MIT guild annual meeting and constitution

[John Danaher <danaherj gmail com>]

The MIT Guild of Bellringers needs to have its annual meeting, and it
ideally would happen before the end of term. We have to elect officers
for the coming year, including President and Treasurer (who must be
MIT students), Ringing Master, Keeper of the Handbells,
Steeple-Keeper, and possible Handbell Director (see below*).

As you probably know, a tune-ringing handbell group has been running
under our auspices for the past year and a half. So that more of them
can come to the meeting this year, I propose that we break from the
traditional alternating-year pattern (which would have the meeting at
Old North this year) and hold the meeting at MIT this year.

Since this is somewhat sort notice, I'd like to give people a chance
to suggest times that will work for them. Reasonable times to have the
meeting would be next week (the last week of classes at MIT) and the
week after (finals week). We could have it Monday sometime between 7
and 9:30 (change-ringing practice time) or Tuesday or Wednesday around
8 (tune-ringing practice time, though we'll be done for the term by
then). Out of:

5/8 5/9 5/10 5/15 5/16 5/17

which days do people prefer? Get back to me soon so I can set a date.


* It'd also be good to amend our constitution to set up permanent
protocols (for things like, say, money) between the tune-ringing and
change-ringing sides of the group. Since our old constitution
apparently had pieces missing, Oliver wrote us a proposed new one last
fall, which is currently at
http://web.mit.edu/bellringers/newconst.txt. To make the treasurer's
life harder but make sure that money doesn't disappear, I'd propose
adding the following somewhere (under the treasurer's job
description?):

- All large expenses (those over $50 [?]) must be approved by both the
Ringing Master and the Director of the Tune Ringers.

Also, to better weather the ups and downs in membership over time:

- If there are insufficient numbers [defined how?] of either
tune-ringers or change-ringers to elect their officers, then the
President shall act in place of those officers until those offices can
be filled.

Please send me comments. And tell me what dates will work.

 - John