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ARTICLE I NAME AND GENERAL NATURE
The name of this organization shall be Town and Gown Community Theatre, hereafter known as Town and Gown. Town and Gown is a not-for-profit organization incorporated under the laws of the State of Oklahoma.
ARTICLE II PLACE OF BUSINESS
The principal place of business for Town and Gown shall be Stillwater, Oklahoma.
ARTICLE III PURPOSE
The purposes of Town and Gown shall be to promote, encourage, and develop interest in and appreciation for the dramatic arts. These purposes may be realized through the use of theatre as a medium in providing entertainment, education, and cultural enhancement in the Stillwater community and the surrounding area.
ARTICLE IV MEMBERSHIP
A. The membership of Town and Gown shall be open to all individuals interested in promoting the purposes of the organization and who meet the requirements set forth below.
B. There shall be three categories of membership. They are as follows:
1. ACTIVE MEMBERS - those individuals who have paid their dues and have expressed an interest in community theatre.
2. HONORARY MEMBERS - shall be comprised of:
a. Individuals who have met the criteria for active membership and have been nominated by the Board of Directors and approved by the general membership, based upon exemplary service to Town and Gown.
b. Companies and businesses which have made significant contributions to Town and Gown, having been nominated by the Board of Directors and approved by the general membership.
c. Those individuals who have been named as honorary members shall have all the rights and privileges of active membership, but will be exempt from the payment of dues.
ARTICLE V MEETINGS
A. General membership meetings shall be held on the first Tuesday of each month. Any changes in this schedule shall be announced to the membership by the Board of Directors at least thirty days prior to the regularly scheduled meeting.
B. Meetings of the Board of Directors shall be held during the week prior to the scheduled general membership meeting.
C. The May meeting of the general membership shall be designated as the "Annual Meeting" of Town and Gown and will be held for the purpose of electing members of the Board of Directors and for the transaction of any other business as required.
1. Immediately following the Annual Meeting, all Members of the Board of Directors, to include the newly elected members, shall meet and select the officers for the next year. The new operational year for Town and Gown will begin on August 1st
D. Special meetings may be called by the President of Town and Gown upon the request of at least ten (10) active members. Special meetings may not be scheduled less than seven (7) days following the receipt of the request, in order that all members of the general membership can be notified of the meeting.
E. Active and honorary members will be eligible to vote at the general membership meetings and at any special meetings of Town and Gown.Issues will be decided by a simple majority of the members present and voting as long as a quorum is present.
F. A quorum shall consist of ten (10) percent of the active Membership for a general membership meeting and no less than (4) members of the Board of Directors for meetings of the Board of Directors.
G. The Parliamentary authority for meetings of Town and Gown shall be Robert’s Rules of Order, or an equivalent thereof.
ARTICLE VI BOARD OF DIRECTORS
A. The operations of Town and Gown shall be coordinated by a Board of Directors, elected by the general membership.
B. The Board of Directors shall consist of seven (7) members elected by the general membership in the following manner: Three members will be elected in year A; two members will be selected in years B and C, with the sequence being repeated every three years.
C. Members of the Board of Directors must be active members and may not succeed themselves. Spouses may not serve on the Board of Directors at the same time.
D. Any vacancy occurring on the Board of Directors will be filled at the next general membership meeting, and will complete the term of the individual being replaced.
E. If a suitable Treasurer is not elected by the membership, the President, with consultation with the Board, may appoint a treasurer. The appointed treasurer will not be a voting member of the Board.
ARTICLE VII OFFICERS
A. The officers for Town and Gown shall be elected by the Board of Directors following the Annual Meeting. The primary duties of the officers are enumerated below:
1. President - shall preside at all meetings of the organization and shall direct the affairs of the organization. He/she will appoint all committee chairpersons with the advice and consent of the general membership.
2. Vice President - shall preside at all meetings in the absence of the President and perform other duties as assigned by the President.
3. Secretary - shall perform all duties usually appertaining to this Office. He/she shall keep the minutes of all meetings and report these to the general membership at regularly scheduled meetings, maintain all correspondence and respond to it as a need arises, and serve as custodian of the seal.
4. Treasurer - shall receive and disburse all monies, maintain an accurate accounting of all funds, provide a Treasurer’s report at all general membership meetings and make any recommendations to the Board of Directors pertaining to financial matters.
ARTICLE VIII COMMITTEES
A. The following committees shall be constituted from the membership of Town and Gown.
1. House and Box Office - shall staff the Box Office prior to all productions, maintain a record of the season ticket holders, keep a record of all sales for individual productions and make recommendations to the Board of Directors and the general membership concerning improvements in polices and procedures for that area.
