Standing Committees




	STANDING COMMITTEES GENERAL INFORMATION Qualifications Appointment and terms Budgets Reports Attendance at Meetings The Standing Committees of the Society are: Executive Committee Long-Range Planning Committee Development Committee Membership Committee Conference Site Selection Committee Nominating Committee Book Publications Subvention Committee Sight and Sound Committee Silent Auction Committee Honors and Awards Committee Cultural Diversity Committee Education Committee Finance Committee Public Relations Committee 1. Qualifications All appointees shall be members in good standing in the Society. 2. Appointment and terms Committee chairs and committee members are appointed by the president for two-year renewable terms. In general, no committee chair or member is to serve for more than four consecutive years on the same committee. Appointments should be made on a rotating basis to ensure continuity of membership, and with a consideration of developing the leadership and visibility of the Society's diverse members. 3. Budgets Budget requests for committee activities must be submitted to the Finance Committee for inclusion in the budget preparation and circulation to the Board. 4. Reports In a timely fashion, all committee chairs must submit a written report to the secretary for circulation to the Board before its spring meeting. The president may request reports at other times as well. At the president's discretion, committee chairs may report orally to the members at the annual business meeting. 5. Attendance at meetings Committee chairs may be invited to attend those Board meetings at which deliberations of direct import to their committee business are being held. If such deliberations require attendance at interim Board meetings, with approval of the president financial assistance for half of the travel expenses may be requested. STANDING COMMITTEES 1. Executive Committee The executive committee is a standing committee of the Board of Trustees, and may exercise all the powers of the Board during the interim period between meetings of the Board. 2. Long-Range Planning Committee a. Charge The committee assesses long-range needs and goals for the purpose of realizing the mission of Society for American Music. It works with all the committees of the Society to develop the policies that will effect these long-range needs and goals. The Long Range Plan should be re-evaluated every four or six years, or as needed. b. Membership The long-range planning committee is made up of the vice president and five other members as deemed appropriate by the president. The term of the committee is two years. c.Procedures 1) Each Long Range Plan must be approved first by the Board and then by the general membership at the annual meeting. 2) The committee spends its first year reviewing the plan and the second year in dialog with the Board and the Society's membership on the final construction of the plan. 3) The ongoing evaluation and reporting on the status of the Long Range Plan is the duty of the vice president of the Society. 3. Development Committee a. Charge. The development committee is responsible for developing the resources (exclusive of dues) for the furthering of the goals of the Society. The goals of the committee are: 1) to develop guidelines and strategies for fund-raising and to serve as liaison with funding institutions, grant-giving agencies, foundations and patrons; 2) to formulate policy and make recommendations for the solicitations for, receipt of, and response to gifts to the Society. 3) to formally acknowledge all gifts to the Society and to notify the president of gifts of $100 or more, which are also acknowledged by the president. b. Membership The development committee is comprised of a chair who is not on the Board, the treasurer, the first-vice-president, one other Board member, and two non-Board members. The president and executive director will serve ex-officio. The term of office of committee members is four years, and it is a rotating committee with staggered membership. The chair is a member of the long-range planning committee. c. Guidelines Society for American Music Board has identified the need for strategic development efforts as a primary goal to ensure ongoing financial stability for key programs. Financial support will be obtained through: 1) Annual Giving: Continue solicitation of annual gifts with the dues renewal notice: provide a detailed slate of specific giving options, including the Lowens Fund; consider adding Interest Groups as an area of special contribution. 2) Major Gifts: Develop a list of priority projects consistent with the direction and programs of the Society. Determine the appropriate endowment levels as funding goals. Identify potential major donors and plan solicitations toward those goals. Other considerations: 1) Each of the major gifts that are approved for our priority slate should be accompanied by a short description describing the nature and significance of the gift. A printed presentation list of the annotated priority needs should be prepared. 2) Each major gift will require a memorandum of understanding, stating the purpose of the gift, its amount, the terms, etc. It is desirable that we have an external consultant with legal and development experience in drafting/checking these memoranda. 4. Membership Committee a. Charge. The membership committee coordinates efforts to attract new members and retain old ones for the Society. The chair is a member of the Long-Range Planning Committee. b. Membership The committee is comprised chiefly of area representatives for the major regions of the U. S. and Canada, England, Europe, and elsewhere as appropriate. These appointees become official ambassadors for the Society in their area. They represent the Society at local professional meetings, staff exhibits as appropriate, and help the executive director staff the exhibit at the annual conference of the Society. They also assist the membership chair in various other ways, such as in national mailing campaigns and special projects. In general, the Area Representatives serve for four years. Other members of the committee are appointed to help with exhibit arrangements and other tasks. c. Projects The chair works with the committee to determine approaches for reaching potential new members and plans projects that will attract and maintain membership. These projects many involve redesigning promotional material, writing short articles, organizing exhibits, promotional mailings, in-Society activities which will improve service to members, or other appropriate activities. d. Promotional materials The membership committee oversees the preparation of promotional material designed to educate the public about the goals and activities of the Society, and attract members to the Society or subscribers to American Music. Materials are produced in consultation with the membership committee and the executive director. The Board must approve such material before it may be printed and distributed. 