BRANCH HISTORY

In May 1960, the San Fernando West Valley Branch and the San Fernando East Valley Branch were formed from the original San Fernando Valley Branch, which then ceased to exist.

The San Fernando Valley Branch was formed in March 1948 by a group of teachers living in the San Fernando Valley. They were encouraged in this move by Marguerite O'Leary of Glendale who was the State President of the California Association that year. By 1959, membership had increased to seventy one members dispersed over the length and breadth of the San Fernando Valley.

Helen Daun, past president and Extension Chair of MTAC suggested that two branches be formed in order to relieve members from driving great distances and also to commemorate the Golden Anniversary of MT AC by chartering an even fifty branches.

On May 22, 1960 at a meeting in the Encino Community Center presided over by Hazel Edwards, president of MTAC and Helen Daun, Extension Chair, the San Fernando West Valley Branch came into existence.

The following teachers were Charter Members:

Alida Ames, Clara Austin, Maida Bartels, Caletta Bertrand, Dorothy Bird, Louetta Borrmann, Isabelle Brolsma, Eleanor Dalton, Pauline Eldredge, Mary Anna Essel, Carmen Fate, Ruth Gish, Kathryn Gruber, Hilde Herner, Velma Hickey, Mildred Hill, Adelaide Jenkins, Betty Lang, Betty Lyle, Mildred Malcolm, Nina Marble, Ethel McBurney, Sybil McCracken, Ruth Murray, Wilda O'Bannion, Mary Radis, Patricia Shaffner, Ona Sikstrom, and Roberta Strobb.

THE MUSIC TEACHERS’ ASSOCIATION OF CALIFORNIA SAN FERNANDO WEST VALLEY BRANCH BYLAWS
Revised 01/2009 and approved by the State.

ARTICLE I – NAME
NAME: The name of this non-profit corporation shall be: The Music Teachers’ Association of California, San Fernando West Valley Branch, hereinafter referred to as the “SFWV” Branch or the “Branch.”

ARTICLE II – PURPOSES
PURPOSES: The purposes of this branch shall be the promotion of musical culture and the pursuit of excellence in the field of music education. The Music Teachers’ Association of California, SFWV Branch, in compliance with all federal and state laws, shall not discriminate. The SFWV Branch of MTAC will make every effort to accommodate students with special needs in order to make participation in state and branch programs accessible and available to them.

ARTICLE III – MEMBERSHIP
SECTION 1. The members of this association shall be qualified persons who have been duly elected by a majority vote of the State Board of Directors. Membership shall be divided into six classes; Active Teacher Member, Provisional Member, Business Affiliate Member, Contributory Member, Student Member, and Honorary Member.
SECTION 2. Membership shall be granted only by the State Board of Directors. Application for membership in the SFWV Branch shall be made directly to the Branch. Each application for membership shall be made upon the form prescribed by the State Board of Directors and signed by the applicant, two Active Teacher sponsors, and the Branch President. After approval by majority vote of the Branch Board of Directors, each such application, together with application fees and dues as provided in Article VII of these bylaws, shall be sent to the State Office.
SECTION 3. Active Teacher membership shall be granted to qualified persons. Qualifications are: a degree in music from an accredited institution or the equivalent to a degree in music; active engagement in the profession of teaching music; a minimum of two years music teaching experience.
SECTION 4. An Active Teacher Member of another branch may become a Contributory Member of this Branch by applying to this Branch and paying Branch dues. The Contributory Member shall enjoy the privileges extended by this branch except to vote, hold office, or enter students in branch sponsored competitions.
SECTION 5. Provisional membership shall be granted to those persons offering satisfactory evidence of the intention and ability to qualify for Active Teacher membership within a three year period. If more time is needed to fulfill requirements, the Provisional Member may apply in writing to the State Membership Secretary for a two year extension and the request will be presented to the State Board of Directors for approval. The Provisional Membership shall enjoy the privileges extended by this Branch except to vote and hold office.
SECTION 6. Business Affiliate Member may be approved for non-teaching persons, such as firms and institutions interested in the purposes of this association
SECTION 7. Student Membership shall be granted to students pursuing college degrees as music majors. Membership in this class shall not exceed a period of eight years.
SECTION 8. Honorary Branch Membership may be awarded to persons who, in the unanimous judgment of the Branch Board of Directors, merit special honor. Honorary Branch members may enjoy all privileges extended by the Branch, except to vote, hold office, or participate in competitions and Certificate of Merit.
SECTION 9. All members of the association in good standing shall be able to take part in the activities of the association, except that only active members shall be allowed to vote or hold office.
SECTION10. Any member in good standing may transfer from one branch to another upon application to the Board of the current branch. The Treasurer of the current branch must sign the transfer form, confirming that the applicant is in good standing. The signed transfer form then shall be mailed to the Treasurer of the desired branch. Upon acceptance, the completed form with signatures from the old and new branches shall be mailed by the new branch to the State Office to confirm the transfer.
SECTION 11. Resignations shall be submitted in writing to the Branch. The Branch shall notify the State Office, and the State Membership Secretary at once of such resignation.
SECTION 12. The State Board of Directors, by a two-thirds vote, may suspend or revoke the membership of any member violating the bylaws or acting in a manner harmful to the Association.

