KMID By-Laws August 2010

Kentucky McTeggart Irish Dancers, Inc.

 

Website:  www.kyirishdancers.org

 

Mission Statement

The Kentucky McTeggart Irish Dancers’ mission is to build healthy bodies through traditional Irish dance, cultivate confident spirits through accomplishment, and foster a sense of heritage through cultural enrichment and community service.

 

By-Laws

 

1. The purpose of the organization is to provide instruction in the art of Irish dancing and to encourage performance of and competition in the art.

 

Officers of the organization, the Membership Coordinator and a Coach Representative will comprise the Board of Directors.  Officers will be elected at a general membership annual meeting by a simple majority vote of the members attending the meeting and will serve a one-year term from August 1 to July 31.  The secretary must advise all the members by mail or electronic mail of the date, time and place of the election meeting. 

 

Nominations will be made at the election meeting and the persons so nominated must indicate a willingness to accept the position if so elected.

 

Elected Officers are as follows:

 

President:  Presides at all meetings, appoints committee heads and represents the organization.

 

Vice-President:  Acts for the president in his or her absence.  The vice-president succeeds to the position of president in the event of the vacancy of the office of president. 

 

Secretary:  Records minutes of the meetings and manages correspondence.

 

Treasurer:  Manages the finances of the organization, including a bank account with authorized signatures of the treasurer and president.  The treasurer will render a financial statement at the annual election meeting.

 

The Board of Directors will meet at least annually but as often as needed to conduct the business of the corporation.

 

2. The Communications Committee and Performance Committee will be standing committees.  Other committees may be formed at the discretion of the Board of Directors. 

 

3. Membership includes parents or guardians of each dance student, plus other interested individuals who are sponsored by a member and accepted by simple majority vote of members in attendance at any regularly scheduled meeting.   Each family of a dance student will pay a quarterly fee, as determined by the Board of Directors, to the treasurer to cover operating expenses.  Members not participating in dance instruction will pay an annual fee of $24 per year payable on September 1.  Non-dancing members joining during the year will pay a pro-rata portion of the annual fee.

 

4. General membership meetings will be held at least once annually.  Special meetings of the full membership may be called by the president or at the written request on one-third of the membership.

 

5. Income shall be limited to what is necessary to defray the expenses normally incurred in implementing the purpose of the organization.  Income shall be derived from contributions and membership fees.  Any project requiring expenditures in excess of $250.00 shall require the approval of the Board of Directors.  All committees that would require a check to be issued will request it from the treasurer, along with providing documentation for said expense.

 

6. If a vacancy occurs on the Board of Directors before the expiration of the term, the Board of Directors may fill the vacancy for the remainder of the term.

 

7. These by-laws may be amended at the annual meeting or at a specially called meeting of the membership by a majority of the members present at that meeting.

 

8. All policy decisions will be voted on by the Board of Directors with each member carrying one vote.  Members of a single family cannot hold more than one voting position.

 

These by-laws were adopted at an organizational meeting held on Monday, Sept. 17, 2001.  Revisions to the by-laws were approved at an organizational meeting Friday, May 21, 2004.    

The McTeggart Irish Dancing School operates under the direction of Maureen McTeggart Hall, TCRG, ADCRG. There are also McTeggart schools in Arizona, California, Colorado, Texas, Oklahoma, New Mexico, and Louisiana. Mrs. Hall has decades of experience as a teacher and adjudicator and her present students include World and regional champions.

Kentucky McTeggart Irish Dancers, Inc. (KMID) is the non-profit parent-run organization that manages the school’s day-to-day affairs, including paying for rental of studio space, coaching, collecting tuition and fees, and insurance coverage. Parent volunteers organize performances in the community and take care of all details related to fulfilling KMID’s mission statement.

