POETS NORTHWEST BY-LAWS
August 15, 2020
ARTICLE I – NAME
The name of this poetry group shall be Poets Northwest, a chapter of the Poetry Society of Texas.
ARTICLE II – HISTORY AND PURPOSE
Poets Northwest was formed in June 1986 in an effort to encourage poets in the Northwest area of Houston. The purpose of the group shall be to secure fuller public recognition of poetry, to encourage the writing of poetry, to assist poets in the publishing of their poetry, to teach various forms and techniques, and to kindle a finer and more intelligent appreciation of poetry. As a Chapter of the Poetry Society of Texas, Poets Northwest shall also highlight poets who interpret the spirit and heritage of Texas.
ARTICLE III – MEMBERSHIP
Only active dues-paying members are eligible to hold office, to vote in the election of officers, and to vote on proposed amendments to the By-Laws.
Active members shall pay annual membership dues for the year beginning January 1 and ending December 31. Dues cover postage, newsletter, contest prizes, and all other expenses decided upon by the Executive Board. The amount of dues will be decided by the Executive Board each year. Dues paid after June 30 will be half the regular membership fee
ARTICLE IV – MEETINGS
Monthly General Meetings shall be held and are open to the public, and shall include a program, a read-around where members and guests can share their poetry, and occasional cash prize contests. Times, dates, and location are set by, and can be changed at the discretion of, the Executive Board.
Executive Board meetings shall be determined by the President. A quorum to conduct business shall be 1/3 of the Executive Board present.
ARTICLE V – AMENDMENTS
Amendments to the By-Laws may be recommended at any Executive Board meeting and approved by a majority of the Board. Proposed amendments shall be voted on at a General Meeting by the membership, passing with a simple majority of those in attendance.
ARTICLE VI – STATIONERY
Stationery/letterhead shall carry the name of Poets Northwest and its logo; this can be an electronic form. Only Executive Board Members of Poets Northwest, and members specifically authorized by the Board, may use Poets Northwest stationery.
ARTICLE VII – ELECTION OF OFFICERS
The elected officers shall comprise the Executive Board. The Executive Board shall be responsible for evaluating and approving the business of Poets Northwest. It shall approve fundraising endeavors, publicity, programs, expenditures, and other decisions pertaining to the functioning of the Chapter.
Elected officers’ positions may be added or deleted by the approval of the Executive Board and changes will be noted in the By-Laws.
The term of office for elected officers shall be one fiscal year beginning Jan. 1 to Dec. 31. Turnover of officers is encouraged, but an elected officer may serve in the same office for more than one term, if there are no nominees to replace that position. Officers may serve in more than one position concurrently, but hold no more than three positions concurrently.
NOMINATING COMMITTEE. - The Executive Board will serve as the Nominating Committee. Nominees will be announced in the November Newsletter and presented at the November meeting where they will be voted on by the membership present. All nominees must be active dues-paying members. They will take office on January 1st of the following year.
Permission must be obtained from all nominees before they are nominated. Nominees may be named from the floor at the November General Meeting.
ARTICLE VIII – OFFICERS
All Executive Board members are encouraged to become members of the Poetry Society of Texas. The President must be a member of the Poetry Society of Texas or should join at his/her own expense as soon as possible after taking office.
A transitional Executive Board meeting shall be held in January including the Old Board and the New Board members. All information and materials pertaining to the office held will be transferred. By-Laws shall be distributed by the Secretary.
Should any officer be unable to fulfill his/her duty for any period of time during office, the Executive Board can determine a substitute for that office.
ARTICLE IX - DUTIES OF OFFICERS AND APPOINTEES
PRESIDENT – Shall preside at General Meetings and Executive Board meetings of Poets Northwest. The President shall select Committee Chairmen for various functions as approved by the Executive Board. All deeds and documents, except for checks, shall be signed in the name of Poets Northwest by the President and attested to by the Treasurer. The President shall be an alternate signer of checks in case the Treasurer is not available. If the Vice President is unavailable to introduce guest speaker/s, the President or an Executive Board Member will introduce them.
