WESTMORELAND COUNTY MUSIC EDUCATORS ASSOCIATION
(WCMEA)
CONSTITUTION
I. Name
The name of this organization shall be The Westmoreland County Music Educators Association (WCMEA).
II. Objectives
1. The purpose of WCMEA is to support and encourage quality music education.
WCMEA seeks to provide its members with resources, workshops, and festivals that strengthen and advance individual school music programs.
2. To sponsor and organize vocal and instrumental festivals on the elementary, middle school/junior high school, and senior high school levels.
3. To acquaint the public with the type of musical opportunities afforded to the students in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania.
4. To bring together students of exceptional ability and music educators for inspiration, encouragement, development, good fellowship, and cooperation through participation in music festivals and workshops.
III. Affiliation
This organization shall maintain a cooperative relationship with the Pennsylvania Department of Education, the Pennsylvania State Education Association, and the Pennsylvania Music Educators Association, District 1 of the PMEA, and the national association for music education, NAfME.
IV. Qualification of Members
1. Membership. The Association shall consist of active members.
2. Active membership. Any person actively engaged in music education in Westmoreland County may become an active member of this association for a period of one year upon the payment of prescribed dues as described in Article I of the Bylaws. Only active members in good standing may vote, be elected to office, or have students participate in the festivals.
V. Officers and election
1. Legislative power. The legislative power of this Association shall be vested in the membership and the executive council.
2. Officers. The officers of this Association shall consist of a president, vice- president, secretary/treasurer, and immediate past president.
3. Executive council. The executive council shall consist of the WCMEA officers.
4. Committees. Special committees of the association shall be appointed by the President.
5. Elections. The officers of this Association, as described in Section 2 of this Article, shall be elected by the membership at the annual Fall Membership Meeting. All officers shall be elected by ballot. Nomination for officers will take place at the Fall Membership Meeting and at each festival director’s meeting the year prior to the elections.
6. Term of office. The President and Vice President will be elected for a term of two years. The Secretary/Treasurer will be elected for a term of four years.
VI. Meetings
1. Organization meeting.
a. An annual Fall Membership Meeting will occur each year for the entire membership (regardless of grade level) to meet as a whole. Business, motions, or voting at this meeting will include decisions to amend the constitution and bylaws, decisions regarding finances, or projects that would affect the entire membership.
b. Regular meeting of this Association shall be held on the morning of the first day of each festival. The festival meeting time shall be set by the president and the host. Any business, motions, or voting made at a festival meeting will pertain ONLY to the affairs of said particular grade level festival.
2. Executive council meetings. The executive council shall meet at the call of the president. There will be one executive council meeting each summer to close business from the previous year, and plan ahead for the new school year.
3. Quorum. The active members present at any stated meeting shall constitute a quorum.
4. Order of business. The order of business shall be as follows:
a. Call to order
b. Reading of the minutes
c. Reading of the correspondence
d. Reading of the treasurer’s report
e. Committee reports
f. Unfinished business
g. New business
h. Good and Welfare
i. Adjournment
VII. Government and Authority
1. Government. The parliamentary principles set forth in Roberts Rules of Order shall govern in all cases not covered by the Constitution and Bylaws.
2. Authority. The Executive Council (Officers) shall be the legal representative of WCMEA and, as such, shall have, hold, and administer all the property, funds, and affairs of WCMEA. Provision for the regulation of the internal affairs of WCMEA shall be provided for in the Constitution and Bylaws.
VIII. Amendments
This constitution may be amended by two-thirds vote of the members voting at the Fall Membership Meeting. The amendment must be presented at each of the festivals during the school year before any vote is taken.
BYLAWS
I. Membership
1. Dues. The annual dues for Active Membership shall be $15.00 per year.
2. Payment of dues. Membership shall expire June 30th of each school year. All active members must have their dues paid to the treasurer by September 20 of each year. Dues are automatically payable at each festival throughout the school year, or by mailing the dues to the treasurer.