ARTICLE IV – BRANCH BOARD OF DIRECTORS
SECTION 1. NUMBER. The number of directors shall be nine. The directors shall be six officers and three directors-at-large. The immediate Past President is encouraged to remain on the board for at least one year.
SECTION 2. BRANCH BOARD MEETING.
Unless otherwise ordered by the Branch Board of Directors, regular meetings of the Branch Board of Directors shall be held the first Tuesday of each month from September through June inclusive. Special meetings of the Branch Board of Directors may be called by the President.
Generally speaking, the board meeting minutes shall be open to the membership who may review the minutes upon request. If a member makes a request to address the board, the member will be invited to the board meeting. If the board determines that a matter brought before it is of a sensitive nature, involving a complaint or disciplinary matter, the board will be called into Executive Session. A portion of the meeting may be called into Executive Session if the subject or comments pertain to another member. Matters discussed by the board during Executive Session are considered confidential, and may not be discussed with non board members.
(c) Any rulings or discussions from the Board Meeting that need to go to general membership may be discussed at the general meeting. The President will present the matter to the membership.
SECTION 3. QUALIFICATIONS. Any Active Teacher member whose current dues are paid shall be eligible for election to office. A candidate for the office of President must have served on the Branch Board of Directors.
SECTION 4. POWERS.
(a) The Branch Board of Directors shall conduct, manage and control the affairs and business of the Branch, and make such lawful rules and regulations therefore as may be consistent with these bylaws.
(b) The Branch Board of Directors has the power to set up and write proposed Standing Rules and also amendments to Standing Rules. The Board also has the sole power to approve and adopt any new Standing Rules and amendments to existing Standing Rules by a majority vote of the Board exclusively. These Standing Rules shall be available in appropriate form to all members by inclusion in the Branch directory. New Standing Rules or amendments to Standing Rules voted on by the Board will be published in the appropriate monthly newsletter.
SECTION 5. NOMINATIONS. A Nominating Committee of three Active Teacher members shall be appointed by the Branch Board of Directors at its February meeting. It shall be the duty of this committee to prepare candidates for the offices to be filled at the general meeting in May. No person shall be nominated for any office without the consent of said person having been previously obtained. The slate of candidates for office will be presented to the Branch Board of Directors at the March meeting and announced to the membership in March and April.
SECTION 6. ELECTIONS. The voting for officers shall take place at the general meeting in May, and shall be by ballot, unless there is only one candidate for any office in which case the ballot may be dispensed with, and an oral vote taken. The candidate for each office who receives the largest number of votes shall be declared elected. Before the election at the May meeting, additional nominations from the floor shall be permitted, provided the consent of the candidate has been obtained prior to the nomination. The officers shall be elected to serve for one year, or until their successors are elected, and their term in office shall coincide with the fiscal year beginning August 1. Officers shall be installed at the Installation Banquet in June.
SECTION 7. VACANCIES. A vacancy among the officers shall be filled for the unexpired term by appointment by the Branch President within thirty (30) days after such vacancy has occurred.
SECTION 8. QUORUM. A majority of the Branch Board of Directors (5) shall constitute a quorum.
SECTION 9. RESIGNATION. Any director may resign at any time by giving written notice to the President of the Branch Board of Directors. Any such resignation shall take effect immediately after the receipt of such notice, or at any later time specified therein. The acceptance of such resignation shall not be necessary to make it effective.
SECTION 10. AUDIT. The Treasurer is required to make a full financial report annually at the close of each fiscal year. Such an annual report should always be audited.
SECTION 11. ABSENCES. Members of the Branch Board of Directors shall not be absent in excess of three meetings in any one year, or the member’s resignation may be requested.