VICE PRESIDENT/PROGRAMS – Shall preside at meetings of Poets Northwest in the absence of the President. The Vice President/Programs shall arrange monthly programs, contact speakers, get biographical information, and provide any information material necessary to the program, including pencils and paper. He/she will provide program information to the Executive Board two weeks in advance of the General Meeting.
TREASURER – Shall be custodian of annual dues received from members and fundraising activities. He/she will also be responsible for receiving money paid for anthologies, Spring Fling, General Meeting Contests, workshops, and any other fundraising activities of Poets Northwest. The Treasurer will sign checks and provide for the President to sign in his/her absence.
The Treasurer will give a short report of expenditures and assets quarterly at the General Meeting. He/she shall notify the Membership officer of members who have not paid their annual dues and also of annual dues received from new members.
SECRETARY – Shall conduct special correspondence for Poets Northwest such as sending thank you letters to guest speakers, sending cards to those members in the hospital, and also to those who have lost an immediate family member. An important duty is to send out welcome letters to new members and enclose a copy of the By-Laws. He/she shall have Poets Northwest stationery on hand to share with other Executive Board Members. During Spring Fling, the Secretary will be available for any other secretarial duties which may be needed. Each month the Secretary will send a report of Poets Northwest’s meeting to PST for their monthly Bulletin. The secretary will take minutes of each Executive Board meeting and distribute them to Executive Board Members.
MEMBERSHIP Officer – shall be responsible for keeping an updated list of current members. The Membership Officer will inform the Executive Board of membership updates quarterly. The Membership Officer will work in conjunction with the Newsletter Editor to send out membership renewals and membership applications to all members active and inactive with the December Newsletter. An updated Membership List shall be sent with the May Newsletter. The Membership Officer shall also be responsible for bringing the guest register to each General Meeting.
NEWSLETTER Editor – Shall be responsible for publishing a monthly newsletter to be received by members at least one week prior to the General Meeting. It will include information about the program, directions to the meeting place, contest information, and any other pertinent information about upcoming events. Newsletter Editor shall keep a file of all Newsletters to be given to the Historian at the end of the year. In December, Newsletter Editor, working in conjunction with the Membership Officer, should send applications to active and inactive members with the Newsletter.
PUBLICITY Officer – Shall be responsible for all publicity of the organization using all appropriate media with the approval of the Executive Board. The Publicity Chair shall also take photos at each General Meeting and Events and give them to the Historian for the photo album. If the Publicity Officer cannot attend the meeting, he/she should ask another Board member to take the pictures.
JUDGE – Shall be responsible for judging poetry contests sponsored by Poets Northwest. The term for a judge shall be only one year.
EVENTS/FUNDRAISING Officer – Is responsible for decorating at Special Events such as Spring Fling. He/she will also find ways to raise money for activities such as our Anthology. He/she must check with the Executive Board to get approval for any type of fundraiser and the month in which to promote it.
HISTORIAN – Shall be responsible for keeping a record of the history of Poets Northwest, Newsletters, Logo, By-Laws, and any other information pertinent to the development of the Chapter over the years. Copies of the Anthologies will be kept on file as well as photo albums with pictures of members and special events. This position is appointed by the President and, as such, has no voting powers; duration of the office is determined by the President/Executive Board.
WEBMASTER – will oversee www.poetsnw.com. He/she will display current Board Members, History, monthly meetings, Newsletters, poems of members, and any other activities and events relative to the mission of Poets Northwest. This position is appointed by the President and, as such, has no voting powers; duration of the office is determined by the President/Executive Board.
ARTICLE X – SPECIAL COMMITTEES
The appointment of special committees shall be by the President with the approval of the Executive Board. Only dues-paid members may be appointed.
A special committee shall be appointed to handle the publishing of an anthology, as well as any major workshop as decided upon by the Executive Board.
ARTICLE XI – CONTESTS
Only dues-paid members may compete in General Meeting Contests.
The Spring Fling Annual Contest shall be held every year in May or June. A special committee shall be selected by the President and Executive Board to determine the date, place to be held, food, and other arrangements. Cash prize winners will read their poems at the event, receive certificates and checks, and Honorable Mention winners will receive certificates only. Checks will be written and signed by the Treasurer and the Certificates will be signed by the President.
A schedule of the duties of Board Members helping with the Spring Fling will be developed at the January Executive Board meeting.
