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2025 MEDAH Board

MEDAH Bylaws

(In conjunction with Robert's Rules of Order)

ARTICLE I – NAME

The name of the organization shall be Middle Eastern Dance Artists of Hawaii, hereinafter referred to as MEDAH.

ARTICLE II – PURPOSE

The object and purpose of MEDAH shall be to promote the understanding of Middle Eastern dance, elevate the dance to its art form, educate the public in Middle Eastern dance, and expose MEDAH members to dance opportunities in the community. MEDAH shall sponsor workshops with knowledgeable, experienced, dedicated, and culturally motivated instructors.

ARTICLE III - MEMBERS

SECTION A. ELIGIBILITY FOR MEMBERSHIP

Persons who are in sympathy with the object and purposes of MEDAH shall be eligible for membership.

SECTION B. MEMBERSHIP

Members shall be defined as those who are active in the programs of MEDAH, and who have paid dues according to these bylaws. They shall have all the rights of membership, i.e. newsletter, newsletter event submissions, free Instructor/Teacher listings on the website, free event promotion, notice of upcoming events and performances, discounted MEDAH event fees, and voting privileges.

SECTION C. APPLICATION FOR MEMBERSHIP

Membership can be purchased online via the MEDAH website, or in person via cash at MEDAH events.

SECTION D. RESIGNATION

Members may resign in good standing by sending a letter of resignation to the recording secretary, before dues have become delinquent. In instances such as this, dues already paid will be forfeited. If dues are not paid within the first month of the current year, it will be automatically understood that the member has resigned from the organization.

SECTION E. VOTING

A member in good standing shall be entitled to one vote in instances requiring a vote. Voting may occur in person at a MEDAH meeting, or via board-approved online ballot (eg: SurveyMonkey). There shall be no voting by proxy.

ARTICLE IV - OFFICERS

SECTION A. OFFICERS

The elected officers of MEDAH shall be a president, a vice-president, a secretary, a treasurer, and three to five board members-at-large.

SECTION B. DUTIES OF OFFICERS

1. PRESIDENT: The President shall be the chief executive officer of MEDAH and, as such, shall uphold the MEDAH bylaws and make decisions that best benefit MEDAH and that are necessary for the smooth and effective functioning of MEDAH. The President shall: preside over all MEDAH events (insofar as possible) and meetings with members of the Board, vote in the event that a tiebreaker is needed, assist in maintaining and fostering strong relationships with partners and active members of the organization, delegate tasks, provide support to other positions as needed, and may sign checks in the absence of the Treasurer (if they have a registered signature on file with the bank).

2. VICE PRESIDENT: The Vice President shall: assume the duties of president in the absence of the president, and shall serve as assistant to the president in his/her efforts for the good of the organization assume the office of the President in event of resignation, disability, death of the President serve as custodian for MEDAH property not provided for elsewhere and may sign checks in the absence of the Treasurer (if they have a registered signature on file with the bank).

3. SECRETARY: The Secretary shall: determine if a quorum is present (defined as 51% of the board) before official business is transacted at Board Meetings, notify all Board members of the monthly Board meetings and maintain the minutes of all business meetings, read, handle and file all correspondence and communications, maintain – in cooperation with the Treasurer - the membership listing with an up- to-date address file on all members and may sign checks in the absence of the Treasurer (if they have a registered signature on file with the bank).

4. TREASURER: The Treasurer shall: collect all funds deposit funds in the MEDAH bank account record all financial transactions disburse funds upon receipt of bills maintain books and make them available for audit upon request or at the conclusion of term of office act as Parliamentarian and insure the bylaws are followed by MEDAH members at MEDAH meetings. The Treasurer is accountable on the books and responsible for ensuring that MEDAH files the annual fiscal report to the State and Federal Government in a timely manner.

5. BOARD MEMBERS-AT-LARGE:Board Members-at-Large shall have a formal vote at all board meetings, and shall serve as additional support for MEDAH events, maintenance, and outreach.

SOCIAL MEDIA AND NEWSLETTER ASSISTANCE: Two of the elected board members listed above will be designated to maintain social media presence (eg: Facebook and Instagram) and weekly newsletter (via MailChimp or other approved website). These two board members may be any of the above depending upon board member preference, skill, and interest.

