Women’s Glee Club at The Ohio State University

2016-2017

Constitution

MISSION STATEMENT

The Ohio State University Women’s Glee Club strives to connect and empower women through music-making and sisterhood by challenging them to find their own voices.

HISTORYThe Ohio State University Women’s Glee Club was established in 1903. This ensemble has the distinction of being the first musical organization to appear in concert in Mershon Auditorium. Membership in the Women’s Glee Club has steadily increased over the years, as the ensemble has become well known within the OSU community. The Women’s Glee Club represents a wide

variety of majors and interests, with singers ranging from freshmen to graduate students.

NON-DISCRIMINATION POLICYThis organization and its members shall not discriminate against any individual(s) for reasons of

age, color, disability, gender identity or expression, national origin, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, or veteran status.

HAZING POLICYWomen’s Glee Club follows policies set by The Ohio State University, which strictly forbid

hazing of any form. WGC members found to be in violation of this policy will meet with the Conductor and Officer Team and, if necessary, reported to the University. WGC strives to

promote a culture of mutual support, encouragement, and acceptance.

MEMBERSHIP

Membership in the OSU Women’s Glee Club is by audition and permission of the Conductor. Auditions are held during the first week of fall semester and the end of fall semester (for spring

semester) by appointment. Women interested in auditioning for Women’s Glee Club should come prepared to sing: scales and short melodies, an unaccompanied melody, a melodic

retention exercise, a rhythmic exercise, and sight reading. Only voice majors are required to also sing a prepared solo. Any questions on auditions can be answered by contacting a current

officer, or the Conductor.

As membership to this organization is completely voluntary, it is vital that all participants are committed to bettering this group. Membership is competitive, as it is an auditioned ensemble; therefore, inappropriate behavior will not be tolerated. Positive contribution by all members is

required. Traditionally, the Women’s Glee Club is comprised of more non-music majors than music majors, which allows representation from a wide variety of majors and colleges within

Ohio State. Members should always conduct themselves in a professional manner, as they are

representing Women’s Glee Club, the School of Music, the College of Arts and Sciences, and The Ohio State University.

MusicEach member of Women’s Glee Club will need to purchase a black binder. Each member is responsible for each piece of music given to her by the graduate assistant conductor. Each member is required to bring her music binder with her to all rehearsals and performances;

failure to do so may result in a lowering grade at the discretion of the Conductor.

LEADERSHIP

ConductorThe Conductor of the WGC is appointed by the School of Music and has final say on all issues

regarding the Women’s Glee Club. The Conductor holds the Advisor position in Women’s Glee Club, and must complete training at the Ohio Union on a biennial basis. It is the responsibility of

the Officer Team (or any WGC member) to contact the Conductor with concerns.

Officer TeamThe Officer Team of Women’s Glee Club consists of ten positions: President, Vice President,

Secretary, Treasurer, Public Relations Chair, Social Chair, Historian, Alumni Chair, Recruitment and Retention Chair, Fundraising Chair, and (as needed) Tour/Retreat Manager. The position of President is only available to members who have at least one full year of previous officer team experience. All other positions may be filled by any current member. All candidates are subject to the approval of the Conductor. In the event of extenuating circumstances, the Conductor has

the right to revoke candidacy and overturn the result of an election. Elections for officers of a given school year are to be held at the end of Spring Semester of the previous year. Eligibility to run for office is contingent on the completion of a letter of intent submitted to the current President by a deadline set by the President, and the commitment to serve all terms of the

upcoming year. All elected offices are for a term of one academic year. If an officer is unable to complete her term, she must notify the President and be available to assist during the

transition period of electing a new officer. Elections of the new officer will take the form of letters of intent submitted to the President by a deadline set by the President, and voted on by

the entire officer team.

