The organization shall be known as the Vermont Chapter of the National Association of Teachers of Singing.

Mission Statement

The Vermont Chapter of NATS is committed to creating an inclusive, dynamic, welcoming community for teachers, students, performers and voice professionals to collaborate, learn and grow. NATS Vermont offers opportunities for you and your students to further your knowledge and skills in the areas of voice education, voice science and wellness. We foster authentic learning that inspires joy and excellence in vocal performance and pedagogy of all musical styles. The NATS Vermont chapter is unified by a shared vision of advancing the art of voice teaching and celebrating the transformative power of vocal music.

Code of Ethics

The Chapter, as an organization, subscribes without reservation to the NATS Revised Code of Ethics.

These ethical guidelines are established by the National Association of Teachers of Singing in order to outline Members’ ethical duties and obligations to students, colleagues and the general public, and to promote professional cooperation and productive relationships among its Members.

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Statement

The Vermont Chapter of NATS strives to be a welcoming and supportive community of members and students who celebrate the identities, backgrounds, and experiences of all individuals. We are dedicated to ensuring that all voices are valued and heard in an inclusive environment with equitable treatment for all.

Membership in good standing of the National Association of Teachers of Singing, Inc. is a prerequisite to membership in the Chapter. Chapter members receive access to the Chapter Directory in its existing format, as well as other Chapter wide correspondence or communication.

Only Full members, not Associate or Affiliate members, are eligible to vote and hold office at the Chapter level.

Chapter membership will be terminated when a member resigns or is dropped from membership in NATS National, and/or when Chapter membership is not renewed by the advertised deadline.

Members become eligible for Emeritus membership at age 68, having been members in good standing for at least twenty years. Requests for this membership status must be sent to the National Executive Director of NATS.

Chapter officers shall consist of President, Vice President, Secretary, and Treasurer, to be known as the Board of Directors. The term of office shall be two years unless the office would be unfilled in which case, the current officer will be voted in by the membership for an additional term. Elections of Chapter officers shall be immediately reported to the National Office.

Whenever there is a vacancy in any office that has been created in accordance with the terms of these By-Laws, the President shall nominate a replacement who shall take office upon a confirmation by a majority vote of all active members. Said vote may be by voice or by ballot as determined by a motion from the floor.

The BOARD OF DIRECTORS shall outline programs; direct the policy, activity, and growth of the chapter; secure speakers and other talent for the meetings; and promote membership in the Chapter in accordance with the membership regulations established by the National Association. Special officers, committees, or chairpersons may be appointed by the President to serve such temporary capacities as occasions may demand.

Any administrative officer, whether elected or appointed, shall cease to hold office upon termination of his/her membership in the National Association. Any elected officer may be removed from office, upon due cause, by two-thirds vote of the Chapter membership.

The PRESIDENT shall preside at all meetings of the Chapter and present such matters as may properly come before the meeting. The President may convene ad hoc committees to address specific issues which may arise.

The VICE PRESIDENT shall serve as Program Chairperson and assist the President in his/her duties, presiding at meetings when the President is absent. In the event that the President is unable to fulfill their duties, the Vice President shall become President.

The SECRETARY shall keep accurate minutes of the proceedings of the Board of Directors and, following review and approval by the President, shall present the minutes to the Board following each meeting. The Secretary shall archive the minutes and all relevant materials concerning Chapter activities. The Secretary will submit Chapter news, as necessary, for each issue of INTER NOS in conformity with published deadline dates. At the end of each term of office, the secretary will submit in written form a report of the Chapter’s activities and immediately report elections of new Chapter officers to the National Office..

The TREASURER shall keep the financial records, manage all funds except investments, send statements and receive payments of Chapter dues, pay all properly authorized Chapter bills and present a written report to the Board of Directors at each meeting, as well as interim reports as requested. Annually, the Treasurer will submit in written form to the National Office the Annual Chapter Financial Report.

Programs, Nominations, Membership and Student Auditions.

The President may convene ad hoc committees to address specific issues which may arise. The Board of Directors shall confirm all standing committee appointments as well as the creation of and appointments to all ad hoc committees. All standing and ad hoc committees will be chaired by a member of the Board.

Chapter members who are not members of the Board are welcome to become members of any ad hoc or standing Chapter Committees. The involvement of Chapter members in committee work is regarded as important and desirable. All committees will bring forward recommendations for the consideration and approval of the Board.

The Chair of each standing committee shall be that committee’s archivist and shall provide archival copies of pertinent committee materials to the Secretary and succeeding Chairs. Ad hoc committee reports will be archived by the Secretary as needed.

Investments:

The Board will, as deemed appropriate, appoint an outside Investments Advisor to advise and assist in the proper management and allocation of any investment funds. The Vice President will confer with the Investments Advisor and will report biannually to the Board on the status of all investments.

The President and Vice President are the designated cosigners on all investment related decisions. Ethical Violations of Board Members. Should a Board member be found to have violated the NATS Code of Ethics, the issue will be brought before the NATS National Ethics Committee and investigated thoroughly.

Business meetings of the Chapter will be conducted in accordance with Robert’s Rules of Order.

There shall be at least three meetings annually to organize and carry out the programs and events of the year. These meetings may be in person, though, as appropriate, technology may be used to facilitate Board member participation (e.g. Zoom, Skype or Google Hangouts, etc). There may also be Asynchronous Online Meetings to attend to immediate business. Announcement of meetings with proposed agenda and/or program will be emailed to Chapter members at least fourteen (14) days prior to the date of each meeting. Chapter meetings may be called by the President or by any segment of the membership, provided in the latter instance that Chapter officers and the remainder of the Chapter membership are notified at least fourteen (14) days in advance of such a meeting.

Any Board member who fails to participate in three consecutive meetings shall be removed from the Board and replaced from the membership.

By April 1 of each year, the President, in consultation with the Board of Directors, will appoint a nominations committee to compile a slate of officers for election. The slate will consist of voting for President and Secretary on even Years and VP and Treasurer on odd Years. The nomination committee will accept nominations from any member in good standing until May 1 of that same year. By May 7 of that same year, a ballot will be provided to all members in good standing. Ballots must be returned by May 31 of that same year. Email ballots will be acceptable.

Officers elected will take office as of June 1 of that year and will serve for two years.

A quorum shall consist of twenty five percent (25%) of the total membership, or in the absence of that number of members, a vote may be taken on an issue, provided that proper notification of the meeting and the agenda have been made to the total membership, and carried by two thirds of the members present. At any regular meeting, each member in good standing shall be entitled to vote in person or by written proxy on any motion or question properly brought before the Chapter.

The annual Chapter dues are payable to the National Organization before February 1st of each year or by a check sent directly to the Membership Chair and recorded by the Treasurer. The dues rate may be increased by a vote of the Board of Directors. When necessary, Chapter dues may be accepted directly by the Chapter President, provided the Member is in good standing with the National Organization.

Chapter Auditions

Only students of Chapter members will be allowed to enter the Vermont Chapter Auditions. Other rules and regulations regarding the Vermont Chapter Student Auditions will be communicated to the membership annually prior to the auditions.

Programs

The programs of this Chapter properly may include social, promotional, professional, and educational activities at the discretion of its officers and members, so long as such activities are consistent with the PURPOSES AND CODE OF ETHICS stated in ARTICLE II above. Business meetings shall be conducted in accordance with Robert’s Rules of Order.

These Bylaws may be amended by a majority of the responding Chapter members voting by mail or electronically, provided that such amendments have been announced to the membership and at least three weeks have been given for consideration prior to the voting deadline