Society of Composers, Inc.

Dedicated to the promotion of composition, performance, understanding, and dissemination of new and contemporary music.

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SCI Bylaws

Ratified by the National Council and Executive Committee on August 1, 2022.

Ratified by the membership on Monday, January 16, 2023.

SECTION 1: Objectives

      1. The performance and dissemination of music composed by or of interest to members of the Society.
      2. To provide for and facilitate forums for an exchange of information and ideas pertaining to music composition, its performance, its teaching, and its dissemination.
      3. The representation, within the Society, of as wide a variety of musical styles as are to be found among the members of the Society
      4. The representation, within the governing bodies of the Society and at its National Conferences, of all member regions of the country and of all compositional styles of concert music insofar as this is realistic and possible.
      5. The representation, insofar as legal and appropriate, of composers of concert music and all aspects of their compositional activity to the federal government, the media, and universities excluding political lobbying or other activities specifically prohibited to not-for-profit corporations.
      6. The promotion and facilitation of communication with other music organizations and with other artistic and scientific communities.
      7. The facilitation of student activity within the Society that promotes the interests of students and emerging composers of new music.

SECTION 2: Activities

      1. The sponsorship of an annual National Conference of all SCI composers at which music by members is performed and papers, workshops, or colloquia in any medium or format may be presented.
      2. The sponsorship of annual Regional Conferences in as many of the Society’s regions as possible. Similar to the National Conference in all but scope, Regional Conferences may give performance preference to composers living within their region.
      3. The sponsorship of colloquia, seminars, and workshops, including those making use of electronic, online, and virtual resources, as will advance the cause of contemporary concert music and promote the interests of the Society.
      4. The publication and or dissemination of presentations from the National and Regional Conferences in print or electronic form.
      5. The publication of details related to members’ activities, announcements, and items of interest.
      6. The sponsorship of a website containing information about the society and its members as well as offering services to members such as profile webpages, downloadable files, and opportunities listings.
      7. The publication of the SCI Journal of Music Scores, containing scores by members of the Society.
      8. The manufacture and distribution of recordings of compositions by members of the Society in any recorded or electronic medium.
      9. The holding of an annual student composition contest.
      10. The promotion of performance groups devoted to contemporary music and to high standards of performance of such music.
      11. The discussion and review of ideas and materials for the teaching of musical composition-related disciplines at all educational levels.
      12. The dissemination of information about new performance and compositional techniques as well as methods and technologies for distribution.

SECTION 3: Membership

      1. All members shall be entitled to access the digital Newsletter, SCION, and all notices pertaining to activities of the Society.
      2. Society membership is divided into the following categories:
        1. Full Membership is open to all composers. Full members have voting privileges in all matters, including elections, that come before the general membership for one (1) calendar year from the date of membership processing.
        2. Joint Membership is open to two members sharing the same address. Each member of a joint membership enjoys all privileges of full membership.
        3. Senior Membership is open to composers over the age of 65. Senior members enjoy all the privileges of full membership.
        4. Student Membership is open to all student composers currently associated with a university, college, music conservatory, or a private composition teacher. Student members enjoy all the privileges of full membership.
        5. Student Chapter Membership is available to any student enrolled in and taking music courses in a college or university that had an SCI Student Chapter. Student-chapter members enjoy all the privileges of full membership.
        6. Associate Membership is open to any person interested in the aims and objectives of the Society. Associate members do not have voting privileges, nor may they have performances at National or Regional Conferences.
        7. Proxy Membership for deceased member composers may be obtained by anyone on behalf of a deceased member by paying full dues for that composer. Those holding a Proxy Membership may submit compositions of the deceased for performance or publication consideration. Proxy members do not have voting privileges.
        8. Institutional Membership is open to any library, school, or organization. Institutional members may send representatives to meetings of the Society. Institutional members do not have voting privileges, nor may they have performances at National or Regional Conferences.
        9. Lifetime Membership is open to all composers. These members enjoy all the privileges of full membership, without the need for annual renewal of membership.
      3. Only members in good standing may participate in the Regional and National Conferences. Good standing is defined as the full payment of membership dues before the date at which the SCI event(s) take place.
      4. Membership in the Society may be canceled for non-payment of dues. Members are given a 28, 30, or 31-day grace period, depending upon their month of entry into the society, before membership is canceled

SECTION 4: Membership Due

      1. Full payment of dues guarantees membership within the society for one (1) calendar year from the date of membership processing.
      2. Society membership dues are reviewed and set by a majority vote of the Board of Directors on an annual basis. 
      3. Online payments may be subject to transaction and/or service fees.

