SEMLA Constitution
Article I: NAME
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The name of the organization shall be the Southeast Chapter of the Music Library Association, Inc.
Article II: PURPOSE
A. The purpose of the Chapter shall be:
- To promote the establishment, use, and growth of music libraries and collections of music materials in the Southeast.
- To encourage communication and cooperation with libraries and music collections not affiliated with the Music Library Association to determine how the Chapter may be of assistance to the individual library.
- To provide a forum for the exchange of ideas and discussion of problems regarding all aspects of work with music materials.
- To initiate and encourage activities to improve the organization, administration, holdings, and public services of such libraries and collections.
B. The Chapter is a non-stock, non-profit organization operated exclusively for said purposes. No part of the net earnings of the Chapter shall inure to the benefit of any individual. No officer or member shall, as such, receive compensation for services. All publication by the Chapter shall be done in accordance with official Music Library Association policy.
Article III: MEMBERSHIP
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- Membership in this Chapter shall be open to all members of the Music Library Association, Inc., to persons actively engaged in library work, and to those who have an interest in the purposes of this Chapter.
- Persons eligible for membership shall be considered members upon payment of annual dues.
- Only members in good standing shall be entitled to vote at business meetings of the Chapter or on official ballots.
- Membership dues shall be determined by the Executive Board and specified in the By-Laws.
Article IV: OFFICERS
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- Elected officers of the Chapter shall be a Vice Chair-Chair Elect, Secretary-Treasurer, and two Members-at-Large.
- Officers shall be elected by members of the Southeast Chapter from a slate prepared by the Nominating Committee.
- The officers shall be elected as follows: the Vice Chair-Chair Elect and one Member-at-Large in even-numbered years, the Secretary-Treasurer and other Member-at-Large in odd-numbered years. Officers shall assume their duties at the close of the business meeting at which they are elected.
- The elected officers, Chair, and Past-Chair shall constitute the Executive Board and shall be the governing body. The Executive Board shall be responsible for effecting the stated purpose of the Chapter and shall initiate such activities as are appropriate.
- The Chapter Archivist serves as a special chapter officer, appointed annually for an unlimited number of consecutive terms. This office does not constitute a position on the Executive Board.
Article V: MEETINGS
- The Chapter shall hold at least one regular meeting each year, normally in the fall, at a place which shall be determined by the Executive Board of the Chapter in consultation with the Program Chairperson and prospective Local Arrangements Chairperson.
- Members shall be notified not less than thirty (30) days in advance of regular meetings.
- One session of each regular Chapter meeting shall be devoted to a business meeting at which the Chair shall preside.
- The members of the Chapter present shall constitute a quorum.
- Special meetings may be called by the Executive Board for an emergency or an event of special interest to the members.
Article VI: COMMITTEES
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- The standing committee shall be the Nominating Committee.
- Ad hoc committees may be created by the Executive Board. The terms of office for such committees shall be fixed by the Executive Board.
Article VII: RULES OF ORDER
- The Constitution, By-Laws and decisions of the Board of Directors of the Music Library Association, Inc. take precedence over the Constitution, By-Laws and decisions of this Chapter.
- The rules contained in the current edition of Robert’s Rules of Order shall govern the Chapter in all cases in which they are applicable and in which they are not inconsistent with the Chapter Constitution, By-Laws, or any special rules of order the Chapter may adopt.
Article VIII: DISSOLUTION
In the event of dissolution of the Chapter, all records and any assets remaining shall become the property of the Music Library Association, Inc.
Article IX: AMENDMENTS
- The Constitution may be amended by a vote of two-thirds of the voting members. The text of the amendment and a ballot shall be circulated to the membership at least thirty (30) days before the voting takes place.
- The By-Laws may be amended by a majority of the members present at the regular business meeting or by a majority of those voting, if the vote is held outside the regular business meeting. If a vote is conducted outside the regular business meeting, the text of the amendment(s) and a ballot shall be circulated to the membership at least thirty (30) days before votes are to be tabulated.
- When voting on Amendments to the Constitution or By-Laws is to take place at a regular business meeting, ballots may be presented at the time of the voting at the meeting, or they may be cast electronically by the date and method specified by the Executive Board.
- Amendments to the Constitution or By-Laws may be proposed by the Executive Board or any three members of the Chapter. Proposals originating with a group of members shall be presented in writing to the Executive Board at least sixty (60) days before the meeting at which the proposal is to be considered.
Constitution Amendment History
Constitution amended and approved 1 April 97
Constitution amended and approved 9 Oct. 2004, Atlanta, GA
Constitution amended and approved 27 Sept. 2023 via online voting
SEMLA By-Laws*
*Note that By-Laws articles are numbered to correspond with parallel articles in the SEMLA Constitution, so not all numbers are present.
Article I: NAME
jump to corresponding article in the SEMLA Constitution
The region covered by the Southeast Chapter shall include the U.S. states Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee, and the U.S. territory of Puerto Rico.
Article III: MEMBERSHIP
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- The annual dues shall be $15.00 for Regular members, $5.00 for Student/Retired members, and $20.00 for Institutional/Corporate members.
- The dues shall be paid to the agent designated by the Executive Board by July 1 of each year.
- The membership year shall be July 1 to June 30.
- New members will be considered members in good standing from the date they joined the chapter.
