MORTON RANCH HIGH SCHOOL BAND
BOOSTER ORGANIZATION

CONSTITUTION AND BY-LAWS

August 2021

SECTION I – CONSTITUTION

ARTICLE I: NAME

The name of this organization shall be: 

The Morton Ranch High School Band Booster Organization

ARTICLE II: PURPOSE

Part A:        This organization shall fully cooperate with the Board of Trustees, the School Administration and the Band Director in supporting and furthering the interests and activities of the band.

Part B:        The organization will support the educational needs of the band students as requested by the Band Director and provide funding for enhanced instruction, instructional materials, performance travel, band camp, scholarships, college scholarships, and other items and services as needed.

Part C:           The Band Director must give approval for all financial transactions of the organization.  The Band Director also has the right to dissolve and reform the organization, in the event that the organization’s mission and practices become inconsistent with his/her vision for the program.  In the event that the organization dissolves, all monies present in the checking account and savings account will be given to the financial officer of the school to be added to the Campus Band Activity Account.

Part D:        This organization shall furnish personnel to assist in functions of the band as requested by the Band Director.  No personnel associated with the organization, including the elected executive board members, shall be paid by the organization for services performed.  Members may be reimbursed for purchases made for the organization as authorized by the director.

Part E:         All monies earned by the organization may only be used for the organization.     

ARTICLE III: MEMBERSHIP

Part A:           Membership of this organization shall be open to any Morton Ranch High School band students’ parents or guardians.  

Part B:        Membership is upon full payment of the current school year’s fair share dues, district maintenance fees (if applicable), and other annual required fees.

Part C:        The privilege of making motions, debating, and voting shall be limited to active members.

ARTICLE IV: TERMINATION OF MEMBERSHIP

Part A:                 The membership of a member shall be terminated upon the occurrence of any of the following events:

  1. Upon notice of such termination delivered to the Secretary of the association either personally, by mail, or by email; such membership to be terminated upon the date of delivery of the notice or date of deposit in the mail.
  2. Upon determinations by the Executive Board that the member has engaged in conduct materially and seriously prejudicial to the interests or purposes of the organization.
  3. Upon notice in writing, and upon determination by the Executive Board, member owes either money or equipment to the organization and has failed to rectify the problem.  Upon such failure, the member shall be immediately suspended from participation in MRHS Band Booster activities, and such termination shall be effective thirty (30) days after receipt of written notification from the Secretary of the association of such a proceeding.  A member may avoid such termination by rectifying the problem with the association or its membership within this thirty (30) day period.
  4. Upon determination by the Executive Board that a member does not abide by the association’s Bylaws, Procedures, or Policies.

PART B      Procedure for Expulsion

Following the determination that a member should be expelled from the above section; the following procedure shall be implemented:

  1. A notice shall be sent by email to the member explaining the reasons for the expulsion. Such notice shall be sent at least fifteen (15) days before the proposed effective date of the expulsion.
  2. The member being expelled shall be given the opportunity to be heard, either orally or in writing, at a hearing to be held not less than five (5) days before the effective date of the proposed expulsion.  The hearing will be held by the Executive Board in accordance with the quorum and voting rules set forth in these Bylaws applicable to the meetings of the Board.  The notice to the member of the proposed expulsion shall state the date, time, and place of the hearing on their proposed expulsion.
  3. Following the hearing, the Executive Board shall decide whether or not the member should in fact be expelled, suspended, or sanctioned in some other way.  The decision of the Board shall be final.

Part C:   RIGHTS ON TERMINATION OF MEMBERSHIP

All rights of a member in the association shall cease on termination of membership as herein provided.

ARTICLE V: OFFICERS

Part A:        The elected officers of this organization shall be as follows:

  • President
  • 1st Vice President of Fundraising
  • 2nd Vice President of Special Projects
  • 1st Treasurer of General Booster Accounts
  • 2nd Treasurer of Student Accounts
  • Vice President of Logistics
  • Vice President of Meals & Hospitality
  • Vice President of Meals & Hospitality
  • Secretary
  • Volunteer (VIPS) Coordinator
  • Purchaser

The Band Director shall serve as an Executive Officer, in an advisory, non-voting capacity.

ARTICLE VI: FILLING VACANCIES OF OFFICE

Part A:         In the event that the office of President is vacated for any cause, the 1st Vice President shall there upon become the President of this organization for the remainder of the term in which such vacancy occurs.  He/she shall promptly assume said title and all duties of the President and there shall be no necessity for action on the part of the membership other than the recording of said occurrence in the minutes of the next regular meeting.