5. Conference Site Selection Committee a. Charge The Conference Site Selection Committee solicits, screens, and recommends Board action on invitations from potential hosts for annual conferences. b. Qualifications for chair and members The chair should have "high visibility" within the Society, a broad acquaintance with as many Society members as possible to solicit ideas for locating conference sites, site hosts, local arrangements and program committee chairs, and the like. The chair likewise should have an aptitude for organizing a wide range of activities and coordinating them with several other members over a protracted period of time. Likely candidates for membership on this committee include former local arrangements and program chairs. c. Term of office Ideally, the chair should inherit, maintain and bequeath a minimum three-year lead time for agreed-upon conference cities upon assuming, keeping, and leaving the office. d. Job profile In consultation with the president, the chair assembles a committee of three or more members to seek out conference sites, identify Society members residing in the area of the hoped-for site to act as hosts, and effect the conveyance of complete invitations to the Board. e. Schedule A recommendation for a conference site should be ready to present to the Society Board three years in advance of the conference. Presentations can be made at a Board mid-year meeting (three and a half years before the conference.) Readiness means the securing of a complete invitation from a host institution, identifying organizations intending to meet jointly, clearing potential scheduling conflicts in the locale, and identifying a potential local arrangements chair. f. Invitation to meet A complete invitation consists of a formal letter from a host institution, inviting the Society to meet for specific dates; a commitment for availability of housing, meeting rooms, and other facilities; and background information on the site, events planned concurrently, organizations meeting jointly, and other factors of interest in attracting attendance at the conference. Once a recommendation is accepted by the Board, the chair notifies the individual responsible for the invitation in writing, and the President writes an official letter of acceptance on behalf of the Society to the host institution, with copies to the individual and the Conference Site Selection Committee Chair. g. Timing of the conference The annual conference is held in the spring, and by Board policy should be planned to be over by April 1. Special conferences are usually planned for the summer. In planning conferences, special care should be taken not to conflict with annual or regional meetings of other societies, particularly with the AMS, MLA, CMS, MENC, AFS, SEM, ICTM, IAML, and IASPM. h. It is customary to vary the location and the nature of the conferences. Chairs need to be sensitive to the need for geographic balance, interesting conference themes inspired by the location of the conference or organizations wishing to meet jointly, and any other factor that would satisfy the Society members in their work with American music. i. Conference Site Selection policy. 1. General principles governing selection of sites and host institutions for national conferences of the Society. a) The choice of sites should reflect the geographic and cultural diversity of North America, with the conference site normally moving from region to region from year to year. b) Every effort should be made to select sites that will encourage participation by as much of the Society as possible, and to ensure that all persons interested in the subject matter of the conference will be made to feel welcome. c) The Society does not discriminate on the basis of race, gender, religion, sexual orientation, or physical disability. 2. Procedure for selection. a) The Conference Site Selection Committee, in conjunction with the Conference Manager, consults with the President and members of the Board during the site selection process so that a consensus on the desirability of potential sites can be reached as early as possible. b) All potential sites for national conferences should satisfy the general principles listed above. Prospective host institutions will be asked to address the Society's non-discrimination policy in their proposals, and should provide the names of other representative groups that have used the site in the past for reference. c) Proposals from prospective host institutions should also address the following specific areas of concern: attractiveness of the site, accessibility of transportation, availability of accommodations that are centrally located, potential dates, and likelihood of financial or other support. d) Once a proposal for a national conference site has been received, or before the Society actively solicits such a proposal, any questions or concerns about the suitability of a site should be informally aired among elected or appointed officials of the Society and such other members of the Society as deemed appropriate. The chair of the Site Selection Committee, with the aid and advice of the Conference Manager, the President, and the Board, will be charged with exploring any expressed concerns, with the results of such inquiries maintained in the records of the Site Selection Committee and summarized in its report to the Board. All such inquiries will be conducted confidentially, expeditiously, and with sensitivity and fairness to both Society members and the prospective host. e) The Site Selection Committee will present recommendations for future sites to the Board well in advance of projected conferences. The Board's decision to accept or reject the committee's recommendations is normally made three years before a specific conference. 