SOUTHERN CONFERENCE OF LOCALS, A F M
BY-LAWS
REVISED JUNE 2024
ARTICLE I NAME
This organization, hereinafter referred to as the “Conference”, shall
be known as the AFM Southern Conference of Locals. It shall be an
official conference of the American Federation of Musicians of the
United States and Canada, hereinafter referred to as the “Federation”.
ARTICLE II OBJECT
The object of the Conference shall be to unite all affiliated Locals
for their mutual protection and advancement, to receive and impart such
information affecting professional musicians to these Locals as may be
helpful to their officers and members, and to foster better
understanding of and support for activities of the Federation.
ARTICLE III MEMBERSHIP
Membership in the Conference shall be open to any Local of the
Federation from the states of Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia,
Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma,
South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia and West Virginia, as well
as to the District of Columbia and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.
ARTICLE IV DUES AND FEES
Section 1. Each Local shall pay annual Per Capita Dues to the
Conference in the amount of 50 cents per member based on the January
Per Capita Report filed by the Local with the Federation, with a
minimum total of $100.00 for any Local.
Section 2. Each delegate, guest, Federation officer, Federation staff
member, or observer shall pay a registration fee of $100.00 at each
Annual Conference.
Section 3. No delegate may be seated at any meeting unless both the
Registration Fee of that delegate and the Per Capita Dues of the Local
represented by that delegate have been paid.
Section 4. Each Local shall be responsible for their Per Capita Dues
and, in addition, one conference registration fee whether or not they
are in attendance at the Southern Conference.
Section 5. Dues shall be payable by May 15 of each year.
ARTICLE V DELEGATES
Each affiliated Local shall be entitled to have the greater of two
delegates or same number of delegates as it is entitled to have at the
Federation Convention. In addition, each Local may send any number of
observers. The latter may be allowed to speak at the discretion of the
Chair, but shall not be allowed to vote or otherwise act in an official
capacity.
ARTICLE VI VOTING
Each delegate shall be entitled to one vote on all matters determined
by voice vote, including a division of the house to ascertain or verify
the result of the voice vote.
ARTICLE VII MEETINGS
Section 1. The Conference shall hold a regular meeting annually. In
Federation Convention years, the Annual Meeting shall take place on the
Saturday and Sunday immediately preceding the Convention in the city
wherein the Convention is being held. In non convention years, the
Annual Meeting shall take place on the Saturday and Sunday (weekend)
immediately following the Father’s Day Holiday weekend in June in a
city to be by the officers of the Conference. If extraordinary
circumstances prevent the Annual Meeting from being held at this time,
the President shall have the authority to change the meeting dates to
one of the two weekends preceding or the two weekends following that
herein designated.
Section 2. The Annual Meeting shall be called to order at 10:00 A.M. on
Saturday and at 9:00 A.M. on Sunday.
Section 3. Delegates representing 10 Locals in good standing shall
constitute a quorum.
Section 4. The parliamentary authority for the Conference shall be the
current edition of Roberts Rules of Order.
Section 5. The host Local shall be responsible for providing live music
at the reception of the Annual Meeting in non-Convention years. All
other costs of the annual meeting shall be borne by the Conference.
Section 6. Special Meetings and meetings of the Executive Board and
Committees may be held in person, or via remote electronic technology,
or a hybrid of both, at the discretion of the Executive Board, provided
that:
(1) The technology utilized permits simultaneous aural communication
among all the participants,
(2) All participants have reasonable access to the technology utilized,
(3) The Executive Board first adopts special rules for the conduct of
the electronic meeting, including:
a. How participants are recognized and obtain the floor,
b. How motions are handled,
c. Rules for debating pending motions,
b. Rules for discussing subjects,
e. How voting will be conducted.
(4) If it is necessary to hold a secret ballot vote during a hybrid or
virtual meeting, voting shall be done by an electronic balloting method
(e.g. online, telephone) of the participants present at the meeting
(physically and virtually), using an independent organization to
conduct the voting. In all cases, the method of voting must:
a. Ensure that the participant casting the vote is eligible to do so,
b. Ensure that the participant casting the vote cannot be identified
with the vote cast, and
c. Afford sufficient safeguards to protect the integrity and security
of the voting system. Further, in the case of electronic balloting, an
appropriate accommodation must be made for a voter who lacks the
technology or equipment necessary to cast their vote.
ARTICLE VIII OFFICERS
Section 1. The officers of the Conference shall be a President, a Vice
President, a Secretary/Treasurer, and two Directors, all of whom
shall constitute an Executive Board.
Section 2. The President shall:
(1) preside at all Conference meetings;
(2) enforce due observance of meeting procedures and of the By-Laws of
the Federation and Conference;
(3) call special meetings of the Conference when necessary;
(4) appoint and be an ex-officio member of all committees unless
otherwise ordered;
(5) vote on motions only to break a tie;
(6) appoint a Sergeant at Arms at each meeting to perform such duties
as may be required.
Section 3. The Vice President shall:
(1) chair the Agenda Committee for all meetings of the Conference;
(2) preside at meetings in the absence of or at the direction of the
President;
(3) vote on motions while presiding only to break a tie;
(4) automatically become the next President at the conclusion of
his/her term of office and shall serve a two-year term as President.
This deletion shall take effect at the beginning of the term of office
commencing in 2025.