ProcedureOfficer elections are conducted by the outgoing WGC President. If the incumbent President is

not graduating and chooses to run for an office, the Conductor will choose from the Officer Team one to two graduating seniors to conduct elections. Any incumbent must follow the

same processes as a person seeking office for the first time. Elections will be held during the last full week of rehearsals, on dates chosen by the Conductor and President. The process of elections and dates are to be explained in class to all members at least one week prior to elections. Letters of intent are required for all Officer Team positions, and are due to the

President by a deadline set by the President. Letters of intent will be disseminated to WGC members at least one class day before the election. A candidate may run for more than one office by using the trickle-down system, meaning if one runs for President and does not win, she can then run for Vice President. One can only take part in the trickle-down system if one turned in a letter of intent for each desired officer position. All votes will be counted by the

Conductor and outgoing President. Each candidate will have the opportunity to present a one to two minute speech detailing why they would be the best candidate for a specific officer

position. General members vote by secret ballot. The candidate who receives the most votes for a specific position will win for the following year. In the event of a tie, the Conductor will

choose the candidate they feel is most fit for the position. Elections will run as followed: President, Vice President, Treasurer, Secretary, Public Relations Chair, Social Chair, Historian.

The official transfer of power is at 3:55 pm on the last day of WGC rehearsal.

Elected Officer Team Position Descriptions

President – The President is responsible for the general functioning of the Glee Club and the delegation of duties to other members of the Officer Team. The President is expected to organize and chair all Officer meetings. The President should act as a liaison between the

Conductor and members of the group when needed. She is in charge of communicating with MGC on joint events and concerts. She is also the primary person in charge of announcements to the rest of the members. She is in charge of overseeing tailgating during fall semester and

the family program. The President is in charge of planning retreats with the Conductor, Retreat/Tour Chair, Social Chair, and Recruitment and Retention Chair. She also must attend

training through the Ohio Union at the beginning of the academic year.

Vice President – The Vice President is second in command only to the President on the Officer Team and assumes the responsibilities of Presidential leadership in the absence of the

President. The Vice President is responsible for coordinating uniform for all members. She is responsible for fitting all new members for concert tops, pants, polos, and pearls, as well as for

communicating with the Director which sizes need to be ordered. She is also the primary person in charge of enforcing uniform outlined in the syllabus and handbook.

Treasurer – The Treasurer is responsible for all expenses associated with the WGC. Primary expense responsibilities include the collection and recording of dues each semester as well as fees for uniform. The Treasurer is also responsible for overseeing CD sales for all tailgating and tour events. She is also in charge of approving WGC purchases along with the Conductor. She

must attend training through the Ohio Union at the beginning of the academic year.

Secretary – The Secretary acts as the main means of communication with the group. She will be responsible for sending e-mails in a timely manner to the WGC listserv detailing dates, times,

and locations of events and any other matters that are pertinent to the group. The Secretary will also take minutes at all Officer Team meetings. She is also in charge of composing one issue

of The Medley each semester.

Public Relations Chair – The PR Chair is responsible for promoting WGC events to the public. This may include concert promotion, advertisement for fundraisers, and any other aspect of

communication that might enhance the visibility (both on and off campus) of the WGC. She is responsible for designing all event flyers, as well as a concert poster at the beginning of each

academic year. She is also in charge of communicating with the PR Chair of MGC for joint concerts and events. The PR Chair is also responsible for keeping the WGC website

(music.osu.edu/wgc) up to date at all times throughout the year, and must work with the School of Music and the College of Arts and Sciences to update it. In addition to this, she is in charge of managing all social media for WGC. This includes but is not limited to: Facebook,

Twitter, and Instagram.

Social Chair – The Social Chair is responsible for planning social events for the group. The Social Chair may work with the Treasurer to offset the cost of club events. She is required to organize

and promote at least three exclusively WGC non-alcoholic events each semester. The Social Chair is in charge of coordinating social events with MGC. No social fee money can be used for

the purchase of alcohol.