II. Elected Offices
1. Executive council. The executive council shall:
a. Initiates general policies for the approval of the membership
b. Assists in the administration of the affairs of this organization.
c. Conducts the business of the organization when it is impractical or inexpedient to hold general meeting.
d. Approve the expenditure of funds
e. Approve committee selections
f. Approve Standing Committee projects
III. DUTIES OF OFFICERS
1. The President shall:
a. attend all meetings.
b. present plaques at concert performance of festivals.
c. contact the vice-president in case of absence from a meeting or festival.
d. appoint and be an ex-officio of all committees.
e. keep in contact with all festival hosts, and officers of WCMEA.
f. get festival letter from host and their superintendent.
g. send newsletters to the membership at the beginning and the end of the school year and throughout the year as necessary.
h. take the WCMEA banner to all festivals or make arrangements to get the banner to the various hosts.
i. The president shall be paid $200 per year for mileage/travel expenses
j. after serving as president, he/she becomes the Immediate Past President.
2. The Vice President shall:
a. be responsible to make all arrangements for the annual Fall Membership Meeting to be held in October.
b. prepare the ballot for election of officers.
c. assume the duties of the president whenever necessary for meetings or festivals.
d. assist the president in any way when needed.
e. in case of the unavailability of the president, assume the president’s duties.
f. update and distribute the host manuals to future hosts.
3. The Secretary/Treasurer shall:
a. order ALL plaques and get them to the president as needed.
b. take care of the printing of the following items: WCMEA festival certificates, WCMEA membership cards as needed.
c. take care of all mailing and printing expenses.
d. collect all monies, and distribute membership cards.
e. handle all correspondence and expenditures for the organization.
f. maintain the Membership Roll and Membership Directory.
g. be responsible for reading of the annual meeting minutes and a yearly financial report.
h. be paid a fee of $300 per year.
4. The Immediate Past President shall:
a. serve as advisor to the president.
b. shall tally the votes when an officer is elected.
c. make mailing labels for all festival hosts from computer files.
d. assist any of the officers in any duties for the benefit of the organization.
IV. Festivals
1. Eligibility
Student applicant must be a participating member of their schools music ensemble that occurs during regular school hours. This should be in accordance with the local school district’s rules.
2. Programs. The programs sponsored by the WCMEA are as follows:
Senior High Level grades 10-12 – Band and Chorus;
Middle School/Junior High Level grades 7 – 9 – Band and Chorus;
Elementary/Middle Level 6th grade ONLY – Chorus; grades 5-6 – Band
All Senior High Festivals are two day events.
All Junior High Festivals are a one day event with the option for a one and a half day event.
The 6th grade chorus festival is a one-half day event with the option for a full one day event.
An additional rehearsal within seven days of the actual scheduled date is left to the discretion of the host.
3. Festival dates. Festival dates are chosen by the hosts. The dates should not conflict with any scheduled PMEA festival/events.
4. Grade alignment.
Senior High Level includes grades 10, 11, 12.
Junior High Level includes grades 7, 8, and 9.
Elementary Chorus includes grade 6.
Elementary Band includes grades 5 and 6.
5. Applications
a. Selections of participants. Each selection committee shall consist of the host and a committee of the host’s choosing. Each application should be numbered according to the directions outlined by the host. The host will outline procedure from the Host Manual.
b. Application deadline. No applications will be accepted after the date of the selection committee meeting.
c. Approval. The approved application forms for all WCMEA festivals are found in the Host Manual. Only these forms will be accepted by the selection committee. All applications, medical forms, and director’s forms are required to have the proper signatures in order to participate in any festival.
d. Student withdraws from festival. In cases where students who have been selected find it necessary to withdraw, the host is authorized to select additional personnel to complete instrumentation or voicing. The host may also choose not to fill the position if the new student will not have sufficient time for music preparation.
e. Students must be present for the entire festival. Students who are selected to participate in WCMEA festivals MUST attend all rehearsals and the final performance. No one will be excused from rehearsals to leave the festival for any reason except physical illness.