Part B:        Should a vacancy occur for any reason, in any elective office other than that of President, the President, shall have the power and shall forthwith fill the vacancy by appointment, and the person so appointed to the vacated office shall promptly assume the title and the duties of that office and hold the same for the remainder of the term in which this vacancy occurred.  This action shall be read into the minutes of the next regular meeting.

Part C:        The Band Director may appoint a member to serve in a “new, special capacity” on the executive board as needs evolve and arise.  The term of the office shall be until such a time that the constitution can be amended to include the newly created position on the board.

SECTION II: BY-LAWS

ARTICLE I: BAND BOOSTER EXECUTIVE BOARD

Part A:       

  • President (1)
  • 1st Vice President of Fundraising (1)
  • 2nd Vice President of Special Projects (1)
  • 1st Treasurer of General Band Booster Accounts (1)
  • 2nd Treasurer of Student Accounts (1)
  • Vice President of Logistics (1)
  • Vice President of Meals & Hospitality (2)
  • Secretary (1)
  • Volunteer (VIPS) Coordinator (1)
  • Purchaser (1)

Part B:        Description of Duties.   

PRESIDENT: The President shall preside over all Executive Committee meetings and regular meetings of the organization and shall be aware of all expenditures incurred by the organization.  He/she shall perform their duties as chief executive officer in cooperation with the Band Director and the Executive Board.

The President shall, along with the Treasurer be an authorized user on the organization bank account and be an authorized signor.

The President shall see that the rules and intents of the Constitution and By-laws are amended as necessary to further the goals of the organization. 

The President shall also confirm the slate of officers that is recommended by the nomination committee.  The President shall update the Organizational chart, in cooperation with the Band Director, immediately upon taking office, and is responsible to further update the chart to reflect changes as they occur.

He/she will also oversee and assist as needed, in any and all events involving band booster participation.

1st VICE-PRESIDENT of FUNDRAISING:  The 1st Vice-President of Fundraising shall alone serve as the assistant to the President and shall perform the duties of the President when needed.  The 1st Vice-President shall oversee all fund-raising activities for the organization. 

This board member shall also oversee the Marketing & PR Committee, thus providing direction regarding merchandise, web technology, photo/video, public address announcements, publications, etc.

He/she will also oversee and assist as needed, in any and all events involving band booster participation.

2nd VICE-PRESIDENT of SPECIAL PROJECTS:  The Second Vice-President of Special Projects shall organize any and all special projects that the Executive Board or the Band Director deem as necessary for the benefit of the organization and band program. 

The VP of Special Projects shall oversee all negotiations with individuals and companies wishing to donate to the band organization. He/she shall assure that said donors are recognized accordingly.

He/she will also oversee and assist as needed, in any and all events involving the band booster participation.

1st TREASURER of GENERAL BAND BOOSTER ACCOUNTS:  The Treasurer shall be the custodian of all funds of the organization and shall keep vouchers for all disbursements, along with accurate records of all financial transactions. 

The Treasurer shall, along with the President be an authorized user on the organization bank account and be an authorized signor.

Upon expiration of his/her term of office, the Treasurer shall deliver all monies and properties of the organization to the incoming Treasurer.  The Treasurer shall produce and present a financial report to the organization at each scheduled meeting. 

The Treasurer, in cooperation with the Finance committee, which is made up of the President-elect, the Band Director/Assistant Band Director, the 2nd Treasurer of Student Accounts, and the 1st Vice-President of Fundraising, shall produce a proposed summer budget for the upcoming summer, to be presented at the regular August meeting each year. 

If for any reason the organization becomes inactive or is dissolved, the Treasurer shall deliver the balance of the organization’s treasury to the Financial officer of the school to be added to the Campus Band Activity accounts.

He/she will oversee and assist as needed, in any and all events involving band booster participation.

2nd TREASURER of STUDENT ACCOUNTS:  This office shall be charged with the responsibilities of managing the student accounts and shall work closely with the 1st Treasurer of General Accounts. 

The Treasurer of Student Accounts shall work closely with the 1st Treasurer of General Accounts to help maintain the budget. The student accounts will include record keeping of all student monies.  Other accounts may be added as deemed necessary by the Executive Board or the Band Director. 

In the event the 1st Treasurer of General Accounts is unable to fulfill their post then the 2nd Treasure of Student Accounts shall do so until a new Treasurer is appointed or until the original Treasurer is able to resume his/her position.  In the event neither Treasurer is able to fulfill their duties the President shall do so until either a replacement may be appointed or they are able to resume their duties. 

He/she will oversee and assist as needed, in any and all events involving band booster participation.

