Article I -- NAME

1.1 NAME. The name of the organization shall be the Rhododendron Needlers Quilt Guild (hereinafter referred to as RNQG or the Guild).

Article II -- PURPOSE

2.1 PURPOSE. The purpose of RNQG is to promote education on, appreciation of, interest in and advancement of the art of quilting. RNQG is a non-profit organization.

Article III -- MEMBERSHIP

3.1 MEMBER CATEGORIES. The categories of membership in RNQG shall be Full Member and Inactive Member. Individuals who attend RNQG meetings but are not members shall be called Guests. Individuals who subscribe to the Guild newsletter but are not members shall be called Subscribers.

3.2 APPLICATION FOR MEMBERSHIP. Anyone interested in joining RNQG should submit an application, including name, address, and telephone number, to the Chair of the Membership Committee.

3.3 FULL MEMBER. A full member shall pay Full Member dues, be eligible to vote and serve in any office on the Board, receive the newsletter be eligible to attend all Guild Business Meetings and all programs without paying the per-meeting fee (except shows and workshops), have access to the guild library, to participate in workshops and have priority over all others to exhibit qualifying pieces in any RNQG Quilt Show. Full members are entitled to submit up to three (3) qualifying pieces to the RNQG Quilt Show.

3.3.1 RESPONSIBILITIES OF A FULL MEMBER. Full Members are required to attend at least three (3) General guild meetings per guild year and are expected to attend and support Guild functions including but not limited to various committees such as hospitality, quilt show, monthly raffles, charity projects, etc.

3.4 ASSOCIATE MEMBER. If the Guild is considered to be at full capacity, at the discretion of the Board a full member may elect to become an Associate Member. An Associate Member is a former full member and shall pay Associate Member dues, receive the newsletter, have access to the Guild Library, be eligible to attend up to two (2) Guild programs (except shows and workshops) without paying the per-meeting fee, and have priority over all others except Full Members for participation in workshops, and to exhibit up to one (1) qualifying piece in any RNQG Quilt Show, space permitting. Space will be determined be the Quilt Show Committee. Associate Members who wish to return to Full Member status must notify the membership committee in writing and will be placed at the top of the waiting list.

3.5 DUES AND FEES. The Board shall have the authority to set dues for Full Members and Associate Members, newsletter subscription rates for Subscribers, and per-meeting fees for Program Meetings.

3.5.1 DUES AND FEES. Membership renewal for the upcoming Guild year is due by the general meeting in May. Unpaid memberships will expire at the close of the Fiscal Year, July 31. Dues will be collected by the Membership Committee. A member who has forfeited her membership must advise the board, in writing, that she wants her name placed on the waiting list for consideration for membership when an opening becomes available.

3.6 TOTAL MEMBERSHIP. The RNQG Board shall have the authority to limit the total number of members, overall or by category. No Full Member may be removed from the rolls as a result of a change in the authorized total number of members. If the number of interested persons exceeds the authorized total membership, the Guild shall maintain a waiting list. Members shall be admitted in the order of the date of receipt of their applications.

Article IV -- BOARD

4.1 MEMBERSHIP. The Board of RNQG shall be comprised of the Officers of the Guild, the Chairs of all Standing Committees, and the Assistant Chair of the Programs and Workshop Committee.

4.2 AUTHORITY. The Board shall be the governing body of the Guild.

4.3 QUORUM. Five members of the Board, including at least two Officers, shall constitute a quorum.

4.4 TERMS OF OFFICE. The Treasurer and the Chair of the Show Committee shall each serve for two years. All other Board members shall serve for one year. The Vice President/President-Elect shall succeed to the office of President. The Assistant Chair of the Programs and Workshop Committee shall succeed to the office of Chair of the Programs and Workshop Committee. All terms will be concurrent with the fiscal year.

4.5 VACANCIES. The President, with the approval of the Board, shall have the authority to appoint a replacement for any member of the Board who is unable to complete their term of office.

Article V -- OFFICERS

5.1 OFFICERS. The officers of the Guild shall be the President, the Vice President/President-Elect, the Secretary, and the Treasurer.

