The Carolina Heartland Bylaws

The Carolina Heartland Bylaws

Our Mission Statement:  The purpose of the Carolina Heartland NC Chapter #6092 of USA DANCE, INC. (formerly the United States Amateur Ballroom Dancers Association, Inc.), is to promote ballroom dancing in order to bring the joy of dancing and the knowledge of health benefits to our community. We wish to create opportunities for ballroom dancers of all levels through regularly scheduled dances, inexpensive beginner lessons and dance seminars. We especially seek to encourage and aid the introduction of ballroom dancing in the school/college/university community through USA DANCE chapters and/or dance clubs. We urge our members to invite their friends, co-workers, and family members to experience the joy and health benefits that we enjoy. 

Article I: Name and Governance 

A.1. Name:
The name of this chapter of USA DANCE, INC. shall be Carolina Heartland NC, hereinafter called The Chapter, and shall exist as outlined under the bylaws of the parent organization. The geographical boundaries include Greensboro, High Point and Burlington but are not limited thereto.  

A.2. Governance:
The Chapter shall be autonomous in the governance of its affairs and may not delegate determination or control of matters central to such governance except for compliance with the rules and bylaws of USA DANCE, INC. Nor shall The Chapter maintain any affiliations with any organization(s) except USA DANCE, INC. which would bind it to the organization’s rules or decisions. Autonomy includes self-determination of the titles, locations, dates, authorization, rules of conduct for The Chapter’s planned dance events and other items that may be required and/or considered. 

Article II: Membership 

B.1. USA DANCE, INC. membership is restricted to ballroom dancers who are either U.S. citizens, or who currently reside in the U.S.A. or one of its possessions, except for Associate Members. Membership at all times shall be open to any such dancer, coach, trainer, professional instructor, administrator or official active in dancing without discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin or family status. Associate Member is defined as any individual who is not eligible or desirous of membership in any other category, but who wishes to support the aims and objectives of USA DANCE. Details of eligibility and membership categories may be found in USA DANCE, INC. bylaws. 

B.2. The active members of this chapter shall be those persons who are members of USA DANCE, INC. in good standing. Payment of dues may reinstate inactive members. 

B.3. Members must agree to uphold USA DANCE, INC. traditions and by-laws which outline the classes of memberships: Ballroom Dancer, Social Dancer, Social Youth Dancer, Champion Dance Sport Athlete, Adult Dance Sport Athlete, Student Dance Sport Athlete, Junior Dance Sport Athlete, Associate, Manager/Organizer, Trainer – Physical or Mental, Official – Judge, Scrutineer, MC, Music Director, and Dance Sport Coach. 

B.4. Annual individual membership begins the first (1st) of the month in which an application for membership in USA DANCE, INC. is presented and ends on the last day of the preceding month the next calendar year, commonly called an anniversary year. [Example: Application received June 5, 2005, starts June 1, 2005, and ends May 31, 2006.] This eases the bookkeeping for our National Membership Chairman. 
 
 
Article III: Membership Meetings 

C.1. There shall be a General Membership Meeting during the month of November for the purpose of:
1. Electing designated Chapter officers for the next term;
2. Reviewing the year’s activities;
3. Passing the proposed budget for the ensuing year; and
4. Approving activities planned for the ensuing year.
The Chapter Board may call additional General Membership Meetings when deemed necessary. 

C.2. All members in good standing may vote at a General Membership Meeting. If a member has been delinquent no more than ninety (90) days at the time of a General Membership Meeting, the member may be reinstated and eligible to vote by paying his or her USA DANCE, INC. dues prior to the election. This applies only to persons who have previously been members of USA DANCE, INC. and whose membership has lapsed. Persons at the meeting who are joining for the first time at that meeting may not vote. They may enjoy all other benefits of USA DANCE, INC, but they may not vote until their application for membership has been approved by the National Membership Chairman. 

C.3. At General Membership Meetings where a vote will be cast, a list of eligible voting members will be maintained in order to assure the accuracy of the vote. Voting on all issues except elections may be by secret ballot or by a show of hands.  

C.4. At any General Membership Meeting a quorum shall consist of twenty-five percent (25%) of eligible voting members. 

Article IV: Board of Directors

D.1. The elected officers are the President, the Vice-President/President-Elect, the Secretary and the Treasurer. Terms of office are defined in Section D.4. 

D.2. The Board of Directors shall consist of the four (4) elected officers, three (3) elected at-large board members, and chairpersons of standing committees. With the exception of the President, board members and officers may assume the duties of committee chairpersons, but at no time shall there be less than eight (8) members on the Board of Directors.  

