(Adopted by membership vote on 05 JAN 2017) — PDF version

Article I Name
The name of the organization shall be the San Antonio Calligraphers’ Guild known in these by-laws as the “Calligraphers’ Guild” or the “Guild”.

Article II Purpose
Section 1 The chief purpose is to provide calligraphers with educational and vocational information and to stimulate public interest in and appreciation for the art of calligraphy. Section 2 A secondary purpose is to engage in charitable, literary, social and other activities as long as they reflect the chief purpose of the Guild.

Article III Members
Section I Membership shall be open to persons interested in the practice and furtherance of the art of calligraphy and who contribute to its aims. The number shall be unlimited.
Section 2 Membership shall be divided into two groups: 1. Active: an active member shall be a dues paying member who has voting privileges and who is eligible to hold office in the Guild. 2. Charter: charter members are those persons who were present at the initial meeting of the Calligraphers Guild. They have no voting privileges unless they are also dues paying members. Section 3 Membership shall be limited to adults and to children aged 12 to 18 years of age who are accompanied to Guild activities by an adult member.

Article IV Dues
Section 1 Dues shall be designated to cover and defray the actual necessary expenses of maintaining and operating the Guild and shall be assessed on an annual basis, payable by April 1 to cover the annual year of July 1 through June 30. Dues are delinquent after the June meeting.
Section 2 Dues for active members shall not increase except at the annual meeting with thirty days’ written notice having been given prior to the meeting. The annual meeting shall be held in May. Secondary memberships are available for one half the amount of regular dues for each additional family member using the same address.
Section 3 Persons joining the Guild after the January meeting will pay a pro-rata share of the annual dues for that year for February through June 30.

Article V Board of Directors
The Board shall consist of the Officers and Members-at-large elected by the general membership and Committee Chairpersons appointed by the President. The four elected Officers and the five elected Members-at-large shall constitute the Executive Committee. A majority of the Executive Committee is any five of the nine members. This will constitute a quorum of the Board as a whole. The President shall be the Executive Officer, presiding at all meetings of the Membership and at all Board meetings, performing all duties incidental to the office of the President, appoint Committee Chairpersons and shall serve as ex-officio member of all committees except the Nominating Committee. The Vice President shall chair a committee of his or her own choosing (standing or ad hoc) and shall perform other duties as directed by the President or Executive Committee. The Recording Secretary shall record the proceedings of all Membership and Board meetings and shall perform other duties as directed by the Executive Committee. The Treasurer shall be the custodian of all Guild funds, receiving all monies and making all payments. The Treasurer shall keep an accurate record of all accounts and shall present a financial report at all membership and Board meetings. The five Members-at-large shall be elected to serve on the Executive Committee. Each of these elected members must chair a committee and must attend Board meetings. The Immediate Past President of the Guild shall be an ex-officio member of the Executive Committee, serving in a non-voting advisory capacity. A Parliamentarian shall be appointed by the President with the approval of the Executive Committee as an ex-officio member to guide the parliamentary procedure.

Article VI Standing Committees
Section 1 The President shall appoint the chairpersons of the standing committees. Each chairperson shall choose his/her committee members.
Section 2 Committee Chairpersons shall be non-voting members of the Board of Directors, unless he or she is also an Officer or a Member-at-large.
Section 3 The President shall appoint ad hoc committees as the need arises.

Article VII Elections
Section 1 There shall be a Nominating Committee consisting of two members appointed by the Executive Committee and one member elected from the Membership. The two appointees shall be voted upon at the January meeting of the Board and the third member shall be voted upon at the February membership meeting. The committee shall publish a slate of officers in the April newsletter and shall present the slate of officers to the membership at the annual meeting in May. Nominations shall also be accepted from the floor with prior permission of the nominee. Elections shall be by simple majority vote at the annual meeting in May.
Section 2 The term of office shall be from July 1 to June 30. The installation of officers shall be at the June meeting. The newly elected officers will work with the outgoing officers to familiarize themselves with their duties. No officer may serve for more than two consecutive one-year terms.
Section 3 Vacancies in an elected office shall be filled by the Executive Committee with approval by a simple majority vote at the next regular monthly meeting or at a special called meeting of the membership.

Article VIII Meetings
Monthly meetings shall be held the first Thursday of the month except July and August at 7:00 p.m. at a location chosen for the year. A quorum will consist of 20 of the members for the transaction of business at this event.

Article IX Amendments
The By-laws may be modified or amended by a two-thirds vote of the members attending a general meeting. Notification of the proposed change will be given thirty days prior to that meeting. The proposed changes will be in effect upon adoption, unless stated otherwise.

Article X Parliamentary Authority
Robert’s Rules of Order, Newly Revised, shall govern the Guild where they are applicable to, and not inconsistent with, these By-laws or special rules adopted by the Guild.