• WHATCOM ART GUILD BY-LAWS
  • ARTICLE 1 -- NAME
  • The name of the organization shall be the "WHATCOM ART GUILD".
  • ARTICLE II -- DESCRIPTION OF THE WHATCOM ART GUILD
  • Section 1: Purpose: The purpose of this Guild shall be (1) to encourage and promote the visual arts within the county; (2) to provide an environment in which artists can meet and exchange ideas and information; (3) to organize exhibits in which members may display and sell artworks;
  • (4) to establish ties within the county that promote the visual arts; (5) to support life-long art education; and (6) to promote member artists and the Whatcom Art Guild.
  • Section 2: Dissolution: In case of dissolution, the properties and moneys of the Whatcom Art Guild shall be dispersed by recommendation of the Board of Directors and approved by the General membership.
  • ARTICLE III -- MEMBERSHIP
  • Section 1: Classes of Membership
  • a. Individual Member: Adult, 16 years of age or older.
  • b. Supporting Member: Non-exhibiting members without voting privileges.
  • c. Patron Member: Venues contracted to display members' artwork. Such venues shall be listed in each newsletter as well as at Whatcom Art Guild sponsored events.
  • Section 2: Dues
  • a. Dues shall be set by the Board of Directors and approved by the General membership. A notice to change the dues shall be published in the monthly newsletter and voted on by the General membership at the next regularly scheduled meeting.
  • b. Membership, which is annual from January 1st through December 31st, is effective the 1st of the month following approval of application by the Board of Directors for a period of up to one year.
  • c. Annual renewal of dues is in December, with requests beginning in October!
  • d. Members not having renewed by December 1st shall receive notification by mail.
  • e. Members must insure that their dues are paid by December 31st to be included in the membership roster.
  • f. Members may be dropped at the discretion of the Board of Directors by a majority vote of the Board.
  • Section 3: Membership Privileges: Members in good standing shall be defined as those members with current dues paid. Only members in good standing, or persons with special invitation from the Board of Directors, may exhibit at Guild sponsored events. Only Individual members in good standing may vote. Members shall be notified by mail of each General Meeting.
  • ARTICLE IV -- GENERAL MEETINGS
  • Section 1: General Meetings of the Guild shall be on the fourth Monday of each month, except in May, August and December, unless otherwise scheduled by the Board of Directors.
  • Section 2: The General Meeting in November shall be known as the 'Annual Meeting' and shall be used for the purpose of electing officers and conducting other Guild business. Officers elected at this meeting shall be installed at the December meeting of the Board of Directors and shall assume duties of office on January 1st of the following year.
  • Section 3: Any twelve members attending a previously announced General Meeting, presided over by a duly elected Officer of the Guild, shall constitute a quorum.
  • Section 4: Rules covering meetings: Meetings of the Guild and its Board of Directors shall be governed by Robert's Rules of Order on all points not covered in these by-laws.
  • ARTICLE V -- OFFICERS
  • Section 1: The elected officers of this Guild shall be President, Vice-President, Secretary, Treasurer and three Trustees.
  • Section 2: The President, Vice-President, Secretary and Treasurer of this Guild shall be elected for one-year terms. No officer, except the Treasurer, shall be allowed to succeed himself or herself more than once.
  • Section 3: Three Trustees shall serve on the Board of Directors. In the year 2000, one Trustee was elected for a 1-year term, one Trustee was elected for a 2-year term, and one Trustee was elected for a 3-year term. Beginning with the year 2001, and each year thereafter, one Trustee shall be elected for a three-year term. The purpose of this is to insure two experienced Trustees on the Board at all times.
  • Section 4: At least one month before the Annual Meeting, the President is to appoint a Nominating Committee consisting of at least one but not more than three members of the Guild. At the Annual meeting, nominations shall be accepted from the floor in addition to the candidates selected by the Nominating Committee.
  • ARTICLE VI -- DUTIES OF OFFICERS
  • PRESIDENT: The President's responsibilities shall be (1) to preside over all meetings of the Guild; (2) to organize the business agendas at both the General and the Board meetings; (3) to coordinate efforts among Board members and Chairs; (4) to coordinate the audit with Trustees and the Treasurer; (5) to communicate the business of the Guild to the General Membership in the monthly Newsletter; (6) to appoint the Chairs of all committees; and (7) to work with the Publicity Chair as an ambassador in the community.
  • VICE-PRESIDENT: In the event of the absence of the President, such duties as described above shall be carried out by the Vice-President. The Vice-President shall be responsible for overseeing the work of the Correspondence Chair, the Program Coordinator, and the Scholarship Chair.