Historian – The Historian is responsible for maintaining the history of the WGC and continuing to document the group’s activity. She should take pictures at WGC events in order to preserve the history of the club. The Historian is in charge of updating the WGC bulletin board and the calendar in Weigel 177 throughout the year. She is responsible for creating a WGC scrapbook at the end of the academic year using pictures and other memorabilia. The Historian should work closely with the Men’s Glee Club Historian to create an all-encompassing history of the

two groups. She should also organize the spring banquet.

Appointed Officer Team Position Descriptions

The newly elected Officer Team and the outgoing Officer Team appoint the following positions jointly. The appointing process is to occur at the the first new officer team meeting in the

spring. Members should be notified of all officers and section leaders before the end of classes spring semester.

Recruitment and Retention Chair – The Recruitment and Retention Chair is responsible for the membership experience of the group for both joining and returning members. Her primary

responsibilities include organizing the WGC presence at the Student Involvement Fair with the MGC Recruitment and Retention Chair, coordinating the ice cream social, and running the

family program. She is responsible for creating flyers for the involvement fair, helping to plan retreats and social events when applicable, as well as working closely with the President and

Social Chair to maximize the benefits of the family program.

Alumni Chair – The Alumni Chair is the primary liaison between current group and alumni. She will work jointly with the alumni representative to send email updates to other alumni. She is responsible for planning at least one event per semester to keep alumni actively involved with

the current group.

Fundraising Chair – The Fundraising Chair is the head of all fundraising efforts. The Fundraising Chair is responsible for planning at least 3 fundraisers per semester, and oversees the planning

for the Buckeyes Got Talent show. She may elect to create a committee to assist in the execution of Buckeyes Got Talent. She should work with the Treasurer to aid in the yearly budget. She should keep the President informed of all Variety Show and Fundraiser plans

throughout the year.

Retreat Chair – The Retreat Chair is responsible for overseeing new member retreat and full member retreat at the beginning of autumn semester, and potential follow-up

activities/retreats throughout the remainder of autumn and spring semester. She should work closely with the President, Social Chair and Recruitment and Retention Chair on producing

event logistics (i.e. off-campus transportation, venue, sleeping arrangements, food, activities, materials, etc.) to develop events that go beyond the music in order to create a community for the women to break barriers and develop leadership skills. This woman should have experience

with leadership training and event planning.

This list of positions is not exhaustive, nor does it mandate the appointment of such positions. All elected positions must be filled at all times. The President and the Conductor have the

ability to make the executive decision not fill one or more of the appointed positions if there is not enough interest, or if the interested candidate(s) seem unfit for the position. If an

appointed position is not filled, the President assumes all duties that fall under that position and may choose to delegate to the Officer Team member of their choice.

All officers are required to update their officer position handbook by the end of their term and pass it along to the incoming officer of their position.

Removal of Incumbents

At any time during the term of office another member of the officer team may call into question an officer who she feels is not fulfilling the duties of her elected or appointed officer position. As all members of the officer team are considered representatives of Women’s Glee Club, any

member may raise her concerns to an officer who will then be able to write a complaint on behalf of that person. The challenging officer must write a formal complaint to the Conductor expressing her concern with the execution of unfulfilled duties. This letter is to be shared with

the highest officer in command who is not being challenged. At that point the highest in command officer and Conductor will call for an emergency officer meeting mandatory for all

current officers. At this meeting the Conductor will read aloud the formal complaint, in an anonymous manner, to the entire officer team. After reading the complaint, the Conductor will

question that officer on the execution of unfulfilled duties, which were called into question in the formal complaint. The officer will then have five minutes in which she will have the

opportunity to explain why the duties were not fulfilled, and refute the claims against her. The remainder of the officer team may ask the officer in question to elaborate on her explanation or

refute at any time. After the officer in question has had an opportunity to explain herself she must then leave the meeting. At this time the remainder of the officer team and the Conductor will further discuss the duties, which the officer in question has not fulfilled, and her reasoning

for it. This discussion is not to exceed ten minutes. After the discussion has ended, the Conductor will call for a secret ballot. Five votes for the removal of the officer in question will

