EPQG BY-LAWS

Evergreen Piecemakers Quilt Guild

Established 1981

By-Laws

Article I – Name and Location

This organization shall be known as the Evergreen Piecemakers Quilt Guild.

 The headquarters shall be in Kent, Washington.

Article II – Purpose

The purpose of this organization is:

 To promote the art of quilting and quilt making by workshops, lectures, and exhibitions offered

to the members and the general public.

 To preserve the heritage of quilt making and quilt appreciation.

 To provide an informational base for those interested in quilt making and related arts and

encourage excellence in those areas.

 To provide a source of inspiration and fellowship for quilt enthusiasts.

 To enrich our lives by the commitment of donations related to quilts and other fiber arts (i.e.

quilts, scholarships, time or efforts) to deserving organizations, hospitals,

groups or individuals.

Article III – Membership

 Membership is open to those persons who are interested in the purpose of this organization

regardless of sex, age, race or creed.

 The amount of the annual dues shall be established by the Executive Board upon approval of the

membership. Dues must be paid no later than the first business meeting in January. Dues may be

pro-rated for partial year as determined by the Executive Board.

Membership is based on the calendar year beginning January 1 and ending December 31.

 Members are welcome to bring guests to any meeting.

Article IV – Officers

 The officers of this organization shall be President, Vice President, Secretary and Treasurer. They

shall be elected by the general membership. Any office can have a co-officer. What applies to the

position equally applies to the co.

President:

 The President shall be responsible for presiding at all Executive Board and General Membership

meetings.

 The President shall be charged with the general management and supervision of the Evergreen

Piecemakers Quilt Guild.

 The President shall be the ex-officio member of all committees and shall perform all other duties

as may be incidental to the office or as may be required by the Executive Board.

 During the absence or inability of the President, the duties and powers may be exercised by the

Vice President or in the absence of such person, as the Executive Board shall select.

Vice President:

 The Vice President shall assist the President in matters necessary to the functioning of the

organization and shall assume the duties of the President in the absence of that officer, shall serve

as the Program chairperson assuring that programs and workshops of interest to the membership

shall be offered and shall perform all other duties as may be incidental to the office.

Secretary:

 The Secretary shall keep minutes at all General Membership and Executive Board meetings. The

minutes of the General Membership meetings shall be included in the next published newsletter.

 The minutes of the previous General Membership meeting shall normally be presented at the

following General Membership meeting either by reference to the publication in the newsletter or

by oral presentation.

 The minutes of the Executive Board shall be open to all members of the Guild.

 The Secretary shall perform other duties as incidental to this office and are properly required.

 The Secretary shall maintain a file system of all minutes for future reference and to ensure that

records required for our non-profit status are maintained.

Treasurer:

 The Treasurer shall have charge of all funds of the Evergreen Piecemakers Quilt Guild, deposit

receipts and disburse monies upon authorization of the Executive Board, shall make reports at the

General and Executive Board meetings as to the status of the treasury, shall receive and maintain

reports as necessary to file tax returns as required, shall perform other duties as incidental to this

office and properly required.

 The Treasurer will maintain an inventory including location of all capital equipment owned by

Evergreen Piecemakers Quilt Guild for use in preparing required tax forms.

 Any funds received on behalf of the Guild will be submitted to the Treasurer within 30 days.

 The Treasurer will provide each Retreat Coordinator with the guidelines for financial

responsibility for the Coordinators and Treasurer concerning retreats sponsored by the Guild.

The Coordinators and Treasurer must abide by those guidelines in administering the financial

obligations of the retreat.

Article V – Elections and Term of Office

 A nomination committee shall be selected by the Executive Board for the purpose of selecting

nominees for the office of President, Vice President, Secretary and Treasurer. The nominating

committee shall post the names of candidates for each office in the September newsletter.

 The committee shall present the names of the candidates for each office orally at the October

General Membership meeting. Nominations from the floor shall be accepted at this time.

 Following nominations from the committee or from the floor, the election of officers will be held

by secret ballot or show of hands if all candidates are unopposed. These ballots for the election of

officers will be accepted from paid members only and will be tabulated by the nomination

committee. The vote requires a 2/3 affirmative vote of the members present at the membership

meeting.

 The terms of office shall be from January 1 st to December 31 st .

 No member shall hold more than one (1) office concurrently.

 Officers may serve no more than two (2) consecutive terms in office. However, upon a 2/3 vote of

the members present at any membership meeting, the two (2) year restriction may be suspended

for an officer to serve one additional year for a total of three (3)consecutive years.

 The newly elected officers shall make every effort to attend the November Executive Board

meeting to observe the functioning of the Board and be briefed on upcoming issues.

Article VI – Executive Board

 The Executive Board shall consist of the President, Vice President, Secretary and the Treasurer.

 These officers shall sit on the Executive Board concurrently with their terms of office.

 The Executive Board shall make recommendations to the general membership via the President.

 Executive Board meetings may be called as necessary for the management of the organization. At

least one (1) week notice should be given whenever possible. Any member may request a

meeting with the Executive Board.

 The Executive Board shall have the authority to make decisions as necessary without the vote or

approval of the membership as long as those decisions are in the best interest of the organization,

especially for the completion of the pertinent business. Any expenditure by the Executive Board

without the vote of approval of the general membership shall not exceed $200.00.

