ARTICLE I -- Name
The name of the organization shall be THE FOURTH WALL of NORTHLAND COLLEGE.
ARTICLE II -- Purpose
The Fourth Wall is a community organization whose purpose is to enrich, educate, and entertain our community by providing a superior theatre experience.
ARTICLE III -- Requirements for Membership
Section 1. There shall be three types of membership in the Fourth Wall: Student, Community, and Patron.
Section 2. Only student and community members have voting privileges.
Section 3. STUDENT MEMBERS. Any person who is a student of NORTHLAND COLLEGE and has a genuine interest in the Fourth Wall and its purpose is eligible for student membership. All student members are entitled to vote at general meetings of the organization. While it is expected that all members will support the club by involvement in the various Fourth Wall events, such support is not mandatory.
Section 4. COMMUNITY MEMBERS. Any person who is not a student of NORTHLAND COLLEGE but has a genuine interest in the Fourth Wall and its purpose is eligible for community membership. All community members are entitled to vote at general meetings of the organization. While it is expected that all members will support the club by involvement in the various Fourth Wall events, such support is not mandatory.
Subsection A. Community membership extends to any NORTHLAND COLLEGE staff or faculty that wishes to participate.
Section 5. PATRON MEMBERS. Any person, group, or organization is eligible to become a patron member.
Subsection A. The purpose of the Fourth Wall patron membership is to provide any individual or organization an opportunity to support the Fourth Wall in a financial way as well as through attendance at Fourth Wall sponsored events.
Subsection B. All Patron members are entitled to complimentary tickets to all Fourth Wall sponsored events.
Subsection C. All Fourth Wall patron members shall be listed in all Fourth Wall programs.
ARTICLE IV – Officers and Duties
Section 1. The officers of the Fourth Wall shall be the PRESIDENT, the VICE-PRESIDENT, the SECRETARY, the TREASURER, and three (3) REPRESENTATIVES from the members. Together, this collection of people shall be called the EXECUTIVE BOARD.
Section 2. The president is responsible for the morale and growth of the club. The person selected for this position should have strong leadership ability, an ability to motivate people, and an enthusiasm for the Fourth Wall.
Subsection A. The president shall call meetings, preside at all meetings, appoint committees, and have general supervision of the club.
Subsection B. The president shall be responsible for seeing that all other officers understand their responsibilities and carry them out to the best of their ability.
Subsection C. The president shall oversee all the club’s non-production activities and shall be a major source of new ideas for club activities.
Section 3. The vice-president should have a good ability to work and communicate with people and be able to work under pressure, handle paperwork, keep accurate reports, and be responsible for the box office.
Subsection A. The vice-president shall assume the responsibilities of the president in case of his/her absence.
Subsection B. The vice-president shall be responsible for securing and supervising the box office for the Fourth Wall productions.
Subsection C. The vice-president shall be responsible for all publicity of each Fourth Wall event, including auditions.
Section 4. The secretary should have a good ability to organize and record the actions of the club.
Subsection A. The secretary shall take minutes at all the general meetings and all the meetings of the executive board.
Subsection B. The secretary shall be responsible for posting all minutes, making notices for meetings, and keeping the members informed of all club functions.
Subsection C. The secretary shall be responsible for collecting and maintaining a file of all current members, including current contact information.
Subsection D. The secretary shall be responsible for any correspondence with all qualified Fourth Wall members.
Subsection E. The secretary shall be responsible for the election process.
Section 5. The treasurer should be trustworthy and dependable.
Subsection A. The treasurer shall be responsible for the cash income and cash expenses of the Fourth Wall petty cash account.
Subsection B. The treasurer shall be responsible for the income and expenses of the Fourth Wall account with NORTHLAND COLLEGE.
Subsection C. The treasurer shall prepare a financial report to be presented at each meeting in which there is a change.
Section 6. The Fourth Wall advisor shall be a member of the NORTHLAND faculty.
Subsection A. The advisor shall assist new officers in their understanding of the history of the Fourth Wall, the constitution of the Fourth Wall, and the responsibilities of each office.
Subsection B. The advisor is accountable to the administration of NORTHLAND COLLEGE for the actions and policies of the club.
Section 7. Three (3) senators will be elected. They are responsible for being present at each board meeting. The senators will be responsible for assisting the board with ideas, and being a voice for the general members.
Subsection A. The senators will be elected through a majority vote. They will first be submitted and then the general members will have one week to think about the vote, and then they will be voted on by a majority rule basis.
ARTICLE V – Election of Officers
Section 1. Officers for the following year shall be elected prior to the NORTHLAND COLLEGE May term.
Section 2. Two weeks prior to election date anyone interested in running for an office of the Fourth Wall or in nominating someone for a position (with consent) shall present the nominee’s name in a designated general meeting.
Section 3. No previous experience on the board is necessary, but persons running for office should be fully acquainted with the responsibilities of the positions.
Section 4. NOMINATIONS. One week prior to election day, a general meeting shall be called for the purposes of nomination. The out-going secretary shall gather the ballots and tally them. The three candidates receiving the most points will be the nominees for each office. The nominees will be posted in alphabetical order.