warrant an official removal. The Conductor is to announce the result of the ballot after counting it. If five votes are cast in favor of a removal of the officer in question, the officer team will then

begin to fill the position, which that officer no longer holds. The officers will not just move up one position, as they were each elected to do their specific job. Rather, the officer team will proceed to nominate any current appointed officer to fill that position in addition to the one

she currently holds. If the officer position open is President, the Vice President will be moved up to the President position, and the nomination procedure will follow to fill the Vice President position. In the event that an appointed officer is being removed, any officer is eligible for being

nominated to take over that position. Nominations are to take the form of “I nominate ___, because ____”. The reasoning behind each nomination must reflect evidentiary support as to why the nominated individual would succeed in that position. The President and Conductor

must recuse themselves from making nominations. After all nominations have been taken the officer team will leave the meeting, at which point the Conductor and President will choose from the nominated officers. The final decision is to be emailed out to the remainder of the

officer team that night, and announced in the next class period. If the officer who was removed wishes to stay in glee, she has the right to make a formal and professional resignation to the

remainder of the club before the announcement of the officer taking over her duties is to occur. The former officer’s membership of glee is contingent on the discretion of the Conductor. The

chosen officer is responsible for fulfilling all of her original appointed duties, as well as all duties of the new position that she holds. In the event of a resignation due to unforeseen

circumstances in the incumbent’s life, the same nomination procedure is to be followed.

Section Leaders

One to two members from each voice section are appointed by the Conductor to lead within their section, assist members in improving their musicality, and take attendance at every

mandatory rehearsal. Interested members must submit a letter of intent to the Conductor at the end of spring semester for the following academic year. The Conductor will choose the

most qualified applicants to fill the Section Leader positions. If any Section Leader is not fulfilling her duties, the Conductor may replace her at any time. Section Leaders are expected to

attend New Member Retreat.

ATTENDANCE

It is imperative that each member of all choral ensembles at The Ohio State University contributes 100% to the group on a daily basis. Regular, punctual attendance is expected.

Grades are based on attendance, participation, knowledge of rehearsed music, and contribution to the group. WGC members must attend every class rehearsal (M-W-F, 3:00-

3:55pm), as well as retreats, which occur at the beginning of each semester. Additional rehearsals may be added at the discretion of the Conductor. Attendance at such rehearsals is

mandatory and will be treated as a regular class rehearsal. Grades will drop one letter grade for each absence incurred unless a documented emergency is noted. Legitimate absences (for

severe illness, a death in the family, etc.) must be called in or emailed to the Conductor prior to the missed rehearsal. Proper documentation must be submitted immediately to the Conductor.

The Conductor has sole discretion to decide what is, and what is not, considered an excused absence. If an excused absence is granted it is expected that the individual will be responsible for anything she missed while absent. After three unexcused absences, you may be dismissed

from the ensemble at the Director’s discretion. All dress rehearsal and performances are mandatory; no absences will be excused unless by prior approval of the Conductor. All potential conflicts (scheduled absences, tardiness, or recurring tardiness, or need to leave early) must be noted in writing to the Conductor by the second Monday of each term. After this date, the only excused absences granted will be for unforeseen circumstances or emergencies (for example:

illness, family situation, etc.) Check the Women’s Glee Club calendar against your personal calendar and report any and all conflicts by the above date. If you are unable to speak with

the instructor prior to the absence, you may have your absence reviewed by the instructor up to no later than one week after the missed event. If one has a special circumstance which

conflicts with this policy, please contact the Conductor.

Tailgating Attendance

On three officer-designated home football game days, WGC members walk around campus singing Buckeye tunes for the fans cheering the Buckeyes on to victory. Members meet at

Weigel Hall approximately 3 hours before game time and sing at locations including the Ohio Union, and tailgates around campus and the Shoe. Attendance will be taken and all WGC

members are expected to attend two tailgates. Failure to meet attendance requirements will result in the assessment an unexcused performance grade. If a member cannot meet these

requirements, she must alternatively attend a WGC fundraiser and notify the President. NOTE: Members should discuss with the President any circumstances that might preclude the

fulfillment of the tailgate requirement.