 Any vacancy occurring on the Executive Board shall be filled by appointment by the Executive

Board until a general meeting of the membership, at which time the members shall elect said

officer to serve the duration of the unexpired term of office.

 The elected incoming Executive Board each year shall prepare a proposed budget for the

upcoming calendar year. The budget is to include all anticipated income and expenses and shall

be electronically distributed to the membership prior to the membership vote. At the discretion

of the incoming Executive Board, the budget may be printed and distributed to the membership

prior to the vote. Members will vote for acceptance of the budget at the February business

meeting. Passage requires a 2/3 affirmative vote of the members present.

Article VII – Financial Review

 The Executive Board shall appoint two (2) members, neither of which shall be officers, to

complete the annual financial review of the financial records.

 The annual financial review shall be completed yearly by March 31 st and a written report

submitted to the Executive Board. The Executive Board will present the findings at the next

general membership meeting. Financial review may be called at any time necessary for such

reasons as vacation of office during a term of office or for any suspect reasons as deemed by the

Executive Board.

 A more formal audit of the financial records of the guild can be made upon motion and approval

by a simple majority of the membership.

Article VIII – Committees

 Committees shall be established as required to satisfy the programs and needs of the Evergreen

Piecemakers Quilt Guild for orderly and timely implementation of interested members.

 Committee activities will be based upon budgeted items and will require Executive Board

approval for additional expenditures. Expenditures that exceed $200.00 must be approved by the

membership as part of an approved budget or as a separate item presented to the membership.

 Members may serve on more than one committee, but a chairperson may head only one

committee.

 Committee activities shall be supervised by the Executive Board.

 Committee chairpersons shall be selected by the Executive Board.

 Committee chairpersons shall administer their respective activities and be responsible to the

Executive Board.

 In case of a committee chairperson vacancy, the Executive Board shall select a new chairperson.

 Block of the Month: Participants of the Block of the Month must be members of the Evergreen

Piecemakers Quilt Guild.

 The chairperson will provide a quilt block pattern, in keeping with applicable copyright

regulations, for members to voluntarily make.

Article IX – Meetings

 Meetings shall be held semi-monthly on the second (2 nd ) and fourth (4 th ) Mondays of each month.

 The first meeting of the month shall be the business meeting with Show and Tell and Program.

 The second meeting held at the option of the Executive Board and may be an open sew program

or other special event.

 These meetings may be switched at the discretion of the Executive Board to allow for scheduling

desired programs with date conflicts. Meetings may be cancelled due to holiday conflicts.

 Planning meetings may be called by the President before a regular business meeting or by the

Executive Board as deemed necessary for the management of the organization. Passage of a

business item shall be declared by majority vote of the members present.

 Fees for program nights shall be determined by the Vice President/Program chair through

consultation with the teacher/speaker providing the program in keeping with the guild budget.

 Members providing programs may be paid in the same manner.

Article X – Workshops

 Workshops shall be scheduled by the Vice President and offered to the membership first.

Workshops shall be financially self-sustaining.

 Based on guild funds availability for supplementing the cost of a workshop, and as approved by

the Executive Board, workshop fees may be reduced below the self-sustaining rate on occasion for

members.

 Attendance at the workshop requires full payment of the fee to the Vice President by mail or at a

Guild meeting following sign up but prior to the workshop.

 A waiting list will be maintained if demand is greater than class space.

 If space is still available in a workshop 30 days prior to the workshop, non-members may sign up

and pay the fee. The Executive Board may set the fee for non-members at a higher rate than a

member fee. A 2/3 membership affirmative vote is required for approval.

 Once paid, workshop fees are non-refundable unless the class is cancelled. Exception: A paid

participant may obtain a replacement from the waiting list, or if there is no waiting list, another

source. If a paid replacement is obtained, the participant may obtain a refund. It is the

responsibility of the paid participant to obtain a replacement.

Article XI – Amendments

 This organization shall have the full power at any regularly scheduled business meeting to amend

these by-laws by a 2/3 vote of the members present.

 The amendment must be proposed to the Executive Board in writing at not less than one regularly

scheduled business membership meeting prior to that at which it is to be placed before the

general membership for a vote on adoption.

 At least one month prior to the amendment vote, notification of proposed amendment will be

made via normal Guild notification procedures; e.g., electronically transmitted, announcements at

meetings, Newsletter articles, etc. Every attempt will be made to widely distribute the notification.

Article XII – Dissolution

 Should the Evergreen Piecemakers Quilt Guild be dissolved, all monetary assets remaining after

payment of outstanding debts shall be donated to an agreed upon charitable organization.

 Physical assets shall be auctioned to the general membership with proceeds going to said

charitable organization.

Article XIII – Evergeeen Piecemakers Quilt Guild Website

 In the event that the Guild institutes a user name/password protection section of the Website, it

shall be the policy of the Guild that user names/passwords are not to be revealed to nonmembers.

Original By Laws adopted on February 24, 1981

Amended on January 14, 1985

Amended on November 14, 1988 (complete By Laws)

Amended on February 15, 1989 (Article IX)

Amended on June 10, 1996 (Article X)

Amended on November 10, 2003

Amended in January 2013 (Articles III, IV, V, VI, VII, VIII, X, XIII)

Amended on October 9, 2017 (Articles IV, V, VII, IX)

Amended on May 11, 2026 (Articles III, IV, V, VI, VII, VIII, X)