Bylaws for Ghost Light Productions
Article I – Name and Objective
Section 1: The name of the organization shall be GHOST LIGHT PRODUCTIONS.
Section 2: Ghost Light Productions strives to create opportunities and experiences in the
performing arts in our local and rural community. We believe that arts appreciation,
awareness, and exposure is an essential part in the human experience and a great outlet
for creativity and expression.
Article II – Membership Classes
Section 1: Membership Classes: There shall be the following classes of annual
membership: Voting Members, Non-voting Members, and Addition Classes.
Section 2: Voting Members: Voting members of GHOST LIGHT PRODUCTIONS shall
be those persons duly elected by the Board of Directors. These persons must have been
active in at least one production or fundraising event within the last production season,
have paid their annual dues, and must be of at least 18 years of age. To become a Voting
Member, interested parties must submit a membership application form to the Board of
Directors.
Section 2 a: Privileges of Voting Members: Voting Members shall have the right to vote,
attend all open meetings, serve on committees, and shall be entitled to receive any
mailing. Voting Members may also propose a show or fundraising idea to the Board of
Directors to be voted upon.
Section 3: Non-Voting Members: Non-voting members are those persons who are 17
years of age or younger, have been active in at least one production or fundraising event
within the last production season, and have paid their annual dues. To become a NonVoting Member, interested parties must submit a membership application form to the
Board of Directors.
Section 3 a: Privileges of Non-Voting Members: Non-Voting Members have the right to
attend all open meetings, serve on committees, and receive any mailing.
Section 4: Additional classes of voting and non-voting members may be created by
resolution of the Board of Directors with the subsequent approval of the voting
membership.
Article III – Finances
Section 1: Dues: The amount annual of dues for Voting Members shall by set at the
annual meeting with recommendations from the Board of Directors.
Section 2: Budget: The production staff submits proposed budgets for a show to the
Board of Directors for review, revision if necessary, and approval.
Article IV – Meetings
Section 1: Annual Meeting: The annual meeting shall be held in January of each year.
Elections by simple majority vote for any vacant seats of the Board of Directors will be
held at this meeting. In addition, such other business as the Board of Directors deems to
be appropriate shall be brought before the meeting.
Section 2: Board of Directors Meetings: The Board of Directors will meet monthly at a
time determined by the Directors. The Executive Director, with the consent of the Board
of Directors, may call or suspend special or regular meetings as deemed advisable. Four
absences from a monthly board meeting in a fiscal year by a board member shall
constitute that member’s resignation from the board. All Board of Director’s open
meetings are open to the general membership.
Article VI – Board of Directors
Section 1: Officers: The Board of Directors shall consist of 7 Voting Members,
nominated by the Board of Directors and selected by Voting Members. The officers shall
hold the following positions: Executive Director, Chief Operating Officer, Chief Business
Officer, Chief Financial Officer, Media & Communications Officer, and 2 Executive
Members.
Section 2: Eligibility for Board Membership: To be elected to the Board, nominees must
be active Voting Members as defined in Article II, section 2 of the bylaws for at least six
months prior to the election.
Section 3: Duties of the Board of Directors: The Board of Directors shall review all
proposals regarding future shows and fundraising events, and make a decision based on
the information provided by the Voting Members. The Board shall serve as a nominating
committee for open positions within the Board of Directors and shall make final
decisions regarding membership applications for membership.
Article VII – Board of Directors: Officer Positions and Duties
Section 1: Duties of Officers: The duties of officers shall be as follows:
Section 1a: Duties of the Executive Director:
1. Preside at all general and Board of Director meetings;
2. Appoint all special committees with the approval of the Board of
Directors;
3. Oversee the execution of each production during his/her term.
Section 1b: Duties of the Chief Operating Officer:
1. Preside at all Board of Directors meetings when the Executive Director
is not available;
2. Aid the other officers in their duties as necessary;
Section 1c: Duties of the Chief Business Officer:
1. Record and keep minutes of all meetings, sending them to the Board
members at least one week prior to the next meeting;
2. Maintain all official records of the organization that are not the
responsibility of another officer;
3. Send out notices of meetings, auditions, elections, and other general
correspondence.