Section 5. If less than three persons are put forward for any office, the persons put forward automatically become the nominees.
Section 6. The election will be proctored by the out-going secretary.
Section 7. Elections will be held during a designated meeting. The winners will be announced by email the next day.
Section 8. Officers shall be elected by a majority vote of the club.
Section 9. SUCCESSION. In the absence or at the request of the president, the powers, duties, and responsibilities for that office shall devolve, if necessary, in this order: 1. Vice-president, 2. Secretary, 3. Treasurer. Should the office of the president devolve past the office of vice-president on a permanent basis, an election process shall be held for a new president.
Section 10. TERMINATION. If a majority of the executive board thinks that a particular officer is not carrying out the duties and responsibilities of their office, the executive board is empowered to ask for the resignation of that particular officer.
Section 11. RESIGNATION. In the case of resignation, the executive board shall provide their suggestions of persons to fill the vacant position. A list must be posted at least one week prior to the general meeting used to nominate for the office. The list can name three people or less with the possibility of nomination from the floor at the general meeting of the membership. The balloting shall take place at the next general meeting and shall be proctored under the same rules as apply to regular elections.
ARTICLE VI – Meetings
Section 1. There shall be at least one meeting of the general membership each month that school is in session.
Section 2. Special meetings may be called at any time by the executive board, or at the request of the faculty advisor.
Subsection A. The executive board shall set the time and place for those meetings.
Subsection B. There shall be at least one week’s notice given for all regular meetings.
Subsection C. The following agenda shall be followed at the general meetings: 1. Opening, 2. The treasurer’s report, 3. Announcements, 4. Old business, 5. New business, 6. Adjournment. All motions shall be seconded and will be carried by a simple majority of the members present. The president shall not vote except in the case of a tie.
Section 3. The minutes of all general meetings shall be posted on the Fourth Wall website within 48 hours of the meeting, as well as in the Fourth Wall binder.
ARTICLE VII – Selection of plays
Section 1. The Fourth Wall shall have at least two (2) productions a year. If a musical can be preformed, it shall be done during winter term.
Section 2. The last general meeting of the year shall be for the discussion of plays and musicals. At this time, any and all ideas will be accepted by the board and recorded by the secretary for next year.
Section 3. During the summer, the secretary shall email the voting members with the list of nominated plays and musicals. Each member will pick three (3) titles from each category (plays and musicals).
Section 4. Prior to the first general meeting of the next academic year, the executive board will meet and pick the three (3) with the most votes in each category. They will then make a presentation for each possibility with a brief description, cast breakdown, and royalty and rental fees required.
Section 5. The executive board will then present the nominees at the first general meeting of the year.
Section 6. The next week, a special general meeting will be held where voting members will vote for one production in each category. Winners will be determined by simple majority vote.
Section 7. Winners will be announced within 48 hours after the meeting. They will be sent through email, posted on the website, and put into the Fourth Wall binder.
ARTICLE VIII – Production of plays
Section 1. DIRECTOR. The director shall be selected by majority vote. Possible directors will be nominated and voted on within the same meeting.
Subsection A. The director will be responsible for the artistic interpretation of a production. The director is responsible for picking a stage manager and assistant director if they so choose.
Subsection B. In the event that the director cannot/will not perform their duties, the executive board shall take over the direction of the play until a substitute can be found. Only the executive board has the right to cancel a play.
Section 2. PRODUCER. The producer shall be selected by majority vote. Possible producers will be nominated and voted on within the same meeting. The production staff shall assure that proper care is taken of the facilities used for the production.
Subsection A. The producer will work closely with the director and the stage manager, as well as the cast and crew. The producer may enlist the aid of others for the formulation of the production staff.
Subsection B. The producer is responsible for all business and operational aspects of the production, including, but not limited to: production budget, publicity, advertising, donations, playbill, support staffing, ticket sales, and production logistics.
Section 3. The selection of performers to fill the roles of a play shall be based on solely on the candidates’ abilities to portray and project the roles in question and must be based on public auditions. The casting shall be under the control of the Director. Advance public notice of tryouts must be made. Tryouts shall be held under a sufficient period of time to provide all interested persons an opportunity to appear.
Subsection A. The cast is required to be punctual at all rehearsals and productions as well as having a sober and professional attitude.
Subsection B. Should any member of the cast have a problem with the director, they should talk to the executive board. The executive board will then decide, as a group, what to do with the director.
Section 4. The executive board shall schedule the dates of presentations for the plays well in advance.
ARTICLE IX – Fairness
It is recognized that no Constitution can cover all circumstances. In the event of an issue arising that are not covered by this Constitution, the issue will be decided upon on the basis of fairness, the good of the Fourth Wall, and common sense.
ARTICLE X – Amendments
Section 1. The articles of this Constitution may be amended, revised, or altered in whole or in part at any regular meeting by a majority vote of the members of the club provided such an amendment and the notice of the proposed vote is proposed to the club. Prior to the vote, time must be set aside for discussion from the floor.
Section 2. The final vote shall occur only after the previous steps have been taken.
ARTICLE XI – By-laws
Section 1. Additional by-laws may be adopted at any meeting by a majority vote by the active members.
