By-Laws

BY-LAWS

Article I. Name

The group shall be known as the Music and Dance Study Group of the American Musicological Society, a non-profit corporation.

Article II. Purpose

The purpose of the Music and Dance Study Group (hereafter, MDSG) shall be:

1) to foster discussion among members on topics germane to music and dance;

2) to share resources, ideas, and avenues for disseminating our work; and

3) to provide a forum to further develop our ideas.

Initiatives of the MDSG shall include but not be limited to:

1) business meetings and a diverse array of intellectual sessions at AMS Annual Meetings;

2) an Internet presence, including a bibliography and links of resources;

3) an email list for continued discussion; and

4) advocacy for dance studies across the humanities.

Article III. Membership

Membership in the MDSG will be open to any current member of the American Musicological Society who requests it, either through attendance at the annual business meeting or through subscription to the MDSG email list. (The email list will constitute an official total number of members for purposes of ratifying amendments.) Membership shall not be restricted according to employment or student status.

Article IV. Officers

Officers: The officers of the MDSG shall be a Chair and a Secretary-Treasurer; additional officers may be created by amending these By-Laws. Officers must be current members of the MDSG at the time of their election and must remain members throughout their terms.

1) Chair: The Chair shall act as the executive officer of the MDSG, presiding over all meetings of the members and having general management of the affairs of the MDSG, including the power to enforce all orders and resolutions passed by the members. Other duties may from time to time be delegated to the Chair by standing or ad hoc committees, and the Chair may from time to time delegate responsibilities to standing or ad hoc committees.

2) Secretary-Treasurer: The Secretary-Treasurer shall keep minutes of the business meetings, administer balloting and elections, and maintain up-to-date any financial accounts and information. Other duties may be assigned to the Secretary-Treasurer by the Chair, the MDSG, or its constituent standing or ad hoc committees.

Terms of Office: Officers shall serve two-year terms and are eligible for re-election. No individual may serve more than two (2) consecutive terms in the same office. A term begins after the conclusion of the annual meeting during which the election took place.

1) Formation Amendment: At the time of formation of the MDSG, officer terms will be modified as follows in order to provide a system of staggered terms: the Chair shall be elected for a one-year term and may be re-elected up to two times for a maximum service of five years. The Secretary-Treasurer will be elected for a two-year term, as indicated above.

Nominations and Elections: Elections will be held each year at the MDSG business meeting during the Annual Meeting of the American Musicological Society.

1) Nominations: The Secretary-Treasurer will accept nominations and self-nominations during a period starting eight (8) weeks before the Annual Meeting and ending two (2) weeks before the beginning of the Annual Meeting. If no nominations for an office were received in that nomination period, then candidates may be nominated from the floor at the MDSG business meeting during the Annual Meeting of the Society, when voting will take place.

2) Ballots: Written ballots may be cast in person at the MDSG business meeting during the Annual Meeting of the Society, or ballots may be sent electronically to the MDSG Secretary-Treasurer. Electronic ballots must reach the Secretary-Treasurer by 11:59 pm E.S.T. on the Monday preceding the start of the Annual Meeting. In the event of an uncontested election, no physical ballots will be necessary, and a voice vote will be used instead; see item 5 below.

3) Proxies: Members of the MDSG may designate a proxy to vote on that member’s behalf during officer elections and any other matter that may arise during the MDSG business meeting. The member requesting the proxy must notify the MDSG Secretary-Treasurer in writing before the start of the business meeting; such notification may come electronically or

on paper from the absent member, and if the latter then it may be delivered by the proxy him- or herself.

4) Election: Officers shall be elected by a plurality of the votes of the members present at the MDSG business meeting during the Annual Meeting of the Society; a quorum (defined as 5 members, per item VI, below) is necessary for a valid vote (in the absence of a quorum, an electronic ballot, in the form of a run-off election, will render a vote valid). At the beginning of the election portion of the business meeting, the current Chair shall appoint a teller who, together with the Secretary-Treasurer, shall tally the election returns. In the event of a tie vote, a run-off election will be held electronically and completed no later than six (6) weeks after the Annual Meeting; the Secretary-Treasurer and original teller will collect and verify the ballots. Election results will be announced by the conclusion of the business meeting. In the event of an uncontested election, no physical ballots will be necessary (therefore no teller need be appointed), and a voice vote will be used instead; see item 5) below.

5) Voice Vote: In the case of an election in which a candidate runs unopposed, a voice vote may be utilized to confirm election of the candidate.

Article V: Committees

Standing and Ad-Hoc Committees of the MDSG may be created by a majority vote at the business meeting.

1) Membership: Committees shall consist of no fewer than three members, and the terms of all committee members shall be specified at the time of appointment. All committee terms shall begin and end at the annual business meeting. The Chair of the MDSG may appoint either just the committee chair (who will then solicit members) or both the committee chair and committee members. The Chair of the MDSG shall serve as ex officio member of all committees.

2) Standing Committees:

a) Program Committee: The Program Committee will organize panels, sessions, and activities at each Annual Meeting of the American Musicological Society that serve and promote the interests of both the MDSG and the American Musicological Society membership at large. Appointments to the Program Committee shall last for one (1) year and may be renewed without limitation. The Program Committee shall select one member to serve as Chair.

b) Electronic Communications Committee: The Electronic Communications Committee will oversee the Internet web page and email list of the MDSG. Appointments to the Electronic Communications Committee shall last for one (1) year and may be renewed without limitation. The Electronic Communications Committee shall select one member to serve as Chair.

c) Liaisons Committee: The Liaisons Committee is made up of individuals who have professional affiliations with other relevant societies (e.g. MLA, SMT, SEM, et al. for music, or SDHS, CORD, et al. for dance); their duties are to act as conduits for sharing information (conference announcements, etc.). The MDSG Chair serves as Chair of the Liaisons Committee.

3) Ad-Hoc Committees: The Chair may organize other committees to address specific needs of the MDSG. Ad-Hoc Committees shall dissolve after completing their mandate or shall become standing committees through an amendment to these By-Laws.

Article VI: Activities

The MDSG will schedule a business meeting annually during the Annual Meeting of the American Musicological Society. At least five (5) members must be present at the MDSG business meeting to constitute a quorum. At or prior to the business meeting the Chair shall present a report of the group’s activities to the members, and all officers and standing and ad-hoc committees shall present brief reports. Business meetings shall be planned in advance with an agenda circulated to members at least one (1) week before the start of the AMS annual meeting. Any agenda items proposed during the meeting must be germane either to the rules of order governing the meeting or to the substance of the agenda; all other new business shall be considered only after the completion of the scheduled business meeting. The Program Committee shall plan a program of interest to the members for each Annual Meeting of the American Musicological Society.

Article VII: Amendments

Amendments to these By-Laws may be proposed to the Chair by any member, not later than two (2) weeks before the beginning of the Annual Meeting of the Society. Proposed amendments shall be made known to the membership via the MDSG email list at least one (1) week before the business meeting of the MDSG. Proposed amendments shall be placed on the agenda of that meeting for discussion, possible revision, and a vote. Approval by two-thirds of the members attending the MDSG business meeting during the Annual Meeting of the Society shall be required to approve an amendment.