Westfield State University Chapter
of the American Choral Directors Association
November 2014
ARTICLE I
NAME
Section 1:
The Name of this organization shall be the Westfield State University Chapter of the
American Choral Directors Association.
ARTICLE II
PURPOSE
Section 1:
The purposes of this organization shall be those as set forth in the National Constitution of
the American Choral Directors Association, and are state as follows:
1. To foster and promote choral singing which will provide artistic and spirited
experiences for the participants.
2. To foster and promote the finest types of choral music to make these experiences
possible.
3. To foster and encourage rehearsal procedures conducive to attaining the highest
level possible in musicianship and artistic performance.
4. To foster and promote the organization and development of choral groups of all
types in schools, colleges, and churches.
5. To foster and promote the organization and development of choral societies in
cities and communities.
6. To foster and promote the intelligent understanding of choral music as an
important medium of artistic expression.
7. To foster and promote significant research in the field of choral music.
8. To foster and promote composition of superior quality in both music and text for
all choral combinations.
9. To cooperate with all organizations dedicated to the development of musical
culture in America.
10. To disseminate professional news and information about choral music.
ARTICLE IV
MEMBERSHIP
Section 1:
Membership shall be open to all full-time and part-time undergraduate students of
Westfield State University who have paid their student activities fee for the current
academic semester.
Section 2:
Members are considered to be active if they attend and participate in 70% (i.e. seventy
percent) of club meetings and activities.
ARTICLE V
OFFICERS
Section 1:
The officers of this chapter of the American Choral Directors Association shall be:
President, Vice-President (President Elect), Secretary, and Treasurer.
(We request that you remove president elect from this title, simply to keep the
democratic process more open and allow the student to choose if they would like to
run to be president if a vacancy occurs)
Section 2:
The duties of the president shall be: to preside at the meetings; to appoint committees of
the chapter (unless otherwise provided for in the By-Laws); to represent this organization
when necessary; and to administer the policies as laid down in this constitution and its ByLaws. Also as an officer, he/she will be in charged of a programmed event.
The duties of the vice-president (president elect), shall be to preside at meetings when the
president is absent or incapacitated to perform the duties of the office; and to assist in
administering the affairs of the chapter serving on such committees as are designated in the
By-Laws. Also as an officer, he/she will be in charged of a programmed event.
The duties of the secretary shall be: to keep the records of membership; to record the
minutes of the meetings; to carry on the necessary chapter correspondence; and to pass on
to the secretary succeeding him/her all records. Also as an officer, he/she will be in charged
of a programmed event.
The duties of the treasurer shall be: to keep a record of all financial matters pertaining to
this organization; to collect and preserve the chapter’s funds; to pay out of the chapter’s
funds the necessary and designated monies to meet the financial obligations of the chapter;
and to pass on to the treasurer succeeding him/her all records and funds remaining in the
treasury. Also as an officer, he/she will be in charged of a programmed event.
Section 3:  Change this section to become Article IX: Removal from Office
A member of this chapter of the American Choral Directors Association may be dropped from
membership if he/she fails to pay annual membership dues as required by the National
Organization.
A student so dropped from membership may be reinstated provided he meets the financial
obligations of the National Organization.
Section 4:
Any candidate for the above mentioned positions shall have been a member of this club for
no less than one academic year.
Section 3. Each officer shall assume office at the
completion of the spring term and shall remain in office until the completion of the
following spring term.
Section 5:  Move Sections 5 and 6 to be Article VI: Elections
Elections
1. Any person interested in being on the Executive Council needs to be nominated for the
position.
2. All students are eligible to nominate those who they feel would be a good candidate for
the position.
3. After the nomination period there will be a mandatory meeting for all nominees to accept
their nomination.
4. Once the nominees are compiled all music students can fill out a ballot and cast their
vote.
Section 6:
No candidate for the above mentioned elections should be on academic probation.
ARTICLE IV:
Advisor
Section 1:
The advisor shall be a full-time faculty member of the Music Department’s faculty, with choral
music background.
(The advisor must be any faculty, staff, or librarian.)
(Though the club will choose a person probably from the music department,
the options of who can be an advisor must remain unrestrictive)
Section 2:
The advisor shall be elected at the same time as the Executive Council
Members, following the same guidelines as mentioned in Article III, Section 5.
Section 3:
The advisor, a non-voting member of the Executive Council, shall provide guidance and
recommendations in the development of musical activities and programs, and shall serve as
a liaison with college personnel in conjunction with the club President.
ARTICLE VI
COMMITTEES
Section 1:
The committees of the Westfield State University Chapter of the American Choral
Directors Association shall appointed by the executive board as needed.
In addition, the president may appoint special committees to attend to and report upon any
specific matter that it may become necessary for this chapter to consider.
ARTICLE VII
MEETINGS
Section 1:
Regular meetings will be held on a monthly basis, a minimum of 7 times a year.
(Write seven (7) for number of meetings)
Section 2:
The president may call special meetings after consultation with and the approval of the
other officers.
ARTICLE VIII
AMENDING THE CONSTITUTION
Section 1:
This constitution may be amended by a two-thirds majority vote of the voting members of
the club and if approved by the Rules and Regulations Committee of the Student
Government Association.
(Add (2/3) after “two-thirds”)
ADD ARTICLE ON REMOVAL FROM OFFICE  OFFICERS AND ADVISORS
ADD ARTICLE ON FILLING OF VACANCIES  OFFICERS AND ADVISORS
BY-LAWS OF THE
Westfield State University CHAPTER OF THE AMERICAN CHORAL
DIRECTORS ASSOCIATION
ARTICLE I
TIME AND PLACE OF MEETINGS
The chapter members shall decide the time and place of meetings of the Westfield State
University Chapter of the American Choral Directors Association only after consultation
with, and upon approval of, the chapter’s faculty advisor.
The time and place of the meetings of this chapter of the American Choral Directors
Association shall be specified in a previous meeting as well as posted on the music
department board.
ARTICLE II
QUORUM
A quorum of this organization shall be constituted by a majority of the active membership.
No action may be taken which is binding upon the membership unless a quorum is present.
However, certain matters such as a discussion of means of taking in new members, the
presentation of a program, etc. may be carried on at a regular or special meeting without a
quorum being present.
ARTICLE III
STANDARDS OF MEMBERSHIP
Membership shall be of two classes: active and inactive. Each member shall acclaim his
membership class at the beginning of each quarter. Active members have voting privileges.
Inactive members do not have voting privileges.
ARTICLE IV
NATIONAL DUES AND ASSESSMENTS
The individual members of the local chapter of the American Choral Directors Association
shall pay specific National dues.
Assessments may be made upon the membership to defray the costs of special undertakings
by a majority vote of a quorum, which was informed at the previous meeting.
ARTICLE V
AFFILIATION AND CO-ORDINATION
This Student Chapter of the American Choral Directors Association is an integral part of
the National American Choral Directors Association, and shall be governed by the
professional and financial policies laid down in the National Constitution of the American
Choral Directors Association. Its official insignia shall be that of the National American
Choral Directors Association.
ARTICLE VI
AMENDING THE BY-LAWS
The By-Laws of this chapter of the American Choral Directors Association may be
amended by a majority vote of the active membership, provided such proposed amendment
is placed before the chapter at a previous meeting.