United States Institute for Theatre Technology The Association of Design, Production, and Technology Professionals in the Performing Arts and Entertainment Industry

BY-LAWS

HEART OF AMERICA SECTION an affiliate of

UNITED STATES INSTITUTE FOR THEATRE TECHNOLOGY, INC.

Revised/Approved Mar. 2017

ARTICLE I - NAME

Section 1. NAME: The name of this organization is the Heart of America Section, United States Institute for Theatre Technology, hereinafter referred to as the Section.

ARTICLE II – PURPOSES AND LIMITATIONS

Section 1. PURPOSES: It is the primary purpose of the Section to implement the purposes of the United States Institute of Theatre Technology, hereinafter referred to as the Institute, as stated in its by-laws, article 2, section 1, within the geographical area served by the section.

Section 2. LIMIT OF ACTIVITIES: The section shall not engage in activities which are not in furtherance of its stated purposes nor in opposition to the grounds on which the Institute was granted exemption from federal income tax under provision of section 501(c)(3), of the Internal Revenue Code as amended.

Section 3. LIMIT OF EARNINGS AND INFLUENCE: No part of the revenue of the Section is meant to benefit any private member or individual. No substantial part of the activities of the Section shall be for the purpose of carrying out propaganda or otherwise attempting to influence legislation nor shall it participate or intervene in any political campaign for or against any candidate for public office (as defined by IRS regulations for 501(c)(3) corporations).

ARTICLE III – MEMBERSHIP, DUES, MEETINGS AND VOTING

Section 1. MEMBERSHIP: The membership of the Section shall consist of anyone residing within, or outside, the geographic Section area, who is interested in furthering the purposes of the Section and the Institute, and who applies to the Section for membership and pays the membership dues. Members may join a section based on activities and other regional affiliations and are not required to adhere to strict geographic boundary designations.

a. Membership in the Section is independent from membership in USITT, however all Section members are strongly encouraged to be members in good standing of USITT.
b. SECTION AREA. The Section area is defined geographically by the following states: Arkansas, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, and Oklahoma.
c. MEMBERSHIP CLASSES. The same classes of membership shall exist in the Section as exist in the Institute and as set down in the Institute’s by-laws, article 3, section 1.

Section 2. DUES. The executive committee shall have the authority to establish annual dues for all classes of membership. Such dues are in addition to the Institute dues.

a. Dues shall be paid annually on July 1 and become delinquent September 30 for former members. The fiscal year is from July 1 to June 30.
b. Members joining the Section after March 1 will receive paid-up membership through the following fiscal year (June 30).
c. Delinquent members shall pay the full amount of one year’s dues membership. A person who fails to renew Section membership is placed in a delinquent status for one operating year, and then becomes simply a non-member. Persons in a delinquent status are not members, they have no Section membership rights. Failure to become a member of the Section or to maintain membership in the Section has no affect whatsoever on membership status with the Institute.
d. Board of Directors shall be authorized to make other assessments for the activities as the membership deems necessary.

Section 3. MEETINGS.

a. ANNUAL. The annual meeting of the Section shall be held at a place approved by the Board of Directors. Electronic notice of the time and place of the annual meeting shall be given to all members not less than thirty (30) days before the date of the meetings. Annual meetings are traditionally associated with: the annual USITT National Conference.
b. SPECIAL. Special meetings of the Section may be called at any time by:
a. The President of the Section, or
b. A majority of the Board of Directors, or
c. Filing with the Secretary a request signed by at least ten (10) members of the Section.
d. Notice of special meetings shall be electronically mailed or delivered in writing to all members not later than thirty (30) days before the meeting.
c. QUORUM. At all meetings of the members, a quorum shall be ten (10%) percent of the total membership of the Section, or five (5) persons, whichever is greater.
d. Robert’s Rules of Order shall be consulted to resolve points of procedure.

Section 4. VOTING.

a. At all meetings of the members, each voting member present (individual or organization, regardless of the size of the organization) shall be entitled one vote. All questions except the amendment of the bylaws and other matters specifically regulated shall be determined by a majority of the of the votes cast.

ARTICLE IV – BOARD OF DIRECTORS and OFFICERS

Section 1. COMPOSITION. The Board of Directors shall consist of the following:

a. ELECTED OFFICERS:
a. Chair
b. Vice Chair – for programs
c. Vice Chair – for Membership
d. Secretary
e. Treasurer
b. THE IMMEDIATE PAST PRESIDENT
c. EX OFFICIO AND NON VOTING:
a. Officers of the Institute who are members of the Section
b. Editor of the Section Newsletter or website.
All officers shall be members in good standing of the Section and USITT. All officers of the Section shall be elected by the membership of the Section via ballot and shall be elected as specified in Article III. Any officer may be removed at any time by an affirmative vote of two-thirds of the membership of the Section. Vacancies among the officers shall be filled by appointment by a majority vote of the remaining officers or by general election.

