Bylaws of Village Quilters
Revised June, 2006ARTICLE I
Name and Purpose
1) This organization shall be known as "Village Quilters of Lake Bluff/Lake Forest, Illinois: (herein shall be called VQ).
2) The purpose of this organization shall be to:
• Promote the appreciation of quilts
• Sponsor and support quilting activities
• Encourage quilt making and collecting
• Further the growth of quilt education
3) The logo shall be the Gazebo.
4) This is a non-profit organization.
ARTICLE II
Meetings and Fiscal Year
1) Meetings shall be held once a month, at the discretion of the Board, with due notice to the membership.
2) The April meeting shall be designated as the Annual Meeting.
3) The Fiscal Year shall be May 1 – April 30.
ARTICLE III
Membership
1) If deemed necessary by the Board, the active membership shall be limited to a number recommended by the Board and approved by a simple majority of the membership.
2) A person becomes a member upon payment of one year's dues. An Active member shall attend meetings, participate in VQ activities, including Quilt Show, workshops, etc., and/or work on committee(s), have voting privileges, and shall have the right to hold office or chair committees.
3) A wait list shall be maintained for Active membership by the Vice President-Membership. Whenever an Active member drops out of VQ, the next person on the list shall be offered membership. If membership is limited, new members joining November 1 – April 30, shall pay half (1/2) of the yearly dues.
4) Life membership shall be awarded at the discretion of the Board. A Life member shall not pay dues, but shall have all the privileges of an Active member
ARTICLE IV
Dues and Guest Fees
1) Annual dues shall be determined by the Board
2) Life members shall pay no dues.
3) To assure continuous membership, dues must be paid by May 1. Failure to pay dues shall be considered voluntary withdrawal from VQ
4) Dues shall not be refundable.
5) Guests may attend monthly meetings, and workshops, when space is available, for a fee designated by the Board.
ARTICLE V
Election of Officers
1) Officers shall be nominated by a committee of three (3) persons. The nominating committee shall be chaired by the Member-at-Large. The two (2) others shall be non-Board members.
2) A slate of ten (10) officers (see Article VII) shall be presented at the March meeting and shall be voted upon at the Annual (April) meeting. Nominations from the floor may be made at the March or April meeting.
3) No nominations shall be made without the consent of the nominee.
4) No officer shall hold any one office for more than two consecutive terms.
5) The President should have previously served on a VQ Board or committee and is an active guild member.
ARTICLE VI
The Board
1) The Board shall consist of the ten (10) elected officers.
2) Each officer shall be required to keep the Board informed of the activities of their office.
3) The Board shall meet a minimum of four (4) times per year.
4) A quorum of seven (7) shall be present in order to conduct VQ business.
ARTICLE VII
Officers and Their Duties
1) President
• Is elected for one year
• Is Chairman of the Board and ex-officio member of all committees except the nominating committee
• Presides over all general and Board meetings
• Shall be an authorized signee of the VQ checking account
• Appoints standing committee chairs
• Fills vacancies of Office
• Has general supervision of VQ and performs such other duties as pertain to the Office
• May act as representative to IRQN (Illinois Regional Quilter's Network)
• Assists the Treasurer in preparing the annual estimated budget
2) Vice President – Membership
• Is elected for one year
• Chairs the membership committee and oversees:
– The collection of dues and guest fees
– Name tags for guests
– Greeting of members
– Distribution of membership materials
– Introduction of new members and guests
– When necessary, maintains the waiting list and invites new members to join VQ when vacancies occur
– Maintains membership roster on a monthly basis
– Provides newsletter editor the annual membership roster as well as monthly membership updates
3) Vice President - Programs
• Is elected for one year and has served as Advanced Program Chair the previous year
• Chairs the Program Committee
• Plans programs, speakers and workshops
• Welcomes and assists guest speakers, assures that the speaker is paid and a thank-you note written
• May act as representative to IRQN (Illinois Regional Quilter's Network)
4) Advance Program Chair
• Is elected for a two year term, first year serving as Advanced Program Chair, second year serving as VP-Programs
• During first year of term:
– Plans and arranges programs and workshops for the following year
– Assists the Vice President-Programs
– Is responsible for room set up and take down at all meetings and workshops
5) Secretary
• Is elected for one year
• Records general and board meeting minutes
• Makes copies of the minutes and other quilt-related information available to board and members
• Acts as corresponding secretary
6) Treasurer
• Is elected for one year
• Has served as assistant treasurer the previous year
• Handles finances, writes checks, keeps books, deposits money, pays bills
• Arranges annual audit
• Prepares annual estimated budget for approval by the membership at the Annual Meeting
7) Assistant Treasurer
• Is elected for one year
• Becomes Treasurer the following year
• Assists the treasurer
8) Member-at-Large
• Is the immediate Past President
• Acts as an advisor to the Board
• Chairs the nominating committee
9) Newsletter Editor
• Is elected for one year
• Publishes monthly newsletter for all members
• Publishes Membership Roster with June newsletter
10) Quilt Show Chair
• Is elected and serves a two (2) year term
• Organizes and administrates the show, “Quilts from the Village”
ARTICLE VIII
Standing Committees
These committees may be appointed by the President.
1. Friendship Blocks - coordinates schedule of members' friendship blocks.
2. Historian - keeps copies of relevant published articles and takes and collects photos of group functions.
3. Librarian - selects, purchases, and processes materials for the VQ library, and makes material available to membership at monthly meetings. She shall perform and publish an annual inventory.
4. Membership – Assists the VP-Membership with:
• The collection of dues and guest fees
• Name tags for guests
• Greeting of members
• Distribution of membership materials
• Introduction of new members and guests
5. NQA Rep. - National Quilting Association Representative: a continuous, non-rotating chair to provide a permanent home address.
6. Refreshments - schedules hostesses and refreshments for general meetings and special events (i.e.: April and December pot lucks); purchases all other supplies (i.e.: coffee, tea, napkins, etc.) for these functions; and is responsible for set up and cleanup of kitchen.
7. Secret Pal - handles the assignments of Secret Pals and sets up gift exchanges.
8. Service - organizes charitable service projects for the community.
9. Sunshine - sends cards and flowers to members as appropriate.
10. Ways and Means - handles group purchases (i.e.: AQS book orders, fabric packets, bulk muslin and supplies)
11. Other committees as necessary
ARTICLE IX
Parliamentary Authority and Amendments
1. The business of this organization shall be governed by the current edition of Robert's Rules of Order, Revised.
2. Amendments shall be proposed to and by the Board. They shall be printed in the newsletter prior to a regularly scheduled meeting. The proposed amendments(s) will be read and time will be allowed for discussion.
3. Bylaw changes shall be passed by an affirmative vote either by ballot or voice, of two-thirds (2/3) of the members present.
4. These Bylaws shall be reviewed regularly by the Board to keep them current in the spirit of VQ's purpose and intent.
ARTICLE X
Dissolution
In the event that dissolution of VQ appears necessary for any reasons, approval of the membership shall be obtained by ballot. A simple majority of members present prevails. Assets shall be applied and distributed first to the final payment and discharge of any liability or obligation of the guild. Any remaining assets shall be distributed by the approval of the membership.