Bylaws History: Original (pre-1973) Version

I. Name

• The name of this organization shall be: The Durham Savoyards, Limited, of Durham, North Carolina.

II. Purposes

• The purposes for this organization are:
  1. To receive and Maintain a fund or funds of real or personal property, or both; and subject to the restrictions and limitations hereinafter set forth, to use and apply the whole or any part of the income therefrom and the principal thereof exclusively for charitable, religious, scientific, literary or educational purposes, either directly or by contributions to organizations that qualify as exempt organizations under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code and its regulations as they now exist or as they may hereafter be amended.
  2. To carry on and promote education and interest in the cultural arts, namely Gilbert and Sullivan musical comedies.
  3. To carry out these cultural and educational objectives, the organization may sponsor and promote opportunities for the education of its members in the arts of Music, Drama, and Ballet; support associated organizations which have similar purposes and goals; and engage in those administrative activities which shall be necessary to conduct, arrange for, support and coordinate such promotion and education.
  4. Notwithstanding any other provisions herein set forth, the organization shall not conduct or carry on any activities not permitted to be conducted or carried on by an organization exempt under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal revenue Code and its regulations as they now exist or as they may hereafter be amended, or by an organization, contributions to which are deductible under Section 170(c)(2) of such code and regulations as they now exist or as they may hereafter be amended.

III. Location

• The organization shall be located in the City of Durham, North Carolina.

IV. Membership

• Membership in The Durham Savoyards, Limited, shall be open to the general public. Membership in Allied Arts of Durham, Inc., is pre-requisite to membership in The Durham Savoyards, Limited.

V. Elected Officers

• The following officers shall be elected for a one year term at the annual meeting. Should any officer resign before his term has expired, his successor shall be named by the Board of Governors to fill the unexpired term.
  1. President: The president shall preside at all general meetings and over the Board of Governors. He shall have general supervision over all activities of The Durham Savoyards Limited. He shall appoint, with the approval of the Board of Governors, committee chairmen, and shall appoint new committees as may be deemed necessary. He shall appoint a nominating committee at least one month prior to the annual meeting. He shall appoint two people to serve with the production chairman to choose the director(s) for each year's production. He shall present a report for his term of office at the annual meeting.
  2. Vice-President: The vice-president shall assist the president and preside at all meetings in the absence of the president.
  3. Secretary: The secretary shall record the proceedings of all meetings and carry on appropriate correspondence. He shall maintain the permanent files and serve as historian of the organization.
  4. Business Manager: The business manager shall be responsible for the financial affairs of the organization. He shall serve as treasurer and shall receive and disburse all funds in accordance with the current budget or by the direction of the Board of Governors. He shall have charge of supervising box office for all productions, and shall be responsible for advance ticket sales. He shall present a financial report annually or on direction of the president. He shall sign all checks drawn against the account of The Durham Savoyards, Limited. He shall serve as chairman of the finance committee which shall present the proposed budget to the Board of Governors.
  5. Member at Large: Two members at large shall be elected from the organization to serve on the Board of Governors.

VI. Committee Chairmen

• The following committee chairmen shall be appointed by the president, contingent on the approval of the Board of Governors, to serve one year. Each chairman shall appoint all members of his committee and all subcommittee chairmen:
  1. Production Chairman: He shall be responsible for all publicity, special events, promoting membership in The Durham Savoyards, Limited, and assisting the business manager with advance and box office ticket sales.

VII. The Board of Governors

• The Board of Governors shall be composed of the four elected officers, two elected members at large, production and promotion chairmen, the immediate past president, thereby composing a nine-member board. The directors of the production shall serve as members of the Board of Governors, ex-officio. The Board of Governors shall approve the directors or each production.
  1. Duties: The Board or Governors shall (1) be responsible for all policy matters pertaining to The Durham Savoyards, Limited, (2) approve the budget, (3) set salaries for the directors, (4) approve all unbudgeted expenditures, (5) establish the dates of all productions, and (6) decide on the annual Gilbert and Sullivan musical comedy to be presented.

VIII. Meetings

• There shall be an annual business meeting of The Durham Savoyards, Limited, toward the end of each fiscal year following the yearly production, for purposes of presenting officers' reports and for electing officers to serve the coming year. Other meetings shall be called at the discretion of the president or upon the initiative of at least twenty per cent of the membership. Twenty per cent of the membership shall constitute a quorum.

IX. Fiscal Year

• The fiscal year of The Durham Savoyards, Limited, shall coincide with that of Allied Arts of Durham, Inc. (June 1 to May 31).

X. Yearly Productions

• There shall be at least one Gilbert and Sullivan musical comedy produced each year at a time and place determined by the Board of Governors.

XI. Financial Support

• The financing of this organization shall be in accordance with the by-laws of Allied Arts of Durham, Inc. The proposed budget for the next year's operation shall be presented to the Board of Directors of Allied Arts, Inc., when requested.

XII. Earnings

• No part of the net earnings of The Durham Savoyards, Limited, shall inure to the benefit of any member, trustee, officer of the organization or any private individual (except that reasonable compensation may be paid for services rendered to or for the organization affecting one or more of it purpose(s)) and no member, trustee, officer of the organization or any private individual shall be entitled to share in the distribution of any of the organization's assets on dissolution of the organization. No substantial part of the activities of the organization shall be the carrying on of propaganda or otherwise attempting to influence legislation, and the organization shall not participate in or intervene in (including the publication or distribution of statements) any political campaign on behalf of any candidate for public office.

XIII. Dissolution

• Upon the dissolution of The Durham Savoyards, Limited, or the winding up of its affairs, the assets of the organization shall be distributed to Allied Arts of Durham, Inc., a non-profit organization, provided it still qualifies under the provisions of Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue code. Otherwise, the assets of the organization shall be distributed exclusively to charitable, religious, scientific, literary or educational organizations, which would then qualify under the provisions of Section 50l(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code and its regulation as they now exist or as they may hereafter be amended.

XIV. Amendments

• An amendment to the by-law must be approved by a majority vote of the Board of Governors, subject to ratification by two-thirds of the members present at a called general meeting. The members must be notified of the proposed amendment two weeks prior to the announced meeting.