Policies & Procedures

BYLAWS OF THE LEAGUE OF CINCINNATI THEATRES

Article I
Purpose and Mission

Section 1.1. Purpose.
The purpose of the League of CincinnatiTheatres (LCT) is to support and connect theatre makers, lovers, and advocates in order to create an accessible and flourishing theatre community in our region.

Section 1.2. Mission.

The League of Cincinnati Theatres will support community-building, collaboration, and camaraderie among Cincinnati theatre stakeholders.
The League of Cincinnati Theatres will seek to organize community resources that provide greater visibility, professional development, and networking opportunities for its members.
The League of Cincinnati Theatres is dedicated to providing theatre reviews and ongoing communications support to local productions and projects.

Article II
Membership

Section 2.1. Eligibility.
The League of Cincinnati Theatres is a cooperative service organization bringing together theatre organizations and individual theatre makers and stakeholders. To be considered for organizational membership, a company must pursue ongoing, professional work. “Ongoing” in this context refers to producing theatrical work annually and consistently within an organizational structure. “Professional” in this context means production personnel (designers, technicians, actors, etc) are working via paid contracts, regardless of the pay scale. Individual membership is open to working theatre artists, theatre students, patrons, and advocates.

Section 2.2. Membership and Dues
Membership will be granted on a rolling basis to organizations and individuals. Organization applications will be reviewed quarterly by board members and must submit limited organizational information to show they meet eligibility qualifications. Individuals may apply at any time and membership will be granted upon payment of initial dues. Dues will be charged on an annual basis and must be paid to continue as a member in good standing.

Membership Levels Organizational dues will be as follows based on the annual revenue for the most recently finished fiscal year:

$50 $500K and less
$100 Under $1M
$250 Under $3M
$500 Above $3M

Individual dues will be as follows:

$25 Individual Theatre Artist, Patron, or Stakeholder
$15 Student Theatre Artist, Patron, or Stakeholder

Section 2.2.1 Stakeholder.
A stakeholder is defined as someone who is financially, physically, mentally, and/or emotionally invested in the professional theatre community in Cincinnati.

Section 2.3. Voting and Board Structure
LCT shall consist of general members who are either individuals or theatre organizations and a Board of Directors. Each organization will be granted one voting seat to represent its organization with its membership. The organization may change its membership representative at any time, provided they have communicated this change with the President(s).

The Board shall be made up of Committee Chairpersons, Treasurer, Secretary, 2 Vice Presidents, 2 Co-Presidents, and Past President(s). Board members should be elected from the general membership. Each will be elected to a 2-year term, except for Past President(s) who will receive an automatic 2-year term at the completion of their years as President(s). Board members may spend a total of 6 consecutive years on the board, not including the term served as Past President, but then must be absent from the board for 4 years before being eligible to run again for a board seat. All General Members in good standing may vote in Board elections. Board Members in good standing may vote on organizational business and decision-making for LCT. Voting may take place in person or via the internet/email.

Section 2.4. Meetings.
A meeting may be called virtually in lieu of an in-person meeting when deemed necessary by the President(s) or a majority of the attendees for that specific meeting. Committee meetings may be called virtually in lieu of an in-person meeting when deemed necessary by the Committee Chair or a majority of the committee members.

A General Membership meeting shall be held annually for all organizational and individual members. Elections for any vacant Board seats will take place at this meeting.
Board Meetings shall be held quarterly at the mutual convenience of most Board Members.
Committee Meetings shall be held quarterly or more often as needed to meet the needs of committee business.
Special Meetings may be called by motion and vote of the Board Members or at the behest of General Members by signed petition of 50% of membership or agreement by Board Members. Written notice of such a meeting shall be e-mailed or announced via social media to Board Members and General Membership.

Section 2.5. Quorum.
The members present at any meeting of the members shall constitute a quorum for the meeting. Similarly, the members who vote on an issue via online voting shall constitute a quorum.

Section 2.6. Termination of Membership

Resignation. Any member in good standing may resign from LCT upon written notice to the organization. No refund of dues shall be given in the case of resignation.
Lapsing. Membership will be considered lapsed and automatically terminated if a member’s dues remain unpaid ninety (90) days after the due date. In no case may a member be entitled to vote at any meeting whose dues are unpaid as of the date of the meeting.

Article III
Officers

Section 3.1. Board of Directors
The Board of Directors for the League of Cincinnati Theatres shall be comprised of a maximum number of 13 voting members, each position requiring a voting member to take ownership of specific organizational responsibilities as listed below. See Section 2.3 for details on the Board term of office. All Board Officers are in volunteer positions and do not receive compensation for their work on behalf of LCT.

