Bylaws

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Contents

ARTICLE I: Nomination and Elections

Section 1. Requirements of nominees

a) anyone running for an office must disclose all past convictions and confessions of Honor Board violations to the voting members between nomination and elections
b) anyone running for an office must not have resigned from any other Executive Board position in the same semester in which they receive a nomination for another position
c) nominees for offices must be voting members of the Society. In addition, the nominees for the following offices must have completed the following corresponding number of major productions by the conclusion of the semester in which they are elected:
  1. nominees for the position of member-at-large must have completed one major production
  2. nominees for the positions of Publicity Manager, Business Manager, and Vice President must have completed two major productions
  3. nominees for the position of President must have completed three major productions

Section 2. Nomination procedure

a) The nominations of officers shall occur at a general meeting of the Society, which shall take place two weeks before the end of classes in a given semester.
b) The nominations for the offices of President, Vice-President, Business Manager, Publicity Manager and one Member-at-Large (The "Spring Member-At-Large") shall occur in a Spring semester meeting, whereas the one remaining Member-at-Large (The "Fall Member-At-Large") shall be nominated in a Fall semester meeting.
c) Any qualified member can be nominated for any or all offices.

Section 3. Elections

a) A general election meeting shall be held within ten days of nominations or one day before the last day of classes in a given semester, whichever comes first. Elections must occur before final exams.
b) Voting in elections shall be by secret ballot. The winner shall be determined by a simple plurality.
c) The following order shall be followed during the election portion of the Spring general election meeting:
  1. election of President
  2. election of Vice-President
  3. election of Business Manager
  4. election of Publicity Manager
  5. election of Member-at-Large
d) The election of each officer shall be as follows:
  1. formal acceptance or rejection of nomination
  2. a prepared speech by the candidate with all other nominees outside the room
  3. an open question and answer period
  4. closed discussion with nominee outside the room
  5. if any further questions arise during the closed discussion, the nominee may be brought back to answer these
  6. vote.
e) Time limits for elections shall be established as follows:
  1. Five minutes for each speech
  2. 7 minutes for questions and answers per candidate
  3. 13 minutes for discussion

Section 4. Absentees

a) The required process for absentee ballots is as follows:
  1. Each nominee will be encouraged to compile one abstract of no more than two hundred fifty words stating his or her intentions for the office(s) sought. These abstracts must be submitted to the President no later than forty-eight hours after the nomination meeting.
  2. Absentee voters must declare to the President at least twenty-four hours before the election meeting their inability to attend. At least twenty-four hours before the election meeting, the President will present to the absentee voter a document containing the above-mentioned abstracts in total. This document will not be released until after the deadline for abstract submission has passed. The absentee voter will be encouraged to read each abstract before casting the absentee ballot
  3. The ballot must be written and include the name of all offices for which that member casts votes and the nominees to which those votes are given
  4. This ballot must be sealed in an envelope or in some other fashion so that it can be clearly determined at the time of voting that this ballot has not been viewed by anyone except the absentee member. This envelope must have the printed name and signature of the absentee member who is casting the vote
  5. The envelope containing the ballot must be given to the President before the election meeting begins
  6. Ballots must clearly stipulate the voting member's wishes, optionally including drop-downs. Any ambiguities or ineligibilities, as determined by an unanimous vote of the Executive Board, will result in the entire ballot defaulting to an abstention
b) Voting by proxy is not allowed.

Section 5. Officers Elect

a) Officers Elect can immediately assume responsibilities of their respective offices as it pertains to all new business of the Society.
b) Officers Elect, with the exception of the Business Manager Elect, shall assume office at the end of the semester in which they are elected and hold office for one year. The Business Manager Elect will work jointly with the Business Manager until all old financial business of the Society is complete.
c) The outgoing Executive Board and the incoming Executive Board will work jointly on selecting a show and Director for the Fall semester

ARTICLE II: Duties of the Executive Board

Section 1. President

a) to preside over all meetings
b) to call special meetings when necessary
c) to approve all official documents of the Society
d) to create committees with the consensus of the Executive Board
e) to act as Producer for all productions of the Society
f) to approve all monetary expenditures of the Society
g) to approve, with the Business Manager, a budget in accordance with current Student Council regulations.
h) to schedule and secure reservation of rooms for all Society activities
i) to be the official representative of the society to any party not described in the by-laws or constitution of this society.
j) to conduct the external correspondence of the Society

