Bylaws
LINCOLN MUSIC TEACHERS ASSOCIATION, INC.
Lincoln, Nebraska
B Y L A W S
ARTICLE I — Name
Section 1. The name of the organization is The Lincoln Music Teachers Association, Incorporated, hereafter referred to as LMTA or the Association. LMTA is an affiliate of the Music Teachers National Association (MTNA) and Nebraska Music Teachers Association (NMTA).
Section 2. The motto of Lincoln Music Teachers Association, Inc. (LMTA) is: “Revere Excellence.”
ARTICLE II — Objects and Purpose
Section 1. The purpose for which this corporation is organized and operated is exclusively literary and educational, as defined in Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code and its regulations as they now exist or as they may hereafter be amended. The purpose of this corporation shall be the advancement of music education, and in specific furtherance thereof:
a. To advance musical culture and appreciation in the City of Lincoln and its environs.
b. To improve the quality of music education, in general, and of applied music instruction, in particular, in the Lincoln area by providing for teachers and their students challenging learning opportunities as well as opportunities for public performance not otherwise available to them.
c. To cultivate a spirit of mutual support among its members and their students, and between its members and the members of Music Teachers National Association, Nebraska Music Teachers Association, and other similar organizations in Nebraska.
Section 2. In the event of the dissolution of this organization, any funds remaining in the treasury after the payment of any outstanding debts shall be contributed to the Music Teachers National Association or another nonprofit organization, which qualifies under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code.
ARTICLE III — Membership
Section 1. Membership classifications in the Association are Supporting, Professional, College Faculty, Collegiate Student, Retired and Honorary. Membership categories will be denoted by each member’s name in the LMTA yearbook.
Section 2. Supporting membership is open to all persons who are interested in the teaching of music and in the purposes of LMTA, who are also members of NMTA and MTNA. Supporting members are encouraged to work toward Professional membership. These members have paid all required dues by the deadline set by MTNA. Supporting members have the right to vote, to hold office, to serve on committees and enter students in all Association activities. Names will be listed in the LMTA Yearbook and on the LMTA website.
Section 3. Professional membership includes all individuals professionally engaged in any field of musical activity, who are also members of NMTA and MTNA. These members have paid all required dues by the deadline set by MTNA. Professional members have the right to vote, to hold office, to serve on committees and enter students in all Association activities. Professional members have met the following requirements in the previous LMTA calendar year:
a. Attended three or more LMTA sponsored workshop/meetings (this may include NMTA State Conference or MTNA National Conference).
b. Entered one or more students in at least one LMTA sponsored event. This may include NMTA District or State Festival, LMTA Student Recital, LMTA Master Class, LMTA Extravaganza, LMTA Theory Fun Fair or other events.
c. Served on one or more LMTA Committees. This may include Hospitality, Program Development, Membership, Music Outreach, Student Recitals, NMTA District Festival, NMTA State Conference Host, LMTA Board or other committees.
d. Members are responsible for registering their attendance/participation at LMTA events to qualify for Professional Membership. Extenuating circumstances will be evaluated on an individual basis. Written requests may be submitted to the Membership Committee. A recommendation will then be made to the LMTA Board for action. Professional members’ names will be listed in the LMTA Yearbook and on the LMTA website.
Section 4. Collegiate Faculty membership includes all individuals professionally engaged in teaching at the collegiate level, who are also members of NMTA and MTNA. These members have paid all required dues by the deadline set by MTNA. Collegiate Faculty members have the right to vote, to hold office, to serve on committees, and enter students in all Association activities. Collegiate Faculty members will volunteer to facilitate an LMTA workshop once every three years. Names will be listed in the LMTA Yearbook and on the LMTA website.
Section 5. Collegiate Student membership is open to those students actively engaged in developing their teaching skills, who are also student members of NMTA and MTNA. These members have paid all required dues by the deadline set by MTNA. Collegiate Student members shall not have the right to enter students into MTNA competitions. Collegiate Student members have the right to vote and hold office in LMTA, to enter students in NMTA Festivals, and to apply for national certification. Names will be listed in the LMTA Yearbook and on the LMTA website.
Section 6. Retired membership includes individuals who are no longer teaching but who are also members of NMTA and MTNA. These members have paid all required dues by the deadline set by MTNA. Retired members have the right to vote, to hold office and to serve on committees all within LMTA. Names will be listed in the LMTA Yearbook and on the LMTA website.
Section 7. Honorary membership is limited to those who have given distinguished service to LMTA and the community and have been selected by the LMTA Board. Honorary members are not required to pay dues to the Association. Honorary members are privileged to attend all LMTA meetings and activities but may not vote or hold office.