  • SECRETARY: The Secretary shall be responsible for recording and reading the minutes of the Board of Directors, General, and Special Board of Directors meetings. In the absence of the President and Vice-President, the Secretary shall preside over all meetings of the Guild. The Secretary may complete any correspondence required by the Board. A book or binder is provided for organizing the written minutes and other correspondence. The Secretary is to maintain the binder of members' resumes and bring it to all General Meetings and shows. In addition, the Secretary is responsible for overseeing the work of the Librarian and the Telephone Coordinator.
  • TREASURER: The Treasurer is responsible for maintaining and reporting the financial records of the Guild. The Treasurer (1) makes deposits and keeps the checkbook and financial records up to date; (2) enters transactions into the financial system; (3) balances the bank statement monthly; (4) makes monthly reports to the Board of Directors; (4) writes the checks for the guest speakers at the General Meetings; (5) pays for the rental of the Bloedel-Donovan Field House; (6) completes room reservation requests for the Bellingham Library; (7) completes room reservation requests for the Ferndale Library; (8) prepares monetary awards for the NW Fair in Lynden; (9) prepares for and oversees financial transactions at exhibitions; (10) pays insurance and all other bills in a timely fashion; (11) prepares and pays taxes in a timely fashion; (12) attends to all other financial requirements.
  • TRUSTEES: The yearly audit is to be performed by at least two of the Trustees and the President in cooperation with the Treasurer, following reconciliation of the December bank account. The Trustees shall be responsible for the sales desk at Guild sales events. These responsibilities include but are not limited to: training of sales clerks; obtaining credit card approvals prior to the end of the sales day; counting the cash at the end of each sales day; and turning over receipts and cash to the Treasurer for reconciliation.
  • ARTICLE VII -- BOARD OF DIRECTORS
  • Section 1: Definition: The Board of Directors of this Guild shall consist of the President, Vice-President, Secretary, Treasurer, Trustees (3) and the Chairs of each standing committee.
  • Section 2: Powers of the Board:
  • a. The Board of Directors shall manage the affairs of the Guild.
  • b. All expenditures of funds of the Guild must be approved by the Board of Directors. Any requests to the Treasurer for reimbursement for Guild expenses must be accompanied by an original valid (store) receipt with explanation of how funds were used.
  • c. Disbursements of funds shall be by check signed by the Treasurer, or in his or her absence, by the President, Vice-President or Secretary.
  • d. The Board of Directors shall have the power to dispose of any painting or articles not claimed from Guild sponsored events within four (4) months of the close date of the event. Funds from such disposal shall be deposited into the general operating fund and disbursement shall be decided by the Board of Directors.
  • e. In the event of a vacancy in any office, the Board of Directors shall elect a member by a majority vote of the Board Members who are in attendance.
  • Section 3: Meetings of the Board of Directors
  • a. The Board of Directors shall meet once a month to conduct the business of the Guild.
  • b. Any four members of the Board of Directors attending a previously announced Board meeting presided over by a duly elected Officer of the Guild shall constitute a quorum.
  • c. A Special meeting of the Board of Directors may be called at the discretion of the President, or in his or her absence, by the Vice-President, or at the discretion of a majority vote of the Board members in attendance. Notice of and reason for any special Board of Directors meeting shall be given by the Secretary at least forty-eight (48) hours before the said meeting, unless waived by 2/3 Board members available.
  • d. The Board of Directors, at their discretion, may remove by majority vote of Board members in attendance any Board member who has been absent from three consecutive Board meetings.
  • ARTICLE VIII -- STANDING COMMITTEES
  • Section 1: The Board of Directors shall determine the Guild 's committees and shall define their powers and duties. Refer to the list at the beginning of this directory for current Committee Chairs. The Board shall also have the power to abolish or embellish any committee(s).
  • Section 2: The President shall appoint the Chairs of all committees. All Committee Chairs are Members of the Board of Directors.
  • ARTICLE IX -- DUTIES OF STANDING COMMITTEE CHAIRS
  • Section 1: All Committee Chairs shall be responsible for appointing their committee members and sub-committees and submitting a list of members no later than the March Board of Directors meeting for Board approval.
  • Section 2: All Committee Chairs shall be responsible for researching previous years' expenditures and submitting a budget no later than the March Board of Directors meeting for Board approval.
  • Section 3: Any meetings held by Committee or Subcommittee Chairs shall be reported to the Board of Directors at the next regularly scheduled meeting. All committee proposals shall be submitted to the Board of Directors for approval by a majority vote.
