues. A member shall be in good standing when all dues or renewal dues are paid and current. All memberships expire on Sept 14^th 30^th of each year. Membership dues shall be pro-rated quarterly:

1. Sept 15^thOct 1^st – Dec 14^thDec 31^st – 100% of annual rate

2. Dec 15^thJan 1^st – Mar 14^thMar 31^st – 75% of annual rate.

3. Mar 15^thApr 1^st – June 14^thJun 31^st – 50% of annual rate

4. June 15^thJul 1^st – Sept 14^thSep 30^th – 25% of annual rate

C. No member shall bind this organization to action through representing, joining, or affiliating without prior approval of the Boards and/or the General Membership.

D. This organization will only affiliate with international, national or state organizations that adhere to the same goals and objectives of this membership, unless for charitable or other interest to the club.

Section 2: Show and Exhibition Requirements.

A. All shows and exhibitions where Texas Twisters has been requested to dance will be comprised only of those who have been members in good standing.

B. The members of the exhibition and competition groups of Texas Twisters shall devise their own method of selecting participants for each performance from the members of the organization who qualify under the rules outlined in the club Bylaws.

Article IV: Board and Non-Board Positions

Section 1: Board Positions

A. Chairperson

B. Vice Chair

C. Treasurer

D. Secretary

E. Membership Chair

F. Public Relations

Section 2: Election and Appointment of Board Members

A. Election of Board Members

1. The election shall take place at the General Membership Meeting immediately preceding the beginning of the fiscal year.

2. The Board shall announce to the membership the election date and procedures sixty (60) days in advance of the last General Membership meeting of the fiscal year.

3. Nominations may be made by any member in good standing.

4. Nominations must be made in writing within sixty (60) days prior to the election.The nomination period starts sixty (60) days prior to the election date and ends twenty-five (25) days prior to the election date. The nomination acceptance period is five days, starting the day after the nomination end date. Nominations and acceptance of a nomination must be made in writing to the membership.

5. An Elections Committee, with a minimum of three (3) members, shall be appointed by the Board to operate the election. The members of the Elections Committee shall be selected from the general membership and must be members who are not seeking office.

6. In the event a position does not have an accepted nominee by the deadline established in Item #4, the incumbent is given the option to continue to hold the position. If the incumbent chooses not to remain in the position, the new Board will handle the position in the same manner as any other vacated position (ref. Article IV, Section 2, Subsection B, Item 2).

B. Terms of Office

1. Terms of office shall be one fiscal year. The fiscal year shall be set as beginning on September 15^thOctober 1^st and ending on September 14^th30^th.

2. Should any Board position other than Chair become vacant during the term of office, the Board shall appoint an acting Board Member from General Membership until the next general election.

3. To provide continuity between boards, both the old officers and the new officers shall attend the first board meeting following the elections.

C. Eligibility requirements: Candidates for the Board must be members in good standing for at least 6 months. If the membership tenure of a potential candidate or appointee is less than 6 months, that member must possess skills and experience that specifically meet the requirements of the position,as determined by the Board.

Section 3: Duties of Board Members

A. The Board Members shall perform the duties prescribed by the Bylaws, and the parliamentary authority in Roberts Rules of Order, Newly Revised.

B. Chair

1. Shall preside over all meetings of the Board and the General Membership.

2. Shall represent the club to other organizations, acting in liaison with the other boards.

3. Shall be empowered to call special meetings of the Board for emergencies upon notice, not necessarily written, and not less than 3 days to all other members of the board.

4. Shall serve as Alternate Delegate to the International Association of Gay/Lesbian Country Western Dance Clubs (IAGLCWDC) and assume the responsibilities of the Delegate should the appointed Delegate be unable to attend.

C. Vice Chair

1. Shall assist the Chair and the other Board Members, and shall preside over meetings in the absence of the Chair.

2. Should the Chair not be able to complete the term for any reason, the Vice Chair shall become the acting Chair until the next general election.

3. Shall be responsible for the coordination of all committees and sub-committees, as well as all non-board positions.

D. Treasurer

1. Shall be responsible for preparation of all payments from the treasury.

2. Shall be responsible for the accounting and safekeeping of monies associated with Texas Twisters, including cash, savings and/or checking accounts.

3. Shall prepare a detailed accounting statement for all meetings, either General Membership or Board.

4. Should be present at all fund-raising events/activities, except in case of emergency.

5. Checks require two signatures to be valid. There shall be three (3) authorized signatories: Chair, Vice Chair and Treasurer.

6. No two signatories shall reside at the same physical address. In the event that two of the officers holding signatory status reside as such the signatory privileges of one officer shall be transferred to the Secretary of the Texas Twisters.

7. All disbursements must have Board approval.

8. Shall be responsible for maintaining the financial records of the organization.

E. Secretary

1. Shall be responsible for taking the minutes of all meetings of both the General Membership and the Board, and for the distribution thereof.

2. Shall be responsible for the maintenance of the Bylaws and other official papers including archival copies of the financial records.