VICE PRESIDENT OF LOGISTICS: This board member shall oversee all logistical operations required for proper & safe transit of band and color guard equipment to performances.  Sub-committees shall be formed by the Logistics VP to more efficiently carry out larger tasks.

He/she shall oversee the Pit Crew (adult & student load crews), prop construction, drivers, trailer repairs & improvements, generators, tools, rentals, etc.  Particular attention to the health & safety of students and volunteers must be stressed at all times.

The VP of Logistics shall also oversee the Color Guard and Percussion Support Committees, assuring that all material needs are met for each group’s performance. 

He/she will oversee and assist as needed, in any and all events involving band booster participation.

VICE PRESIDENT OF MEALS & HOSPITALITY: This board member is charged with overseeing all food, beverage and hospitality needs for band and color guard events.  The Food & Beverage Committee shall be organized and managed for each event, such that VP may work primarily in an advisory role.  Monitoring to properly forecast inventory and workers are key issues to an efficient event.

The VP of Meals & Hospitality shall be responsible for all disbursement of monies for goods, but may designate volunteers to purchase food & beverages via cash advance or reimbursement.  Any purchases made by volunteers must be authorized by the board member.

Quality records of food & beverage orders shall be kept for each event. Information pertaining to food costs, quantities, and vendors are critical information year-to-year, especially to incoming board members.

In situations where MRHS band hosts outside guests (e.g. contest adjudicators, drum corps, bus/truck drivers, etc.) – hospitality services and a host shall be provided, under the direction of the VP of Meals & Hospitality.  This may include meals/refreshments, transportation, access to technology, facility escorts, a quiet room, etc.

The VP of Meals & Hospitality shall oversee and assist as needed, in any and all events involving band booster participation.

SECRETARY:  The Secretary shall keep an accurate record of the minutes of all meetings and submit these minutes for approval at each meeting within three days of the meeting. The Secretary and the President shall both sign the approved minutes.  The approved minutes shall be then presented to the school Principal’s Secretary within one week.

Should the Secretary be absent from the meeting, an alternate person will be selected by the President or the Band Director to take minutes for that meeting.  The name of the person recording the minutes must be stated at the bottom of the document.  The President alone shall sign the approved minutes when the Secretary has not taken the minutes of that meeting. 

The Secretary shall keep an up-to-date copy of the Constitution and By-Laws, and shall perform such duties as may be delegated to the Office of Secretary by the President. 

The Secretary shall conduct all correspondence of the organization (i.e. thank you notes, cards, invitations, and flowers).   

He/she will assist and oversee as needed, in any and all events involving band booster participation. 

VOLUNTEER COORDINATOR:  The Volunteer Coordinator shall maintain and update the student and parent rosters and organize parent volunteers, which shall support the organization.  The Volunteer Coordinator will help assign Committee Chairpersons as needed.

The Volunteer Coordinator shall be responsible for sending communications to the membership for upcoming events. The Volunteer Coordinator shall report to the correlating coordinator of the Parent Teacher Student Organization each month with the total number of hours that the organization has accrued for that month. 

He/she will oversee and assist as needed, in any events involving band booster participation.   

Purchaser:  The Purchaser shall be responsible for the purchasing of, and maintaining of, inventory of band supplies. He/she will also make inventory available for purchase by students prior to events as necessary.  

He/she will assist, and oversee as needed, in any and all events involving band booster participation. 

Part C:        The President, Treasurer, and 1st Vice-President shall be authorized to discharge any financial obligations incurred by the organization in carrying out a project approved by the membership.  The President, Treasurer, and 1st Vice-President shall also be authorized, upon approval of the Executive Committee; to make any reasonable disbursements to meet such emergencies of non-budgeted items, as might arise in conducting the affairs of the organization as set herein, not to exceed $50.00.

All bills must be submitted to the Treasurer within 30 days of incurring in order to be reimbursed.  Receipts must justify any cash advances and excess monies returned to the Treasurer within 10 days of said advance or person issued the advance is responsible for the entire amount.  All monies are to be put through Morton Ranch High School Band Booster Organization’s account.  All products and services must be approved for purchase by the organization, prior to the time that orders are made.  The Morton Ranch High School Band Boosters are not obligated to pay invoices for orders that were placed without the prior approval of the organization.

ARTICLE II: ELECTION OF OFFICERS

Part A:        The officers shall be elected annually in March of each year from the existing active membership in good standing, by ballot – to serve for one year, after the initial election.  If there should be only one nominee for each office the vote shall be by voice.  No officer shall be eligible to serve in the same office for more than two consecutive terms.

