Listed Below is the University of Mary Washington’s Performing Arts Club Constitution. If you have any questions, feel free to email us at mwcpac@yahoo.com.
Constitution of the Performing Arts Club of the University of Mary Washington
Article I: Name
The name of this club shall be the Performing Arts Club (PAC) of the University of Mary Washington.
Article II: Purpose
The purpose of the Performing Arts Club is to promote awareness of dance as an art form in the University of Mary Washington community, and to provide performing and learning opportunities through dance.
Article III: Membership
This club is open to all full-time undergraduate UMW students who possess an interest in dance as an art form. The club prescribes to the statement of non-discrimination as adopted by the Board of Visitors as outlined in the Student Handbook.
Article IV: Officers
Officers will be elected at the end of each academic school year by current club members. Two-thirds of club members must vote for the election to be valid. Candidates receiving the majority vote will assume the position they are running for. Candidates may nominate themselves for office or be nominated by other club members. Candidates nominated for more than one office must choose one of these offices to run for. Candidates must have a minimum 2.0 GPA based upon all college work attempted and be in good social standing.
• President – is responsible for organizing activities sponsored by the club, running meetings, and making necessary reservations. They are the point of contact for choreographers, OSACS, the Dodd Theater Manager, the Theater and Dance department, school and local journalists, and community service projects.
• Vice President – helps organize activities sponsored by the club, takes the place of the President when he/she is absent, is responsible for all club-wide communication and maintaining the alumni network. They are the point of contact for other UMW dance clubs.
• Secretary – is responsible for recording minutes of the meetings, all paperwork not related to the Treasury, keeping a record of activity participation, and semester newsletters/letter campaigns.
• Co-Treasurers – are in charge of all club finances and fundraising. They must formulate a budget, maintain a ledger of all club funds, keep a record of club dues, and organize ticket sales and fundraising. They are responsible for all major purchases and oversee reimbursements. They are the point of contact for show videographers/photographers. There shall be two Co-Treasurers.
• Co-Publicity Chairs – are in charge of promoting the club. This includes making flyers for events, getting flyers approved by OSACS, ensuring PAC events are included in the school calendar and weekly activity emails, making programs for events, and purchasing advertisements in local newspapers. There shall be two Co-Publicity Chairs.
• Webmaster – is in charge of making the picture displays for club carnival and shows, updating and maintaining the club website, gathering photos from club events, cutting music for choreographers and creating the master cd’s for shows.
Article V: Finances
The Performing Arts Club will raise its own funds through activities organized and orchestrated by the club itself. Money will also be obtained through club dues, which will be fifteen dollars each semester. Funds will be used for club activities and productions costs.
Article VI: Amendment Procedures
In order to change any articles of this constitution or the bylaws of this club, any member may submit the changes in writing to the officers, to be voted on at their next meeting following discussion. A simple majority vote is required for the changes to become effective. A revised constitution will then be presented to the Inter-Club Assemble (ICA) Executive Board and the Office of Student Activities and Community Services (OSACS).
BYLAWS:
I. Rules for the Concert (“Big Show”)
1. Applicants must submit a choreography proposal to the club officers describing what they intend for their piece (length of the piece, number of performers, music, style, etc.) before the deadline set by the officers.
2. The applicant must either be a PAC member (for TWO semesters), PAC alumni, or a Professor of Dance at UMW.
3. The applicant must have choreographed for Small Show before they may choreograph for Big Show.
4. Members may only choreograph one piece for Big Show, unless there are special circumstances. Special circumstances will be designated by the officers.
5. In the event of more proposals than can be accommodated, current full time UMW students have priority over alumni.
6. Following these conditions, PAC officers have discretion in selecting pieces based on variety, style, length, and available concert time.
7. Performers will be selected by the choreographers based on availability and mastery of movement. Selection of performers for pieces will take place at auditions held at the beginning of the semester and posted in the Goolrick Hall dance suite and on the club website.
8. Choreographers are responsible for securing an understudy for their piece.
9. Choreographers are responsible for scheduling their rehearsal time, which should be posted in the Goolrick Hall dance suite and on the club website.
10. There will be at least three showings spaced throughout the semester held in the Goolrick dance suite; dates determined by the officers. Showings are informal performances of the progress of the Big Show pieces. Following the showing, choreographers will meet to discuss the pieces.
11. Choreographers are responsible for all production aspects (including tech meetings with the Dodd Theater Manager and lighting designers) and resources. They may seek reimbursement as determined by the costume budget established by the officers.
12. There will be at least one technical and one dress rehearsal before the concert. Attendance is mandatory.
13. If a piece is not ready for performance by the Final Showing of the semester, officers have the option to vote on the removal of the piece from Big Show. Readiness is at the officers’ discretion.