EVENT PLANNING AND IMPLEMENTATION: All MEDAH officers will share responsibility for developing event ideas, planning for said events, and implementing said events. The Board will act as a team and work together to delegate tasks and roles. At the end of each year, new board members will support the transition by following through with events in progress insofar as possible.

SECTION C. ELECTION OF OFFICERS

The officers shall be elected by secret ballot by a simple majority of the votes received of members in good standing. The President shall vote only in the case of a tie. If an elected office has only one nominee, at least one vote must be cast for that nominee. Elected officers shall serve a term of one (1) year or until their successors are elected.

SECTION D. VACANCIES IN OFFICE

A vacancy in the office of President shall be filled automatically by the Vice President. If a vacancy occurs in any other elected office, the President shall appoint, with Board approval, a member to fill the office.

SECTION E. TERMS OF OFFICE

No person in the office of President shall be eligible to serve more than 2 consecutive terms in said office. In the event that a President serving 2 consecutive years has an interest in continuing to serve (exceeding the 2-year limit), the MEDAH board may vote to approve additional nominations.

ARTICLE V - MEDAH BOARD MEETINGS AND MEDAH EVENTS

Regular board meetings shall be held at least quarterly, at a place and time determined by a majority of the Board members, in either an in-person or virtual format. Members may be invited to board meetings as guests, and may contact the board if they have an interest in attending. All elected and appointed officers are entitled to attend and are entitled to vote on all matters pertaining to MEDAH. Dates for all MEDAH events will be set by the Board and published on the MEDAH website, in the MEDAH newsletter, and promoted via social media.

ARTICLE VI – FINANCES

SECTION A. DUES

The dues shall be determined as follows:

1. REGULAR MEMBERS. Annual dues of $20 payable by January 31st, will be collected by the Board. Any changes to membership dues shall be approved by the board and voted upon by current members.

2. NEW MEMBERS. New members joining MEDAH shall pay full membership dues.

3. REFUND OF DUES / PRORATING DUES. No refunds shall be made of dues paid to MEDAH. Dues shall not be prorated unless extenuating circumstances are involved. In the event of an extenuating circumstance, the board will vote to approve a change.

SECTION B. DELINQUENCY OF DUES

Dues shall be due and payable as stated in Section A of this article. A member shall be considered in good standing when his/her dues are paid on time. Dues shall be delinquent one month after they are due. If dues are not paid within two months after the due date, membership shall be forfeited.

SECTION C. BUDGET

Incoming and outgoing Presidents and Treasurers shall consult with one another at the beginning of each term of office to familiarize themselves with the budget for the organization.

SECTION D. EXPENDITURES

1. REGISTERED SIGNATURES: A minimum of two signatures of Board Officers shall be registered at the bank on the MEDAH account. All Board Officers may register their signatures, if desired.

2. DISBURSEMENTS: Itemized receipts or bills shall be submitted to the Treasurer before disbursements are made.

3. ADVANCE OF FUNDS: A request for a money advance for a future project or special event must be made in writing and include an itemized estimate of expenses. The Treasurer shall require any member who receives an approved money advance must submit an itemized list of actual expenditures and provide receipts. Any unspent funds must be returned.

4. INCURRING DEBT: No member of MEDAH shall incur indebtedness or otherwise obligate MEDAH without the authority of the Board.

ARTICLE VII – ORDER OF BUSINESS

The Rules contained in Robert’s Rules of Order, Revised, shall govern MEDAH in all cases to which they are applicable and when they are not inconsistent with the MEDAH bylaws.

ARTICLE VIII – AMENDMENTS

SECTION A. AMENDMENTS

These bylaws may be amended by a majority vote of the membership present at any MEDAH event OR online ballot (ex: SurveyMonkey), providing that notification of the upcoming vote has been published in the Newsletter and website at least ten (10) days prior to the date of the vote. The notice shall include the complete text of the proposed amendment(s).

SECTION B. EFFECTIVE DATE OF AMENDMENTS

Amendments to these bylaws shall take effect at the adjournment of the meeting at which they are adopted, or after the online voting deadline, unless otherwise specified.