Part B:        A Nominating Committee shall make Nomination for officers.  The Nomination Committee shall consist of two (2) board members and three (3) persons from the membership.  The President and the Band Director shall present a proposed slate of officers for the upcoming year and report at the March regular meeting, with the election to follow in the same meeting.  All communications for the Nominating Committee are to be confidential until the presentation of the slate to the President and Band Director.  Additional nominees from the floor during election must be members eligible to hold office.

ARTICLE III: MEETINGS

Part A:        The first Executive Board meeting for the next term shall be held in early June.   All other Executive Board meetings will be held at least once a month, unless canceled by the President or the Band Director.

Part B:        All Executive Board and regular meetings are open to the full membership.  Unless on the agenda only Executive Board members shall be allowed to speak or hold discussions during said meetings.  Regular meetings will be held a minimum of three times a year with advanced notice to the membership.  One regular meeting to be scheduled at the beginning of the school year. One meeting to be scheduled in the spring. And one regular meeting will be held in March to facilitate the Board Elections (Article II Part A). At the Regular meetings a quorum shall consist of at least 10 active members of the organization.

Part C:        Special Executive Board meetings shall be called when deemed necessary by the President and the Band Director.  The President and Band Director shall set the time and the place of the meeting.  A simple majority quorum of the executive board is required in order for the group to conduct business at an Executive meeting and all decision made, shall be enacted as if all members were present for the voting.

Part D:        The May Executive Board meeting shall be designed as a transition meeting with new and previous officers present, in order to facilitate a smooth transition.

Part E:         The President and Band Director, when needed may call an emergency meeting of the membership.

ARTICLE IV: BUDGET

Part A:        The Financial Committee shall meet during the summer to establish a budget for the new school year to be presented for approval at the first general meeting.

Part B:        The President shall appoint an audit committee, consisting of three booster members not sitting on the board as executive board members, or hire a professional auditor, to review the financial records of the organization, to be concluded within 30 days after the June bank statement is received, for the presentation at the August Executive Board meeting.

Part C:        The Treasurer or the President may call for a Financial Committee meeting at any time, especially after any major fundraising has been completed.  This committee is charged with redistributing funds as deemed necessary to the individual line items for that year’s budget.  This new budget shall be presented to the Executive Board and the General Membership for approval.

ARTICLE V: AMENDMENTS

Amendments must be presented at the first regular meeting after presentation at the Executive Board meeting of the organization and voted on by the General Membership.  The Constitution and By-Laws may be amended by two-thirds (2/3) vote of the members present at a Regular meeting.   

ARTICLE VI: COMMITTEES

Part A:  Establishment.

Committees, comprised of general booster members, shall be established to assist the Band Directors and Executive Board with specific, important tasks. Both Annual and Temporary Committees are vital to the overall success of the band program.

Part B:  Annual Committees.

Annual Committees operate continuously (e.g. Food & Beverage), mobilizing as games, contests, hosted events, spring trips etc. arise. Always seeking to increase efficiency, annual committees build up trained groups of volunteers, and capture learnings.

The following Annual Committees shall be assembled yearly.  Each requires a chairperson, which is expected to work closely with the Executive Board to ensure tasks are completed properly:

  • Pit Crew
  • Props & Construction
  • Marketing & Public Relations
  • Food & Beverage
  • Uniforms
  • Color Guard Support
  • Percussion Support

Part C:             Temporary Committees.

Temporary Committees are established for specific events that occur infrequently or for a singular instance, but still require a group of volunteers to complete the task.

Temporary committees may be established at any time to address a particular need by either Band Directors or Executive Board members. Note that if a temporary committee’s efforts are to consume significant monies not previously budgeted, approval from the Executive Board must be received prior to the monies being distributed.

Part D:  Committee Leadership.

A Committee Chairperson shall be established for each committee to organize team members and sub-tasks.  Chairpersons collectively are considered to be a non-voting extension of the Executive Board and are strongly encouraged to attend board meetings.

Annual Committee Chairpersons: needs shall be presented to the general membership at the February meeting each year.  For any committees in need of chairpersons, a request will be made to the membership. Where two or more persons have volunteered for a given chair, a selection will be made via a simple majority vote by the Executive Board. All elected committee chairpersons shall be entered into the minutes of the general meeting.

Temporary Committee Chairpersons: selection of chairs for temporary Committees is intended to be an informal process. This facilitates the ability to commence working immediately if needed.  The person establishing the committee need only seek out and appoint an accepting person from within the general membership to the position. All committee chairperson appointments shall be entered into the minutes of the upcoming Executive Board meeting.