Section 2. Vice-President

a) to assume the duties of the President in the latter's absence
b) to record the minutes of all General and Executive Board meetings
c) to notify members of meetings as required
d) to manage internal publicity among current members
e) to keep a scrapbook of the Society's activities
f) to maintain the Society's showcase (i.e. scrapbooks, pictures, videos etc…)
g) to maintain the list of members and the numbers of shows in which they participated
h) to distribute to all voting members a list of possible nominees to each office within two days prior to the nominations
i) to distribute to all voting members a list of nominees to each office within two days after the nominations.
j) to be a member ex-offici of all committees

Section 3. Business Manager

a) to manage the Society's finances
b) to prepare budgets with the assistance of the President in compliance with current Student Council regulations
c) to seek reimbursements in compliance with current Student Council regulations
d) to keep the books of the Society
e) to disburse money for approved expenditures
f) to present all budget requests and budgets of internal expenditures to the Executive Board of the Society.
g) to be the representative of the society to the Student Government Association on all matters concerning budget and finance.

Section 4. Publicity Manager

Supervise the following:

a) any publicity being done by postal mail
b) the coordination of the designing and printing of all tickets, posters, T-shirts, and playbills
c) all promotional photography
d) promotion of the activities of the Society open to the general public
e) the sale of tickets
f) the acquisition of donations and advertisements
g) formation and chairing of a Publicity Committee as needed subject to the approval of the Executive Board
h) nomination of a playbill editor and box office manager as needed subject to the approval of the Executive Board. Both of these positions will be considered part of the publicity committee.
i) secure address lists of alumni as needed

Section 5. Members-at-Large

a) to organize and prepare all social functions of the Society and promote these functions within the Society
b) to be a liaison between Executive Board officers and Society members.
c) to promote the use of the Society's academic resources
d) to assist Board members in their duties as needed
e) coordinate the selection and purchase of gifts for the Directors
f) organize official cast celebration during production week
g) coordinate the recruiting of new members, especially freshmen, with the assistance of the entire Executive Board and any other Society member that wishes to volunteer

Section 6. Student/Alumni Liaison

a) send out an alumni newsletter once per semester with information and pictures about the Dramatic Society's current activities.
b) The Liaison will not have a vote on matters addressed by the Executive Board and will only attend Board meetings when invited
c) Provide a list to the Publicity Manager of alumni who respond requesting 2 complimentary show tickets.
d) Coordinate with the secretary of Theta Alpha Phi e) Be appointed yearly and report progress to the executive board

Section 7. Further responsibilities of the Executive Board in general

a) All officers shall keep a logbook of their actions and deadlines which will be passed along to the respective succeeding officers.
b) Officers shall collectively assume responsibilities of vacant offices until those positions can be filled.
c) The Executive Board shall be responsible for making decisions for the Society when it is impractical for a general meeting to be held
d) In the event the Executive Board is unable to reach an immediate agreement on an issue, it shall be put to a motion requiring the presence of all Executive Board members and a simple majority to carry. The result of this vote shall then become the official position of the Executive Board on said issue.
e) The Executive Board shall be responsible for interpreting any ambiguities in the Constitution and settling any disputes as they relate to the Society.
f) Outgoing Executive Boards shall be responsible for assisting in the transition from one Board to the next
g) the Executive Board shall determine what the major production shall be for each of the two major semesters, spring and fall, by unanimous consensus. This decision, once made and the royalties obtained, is not reversible.
h) Shows that are under active consideration of the Executive Board, meaning discussed by the Executive Board and agreed upon by the majority of the Executive Board to be under consideration for final voting, are to be disclosed to the general body of the society no less three days before the final show selection is made. Along with shows titles, the board is also to provide information related to cast size and gender breakdown, size of pit band, genre, and a brief (one to two sentence) plot synopsis.

Section 8. Vacancies

a) Vacancies in any office shall be filled at a meeting of the Society not more than two weeks after the vacancy occurs unless the vacancy occurs during the Summer or Winter Recess or 3 weeks before a major production. In said case, the vacancies shall not be filled until the next general meeting, and not later than two weeks thereafter. Elections to fill vacancies shall otherwise follow Society election procedures (q.v.) Meanwhile, the Executive Board shall collectively assume the responsibilities of the vacant office, as stipulated above.

