Alabama Designer/Craftsmen

Purposes

To provide an organization for inspiration, cooperation, and exchange of information among Alabama craftsmen and others interested in fine crafts.

To encourage a wide appreciation and preservation of traditional crafts.

To encourage creative and personally expressive design using contemporary as well as traditional craft media.

To promote appreciation of the esthetic value of crafts as well as the utilitarian function.

To raise, promote, and maintain high standards of design and craftsmanship.

The Standards Committee is committed to upholding and maintaining these purposes.

Policies

Craftsmen must be a member of Alabama Designer/Craftsmen before submitting work to the Standards Committee.  Membership is $45.00 per year and is paid to the Membership Chairman.  Five examples of work are submitted to the Standards Committee.  These pieces must have been made within the last two years.

A member wishing to exhibit in Alabama Designer/Craftsmen events must have paid dues and been an active member prior to such showing and also must provide typical examples of his work for approval by the Standards Committee.

A member whose work has been approved by the Standards Committee may use the Alabama Designer/Craftsmen registered emblem on those articles which uphold the standards by which his work was originally approved.  Any items in a new category or which deviate from these standards should be presented to the Standards Committee for approval before being exhibited.

All works submitted to the Standards Committee must be of original design.  No commercially manufactured objects assembled from kits are eligible.  Also ineligible: paintings, graphics, photographs, dried flower arrangements, pressed flowers, seed and pod arrangements, cut bottles, embellished items such as painted barn boards, stones, shells, buttons, or any other commercially made object that is found or decorated.  Craftspeople seeking to exhibit work in more than one category must pass standards in each category.

Standards Committee

The Standards Committee shall be composed of 16 Alabama Designer/Craftsmen exhibiting members.  At least 8 members must be present at a meeting for the committee to make any decisions.

The President shall appoint committee members qualified in various craft media represented in the membership.  The President shall serve as Chairman of the Standards Committee.  For continuity, at least one-half of the committee members should have served previously.  Former members may be called by the President to substitute when needed.

The Standards Committee may, upon majority vote of its members, seek the advice of a recognized craftsman/artisan in a specific field.

Standards

The single criterion by which the Committee makes it selection is the excellence of work; excellence in both design and technique. The work should be well conceived, expertly executed without technical faults, and should show an identity of design. All work must be original and made by hand with the use of necessary and appropriate tools.  The originality of the objects is taken to be more important than their saleability.

Committee Procedure and Point System

Committee members work as individuals, each assigning a score in accordance with his/her own interpretation of how fully an application meets purposes and standards stated by Alabama Designer/Craftsmen.

Each Committee member receives a paper ballot on which to indicate his/her individual rating.  The conversation among Committee members is limited to questions and comments of a technical nature.

Each Committee member may award the following score to the group of five submitted pieces:

     5 points if the application fully meets the standards and objectives.
     4 points if they feel positive toward the application but do not wish to use 5 points.
     2 points if they feel the application does not meet the standards but may indicate potential.
     1 point if they feel it the application does not meet the standards.

The Committee is instructed that they may not award 3 points; they must make a positive or a negative commitment to each application.

All scores are added and then divided by the number of Committee members voting to obtain a final score.  This final score must be 3.5 or more for the work to be accepted.

Letters notifying craftsmen of the Committee’s decision will be mailed to the craftsman within 14 days of the Standards Committee meeting.

A craftsman whose work is accepted will receive a Standards Committee Summary of Evaluation Sheet with a section which will indicate specifically which areas have been passed by the Standards Committee.  The Standards Committee will keep a copy of this sheet along with a photo of the group of works submitted.  If other areas of eligibility are desired, then five pieces must be submitted to the Standards Committee for those eligibility areas.

A craftsman whose work is not accepted may submit new pieces at a later date and may also request a meeting with the Standards Committee to discuss the evaluation of their work.

 

CONSTITUTION AND BY-LAWS
 
ALABAMA DESIGNER/CRAFTSMEN
 
Article I
 
General

Section 1.   Name.  The name of the organization shall be the Alabama Designer/Craftsmen, Inc. (hereinafter called "AD/C").
 
Section 2.   Purpose.   AD/C is organized to acquire, accept, administer and disburse funds and property which shall be devoted exclusively to charitable, scientific, literary or educational purposes of charitable foundations, all of which shall be consistent with the public interest.  Without limiting the foregoing, AD/C may sponsor and promote craft shows and exhibits; may encourage a wide appreciation and preservation of traditional crafts; may promote appreciation of the aesthetic value of crafts as well as the utilitarian function; may encourage creative and personally expressive design using contemporary as well as traditional crafts media; may raise, promote and maintain standards of design and craftsmanship; may provide an organization for inspiration, cooperation, and exchange of information among Alabama craftsmen and others interested in fine crafts; and may publish and disseminate literature and materials pertaining to fine crafts.
 