Section 4. The Secretary/Treasurer shall:
(1) keep a faithful record of the proceedings of all meetings;
(2) answer all communications;
(3) notify all affiliated Locals of all meetings and of their right to
introduce Resolutions at such meetings;
(4) collect all dues, fees and other moneys owed to the Conference
and
disburse all moneys as authorized by the Conference;
(5) cause the minutes of each meeting to be printed and distributed to
all Locals not less than 30 days prior to the next Annual Meetings of
the Conference;
(6) take charge of all monies, properties, securities, and records of
the Conference and keep a true account of the same in a form that will
show the financial condition of the Conference at any time;
(7) present the books and financial records for inspection to any
officer or delegate wishing to inspect them, and submit the same to the
Audit Committee for an audit at each annual meeting;
(8) prepare and present a statement of the effects belonging to the
Conference, together with a record of all important pending matters or
correspondence, to the final Annual Meeting of their term of office;
(9) transfer all monies, properties, securities, books, papers,
records, or other property belonging to the Conference to their duly
elected and installed successor at the expiration of their term;
(10) perform all other duties regularly belonging to the offices of a
Secretary and Treasurer not herein enumerated.
(11) For the faithful performance of these duties, the
Secretary/Treasurer shall be paid $1,500.
Section 5. The Delegate to the Locals Conference Council shall be the
President, by virtue of office, the Alternate Delegate shall be the
Secretary/Treasurer, by virtue of office, and the Second Alternate
Delegate shall be the Vice President, by virtue of office.
Section 6. The Executive Board shall:
(1) meet at least quarterly.
(2) be authorized to conduct the business of the Conference between
Annual Meetings of the Conference.
(3) conduct a quarterly review of the financial records of the
Conference.
ARTICLE IX ELECTIONS AND VACANCIES
Section 1. The President, Vice President, Secretary/Treasurer, and two
directors shall be nominated and elected for a three year term. Three
year terms shall commence with the 2025 election for the Vice
President, Secretary/Treasurer, and one Director and a two year term
for the other Director, and with the 2027 election for President and
the other Director. The Secretary/Treasurer shall send notice of
nominations and elections to delegates at least thirty days before
election day. Newly elected officers shall be installed upon
taking the Obligation of Office as the final item of business prior to
adjournment of that meeting. All officers shall hold office for the
term to which they have been elected or until their successors are duly
elected and installed.
Section 2. A vacancy in the office of the President shall be filled
until the next election by the Vice President. A vacancy in the office
of Vice President or Director shall be filled until the next election
by an appointee of the President. A vacancy in the office of
Secretary/Treasurer shall be filled by an appointee of the President
until the next meeting of the Conference, at which time the Conference
shall confirm the appointee or elect a new Secretary/Treasurer to
complete the expired term.
Section 3. Elections of officers shall be held by secret ballot vote of
attending delegates from member locals. Each member local is entitled
to one vote per attending delegate as set forth in Federation Bylaws
Article 17, Sections 4 (a) and (b). Each attending delegate shall
receive one ballot with one vote per ballot. Such method for elections
of officers shall begin with the 2010 meeting.
Section 4. A candidate who is unopposed for any office shall be
declared elected by acclamation.
ARTICLE X COMMITTEES
Section 1. An Agenda Committee chaired by the Vice President shall meet
prior to the opening session of each Annual Meeting to propose an
agenda for that meeting. The proposed agenda shall be presented to the
Conference for approval or amendment at the beginning of the opening
session.
Section 2. In addition to the Agenda Committee, the President shall
appoint a Credentials Committee, a Diversity Committee, a By‐Laws
Committee, an Audit Committee, and a TEMPO Committee. The Audit
Committee shall audit the books and financial records of the
Secretary/Treasurer and report its findings to the Annual Meeting. The
President may also appoint an Appreciations Committee, a Resolutions
Committee, an Election Committee, and other Committees, as necessary.
Section 3. Resolutions to be considered by either the Resolutions
Committee or the By-Laws Committee must be submitted to the
Secretary/Treasurer no later than April 1st. The Secretary/Treasurer
shall then mail, within 30 days, a copy of the resolution(s) to each
member Local.
Section 4. In the event of an emergency, a Resolution may be introduced
to the Conference by a vote of two-thirds of the Delegates present.
ARTICLE XI MISCELLANEOUS
Section 1. The fiscal year for the Conference shall be June 1 to
May 31.
Section 2. These By-Laws are subject and subordinate to the
By-Laws and amendments thereto of the Federation, and wherever conflict
or discrepancy appears between the By-Laws of this Local and the
By-Laws and amendments thereto of the Federation, the latter shall
prevail.
ARTICLE XII AMENDMENTS
These By-Laws may be amended by resolution adopted by majority vote of
the delegates present at a duly constituted Annual Meeting.
Adopted November 16, 1968. Revised: October 1980, June 1981, June 1985,
June 1987, June 1988, June 1990, June 1993, July 1999, June 2003, July
2005, June 2007, June 2008, June 2009, June 2014, June 2015, June 2016,
2017, 2018, 2022, 2024.
OBLIGATION OF OFFICERS
I, ________________________ (name), in the presence of the delegates
here assembled, do hereby solemnly promise and declare that I will
faithfully discharge my duties as an officer of this Conference during
the term for which I have been elected or until my successor is duly
elected and installed; that I will support the By-Laws, Rules and
Regulations of the Southern Conference and the American Federation of
Musicians to the best of my ability without prejudice or partiality. To
all this, I pledge my most sacred word of honor.