14. If a piece contains plagiarized choreography, officers must be notified immediately and the PAC dance must be altered. PAC considers plagiarized choreography to include: movements in a sequence that closely resemble a sequence from another choreographers dance, multiple movements from another choreographers dance, the same music with similar themes and movements from another choreographers dance. (This rule also applies to Small Show choreography)
II. The Rules for Piece Participation:
1. Members may only be in three Big Show pieces, and understudy one Big Show piece.
2. Choreographers may not perform in their own Big Show pieces unless the piece is graduated from Small Show, or special circumstances arise. Special circumstances will be designated by the officers.
3. Members may be in as many Small Show pieces as their schedules allow, as long as their choreographers are notified, given the implications for Bump-Up selection.
4. Choreographers may perform in their own Small Show pieces.
5. The maximum total number of Big Show pieces a dancer may perform in, including Small Show Bump-Ups, is five. There is only one exception: after Bump-Up selection, if the piece a dancer understudies requires them to be pulled into the piece due to another dancer’s injury or chronic absences, they may perform in six Big Show pieces.
6. Due to the cap on Big Show pieces, Bump-Up Committee must take under consideration the number of pieces dancers are currently in when making their selection.
III. Rules for the Open Floor Show (“Small Show”):
1. All members who have been a member of PAC for ONE semester may choreograph for Small Show. Other UMW dance clubs and classes may be invited to perform by the officers.
2. Applicants must submit a choreography proposal to the club officers describing what they intend for their piece (length of the piece, number of performers, music, style, etc.) before the deadline set by the officers.
3. All participants in pieces must be PAC members, with the exceptions of clubs.
4. Members are in charge of all productions and resource aspects.
5. There will be one full-through rehearsal before the show.
6. Officers will choose the location of the show.
7. None of the pieces may exceed a time limit of five minutes.
8. Small Show choreographers may select costumes from PAC’s costume selection or personally provide their dancers with costumes. PAC will not reimburse Small Show choreographers, and Small Show choreographers may not force their dancers to purchase costumes for the dance.
9. Pieces from Small Show may be graduated to Big Show at the discretion of the Bump-Up Committee. This committee is composed of PAC members (and possibly alumni) who did not choreograph for, nor perform in eligible pieces. Eligible pieces include those choreographed by PAC members or alumni and performed by PAC members. Special circumstances regarding exceptions are at the discretion of the officers. Committee members are selected by the Vice President and approved by the officers. The maximum number of pieces which may be graduated as well as those eligible for bump-up is determined by the officers prior to Small Show.
IV. Attendance Policy
1. Officers are required to attend all club meetings, which will be held as needed, determined by the current officers.
2. Officers will also hold bi-weekly meeting, separate from the club meetings.
3. All members are expected to be at their respective rehearsals, showings, and performances.
4. Choreographers will determine what constitutes an unexcused absence.
5. Excessive unexcused absences will result in removal from a piece. After accumulating two unexcused absences, performers will receive a written warning. After three unexcused absences, performers will be removed entirely from a piece. Choreographers may not be allowed to accumulate any unexcused absences. If they do, they will be removed from the piece, and someone will be assigned to take over.
6. Lateness to rehearsals by fifteen minutes three times will be counted towards one of the performer’s unexcused absences.
7. All choreography missed by an absence at rehearsal must be made up prior to the next scheduled rehearsal time by the performer.
V. Rules for PAC Committees:
1. PAC will have three committees, each chaired by the officer (or officers) whose position corresponds with the duties of the committee. They are as follows:
• Party Committee: chaired by the Webmaster, helps the Webmaster and hosts prepare for parties (including: planning, set-up) and clean-up afterwards.
• Publicity Committee: chaired by the two Publicity officers, helps with advertising for PAC events (including painting the rock, posting fliers, distributing programs)
• Costume Committee: chaired by the Secretary, helps with costume upkeep and construction (including cleaning and storing costumes, updating costume book, designing/making costumes)
VI. Other Forms of Club Participation:
1. Members not interested in choreographing or performing are encouraged to participate in all other club activities. These opportunities include:
- Dance classes and workshops
- Ushering performances
- Ticket sales
- Community outreach/service
- Production staff/stage managing
- Serving on Committees
Current Officers Signatures at the Time of the Amendments: January 18, 2012
Rebecca Lallande, President
Amy Newcomb, Vice President
Taylor Miller-Freutel, Secretary
Sarah Sanders, Co-Treasurer
Kate Miller, Co-Treasurer
Jane Ballard, Co-Publicity Chair
Courtney Lewandrowski, Co-Publicity Chair
Megan Gallagher, Webmaster