ARTICLE V – OFFICERS
SECTION 1. OFFICERS. The officers of this branch are the President, Vice-President, Treasurer, Recording Secretary, Membership Secretary, and Corresponding Secretary, who shall comprise six of the nine directors described in Article IV. They shall be elected to office as provided in Article IV, Section 6.
SECTION 2. PRESIDENT. The President shall be the principle officer of the Branch and shall have general supervision, direction of the business, activities of the Branch. The President shall preside at all meetings of the members and at all meetings of the Branch Board of Directors. The President shall have the power to appoint all committees, shall be a non-voting member of all standing committees, except the Nominating Committee, and shall have the general powers and duties usually vested in the office of President of a corporation, together with such other powers and duties as may be prescribed by the Branch Board of Directors, or by the bylaws. The President shall prepare the annual report of Branch activities and conditions to be presented at the annual state convention.
SECTION 3. VICE-PRESIDENT. The Vice-President shall perform all the duties of the President in the absence of that officer, shall assist the President and perform such supervisory duties as may be assigned by the President, and shall serve as the program chair for the Branch.
SECTION 4. TREASURER. The Treasurer shall receive all monies and shall pay all bills authorized by the Board of Directors; shall keep an accurate record of all receipts and disbursements; shall submit the books for audit upon request at the end of the fiscal year, July 31; and shall submit a financial report to the State Office on official forms, on or before August 15 of each year. Funds shall be paid out by checks signed by the Treasurer or President.
SECTION 5. RECORDING SECRETARY. The Recording Secretary shall keep a book of minutes of the proceedings of membership meetings, and of each Branch Board of Directors meeting, and shall be prepared to read, on call, the record of business transacted at any former meeting, and shall perform such other duties as assigned by the President.
SECTION 6. CORRESPONDING SECRETARY. The Corresponding Secretary shall take care of all correspondence as designated by the President.
SECTION 7. MEMBERSHIP SECRETARY. The Membership Secretary shall be responsible for evaluating all applications for membership. After evaluation, applications shall be presented to the Branch Board of Directors with recommendations for acceptance or rejection.

ARTICLE VI – MEMBERSHIP MEETINGS
SECTION 1. The membership meetings of the SFWV Branch shall be held from September through May inclusive.
SECTION 2. Special membership meetings may be called by the President or by the Branch Board of Directors. The purpose of the meeting shall be stated in the call.
SECTION 3. Fifteen Active Teacher Members of the Branch present at any membership meeting shall constitute a quorum.

ARTICLE VII – FEES AND DUES
SECTION 1. APPLICATION FEES. Each new applicant shall pay a non-refundable State Association application fee, plus a non-refundable Branch application fee. Student Members Excepted until they apply for Active Membership.
SECTION 2. REJECTED APPLICATION. Dues advanced by an applicant for membership shall be returned immediately if the application is denied.
SECTION 3. DUES. Each member shall pay State and Branch dues annually, directly to the State Office. Membership dues are due upon receipt of the annual invoice, mailed in early May. An active teacher member upon reaching the age of seventy and upon a one time application to the State Board of Directors may thereafter be allowed to pay half the normal State Association dues, maintaining all rights of active teacher membership. Such application shall be made through the Branch Membership Secretary. State dues will be waived for a member who has reached age eighty, and has been an active member in good standing for at least ten years.
SECTION 4. DELINQUENCES. In order to be included in the state directory, all member’s dues must be postmarked by July 1. Membership will be automatically forfeited if dues payment to the state office is not postmarked on or before August 1.
SECTION 5. REINSTATEMENT. Application for membership from a person who was a previous member of the association shall be handled as follows: Membership may be restored upon payment of a reinstatement fee and all dues for the current year to the branch where membership terminated. The Branch Membership Secretary shall send a change-of-status form, verification of previous membership in good standing, the State reinstatement fee, and the State dues to the State Office Membership Coordinator.
SECTION 6. DETERMINING DUES. The Branch Board of Directors shall set the amount of dues to be paid to the branch and the amount of all other branch fees. Changes in the amount of branch membership dues must be approved by the two-thirds vote of the Branch Board, then announced to the general membership prior to taking vote at a subsequent general meeting. After membership votes approval, the change may go into effect. The State Board shall set the amount of dues to be paid for state dues and all other state fees.