  • Section 4: Committee Chairs' Position Descriptions:
  • Awards & Judging Chair: Submits a list of potential judges (at least 2) for Ski-to-Sea to the Board of Directors no later than the January Board meeting, to be voted upon by the Board of Directors. Starting in late December/early January and continuing through mid-May, attracts monetary and gift awards to serve as prizes for award-winning artists at the Ski-to-Sea Art by the Lake Exhibition. Purchases and oversees placement of ribbons according to decisions of the judges. Creates certificates to indicate award sponsors. Oversees creation of large sign with complete list of show sponsors. Brings awards to the exhibition for pick-up by artists and oversees their distribution. Thanks sponsors in the Newsletter, and sends each a personalized, signed thank-you from Guild.
  • The Awards & Judging Chair oversees the work of the NW Fair Coordinator, who is responsible for organizing and distributing commendations and awards at the NW Fair.
  • The Awards & Judging Chair oversees the work of the St. Joe's Kids Coordinator, who is responsible for collecting money and supplies, purchasing and delivering arts and crafts materials for pediatric patients at St. Joseph's Hospital.
  • Membership Chair: Responsible for receiving applications, preparing and presenting them for approval at the next Board Meeting, submitting the dues to the Treasurer, creating a file for the member, assigning the new member an ID#, giving member information to the Newsletter Editor, making out a receipt, issuing and sending membership cards and packets (Directory, receipt, welcome letter) to new members. This involves maintaining a member database and providing reports as requested by the Board of Directors. Chair insures that renewal form appears in October, November and December Newsletters. In late-November, Chair calls all members who have not renewed. In early December, Chair writes all non-renewing members.
  • At meetings, the Membership Chair greets and introduces new members and guests, and keeps a careful record of attendance. The Membership Chair oversees and helps the Directory Editor Subcommittee Chair, who maintains the Guild By-laws and other documentation and lays out, prints, and reproduces the Directory.
  • Newsletter Editor: Responsible for gathering relevant information, laying out pages, editing copy, reproducing, applying stamps, labels and mailing stickers, and mailing the monthly Newsletter in a timely (specifically, within 7 days of the Board Meeting) manner.
  • Publicity & Marketing Chair: Responsible for news releases and other written and oral publicity before meetings and before and/or after events, including postcards and posters. Produces and mails Guild-sponsored event materials. Responsible for overseeing the work of and coordinating with the Guild's Historian. Responsible for overseeing and coordinating the work of the Distribution Coordinator.
  • Shows Chair:
  • Responsible for coordinating Guild sponsored show events and working with the Board and members to insure the smooth operation of show events. The Show Chair is responsible for selecting at least 3 committee members to assist in production of Guild show events. Responsibilities of the Show Chair include coordinating show advertising with the Publicity Chair (large road sign boards, store signage, as well as written postcards and posters and oral ads), helping to coordinate scholarship speakers, overseeing the display of scholarship recipients' artworks, coordinating with the Ski-to-Sea officials about reception, overseeing floral and table decorations, distributing registration forms and tag templates to Newsletter Editor two months before the shows, overseeing check-in of artworks, overseeing the sales desk, coordinating volunteers to cover sales desk, coordinating participants' volunteer duties, and overseeing hanging sub-committee. The Show Chair oversees the donation, serving, storage and clean-up of refreshments at shows. In addition, the Chair coordinates with the Judging & Awards Chair to see that ribbons and award certificates have been displayed, and a list of all sponsors has been created and displayed. Responsible for completing all forms for space use and sending bills to the Treasurer for payment. The Show Chair shall maintain a list of current members and the show task for which they are responsible. This list shall be made available to Receiving Desk personnel before members start checking in.
  • The Show Chair oversees the work of the Float Subcommittee Chair, who supervises the creation, implementation, parading, break-down and clean-up of the Guild's Ski-to-Sea Float entry.
  • The Show Chair oversees the work of the Properties Subcommittee Chair, who selects a member or members to take responsibility for properties belonging to the Guild and notifies the Board of Directors when properties need repair or replacement.
  • Special Events Chair: Responsible for any Guild sponsored activities and events, other than shows - for example, art related trips to museums, galleries and lectures in the region. Locates interesting destinations, gathers complete destination information, chooses a date and time for the trip and place of departure, announces events of interest to WAG members, organizes rides to the destination, and reports at General Meetings and in the Newsletter about trip highlights.
  • Special Events Chair oversees the work of the Sketch-Outs Coordinator, who is responsible for deciding on, announcing, and sketching at good local sketching sites, approximately bi-weekly, from June through August.
  • Venues Chair: Responsible for layout, design and smooth running of scheduled venues in the county. The chair shall submit an exhibition plan to the Board of Directors for approval 2 months prior to each event. Chair directs and oversees the voting for the Prime Venues competition each month during the General Meeting. Chair maintains a working relationship with contracted venues as well as seeks out new venues in the community. Maintains the Venue book.