Section 2 ELECTION. Ballots for the election of officers shall be electronically mailed to the membership, by the Secretary, with the notice of the annual meeting and must be returned to the designated address not later than five (5) calendar days before the date of the annual meeting or brought to the meeting. The ballot shall list the nominations of the nominating committee plus space for write in votes for all vacancies. The nominating committee shall nominate at least one person for each vacancy. Member’s name must appear on the “from” line of the electronic message in which the ballot is returned, to the Secretary. The ballots must be tabulated by the Secretary and at least one other impartial member with the results reported to the Board of Directors and all candidates prior to public announcement at the annual meeting and in the next issue of the Newsletter or website.

a. NOMINATING COMMITTEE. The nominating committee shall consist of the immediate past president of the Section as committee chair-person, plus four (4) other members of the Section elected at the first regular meeting of the Section each year.
b. SLATE. The committee shall attempt to provide representation for the diversity of disciplines and geographic distribution of the membership. Each nominee must have agreed to serve if elected.

Section 3. TERM OF OFFICE. Officers of the Section shall be elected for a two year term. The election for the officers of President and Vice President for Membership shall be held on odd numbered years, while the officers of Vice President for Programming, Secretary, and Treasurer will be held on even numbered years. Officers are limited to two consecutive terms in the same office. No term limit is set on the office of Treasurer.

Section 5. MEETINGS. The Board of Directors shall meet as required to carry out the business of the Section.

a. The Chair may call meetings of the Board of Directors and shall inform all members of the Board of such meetings at least fourteen (14) days prior to the meeting.
b. Special meetings of the Board of Directors may be called by electronic notice by any two (2) members of the Board. Such notice to be electronically mailed to all members of the Board at least fourteen (14) days prior to the meeting.
c. Robert’s Rules of Order shall be consulted to resolve points of procedures.

Section 6. POWERS. The Board of Directors shall have the general power to carry out the business of the Section, as it deems proper, not inconsistent with the by-laws of the Section and the by-laws of the Institute. The Board of Directors shall not have the power to amend the by-laws. The Board of Directors shall report any action taken in the name of the Section to the membership by the use of the newsletter, website or email. Among the powers of the Board of Directors are:

a. Adoption of rules and regulations for the conduct of meetings.
b. Adoption of an annual budget for the Section.
c. Establishment of a dues structure for the various classes of membership
d. Establishment of polices on any and all services rendered to or by the Section.
e. Appointment of an editor for the Section Newsletter or website.
f. Performing other duties as may be prescribed by the bylaws.

ARTICLE V – OFFICERS

Section 1. GENERAL. All officers of the Section shall be members in good standing of both the Institute and the Section at the time of their election and for the duration of their terms of office. No officer of the Institute may also serve as an officer of the Section. No officer of another Section may also serve as an officer of the Section. No officer of the Section shall receive any salary or compensation for his or her services as an officer of the Section. Any officer of the Section may be removed from office by an affirmative vote of two-thirds of the membership of the Section.

Section 2. CHAIR. The Chair shall preside at meetings of the Board of Directors and at meetings of the membership, and shall have general charge of the Section. The Chair shall keep the membership fully informed of all activities and actions taken and shall freely consult with the membership and Board of Directors. The Chair shall appoint all committees except as specifically designated otherwise herein. The Chair shall perform other duties as by tradition pertain to the office, or as assigned by the bylaws. The Chair shall be responsible for periodic reports to the Board of Directors of USITT as stipulated in the USITT bylaws.

Section 3. VICE CHAIR FOR PROGRAMMING. The Vice Chair for Programming, in the absence or incapacity of the Chair, shall perform all of the duties of the Chair. The Vice Chair for Programming shall function as program Vice Chair for the Section for all regular meetings. The Vice Chair for Programming shall perform other such duties as may be assigned by the by-laws and/or the Chair.

Section 4. VICE CHAIR FOR MEMBERSHIP. The Vice Chair for Membership shall be responsible for membership services and membership campaigns. The Vice Chair for Membership shall perform such other duties as may be assigned by the by-laws and/or the Chair.

Section 5. SECRETARY. The Secretary shall be responsible for the Section’s roster of members. The Secretary shall have charge of the minute books and shall take and record all minutes of regular meetings and executive committee meetings. The Secretary shall be responsible for providing a copy of the minutes to the newsletter editor or website for publication. The Secretary shall perform such other duties as may be assigned by the bylaws and/or the Chair.

