North Carolina Poetry Society Constitution

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THE NORTH CAROLINA POETRY SOCIETY, INC.

CONSTITUTION

Dated March 9, 2019

ARTICLE I: NAME, OBJECTIVES, ADDRESS, AFFILIATIONS

Section 1. Name: The name of this organization will be the North Carolina Poetry Society Inc., hereafter referred to as the Poetry Society.

Section 2. Objectives: The Poetry Society will foster the study, writing, and publication of poetry; increase, for a diverse audience, an appreciation of poetry; and offer events of poetry and fellowship throughout the state.

Section 3. Permanent and Current Addresses: The permanent address of the Poetry Society will be N.C. State Archives Building, Raleigh, N.C. The current address will be that of the President.

Section 4. Permanent Document Repository: Unless the Board decides otherwise, the permanent document repository for Poetry Society newsletters, news releases, and other materials will be the North Carolina Collection, Louis Round Wilson Library, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Section 5. The Poetry Society will cooperate, in ways deemed appropriate by the Board of Directors, with other statewide groups in the support of poetry. The Poetry Society will maintain a dues-paying affiliation with local, state, regional, national, or international organizations only with the Board’s approval, and all such affiliations will be reviewed annually by the Board. 

ARTICLE II: MEMBERSHIP

Section 1. Adult Membership: An Adult member will be anyone who submits a membership application and pays the annual dues.

Section 2. Other Membership: Categories of membership other than Adult, if consonant with the Poetry Society’s objectives, may be established by the Board. Eligibility, privileges, and obligations of other categories of members besides Adult will be specified in the By-laws (see By-laws, Article I, Sections 1 and 2 [BL.I.1-2] and By-laws, Article III, Section 3.4 [BL.III.3.4]). Hereafter, cross-references to parts of the Constitution and By-laws appear in abbreviated form. For example, CN.IV.3.3c refers to “Constitution, Article IV, Section 3, Point c referring to the By-laws is BL.

ARTICLE III: OFFICERS AND BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Section 1. Officers: Elected Poetry Society officers will include a President, a Vice President of Programming, a Vice President of Membership, an Adult Contest Director, a Student Contest Director, a Recording Secretary, a Treasurer, and a Vice President of Communications/Newsletter Editor. These eight officers and three elected Members-at-Large will constitute the Board of DirectorsThe President will identify one of the Board members to serve as parliamentarian for the Board and business meetingsAt the invitation of, or with permission of, the President, any Poetry Society member may attend a Board meeting to introduce or address issues before the Board. The Committee Chairs are eligible and invited to attend all Board meetings, and the President may ask specific Committee Chairs to attend a Board meeting to address issues related to their committees. In all instances, however, only current Board members will be permitted to vote (see BL.VI.4).

  1. a. Annual Nomination and Election: Annual nomination and election of officers will be conducted in accordance with procedures currently specified in the By-laws (BL.II.1–2).
  2. b. Term of Office: The term of office for the elected officers will be two years. Officers elected will begin their terms at the first meeting of the membership year. Candidacy for a second consecutive term in the same office will be permitted, as specified in the By-Laws (BL.II.3.2).
  3. c. Unexpired Terms: The unexpired term of any vacant office will be filled by the procedure specified in the By-laws (BL.II.3.5).
  4. d. Members-at-Large: Members-at-Large on the Board of Directors will be elected for two-year terms, with the understanding that they may be elected for additional terms, as specified in the By-Laws. Vacancies among Members-at-Large will be filled by the Board of Directors, from among the members of the Poetry Society, as specified in the By-Laws (BL.II.3.D).

Section 2: Board of Directors

  1. a.  Duties: The Board of Directors, with the President as ex officio chairman and executive officer, will exercise powers specified in the By-Laws (BL.III.3). Unless specified otherwise, a majority vote will apply in all deliberations that, according to the Constitution or the By-Laws, require a vote by the Board (BL.VI.4).
  2. b. Board Correspondence: All officers, as well as chairs of standing and ad hoc committees, will keep the President informed of discussions regarding Poetry Society issues, policies, and procedures, especially any that may require a Board discussion or that relate to pending issues. Each officer or Committee Chair will provide the President with a copy, either printed or electronic, of any correspondence associated with Poetry Society commitments to individuals or groups, especially if any changes, major or minor, in Poetry Society procedures are in question. 