- Members in good standing, i.e., Regular and Student/Retired members with current dues paid, shall be entitled to vote in all elections and to receive any publications of the Chapter.
- If a member’s dues remain unpaid for a period of one year, the membership shall be considered terminated.
- Inquiries about membership shall be addressed to the Secretary-Treasurer.
Article IV: OFFICERS
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A. Nomination and Election Procedures
- The Nominating Committee shall be comprised of three members. The person serving their second year as Member-at-Large shall be the Nominating Committee Chair for that year and will select two additional members to serve on the committee.
- Not later than sixty (60) days before the fall meeting the Nominating Committee shall submit to the Chair the names of two nominees for each office, together with a written statement from each nominee informing the committee that they will serve if elected.
- Candidates for office must be members in good standing of the Southeast Chapter. Candidates for the Offices of Vice Chair-Chair Elect and Secretary-Treasurer must be members of MLA, Inc.
- Not later than thirty (30) days before the fall meeting, the Nominating Committee Chair shall submit the names of all properly nominated candidates to the Chapter members. Ballots may be returned prior to the business meeting via the method specified by the Executive Board. A blank space for a write-in vote shall be provided on the ballot.
- At the annual business meeting the candidate having received the majority of the total votes cast will be considered elected to the office for which that candidate was nominated. If no majority is reached on the first ballot, balloting shall be continued among the members present until the final decision is reached. Election results shall be tabulated by members of the Nominating Committee and reported to the membership at the meeting.
B. Term of Office and Succession
- The Vice Chair-Chair Elect shall spend one year in that office, two years as Chair, and one year as Past Chair. Terms of office for Members-at-Large shall be for two years. The term of office for the Secretary-Treasurer shall be two years. At the conclusion of their last elected term of office, the Secretary-Treasurer shall act as Past Secretary-Treasurer for six months or until the conclusion of the upcoming national MLA meeting, whichever is first. The Secretary-Treasurer may serve a maximum of two consecutive elected terms in the same office.
- All officers shall begin to serve upon the adjournment of the meeting at which they are elected.
- Vacancies shall be filled as follows:
- In the event of a vacancy in the office of Chair, the Vice Chair-Chair Elect or Past Chair shall serve as Chair. In the event of a vacancy in the office of Vice Chair-Chair Elect, a special election will be called, no later than one month from the date of the vacancy unless it occurs within sixty days prior to the date of the next scheduled election.
- In the event of a vacancy in the office of Secretary-Treasurer or of Member-at-Large, the Chair shall appoint someone to the office for the remainder of the term.
C. Duties of the Officers
- The Chair shall preside at all meetings; appoint committee chairs and members of standing to ad hoc committees; call meetings of the Chapter or Executive Board as required; and perform duties customary to this office. The Chair shall file a report annually with the Music Library Association Chapters Liaison Officer outlining the Chapter activities and listing the officers of the Chapter and the Music Library Association. For one year following their term of office the Chair shall continue to serve as a voting member of the Executive Board.
- The Vice Chair-Chair Elect shall preside at meetings in the absence of the Chair; oversee committees and special projects of the Chapter; and assist the Chair as assigned.
- The Secretary-Treasurer shall record the minutes of the Business meetings and Executive Board meetings and preserve all records and reports of the Chapter; collect payments and make authorized expenditures; prepare the financial report for the business meetings; and conduct correspondence relating to finances and other correspondence as directed by the Chair. The Secretary-Treasurer shall also maintain a membership record and provide administrative and logistical support for all elections.
- The two Members-at-Large shall act as voting members of the Executive Board. Special assignments may be given to either in the areas of publication or other appropriate activities. Such assignments shall be made by the Chair.
- The Chapter Archivist collects and maintains all relevant chapter-related material.
Article VI: COMMITTEES
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- The Chair shall appoint the chairs of special committees; at the discretion of the Chair other committee members may be appointed either by the Chair or the appointed special committee chair.
- The person serving their first year as Member-at-Large shall be the Program Committee Chair for that year. The Program Committee shall arrange program contents and shall consist of at least four (4) persons: the Program Committee Chair, the Local Arrangements Committee Chair, and at least two (2) additional members, selected by the Program Committee Chair. The Program Committee Chair and Local Arrangements Committee Chair shall work together with their respective committees to plan the events of the meeting for which they are appointed and shall conduct all business concerning the program.
- The Nominating Committee, to consist of three persons, shall nominate the officers designated in Article IV in the manner specified in the By-Laws to Article IV. The person serving their second year as Member-at-Large shall be the Nominating Committee Chair for that year and shall select the additional two (2) committee members.
- Each Committee Chair, whether standing or special, shall be responsible for carrying out the duties of the committee and shall report on the activities of the committee at each regular business meeting.
- Committee membership shall be open to all members of the Chapter. Chairs may be reappointed except when otherwise specified. The term of office for special committees shall be set by the Executive Board.
By-Laws Amendment History
By-Laws amended and approved 19 October 1996, Oxford, MS
Article III amended and approved 23 October 1999, Murfreesboro, TN
By-Laws amended and approved 9 October 2004, Atlanta, GA
By-Laws amended and approved 20 May 2005
By-Laws amended and approved 12 October 2013, Nashville, TN
By-Laws amended and approved 16 October 2020, via Zoom
By-Laws amended and approved 15 October 2021, via Zoom
By-Laws amended and approved 14 October 2023, Atlanta, GA