F. Membership Chair

1. Shall be responsible for maintaining an up-to-date membership list (in coordination with the secretary/treasurer).

2. Shall notify members of impending renewals.

3. Shall strive to maintain the morale of the organization.

4. Shall make notification available to all members of all events.

5. Shall be charged with organizing activities to increase and maintain membership.

G. Public Relations

1. Shall establish and maintain relations between the club and the community.

2. Will develop community awareness through conversation, written material, such as press releases and advertisements, when appropriate and approved by the Board.

3. Shall act as liaison between Texas Twisters and others when interested in exhibitions or shows for hire.

H. It shall be incumbent upon all Board Members to communicate, cooperate, and disseminate information as necessary regarding the operation of Texas Twisters.

I. Removal from office--Any elected official performing below the standards set by the organization, or displaying a lack of professional and proficient attitude, will be removed from office as directed by a simple majority vote of the general membership.

J. If unable to fill a vacant board position, other than chair, the remaining board members shall distribute the vacant position’s duties until such time as the position is filled.

Section 4: Non-board Positions

A. Appointment of Non-board positions – Non-board positions may be appointed as needed at the discretion of the Board by a simple majority vote.

B. Duties of Non-board positions

1. The duties of non-board positions shall be delineated by
the board at the time of appointment. The Board minutes shall serve as official record of the duties assigned to non-board positions.

2. Duties of International Association Delegate

a. Shall be responsible for attending meetings of the International Association of Gay/Lesbian Country Western Dance Clubs (IAGLCWDC).

b. Shall represent Texas Twisters in all matters
pertaining to the IAGLCWDC at IAGLCWDC meetings.

c. Shall communicate and bring to Texas Twisters all IAGLCWDC matters needing discussion and/or vote.

d. Compensation: If funds are available, the Board may award a stipend to the appointee.

C. Term of Office and Removal from Office

1. Term of office: The duration of the appointment shall be decided by the Board at the time of the appointment.

2. Removal from office: Any Non-Board Appointee performing below the standards set by the organization, or displaying lack of professional attitude, may be removed from office by a simple majority vote of the board.

Article V: Meetings and Quorums

Section 1: Meetings

A. The Chair shall call General Membership meetings of Texas Twisters at least bimonthly.

B. All meetings of the General Membership shall require ten (10) days notice to the Membership, and the purpose of the meeting shall be stated in the call.

C. The Chair shall call a meeting of the Board at least monthly.

D. Additional meetings of the Board may be called by the Chair for emergencies upon notice, not necessarily written, and not less than three (3) days to all other Members of the Board.

Section 2: Quorums

A. Members present at any properly called meeting of the general membership shall constitute a quorum.

Article VI: Voting

Section 1. Regular Voting

A. Any and all items requiring polling of the General Membership shall be included in the called meeting notice, as stated in Article V, Section 1.B.

B. All members in good standing with Texas Twisters are eligible to vote.

C. Voting shall be done either verbally or by acclamation, unless a written ballot is requested by any of the members present.

D. All Board Member elections shall take place through written ballot.

Section 2. Absentee Voting

A. Absentee votes shall be presented in writing to a Board Member prior to the vote.

B. Absentee votes shall also be allowed by any text-based electronic means available.

C. Proxy voting shall not be accepted.

Article VII: AMENDMENTS AND CORRECTIONS TO THE BYLAWS

Section 1. Amendments

A. Any member in good standing may propose amendments to the Bylaws.

B. Any and all proposed amendments to the Bylaws shall be submitted in writing to the General Membership.

C. Proposed amendments shall be discussed and voted upon at the next General Membership meeting.

D. Proposed amendments shall require a simple majority vote of the General Membership.

E. Any amendment(s) shall become binding upon approval.

F. Any approved amendments to the Bylaws shall be published and made available at the first General Membership meeting after approval.

Section 2. Corrections

A. Punctuation, grammar and spelling errors may be corrected at the discretion of the Board.

Article VIII: INDEMNIFICATION

A. The organization shall indemnify all present and former Members of the Board against any liability and any necessary expenses actually incurred in connection with the defense of any action, suit, or proceeding in which they, or any of them, are made parties by reason of being or having been boards, except for willful misconduct in the performance of his duties. If a Board Member incurs liability as a result of following the advice of legal counsel selected by the Board, he shall likewise be indemnified.

B. The General Members and Board Members of the organization shall not be personally liable for any debt, liability or obligation of the organization. All persons, corporations, or other entities extending credit to, contracting with, or having any claim against the organization, may look only to the funds and property of the organization for the payment of any such contract or claim, or for the payment of any debt, damages, judgment or decree, or of any money that may otherwise become due or payable to them from the organization.

Amendment History Summary

		Votes
Date	Item	Y	N	Doc Revised By
6/28/2003	Article IV, Section 2, Subsection B, Item 1	11	0	L. Williams
6/28/2003	Article III, Section 1, Subsection B	11	0	L. Williams
6/28/2003	Article IV, Section 2, Subsection C	10	0	L. Williams
6/28/2003	Article IV, Section 2, Subsection A, Items 4 & 6	9	1	L. Williams