D.3. Dance professionals, such as instructors, coaches, trainers or managers, may serve as officers or board members, but at no time may they comprise more than twenty per cent (20 %) of the Board, nor may they use their service on the Board to obtain personal financial gain or profit. D.4. The term of office for the president, vice-president and secretary and at-large board members shall be one (1) year. These officers shall be eligible for re-election for no more than one consecutive term. The treasurer shall be elected for a two-year (2) term and may be re-elected for a second two-year term, but shall not exceed four (4) consecutive years in the office.

D.4.1. Elections shall be held in November with terms of elected officers and committee chairpersons starting January 1 of the following year with the exception of the Black Tie Committee Chairperson. This Chairperson shall be appointed by the President with approval of the Board of Directors immediately after the annual Black Tie event.

D.4.2. In the event of a vacancy among the officers, other than the President, the Board of Directors shall appoint a member from within the Board to fill the office and complete the unexpired term. Provision for a presidential vacancy is made in Section E.2. If a vacancy occurs among at-large members of the Board or committee chairpersons, the Board of Directors shall appoint a person from The Chapter membership to fill the unexpired term. A person who is appointed to fill an unexpired term may be elected to serve one additional consecutive term.

D.4.3. The term of office for committee chairpersons shall be one (1) year. Committee chairpersons may be appointed for one (1) additional consecutive term. In cases where particular experience or expertise is needed the Board of Directors may approve longer terms for committee chairpersons. D.5. The Board of Directors shall meet no less than four (4) times per year, on a quarterly basis, for the purpose of reviewing past activities of The Chapter and to plan future activities.

D.5.1. All members of the Board of Directors, both elected and appointed, may vote; however, the President will vote on motions before the Board only in the case of a tie.

D.5.2. A quorum shall consist of a simple majority of the members of the Board of Directors.

D.5.3. In addition to face-to-face meetings, motions may also be discussed and voted on out of session by a telephone tally or e-mail. Secretarial records must be kept of such transactions, and a formal resolution must be passed by the Board at their next formal meeting.

D.5.4. The majority rules in all instances.  

D.6. All major decisions that affect the welfare of The Chapter membership must be discussed by the Board of Directors, with a recording secretary present, and the final motion and vote shall be recorded. No member or officer will be allowed to make major decisions or enter into binding negotiations that affect the activities of The Chapter without informing the Board of Directors and receiving their approval, either face-to-face or by telephone or e-mail.  

D. 7. The President may call special meetings of the Board of Directors at any time, but the actual time set for the meeting must accommodate a majority of the Board members. 

Article V: Duties of Officers

E.1. President: The President shall preside at all General Membership Meetings and all meetings of the Board of Directors. The President shall see that decisions of the Board are carried out and shall have such other duties and responsibilities as are prescribed for the office or designated by the Board of Directors. The President shall represent The Chapter at meetings with other organizations or groups. The President may appoint or designate another member to perform these functions when schedules conflict or specific professional expertise is required. The President shall be an ex-officio member of all Chapter committees except the Nominating Committee. The President may attend committee meetings. When in attendance the President will have the same vote as other committee members, however the committee chairperson will preside over the committee meeting.

E.1.1 The President, assisted by the Treasurer, shall prepare the Annual Chapter Report for presentation to the USA DANCE, INC. national office. This report shall be reviewed by the Board and submitted to the national office by January 1, or any alternate date designated by the national office, each year. This report is necessary for USA DANCE, INC. to maintain its tax exempt status as a non-profit organization. 

E.2.  Vice-President/President-Elect: The Vice-President/President-Elect shall act in the place of the President in his or her absence. In the event of a vacancy in the office of president, the Vice-President shall succeed to the presidency. The President and the Board of Directors shall designate other duties of the Vice-President. The Vice-President/President-Elect shall succeed to the presidency at the end of the president’s term. 

E.3. Secretary: The Secretary shall keep the minutes of all meetings of the Board of Directors and General Membership Meetings. The Secretary shall collect records of the actions of all committees when the committees report to the Board. The Secretary shall distribute the minutes of each meeting to all board members within two weeks after the meeting. The Secretary shall sign, with the President, all contracts and other instruments on behalf of the Chapter when so authorized by the Board of Directors. 

E.4. Treasurer: The Treasurer shall be the trustee of all money received from any Chapter activity, donation, grant or other benefit. The Treasurer shall sign all checks, drafts, and notes of The Chapter.