Section 3.   Offices.   The location of AD/C's principal office shall be fixed by the Chief Executive Officer of AD/C.  The registered office may be, but shall not be required to be, the same as the principal office.
 
Section 4.   Seal.   The corporate seal shall be in the possession of the Secretary of AD/C.  It may be used for marking all official documents and correspondence, including, but not limited to, certificates of merit of accomplishment, certification of resolutions, and the like . In the absence of the seal, the word "SEAL" written beside the name of AD/C shall serve as the corporate seal.
 
Section 5.   Notice.   Any notice required to be given to the Members shall be deemed given if published in the newsletter.  If notice is given by such publication, the date of giving notice shall be three (3) days following the date of publication.  Notice may also be given by letter addressed to the Members.  If such letter is sent first class mail, the date of notice shall be the date of mailing.  Otherwise, the date of notice shall be three (3) days following the date of mailing.

Article II
 
Members

Section 1.   Members.   Membership in AD/C shall be contingent on payment of annual dues.  There shall be one (1) class of members (herein called "Members") who shall be all persons who pay dues annually.  Each member shall have one (1) vote in AD/C matters and receive a copy of each newsletter.  Membership is comprised of Alabama residents who acknowledge and uphold the purposes, policies and standards of AD/C. Membership is not limited to practicing craftsmen.  A member may retain membership if he/she moves out of state.
 
Section 2.   Dues.   The dues of AD/C shall be paid annually for each Membership Year.  Dues shall be set by the Executive Committee.  Dues shall be due and payable in January of each year and delinquent after March 15.  New members joining after September 1 may retain or pay one-half the annual fee.
 
Section 3.   Membership Year.   The membership year shall run from January 1 of each year to December 31 of such year.
 
Section 4.    Meetings.   Meetings of AD/C shall be as follows:

     (a) Meetings are held on the second Monday of each month at a time when the meeting room 101 at Samford University Art Department is available.  The meeting time usually will be 6:00 pm and will be printed in the newsletter or announced on the website.  Meetings may be held at other locations and at other announced times.
     (b) The "Annual Meeting" of the members shall be held in January of each year.  Notice of the specific time and place for the meeting shall be sent to all members not less than thirty (30) days prior to the time of the meeting.
     (c) "Special meetings" of the members may be called by the Chief Executive Officer or by any three (3) members of the Executive Committee.  Written notice of the time, place and purpose of such special meetings shall be sent to all members at least fifteen (15) days prior to the time of the meeting.
 
Section 5.   Votes.   Each dues-paid member shall have one (1) vote.  Any member of AD/C may give a proxy vote to any other member with direction or discretion, provided that the document is dated and signed.  Any proxy is automatically revoked upon physical appearance of the proxy-giver at the meeting for which proxy is given.  Mail ballots, published in the newsletter, may be used for election of officers and amendments to the By-laws.
 
Section 6.   Quorum.   The number of dues paid members present at any meeting shall constitute a quorum.  Any action required or allowed by the members shall be taken by a majority of those present at a duly constituted meeting.

Article III
 
Executive Committee

Section 1.   Creation and Authority.   The Executive Committee shall be one of the standing committees of AD/C.  It shall have and may exercise the full authority of AD/C and shall carry out the day-to-day business.
 
Section 2.   Appointment.   The Executive Committee shall consist of the President, the Vice-President, the Second Vice-President, the Secretary and the Treasurer.
 
Section 3.   Meetings.   Meetings of the Executive Committee may be held at such time and place as the President may designate.  Special meetings of the Executive Committee may be called by any member thereof upon not less than two (2) days notice stating the place, date and hour of the meeting.  Any meeting may be conducted by telephone conference call at the discretion of the President.
 
Section 4.   Action Without Meeting.   Any action that may be taken by the Executive Committee may be taken without a meeting if a written consent setting forth the action be signed by all members of the Committee.
 
Section 5.   Quorum.   A majority of the members of the Executive Committee shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business at any meeting. Any action by the Executive Committee shall be by a majority of those present at the meeting.
 
Section 6.   Records.   The Executive Committee shall keep regular minutes of its proceedings and report the same at the next regular meeting of AD/C following the Executive Committee proceedings.