3. Policy after a conference has been contracted. a) Once a contract for a hotel at an approved conference site has been signed, the Society is not free to cancel a conference unless the terms of the contract have not been met. b) Should circumstances arise that would alienate a sizeable number of potential attendees from a contracted conference site, the membership must be advised of the financial and/or legal consequences to the Society of sharply reduced attendance or outright cancellation of a conference, so that individuals may weigh their moral or ethical obligations against their interest in ensuring the continued viability of the Society. c) Should the Society decide to proceed with a conference over the objections of part of the membership, the Board will encourage the Program Committee to create special forums addressing the issues under concern in the program of the conference. j. Conference management policy 1. Finances. a) The Society will control and manage its own conferences. b) Financial control of conferences rests with the Society's Executive Director with the assistance and oversight of the Conference Manager. All income for the conference is deposited to the Society's conference account, and the Executive Director makes all payments, as approved by the Conference Manager. c) Contracts are required for all hired services, including performers, special speakers, space, equipment, and facilities. d) The Society's policy is that conferences should not operate at a loss. 2. Site selection, timing, and venue. a) The Conference Manager works closely with the Conference Site Selection Committee in the solicitation of invitations and in the evaluation and selection of potential sites. b) The Conference Site Selection Committee solicits and obtains invitations from prospective host institutions to hold a conference in a particular city. Acceptance of an invitation and approval of the specific site and date is the responsibility of the Board of Trustees, upon recommendation of the Committee. c) The dates for conferences should fall between the last week of February and the first week of April if possible. Care is taken to avoid conflicts with religious holidays and overlaps with conferences of similar societies. Deviations from this time frame should be cleared with the Board. Advantages of earlier or later conference dates should be weighed against disadvantages; of particular importance are potential problems associated with early conference dates, including a telescoped schedule for acceptance of papers, publication of program, preparation and distribution of conference materials, etc. d) Combined meetings with other societies are encouraged, but plans must be made early and approval for the joint meeting received from the Board. e) Conferences normally should be held in hotels rather than on university campuses. Among the factors to be considered in hotel selection should be cost; proximity to main sites of local interest; easy access to a variety of food services; ready availability of public transportation and free parking for day attendees. Attendees are responsible for making their own reservations for lodging. 3. Conference management. a) The Conference Manager, hired on a part-time basis by the Board, oversees the planning, organization, and administration of all conferences and serves as facilitator to the Local Arrangements Committee (LAC) and the Program Committee (PC). Once a site has been approved and chairs of both committees appointed, the Conference Manager supplies each chair with the Conference Management and Planning Handbook. b) The Conference Manager is responsible for the following major areas: 1) the identification of appropriate hotels, conferring with Local Arrangements Committee on the final hotel selection, and contract negotiation; 2) the overall management of the conference budget in cooperation with the Local Arrangements chair 3)negotiation and signing of contracts for special services; 4)planning and arrangements for exhibitors; c) The Executive Director of the Society serves in an advisory role for all matters involving the conference and is responsible for typesetting the conference announcement and program book, the management of the Silent Auction, pre-registration, and attendee name tags. In addition, the Executive Director is responsible for the financial records, invoice payments, and reconciliation of the conference budget. d) The Local Arrangements Committee Chair works with the Conference Manager on hotel selection and special events, and is the person in charge during the conference. The LAC is responsible for host institution involvement, local hospitality, promotion and publicity, conference folders, on-site registration, and staff to assist during the conference. e) The Program Committee is responsible for announcing, selecting, and organizing the conference program, including papers, presentations, performances, workshops, forums, and panels. The PC works with the LAC and the Conference Manager on plans for invited performers and speakers, equipment needs, performance venues, and special events. 6. Nominating Committee a. Charge The Nominating Committee is responsible for the annual slate of candidates for the Board of Trustees. In addition, the committee helps the president and committee chairs identify potential candidates for other tasks within the Society as needed. b. Membership 1) The chair presides over a committee of four (4) to seven (7) members, constituted according to Article V, Sect. 2 of the bylaws. Members of the committee and their spouses/partners cannot be considered for office during their term on the committee. 2) The chair must be an active participant at Society meetings and in other business of the Society. Experience as a member of the Board is highly desirable. The chair should be generally acquainted with a large number of members of the Society, and have some knowledge of their professional work, their aptitude and willingness to work for the goals of the Society. 