ARTICLE VIII – COMMITTEES
SECTION 1. Standing Committees shall be those associated with State projects and such other committees that may be authorized by the Branch Board of Directors.
SECTION 2. Special Committees may be authorized by the Branch Board of Directors as needed.
SECTION 3. Chairs and members of these committees shall be appointed by the President and approved by the Branch Board of Directors. All Chairs shall be Active Teacher Members of the association.
SECTION 4. All retiring chairs and members shall within thirty (30) days following the appointment of a new chair, release to the new chair, all materials pertinent to the committee.
SECTION 5. Duties of the committees shall be prescribed by the Branch Board of Directors. Any expenditure necessary in the performance of duties shall be approved by the Branch Board of Directors, as well as the granting of certificates of accomplishments and awards.
SECTION 6. All rules and regulations governing the activities of these committees shall be subject to the approval of the Branch Board of Directors.

ARTICLE IX – RELATIONSHIP WITH THE STATE ASSOCIATION
SECTION 1. The SFWV Branch shall have representation at the Annual Meeting of the State Association by official delegates, one delegate for each twenty-five (or fraction thereof) Active Teacher members in good standing. It shall be the duty of the Branch President to appoint these delegates. Voting at the business meeting shall be by delegate vote only. Any other Active Teacher in good standing may have a voice in the discussions of the Association.

SECTION 2. The Branch Board of Directors shall allocate an appropriate sum from the branch treasury whenever possible to assist the authorized branch delegates in their expenses for attending official state meetings.

SECTION 3. These bylaws and amendments to these bylaws shall be in conformity with state bylaws and shall be submitted to the State Board of Directors for approval, after branch membership approval, before they may become operative. When a state bylaw amendment affects these bylaws, or produces a lack of conformity with these bylaws, these bylaws shall be amended.
SECTION 4. SFWV Branch has no authority to incur any indebtedness or conduct any obligations which might be construed or could be considered to be a liability of the State Association.
SECTION 5. SFWV Branch shall have the same fiscal year as the State Association, from August 1 through July 31, and shall send financial reports to the state office on official forms on or before August 15 of each year.
SECTION 6. INDEMNIFICATION. The SFWV Branch shall defend and indemnify the Music Teachers’ Association of California and its officers, directors, agents and employees and save them harmless from and against any and all liability, damages, costs, or expenses, including attorney’s fees arising from any act, omission or negligence by the branch, or its officers, directors, employees or agents, arising from any claim of any nature whatsoever.
SECTION 7. Branches may use the name of the Music Teachers’ Association of California on their stationery or promotional literature as long as they designate the branch name also and do not hold the branch out as an agent or representative of the entire state organization.
SECTION 8. The Branch or State Membership Mailing List, in any form, may only be used for music-related purposes.

ARTICLE X – PARLIAMENTARY AUTHORITY
The rules contained in the current edition of Robert’s Rules of Order, Newly Revised, shall govern this branch in all cases where they apply, and where they are not inconsistent with these bylaws and any special rules of order that the state association or this branch may adopt.

ARTICLE XI – AMENDMENT OF BYLAWS
These bylaws may be amended at any regular meeting of the branch by a two-thirds vote of the Active Teacher members present, provided that the amendment has been submitted in writing to all Active Teacher members by mail at least two weeks prior to the meeting or submitted in writing at the previous regular meeting.