WSL Constitution

ARTICLE I
NAME

The name of this organization shall be: “The Women’s Symphony League, Inc.” This League shall be incorporated under the State Laws of Texas.

ARTICLE II
PURPOSE

The purpose of this organization shall be to support and promote the growth of the East Texas Symphony Orchestra and to encourage music education within our community.

ARTICLE III

MEMBERSHIP

Section 1: Admission

A. Proposal -- A candidate’s name, endorsed by two (2) members of the organization, shall be presented to the Vice-President of Membership by February first (1st). A candidate’s name, after being passed by the Membership Committee, shall be presented by the Vice-President of Membership to the Board of Directors at their next meeting. The Board shall act upon the names at the next meeting. The vote shall be open and must be a majority.

1. Invitation -- When a candidate is elected to membership, she shall be sent a written invitation from the Vice-President of Membership.
   
   
2. Acceptance -- Upon accepting her invitation to membership, a candidate must attend an orientation meeting.

D. If a candidate moves to Tyler from another city in which she is a member of a reciprocal league, her name may be presented for membership immediately. Her application must be endorsed by two (2) members of the Women’s Symphony League and be approved by the Board of Directors. If she is accepted for membership, she shall pay full dues for the current year.

E. The Executive Board shall give special consideration to candidate(s) unable to meet the requirements for membership due to extenuating circumstances. Upon acceptance she shall pay full dues for the current year.

Section 2: Classification

A. ACTIVE

1. Must purchase a ticket for at least one WSL fundraiser each year or make a minimum donation at the posted ticket price for one fundraising event.

2. Must attend at least two general meetings each year and serve on a committee. The purchase of an ETSO season ticket may count as one meeting. New actives must also purchase a ticket to and attend at least one ETSO subscription concert their first year of membership, excluding the Family Concert.

3. Shall pay annual dues of $50.00.

4. Failure to fulfill Active Membership requirements as outlined above will result in the WSL member not receiving “active” credit for the year’s membership.

5. May propose their candidate(s)* for Junior
Symphony League membership during the students’ sophomore year in high school provided that the proposing member satisfies requirements for length of membership. *(A candidate(s) for JSL is any daughter/son of a Women’s Symphony League mother, grandmother or stepmother, or member(s) falling under special circumstance rule, Subsection "d and f" below.)

a. When member(s) propose their candidate(s) for the Junior Symphony League, they must have been active members of the Women’s Symphony League or a reciprocal league for at least three years consecutively or five years non-consecutively, unless they fall under the special consideration clause.

b. ADDITIONALLY Symphony League members must remain active in good standing during the years their candidate(s) are members of the Junior Symphony League. (ALL YEARS OF WSL MEMBERSHIP PRIOR TO 1991 SHALL BE CONSIDERED ACTIVE YEARS.)

c. The Executive Board shall give special consideration to candidate(s) whose families have extenuating circumstances making it impossible to meet the requirements for admission to the Junior Symphony League. Such considerations should be presented in writing to the Executive Board for a formal resolution by November 1st of the JSL candidate’s 10th grade year.

d. In the event of death: If the Women’s Symphony League member is in good standing at the time of her death, her candidate shall be considered eligible for membership subject to the qualifications listed in Section 2 -- Junior Symphony League Constitution. The candidate must be sponsored by another active Symphony League member who agrees to assume the responsibilities of the Junior Symphony League mother.

e. In the event of divorce: Subsection “a” above controls.

f.  In the event a candidate(s) is in the custody of a single father and there is no mother, grandmother, or stepmother present, the Executive Board shall give special consideration to accepting this candidate(s) as a member of the Junior Symphony League. The candidate(s) must be sponsored by another active Women's Symphony League member who agrees to assume the responsibilities required of a Junior Symphony League mother, grandmother, or stepmother. Such request for this special consideration should be presented in writing to the WSL Executive Board for a formal resolution by November 1 of the candidate's sophomore year in high school.

g. The WSL Executive Board may require any person admitted to the Junior Symphony League under the special circumstances clause to have a Women's Symphony League active member as a co-sponsor.

B. ASSOCIATE

1. May participate in any WSL activity, except voting.

2. Shall pay annual dues of $65.00.

3. May choose to join as an Associate without initially being accepted as an active member.

4. If membership is joined at the associate level, one must attend the New Member Orientation.   

• Shall receive all Women’s Symphony League mailings.
• Emeritus
  1. At age 80 or over, payment of dues shall be optional. Each year this member shall indicate her continuance of membership and the option to waive payment of dues.
  2. May participate in any WSL activity, except voting.
  3. Shall receive all WSL mailings.

Section 3: Payment of dues

A. Membership packets are mailed on April first (1st). May first (1st) is the deadline for dues payment. In addition to payment of membership dues, a $10 late fee will be collected after May first (1st). Any member whose dues have not been received by June first (1st), shall be dropped from membership and must apply for reinstatement should she wish to renew her membership.

B. New member proposals received after July 1st will be filed with the VP of Membership for consideration the following year. The only exception would be if there was a transfer from another symphony league due to a recent relocation to our area (See Section 1D).

C. The Board of Directors shall determine on an annual basis allocation of excess funds generated from dues.

D. A member shall designate whether she shall be active, associate or emeritus each year when she pays dues.

Section 4: Resignation
Resignation shall be made in writing to the Vice-President of Membership.

Section 5: Reinstatement
A former member of Women’s Symphony League, who wishes to re-join the League, may do so prior to January 1st by a written request to the Vice-President of Membership. She shall pay dues for the current year as well as a $20 reinstatement fee. Any reinstatements that are requested after this deadline shall be accepted for associate membership only.

ARTICLE IV
OFFICERS

Section 1: The officers of the Women’s Symphony League elected by the membership shall include President, President-Elect, Vice-President of Administration, Vice-President of Education, Vice-President of Social Activities, Vice-President of Junior Symphony League, Vice-President Elect of Junior Symphony League, Vice-President of Membership, Recording Secretary, Awards Coordinator and Treasurer. These officers, along with the Advisory and Endowment Fund Chairman, Ball Chairman and the Nominating Committee Chairman, shall constitute the Executive Board.

Section 2: In the event of the resignation of an elected officer, the Executive Board shall appoint a replacement.

Section 3: The Executive Board shall serve for a period of one (1) year. Officers may be re-elected to the same office for no more than one (1) additional year.

ARTICLE V
AMENDMENTS

Section 1: Amendments to the Constitution should be presented by the Board of Directors to the general membership. Such amendments shall be read at one general meeting and voted upon at the next consecutive general meeting and shall require a two-thirds vote of the active members present for adoption.