ARTICLE III: Production Board

Section 1. Formation of the Production Board

a) At the start of each production the Executive Board will appoint a Director, Production Manager, and, when necessary, a Musical Director, Choreographer. These positions will be considered part of the Production Board, along with the Publicity and Business Managers.
b) The President of the Society will function as Producer, and be considered a member of the Production Board
c) The Production Manager will nominate individuals to all of the following positions on the Production Board, including any other position(s) created during the course of a production deemed necessary:
  1. Stage Manager
  2. Master Carpenter
  3. Set Designer
  4. Master Electrician
  5. Lighting Designer
  6. Sound Technician
  7. Costumes Coordinator
  8. Properties Coordinator
  9. Artistic Designer
  10. Make Up Coordinator
  11. House Manager
d) The Executive Board will vote on the recommendations made by the Production Manager.

Section 2. Responsibilities of above

a) The responsibilities of the Director shall be:
  1. to stage the production and choose the cast
  2. to choose the cast with consent of the Executive Board members that did not audition for the show in question as well as the Production and Stage Managers.
b) The responsibilities of the Producer, as they apply to productions, shall be:
  1. To function as liaison between the Executive Board of the Society, the Production Board, the cast, and, when necessary, the Administration and Student Council
  2. To make recommendations to the Production Board based upon the above relationships
  3. To make recommendations to the Production Board on arbitration of disputes during productions
  4. To be the official representative of the production to any party not described in the Bylaws or Constitution of this Society
  5. Assist in fulfilling the duties of vacated positions on the Production Board, unless impractical
  6. Assist the Production Manager when necessary and appropriate
  7. keep minutes of Production Board meetings
  8. to chair one meeting, after the show is cast and before the first Production Board meeting, that will be attended by all those who will be participating in the production for the purposes of discussing any one or more of the following:
    1. i) timetable for the production
    2. ii) the possible need for further Production Board members
    3. iii) any situation that is unique to the show or semester in question
    4. iv) any other show-related concerns
  9. responsible for coordination of the formation of the orchestra when one is needed.
  10. to reserve all rehearsal space.
  11. to be the liaison between the society and the director of the theater.
  12. to acquire parking passes with campus police when necessary
  13. any other duty not specifically assigned to any other member of the company.
c) The responsibilities of the Choreographer shall be:
  1. to plan and direct all choreography as required and approved by the Director.
d) The responsibilities of the Musical Director shall be:
  1. to rehearse and direct the music
  2. to choose the orchestra with the consent of the Executive Board members that did not audition for the orchestra.
e) The responsibilities of the Production Manager shall be:
  1. to oversee all the technical and artistic aspects of the production, except those overseen by the Stage Manager
  2. coordinate rental and/or use of the Society's equipment by other organizations with the approval of the Executive Board
  3. maintain the Society's physical assets and inventories
  4. function as chair-person of Production Board meetings (q.v.)
  5. Assist the Producer when necessary and appropriate
f) The responsibilities of the Stage Manager shall be:
  1. to be a liaison between the Production Manager, Director, and Producer
  2. to manage all rehearsals
  3. to manage all aspects of the production during performances and dress rehearsals
  4. to establish all cues as per the Director
g) The responsibilities of the Master Carpenter shall be:
  1. to preside over all construction crew calls in order to carry out the designs of the Set Designer
  2. maintain and inventory the Society's collection of tools and building supplies
h) The responsibilities of the Set Designer shall be:
  1. to design the set in accordance with the Director.
  2. to present a set design to the Production Board. Set design is defined as follows: at least a 2 dimensional drawing of all set pieces with accurate dimensions (feet & inches)
i) The responsibilities of the Master Electrician shall be to
  1. preside over all light hangings in order to carry out the ideas of the Lighting Designer and
  2. to maintain and inventory the Society's collection of electrical wiring and related devices that are not the responsibility of any other position
j) The responsibilities of the Lighting Designer shall be to:
  1. design the lighting plot in accordance with the Director.
  2. maintain and inventory the Society's collection of lighting equipment
k) The responsibilities of the Sound Technician shall be:
  1. to design and implement sound effects and sound reinforcement in accordance with the Director.
  2. to maintain and inventory the Society's collection of sound equipment and sound effects
l) The responsibilities of the Costumes Coordinator shall be:
  1. to secure all costumes, and accessories (i.e. purses, shoes, hats, jewelry, etc…) in accordance with the Director
  2. under the direction of the Stage Manger, oversee the placement and maintenance of costumes, and any costume changes that occur during the production
  3. to maintain and inventory the Society's costume collection.
m) The responsibilities of the Properties Coordinator shall be:
  1. to secure all properties in accordance with the Director
  2. under the direction of the Stage Manager, oversee the placement of properties during the production
  3. to maintain and inventory the Society's properties collection.
  4. run props during each performance of the production.
n) The responsibilities of the Artistic Designer shall be:
  1. to create all related artwork and scene painting in accordance with the Director and Set Designer.
  2. to maintain and inventory the Society's collection of paint supplies used in the painting of set art work and scenery
  3. to acquire all furniture in accordance with the Director.
  4. to acquire set accessories (i.e. plants, large non-movable pieces, paintings, knick-knacks, etc…) in coordination with the properties coordinator and in accordance with the director.
  5. schedule and preside over all paint crew calls to carry out the artistic design
o) The responsibilities of the Make-Up Coordinator shall be:
  1. to purchase all needed make-up and make-up accessories
  2. to supervise and assist in the application of make-up and preparation of hair for the production in accordance with the Director
  3. to maintain and inventory the Society's make-up collection and hairpieces.
  4. to acquire all hairpieces for heads and/or faces
  5. to create a makeup schedule and submit it to the Stage Manager at the beginning of Tech Week
p) The responsibilities of the House Manager shall be:
  1. to maintain control, during productions, over all aspects of the house, as instructed by the Stage Manager
  2. to be present at all performances
  3. to be present at all rehearsals requested by the Stage Manager
  4. to acquire and instruct ushers.
q) The responsibilities of the Playbill Editor shall be:
  1. To design the playbill for the production with the approval of the Producer and Publicity Manager
  2. To print copies of the playbill in accordance with expected house size
r) The responsibilities of the Box Office Manager shall be:
  1. to coordinate sales of tickets and revenue generated by ticket sales with approval of the producer and publicity manager.
s) Further responsibilities of Production Board members
  1. The Production Manager shall retain their position until the last day of classes for the given semester. All other Production Board members shall remain in their positions until two weeks beyond the closing night of the production.
  2. All members of the Production Board shall maintain a Society logbook of their actions and deadlines, which will be passed along to the respective succeeding member.
  3. All Production Board members shall keep an inventory of the physical assets pertaining to their position and submit said inventories to the Production Manager at the termination of their duties.