Co-Presidents shall preside at all meetings of the membership and of the Board and shall perform such other duties as are incident to their office or are properly required of them by the General Membership. This partnership is the chief administrative engine of the organization. Co-Presidents will preferably be one Co-President who is an individual member and one Co-President representing an organizational member.
The Vice Presidents shall exercise the authority of the Co-Presidents in their absence and perform such other duties as may be assigned to them by the Co-Presidents or Board of Directors. Should one of the Co-President positions be vacated for any reason prior to the annual election of officers, the Vice President shall become a Co-President, and the office of the Vice-President position shall be filled by a majority vote of the Members at the next annual meeting or sooner if needed via special election and online voting.
The Secretary shall be responsible for recording the minutes of the membership and Board of Directors meetings and maintain such other records as may be required of them by the Co-Presidents. Secretary shall have charge of the correspondence, notify members of meetings, notify new members of their acceptance to membership, keep a roll of the members with their addresses, and carry out such other duties incident to his/her office as the Co-Presidents may request.
The Treasurer shall collect and receive all monies. They shall deposit the same in a bank or safe depository account set up by LCT. Withdrawals and payments shall be made only as designated by the Board of Directors and approved by the Co-Presidents. Accounts shall at all times be open to inspection by the General Membership and the Treasurer shall report to the Members at every meeting the condition of the League’s finances. If the Treasurer is not in attendance at a given meeting, financial reports may be made by email to Board Members and/or General Membership.
The Past President(s) shall work in an oversight and mentorship capacity; helping new officers onboard to their positions and safeguarding legacy knowledge for the continued success of the organization.
Committee Chairpersons shall direct committee business and convene committee meetings as needed to complete the goals and functions of their committee.

Section 3.2. Election of Officers
Election of Officers and Committee Chairs shall be by a majority vote of all members in good standing at the Annual Membership Meeting in July. Members not in physical attendance may vote by email. Prior to such meeting, the current Board of Directors shall solicit potential officers from the General Membership and put forward an array of candidates who may be voted on to fill the vacancies of the expiring Board Officers and Committee Chairs. Nominations may also be made by the General Membership by email to the Co-Presidents for inclusion in the slate of candidates.

Article IV
Executive Director

Section 4.1. Executive Director.
The Board may hire an Executive Director to take on either full or part-time work on behalf of LCT. The Executive Director role would implement programming and membership benefits in alignment with the LCT mission. Executive Director would report to Board Members and could be dismissed with a majority vote of the board.

Article V
Committees

Section 5.1. Committees.
Standing committees of the League of Cincinnati Theatres shall be as follows: Membership, Finance, Community Connections, Resources, and Communications/Insights. The Chair of each committee will earn a seat on the board with the exception of Membership which will be chaired by the Presidents and the Finance committee which will be chaired by the Treasurer. Board Members may also establish ad hoc committees as needed for future growth and success of the organization.

Membership Committee shall focus on cultivating both individual and organizational members to enrich the diversity and community of LCT. Membership will handle new member onboarding, administrate a welcome program, and offer personal points of contact for members seeking to learn more about the organization.
Finance Committee shall oversee all monies collected and distributed by LCT. It shall have oversight of bank accounts, purchases, tax and business filings, etc. Finance Committee shall give expert advice and overview data of finances to Board Members at each quarterly Board meeting or when requested by other Board Members.
Community Connections Committee shall focus on events and services that bring theatre-makers together. They will facilitate networking opportunities, host bi-annual showcases, create and maintain The Cincy Theatre Directory (a lookbook of resumes for theatre professionals in the city) and create opportunities to build deeper connections among Cincinnati’s theatre workers.
Resources Committee shall focus on providing access to resources that allow theatre makers to create their own art. We recognize a need in the Cincinnati theatre community for professional development, shared services for artists (like prop and space sharing programs), and organized space, whether digital or IRL, where artists can easily find and freely access available resources (like ticket discount programs, grant info, etc.)
Communications/Stage Insights Committee is focused on promoting LCT and communicating information to our members and stakeholders. This includes overseeing the Stage Insights review program, managing the LCT Facebook page, the Facebook community CincyTheatre Connections, and establishing a monthly newsletter and mailing list.

Article VI
General Provisions

Section 6.1. Fiscal Year.
The fiscal year of the League shall be from the first day of July until the last day in June.

Section 6.2. Amendments.
Amendments to the By-Laws may be proposed by a resolution of the Board Members recommending the amendment for a vote of the General Membership. Notice of proposed amendment shall be sent to General Membership prior to the annual meeting. The amendment shall be adopted upon receiving a majority of votes from the General Membership. Voting may take place in person or via the internet.

Article VII
Dissolution

Section 7.1. Dissolution.

The League of Cincinnati Theatres may be dissolved at any time by recommendation of the Board Members and approved by a majority vote of the General Membership in good standing present at the specified special meeting. In the event of dissolution of the League, whether voluntary or involuntary or by operation of law, none of the assets of the League shall be distributed to any member, but after payment of all lawful debts of the League, its property and assets shall be given to a not-for-profit arts organization to be selected by a majority vote of the members. Multiple non-for-profit organizations may also be selected for distribution if selected by a majority vote of the members.