Recreational Folk Dancers of Columbus

Bylaws

Ratified

March 31, 2004.

Administrative Trivia

For a detailed change history for this document, see: http://www.math.ohio-state.edu/~econrad/RFDC/history.html. The following related documents are available on the Web:

http://www.math.ohio-state.edu/~econrad/RFDC/model.html: a document explaining the proposed organizational structure for RFDC.
http://www.math.ohio-state.edu/~econrad/RFDC/implement.html: an implementing resolution.

Revisions: Wednesday, March 12, 2003 (first Web revision). June 18, 2003. November 11, 2003. January 12, 2004. January 13, 2004. January 15, 2004. January 20, 2004.

Recreational Folk Dancers of Columbus

Proposed Bylaws

Article 1. Name.

The name of this organization is the Recreational Folk Dancers of Columbus (RFDC).

Article 2. Purpose.

The RFDC is a nonprofit educational organization which is dedicated to:

preservation, study, teaching, enjoyment and continuing development of recreational folk dance in Central Ohio; and
promotion of the activities of member recreational folk dance groups.

Article 3. Membership.

All Central Ohio recreational folk dance groups whose activities are consistent with the purposes of RFDC are eligible to become members of RFDC upon acceptance by the Board of Directors and payment of dues. A recreational folk dance group dances mainly for individual and group enjoyment and must be open to anyone who wants to participate in this way. A recreational group, however, may occasionally perform at special events and may accept payment for such performances.

Each Recreational Folk Dance Member Group (hereinafter: member group) is entitled to appoint a Representative to serve on the Board.
Members of member groups are welcome to attend meetings of the Board and to participate in discussions on matters before the Board, but without a vote on matters before the Board.
Membership dues and privileges are determined by the Board. Only those groups whose membership is paid for the current year will be members in good standing.
The Board may, at its discretion, terminate the membership of any group at any time by returning that group's current dues.

Article 4. Board of Directors.

The responsibility for all business matters lies with the Board of Directors, which consists of the Representatives of the member groups and any Board Members-at-large.

The Board has sole authority to set schedules and dates for joint activities for the year; to set dues and fees at rates which will cover costs of operation; to approve engagements, special activities, and services to its member groups undertaken in the name of RFDC.
The Board shall determine the need for and the responsibilities of standing or special committees to carry out projects or special programs.
The chairpersons of standing or special committees may attend meetings of the Board to advise or to receive suggestions from the Board concerning the programs of the RFDC.

Article 5. Meetings of the Board.

The Board will meet a minimum of twice annually.
Except for situations noted elsewhere in these Bylaws, a majority vote of all members of the Board is necessary to transact any business brought before the Board.
A meeting of the Board may be called by the President or by any two Representatives.

Article 6. Duties of Officers.

The Officers of the RFDC are President, Vice President, Secretary and Treasurer. Duties of Officers are:

President. The President is the executive officer responsible for the operation of the group. He or she presides at meetings, calls meetings of the Board as needed, and appoints chairpersons of standing and special committees.
Vice President. The Vice President acts as President in the absence or illness of the President and in the event of the President's resignation or incapacity to serve shall succeed to the office for the remainder of the term of office or until a new President is appointed. The President may delegate to the Vice President such official or other duties as may be necessary for the conduct of business.
Secretary. The Secretary keeps records and minutes of meetings; maintains an up-to-date list of members and attendees; maintains other records as directed by the Board.
Treasurer. The Treasurer is responsible for the collection of dues and charges, for the disbursement of fees to musicians and teachers and for payment of authorized expenditures. The Treasurer advises the Board about the finances of the organization and assists in formulating the budgets for the regular and special activities. The Treasurer also prepares a yearly financial statement of operations.

The offices of Secretary and Treasurer may be held by the same person.

Article 7. Appointment and Removal of Officers and Board Members.

Representatives of member groups. Each member group in good standing is entitled to appoint one Representative to serve on the Board. A Representative may be removed or replaced at any time by action of the appointing group.

Alternates. A member group in good standing may, at its discretion, appoint an Alternate to serve in the absence of its Representative. An Alternate may be removed or replaced at any time by action of the appointing group.

Board Members-at-large. A Board Member-at-large is appointed by a majority vote of the Representatives of the member groups for a term ending December 31 of the same calendar year as the appointment. A Board Member-at-large may be removed or replaced at any time by a majority vote of the Representatives. There may be zero to five Board Members-at-large. The actual number will be set by the Representatives of the member groups and may be changed by a majority vote of the Representatives.

Officers. Officers are appointed by a majority vote of the Representatives at the last regular Board meeting of the calendar year and serve a term of office starting January 1 and ending December 31 in the calendar year that follows. An Officer may not serve more than two consecutive terms in the same office, but may be reappointed after the lapse of a year. To be eligible to serve as an Officer, a person must be a Board member. An Officer may be removed or replaced at any time by a majority of the Representatives.

In the event of vacancy of an Office, a majority of the Representatives may appoint an eligible person to fill the vacancy until the end of the current term of office. This appointment does not count towards the two-term limit on consecutive service.

Article 8. Fiscal Year.

The fiscal year of RFDC is January 1 through December 31.

Article 9. Amendments to the Bylaws.

Amendments to these Bylaws may be proposed by a member group and submitted to the Board in writing. The Board may act

to recommend the amendment as proposed or with changes; or
to reject the proposal.

If the Board acts to recommend, the amendment along with any changes shall be submitted in writing to the governing bodies of all member groups. For ratification, the amendment must be accepted in writing by a majority of all member groups within two months of recommendation by the Board.

Article 10. Dissolution.

The Board may propose to dissolve the RFDC by submitting a resolution to dissolve in writing to the governing bodies of all of the member groups. For approval, a majority of the governing bodies of the member groups must accept the resolution in writing and without modification within six months of its submission by the Board.

Article 11. Special Notices.

No part of the RFDC's assets or net earnings may inure to the benefit of private individuals. This does not preclude the payment of any reasonable fees for goods or services provided to the organization.
In the event of dissolution of the RFDC, the groups's assets will be divided among the member groups taking into account length of membership.
It is intended that the RFDC be entitled to exemption from Federal income tax under section 501(c)3 of the Internal Revenue Code and shall not be a private foundation as described in section 501(a) of the Code.