August 15, 2020
ARTICLE I – NAME
The name of this poetry group shall be Poets Northwest, a chapter of the Poetry Society of Texas.
ARTICLE II – HISTORY AND PURPOSE
Poets Northwest was formed in June 1986 in an effort to encourage poets in the Northwest area of Houston. The purpose of the group shall be to secure fuller public recognition of poetry, to encourage the writing of poetry, to assist poets in the publishing of their poetry, to teach various forms and techniques, and to kindle a finer and more intelligent appreciation of poetry. As a Chapter of the Poetry Society of Texas, Poets Northwest shall also highlight poets who interpret the spirit and heritage of Texas.
ARTICLE III – MEMBERSHIP
Only active dues-paying members are eligible to hold office, to vote in the election of officers, and to vote on proposed amendments to the By-Laws.
Active members shall pay annual membership dues for the year beginning January 1 and ending December 31. Dues cover postage, newsletter, contest prizes, and all other expenses decided upon by the Executive Board. The amount of dues will be decided by the Executive Board each year. Dues paid after June 30 will be half the regular membership fee
ARTICLE IV – MEETINGS
Monthly General Meetings shall be held and are open to the public, and shall include a program, a read-around where members and guests can share their poetry, and occasional cash prize contests. Times, dates, and location are set by, and can be changed at the discretion of, the Executive Board.
Executive Board meetings shall be determined by the President. A quorum to conduct business shall be 1/3 of the Executive Board present.
ARTICLE V – AMENDMENTS
Amendments to the By-Laws may be recommended at any Executive Board meeting and approved by a majority of the Board. Proposed amendments shall be voted on at a General Meeting by the membership, passing with a simple majority of those in attendance.
ARTICLE VI – STATIONERY
Stationery/letterhead shall carry the name of Poets Northwest and its logo; this can be an electronic form. Only Executive Board Members of Poets Northwest, and members specifically authorized by the Board, may use Poets Northwest stationery.
ARTICLE VII – ELECTION OF OFFICERS
The elected officers shall comprise the Executive Board. The Executive Board shall be responsible for evaluating and approving the business of Poets Northwest. It shall approve fundraising endeavors, publicity, programs, expenditures, and other decisions pertaining to the functioning of the Chapter.
Elected officers’ positions may be added or deleted by the approval of the Executive Board and changes will be noted in the By-Laws.
The term of office for elected officers shall be one fiscal year beginning Jan. 1 to Dec. 31. Turnover of officers is encouraged, but an elected officer may serve in the same office for more than one term, if there are no nominees to replace that position. Officers may serve in more than one position concurrently, but hold no more than three positions concurrently.
NOMINATING COMMITTEE. - The Executive Board will serve as the Nominating Committee. Nominees will be announced in the November Newsletter and presented at the November meeting where they will be voted on by the membership present. All nominees must be active dues-paying members. They will take office on January 1st of the following year.
Permission must be obtained from all nominees before they are nominated. Nominees may be named from the floor at the November General Meeting.
ARTICLE VIII – OFFICERS
All Executive Board members are encouraged to become members of the Poetry Society of Texas. The President must be a member of the Poetry Society of Texas or should join at his/her own expense as soon as possible after taking office.
A transitional Executive Board meeting shall be held in January including the Old Board and the New Board members. All information and materials pertaining to the office held will be transferred. By-Laws shall be distributed by the Secretary.
Should any officer be unable to fulfill his/her duty for any period of time during office, the Executive Board can determine a substitute for that office.
ARTICLE IX - DUTIES OF OFFICERS AND APPOINTEES
PRESIDENT – Shall preside at General Meetings and Executive Board meetings of Poets Northwest. The President shall select Committee Chairmen for various functions as approved by the Executive Board. All deeds and documents, except for checks, shall be signed in the name of Poets Northwest by the President and attested to by the Treasurer. The President shall be an alternate signer of checks in case the Treasurer is not available. If the Vice President is unavailable to introduce guest speaker/s, the President or an Executive Board Member will introduce them.
VICE PRESIDENT/PROGRAMS – Shall preside at meetings of Poets Northwest in the absence of the President. The Vice President/Programs shall arrange monthly programs, contact speakers, get biographical information, and provide any information material necessary to the program, including pencils and paper. He/she will provide program information to the Executive Board two weeks in advance of the General Meeting.
