Alabama Music Teachers Association
Affiliated with Music Teachers National Association
Bylaws
Article I: MEMBERSHIP
Section 1. Active membership is open to all persons professionally engaged or actively interested in any field of music who are members of MTNA. Such membership provides the privileges of participation in the activities of the Association, attendance at meetings upon the payment of the registration fee, holding office, and voting. Any question of membership status is referred to the Executive Board for a ruling.
Section 2. Student membership is open to all full-time college students currently involved in music study. Student members shall be entitled to attend programs of AMTA upon payment of the registration fee and to receive the official AMTA Newsletter, but shall not have the right to vote nor hold office. Subject to the MTNA By-Laws and Constitution, student members may apply for national certification and may enter students in any AMTA auditions or competitions.
Section 3. Honorary membership may be awarded to musicians who have been outstanding in their contributions to the field of teaching, or who have contributed in great measure to the activities and success of AMTA. Such membership carries the privilege of attending AMTA meetings without charge, but shall not include the right to vote, hold office, nor enter students in any events. Written nominations from the general membership shall be accepted at any time for approval by the Executive Board.
Section 4. AMTA strongly encourages its members to adopt the MTNA Code of Ethics as their personal model of professional conduct.
Section 5. No person who has been convicted of a crime involving the sexual or other abuse of a person shall be a member of AMTA. Any accusation that a member of AMTA has been convicted of such a crime shall be reported to the President of AMTA, who shall immediately report the accusation to the President of MTNA, who shall appoint a three-person committee to ascertain the validity of a conviction. If the committee substantiates that a person has been convicted of a crime involving sexual or other abuse of a person, the President of MTNA shall immediately terminate the membership and the certification (if any) of that person. Any action authorized by the MTNA President in this resolution may be appealed to the Board of Directors of MTNA. Any membership terminated under this section shall be reinstated upon the filing with the MTNA President of a certified copy of the judgment reversing the conviction.
Section 6. All AMTA members must hold membership in a local association. Failure to do so will result in the termination of AMTA membership. AMTA members holding membership in one local association are eligible to send students who live in other districts to those respective district auditions.
Section 7. Non-AMTA members may enter students in AMTA auditions subject to an additional non-member fee per student entered. This per student fee is due and payable upon registration according to the AMTA audition schedule.
Article II: DUTIES OF OFFICERS
Duties of all elected and appointed officers are outlined in the official AMTA Officers Handbook.
Article III: EXECUTIVE BOARD
Section 1. The Executive Board shall meet three times a year; at the annual conference in June, in late summer, and in mid-winter. Called meetings may be convened at the request of the President, or at the request of three Executive Board members, at least two of whom shall be elected officers.
Section 2. In an extreme measure, a quorum of the Executive Board (see Section 3) shall have power to formulate and adopt any temporary rules that will benefit and give security to the organization.
Section 3. A Quorum of the Executive Board shall be five members, at least two of whom shall be elected officers.
Section 4. The Executive Board shall determine AMTA policies within the limits of the Constitution and Bylaws. It shall actively pursue the purposes of the association and shall have discretion in the disbursement of all AMTA funds. It may adopt such rules and regulations for the conduct of AMTA business as shall be deemed advisable and may, in the execution of the powers granted, appoint such agents as it may consider necessary.
Article IV: STANDING AND SPECIAL COMMITTEES
Section 1. All standing committees are listed in the official AMTA Officers Handbook.
Section 2. The President may appoint any special committees deemed necessary.
Section 3. Chairmen of the standing committees may appoint members to their particular committees in consultation with the President and subject to the approval of the Executive Board.
Section 4. The President shall be an ex-officio member of all committees.
Article V: DUES AND FISCAL YEAR
Section 1. The Membership dues shall be set by the Executive Board, approved by a two-thirds majority of the board members present. Reduced rate dues shall be available for senior citizen and student members.
Section 2. The fiscal year is from July 1 to June 30.
Section 3. Late fees and penalties: MTNA sends all AMTA members a dues statement in April, which reflects the national, state, and local dues. On-time dues are received at the national office by July 1. Any AMTA dues paid after July 1st are delinquent and subject to a late fee. Members must pay their total dues to MTNA and the late fee to AMTA by October 1st to be eligible to send students to the AMTA District and State Auditions held that fiscal year. Members may renew their membership at any time by sending their total dues to MTNA and the late fee to AMTA during the fiscal year but will not be eligible to send students to the AMTA District and State Auditions unless those fees are current on October 1.
Section 4. Student memberships shall run from October 1 to September 30.
Article VI: DISTRICTS
Section 1. District chairmen serve as chairmen for all district workshops and meetings.
Section 2. District meetings are open to all members of AMTA.
Article VII: LOCAL ASSOCIATIONS
Section 1. Any regularly organized local Music Teachers Association may become affiliated with the Alabama Music Teachers Association by fulfilling the following:
(a) The President must be a member in good standing of the AMTA;
(b) The local association must guarantee that one hundred percent of its total active and associate membership will become active members of AMTA and of the MTNA during the first year of affiliation;
(c) The local association must file two (2) copies with the AMTA Secretary of the Local Association’s governing documents, the Constitution, Bylaws, and Articles of Incorporation, which are consistent with the parallel documents of AMTA and MTNA.
(d) Upon the fulfillment and submission of this documentation, the AMTA Executive Board shall approve the affiliation.
Section 2. Any local association affiliating with the AMTA may do so as an independent organization, and AMTA shall not, in any way, manner, or form have control in the affairs, business, or activities of the affiliated association. AMTA may act in an advisory capacity, but only at the specific request of the affiliated association.
Section 3. Each local association shall use the phrase “Affiliated with Alabama Music Teachers Association” in its official title. This specific phrase shall be included in the constitutions of all local affiliates.
Section 4. Annual renewal of a Local Association shall be made without reconsideration by AMTA provided that:
(a) The affiliate has not formally notified AMTA that it wishes to discontinue affiliation.
(b) All changes in the governing documents of the local affiliate have been filed with AMTA, and are consistent with the Constitution and Bylaws of AMTA and MTNA.
(c) The affiliate guarantees on the basis of submitted rosters that one hundred percent (100%) of its members meet the requirements of AMTA and MTNA active membership, and one hundred percent (100%) of its student members meet the requirements of AMTA and MTNA student membership.
Article VIII: SUBJECT-AREA SECTIONS
Section 1. Association members with a major interest in a particular area of music may, with the approval of the Executive Board, form a subject-area section.
Section 2. Each subject-area section may elect a chairman and secretary. Any procedures or activities adopted by the section shall be subject at all times to the approval of the Executive Board.
Article IX: PAST PRESIDENT’S COUNCIL
Section 1. The Past President’s Council is composed of all past presidents of AMTA and is chaired by the Immediate Past President.
Section 2. The Council shall meet once a year or more as deemed necessary.
Section 3. Questions of ethics, personnel, long-range goals, and general concern are the areas to be pursued by the Past President’s Council. Recommendations may be made by the Council to the Executive Board as deemed appropriate.
Article X: PARLIAMENTARY PROCEDURE
Robert’s Rules of Order (latest revision) shall govern the assembly, unless otherwise provided in these Bylaws.
Article XI: AMENDMENTS
These Bylaws may be amended upon the recommendation of the Executive Board at any annual meeting of the Association by a two-thirds vote of the members present. No proposition to amend may be acted upon unless a copy of the proposition is mailed to each active member at least thirty days prior to the meeting