3) The committee should represent as broad a spectrum of the Society membership as possible, balanced in terms of interests, backgrounds, and experience. They should be regular attendees at Society conferences and have a wide acquaintanceship within the Society. It is desirable that at least one member of the committee, in addition to the chair, have served on the Board. c. Term of office The committee is newly constituted every two years by the president in consultation with the president-elect and the Board. The chair must be appointed prior to the annual meeting at which the committee's term begins. Continuity between successive committees is important, but normally no more than one (1) member of the previous committee should be reappointed. d. Job profile 1) Apportioning of the work load is left to the chair, who should expect to do much of the general secretarial work alone. The chair must keep in close contact with all committee members and the president throughout the term of office. 2) The committee should solicit candidates and suggestions for candidates from the Board, committee chairs, and the Society at large. The president and the Long Range Planning Committee should advise the committee as to what skills, expertise, or other qualities are needed for each slate of candidates. e. Schedule 1) Within one month after the annual meeting, the chair should prepare a timetable for preparation of the slate. The Chair of the Nominating Committee compiles a list of possible candidates and submits the list to the President who then consults with the Board via email. The Board approves the list or suggests revisions. The Chair and committee refine the list as needed, re-submitting to the President if needed. The Chair then contacts prospective candidates, advising that Board approval of the slate is needed; The Chair submits a slate of willing candidates to the Board. When presented, this slate is accompanied by full biographical information on each candidate and assurance that the candidates meet the qualifications as defined in f) below. The approved slate and biographies are due to the Executive Director by October 1 for preparation for printing. 2) Each year (beginning in 1999), four (4) candidates for two (2) slots as members-at-large will be proposed. In the first year of the committee's term, two (2) candidates for the office of president-elect will be nominated. In the second year of the committee's term, two (2) candidates for the office of vice president will be nominated, as well as candidates for the offices of secretary and treasurer, who, if incumbents, according to the bylaws may run unopposed by decision of the Board. 3) The elections are carried out under the direction of the executive director. Ballots are sent to the membership by mail along with the annual dues statement. Tellers appointed according to Article III, Sect. 2 of the bylaws count and report the results to the president and the nominating committee chair. The president then notifies all candidates of the results of the election. 4) The chair announces the results of the election at the annual business meeting. f. Guidelines for selection of candidates 1) Every effort should be made to seek a broad range of diverse candidates, in terms of professional activities, research interests, geography, race/ethnicity, gender, and age (senior/junior scholars). The slate should, insofar as possible, include candidates who complement the skills of on-going members of the Board and who bring to the Board skills which have been identified by the president and the Long Range Planning Committee as needed. However, the primary criteria for selection are excellence of work, desire and ability to serve, and potential contributions the candidate can make to the Board. 2) Qualifications for office are listed under each office in this Handbook. In addition to these specific criteria, it is advisable to select candidates who have a record of active interest in the Society, either through committee work or by serving the Society in some way besides presenting papers at conferences. 3) All candidates must be members in good standing. Candidates for the Board of Trustees must not be currently holding another elected office. 7. Book Publications Subvention Committee a. Charge The Book Publications Subvention Committee will facilitate the publication of material that normally has difficulty achieving publication: surveys of repertory, bibliographical essays, lists, guides, discographies, teaching aids, seminal dissertations not readily available, as well as more traditional or standard kinds of projects concerned with American music that do not fit into traditional or standard modes of publication and that would not be published without financial assistance. The committee will work closely with other Society committees to assist in the publication of their projects. It welcomes suggestions and proposals from scholars both within and without the Society. The committee will consist of five members. While the committee will be happy to advise and encourage authors, it should not be expected to edit manuscripts nor can it recommend subventions to the Board until a manuscript has been completed. In all cases, the Board must approve committee recommendations for the expenditure of funds. b. Recommendations 1) Endorsement The Society may endorse research projects, manuscripts, and other programs that further the mission of the Society. Endorsement attaches the Society's name to the program, project, or manuscript, as a stamp of approval. The publication committee should supply text of any letter or announcement to be issued by the Society upon the Board's approval of a favorable recommendation to endorse. 2) Funding The committee makes recommendations to the Board for the funding or subsidy of projects, manuscripts, and programs. Funds available for support and subvention are from the H. Earle Johnson Fund. This fund was established in 1989 through a bequest to the Society from H. Earle Johnson. By Board action, a maximum of 4.5% of the value of the fund on December 31 of the previous year can be used for subvention of publications in American music studies. 