SECTION 5: Organization

      1. The National Council
        1. Function and membership
          1. The National Council shall be the highest policy-making body of the Society.
          2. It shall consist of from seventeen (17) to eighteen (18) members: one (1) chair (i.e., the President of the Society), the sixteen (16) regional co-chairs, and (at times) a chair-elect or a past-chair.
        2. Duties of the National Council
          1. To formulate the overall policy of the Society.
          2. To evaluate the progress of the Society toward its stated objectives.
          3. To meet with the Executive Committee at each National Conference.
          4. To conduct any other meetings as deemed appropriate by the President of the Society.
          5. To maintain communication with the Executive Committee through communication with the President and the General Manager of the Society.
          6. To create such committees as it deems necessary to carry out the objectives of the Society.
        3. The Chair of the National Council
          1. The Chair of the National Council shall be the President of the Society.
          2. Duties
            1. to preside over the annual joint meeting of the National Council and the Executive Committee and any other meetings of the National Council or Corporation as may be necessary.
            2. to preside over the annual business meeting of the general membership.
            3. to maintain communication with all regional chairs and actively to encourage the holding of annual conferences in each of the regions.
            4. to maintain contact with the chair of the Executive Committee (i.e., the Vice President of the Society), the General Manager, and such other Executive Committee members as may be necessary for the carrying out of the Society’s business.
            5. to maintain communication with the editors and producers of all publications and services offered by the Society including all Internet resources.
            6. to represent the Society before various cultural, artistic, musical, and governmental groups of the country as financial realities permit.
            7. to select and negotiate terms for the site of each National Conference and whatsoever Regional Conferences may be scheduled and, if possible, an annual Student Conference.
            8. to oversee the General Manager of the Society.
            9. to call any meetings, other than the annual conference, as may be fiscally possible, at which members of the National Council and or Executive Committee may be expected to be present.
          3. The Regions
            1. The Society’s membership is organized into nine (9) geographic regions. All changes in the number of regions, or the realignment of states, are the responsibility of the National Council. The means by which a region fulfills its local and national responsibilities are determined locally except where defined in these bylaws.
            2. The Society shall make available to each region a sum of five dollars for each life, full, joint, senior, or student member, excluding student chapter members, residing within that region for the purpose of conducting a regional conference.
            3. The regions of the Society shall be constituted as follows:
              1. Region I: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, New Hampshire, Prince Edward Island, Quebec, Rhode Island, Vermont.
              2. Region II: New Jersey, New York, Puerto Rico.
              3. Region III: Delaware, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Washington DC, West Virginia.
              4. Region IV: Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina Tennessee.
              5. Region V: Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Manitoba, Michigan, Minnesota, North Dakota, Ohio, Ontario, South Dakota, Wisconsin.
              6. Region VI: Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Texas.
              7. Region VII: Arizona, Colorado, Hawaii, Nevada, New Mexico, Southern California, Utah.
              8. Region VIII: Alaska, Alberta, British Columbia, Idaho, Montana, Northern California, Oregon, Saskatchewan, Washington.
              9. Foreign memberships other than from Canada shall be members at large and may affiliate with any region of their choice.
            4. Duties of each Region
              1. To hold annual regional meetings insofar as possible.
              2. to represent the full range of compositional activity within its region.
              3. to recruit new members and to maintain its present membership.
              4. to support and promote SCI activity within its region.
              5. to appoint such committees as the regional co-chairs deem necessary to carry out the business of the region, i.e., publicity, membership, new programs, etc.
      2. The Executive Committee
        1. The Executive Committee shall implement policies and procedures developed by the National Council including the various publications and Internet resources.
        2. Membership
          1. The Executive Committee shall consist of the following fourteen (14) members who shall also be members of the Board of Directors:
            1. The Chair of the Executive Committee, who is elected by the members of the Executive Committee, and serves as Vice President of the Society;