2. Bylaws and Constitution Committee - shall be convened at the request of the President and shall be responsible for making recommendations related to any and all revisions in the bylaws and the constitution for Town and Gown to the Board of Directors and the general membership and shall provide the Secretary with up-to-date copies of these documents.
3. Nominating Committee - shall develop a slate of prospective candidates for the Board of Directors, which will be presented to the general membership at the April meeting. Members of this committee will be responsible for presiding over the May election and the counting of the ballots.
4. Buildings and Grounds Committee - shall be responsible for making recommendations to the Board of Directors regarding emergency and routine maintenance and in the development of long-range plans for the upgrading of the theatre and the outside area.
5. Play Selection Committee - shall solicit from the membership plays which may be considered for next year’s season. Upon receipt of the plays recommended, the committee will review these and make recommendations to the Board of Directors for the following season. Whenever possible, this committee should have a former director as one of its members. All recommendations and the determination of the productions for the next season should be completed before the next summer show.
6. Finance Committee - shall work in cooperation with the Treasurer to review the budgets submitted by the play directors and to develop the overall budget for Town and Gown.
7. Social and Hospitality Committee - shall be responsible for planning social and special activities and events of Town and Gown to include, but not be limited to the annual Christmas party.
8. Productions Committee - shall provide support for the individual plays and directors, including lighting, sound and set construction. This committee should be involved in the training of individuals wishing to develop their skills in these areas.
9. Publicity Committee - shall be responsible for the promotion and publicizing of Town and Gown as well as the theatre season and individual productions. This committee shall also be responsible for the sale of advertising for the programs.
10. Costume Committee - shall maintain the costume room and assist directors with obtaining appropriate costumes for productions. The Chairperson of this committee will also be responsible for recording any costumes which are loaned to external organizations.
11. Other committees which are deemed necessary by the Board of Directors.
ARTICLE IX OKLAHOMA COMMUNITY THEATRE ASSOCIATION AND OTHER THEATRE CONTESTS
A. The Board of Directors, with the approval of the general membership, shall seek recommendations for productions appropriate for the OCTA biennial play contest or any other contests Town and Gown may have an interest in entering.
B. Plays considered may be those from Town and Gown’s regular season or may be submitted specifically for the contest(s).
C. The Play Selection Committee will review those productions nominated for contest and recommend to the Board of Directors, which will be responsible for the final decision, with the advice and consent of the general membership.
D. The final selection shall be made no less than three months prior to the contest.
E. The director of the selected production shall submit a detailed budget to the Board of Directors.
ARTICLE X EDUCATION
A. The educational mission for Town and Gown shall be achieved by such activities as children’s theatre, workshops and other theatrically related activities for the membership and for the community.
ARTICLE XI FUNDS
A. Funds of Town and Gown shall be held by the Treasurer and dispersed as directed by the Board of Directors following budget guidelines adopted by the Board of Directors. Funds not dispersed in this manner shall be deposited promptly in financial institution(s) approved by the Board of Directors. The President shall serve as an alternative signatory on all accounts in the absence of the Treasurer.
B. The fiscal year for Town and Gown shall begin on August 1st and run through the 31st of July.
C. Dues shall be established by the Board of Directors with the approval of the general membership.
ARTICLE XII ANNUAL AUDIT
A. There shall be an annual financial audit of all the financial records of Town and Gown. The results of these audits shall be presented to the general membership. This audit shall be conducted by a professional accounting firm or by a special audit committee appointed by the Board.
ARTICLE XIII HIRING PROFESSIONALS
A. The hiring of any person for any show will be approved by the board on a case-by-case basis. Musicians, musical directors, costumers, light designers, or any position requesting payment will be taken to the board for approval. This decision will be made by the board regardless of the show’s budget.
ARTICLE XIV PRODUCTION BUDGETS
A. The budget for a regular season production shall be $4,000.00. The budget for the musical shall be $9,000.00.
ARTICLE XV SEAL
A. The seal of Town and Gown shall be comprised of a circular die with the name "Town and Gown" around the outer edge and the word "seal" in the center.
ARTICLE XVI AMENDMENTS
A. These bylaws may be amended by a majority vote of the general Membership providing that a written copy of such an amendment(s) has been presented to the Secretary and read at a meeting one month prior to the actual vote of the general membership.
ARTICLE XVII RECISSIONS
A. Any and all previous Bylaws of this organization, and all provisions therein, are hereby rescinded by these Bylaws.
*Adopted April 2006 at a regularly scheduled general membership meeting
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