Section 8. Membership dues shall be approved by a two-thirds vote of the LMTA Board.
Article IV — Termination of Membership
A person’s membership may be revoked for cause, other than nonpayment of dues, by a two-thirds vote by ballot of the LMTA Board. The vote for revocation shall occur only after the member complained against has been advised of the complaint so lodged and has been given reasonable opportunity to present information on her or his behalf. Such a member, if membership is revoked, may appeal for reconsideration of the decision by the Board. In no event will a dues refund be given. Revocation of membership for nonpayment of dues within the prescribed time period shall be automatic and not subject to any further procedure.
Article V — Fiscal Year
Section 1. The fiscal year shall commence on July 1 and shall end on June 30.
Section 2. Committees authorized by the LMTA Board to handle LMTA funds must submit to the Treasurer an itemized account of all receipts and expenditures. This account must be signed by the Chair of the Committee or by the President.
Article VI — Officers
The elected officers of the Association are President, President-Elect, Vice President, Immediate Past President, Secretary and Treasurer. The appointed officers are the Corresponding Secretary, Notification Secretary, Teacher Information Secretary, Assistant Treasurer, Historian, and Public Relations Officer.
Article VII — Executive Committee
Section 1. The Executive Committee shall be composed of the President, President-Elect, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, and Immediate Past President.
Section 2. The Executive Committee shall determine the policies of the Association in consultation with the LMTA Board and within the limits of the Bylaws. It shall actively pursue the purposes of the Association. It may adopt such rules and regulations for the conduct of Association business as shall be deemed advisable and may, in the execution of the powers granted, appoint such agents as it may consider necessary.
Section 3. In order to transact business, a quorum consisting of three voting members of the Executive Committee, at least one of them being the President or President-Elect, must be present.
Article VIII — Election of Officers
Section 1. The Nominating Committee will present to the membership at the Annual Membership Meeting the names of at least four candidates, with a minimum of one for each of the elected offices (President-Elect, Vice President, Secretary and Treasurer). Additional nominations may be made from the floor. Those members qualified to vote may cast ballots for not more than one candidate for each office. The candidate for each office receiving the highest number of votes will be declared elected for a term of two years. The office of President will automatically be filled by the President-Elect, and the office of Immediate Past President will automatically be filled by the President.
Section 2. An Elected Officer is eligible for two consecutive terms of office.
Section 3. A vacancy in any office, except that of President, shall be filled by the President in consultation with the Advisory Committee, and be subject to the approval of the LMTA Board.
Section 4. New officers shall assume their duties on June 1, with the exception of any newly elected Treasurer, who shall assume the duties of that office as soon as the books have been examined.
ARTICLE IX — Duties of Elected Officers
Section 1. The duties of the President are:
a. Schedule and preside at all meetings of the LMTA Membership
b. Schedule and preside at all meetings of the LMTA Board
c. Serve with the President-Elect and Vice President on the Program Committee
d. Prepare a semi-annual newsletter
e. Appoint Standing and Special Committees
f. Arrange to have the Treasurer’s books and bank statements examined to verify the existence of assets
and liabilities before a new Treasurer takes office; this examination should be completed on or before July 15
g. Have charge of the Insignia h. Be an ex-officio member of all committees
i. House the archives and the permanent records of LMTA
j. Represent LMTA at the NMTA Board meetings, either by attending in person or by designating another member of the LMTA Board as the official representative
k. Make appointments, as required, to fill unexpired terms in case of a vacancy among the Elected Officers
l. Meet emergencies and perform such other duties as are incidental to the office
Section 2. The duties of the President-Elect are:
a. Preside in the absence of the President
b. Plan, schedule, and supervise the annual Calendar of Events, and act as Chair of the Program Committee, serving with the President and Vice President
c. Plan an educational program for members which will assist them in attaining state and national certification and/or Professional Membership in LMTA
Section 3. The duties of the Vice President are:
a. Preside in the absence of the President and President-Elect
b. Serve as Chair of the Membership Committee
c. Plan an educational program for new members which will help to better acquaint them with the organization and will cultivate a spirit of mutual support among its members
d. Make personal contact with each new member; and be the “contact person” for new members having questions about the organization, festivals, etc.
e. Serve on the Program Committee with the President and President-Elect
f. Record the attendance of individual members at each educational activity
Section 4. The duties of the Secretary are:
a. Record the Minutes of all LMTA Membership and Board business meetings
b. Maintain an up-to-date roster of all members in all membership categories, including postal and email
addresses, telephone numbers and zip codes.