            2. The President of the Society, who is elected by the general membership, and shall serve as Chair of the National Council;
            3. The Newsletter Editor;
            4. The SCION Editor;
            5. The Journal of Music Scores Editor;
            6. The CD Series Editor;
            7. The Submissions Coordinator;
            8. The Student and Early Career Composers Mentorship Coordinator;
            9. The Jazz Competition Coordinator;
            10. The Student Chapter Coordinator;
            11. The Marketing Coordinator;
            12. The Officer of Diversity and Equity;
            13. The Webmaster;
            14. The System Administrator.
          2. The Executive Committee may also include other members, as needed, but those members shall not be voting members of the Board of Directors.
          3. The members of the Executive Committee shall be appointed by the Chair of the Executive Committee, with the advice and consent of the President, and their terms of office shall be for as long as they can fulfill the duties of their office or until they resign.
          4. Members of the Executive Committee may take a leave of absence for up to one year, during which time their position will be filled by an interim substitute. After their leave, the absent committee member may choose to resume their duties on the Executive Committee or formally resign, recommending their interim substitute to fill their position.
          5. Vacancies on the Executive Committee, either due to leave of absence or resignation, may be filled by appointment of the chair of the Executive Committee, with the advice and consent of the President.
          6. Members of the Executive Committee may be removed from office by the Chair of the Executive Committee, with advice and consent of the President, for failure to perform the duties of their office.
        3. Duties of the Executive Committee:
          1. to achieve the objectives of the Society in accordance with the policies developed by the National Council;
          2. to disburse the Society’s funds through the SCI Office for the achievement of the Society’s goals;
          3. to enlist and solicit financial assistance from appropriate agencies;
          4. to collect dues from all members of the Society and to account to the Society for all monies received and disbursed in a written financial statement that shall be available to all members of the Society;
          5. to inform the members of the society through Newsletters, electronic media, and meetings of the current activities of the Society and to report on regional, national, and individual members’ activities;
          6. to hold regular meetings where appropriate and financially possible;
          7. to assist the leaders of each annual conference in planning and operating the annual conference;
          8. to assist the regional co-chairs in any aspect of regional activity;
          9. to disburse such funds as are necessary for the holding of regional meetings in each of the eight regions;
          10. to assist the editors and producers of the various publications of the Society in planning, production or distribution;
          11. to represent, in consultation with the President, the Society to the public to other appropriate organizations both governmental and private when such representations cannot be made by the President or National Council.
      3. The Corporation: Society of Composers, Incorporated
        1. The Corporation of the Society shall consist of the President and the members of the Executive Committee as stated in section 5.2.2.1.
        2. The chair of the National Council shall serve as President of the Corporation. The chair of the Executive Committee shall serve as Vice President of the Corporation.
        3. A majority of the corporation members must be present in person or by proxy to constitute a quorum and conduct the legal business of the Corporation.
        4. A member of the Corporation may be removed from office by the Chair of the Executive Committee, with advice and consent of the President, for failure to perform the duties of their office. Membership in the Corporation may be terminated for non-payment of dues.
      4. The SCI National Office
        1. The National Office is responsible for assisting the Executive Committee in the fulfillment of their charge by facilitating aspects of business and financial management, in consultation with, and consent of, the President and Vice President of the Corporation.
        2. The National Office of the Society shall consist of, at minimum, a Treasurer and a General Manager.
          1. The Treasurer, who is elected by the general membership, will work with the Chair of the Executive Committee (i.e., the Vice President) and the General Manager, in consultation with the President, to generate financial reports, budgets, and financial strategy for the Society.
          2. The General Manager is hired by the Chair of the Executive Committee, in consultation with the President and Treasurer, to implement the policies and projects of the Society, which have been authorized by the National Council and Executive Committee.
            1. The manager may hire additional personnel as needed, in consultation with SCI President, Vice President, and Treasurer.
            2. The manager may be terminated by the Chair of the Executive Committee, with the advice and consent of the President and Treasurer.