 

2010-2011 KMID Board of Directors

           President Liz Kellen (liz@kellen.net)

           Vice President: Patrick O'Mahoney (patrick@benedictus.com)

           Treasurer: Eddie Mattingly (mattingly@windstream.net)

           Secretary: John Cooney (john3990@insightbb.com)

           Membership: Kim DeMersseman (demersseman@insightbb.com)

           Coach Representative: Allison Asay (allison.asay@gmail.com) or 

                                                Brooke Harris (bec719@mindspring.com)   

 

2010-2011 Non-Board Positions

Consignment-Erin Lennon (lennon5@windsteam.net)

            Keepers of the Dance Boards-

Emilie McCauley (irishacres@earthlink.net)

Pam Stewart (stewart206@aol.com)

         Webmaster-Tracey Meyers (iamtraceym@insightbb.com)

 

Coaches

Allison Asay (allison.asay@gmail.com)

Brooke Harris (bec719@mindspring.com)

Abby Bray (delongbray@gmail.com)

Madison Stewart (irishphantom2412@insightbb.com)

Classes are held at Arts Place 161 N. Mill Street Lexington, Kentucky 859-255-2951

Tuition and fees are paid quarterly.   Before the beginning of the quarter, a reminder will be sent by e-mail. Both checks should be mailed in a timely manner to:

                        Kentucky McTeggart Irish Dancers, Inc.

                        P. O. Box 115

                        Lexington, KY  40588-0115

Tuition pays for association registration and tuition by an accredited instructor, Mrs. Maureen McTeggart Hall.   

Checks made payable to: Mrs. Maureen McTeggart Hall
One dancer $90.00
Two or more dancers $150.00

Fees pay for dance facilities, coaches who lead practice on weeks Mrs. Hall is not here, insurance and club maintenance expenses.

Checks made payable to: KMID
Beginners $60.00
Advanced Beginners and above $75.00

NOTE: If you pay up for the year for KMID you receive $15.00 off your total as follows:
Beginners $225.00
Advanced Beginners and above $285.00

All tuition and fees (both to KMID and to Mrs. Maureen McTeggart Hall) must be paid on the 1st of each quarter.

If you drop your membership with McTeggart and return, three months tuition and fees are due upon joining the school again.

Tuition and fee payments must be current in order for a dancer to compete and payments are due, whether a dancer attends all of his/her scheduled classes, or not.  If a student decides that Irish dance is not for them, kindly notify the treasurer, in writing, before the beginning of the next quarter so that our records can be updated.

 

 

What to wear to dance practice --All dancers wear shorts or skorts, a modest shirt (no camisoles, strappy, or low-cut tops), white socks (“poodle” socks are available locally at Failte, an Irish shop, 203 S. Limestone, Lexington and online from sites where dance shoes are sold), and soft ballet-type shoes or Irish dance shoes called ghillies. Boys wear reel shoes. Used shoes may be available. Erin Lennon (lennon5@windstream.net) has a collection of used shoes for sale. New shoes may be purchased online (www.irishshoes.com/ is a wonderful source). It takes some time for most dancers to advance to doing dances requiring hard shoes. Mrs. Hall or the coaches will let students know when they are ready to find hard shoes.

Dancers’ code of behavior--It is expected that all members of KMID will be respectful of one another, attentive to the teachers and coaches, polite, and punctual. KMID shares the studios at Arts Place with other organizations and there are times when space in the hallway or lobby is tight. Please be considerate. Never chew gum in or take food into the studios. Bottles of water are allowed. Only dancers, instructors, and one parent monitor are permitted in the studio during class.

Performances--The McTeggarts are asked to dance at parades, festivals, libraries, restaurants, schools, churches, nursing homes, and at private functions such as meetings, concerts, and wedding celebrations. Most performances are open to all qualified dancers--new beginners will be told by the coaches when they are ready to sign up and participate. Performing in public is not required but can be a fun experience, even for young dancers. Opportunities to appear are announced by e-mail by the performance coordinator. Costume requirements vary by level. Beginner girls wear a white long-sleeve shirt, red ribbon tie, an above the knee length black skirt/bloomers, neat hair, McTeggart braided headband, poodle socks, and appropriate dance shoes. Boys wear black formal trousers, white shirt, red tie, and dance shoes. (Many of these can be obtained from older dancers or borrowed.) The black velvet McTeggart school dresses, worn at all McTeggart dance schools, are not required for new beginners. The colorful solo dresses are not necessary before the dancer reaches the Novice level.