Section 5. The duties of the Treasurer are:
a. Collect and keep a record of all fees, and notify immediately any members whose LMTA fees are delinquent
b. Disburse funds only by order of the Board or the LMTA membership
c. Prepare a Report of Receipts and Disbursement for presentation to each LMTA Board meeting
d. Prepare, at the close of the fiscal year, a summary of the year’s financial activities; this report shall be presented to the Board and/or the LMTA Membership at the first business meeting of the fall
e. Present financial records for examination, as directed by the President
Section 6. The Immediate Past President serves in an advisory capacity to the President, President-Elect, Vice-President and LMTA Board.
ARTICLE X — Duties of Appointed Officers
Section 1. The duties of the Corresponding Secretary are:
a. Carry on all correspondence for LMTA
b. File all letters pertaining to LMTA business
c. Provide articles for the Nebraska Music Teacher
Section 2. The duty of the Notification Secretary is to send to members of all categories semi-annual newsletters and other written notifications as requested by the President or the Board.
Section 3. The Assistant Treasurer shall have previously served as Treasurer and shall serve as an advisor and assistant to the current Treasurer.
Section 4. The duty of the Historian is to keep a file of all programs, publicity, and data pertaining to LMTA.
Section 5. The duty of the Public Relations Officer is to promote the accomplishments of LMTA to the community, particularly through all viable media outlets.
ARTICLE XI — LMTA Board
Section 1. The LMTA Board consists of:
a. the regularly Elected Officers of the Association,
b. the Appointed Officers of the Association,
c. the Advisory Committee,
d. Standing Committee Chairs,
e. and up to four additional members whom the President may appoint.
Section 2. In the interim between business meetings of the LMTA Membership, all powers of the Corporation are vested in the Board.
Section 3. The Board determines the amount of annual dues and student recital fees, and levies fines and special assessments.
Section 4. At the final Board meeting of the year, the Board shall decide upon a sum of money to be transferred to the Piano Fund from the General Fund.
Section 5. The Board has jurisdiction over and cares for the Association’s pianos.
Section 6. Two-thirds of the members of the LMTA Board are required to constitute a quorum at any Board meeting.
Section 7. The LMTA Board shall have the option to conduct business by mail or electronically and may vote via mail or electronic mail ballot. The contents of the proposals and the results of such ballots shall be reported to the Secretary and incorporated in the minutes of the next meeting of the LMTA Board.
ARTICLE XII — Standing Committees
Section 1. The Program Committee consists of the President-Elect as Chair, the President, Vice President, and as many other members as the President shall desire. Program Committee duties are:
a. Plan and implement the educational objectives of the LMTA
b. Establish the Calendar of Events for the coming year, including LMTA Membership business meetings, workshops, and educational activities, special projects, student recitals and other student activities, etc.
c. Arrange meeting places, as required, for each Calendar event.
Section 2. The Membership Committee consists of the Vice President as Chair, and at least two other members. The Membership Committee will track the membership level requirements as designated in Article III — Membership.
Section 3. The Finance-Trustees Committee consists of the Treasurer, the Assistant Treasurer, and two other members. The Finance-Trustees Committee is empowered to purchase, sell, or hold property for LMTA, with the approval of the Board, and in accordance with the laws of the State of Nebraska. This committee is also given the duty of developing a budget for each fiscal year.
Section 4. The District Festivals Committee is organized to provide a service to NMTA. The duties of the District Festivals Committee are:
a. Determine location(s) and dates for student festivals to be held in Lincoln District of NMTA
b. Prepare all needed printed materials
c. Provide access to electronic materials
d. Make up schedules for festivals in each division
e. Send necessary information to teachers of all students involved
f. Send necessary information to Publicity Chair
g. Collect, record, and transmit to NMTA all entry fees
h. Arrange for administering and grading of theory tests
i. Be present and supervise all events on festivals day(s)
j. Prepare and send required reports to NMTA
k. Send adjudication results and theory test results to the teachers of each student involved
l. Maintain a permanent file of each year’s festivals entrants and results, and provide verification of same, upon request, for LMTA members applying for certification.
Section 5. The Advisory Committee consists of three recent Past Presidents. The Advisory Committee is to serve as counsel to the LMTA Board and comprises the Nominating Committee of LMTA.
Section 6. The Nominating Committee consists of the three members of the Advisory Committee. The Nominating Committee duties are to prepare a slate of Elected Officers to be presented to the membership of LMTA at the Annual Meeting, and to assist, at the request of the President, in filling vacancies which may occur.