f. Fees and surcharge
a. Festival fees. County festival fees shall be determined by the host. The participation fee for all WCMEA festivals shall be $4.00 per student. Any profit over $500.00 is subject to a 10% surcharge. The money is to be included with the participation fee and sent to the secretary/treasurer.
b. Reimbursement. Each festival host shall return to the WCMEA a sum amounting to $3.00 x the number of participants in their festival ensemble. Any profit over the amount of $500.00 is subject to a 10% surcharge. This amount will be payable within one month of the close of the festival. These funds are used to cover operating expenses of WCMEA.
c. Festival budget. Each festival host shall submit an itemized budget report to the Secretary/Treasurer within a month of the close of the festival.
6. Guest Conductor
a. Guest conductor. The host shall choose a guest conductor for all festivals. The host will complete the Guest Conductor Contract form found in the Host Manual.
b. Payment to guest conductor. The festival host will pay guest conductor’s fee, travel expense, hotel, and meals from the festival fee.
V. County Hosts
1. Host school. Any school desiring to serve as a host for a county festival event shall submit a letter from the superintendent or supervising principal stating this request to the county president.
2. Host manual. The host shall use the Host Manual prepared by the WCMEA as a guide in planning for their festival.
VI. Scholarship
1. Objective:
Award two (2) $1,500.00 scholarships – one each to a senior year chorus festival participant and band festival participant who plan to major in music education. One award will be announced at the Senior High County Chorus Festival, and another award at the Senior High County Band Festival.
2. Rationale:
a. Benefits the music education profession
b. Provides another purpose for the existence of the WCMEA festival
3. Electors:
a. Chorus – Three WCMEA chorus directors who do NOT have students auditioning will be chosen to audition by drawing names at the festival meeting.
b. Band – Three WCMEA band directors who do NOT have students auditioning will be chosen to audition by drawing names at the festival meeting.
c. In order to ensure that the judges there will be different selection committee members each year, the WCMEA President will place the names of school districts on index cards. Directors who have students auditioning for the scholarship and the host director will have their cards removed. The remaining cards will be placed in an envelope. The host of the festival will pull three cards. The directors from these schools will serve as the selection committee. The WCMEA President will escort the students to the audition room and check all applicant materials for accuracy.
4. Selection Criteria:
a. Successful completion of the WCMEA Scholarship Application
b. Successful completion of the audition requirement
c. Successful completion of the interview requirement
d. Successful completion of the WCMEA Festival
e. A student participating in a band or choral festival may audition on his/her major instrument regardless of the type of festival. Example: 1. a member of the county chorus whose major instrument will be the piano. 2. a member of the county band who is playing tenor saxophone but whose major instrument will be alto saxophone.
5. Awards Announcement:
a. Scholarship winners will be announced at the Westmoreland County Chorus and Band Festival Concerts.
b. A copy of the award letter will be kept in the President’s files and forwarded to the Secretary/Treasurer.
c. A student may audition at both county chorus and county band, but cannot receive two awards. Only one award will be given to a successful candidate.
d. Payment of the scholarship award will be made upon evidence of the first semester grades and second semester registration fees.
e. If there are no qualified applicants, the scholarship committee and officers will determine if the additional scholarship may be offered the following school year.
VII. Fiscal Responsibility
1. The authority and responsibility for the management and maintenance of good will and credit of the WCMEA is vested in the Executive Council, but it is expressly understood that neither the board nor any member thereof shall be required to accept personal responsibility for duly authorized bills or obligations that may develop from authorized activities of the organization carried on in good faith and in pursuit of the objectives, purposes, and activities prescribed by the Constitution and Bylaws of WCMEA.
2. Memorial Gifts. Permits officers of WCMEA to give a $100 memorial gift to the families of deceased WCMEA members.
VIII. Amendments to Bylaws
This constitution may be amended by two-thirds vote of the members voting at the fall meeting. The amendment must be presented at each of the festivals during the school year before any vote is taken.
IX. Parliamentary Authority
The parliamentary principles set forth in Roberts Rules of Order shall govern in all cases not covered by the Constitution and Bylaws.