Competition--McTeggart dancers belong to an accredited dance school enabling them to compete at feiseanna (Irish dance competitions held under the auspices of the CLRG/NAFC, the governing organizations of Irish dance as practiced by this school). Some children are very interested in moving through the various levels of skill and participating in competitions held across North America. For those dancers, this path can be very rewarding. For other dancers, the fun of dance, learning new steps, doing an occasional performance, and making new friends is equally satisfying. It is always up to the individual child and their family to decide. However, all dancers are expected to practice on their own during the week in order to improve. This level of commitment is expected from everyone. Class times are somewhat limited and it is absolutely necessary that dancers do practice. Beginners will be given CDs with practice music to help them.

 

 

Feis Levels

 

The First Feis is a category open to all boys and girls who are participating in a feis for the first time.   

 

The Beginner level (sometimes called Beginner 1) is for those who have attended dance class for less than a full year.  The dancers can perform a light jig, slip jig and/or a reel.  Dancers will dance either 2 or 3 at a time and dancers from different schools will perform different steps.

 

The Advanced Beginner (AB) level (sometimes called Beginner 2) is for dancers who have attended dance class for a full year.

 

The Novice level is for those who have placed first, second, or third as an advanced beginner in that particular dance.  It is not uncommon for a dancer to compete at the novice level in some dances and the advanced beginner level in others.

 

The Prizewinner level (sometimes called “Open”) is a step up from the novice level.  A dancer must win a first place in a dance at the novice level to move up to prizewinner.

 

The Preliminary Championship level is for those who have placed first at the prizewinner (open) level in both soft shoe (reel, slip jig) and hard shoe (hornpipe, treble jig, traditional set dance).  Dancers perform one soft shoe dance and one dance in hard shoes in preliminary championship.

 

The Open Championship level, the most advanced of solo competition, is for those who have previously won two first place awards at the preliminary championship level.

 

KMID is in the Mid-America region and these are the guides to grade advancement:

A Beginner 1 must move to Beginner 2 no later then January 1 of the dancers second year of instruction or may move to Beginner 2 earlier with teacher’s permission and provided that the Feis has not closed to changes.  Note: A Beginner 1 dancer who starts in September, may continue as a Beginner 1 until December of the following year (16 months) before moving into Beginner 2.  Beginner 2 is for a dancer who has been dancing for more than one year and who has not won a 1^st, 2^nd, or 3^rd.  A dancer who has won a 1^st, 2^nd, or 3^rd in a Beginner 2 dance must move into Novice in that dance no later than January 1^st of the next calendar year or with teacher’s permission as soon as the next Feis.  A dancer moves into Novice as a result of placing 1^st, 2^nd, or 3^rd in that dance as indicated above in Beginner by the next calendar year or with teacher’s permission as soon as the next Feis.  A dancer moves into Prizewinner as a result of placing 1^st as indicated in Novice.  A dancer who wins 1^st place in each of the Prizewinner dances (reel, slip-jig, treble jig and hornpipe) can move into Preliminary Championship with teacher’s permission.  A dancer who wins two first place awards in one calendar year will move on to Open Championship the following year, or as soon as the second win is achieved, in any age category, in the following years.  Only in the case of back-to-back Feisanna (successive days), the first win in the first Feis will not change the dancer’s status for the second Feis.

 

Oireachtas--Within the context of Irish dance, Oireachtas (pronounced “O-ROCK-TUS”) is an annual regional championship competition.  Prestigious in its own right, the Oireachtas also serves as a qualifying event for the National and World Competitions.

 

The Irish word “oireachtas” literally means “gathering”.  A convenient mnemonic for the spelling of Oireachtas is “Oh, I reach to a star”.  Outside of Irish dancing context, the term “Oireachtas” is the national parliament or legislature of the Republic of Ireland.  An Oireachtas can be described as an advanced feis, with dancers being nominated by teachers rather than having open registration.

Questions--Most parents can help you find the right person to ask. Dance questions are addressed to the coaches. Payment questions go to the Treasurer. Performance questions are directed to the Performance coordinator, and so on. Any specific questions concerning the running of the school should be directed to the President. Any experienced parent will be happy to share information concerning sources for shoes, socks, wigs, and all the rest.