Forms for Membership Nomination
Nomination for Active Membership (Collected at convention)
Principal SponsorLetter
Nominee Information Form (Nominees must follow the form’s format.)
Principal Sponsor/Co-Sponsor Evaluation Form
Recording Information
Membership Committee Certification Form
Chronology of Duties
March
Collection of Nominee Materials from Principal Sponsors and Co-Sponsors
The newly elected Vice President should become very familiar with Article III, Section 2 of the Constitution, which outlines procedures for election to membership.
At the close of the annual convention, the Secretary-Treasurer gives the Vice President the ABA Nomination for Active Membership forms. Note: “Nominees” become official “Candidates” when all materials for their candidacy have been received and verified by the Vice President. Verification is solidified when the Vice President signs the Membership Committee Certification Form. The Vice President must do this by September 1.
The website liaison will create a Google document site which will house all Nominee/Candidate folders. The Vice President is responsible for creating the folders and sharing each Candidate folder with Principal Sponsors. Principal Sponsors are the main liaisons for ABA Nominees in the collection of materials. Only Principal Sponsors and the Vice President upload materials to Nominee/Candidate folders.
April
By April 1, the Vice President sends an email to Principal Sponsors about deadlines and the review process, with four attachments: 1) Nominee Information Form; 2) Sponsor/Co-Sponsor Evaluation Form; 3) a pdf letter which contains the contents of the email, and 4) a list of all Nominees, their sponsors, and cell phone and email addresses for quick reference. This list is shared with Principal Sponsors to confirm the information is correct.
May
On May 1, the Vice President sends a reminder email to Principal Sponsors of the May 15 and July 15 deadlines and sends additional emails to Principal Sponsors as needed to ensure deadlines are met. All materials are to be uploaded and stored in the Nominee/Candidate digital folders.
See the Sponsor Letter for materials requested from Principal Sponsors.
With all Nominee forms and digital pictures, the Vice President will need to rename the files so the identification is consistent. The ABA webmaster needs to have consistent identification in order to upload files to the ABA website in an efficient manner. (e.g. “Smith_John” for a digital picture rather than “school photo.” Do not use periods in your labeling; a period should only appear before the file type. (e.g. Concert_info.docx, or Smith_John.jpg)
July
Candidate Certification Forms
After July 15, the Vice President certifies each Nominee has the required materials to move forward as a Candidate: 1) Nomination for Active Membership, 2) Principal Sponsor Evaluation Form, 3) a minimum of two Co-Sponsor Evaluation Forms, 4) Nominee Information Form in the correct format, 5) digital color picture, and 6) digital recordings of 60 to 70 minutes of music (in the correct text and MP3 format) encompassing at least two years of the Nominee’s own work with their own ensemble, and 7) a Recording Information word document listing conductor, composition, composer, ensemble, the venue where the recording took place, and the date of the recording.
Once all information has been verified, the Vice President signs the Candiate Certification Form for each Nominee and the Nominees are now official Candidates. The Vice President uploads the certification form to each Candidate’s folder. These forms become part of the materials that will be uploaded to the ABA website on the Candidate pages. The signing of these forms is done by September 1.
Nominees Not Meeting Criteria or Principal Sponsors Not Meeting Deadlines
Deadlines are firm. Once the July 15 deadline has passed and the Vice President determines a Nominee is not in good standing to be certified as a candidate for membership, the Certification Form is not signed; the Nominee’s Google folder becomes inactive and labeled as such.
Preparation of Candidate Information Form
After July 15, and once the Vice President certifies the Nominees have the required materials to become Candidates, the Vice President takes the Nominee Information Forms received from Principal Sponsors and prepares (now) Candidate Information Forms. The Vice President will be provided with a template. All Candidate information is listed in the same format for each Candidate. Once formatted, the Vice President uploads the Candidate Information Forms to each Candidate’s folder for uploading to the ABA website by the ABA webmaster.