3) Sponsorship The committee may recommend that the Society undertake the proposed project, manuscript, or program through formal sponsorship, perhaps extending to (but not limited to) funding, staffing, administration, accounting, and reporting. A favorable recommendation to the Board should indicate which members or officers of the Society are willing to undertake these responsibilities. c. Guidelines 1) Eligibility Only completed, original manuscripts, already accepted for publication and scheduled to appear within twelve (12) months of the announcement of the year's award are eligible for consideration. Requests for subventions must come from the publisher with a statement indicating the impact of the subvention on the eventual price of the book or the costs borne by the author, and a list of other subvention awards to which the publisher or author is making application. When essay collections are proposed, all authors/editors listed in the proposal must have their work appear in the completed book or, at the discretion of the Board, the award money can be forfeited. Publishers should indicate that they have received final permission from all contributors prior to submission of the proposal. Only works whose author is a member in good standing of the Society are eligible to receive a subvention. 2) Procedures a) Applications should be submitted to the H. Earle Johnson Book Subventions Committee by November 15, which will make its recommendations with brief justifications to the board at the spring board meeting, and announce the awards at the annual conference. The maximum award possible is $2,500.00; small award requests are invited and encouraged. b) Application letter (six copies) should include the following: 1. A statement about publication plans. (Note: before application for a subvention can be made, a publisher must have agreed to put out the work) 2. Detailed financial statement, including: a breakdown of publication costs showing format, print run, and projected costs; specific request for amount from the committee; indication of the impact of subvention on the price of the book 3. Brief curriculum vita 4. Outline of proposed publication (including table of contents) 5. Sample chapter or excerpt from work c) Each recommendation for funding should include author's name and address, full title of the work, publisher, check payee's name, and acquiring editor's [or other appropriate] name and address to which the award letter will be sent. d) After the committee has deliberated and decided upon the year's awardees, the chair of the committee shall submit to the board a statement regarding the proposed recipient(s) of the award(s) as background for the board's ratification vote. After approval of the committee's recommendation, the committee chair will submit the statement to the chair of public relations for publicity purposes. The chair of the committee will announce the recipients of teh H. Earle Johnson Book Subvention Award at the annual conference, or designate a substitute if s/he is unable to attend. N.B. The committee is not obligated to make any awards at all, or to use the total $5,000.00 if it determines that there are insufficient qualifying proposals. Monies not used in an award cycle will be returned to the treasury and ecome part of the general fund. Unused monies do not accumulate from year to year. Any number of awards may be given, as long as none exceeds the $2,500.00 limit. Committee members should keep in mind, however, the costs of publishing and avoid making too small awards to be genuinely useful. 3) Funding cycle Applications may be made at any time, but applicants should anticipate a long waiting period. To receive consideration for the next award, hard copies of the application should be received by the committee chair no later than November 15. 4) Requirements An appropriate credit line should appear on the copyright page with the following wording: "Publication of this book was supported in part by a grant from the H. Earle Johnson Fund of the Society for American Music." A copy of each supported work is to be deposited in the Society's archives together with published reviews. 5) Public announcement of subventions All subventions for a given year will be announced at the same time at the annual business meeting. 6) Post award procedures Once the subvention awards are approved and announced, the President writes letters to the acquiring editor of the press of publication, or where appropriate, the author or other designated person and encloses the award check obtained from the executive director. The letter should give the required credit line and the address to which the archive copy is to be sent. Non-awardees under consideration are notified in writing of the decision by the chair of the committee with a simple, brief letter. This should go out within 30 days of the announcement of the year's awardees. 8. Sight and Sound Committee a. Charge The Sight and Sound Subvention Committee will make recommendations to the Board regarding financial assistance to facilitate the publication of non-print material concerning American music. Such material may be video cassettes, recordings, CD-ROMs, radio programs, or other projects that further the Society's mission and goals. In all cases, the Board must approve committee recommendations for the expenditure of funds. b. Recommendations 1) Endorsement The Society may endorse research projects, manuscripts, and other programs that further the mission of the Society. Endorsement attaches the Society's name to the program, project, or manuscript, as a stamp of approval. The publication committee should supply text of any letter or announcement to be issued by the Society upon the Board's approval of a favorable recommendation to endorse. 2) Funding The source of funds for support and subvention of non-print projects is the Publications Fund, established in 1976. Monies in this fund come from individual contributors, royalties from Society publications, rental of the Society's membership list, and other sources.* In no case should an award exceed $1,000. 