Section 6. TREASURER. The Treasurer shall have care and custody of the funds of the Section and shall deposit them in such bank or trust company as designated by the Board of Directors of the Section. The Treasurer shall collect and receive dues, charges, and other monies as are due to the Section and act as agent for the Section to the parent USITT Corporation in the collection and receipt of dues, charges, and other monies payable to the USITT Corporation. The Treasurer shall keep proper and accurate books and records of all receipts and expenditures of the Section and of all collections and disbursements of funds on behalf of the Corporation. The Treasurer will submit timely, appropriate financial reports to USITT so that appropriate tax filings may be made on behalf of the Section. The Treasurer shall be responsible for the disbursement of funds in accordance with the budget as approved by the Board of Directors. The Treasurer shall provide quarterly audit to the Chair and the Board of Directors. The Treasurer shall disseminate information on dues collected to the Section Vice Chair for Membership and the Newsletter or website editor. The Treasurer shall perform other duties as may be assigned by the by-laws and/or the Chair.

OUTSIDE AUDIT. The Board of Directors shall have the Section books audited on a regular basis by a qualified firm or individual. Such an audit must be performed whenever the office of Treasurer passes from one individual to another and at such other times as the Board of Directors and membership deems necessary.

ARTICLE VI– PROJECTS AND RESEARCH

Section 1. PROJECT ACTIVITIES. It is clearly the chief and most important function of the Institute and the Section to conduct projects and encourage research in the fields of theatre planning and design, construction, equipment, aesthetics, presentation, and operations. Appropriate project activities include research, experimentation, investigation, collection of data, problem analysis, exchange of information and ideas, exhibitions and other forms of study leading to the acquisition of knowledge and improvement in technology. The resultant purpose of project activities shall be the dissemination of information to the membership and the advancement of the profession. Its shall be the objective of the Section to encourage, promote, and assist its members in the conduct of project and research activities in accordance with the purposes of the Institute.

Section 2. PROJECTS. The research and project activity of the Institute is administered and coordinated by the commission on projects. The Section shall cooperate with the commission to the greatest extend possible.

ARTICLE VII – PUBLICATIONS

Section 1. NEWSLETTER. The Section shall publish and distribute to the membership a semi-annual electronic newsletter. The Board of Directors shall appoint the Newsletter editor. The newsletter is to contain official notices of meetings, tours, workshops, and other events by and for the Section. The newsletter will also include a copy of the minutes of the last meeting.

Section 2. OTHER PUBLICATIONS. The Section may from time to time publish and distribute other publications, as the Executive Committee deems appropriate.

ARTICLE VIII – COMMITTEES.

Section 1. The Chair of the Section shall have the power to establish such committees as are deemed necessary to carry forward the business of the Section subject to the approval of the Executive Committee.

Section 2. Such committees shall serve for a term of one year from the date of establishment.

Section 3. The chairs of such committees shall be appointed by the Chair of the Section.

ARTICLE IX – CONTRACTS, CHECKS, AND NEGOTIABLE INSTRUEMNTS

Section 1. OFFICERS EMPOWERED TO SIGN. All contracts and agreements, checks, and other negotiable instruments and endorsements thereof of shall be signed by the Treasurer of the Section, or, in the absence of the Treasurer, by the Section Chair.

ARTICLE X – FISCAL YEAR

The fiscal year of the Section will be the same as USITT, July 1- June 30.

ARTICLE XI – AMENDMENTS

Section 1. PROPOSAL OF AMENDMENTS. These by-laws may be amended by any regular or special meeting of the Section in the following manner; any proposal for such amendments shall be subscribed to in writing by not fewer than four (4) members of the Section and filed with the Secretary.

Section 2. NOTIFICATION OT MEMBERSHIP. Upon filing with the Secretary, the Secretary shall notify the membership in the next regular meeting announcement and/or newsletter or website of the proposed amendment, its content and application, together with a notice of the time and place of the meeting to consider the proposed amendment on a date not less than 10 and not more than 20 days following the date of such an electronic mailing.

Section 3. EMAIL BALLOT. The Board of Directors may choose to submit the proposed amendment to the membership via an electronically mailed ballot. In such case, the ballot must be submitted to the membership along with a written explanation of the purpose of the amendment as well as a complete text to the amendment. In addition, if there are arguments pro and con, they too must be submitted to the membership in the same electronic mailing. The date for the return of the ballots shall be 30 days after the mailing and shall be clearly spelled out in the accompanying notice. The member’s name must appear on the “from” line of the electronic message in which the ballot is returned to the Secretary. The ballots must be tabulated and reported not less than thirty (30) days after the close of the balloting.

Section 4. BYLAWS. A copy of current bylaws and any/all amendments must be kept on file with the USITT Corporation where it will be available for inspection by members.

ARTICLE XII – DISSOLUTION

In the event that the membership of the Section drops below the minimum required by the Institute to sustain a Section, the Section shall cease to function and shall notify the Institute Vice President for Sections of the situation. All assets remaining after payment of all obligations shall be remitted to the Treasurer of the Institute to be maintained in an escrow amount for a period of one calendar year. At the end of such a period, if the Section has not resumed operation, the assets shall revert to the Institute without restriction.