E.4.1. The Treasurer shall perform his or her duties in order to:
a.) Maintain complete and accurate records and present financial statements to the Board at its regular meetings and to the membership at the annual General Membership Meeting;
b.) Prepare and submit the annual financial report to the National Treasurer by March 31 of each year, or whatever alternate date may be requested by the National Treasurer.

E.4.2. The Treasurer shall be bonded; the cost of securing and maintaining the bond shall be covered by The Chapter. An annual audit shall be conducted by an Audit Committee appointed by the President. 

Article VI: Nominations and Elections 

F.1. A Nominating Committee of no less than three (3) members shall be appointed by the President and approved by the Board of Directors at least four months prior to the election which shall be at the General Membership Meeting in November.

F.1.1. The President of The Chapter may not be a member of the Nominating Committee.

F.1.2. No members of the Nominating Committee may be candidates for election. 

F.2. The Nominating Committee shall nominate a slate that includes at least one candidate for each position to be filled.

F.2.1. Any member in good standing is qualified to be a candidate for nomination by the Nominating Committee.

F.2.2. The Nominating Committee shall make a public request for volunteers for officers and at-large board members in the chapter newsletter or by special mailing at least seventy-five (75) days prior to the election date. The committee shall allow at least thirty (30) days from the publication of the request for names of potential candidates before determining the names to be placed on the ballot. This cut-off date must be at least forty-five (45) days prior to the election date and shall be clearly stated in the request for volunteers.

F.2.3. Any member in good standing shall have the right to be placed on the ballot for election to the Board of Directors by presenting a petition signed by ten percent (10%) of the chapter members or twenty (20) members, whichever is less, by the deadline date established by the Nominating Committee for receipt of volunteers.
a.) Those signing a petition must not have signed any other petition for the same office in the same year. The petition must include the USA DANCE, INC. membership number of each signer.
b.) The Nominating Committee shall inform the members of this alternate means of being placed on the ballot at the same time that the solicitation is issued requesting volunteers for candidates.
c.) The ten percent (10%) of members shall be based on the number of chapter members in good standing four months prior to the election date and that number shall be stated in the solicitation issued to members.

F.2.4. The Nominating Committee has no obligation to place the names of volunteers on the ballot but must place on the ballot the names of any members supported by petition of the membership.

F.2.5. All candidates nominated must sign a statement that they will serve if elected.

F.2.6. The Nominating Committee shall announce the slate in the newsletter prior to the November General Membership Meeting. 

F.3. The Nominating Committee may send ballots by a special mailing or e-mail, or it may conduct the election at the General Membership Meeting using written ballots, in which case it must also accept ballots by mail or e-mail from those who are unable to attend. All ballots must contain the USA DANCE, INC membership number of the voter. 

F.4. The Nominating Committee shall appoint three tellers to open and tally all written ballots and to certify the election at the November General Membership Meeting.

F.4.1. Tellers shall be members in good standing who are not board members, members of the Nominating Committee or candidates for office.

F.4.2. It is the responsibility of the tellers to verify that only members in good standing have voted and that there are no duplicate ballots.

F.4.3. The ballots shall be retained for six (6) months by The Chapter Secretary.  

Article VII: Committees 

G.1. There shall be seven (7) Standing Committees:

1. Membership Committee
2. Hospitality Committee
3. Programs and Entertainment Committee
4. Outreach and Youth Programs Committee
5. Publicity and Chapter Newsletter Committee
6. Music Committee
7. Black Tie Committee

The Nominating Committee and other ad hoc committees may be appointed to perform special functions when the need is determined to exist on either a long or short-term basis. Such committees could be appointed to prepare for annual events such as Holiday Balls, Charity Balls, Getaway Social Weekends, Cruises, National Ballroom Dance Week activities, State Fair Competitions and Exhibitions, events coordinated with other USA Dance chapters, or any other event in which the entire membership of The Chapter is invited to participate. These ad-hoc committee chairpersons may be asked to attend board meetings as needed, but they shall not have a vote. 

G.2. The chairperson of each committee shall be appointed by The Chapter President and approved by the Board of Directors. Each committee shall consist of a chairperson and no less than two (2) additional members. The chairperson shall direct the activities of the committee and shall call meetings as needed, either face to face or by telephone or e-mail. The chairperson shall submit a written report of committee activities to the Board of Directors at appropriate times. The Chairperson shall have such other duties as may be prescribed by the Board of Directors.  

G.3. Membership Committee: The Membership Committee shall function to:
a.) Maintain accurate Chapter records of all members with current mailing address, e-mail addresses, telephone numbers, USA DANCE anniversary dates, national dues status, and birthdays. Membership renewals shall be the responsibility of the Membership Committee;
b.) Provide and maintain attendance records of members, non-members, new members and special guests from sign-in sheets at regular monthly or semi-monthly dances; and
c.) Plan and implement programs to increase membership.

