SAPPHIRE GROUP RULES and REGULATIONS (Revised May 2021)
SAPPHIRE GROUP An association promoting the interests of audio manufacturing and the For inquires on becoming an authorized chapter of the Sapphire Group please contact our current Chair officer: Michael Lehmann Boddicker, Ph.D. SAPPHIRE GROUP RULES and REGULATIONS
ARTICLE I - ORGANIZATION Section 1: This organization shall be known as the Sapphire Group. Section 2: The Sapphire Group is a social organization and all of its members are associated with the audio industry or its allied fields. Its purpose is to provide an opportunity for members to meet informally for networking and to discuss current activities, technology, or events relating to the audio industry. Section 3: The officers of the Sapphire Group officers shall be a Chair, a Vice-Chair, a Secretary, and a Treasurer. The officers shall be assisted by a Membership Committee and a Program Committee. All of these must be active members. Section 4: Election of these officers shall be conducted at the September general meeting in even-numbered years. The terms of office shall be two years or until successors have been elected. All officers may stand for reelection without a limitation on the number of terms. Section 2: Notice of the meetings shall be sent, via e-mail, to the membership no less than one week prior to each scheduled meeting. The notice also shall include a dinner reservation form. Section 3: All members planning to attend the meeting must complete and submit to the Secretary by the date specified a confirming dinner reservation form for themselves and any guest(s) that they intend to bring. If they do not show-up for dinner, they are nonetheless obligated to pay the Treasurer for the dinners they have reserved. Section 2: Candidates for membership must attend three consecutive meetings as the guest of an active member, who then may submit a petition on behalf of the candidate to the Membership Committee for evaluation. This petition must be presented both in writing and verbally at a general meeting. Any objections to this petition must be submitted in writing to the Committee by an active member. The Membership Committee shall make its final recommendation to the Chair who in turn will make the appropriate announcement at the subsequent general meeting. Section 3: New members shall be required to lead a discussion or provide a meeting presentation within three months of being accepted as a member. Section 4: An attendance roster shall be circulated at each meeting. Any member missing three consecutive meetings without a legitimate excuse — such as professional obligations, excessive travel time, family situations, or health conditions — shall be designated to inactive status and shall be notified of this by the membership committee. Section 4a: Inactive members may be reinstated to active status by attending three consecutive meetings. Section 4b: Members unable to attend meetings on a regular basis due to a permanent and legitimate excuse shall retain active member status as long as the legitimate excuse remains valid. Section 1: The Chair shall preside over the meetings. In the event that the Chair cannot attend a meeting, the Chair shall appoint a member to preside. Section 1a: The Chair shall be responsible for determining the meeting place and negotiating details with the venue. Section 1b: The Chair also shall be responsible to supervise the maintenance of the official Website of the Sapphire Group. Section 2: The Vice-Chair shall head the Program Committee. In the event of the absence or incapacitation of the Chair, the Vice-Chair shall assume the duties of the Chair. Section 3: The Treasurer shall receive all money from the members and shall pay all expenses of the Sapphire Group. The Treasurer shall keep an accounting of all funds received and expended by the Sapphire Group and provide a report to the Chair semi-annually. Section 4: The Secretary shall maintain the meeting attendance roster and the membership database. The Secretary shall send to the membership notices of all meetings, and receive the reservations for dinner. Section 5: The Membership Committee shall consist of three members. It shall review all petitions for membership in the Sapphire Group and any member’s request for exemption from inactive status. The Committee then shall forward its recommendations to the Chair for appropriate action. Section 6: The Vice-Chair shall head the Program Committee, which shall consist of two additional members. Its responsibility is to select and coordinate the discussion topics, programs, and presenters for the general meetings. Section 2: The price charged for the dinners shall be established by the Chair and the Treasurer. Each member shall pay to the Treasurer the amount specified for dinner and that of any guest(s). The member also is responsible to pay any tips, incidentals, or extra amounts to cover expenses. Section 2a: Active members who have made a timely dinner reservation with the Secretary shall be afforded a $5.00 discount on the price of the member’s dinner. All other members and guests shall pay the established amount. Section 3: Disposition of any funds accrued shall be determined by the Officers and must be for the benefit of the Sapphire Group as a whole.
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