Article IV
 
Officers

Section 1.   Designation and Duties.   Designation and duties of officers of AD/C are as follows:
 
     (a)   President.   The President shall be responsible for calling and presiding over meetings, assigning duties, and overseeing the work of the committee members and shall be the Chief Executive Officer of AD/C.  The President will also conduct meetings of the Standards Committee and will also be responsible for maintaining a policy manual for member reference.
     (b)   Vice-President.   The Vice-President shall perform all duties of the President in his/her absence or during his/her inability to act.  The Vice-President shall also be responsible for the programs at the monthly meetings and arrange for meeting locations.
     (c)   Second Vice-President.   The Second Vice-President shall assist the Vice-President and be responsible for maintaining and publishing a current membership roster for distribution at the March meeting and also maintain current membership information to be available to members throughout the year.
     (d)   Secretary.   The Secretary shall be responsible for keeping minutes of all regular and special membership meetings and all meetings of the Executive Committee.  The Secretary shall also be responsible for correspondence on behalf of AD/C.
     (e)   Treasurer.   The Treasurer shall have custody of the money and securities of AD/C; shall receive and disburse its funds, as prescribed by the membership; and shall submit to the annual meeting of Members an accurate statement of the financial affairs of AD/C and such other reports as may be required.  The Treasurer shall submit all records for an annual audit to be made by three (3) members who are not serving as officers or an independent public accountant no later than three (3) months after the close of AD/C's fiscal year.
     (f)   Assistant Treasurer.   The Assistant Treasurer shall assist the Treasurer as necessary and will serve as Treasurer Elect.
 
Section 2.       The slate of officers will be presented at the September meeting, elected at the October meeting, take office in January of the following year and serve a term of one year.  If, for any reason, an officer is unable to complete his/her term, the Executive Committee shall appoint a member to the unexpired term.

Article V
 
Committees

Section 1.   Standing Committees.   The standing committees shall consist of the following: (1) Executive, (2) Standards, (3) Membership, (4) Newsletter, (5) Public Relations, (6) Development, (7) Nominating, and (8) Advisory. The Chairperson of each standing committee shall be appointed by the President.  The Chairperson of each committee may appoint members to assist him/her except the Nominating Committee.
 
Section 2.   Standards Committee.   Members of the Standards Committee shall represent the media categories of clay, wood, fiber, fabric, glass, metal, paper, and others.  The Standards Committee is committed to upholding and maintaining the purposes of AD/C as stated in Article I, Section 2, of this document.  The President of AD/C shall serve as the Chairperson of the Standards Committee.
 
Section 3.   Membership Committee.   The Membership Committee shall be responsible for membership recruitment and membership renewal and maintain an up-to-date membership list.  He/she shall prepare the membership roster for distribution at the March meeting.
 
Section 4.   Newsletter Committee.   The Newsletter Committee shall be responsible for publishing and distributing a monthly newsletter to AD/C members for the purpose of informing members of events and developments in the area of crafts and fostering communication between individuals and groups involved in the crafts field.
 
Section 5.   Public Relations Committee.   The Public Relations Committee shall promote the shows and exhibits sponsored by AD/C and promote the development of fine arts.
 
Section 6.   Development Committee.   The Development Committee shall be responsible for fund raising.
 
Section 7.   Nominating Committee.   The Nominating Committee is composed of four (4) persons appointed by the President.  They shall select a slate of officers and present them at the September meeting.
 
Section 8.   Advisory Committee.   The Advisory Committee is composed of all past presidents of AD/C.  They shall meet at least once a year and report to AD/C at the annual meeting.
 
Section 9.   Term.   All committees shall be filled annually by appointment of the Committee Chairman with the exception of the Nominating Committee. Committee members shall serve for the same term and upon the same conditions as officers.

Article VI
 
Financial Affairs

Section 1.   Fiscal Year.   AD/C's fiscal year shall run from Jan 1 through Dec 31 of each year.
 
Section 2.   Budget.   The budget shall be presented annually to the membership by the Treasurer for its approval. It shall include itemization of anticipated sources and uses of funds.
 
Section 3.   Expenses.   Reimbursement for any expense incurred while carrying out AD/C's business will be made upon presentation of an itemized statement of said expense to the Treasurer.
 
Section 4.   Signature.   Any agreement notes, drafts, or contracts shall normally require the signature of any one officer or as otherwise approved by the Executive Committee.
 
Section 5.   Indemnity.   AD/C shall indemnify and hold harmless its officers, employees, agents, or other persons to the full extent of its rights and powers to do so as provided by the present and future laws of the State of Alabama.  AD/C may purchase and maintain insurance on behalf of any person within the coverage of this Section against any liability asserted against him/her or incurred by him/her in any capacity on behalf of AD/C which would be included in this Article, or arising out of his/her status as such a person, whether or not AD/C would have the power to indemnify him/her against such liability under the present and future laws of the State of Alabama.

Article VII
 
Amendments

Section 1.   The By-Laws may be amended at any regular meeting of the Members with the affirmative vote of at least two-thirds (2/3) of the votes of the members present.  Any proposed amendment of the By-Laws to be submitted to the membership shall be published in the newsletter issued prior to the time of the meeting.
 


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