3) Sponsorship The committee may recommend that the Society undertake the proposed project, manuscript, or program through formal sponsorship, perhaps extending to (but not limited to) funding, staffing, administration, accounting, and reporting. A favorable recommendation to the Board should indicate which members or officers of the Society are willing to undertake these responsibilities. c. Guidelines 1) Eligibility Only completed non-print publications or projects under contract and ready to be produced will be eligible for support. All projects must help further the Society's mission and goals. 2) Procedure a) Applications should be submitted to the publications committee which will make its recommendations with brief justifications to the Board. Applications may be made by performers, editors, or producers. Applications should be submitted to the Sight and Sound Committee, which will make its recommendations to the Board. Each recommendation for funding should include performer's (editor's, producer's) full name and address, full title of work, publisher, check payee's name, Social Security number, and acquiring producer's (or other appropriate) name and address (fax, e-mail) to which the subvention letter will be sent. Deadline: 15 November b)Application letter (six copies) should include the following: 1. A statement about production and distribution plans. (Note: before application for a subvention can be made, a producer must have agreed to put out the work) 2. Detailed financial statement, including: a breakdown of costs showing format, print run, and projected costs; specific request for amount from the committee; indication of the impact of subvention on the price of the material. 3. Brief curriculum vita 4. Outline of proposed project 5. A sample recording or video excerpt is not to be sent until requested. c) Each recommendation for funding should include author's name and address, full title of the work, producer, check payee's name, and acquiring editor's [or other appropriate] name and address to which the award letter will be sent. d) The Chair of the committee shall submit to the Board a statement about the proposed recipient of the award as background for the Board's ratification vote. After ratification of the award, the Chair will submit this statement to the Chair of Public Relations for publicity purposes. 3) Funding cycle Applications may be made at any time, but applicants should anticipate a long waiting period. To receive consideration before the Board meeting, applications should be received by November 15 4) Requirements Projects receiving funding must agree to credit assistance from the Society, unless the Board approves other arrangements. A credit line should appear on the project's copyright with the following wording: "Production of this recording (video cassette, etc.) was supported in part by a grant from the Publications Fund of the Society for American Music." A copy of each supported work is to be deposited in the Society's archives together with published reviews. 5) Public announcement of subventions All subventions for a given year will be announced at the same time at the annual business meeting. 6) Post award procedures Once a subvention is approved and announced, the President writes a letter to the acquiring editor of the press of publication, or where appropriate, the author or other designated person and encloses the award check obtained from the Treasurer. A copy of the letter is sent to the author and to the acquiring editor as appropriate. The letter should give the required credit line and the address to which the archive copy is to be sent. Non awardees under consideration are notified of the decision by the chair of the committee. 9. Silent Auction Committee a. Charge The Silent auction committee plans and runs the benefit auction of donated materials at the annual conference. Net proceeds of the auction go to the Student Travel Fund. b. Procedures 1) The committee works with the Conference Manager on exhibit space and schedule, makes certain that the auction schedule is listed in the Program book, attracts contributions through publicity in the Bulletin, the conference flyer, and other appropriate media. 2) At the conference, members of the Student Forum will assist with the operations of the Silent Auction. 3) The chair acknowledges significant contributions to the auction directly. 10. Honors and Awards Committee a. Charge This committee administers the various honors and awards of the Society. It solicits and maintains an ongoing list of possible honorees, and recommends to the Board the names of potential recipients of honors and awards. It also oversees the subcommittees of the Irving Lowens Memorial Fund and the Housewright Dissertation Award, and the Mark Tucker Award. The committee should not feel obligated to present each honor or award annually, and should pay particular attention to issues of diversity. b. Membership The committee shall consist of a presidentially appointed chair and four members who should have wide acquaintanceship within the Society and broad knowledge of the national and international music scene. Appointments are for two years, and shall be staggered to ensure continuity. No member shall serve more than two consecutive terms. c. Honors 1) Type and purpose (a) Honorary Membership This honor is given by the Board to a well-known, prominent senior figure normally not a current member of the Society who has made important contributions to the field of American music. It is signified by a certificate and public ceremony that confers life membership in the Society, with all rights and benefits, including subscriptions to the Bulletin and American Music. (b) Distinguished Service Citation This honor is given by the Board to a current member of the Society who has given exemplary and continued service to the Society and its mission. (c) Lifetime Achievement Citation This honor is given by the Board in recognition of the recipient's significant and substantial lifetime achievement in scholarship, performance, teaching, and/or support of American Music. Honorees need not be retired, but should be senior in age. The recipient will normally be a member of the Society, but this is not an essential criterium. 