By-laws

Article I: Name

The name of the organization shall be the Society for Eighteenth-Century Music.

Article II: Purpose

The Society for Eighteenth-Century Music promotes the study and performance of music of the eighteenth century. The Society provides a forum where scholars and performers can further their knowledge of music, history, and interrelated arts of the period and serves as a resource to facilitate communication and encourage collaboration. The Society shall be operated as a non-profit corporation exclusively for this purpose.

Article III: Membership

Section 1. Membership in the Society shall be open to all persons and institutions interested in its activities and stated objectives.

Section 2. There shall be four categories of membership in the Society: Regular, Reduced, Institutional, and Honorary. The Board of Directors shall recommend an amount to be paid for each category, which shall be ratified at the annual meeting.

Section 3. Membership shall be granted upon payment of annual dues to the Society or its representative. Membership runs for the calendar year (January 1st to December 31st).

Article IV: Board of Directors

The Society shall have a Board of Directors consisting of the three officers and six Directors-at-large:

Section 1. The President shall preside at all meetings of the Society and of the Board of Directors and perform all other such duties as are customary in this office, including but not limited to
a. setting agendas for regular meetings of the Society
b. calling special meetings of the Board and/or Society as necessary
c. forming ad hoc committees as necessary to organize and oversee Society activities, and
d. appointing, in consultation with the Board, interim officers and directors to fill unexpired terms when a person is not able to complete their term.

Section 2. The Vice-President shall act as President in the absence of the President in all of the above duties as required.

Section 3. The Secretary/Treasurer shall keep minutes of all meetings of the general membership and Board; attend to all correspondence of the Society including the maintenance of an up-to-date membership list; collect dues; prepare ballots and administer elections; and notify the members of all meetings at least four weeks in advance. The officer shall have in their charge all of the records and reports of the Society, and keep full and complete accounts of all financial matters.

Section 4. Six Directors-at-large, chosen by election by the membership, shall serve as counselors and liaison with the membership.

Section 5. The former President, if they so decide upon the end of their term as President, may serve an additional one year on the Board, as a non-voting counselor to the President and the Board of Directors.

Section 6. The Board shall meet as needed to conduct necessary business of the society. A quorum of the Board shall be achieved with six of the voting members.

Section 7. Terms of the Board members shall overlap so that the President, Secretary/Treasurer, and three Director-at-large shall be elected in odd years; the Vice-President and three Directors-at-large shall be elected in even years.

Section 8. Terms of office for all elected board members shall be two years, commencing immediately after the annual business meeting. An elected member of the Board shall serve no more than three consecutive two-year terms.

Section 9. The President may appoint one or two non-voting Student Representatives to the Board. Student Representatives should be actively enrolled in a PhD or similar program, and their terms of office may be renewed yearly until graduation.

Article V: Elections

Section 1. Elections shall be held prior to the annual meeting of the Society. Nominations for each Board member shall be sought from the Society, and ballots shall be prepared and mailed out by the Secretary/Treasurer. Officers and Directors-at-large shall be elected by majority vote. All members in good standing are eligible to vote.

Section 2. No person may hold more than one elective office in the Society at the same time.

Section 3. A majority vote of the Board shall break a tie.

Article VI: Annual Meeting

Section 1. The Society shall hold an annual business meeting at a time and place to be determined by the Board. It shall be held each year between September 15 and December 1.

Section 2. Five percent of the membership shall be considered a quorum for the purposes of accepting the annual reports of the Society.

Article VII: Publications, Website, and Conferences

Section 1. The Society shall maintain a current directory of all members, which shall be monitored by the Secretary/Treasurer or their designee.

Section 2. The Board shall appoint an editor to publish a newsletter twice a year, in the autumn and spring of each year. The newsletter shall include short notices of research by the members, reviews of books, concerts, recordings, and other media, as well as information about conferences, festivals, and symposia pertaining to eighteenth-century music and performance. If the editor is not already serving as an elected officer, the editor shall be an ex-officio non-voting member of the board. The editor’s term shall be two years, with possibility for renewal as it pleases the board and the individual.

Section 3. The Board may appoint ad hoc committees of members to facilitate and organize conferences or symposia that are deemed beneficial to the goals of the Society.

Section 4. The Board shall appoint a webmaster and advisors to maintain a website. The website shall include information about publications, conferences, festivals, and symposia pertaining to eighteenth-century music and performance, and other information as deemed necessary by the Board and Society. If the webmaster is not already serving as an elected officer, the webmaster shall be an ex-officio non-voting member of the Board. The webmaster’s term shall be two years, with the possibility for renewal as it pleases the Board and the individual.

Article VIII: Fiscal Year

The fiscal year of the Society shall be from 1 July to 30 June.

Article IX: Amendments

Section 1. Amendments to the by-laws may be proposed by the Board, by members of the Society, or by an ad hoc committee designated to review the by-laws. This may be done in writing, by electronic media, or by motion at the annual meeting.

Section 2. Amendments so proposed shall be made known to the general membership and a vote scheduled. These shall be considered approved if passed by a two-thirds majority vote. The Board may attach a statement of endorsement; the petitioner(s) have the right to attach explanatory notes to their amendments.

Article X: Dissolution

In the event of the dissolution of the Society, the Board of Directors with the approval of legal counsel shall dispose of any assets. These shall be distributed in accordance with applicable laws to one or more organizations that have goals substantially similar to the Society.

Article XI: Rules

Meetings of the Society and its Board shall be conducted and governed by Robert’s Rules of Order where applicable and not inconsistent with these by-laws.

Approved as amended on September 27, 2019.

Minor editorial and housekeeping changes on April 17, 2023.

Approved as amended on October 22, 2023.