Bylaws
​TABLE OF CONTENTS
Article 1: NAME
Article 2: PURPOSE
Article 3: MEMBERSHIP
Article 4: OFFICERS and COMMITTEE CHAIRS
Article 5: MEETINGS
Article 6: NOMINATIONS
Article 7: FINANCES
Article 8: AMENDMENTS
Article 9: DISSOLUTION
Article 1: NAME
The name of this organization is Calligraphers' Guild of Northeastern Pennsylvania referred to as the Guild in this document.
Article 2: PURPOSE
The purpose of the Calligraphers' Guild of Northeastern Pennsylvania is to promote the study and practice of
calligraphy; to encourage individual growth and excellence; and to stimulate, both within the Guild and the
community, an appreciation for the history and the application of calligraphy.
Article 3: MEMBERSHIP
Section 1. Qualifications: All individuals who are interested in any aspects of the Guild's purpose and who are
willing to pay the annual dues are entitled to membership and its benefits; an exception of Honorary Members is described in Article 3: Section 5.
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Section 2. Dues: Members shall remit annual dues by October 15th or be dropped from membership. New
members joining after February 28th shall payó annual dues. Change in dues shall be determi ed by the Executive Officers and ratified by a simple majority of the members attending the next general meeting.
Section 3. Membership Year: The membership year shall be from September 1st to August 31st.
Section 4. Activity: All members-at every level of calligraphic skill, beginner to professional-are encouraged to
participate in guild activities and to serve as officers or on committees if they meet the qualifications of the
positions as specified in Article 4. Guild activities include, but are not limited to: meetings, presentations,
workshops, exhibits, projects, and field trips.
Section 5. Types of Membership
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A. Regular Membership: Regular members are those who have paid the annual dues. Regular members are eligible to vote, to hold office (as specified in Article 4), and to receive benefits offered only to members, such as lower fee for workshops and participation in exhibits.
B. Honorary Membership: Honorary membership is automatically extended to each of the Founders. In
addition, Honorary Membership may be given to any member meeting these qualifications: has been a
member for at least thirty years; has made significant contributions to the Guild in service; is no longer
able to be an active member. They shall be accepted as Honorary Members by a simple majority of the
Board of Directors. Honorary Members are non-voting members and shall pay no dues.
Section 6. Termination of Membership: Membership may be terminated at any time by the member, who must
notify the Recording Secretary. Dues will not be refunded.
Article 4: EXECUTIVE OFFICERS and COMMITTEE CHAIRS
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Section 1: Executive Officers - The Executive Officers of the Calligraphers' Guild of Northeastern Pennsylvania shall be the President, Vice-President, Corresponding Secretary, Recording Secretary, and Treasurer.
A. Executive Officers must be current paid members; have maintained membership for at least three
years; have participated in Guild meetings and activities; have served previously as a Standing
Committee Chair.
Section 2: The Officers shall have these specific rights and duties:
President:
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Shall be responsible for all administration of the organization, acting with the advice and consent of the
Board of Directors, including: coordination of the calendar for all official Guild activities; notification of all
scheduled meetings; familiarization with the status of all committee work as a member ex officio (except
the Nominations committee); assurance that the Guild's policies and purposes are being adhered to and
that the programs are being carried forward effectively.
Vice President:
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Shall assist the President as requested; shall assume the responsibilities of the President if needed.
Corresponding Secretary:
Shall send thank you notes to presenters; shall execute other written correspondence as directed by the
President; shall file and record such correspondence.
Recording Secretary:
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Shall record the details of the business portion of General Membership meetings and prepare minutes for
distribution to Guild membership; shall record the details of all meetings of the Executive Officers and of
the Board; shall maintain a listing of the current Board of Directors.
Treasurer:
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Shall keep accurate records of receipts and expenditures to be reported at each meeting; shall deposit the Guild's funds in a bank designated by the Executive Officers; shall pay bills on behalf of the Guild which have been approved by the Executive Officers; shall prepare an annual budget of expected income and expenditures; shall prepare an annual Financial Report to be presented at the Spring Planning Meeting,
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Section 3: Standing Committees - Standing Committees shall be Exhibits, History, Hospitality, IT, Library,
Membership, Newsletter, Nominations, Publicity/Social Media, and Workshops. Chairpersons of these committees may be volunteer or elected positions.
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A. Standing Committee chairs must be current active members; have maintained membership for at least one year; have participated previously in Guild meetings and activities.
B. All communication concerning a committee's project(s) must be directed through the Chair of that
committee.
Section 4: The immediate Past President shall serve as Consulting Advisor on the Board of Directors, with
voting privileges.
Section 5: The Board of Directors, referred to as the Board in this document, shall be the Executive Officers,
Chairpersons of the Standing Committees, and the Consulting Advisor (immediate Past President). The Board
shall serve as the governing body of this organization.
Section 6: Special Committees may be authorized and appointed at the discretion of a majority of the Board of
Directors present at any regularly scheduled meeting.
