Governing Principles

APPROVED: 26 MAY 2012
REVISION 8: 14 APR 2021
REVISION 9: 08 APR 2023

NAME AND PURPOSE

The name of the club shall be “Scribblers of Brevard.” It will be a non-profit, unincorporated, non-political, and non-sectarian club of Brevard County, Florida. Its purpose is to encourage and promote the written word in prose and poetry. Its primary vehicle will be an annual Anthology. Hereafter, the term “the Club” will mean “Scribblers of Brevard.” The Club may choose to publish additional anthologies; sponsor literary contests; sponsor writing clubs in area schools; and/or conduct seminars.

READINGS

Six members are given about 15 minutes (each) to read aloud drafts and receive comments on work planned for publication; the Club doesn’t critique published work. It provides constructive criticism for readers’ works-in-progress. Scribblers emphasize the positive by mentioning strengths, weaknesses, and unique areas; readers may ask for focused comments.

MEETINGS AND TIME

With the exception of November and December, scheduled meetings are held on the second and fourth Saturdays of each month. During November and December, there will be only one meeting each month on the second Saturday. 

Meetings are held on the second Saturday of the month in the Eau Gallie Public Library; meetings are also are held on the fourth Saturday of the month on Zoom (contact an officer for the link). Both meetings begin at 9:30 a.m with the first thirty minutes being a social get-together. 

MEMBERSHIP

Any resident of Brevard County is eligible for membership provided he/she adheres to the purpose of the Club and pays $20 annual dues. Membership provides full access to all meetings, a no-cost annual meal, and reduced entry fees for anthologies; it can be renewed by any member even though that person’s residency no longer is in Brevard County.  The membership year commences on 1 January and ends on 31 December. “Member” shall henceforth mean that the member’s dues are paid and the member is in good standing.Visitors are welcome [at all public meetings] and are allowed one reading without membership.

ELECTIONS

The elected officers of the Club shall be president, vice president, secretary, and treasurer.

The only appointed chair of the Club shall be publicity.

The appointed editors of the Club shall be publishing, literary, and art.

The president will present a slate of all four (4) elected positions at the first meeting in October; any person seeking an office must announce at that time. The officers will be elected by a majority of members present at the first meeting in November. The newly elected individuals will be installed in December and will take office at the first meeting in January of the following year.

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

The Board of Directors will consist of the elected officers and the immediate past president. The president will be the board chair. Any position that becomes open during the year may be filled by the president with approval of the membership. Any action or decision of the board affecting members or policy or principles must be approved by a majority of members present at the next meeting.

APPOINTMENTS

The president has the authority to appoint committee chairs and additional officers deemed necessary to the successful operation of the Club with board approval.

DUTIES OF THOSE ELECTED

The president shall:

  1. Call the meeting to order.
  2. Preside at all meetings.
  3. Establish committees necessary to the proper function of the Club and appoint chairs of those committees.
  4. Assist in production of the Anthology.
  5. Receive and disburse all funds belonging to the Club in the absence of the treasurer.
  6. With the consent of the board, present a slate of officers to membership in October.
  7. Maintain the library of Scribblers publications
  8. Maintain past scrapbooks and historical documents.

The vice-president shall:

  1. Preside in the absence of the president.
  2. Arrange for and conduct the program section of the meeting by accepting volunteer member speakers or by securing a guest speaker.
  3. Ensure that all readers are members of the Club unless they are invited guest speakers or visitors whom the vice president authorizes to read manuscripts on a one-time basis without benefit of Club membership.
  4. Coordinate the annual luncheon.

The secretary shall:

  1. Take minutes at each Club meeting.
  2. Maintain a record of the minutes and a cumulative log of noteworthy activities of the Club.
  3. Compose letters at the direction of the president.
  4. Maintain such records as may be required of the Club’s 501c3 status [once such status is gained].
  5. Maintain paid membership roster in coordination with the treasurer.
  6. Provide the board with electronic copies of paid membership as changes occur.

The treasurer shall:

  1. Change bank signature cards as applicable to the authorized check signers.
  2. Receive and disburse all funds belonging to the Club and maintain records of these transactions.
  3. Provide the Club membership with the latest financial status and paid-member status at each meeting (previous balance, dues in, bills out, miscellaneous in, bills out, new balance).
  4. Provide the president with a minimum of two lists of the club membership. These lists will be reproduced on a semi-annual basis and distributed to the membership.
  5. Confer with Anthology editors to determine appropriate submission fees and sales prices for the current edition.
  6. Discuss with the Anthology editors the amount of money needed to produce the Anthology.
  7. Set the price for any remaining older copies of Anthologies.

DUTIES OF THOSE APPOINTED

The publicity chair shall:

  1. Bring to public notice the activities of the Club.
  2. Announce the forthcoming publication of the Anthology to members and to the public.
  3. Create/maintain coordinated material for letterhead, Anthology publicity flyers and business cards.
  4. Maintain online presence for the club with Facebook and the website.

The literary editor shall:

  1. Coordinate with other Anthology editors and treasurer to determine fees and rules for submission of prose and poetry to the Anthology.
  2. Receive submissions and fees from authors and forward fees received to the treasurer.
  3. Secure judges as may be required.
  4. Deliver eligible literary works to judges physically/digitally as may be required.
  5. Receive literary works from judges and tabulate the ratings.
  6. Use literary work – based on set criteria – in the Anthology.
  7. Appoint a proofreader.
  8. Notify authors of the status of their submissions.
  9. Distribute complimentary copies of the Anthology to judges and local libraries.

The art editor shall:

  1. Collect art submissions and decide how they will be used in the Anthology.
  2. Announce, in a timely manner, the landscape Cover Art contest and officiate at display and voting.
  3. Notify artists which submissions will be included in the Anthology.
  4. Deliver completed camera-ready layout to publishing editor.

The publishing/managing editor shall:

  1. Acquire the finished layout from art editor and literary editor.
  2. Prepare the current Anthology edition in camera-ready or electronic format for printing.
  3. Discuss with treasurer the amount of money available to produce the Anthology.
  4. Coordinate with president and treasurer to choose a publisher and deliver the camera-ready Anthology in electronic form the selected publisher.
  5.  Coordinate with publicity chairman in publicizing the forthcoming publication of the Anthology.
  6. Coordinate with treasurer to determine the sale price for the new edition of the Anthology and the number of books to be printed.
  7. Arrange for Anthology copies to be picked up from the publisher and distributed where necessary.

SOCIAL FUNCTIONS

An annual Fall meeting will include a luncheon for the purpose of recognitions, awards, and State of the Club address by the president.

Such meeting will be for members and their guests with member cost born by the Club.The type, meal, and date/time will be decided by a vote of the members in August.

RULES OF CONDUCT

Members guilty of improper behavior or disruptive conduct shall be asked to leave the meeting. On advice of the board, the president will meet with the person; if no satisfaction is reached by both parties, person’s membership will then be refunded on a prorated basis.

AMENDMENT OF PRINCIPLES

The principles can be amended by presenting the proposed changes to all members at least two meetings before a vote is called. A vote by a majority of members present shall be necessary to pass any amendments or changes to these principles.