5.2 PRESIDENT. The President shall preside over meetings of the Board and of the Guild, serve as an ex officio member of all Guild committees, and perform all other duties normal to an organization president.

5.3 VICE PRESIDENT/PRESIDENT-ELECT.  The Vice President / President-Elect shall preside over meetings of the Board and the Guild in the absence of the President and perform such other duties as the President shall assign.

5.4 SECRETARY. The Secretary shall record the minutes of all Board and Guild meetings; handle all correspondence; keep a permanent record of all minutes and correspondence; maintain any other necessary Guild records; and perform all other duties normal to an organization secretary.

5.5 TREASURER. The Treasurer shall receive and dispense all monies for the Guild; keep a record of all receipts and expenditures; maintain and keep balanced all accounts; make all financial records available for audits; file tax returns and any other required financial statements; with information support from the other members of the Board, present an annual budget for review and action by the Board at a meeting before the first Program  Meeting of the fiscal year; present a financial report to the Guild members at its annual business meeting; and perform all other duties normal to an organization treasurer.

Article VI -- COMMITTEES

6.1 STANDING COMMITTEES. The Standing Committees of the Guild shall be Programs and Workshops, Membership, Hospitality, Newsletter, Library, Nominating, Show, Rack Rental, Photographic History, Publicity, Monthly Raffle, and New England Quilt Museum Auxiliary (NEQMA) Liaison.  The Chair of each Standing Committee, except the Nominating Committee, shall have the authority to appoint additional committee members as needed. The Show Chair may designate one or more Show Committee members as Co-Chairs.  Each Committee Chair shall be responsible for preparing a budget for the committee's area of responsibility, submitting the committee budget to the Treasurer for incorporation in the Guild budget, and tracking expenditures against budget.

6.2 AD HOC COMMITTEES. The President shall have authority to create Ad Hoc Committees as needed and to appoint members to chair and serve on those committees.

6.3. PROGRAMS AND WORKSHOPS COMMITTEE. The Programs and Workshops Committee shall recruit speakers; schedule programs and workshops; and make any necessary arrangements except for refreshments, greeting of new members, and recording of attendees.

6.4 MEMBERSHIP. The Membership Committee shall receive and process applications for membership; collect dues and meeting fees and turn monies over to the Treasurer; issue membership cards upon payment of annual dues and provide informational kits to new members; maintain the membership and waiting lists and the mailing list for the newsletter; arrange to greet new members at their first meetings; and arrange for a sign-in sheet for all attendees at programs, workshops, shows, and Guild business meetings.

6.5 HOSPITALITY. The Hospitality Committee shall arrange for refreshments as appropriate for all programs, workshops, and Guild meetings.

6.6 NEWSLETTER. The Newsletter Committee Chair shall be called the Newsletter Editor and shall produce and distribute a periodical newsletter on the activities of the Guild and its members.

6.7 LIBRARY. The Library Committee shall purchase new materials for the Guild library of quilting references; maintain the library; and arrange for member access to the materials.

6.8 NOMINATING. The immediate Past President shall serve as Nominating Committee Chair. The President and the Vice President/President-Elect shall serve as the other members of the Nominating Committee.

6.9 SHOW. The Show Committee shall be responsible for the planning, coordination, arrangements and conduct of Guild shows.

6.10 RACK RENTAL. The Rack Rental Committee shall advertise the availability of RNQG quilt racks; set fees for rentals; contract for rentals and for rack storage, repair, and replacement; arrange with renters for delivery and return of racks; and keep records of all transactions, rentals and payments.

6.11 PHOTOGRAPHIC HISTORY. The Photographic History Committee shall create and maintain a permanent photographic record of Guild activities
and arrange for any necessary photographs needed for publicity purposes.

6.12 PUBLICITY. The Publicity Committee shall prepare and distribute Guild promotional materials, both to increase attendance at Guild activities and to increase public awareness of Guild members and activities. The Publicity Committee shall be chaired by the Secretary.