July 16-August 30
Transmittal of Candidate Materials to the ABA website
Once a Nominee is an official Candidate, the Vice President notifies the website liaison that Candidate materials are ready to be uploaded to the ABA website. The webmaster and website liaison work together to upload Candidate materials to the ABA website, which include 1) Nomination for Active Membership, 2) Sponsor Evaluation Form, 3) Co-Sponsor Evaluation Forms, 4) Candidate Information Form, 5) digital color picture, and 6) digital recordings, 7) recording information listing conductor, composition-composer, ensemble, recording venue where the recording took place, recording date, 8) Candidate Questionnaire (prepared by website liaison), and 9) Candidate Certification Form.
The original list of Nominees and their sponsors, should be continually updated for reference in this process. The list of Candidates, with names of their sponsors and any comments about the recordings, should be sent to the website liaison, who will share with the ABA webmaster if needed.
In the last week of August the Vice President ensures all of the Candidate materials are correct and correctly displayed on the ABA website.
September-December 15
Membership Viewing of Candidate Materials
In the fist week of September, the Vice President will send an email to the Secretary-Treasurer to inform the Active Membership that Candidate materials are ready for perusal (be sure to exclude Honorary members and Associate members in the email to the Membership). The ABA membership will have over four months to view materials and complete the Candidate Questionnaire for each Candidate by January 15. On January 16 the Candidate pages taken down and summary information from the Candidate Questionnaire is compiled into Questionnaire Summary for each Candidate.
Throughout this period, the Vice President sends an email reminding all members of the availability of materials on the website and the importance of submitting Candidate Questionnaires. Reminder emails should be sent on November 15 and December 15.
December
The Board of Directors meet either at the Midwest Clinic for a two-hour meeting, or they will meet online. Items for the meeting agenda may be submitted by any Board member. Periodically, when official business is pressing, the Board of Directors Chair may call an online meeting.
January 5
One final email shoud be sent to the Active Membership (again, no Associate or Honorary members) to remind them about the January 15 deadline for Candidaate Questionnaires.
January 15
Deadline for the Membership Committee to submit Candidate Evaluation Questionnaires.
January 16-February 10
Preparation of Final Materials for Convention Membership Meeting
On January 16, either the website liaison or the webmaster will close Candidate access on the ABA website. The Vice President and the website liaison work to create a Candidate Questionnaire Summary for each candidate showing data results for all questions and providing all comments from the membership who submitted Candidate Questionnaires.
February
Three weeks before the annual convention, the website liaison or webmaster will begin to upload the Candidate Questionnaire Summary for each Candidate, replacing the Candidate Questionnaire link with a new link for the Candidate Questionnaire Summary. All other materials remain on the Candiate’s page. Once this is done, the Vice President emails the Membership Committee to let them know the Candidate Questionnaire Summaries are ready to view. The Membership Committee should have a minimum of two weeks, preferably three, to view materials before the convention.
The Vice President should also prepare 15 paper ballots of all Nominees for the Membership Committee and 75 ballots for the general membership to bring to the convention. Use the ballot text format listed below.
March
Duties at the Convention
The Vice President sets up the room for the Membership Committee meeting. (The Membership Committee includes all Past Presidents and the Board of Directors.) The Vice President will need to decide how the voting will take place (electronically or paper ballots, or both). The Vice President should consult the convention host about any wifi needs in the meeting room. The hotel should be advised of the required setup, but the Vice President must be sure the room is ready. If possible, it should be open for the hour ahead of the Membership Committee Meeting to allow time for distributing any materials. Since all Candidate files are online, and only open to the Membership Committee, there are no physical Candidate files presented to the committee. The Vice President may want to bring a portable speaker to play audio files if necessary.
The Vice President should check with the Secretary-Treasurer and host about the number of Membership Committee Members to be expected (Past Presidents, current Officers and Board Members).
Table Set-up for Membership Meeting
Tables at the top of the open square are for President, President-Elect, Vice President & Secretary-Treasurer, the tables at the bottom of the square are for the Board of Directors; the side tables are for the Past Presidents who are seated alternatively by their seniority. Specifically, the Past President with the most seniority is seated in first seat closest to the President-Elect. The president with the next seniority is seated in the first seat on the other side of the room closest to the Secretary-Treasurer.
| President-Elect xxxxx xxxxPresidentxxxxxxxxxx[Lectern]xxxxxxxxxxVice PresidentxxxxxxxxxxSecretary-Treasurer |
| Past President #1 | xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx | Past President #2 |
| Past President #3 | Past President #4 | |
| Past President #5 | Past President #6 | |
| Past President #7 | Past President #8 | |
| Past President #9 | Tables are set in a Hollow Square | Past President #10 |
| Past President #11 | …this is open space | Past President #12 |
| Past President #13 | Past President #14 | |
| Past President #15 | Past President #16 | |
| Past President #17 | Past President #18 | |
| Past President #19 | Past President #20 | |
| Past President #21 |
| Board Members sit here across this back area. |
Membership Committee Meeting Agenda
- Call to order by the President.