TREASURER – Shall be custodian of annual dues received from members and fundraising activities. He/she will also be responsible for receiving money paid for anthologies, Spring Fling, General Meeting Contests, workshops, and any other fundraising activities of Poets Northwest. The Treasurer will sign checks and provide for the President to sign in his/her absence.
The Treasurer will give a short report of expenditures and assets quarterly at the General Meeting. He/she shall notify the Membership officer of members who have not paid their annual dues and also of annual dues received from new members.
SECRETARY – Shall conduct special correspondence for Poets Northwest such as sending thank you letters to guest speakers, sending cards to those members in the hospital, and also to those who have lost an immediate family member. An important duty is to send out welcome letters to new members and enclose a copy of the By-Laws. He/she shall have Poets Northwest stationery on hand to share with other Executive Board Members. During Spring Fling, the Secretary will be available for any other secretarial duties which may be needed. Each month the Secretary will send a report of Poets Northwest’s meeting to PST for their monthly Bulletin. The secretary will take minutes of each Executive Board meeting and distribute them to Executive Board Members.
MEMBERSHIP Officer – shall be responsible for keeping an updated list of current members. The Membership Officer will inform the Executive Board of membership updates quarterly. The Membership Officer will work in conjunction with the Newsletter Editor to send out membership renewals and membership applications to all members active and inactive with the December Newsletter. An updated Membership List shall be sent with the May Newsletter. The Membership Officer shall also be responsible for bringing the guest register to each General Meeting.
NEWSLETTER Editor – Shall be responsible for publishing a monthly newsletter to be received by members at least one week prior to the General Meeting. It will include information about the program, directions to the meeting place, contest information, and any other pertinent information about upcoming events. Newsletter Editor shall keep a file of all Newsletters to be given to the Historian at the end of the year. In December, Newsletter Editor, working in conjunction with the Membership Officer, should send applications to active and inactive members with the Newsletter.
PUBLICITY Officer – Shall be responsible for all publicity of the organization using all appropriate media with the approval of the Executive Board. The Publicity Chair shall also take photos at each General Meeting and Events and give them to the Historian for the photo album. If the Publicity Officer cannot attend the meeting, he/she should ask another Board member to take the pictures.
JUDGE – Shall be responsible for judging poetry contests sponsored by Poets Northwest. The term for a judge shall be only one year.
EVENTS/FUNDRAISING Officer – Is responsible for decorating at Special Events such as Spring Fling. He/she will also find ways to raise money for activities such as our Anthology. He/she must check with the Executive Board to get approval for any type of fundraiser and the month in which to promote it.
HISTORIAN – Shall be responsible for keeping a record of the history of Poets Northwest, Newsletters, Logo, By-Laws, and any other information pertinent to the development of the Chapter over the years. Copies of the Anthologies will be kept on file as well as photo albums with pictures of members and special events. This position is appointed by the President and, as such, has no voting powers; duration of the office is determined by the President/Executive Board.
WEBMASTER – will oversee www.poetsnw.com. He/she will display current Board Members, History, monthly meetings, Newsletters, poems of members, and any other activities and events relative to the mission of Poets Northwest. This position is appointed by the President and, as such, has no voting powers; duration of the office is determined by the President/Executive Board.
ARTICLE X – SPECIAL COMMITTEES
The appointment of special committees shall be by the President with the approval of the Executive Board. Only dues-paid members may be appointed.
A special committee shall be appointed to handle the publishing of an anthology, as well as any major workshop as decided upon by the Executive Board.
ARTICLE XI – CONTESTS
Only dues-paid members may compete in General Meeting Contests.
The Spring Fling Annual Contest shall be held every year in May or June. A special committee shall be selected by the President and Executive Board to determine the date, place to be held, food, and other arrangements. Cash prize winners will read their poems at the event, receive certificates and checks, and Honorable Mention winners will receive certificates only. Checks will be written and signed by the Treasurer and the Certificates will be signed by the President.
A schedule of the duties of Board Members helping with the Spring Fling will be developed at the January Executive Board meeting.
