WGSL By-Laws

Revised 08/2021

BY-LAW I - NAME

This association shall be called "The Weavers' Guild of St. Louis, Missouri," hereafter referred to as "WGSL" or "the Guild."

BY-LAW II - PURPOSE

Section 1.

The purpose of this association shall be to stimulate interest and education in the fiber arts, particularly weaving and spinning; to encourage members to achieve the highest standard of excellence; to promote exhibitions; and to help and encourage all fiber artists.

Section 2.

The Guild shall be non-profit, non-political, and non-discriminatory, organized exclusively for purposes stated above and within the meaning of Section 501(c)(3) of the IRS Code.

BY-LAW III - MEMBERSHIP

Section 1.

Membership in this association shall be open to anyone interested in the art and craft of weaving and other fiber arts and shall consist of Dues-paying Members and Honorary Life Members.

Section 2.

Dues-paying Members are members in good standing who pay annual dues at a rate determined by the Guild. The privileges and obligations of Dues-paying Members include: 1) attending Guild meetings and programs; 2) participating in Guild workshops and other activities; 3) serving as officers, committee chairs, and committee members; 4) carrying out assigned duties; 5) voting (one vote per membership); 6) receiving an annual yearbook (one copy per membership) and an electronic subscription to the Guild newsletter.

Section 3.

Honorary Life membership shall be considered by the Executive Committee for anyone who has been a member of long standing and/or has given notable service to the Guild. An Honorary Life member shall have all the privileges of membership, but is relieved of any obligations, including the payment of annual dues.

BY-LAW IV - OFFICERS

Section 1.

The elected officers of the association shall be President, Vice-President, Secretary, and Treasurer. Terms shall start at the close of the May meeting in odd-numbered years and shall be for two years.

Section 2.

The President shall preside over regular, Executive Committee, and Board of Directors meetings of the WGSL. The President shall be a member, ex-officio, of all committees and shall appoint the chairs of all committees.

Section 3.

The Vice-President shall act for the President in case of absence or inability to serve, shall assist the President in conducting Guild business, and shall serve on the Finance Committee.

Section 4.

The Secretary shall record the proceedings of regular, Executive Committee, and Board of Directors meetings of the WGSL, and provide printed copies of minutes of those meetings at the next regular meeting of the WGSL.

Section 5.

The Guild Treasurer shall receive all income, reimburse guild members, and pay bills as needed for approved guild expenses, manage and distribute funds generated by the Guild sale and other fund-raising activities, and keep an account of all money received and expended. The Treasurer will provide an annual report to the Guild in January and submit a copy of said report for publication on the password-protected area of the WGSL website. The sitting Treasurer shall chair the Finance Committee and the immediate-past Treasurer shall serve on the Finance Committee.

Section 6.

Election of officers shall be held at the Annual meeting in odd-numbered years. A slate of names of candidates for elected office shall be prepared by the immediate-past President of the WGSL and shall be presented at a meeting prior to the Annual meeting. The slate of names shall also be published on the website or in the newsletter at least one month before the Annual meeting.

Section 7.

When an elected officer other than the President is unable to complete his or her term of office, a replacement officer shall be appointed by the Executive Committee to serve until the next election.

BY-LAW V - DUES

Section 1.

There shall be an annual membership fee (dues) for the period June 1 through May 31 of each year (fiscal year) payable by all Dues-paying Members.

Section 2.

The annual membership fee is due at the May meeting of each year and shall become delinquent on June 30. The Membership Chair shall forward the name of any member whose dues are delinquent to the President, and that member's name will not appear in the yearbook. If that member has not paid dues by August 1, they will not be allowed to participate in any Guild sale held during that fiscal year. In addition, any member whose dues are delinquent shall lose all other rights and privileges of membership, until dues are paid in full.

Section 3.

The membership fees shall be determined by a majority vote of members attending a regular guild meeting, following prior notification in the guild newsletter and at a previous guild meeting.

BY-LAW VI - MEETINGS

Section 1.

A regular meeting of the WGSL shall be held each month from August through May, unless 1) there is a conflict with the Guild sale or holidays, in which case that month’s meeting may be canceled; or 2) a special event, such as a holiday party, is held in place of that month’s meeting.

Section 2.

An Annual meeting shall be held, usually in April, for the purpose of conducting business, and, in odd-numbered years, for electing officers. If necessary, other business may be conducted at any regular meeting at the call of the President.

Section 3.

Announcements and reports by committee chairs will be published on the website or in the WGSL newsletter and may be presented at a WGSL meeting at the discretion of the President.

BY-LAW VII - COMMITTEES AND ASSIGNMENTS

Section 1.

There shall be an Executive Committee composed of the elected officers. The Executive Committee shall attend to all business between the regular meetings of the WGSL and between meetings of the Board of Directors. The Executive Committee may meet electronically.

Section 2.

There shall be a Board of Directors composed of the four elected officers plus the Immediate Past President, the Program/Workshop Chair, and the Education Grants Chair. In the event that any director holds more one ex officio position on the Board, the President shall appoint an appropriate number of individuals to serve, so that the board comprises a total of seven individuals. The Board of Directors shall appoint a Guild member to act as Oglander Fund Advisor to the Program/Workshop Committee, and additional Guild members as necessary to carry out individual assignments. The Board of Directors shall meet annually to discuss WGSL policies and procedures. The Board of Directors may meet electronically between their annual meetings.