6.13 MONTHLY RAFFLE. The Monthly Raffle Committee shall solicit materials for raffles to be held in conjunction with Guild programs; supervise the
conduct of the raffles; and turn all monies over to the Treasurer.

6.14 NEQMA LIAISON. The Chair of the NEQMA Liaison Committee shall be called the NEQMA Liaison and will also serve as liaison to the New England Quilt Museum. The NEQMA Liaison shall represent RNQG at meetings of or called by NEQMA and will communicate news, events and activities of RNQG to NEQMA and the Museum and of NEQMA and the Museum to RNQG.

Article VII -- ELECTIONS

7.1 NOMINATIONS. Prior to March 15 of each year, the Nominating Committee shall submit nominations for all offices on the Board, except that (a) the office of President shall be filled by the Vice President/President-Elect unless the latter is unable or unwilling to serve, (b) the office of Programs and Workshops Committee Chair shall be filled by the Programs and Workshops Committee Assistant Chair unless the latter is unable or unwilling to serve, and (c) in alternate years, the offices of Treasurer and Show Chair will not become vacant.

7.2 ANNOUNCEMENT OF NOMINATIONS. Prior to May 1 of each year, the Nominating Committee nominees shall be announced to the membership, either by mail or in the newsletter.

7.3 ELECTION. At the Guild’s annual business meeting in either May or June, depending on the program schedule, of each year, additional nominees shall be invited and accepted from the floor, and all offices shall be filled by a majority vote of those present and voting.

Article VIII -- MEETINGS

8.1 PROGRAM MEETINGS. The Guild shall hold at least three Program Meetings -- e.g., programs (including auctions), workshops, shows -- each year. A show includes an exhibit of quilts by several members. A workshop is a meeting in which attendees are active participants. A program is a Program Meeting that is not a workshop or a show.

8.2 BUSINESS MEETINGS. An annual Business Meeting shall be held in May or June of each year to elect officers and present the annual financial report. Other Business Meetings may be held in conjunction with Program Meetings. The President shall communicate in writing the time and place for each Business Meeting to each Guild Full Member at least 10 days before the meeting.

8.3 BOARD MEETINGS. The Board shall hold at least two meetings per year, including at least one meeting between August 1 and the first Program Meeting of the fiscal year, at which the Treasurer’s proposed budget for the year will be reviewed, revised and approved. The President shall communicate the time and place for each meeting to each Board member at least 10 days before the meeting. A meeting may be convened by the President or by writing request to the President by five Board Members.

Article IX -- FINANCES

9.1 FISCAL YEAR. The fiscal year of the Guild shall begin on August 1 each year.

Article X -- DISSOLUTION OF THE GUILD

10.1 RULES FOR DISSOLUTION. The Guild may be dissolved by a three fourths vote of the Board members present and voting at a meeting of the Board or by a two-thirds vote of all Full Members.

10.2 DISTRIBUTION OF FUNDS. In the event that the Guild is dissolved, the Board shall supervise the distribution of remaining Guild funds to one or more non-profit organizations devoted to quilting.

Article XI -- AMENDMENTS TO THE CONSTITUTION

11.1 AMENDMENTS. A proposal to amend the Guild constitution may be made by any Full Member. A proposal shall be submitted to the Secretary and communicated in writing to all Full Members before a Business Meeting held to discuss the amendment. A vote on the amendment as originally proposed or a vote to amend the proposed amendment may be held at the Business Meeting. If the proposed amendment is amended, the revised amendment shall be submitted to all Full Members and held for a final vote at the next Business Meeting. A vote to approve an amendment to the constitution shall require a three-fifths vote of all Full Members present and voting. Final action on any amendments shall be reported to the members in the newsletter.

11.2 Scholarships shall be deemed and conducted as a community service. A list will be kept of eligible towns, based on membership, and updated annually. For a town to be considered eligible, it must have a current member, in good standing, residing in that town in the year the scholarship is made available. The eligible town will be updated annually to determine that a member does indeed reside in that town. When the list of towns has been rotated through, a new list will be compiled from the current membership at that time