Behavior

Appropriate behavior is expected during all functions of the ensemble class in accordance with university policy. Inappropriate behavior by a student or attendance under the influence may result in the lowering of the student’s grade, suspension from events, and/or expulsion from

the ensemble at the discretion of the conductor. In such extreme cases, these decisions will be

made in consultation with the appropriate university official (for example: Director of Choral Activities, Division Head, Director of the School of Music, Dean, etc.).

FINANCIAL OBLIGATIONS

DuesEach WGC member must pay dues each semester. This money helps defray the cost of various social events throughout the year. Dues are $15 per semester. Dues must be paid in full at the discretion of the Treasurer. Dues are nonrefundable. Failure to pay dues on time will result in

an increase of $1 per rehearsal. If dues are not paid members are subjected to grade penalties. If a member is experiencing financial difficulties, they must discuss a payment plan with the

Treasurer by the end of the first week of rehearsal. Dues are to be paid by cash or check made out to OSU Women’s Glee Club. If members wish to pay with a credit or debit card, they must pay an additional dollar per transaction to cover the cost involved with using the Square card

reader.

WGC attireEach WGC member is required to purchase a uniform. Kimonos will be fitted and provided for

members to borrow each school year. Each member of WGC is also required to purchase a WGC polo and have her own pair of black dress pants and a pair of black dress shoes and a

concert black outfit, as approved by the Vice President.

TravelWGC has the intention of using fundraisers to cover the cost of travel. Members are required to

cover the remaining costs. WGC takes an annual tour during Spring Semester, and members should plan to budget for this throughout the year.

Note on Financial HardshipIf a member is in a financial situation that would prevent them from the participation of WGC

they should bring this to the attention of the Treasurer and Conductor, and a plan can be created specific to that individual member. Members will not be turned away if they are unable to meet the financial obligations of this organization. Members who fail to call attention to the

Conductor and Treasurer about their financial situation in a timely matter will be held accountable for all costs and their grade can be affected if it is not resolved.

UNIFORMSOSU Women’s Glee Club prides itself in being a unified group when performing; therefore it is

mandatory that all members follow the uniform instructions. Attire for each event will be announced in the class prior to the performance.

Concert attire:1) Black concert top

-Provided by the Women’s Glee Club2) Black dress pants

-Purchased by each member on her own-No boot cut or flare; straight-leg required

3) Black Flats-Purchased by each member on her own-No heels; no patent leather

4) Hair-Members must wear their hair half up (pulled off the face) -Any clips, hair ties, or headbands must be hair-colored

5) Makeup-Makeup is to look natural and professional-No vibrant colors or excessive makeup

6) Nails-If painted, nails must be a neutral color -Chipped nail polish is unacceptable

7) Jewelry-No bracelets

-No rings, except wedding, engagement, or religious rings-No earrings unless recently pierced

8) Perfume is not to be worn to any performance.9) All clothing is to be clean and pressed.10) Uniform guideline agreement: a signed agreement that each member will uphold the uniform guidelines, as designated by the Vice President

At the discretion of the conductor, concert black may be an alternate uniform for formal concerts. Members must have their specific concert black outfit approved by the Vice President before the concert.

Alternate attire for informal events1) WGC Polo

- purchased and owned by members2) Black Dress pants -Same policy as for formal concerts (as designated by the Vice President)3) Black Flats -Same policy as for formal concerts4) Hair, Nails Makeup and Jewelry

-Same policy as formal concerts.

Uniform InspectionThe Vice President will perform uniform checks. Failing to follow uniform protocol will result in

the lowering of one’s grade at the discretion of the Conductor.

Any questions or concerns regarding the Women’s Glee Club Handbook can be directed to the Conductor or Officer Team. This Handbook is to be updated in order to reflect the changing

needs of the group. All updates must be approved by the Conductor before being written into the Handbook.