Section 7. The Bylaws Committee consists of a Chair and two other members. The Bylaws Committee is to prepare, in writing, any proposed changes to the Bylaws, in accordance with the provisions of these Bylaws and in accordance with the Nebraska Nonprofit Corporation Act (Nebraska Revised Statutes 21- 1901 to 21-1991), and the Internal Revenue code of 1954 (Section 501(c) (3), or corresponding provisions of any future Nebraska Statute or United States Internal Revenue Law.
Section 8. The Lincoln Arts Council Representative Committee consists of one member. The Lincoln Arts Council (LAC) Representative’s duty is to be the liaison to the LAC and to provide LAC with LMTA members’ e-mail addresses for direct mailing of newsletters. The LAC Representative may also represent LMTA at the meetings of the Lincoln Arts Council, and report on same to the LMTA Board. The LAC Representative will also advise the Lincoln Arts Council of the LMTA Calendar of Events. Section 9. The Music Outreach Program Committee consists of a Chair and an adequate number of members required to carry out the mission of the program as outlined in the MOP Manual. The duties of the Music Outreach Program Committee are:
a. Identify worthy and interested students who can document financial need
b. Provide an opportunity for those students to receive music instruction from independent music teachers affiliated with LMTA
c. Facilitate the disbursement of educational materials to MOP students
d. Facilitate the repair and delivery of instruments to MOP students
Section 10. The Recital Committee consists of (at least) one member, who shall serve as the Recital Program Chair; prepare the recital programs for printing; and notify the Publicity Chair and the Treasurer. The Recital Program Chair shall arrange for tuning of the LMTA pianos.
Section 11. The Website Committee consists of at least one member. This committee is responsible for keeping current information on the LMTA website and making updates to the site as needed.
ARTICLE XIII — Special Committees
Section 1. Special Committees and/or Chairs which the President may wish to appoint are:
a. Yearbook
b. Social Media
c. Hospitality
d. Communication
The President may appoint any other committee deemed necessary.
Section 2. Duties of Special Committees shall be assigned by the President or defined by the LMTA Board at the time the Committees are appointed or established.
ARTICLE XIV — Meetings
Section 1. Regular Business Meetings of the LMTA Membership shall be scheduled by the President and the Yearbook Committee in the Calendar of Events published in the Yearbook. In accordance with the Nebraska Nonprofit Corporation Act (Nebraska Revised Statutes 21-1901 to 21—1991), there shall be at least one regular business meeting of the LMTA membership each year—the Annual Meeting—which shall be the final regular business meeting of the membership for the year, and it shall include the election of officers. At this meeting, the President shall permit the general membership to bring forward items for consideration.
Section 2. Ten voting members of LMTA are required to constitute a quorum at a regular or special business meeting of the LMTA membership.
Section 3. Special Business Meetings of the Association may be called by the President or the LMTA Board at any time or shall be called at the request of fifteen voting members of LMTA. Notification of such meetings shall include the place, day, and hour of the meeting, and the purpose for which the meeting is called. Notice for each Special Business Meeting shall be not less than ten days before the meeting.
Section 4. The LMTA Board shall meet at least four times each year. Special meetings of the LMTA Board may be called by the President, or at the request of a majority of the members of the Board. Notification of such meetings will be at least ten (10) days before the meeting.
Section 5. The rules contained in the current edition of Robert's Rules of Order shall govern the Association in all cases to which they are applicable, and in which they are not inconsistent with the Bylaws of the Association or any special rules of order the Association may adopt.
Section 6. Unless otherwise specified in a particular section of these Bylaws, a vote shall pass by a simple majority of members present in a quorum.
ARTICLE XV — Amendments
Section 1. Proposed changes to these Bylaws shall be submitted to the Bylaws Standing Committee. This committee will then forward all proposed changes, together with their recommendations thereon, to the LMTA Board. After due consideration, the LMTA Board will vote to approve the proposed changes, together with the Board’s recommendations thereon, to all voting members at least one week in advance of the LMTA Membership Meeting at which they are scheduled to be considered. These Bylaws may be amended, altered, or modified at any LMTA Membership meeting, by a two-thirds vote of the voting members present and voting.
Section 2. The procedure for amending the LMTA Articles of Incorporation shall be the same as that outlined in ARTICLE XIV, Section 1. In addition, any further requirements imposed by Nebraska Revised Statute 21-1933 (Reissue 1983), or corresponding section of any future pertinent Nebraska Statute, shall prevail in amending the LMTA Articles of Incorporation.
Revised 2023