2) Procedures (a) Nomination and selection The Honors Committee shall issue an annual call for nominations for honorary membership and the lifetime achievement citation to the membership in the Fall issue of the Bulletin. Nominations should be submitted with a statement of justification. When soliciting names of potential honorary members, the committee should consider the conference site and theme. The program and local arrangements committees should also suggest names for the year of their conference. The committee will review the nominations and submit a slate of three nominees for the Honorary Membership and Lifetime Achievement Citation ranked in order of preference, and a single secret nomination for the Distinguished Service Award, to the Board at its spring meeting one year before the award. The Board shall discuss and vote on the recommendations in executive session at a regular meeting of the full Board. The president shall contact the nominees in slate order at least one year before the ceremony and confirm willingness to accept Honorary Membership or the Lifetime Achievement Citation in person and attend the annual conference of the Society. The names of the honorees, except the recipient of the Distinguished Service Citation, may be made public in conjunction with publicity for the event at which the award is to be made. The recipient of the Distinguished Service Citation will not be announced until the public ceremony of conferral. (b) Criteria (1) For Honorary Membership and the Lifetime Achievement Citation, the person - should be a well-known, prominent senior figure; - should have made important contributions to the field of American Music; - should be a person of stature whose selection would bring favorable attention to the Society; - may be a member of the Society, if the other criteria are met. (2) For the Distinguished Service Citation, the person - must be a current member of the Society, and - should have given exemplary and continued service to the Society and its mission. Preferably, the selected Honorary and Lifetime Achievement honorees should agree to be present at the conferring of the award (Distinguished Service honoree to remain a carefully guarded secret until announced at the annual meeting). Posthumous awards will not be given unless the recipient had been selected by the Board before death occurred. (c) Ceremony The honors must be given at a public ceremony, preferably at the annual conference of the Society, or, if appropriate, at another occasion when the citation will bring desirable attention to the Society. If the honors are to be given at the annual conference, the program chair should be notified at least one year in advance. Whenever possible, the program chair should plan sessions or performances that focus on the kind of work for which the honorees are known. The honorees are not necessarily expected to participate in those sessions. Wording of the certificates shall be prepared by a member of the Honors committee, with information from the nominee if necessary. The plaques are prepared by the Executive Director. The citations will be read and presented by the president of the Society. They will also be published in the Bulletin. Copies of the citations should be given to the secretary, Bulletin editor, and the honorees. (d) Hospitality If the Honorary Membership and the Lifetime Achievement Certificate are to be conferred at the annual meeting of the Society, the chair of the Local Arrangements committee is responsible for making arrangements to host the honorees. Consideration should be given to hotel reservations, registration fees, meeting planes, paying for meals, local transportation, etc. The local arrangements committee may, if appropriate, designate a person to serve as personal escort for the duration of each honoree's visit. If the honorees will not otherwise be attending the conference at which the awards are to be conferred, the Society will offer to pay travel, per diem expenses, and registration fees for the meeting. Funding will be allocated by the Board in the annual budget of the Society for these hospitality costs only. Costs for a performance should be allocated in the conference budget. No funding for attendance at the annual conference will be provided for the recipient of the Distinguished Service Citation or for the family or friends of any honoree. d. Awards (Complete information on the specific awards may be found at Funds and Awards) The chair of the Honors Committee notifies the Executive Director in writing of the wording and names to be on all certificates, and notifies the Conference Manager so that the publishers will be sent invitations to exhibit. The chair of the Honors Committee will send copies of all citations prior to the conference date to the Executive Director to be forwarded to the Public Relations Chair and published in the Bulletin. The Executive Director makes certificates for authors and publishers and prepares the award checks. 11. Cultural Diversity Committee. The Society for American Music values racial and cultural diversity among its members. It furthers acknowledges that these goals cannot be obtained or maintained without continuously working at them. To that end, a standing committee on cultural diversity is established to promote the Society within diverse racial and cultural groups and to explore avenues for increasing membership in the Society among these populations. 12. Education Committee a. Charge. The Education Committee develops and oversees outreach activities of the Society intended to improve and increase the ability of teachers in public and private education institutions and organizations to include American music in their curricula. Activities range from promoting faculty development in American music through summer seminars to lobbying for the inclusion of American music in schools from elementary through university levels and the fostering of teaching of American music in non-degree educational and recreational organizations, such as the scouting or senior citizen organizations. The committee welcomes ideas and suggestions from the Interest Group on American Music in American Schools, but it is a separate entity and reports to the Board. 