Section 7. Resignation or Removal: Resignation from the Board must be in writing and received by the Recording Secretary. An Executive Officer or Committee Chair member may be removed for cause by a three-fourths vote of the remaining directors.
Section 8. Compensation: Board members will receive no compensation for their service.
Article 5: MEETINGS
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Section 1: Board Meetings - The Board of Directors will meet at least twice per year at an agreed upon date, time, and place. The meetings may be in-person and/or by video conference. The President is required to be sure that every Board members is notified at least two weeks in advance of the meeting.
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A. One of these meetings will be designated the Spring Planning Meeting of the Guild and shall be held no later than June 30. The purpose of this meeting is to set the calendar and programming for the upcoming membership year.
B. The second Board meeting shall be the Fall Meeting and shall be held no later than September 30. The purpose of this meeting shall be to review, update, or adjust the plans made at the Spring Planning
Meeting and to address any new Board business.
C. Special meetings of the Board of Directors will be called by the President as needed or upon the request of three board members.
Section 2. General Membership Meetings: The Board of Directors will specify the date, time and place of regular meetings of the Guild. Meetings may be in-person and/or by video conference. The Membership will be notified at least two weeks in advance of every meeting.
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A. Approximately three General Membership Meetings will be held between March through May and three between August through November.
B. General Membership Meetings shall be for the purpose of hearing reports of Officers and Committee
Chairmen, electing officers, and for any other business that may arise. Meetings shall follow Robert's Rules of Order.
C. General Membership Meetings are usually accompanied by a one hour presentation, lecture, or
demonstration.
D. Non-business meetings may be held occasionally for project sharing or social interaction.
Section 3. Quorum and Proposals
A. Board Meetings
a. A quorum at every Board Meeting is more than half of the Board members. The number is
determined by the number of eligible voting members, not the number in attendance.
b. Every Board Member has exactly one vote, even if the member holds more than one position.
c. Passage of a proposal at a Board meeting requires a "yes" vote by more than half of the entire
Board.
d. Non-board members attending may participate in discussion of proposals, but they may not vote
on a proposal.
B. General Membership Meetings (open meetings)
a. A quorum at all General Membership meetings requires that more than one half of Board
members be present.
b. Passage of a proposal at a General Membership Meeting requires
i. A "yes" vote by more than half of those attending.
ii. Approval by at least half of the Board Members.
Article 6: NOMINATIONS
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Section 1: Terms of Office: The Office of President shall be an elected position. The President shall be elected for a term of two years and for no more than two consecutive terms. Additional terms may be served after at least one other president has completed a term. The remaining Executive Offices and Committee Chairs may be filled by volunteers. If more than one member wishes to serve in the same position, then an election will be held.
Section 2: Nominating Committee: A Nominating Committee will be activated as needed when a position
opens and will be composed of a Chair and two members.
A. It is the duty of the Nominating Committee to determine the names of those members qualified and
willing to serve in a position.
B. President will be elected for a two year term consistent with Section 1. Elections for President must
be held by the last spring meeting of the membership year as needed. The term of the new President
shall begin at the end of this meeting.
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Section 3: Vacancies on the Board of Directors, shall be filled by appointment, decided by the remaining Board members. The exception to this is the office of President, which shall be filled by the Vice-President.
Article 7: FINANCES
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Section 1: Fiscal Year: The Guild's fiscal year begins September 1'1 and ends August 31st of the following year.
Section 2: Budget: An annual budget projecting expenditures and income should be prepared by the Treasurer and presented at the Spring Planning Meeting; the budget must be approved by a majority of the Board of Directors.
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A. Modification of any budgeted amounts may be made by approval of the majority Board of Directors.
B. All other payments must be approved in advance of the expenditure by the Board of Directors.
Section 3: Budget overruns of no more than 10% are considered acceptable and shall be payable by the Treasurer. Any member requesting this overage must alert the Treasurer at the time of the request.
Section 4: The Board of Directors reserves the right at any time to form a Special Audit committee of at least two members to verify incomes and expenditures. Those who serve on the Audit committee must have been active members for at least one year and may not currently hold another position.
Article 8: AMENDMENTS
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Section 1: Amendments: These Bylaws may be amended at any regularly scheduled General Membership Meeting or a special meeting called by the Board of Directors. At least two weeks in advance of a vote to amend the Bylaws, members must be advised of the text as well as the meeting to amend. A two-thirds majority of all votes by members is required to pass.
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A. Provision for discussion must be given before a vote can take place.
B. Any member who wishes to see changes to the bylaws must present the proposal in writing to the
President, who shall notify the membership.
C. Bylaws also may be reviewed by the Board of Directors at any time and amendments presented for a
vote as indicated in Section 1 above.
Article 9: DISSOLUTION
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Upon termination or dissolution of the Calligraphers' Guild of Northeastern Pennsylvania, any assets remaining
after all bills are paid shall be distributed to one or more organizations selected by the discretion of a majority of the managing body of the Calligraphers' Guild of Northeastern Pennsylvania.
Amended September 24, 1993
Revised March 16, 2024