Section 3.

There shall be Standing Committees, as listed below (A-I). The chair of each committee shall be appointed by the President and the members of each committee shall be selected by its chair. All chairs and committee members shall be Guild members. Other committees, standing or special, shall be appointed by the Board of Directors if the Guild shall deem necessary to carry on its work.

The Program/Workshop Committee shall plan programs for guild meetings and arrange for at least two workshops per fiscal year. The committee shall be composed of at least five guild members, including the committee chair, and the Oglander Fund advisor.

The Finance Committee shall work with committee chairpersons to plan and approve each year’s budget, oversee all funds and accounts, and work with financial and legal consultants to comply with federal and state tax requirements. The committee shall be chaired by the Treasurer and shall also include the Vice-President, the immediate-past Treasurer, the Oglander Fund advisor, and other members as deemed necessary by the chair.

The Membership/Yearbook Committee shall collect the names, contact information and interests of members, and maintain a database of such for the use of the Board of Directors and members. The committee shall be responsible for the preparation and distribution of the yearbook and for giving new members information concerning the WGSL. The Membership Committee chair will forward dues collected to the Treasurer and distribute member information to other committee chairs and officers as needed.

The Guild Jury Committee shall meet at least twice each year, and as needed to jury proposed items for the annual Guild sale. The textiles shall be judged on design and color, texture, technique and finish; other types of items will be judged by criteria appropriate to the medium. The jury shall be composed of at least four currently juried members including the committee chair. The chair shall appoint a currently juried member to take the place of any juror who is unavoidably absent. Two jurors shall be selected each year to serve two years. At least three jurors must approve all juried items. A member shall be limited to two pieces per jury meeting, except in the case of items submitted for sale approval.

The Guild Sale Committee shall coordinate the planning and administration of the annual guild sale and in cooperation with the guild Jury Committee, establish Sale Rules and Standards for participation in the guild sale, and publish and revise them as necessary. The Guild Sale Committee shall be composed of at least five guild members, including the committee chair and the Guild Treasurer. The Guild Treasurer will be responsible for managing the sale accounts, disbursing any net income to the Enrichment Fund, and providing an accounting to the Guild as part of the annual report.

The Exhibit Committee shall arrange, promote and execute exhibits of fiber art created by members of the WGSL. The Exhibit Committee shall assure that all fiber art exhibited under the auspices of the guild first be approved by the guild jury and/or an outside juror or curator approved by the Exhibit Committee, and that all exhibits reflect the professionalism of the guild and its members.

The Education Grant Committee shall provide financial support from the Enrichment Fund for education in the fiber arts, establish grant criteria and application procedures, review submitted applications, and award Education Grants to the selected scholars. They will also ensure that the scholars who accept Education Grant funds present the information they have gained in a program or workshop for the guild membership. The Education Grant Committee shall be composed of at least five guild members, including the committee chair. Two members shall be selected each year to serve two years.

The Study Group Committee shall encourage the formation and continuation of study groups, and consider proposals for new study groups as needed. The Chair shall post the dates and times of future study group meetings at each WGSL meeting. The Committee shall include a contact person from each active study group.

The Outreach Committee shall publicize and promote the activities of the Guild as an organization through print, electronic, and other media; shall inform the Guild of events related to the fiber arts; shall inform the Guild of opportunities for members to present demonstrations to the public; and shall maintain a list of members who have presented demonstrations.

Section 4.

Individual Assignments of various other tasks, such as, but not limited to those described below (A-H), shall be made by the Board of Directors. Each assignee may ask others to help with the assignment as necessary.

The Oglander Fund Advisor shall serve on the Program/Workshop Committee and advise the Guild and the Program/Workshop Committee about funds available to partially underwrite workshops and programs by invited teachers and leaders.

The Historian/Archivist shall maintain the Guild’s archival materials and keep the Guild’s history current by making additions to the archives as necessary.

The Librarian shall maintain a library catalog, propose and purchase new acquisitions, keep track of borrowed library materials, assess fines for overdue materials, and arrange housing for the library.

The Newsletter Editor/Publisher shall publish the Guild newsletter at regular intervals and send each issue electronically to the Guild Webmaster and, if necessary, to a printing facility. The Newsletter Circulation Manager shall retrieve printed newsletters from the printing facility and mail them as necessary.

The Webmaster shall post informational materials and other items of interest to members and the wider community on the Guild website, and update the website at regular intervals to keep it current. When necessary, the Webmaster will work with a professional web designer to assure that the look, content, and navigability of the website presents the Guild as a vibrant and professional fiber arts organization.

The Hospitality coordinator shall arrange for refreshments and supplies for guild meetings.

The Equipment Manager shall maintain an inventory of all Guild-owned equipment, issue Equipment Lending Agreement contracts to borrowers, renew contracts or recall equipment every six months, evaluate equipment offered as a donation to the guild, and if necessary, arrange for pick-up of accepted equipment.

The IT Manager shall arrange for the projection of digital images and other visuals at guild meetings where needed, and shall house and maintain the guild projector.

BY-LAW VIII - AMENDMENTS

These By-Laws may be amended at any regular or called meeting of the association by a two-thirds (2/3) vote of the members present, a notice having been sent to each member at least one (1) week before the meeting.