BROOKYLN COMMUNITY CHORUS BYLAWS (updated February 2019)
1. Name and Mission. The name of this body is the Brooklyn Community Chorus. Our group is an independent community choir in Park Slope, Brooklyn, open to anyone who loves to sing a variety of music, sacred and secular, classical and popular, historic and contemporary. We draw our conductors and soloists from within the chorus and from the local community, and our choice of repertoire is often influenced by popular consent of the group. It is this spirit of democratic community that makes the Brooklyn Community Chorus unique, and truly a community organization. In addition to our full concert in June, we perform at various community venues and events throughout the year. Membership is open to adults 18 and over, and no auditions are required.
2. Management. An Executive Committee shall conduct the business of the Chorus, and will include the choir board, section leaders, and artistic director(s). The choir board will include at least five officers—President; Vice President; Treasurer; Secretary/Librarian; and Concert Manager. A minimum of four Section Leaders will be appointed by the board at the beginning of the year and will assist the Librarian/Secretary in maintaining attendance and other musical duties (ie. Sectional rehearsals, helping to teach parts, etc…). The Officers shall be elected at the end of the spring semester for the following year. In the case of a vacancy, the board will appoint an interim board member to complete the term. The choir board shall meet once a month or as needed; the full executive committee will meet quarterly. All decisions regarding changing bylaws will be passed by a 2/3 vote of the board.
3. Dues. Each member shall pay dues per term. The Treasurer shall be responsible for collection of dues with a deadline to be determined by the board. In cases of extreme hardship, individuals may request a reduction or waiver of dues; members of the board will review such requests. Dues may be reduced or waived at the discretion of the board in cases of exceptional contribution to the group.
4. Artistic Director and Accompanist. The board shall employ an Artistic Director or Directors and an Accompanist, as well as instrumentalists, and shall determine their fees. The Artistic Director(s) shall be responsible for selecting soloists from the chorus membership. The Artistic Director(s) shall also have the discretion to remove a member from a musical selection and/or program for artistic reasons, pending approval by the board.
5. Selection of Music. The Artistic Director(s) will select musical pieces and determine concert programs, with the consultation and input from chorus members and the Executive Committee. Guest conductors, small ensembles, and musicians will be invited to participate in concert programs by the Artistic Director(s), with the consultation and input from chorus members and the Executive Committee.
6. Membership Responsibilities. Members are expected to learn the music chosen for performances during a given term; section parts will be downloadable on the Brooklyn Community Chorus website. Members are expected to attend rehearsals and performances, show courtesy and respect toward fellow chorus members and directors, and inform their Section Leader when unavoidable conflicts arise or in the case of illness. A member with four absences or more will be brought to the attention of the Artistic Directors for review. A choir member’s participation in the chorus and performances can be restricted by the Artistic Director(s) (with Executive Committee approval) if they repeatedly fail to inform us of anticipated absences, missing consecutive rehearsals prior to a performance, or does not show courtesy and respect toward fellow chorus members and/or directors. Any member of the choir to miss more than one third of the rehearsals in a given semester may be asked to not continue that semester.