Section 3. Meetings

a) Meetings of the Production Board shall follow guidelines previously established for Society meetings in all cases that they apply with the following exception(s) or addition(s):
b) Production Board meetings shall be held once prior to the start of rehearsals, once prior to the week before a production and any other time deemed necessary by the Production Manager, Director, or Producer or Stage Manager. Meetings will otherwise be held at the request of two members of the Production Board. Notification of meetings will be given by the Production Manager to all Production Board members forty-eight hours before, unless such notification is not practical.
c) Each person, not office, on the Production Board shall have one vote in any matter that may come before the Production Board.

ARTICLE IV: Impeachment and Resignation

Section 1.

a) Any member of the Executive Board may be impeached and removed from office.

Section 2.

The following impeachment procedure must be followed:

a) Charges must be brought before the Executive Board by at least one voting member of the Society
b) A general meeting shall be held no more than one week after the charges are brought. If a 2/3 majority of the voting members vote to continue the proceedings, the Executive Board shall collectively assume the responsibilities of the position in question, as stipulated in Article II, Section 8.
c) Exactly seven days after the preliminary vote another general meeting shall be held, at which time a final impeachment vote shall be taken. A 2/3 majority of the voting members of the Society is needed for impeachment.
d) Impeachment may be held up to exactly one full day before the mandatory time for a given semester's nomination meeting and no later
e) The President, if impeached, shall retain the role of Producer during productions for up to one full day following closing night, unless the Production Board votes otherwise
f) Upon impeachment of an officer in a given position, the position is considered vacant, and the course of action shall be thus determined.
g) If all steps of the procedure cannot be completed before the end of a semester, the impeachment will be deferred until the first meeting of the following semester.

ARTICLE V: Awards

Section 1. Three-Show Key

a) The award of the Stevens Dramatic Society shall be a key of definite design, unaltered from year to year, to be presented to each member after completion of participation in his/her third major production of the Society.

Section 2. Appreciation Award

a) The Stevens Dramatic Society Appreciation Award shall be awarded at the discretion of the Executive Board and shall read "Given in appreciation to a member of the Stevens Community whose support has been vital to the continuing success of the Stevens Dramatic Society"
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