SECTION 6: Elections and Terms of Office

      1. The National Council
        1. President
          1. The President of the Society shall be elected by popular vote of the general membership for a term of three years. The President shall serve as Chair of the National Council.
          2. The term of office is to be preceded by one year on the National Council as non-voting Chair-Elect and followed by one year as non-voting Past-President.
          3. The President may serve up to two (2) consecutive terms of three (3) years each before becoming a Past-President, subsequently leaving the governing body of the Society.
        2. The Regional Co-chairs
          1. a candidate shall be a full, life, joint, or senior member of the Society, in good standing, to qualify for service as a Regional Co-chair.
          2. the co-chairs of each of the various regions shall be elected by the members of that region at the regional conference for that region, or appointed by the chair of the Executive Committee if there is no election. The term of office shall be for two (2) years, unless there is no acceptable candidate for replacement.
          3. the co-chairs should be from different localities within the region elected/appointed in staggered terms, whenever possible.
      2. The Executive Committee
        1. Members of the Executive Committee are appointed by the Chair of the Executive Committee, with the advice and consent of the President.
      3. The SCI National Office
        1. Treasurer
          1. The Treasurer of the Society shall be elected by popular vote of the general membership for a term of three (3) years.
          2. The Treasurer may serve up to two (2) consecutive terms of three (3) years each before leaving the governing body of the Society.
      4. Voting
        1. All voting of the general membership may be conducted by secure Internet facilities or at National or Regional Conferences as warranted.
        2. The annual meeting of the National Council and Executive Committee must be held in person or by proxy at the National Conference except in years where there is no conference.

SECTION 7: Business Meetings

      1. The Annual Membership Meeting
        1. A General Business Meeting of the entire membership shall take place during the annual conference.
        2. For the General Business Meeting, those members in attendance shall constitute a quorum.
      2. The Annual Joint Meeting of the National Council and the Executive Committee
        1. The National Council and the Executive Committee shall meet jointly at each annual conference before the annual membership meeting.
        2. For the Joint Meeting of the National Council and Executive Committee, a majority of the total of both committees, whether in person or in proxy, shall constitute a quorum.
        3. Meetings of members may be held by means of a conference telephone and/or video call, so that all members participating remotely can be heard and participate. Participation in a meeting held in this manner shall constitute the presence of all participants at that meeting.

SECTION 8: Student Chapters

      1. Student chapters may be formed at any institution of higher learning or combination of institutions.
      2. Student chapters are required to be constituted of at least two SCI Students Chapter members and a sponsor who is on the faculty of the institution or of the institutions combining to form a chapter.
      3. Student chapters are required to have one person designated as a liaison between the chapter and the Society.
      4. Student chapter members must pay dues to SCI, although individual chapters may collect what additional money is deemed appropriate for their own use. Student chapters may collect their own funds and conduct their own activities, which may include concerts, the production and distribution of CDs, and the development of web resources.
      5. Student chapters are encouraged to receive official recognition by their host schools for the purpose of obtaining institutional funding for their activities.
      6. Student chapters may not use the tax exemption of the Society for purchases but are encouraged to make such purchases under the aegis of their host institutions.
      7. Events sponsored by student chapters do so under the aegis of the host institution.
      8. Student chapters may adopt their own bylaws so long as those bylaws do not conflict with any bylaw of the Society.

SECTION 9: Checks and Balances

      1. Any act of the President may be overturned by a two-thirds vote of the Executive Committee.
      2. Any act of the Chair of the Executive Committee may be overturned by a two-thirds vote of the National Council.
      3. A President may be removed from office by two-thirds vote of both the National Council and Executive Committee
      4. The Chair of the Executive Committee may be removed from office by two-thirds vote of both the National Council and the Executive Committee.

SECTION 10: Amendments to the Bylaws

    1. These bylaws may be amended on the recommendation of two-thirds of the National Council and Executive Committee, and ratified by a majority of the vote of the members present at the Annual General Membership Meeting at the National Conference or via electronic voting.

Amended June 20, 2022