- Report and action of the Edwin Franko Goldman Citation Committee.
- President turns meeting over to Vice President as Chairman of the Membership Committee. The Vice President reads through an explanation of procedures for the new Board members. See Constitution, Article III, Section 2 F and G.
- The Secretary-Treasurer brings forth nominations from the Associate Members and action is taken.
- Action on Candidates for Membership.
- Vice President turns meeting back to President.
- Unfinished business or new business.
- Adjournment.
The Vice President will conduct the Membership Committee Meeting in the manner generally acceptable for committee meetings, deferring to the experience of Past Presidents and the Secretary-Treasurer as the situation suggests. A report of the results should be emailed to the Secretary.
IMPORTANT: The Candidate Questionnaire Summary and any comments made in the Membership Committee Meeting, or comments from members speaking to the Membership Committee, are strictly CONFIDENTIAL! It is imperative that information not be discussed or shared with any other ABA member other than a Past President or current Board Member…all materials are CONFIDENTIAL! The Vice President will make this announcement at the beginning and end of candidate discussion and voting.
After the meeting has ended, any documentation, scrap paper, written ballots, etc. in the room are to be collected by the Vice President and taken from the room and destroyed. Do not put this information in the meeting room trash cans.
On Thursday during the first business meeting, the President will determine when the Vice President will present the recommendations of the Membership Committee to the membership. The Associate Members need to be excused before the Vice President shares the recommendations.
Announcement of the Membership Committee Recommendations
On Thursday at the first business meeting, the Vice President will proceed in the following manner:
Mr./Madam President, the Membership Committee met on (date and time).
The Committee recommends:
- In the case of Dr. John Doe, Director of the Allegro University Band, Little Big Horn, Wyoming, that he be invited to membership.
- In the case of Mr. Samuel Smith, Director, Andantino High School Band, Andantino, Alaska, that action at this time shall be deferred.
- Etc., (Continue until all candidates have been considered).
Mr./Madam President, this concludes the report of the Membership Committee.
Voting of the Membership on the Membership Committee Recommendations
At least one calendar day later, the President will excuse the Associate Members to retire to their own meeting and then call for the Active Members only to vote upon the recommendations of the Membership Committee.
If there are members who require paper ballots, these members should sit in one area. The Vice President will want to assign Board members to 1) oversee the online ballots, 2) collect the paper ballots, and 3) help with collating paper and online ballots. A three-fourths majority vote is required to sustain the recommendation of the Membership Committee.
Should the Membership Not Agree with the Membership Committee
If it is necessary for the Membership Committee to meet for reconsideration of one or more candidates, the Vice President shall chair the meeting, which is generally held early Saturday morning. Before the meeting, the Vice President shall determine who the spokespersons are for each candidate; spokespersons will be admitted one at a time, and:
- Ask the spokesperson again for only new information about the candidate that may affect the consideration.
- Dismiss the spokesperson and proceed in the usual manner of chairing a Membership Committee meeting.
The vote by the Membership Committee is binding for that year, and the Vice President will read the result(s) to the Membership at the following business meeting.
- The following candidates for membership in ABA have been elected/defered: (read all names)
At the conclusion of the election of new members, all information about the candidates for that year will be kept. If someone was deferred, a member may request to use their candidate’s information for resubmission at a later date.
End of Saturday General Session
The Vice President should work with the Secretary-Treasurer and or website liaison to have the new Candidates’ digital recordings sent to the ABA Archives.
The Secretary-Treasurer will pass the “Nomination for Active Membership” forms and materials on to the newly elected Vice President after having reviewed and copied them.
After the last General Session, the now President-Elect gives the newly elected Vice President any materials necessary concerning the membership process.
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