  • ARTICLE X -- DUTIES OF SUBCOMMITTEE CHAIRS and COORDINATORS
  • Correspondence Chair: The Vice-President shall be responsible for overseeing the work of the Correspondence Chair, who is responsible for nonroutine correspondence (get-wells, sympathy cards, etc.) to members and their families, and to others as requested by the Board.
  • Directory Subcommittee Chair: The Membership Chair is responsible for overseeing the work of this Subcommittee Chair, who maintains the Guild By-laws and other documentation as needed for the Directory. Directory Subcommittee Chair lays out, prints, and reproduces the Directory annually in coordination with the Membership Chair.
  • Distribution Coordinator: The Publicity Chair is responsible for overseeing the work of the Distribution Coordinator, who is responsible for overseeing the distribution of written Guild materials (such as Membership Applications, Art Educator's Brochure, and posters, postcards and ads for exhibitions) throughout the county at least twice annually: in early May before Ski-to-Sea, and two weeks before the Fall Art & Craft Art by the Lake Show & Sale. The Distribution chart shall be available for members to sign-up at the two General Meetings preceding major shows. The Distribution Coordinator shall remind members to post signs in their designated neighborhoods.
  • Float Subcommittee Chair: Supervises the creation, implementation, parading, break-down and clean-up of the Guild's Ski-to-Sea Float entry. Sends thank-yous to all those who participated in the parade. Supervised by Show Chair.
  • Historian Subcommittee Chair: The Publicity Chair is responsible for overseeing the work of the Historian, who collects and maintains all articles and publicity about the Guild and its Members.
  • Librarian: The Secretary is responsible for overseeing the work of the Librarian, whose duties consist of bringing library materials to meetings for members to borrow and keeping track of their whereabouts.
  • NW Fair Coordinator: The Awards & Judging Chair is responsible for overseeing the work of the
  • NW Fair Coordinator, who coordinates with the NW Fair's Art Department Superintendent about the distribution of signed commendations to all the children and teen entrants. In addition, monetary awards from the WAG are distributed to category winners as follows: $5 for Children under age 10; $5 for Children aged 10 - 13; $10 for Teens aged 14 - 18; $20 for the Senior winner. A membership to the WAG is given to the winner in the non-professional/amateur category. Look for more details in the NW Fair booklet.
  • Program Coordinator: The Vice-President shall be responsible for overseeing the work of the Program Coordinator, whose duties consist of obtaining presenters for the General Meetings, helping to greet them at the General Meetings, and writing thank-you cards to them afterward (to be given with payment).
  • Properties Subcommittee Chair: The Show Chair shall select a member to take responsibility for properties belonging to the Guild; to notify the Board of Directors when properties need repair or replacement, to supervise their maintenance, and to transport them to/from shows.
  • Saint Joe's Kids' Coordinator: The Awards & Judging Chair is responsible for overseeing the work of the St. Joe's Kids' Coordinator, who collects money and supplies from WAG members throughout the year, coordinates with personnel in the pediatric ward about the art-related needs of the children, and who purchases supplies and brings them to the hospital in late May.
  • Scholarship Chair: The Vice-President shall be responsible for overseeing the work of the Scholarship Chair. Each year the Guild awards two scholarships. One goes to an art student at WWU; another goes to an art student at WCC. The base amounts are $300 to WWU and $100 to WCC. WAG commissions collected during the Ski-to-Sea Art by the Lake Exhibition Reception are donated to these scholarships, and divided according to the above ratio. Scholarship recipients are selected by school officials. The Scholarship Chair contacts school officials, coordinates scholarship speakers, oversees the display of scholarship recipients' artworks, and coordinates with the Show Chair about scholarship reception plans.
  • Sketch-Out Coordinator: The Special Events Chair oversees the work of the Sketch-Out Coordinator, who is responsible for deciding on, announcing, and sketching at good local sketching sites approximately bi-weekly from June through August.
  • Telephone Coordinator: The Secretary is responsible for overseeing the work of the Telephone Coordinator, who contacts all Board Members by phone and/or e-mail the day before each Board Meeting.
  • ARTICLE XI -- AMENDMENTS
  • These By-Laws may be amended at any General Meeting of the Guild by a two-thirds favorable vote of a quorum of members present, provided: (1) an oral announcement that the By-Laws are to be amended has been made at the previous General Meeting; and (2) such amendments have been given to the Membership in writing at least two weeks prior to the meeting at which the amendments shall be voted upon.