ARTICLE IV: MEETINGS, FISCAL YEAR, CONTINUING SERVICES, CONTESTS, PUBLICATIONS

Section 1. Meetings

  1. a. There will be at least two regular meetings of the Poetry Society during each fiscal year. The number and fixed times for regular meetings, together with procedures for selection of places and advance notification of the membership, will be those specified in the By-Laws (BL.VI.1). A standing Program Committee, chaired by the Vice President of Programming, will assist the President in arranging program features for each meeting (BL.III.1.B and BL.V.2.1.L).
  2. b. Special Meetings: Special meetings of the Poetry Society may be called in accordance with procedures specified in the By-Laws (BL.VI.3).

Section 2. Fiscal Year and Program Year: The fiscal year will be from January 1 through December 31.  The program year for the purposes of Board of Director elections and terms of service will be May 1 through April 30.

Section 3. Contests: The Poetry Society’s annual contests will be administered by the Adult Contest Director and the Student Contest Director, who each may form a committee to help with the contest duties (see BL.III.1.A, BL.III.1.O, BL.IV.1, and BL.V.2.A,2.O).

  1. a. Additions to or eliminations from the currently specified contest categories may be made only upon recommendation of the Board of Directors (see BL.III.3.F and BL.IV.1).
  2. b. New contest categories to be personally sponsored for a year or more may be approved by the Board of Directors, who will annually reassess the renewal of any such approved contest categories (see BL.III.3.F and BL.IV.2).
  3. c. The Treasurer will account for interest and income from contest endowments separately from Poetry Society general funds. Income from a contest category endowment may be used to meet the expenses of that category, increase the amount of the prize awarded, or fulfill other purposes specific to the endowed contest category, as approved by the Board of Directors. All funds in endowment accounts will be detailed in the Treasurer’s regular reports to the Board (see BL.IV and BL.VII.5).

Section 4.  Publications and Royalties

  1. a. Publications: The book of award-winning poems from the annual contests (Pinesong), plus other regular and special publications, will be published and distributed in accordance with procedures specified in the By-Laws, as approved by the Board (see BL.V.2.A.C, and BL.VIII).
  2. b. Royalties: All royalties from publications sponsored by the Poetry Society will be retained by the organization for future publications, in accordance with procedures established by the By-Laws (see BL.VII.5).

ARTICLE V: FINANCES

Section 1. Dues: Annual dues for Adult membership, as well as annual dues for other membership and patron categories, will be determined by the Board of Directors and, at a designated regular meeting, approved by majority vote if a quorum of the general membership is present (see BL.III.3.C and BL.VII.1).

Section 2. Liabilities: Dues-paying members will not be liable for additional monetary assessments for any purposes, but voluntary contributions toward any expenses approved by the Board of Directors will be accepted.

Section 3. Contributions: Nonmembers, whether individuals or corporate entities, may be invited to make contributions, with such published acknowledgments as the Board of Directors may approve (see BL.VII.2–3).

Section 4. Deposits and Disbursements: The Treasurer will give an accounting of deposits and disbursements to a board-approved auditor on a schedule specified by the Board (see BL.V.2.E and BL.VII.7).

Section 5. Profits: No member will profit financially from any publication, activity, or enterprise of the Poetry Society. This restriction will not apply to the private sale by members of their books at Poetry Society meetings.

Section 6. Dissolution: In the event of the Poetry Society’s dissolution, all remaining assets after discharge of any outstanding indebtedness will become the property of the N.C. Literary and Historical Association, Inc., for the purpose of promoting poetry in North Carolina.

ARTICLE VI: AMENDMENTS AND PARLIAMENTARY AUTHORITY

Section 1. Amendments

  1. a. Constitution: The Constitution may be amended by a two-thirds vote of the full Board of Directors, plus a two-thirds vote of the members attending a designated regular meeting. At the Board’s discretion, the membership vote may be taken by electronic or regular mail balloting. A recommendation for an amendment of the Constitution may be made to the Board of Directors by any Board member or Adult member. Notice of any proposed amendment must be given by the Board of Directors to the Adult membership at least thirty days before it is to be voted upon.
  2. b. By-Laws: Amendments of the By-Laws will be referred to the Board of Directors and, upon a favorable report by the Board, may be adopted at any regular Poetry Society meeting, in accordance with procedures established by the By-Laws (see BL.III.3.A and BL.VI.4).

Section 2. Parliamentary Authority: Robert’s Rules of Order, revised, will be parliamentary authority in conducting the Poetry Society’s business, except as otherwise provided for in the By-Laws.