13. Finance Committee a. Charge. The Finance Committee develops and recommends a budget to the Board at its fall meeting. The committee receives quarterly reports from the treasurer and assesses the financial state of the Society and the accuracy of income and expense projections as the year progresses. If adjustments must be made, the Finance Committee recommends such actions to the Board or the Executive Committee for action. The committee oversees annual audits of the financial records of the Society. The Finance Committee is also charged with considering applications from scholars who want to use the society as a fiscal agent. b. Membership. The Finance Committee consists of the treasurer, who serves as chair of the committee, the chair of the Development Committee, and the executive director, c. Procedures and Budgeting Schedule 1) Budget request forms should be distributed to all appropriate individuals at or shortly after the annual conference. 2) June 1: Deadline for receipt of budget requests - by chair of Finance Committee. The Executive Director will provide the Finance Committee chair with an estimated projection of money available for the next fiscal year in all Funds. Given the unknown number of renewal/new members and the total gifts to the Society, this projection must be on the conservative side. 3) After June 1: A packet of all budget requests is sent to all members of the Finance Committee. Each member is to use a four-tier system in prioritizing requests: A - Top priority - items that should be budgeted based upon the projections of the Executive Director; B - Second priority - items that should be budgeted if funds are or become available. These are to be listed in priority order. C - Lowest priority - items to budget only if funds become available. These are to be listed in priority order. D - Do not fund. The members of the Finance Committee will then work together to reconcile their individual rankings, and develop a final budget proposal to be submitted for the Board's approval at the fall meeting. 4) Fall Board Meeting: The proposed budget from the Finance Committee will be on the agenda for discussion and approval. This should include granting the Executive Committee the power to approve items in B & C priorities upon the recommendation of the Finance Committee, as funds become available. The proposed budget should be distributed to the Board prior to the meeting. d. The Finance Committee does not make budget recommendations regarding specific aspects of the following funds: F02 Life Membership Fund- No budget requests are made against this account. It is an endowment with the purpose of the subvention of the costs of sustaining life memberships in the Society. F04 Student Travel Fund - the Student Forum Liaison, a member of the Board, is empowered to expend the money in this fund to support student travel to the annual conference. These funds are solicited from the membership as part of annual giving mailing at membership renewal time. The committee reports the awards granted to the Board, and reports to the membership via a notice in the Bulletin. The names of awardees are not publicized. Requests for other funds for Student activities are submitted to the Finance Committee. F06 Irving Lowens Memorial Fund - recommendations for the awards for best book and article go directly from the Honors and Awards Committee to the Board, which established both awards at $200 by Board action on Feb. 12. 1993. Budget requests for the $200 awards and the award plaques are submitted by the Executive Director. All other budget requests from this committee are submitted to the Finance Committee. F07 Sight and Sound Fund - recommendations regarding the subvention of publications support by this fund go directly from the Sight and Sound Committee to the Board. This fund does not support the expenses of American Music or the Bulletin. All other budget requests [including subventions beyond this fund] are submitted to the Finance Committee. [see also F08] F08 H. Earle Johnson Fund - recommendations regarding subvention of book publications in American music studies go directly from the Book Publications Committee to the Board. All other budget requests are submitted to the Finance Committee. Note that expenditures from this fund are limited to 4.5% of the total amount in the fund in the previous year's annual statement. [see also F07] F09 Conference Fund - All aspects of the Annual Conference budget that are projected to be covered by income at the conference itself are submitted by the Conference Manager to the Board at the fall meeting. Expenses that are not projected to be covered by income at the conference are submitted by the Conference Manager as budget requests to the Finance Committee. e. Procedure for Payment of Bills Bills are sent to the Executive Director who verifies that they are legitimate charges and based upon the approved budget. Bills are then forwarded to the treasurer, who pays them and charges them to the appropriate accounts as indicated on the transaction sheet attached by the ED. f. Other Operating Procedures 1) Funds remaining in the Discretionary Fund after the budgeting process will be controlled by the Finance Committee to be used for the payment of incidental expenses that arise after the budgeting process. 2) The Finance Committee chair will receive a quarterly financial report and a copy of the Society's annual Income Tax Return from the Executive Director. 3) An annual audit of the Society's books shall be conducted by the Finance Committee and by the accounting firm that prepares the Society's income tax return. g. Summary of Society Budgetary Funds & Their Application to Expenses (see Funds and Awards) 14. Public Relations Committee The Public Relations Committee sends general information about the Society and its publications to appropriate journals and other news media, advertises Society activities, and publicizes electees, awards, calls for papers, announcements, and future meetings. All current information and announcements should also be sent to the Executive Director for posting on the Society's home page. The chair of the Public Relations Committee constructs and maintains a calendar of publishers' deadlines, particularly for relevant newsletters, journals, etc. Copies of all submissions are kept and their distribution documented. The Public Relations Committee should make full use of the Internet and e-mail listservs to promote the activities of the Society. Return to Table of Contents