4. Provide copies of the Bylaws upon a member’s request and provide
new board members with a copy upon election.
Section 1d: Duties of the Chief Financial Officer:
1. Collect, and under the direction of the Board of Directors, disburse
funds;
2. Keep accurate records of receipts and disbursements and file any
necessary tax forms.
3. Give financial reports at each Board meeting;
4. Submit a written annual report.
Section 1e: Duties of the Media & Communications Officer:
1. Make contacts with local media regarding upcoming shows and
events;
2. Work on additional advertising opportunities as they come up;
Section 1f: Duties of the Executive Members:
1. Serve as additional insight and knowledge in the decision making
process;
2. Serve as a tie-breaker in any vote by the Board of Directors.
Article VIII – Officer Removal/Dismissal
Section 1: If an officer continually fails to fulfill their duties, or a detrimental
issue/incident arises, the officer will first receive a warning voted upon from the majority
of the Board. If the Executive Director is in violation, then the other Board Members may
by majority vote, issue the Executive Director a warning.
Section 2: Once a warning from the Executive Director has been issued, and the officer
continues to fail or slack in their duties, they may be removed or put on probation that is
voted upon by the majority of the Board. If the Executive Director is under warning, they
may be removed or put on probation by a majority vote from the other Board members.
Section 3: While on probation, the officer may be reinstated after successful management
of duties by the Executive Director or the vote of the majority of the Board.
Article IX – Committees
Section 1: Committees can be created and dissolved by the Executive Director at any
meeting.
Section 2: Committees can be chaired by any Voting Member or officer.
Section 3: Voting Members may nominate any idea for a committee at the Board of
Director’s meeting.
Article X-- Productions
Section 1: Selection of Producer and Director: The Board of Directors will be responsible
for selecting the Producer and Director for each production. The Producer and Director
will work together to select the remaining production staff.
Section 2: Quality of Work Control: The Board of Directors may stop by any rehearsal or
build to make sure the quality of work is up to the standards and expectations of GHOST
LIGHT PRODUCTIONS. If the quality of work is found to be below standard, the
Director or Producer may receive a warning from the Executive Director. If by the
second inspection, the quality of work is still not improved, the Director and Producer
may be removed by a majority vote of the Board.
Section 3: Duties of the Producer and Director: The Producer is responsible for
overseeing all aspects of the production including, but not limited to:
1. Preparing and managing budgets;
2. Paying royalties and managing of rental materials;
3. Arranging and managing facility rental;
4. Preparing paperwork, including cast agreements, cast lists, etc.;
5. Coordinating production design and construction;
6. Collecting and organizing information for the program;
7. Coordinating an orchestra, when needed;
8. Managing tickets, attendance records and promotion for the project.
The Director is responsible for the artistic vision of the production, the rehearsal
schedule, and all aspects of stage preparation for the production. Approval by the Board
of Directors is required for the Director to have a speaking role or vocal solo in a
production.
Article XI -- Amendment of Bylaws
Section 1: Bylaws Amendments: Amendments may be proposed by any Voting Member,
but shall be first submitted to the Board of Directors for approval. Said amendments shall
be submitted to a vote of the membership only if first approved by the Board of
Directors. These bylaws may be amended or any part thereof repealed by two-thirds of
the Voting Members present at any membership meeting.
Article X II -- Dissolution
Section 1: This organization can be dissolved by a two-thirds vote of the Voting
Membership at any annual meeting or special meeting of the organization called for this
purpose.
Section 2: Any remaining funds shall be divested to another 501(c)(3) as determined by
the Board of Directors.
Amendments
March 5, 2015: The Board of Directors may call together “Closed Board Meetings”
where only the Board is present so that they may discuss issues, events, and upcoming
projects.