Last updated 7/2024
Article I
Purpose
Hart County Community Theatre (hereinafter referred to as “HCCT”) is organized for the following purposes: to foster, encourage, and develop popular public appreciation of all dramatic and theatrical productions; to provide means, equipment, and facilities to afford qualified persons an opportunity to acquire knowledge of the science of stagecraft and practical experience in theatre production; to provide means, equipment, and facilities to afford qualified writers, actors and others a medium through which their compositions may be presented to the public; to own, lease, operate, and maintain one or more workshops and theatres; to maintain a historic building in downtown Hartwell; to cultivate, promote, foster, sponsor, and develop the understanding, taste, and love of the dramatic and theatrical arts; to educate the public about any and all elements of the theatrical arts; and to do all and everything necessary, suitable and proper for the attainment of any of the purposes, the accomplishment of any of the objects, or the furtherance of any of the powers hereinabove set forth.
Article II
Membership
To become a member of Hart County Community Theatre a person must:
- Volunteer in a minimum of three (3) events or shows in a season or
- Volunteer a minimum of 20 hours in a season or
- Serve in a department or on a committee or
- Be on the Board of Directors and
- Be a minimum age of eighteen (18) and
- Continue to meet these requirements each year.
- Membership will not be designated by financial donations.
Section 1: Membership and all activities and privileges of this corporation are voluntary. The eligibility for membership shall be determined by such rules and regulations as are adopted by the Board of Directors and in force at the time.
Section 2: Members agree to be bound by those by-laws and amendments hereby adopted.
Section 3: Each member of this organization shall be entitled to one vote in all matters requiring a vote of the membership. There shall be no voting by proxy.
Section 4: Membership will run between June 1 and the last day of the month that the Annual Meeting is held. A membership starts the day you achieve one of the criteria defined in Article II.
Privileges for membership are:
Rights to nominate (if needed at the annual meeting) and vote for the Board of Directors at the annual meeting.
Article III
Finances
Section 1: The corporation’s fiscal year shall begin June 1 of each year and end on May 31 of the following calendar year.
Section 2: The corporation is authorized to receive gifts, donations, and grants to finance the objectives of the corporation.
Section 3: There shall be an independent audit/financial review each year. Said audit shall be made available for review by the membership upon request.
Article IV
Meetings
Section 1: An annual meeting of the membership shall be held in June of each year. The Board of Directors shall set the exact date. All other meetings shall be held at the call of the Board of Directors. Fifteen (15) members present shall constitute a quorum at meetings of the membership at large including the Board of Directors. In the event fifteen (15) members cannot be present. The annual meeting will be postponed until such time as 15 members can be present. The current board will continue to operate in good faith. If a quorum is not able to be reached by the end of the current year the board will be considered disbanded and the theater closed.
Section 2: A regular meeting of the Board of Directors shall be held each month on a date set by the board, unless otherwise determined by the President. A quorum shall be a simple majority of Directors currently in office.
Section 3: Board of Directors shall make every effort to attend no fewer than nine (9) meetings per year, unless approved by the President. Three (3) meetings missed without an acceptable excuse shall be grounds for removal from the Board of Directors. Directors must be physically present or present via electronic means (i.e. Zoom) for at least 75% of a meeting to be counted as present for that meeting.
Article V
Board of Directors
Section 1: The executive directors of the organization shall be a President, Vice President, Secretary, and a Treasurer. At the first meeting of the board following the annual meeting of the general membership the executive directors shall be elected by a simple majority from the Board of directors and shall serve for a term of one (1) year but are eligible for re-election as long as they are on the Board.
Section 2: The President shall preside at all meetings of the Board of Directors. S/He shall appoint all committees and shall be an ex-officio member of each committee. S/He shall also perform all the usual functions of the President of a non-profit organization. This includes, but is not limited to, acting as a liaison between the theatre and the community, preparing the agenda for the monthly meetings with the assistance of the vice president.
Section 3: In the event of the absence of the President or the President’s inability to perform his/her duties, the Vice-President shall assume said duties. S/He shall chair one of the standing committees or Departments.
Section 4: The Secretary shall keep the minutes of each meeting and shall assist the committees and/or Departments with which may include marketing, publicity, fundraising, grant writing, and benevolence.
Section 5: The Treasurer shall keep an accurate record of all monies received and disbursed by the corporation. A separate record shall be kept for each individual play or performance. These records shall be on file at a place accessible by the Board of Directors.
S/He shall deposit all monies received in one or more banks and/or savings and loan institutions located in the City of Hartwell. S/He shall make investments in such assets as are approved by the Board of Directors. All such investments shall be in the name of the corporation.
The Treasurer shall use the available funds of the corporation to pay all its just bills. S/ He shall be responsible for the renewal of Articles of Incorporation and non-profit mailing permit.
The Treasurer shall submit records to the independent auditor yearly. At each annual meeting, the treasurer shall submit a written report for the fiscal year just ended.
The Treasurer and President shall be named as designated signatories for the general bank account for Hart County Community Theatre and its branches.
Section 6: A nominating committee, for election of Board of Directors, consisting of a sitting Board member, a member at large, and chaired by a Past President shall present a slate of Board of Directors at the annual meeting. Nominations from the floor shall also be accepted. Nominees must be present. In the event of the absence of the immediate a Past President, any member of a past executive board may be selected to chair the committee.
The Board of Directors shall consist of no fewer than nine (9) nor more than eleven (11) members to be elected from the membership at the annual meeting by a simple majority of those present. The term of office shall be three (3) years with staggered terms. No Board of Directors shall be eligible for re-election after serving two (2) full terms until at least one (1) year has passed.
Section 7: If necessary, under the terms of Article V, Section 6, a vacancy on the Board of Directors or in any office on the Executive Directors shall be filled for the remainder of its current term by the Board of Directors at a duly convened meeting. Partial terms are not counted against a Board of Director when determining eligibility as defined in Section 6.
Section 8: A Board Director and/or member can be removed from their position for cause by a 2/3 vote of the standing Board of Directors. A Board of Director must be present to vote.
Section 9: Standing department heads shall be appointed by the President within 45 days following the annual meeting.
Article VI
Standing Departments
Section 1: Not including the executive directors defined in Article 5, Section 1, the Board shall include the following Departments:
- Facilities
- Production
- Set & Tech
- Marketing
- Grants & Fundraising
- Front of House
- At Large
Section 2: Each standing Department shall be headed by a Board of Director. Members for each department shall be voted on by the Board of Directors.
Section 3: A Table of Organizations (hereinafter referred to as TO) shall be maintained by the Secretary.