G.4. The Hospitality Committee shall coordinate hospitality activities, but hospitality is the responsibility of all Chapter officers and other members of the Chapter. A key role of the Hospitality Committee is to assist in the maintenance of a friendly, welcoming atmosphere at the dances.

G.4.1. The Hospitality Committee shall meet as needed for the purpose of planning and assignment of duties at the regularly scheduled dances and to coordinate the work of volunteer hosts who set up refreshments.

G.4.2. The role of the Hospitality Committee at events shall be:
a.) Set-up the room for the dance and set room back up as it was, with the assistance of volunteers.
b.) Staff the sign-in table in order to greet people and collect fees for the dance.
c.) Assist volunteer hosts, as needed, in the provision of refreshments.

G.4.3 The Board of Directors shall provide a set of guidelines to assist Hospitality Committee members and volunteer hosts in carrying out the functions of the Committee. 

G.5. Programs and Entertainment Committee has the responsibility of finding low-cost, suitable accommodations in which to hold the chapter’s regular dances. Only the President, with the approval of the Board of Directors, has the authority to enter contract negotiations with individuals and organizations. The Board of Directors shall provide a set of guidelines regarding the selection of accommodations.

G.5.1. The Committee is responsible for scheduling local dance instructors to teach lessons before each monthly dance. The Board of Directors shall provide a set of guidelines to be followed in the provision of lessons.

G. 6. Music Committee. The Music Committee shall provide suitable music at the regular dances of The Chapter. All contracts will be submitted to and approved by the Board of Directors. 

G. 7. Outreach and Youth Programs Committee. The Committee shall plan and carryout, with the assistance of other members of The Chapter, activities that extend the joy and benefits of ballroom dancing to the broader community. These activities may include, but are not limited to:
a.) dance demonstrations at rest homes and retirement communities;
b.) a fundraising event to raise money for a charitable organization in the community;
c.) dance activities in schools and colleges
d.) enlisting the dance teaching community to participate with The Chapter in developing dance activities for the youth of the area. 

G. 8. Publicity and Chapter Newsletter Committee. The chairperson shall be called “Editor” and shall oversee production and distribution of a Chapter Newsletter. Other duties of this committee shall be distributed among committee members.

G.8.1. The Chapter newsletter, which shall include the header: Carolina Heartland NC Chapter 6092 of USA DANCE, INC., shall be either a bi-monthly or monthly publication and shall be mailed or e-mailed to all members of The Chapter free of charge. Funding for the publication shall be provided from membership dues and the proceeds of other chapter activities.

G.8.2. The newsletter shall publish schedules of dance related events that are open to the public throughout the community and in neighboring USA DANCE chapters.

G.8.3. The Editor shall provide neighboring USA DANCE chapters copies of the newsletter.

G.8.4. The Committee shall provide news and press releases of coming events to area media.

Article VIII: Parliamentary Authority 

H.1 Robert’s Rules of Order, most recent edition, shall be the parliamentary authority of The Chapter except where they are inconsistent with the USA DANCE INC. bylaws or rules, these bylaws, or any special rules the Board may adopt. 

Article IX: Amendments 

I.1. These Bylaws may be amended or repealed by two-thirds (2/3) of votes received from the voting members of The Chapter by mail or e-mail ballot, provided that ballots are received from fifty percent (50%) or more of the voting members. Written proxies may be submitted to the Secretary prior to the vote.

I.1.1. Amendments may be proposed by petition of twenty percent (20%) of the voting members of The Chapter.

I.1.2. All proposed amendments shall be presented to the Board of Directors for information prior to presentation to The Chapter for a vote. 

I.2. When an amendment is adopted to the bylaws of Region VI of USA DANCE INC. which affects The Chapter, The Chapter shall automatically amend its bylaws to conform. Article X: Dissolution J.1. A proposal to dissolve The Chapter may be made by petition of twenty percent (20%) of the voting members of The Chapter.

J.I.1. The petition to dissolve shall be presented to the Board of Directors for information prior to presentation to The Chapter for a vote.

J.1.2. The Chapter may be dissolved by two-thirds (2/3) of votes received from the voting members of The Chapter by mail or e-mail ballot, provided that ballots are received from 70 percent (70 %) or more of the voting members.

J.2. In the event of dissolution of The Chapter, all its assets remaining after payment of all costs and expenses of such dissolution shall be turned over to USA DANCE, INC. Region 6.