Montana Music Educators Association
Revised August. 2015
*recent changes are in bold type
These policies are extracted from the MMEA Executive Board Meeting, and MHSA Music Committee, dating from January 1974 through October 2005. This embraces the period of time of the present format of concurrent MHSA All-State Festivals and MMEA Conferences. The date following each statement indicates the date of the minutes that the policy was established.
A. Presidents-Affiliate Organizations
1. Current presidents of affiliate organizations (MBA, MT-ASTA, MCDA) will be the state screening chairs for the respective NAfME All-Northwest groups. (1/06/01)
2. The MMEA treasurer will inform affiliate presidents of proper procedures to follow for paying convention clinicians. (9/18/89)
3. Affiliate presidents must have written contractual agreements with their conference clinicians and copies of same must be forwarded to the MMEA president. (1/5/79)
4. The MGMTA vice-president will also be the appointed NAFME Society for General Music chair. (1/06/01)
B. Montana High School Association
1. The MHSA will provide certificates for All-State participants. (MHSA policy 1/14/77)
2. Complimentary tickets will be issued to instructors and administrators of the schools that have students participating in any one of the All-State groups. (MHSA policy)
3. MMEA Conference and MHSA All-State are separate but cooperative and concurrent activities structurally, administratively, and financially. (MHSA policy)
4. All-State is administratively and financially accountable to the MHSA. (MHSA policy)
5. The MHSA Music Committee and/or local administrators are the avenues through which changes in the MHSA activities and rules occur. (MHSA policy)
6. The MMEA shall request of the MHSA host chairperson time on the All-State program to present MMEA’s Distinguished Service and Leadership Awards. All other awards will be presented at an appropriate time during the convention. (1/10/04)
C. Cadenza
1. A synopsis of the October minutes will be published in the January issue of the Cadenza, and a synopsis of the January minutes will be published in the April issue of the Cadenza. (1/09/87)
2. The constitution will be published on-line. (1/11)
3. The president will provide the Cadenza a grid of the schedule for the October conference no later than August 1, so it may be included in the September issue of the Cadenza. (1/07/83)
4. The MMEA president will appoint an editorial board of five upon the recommendation of the editor. (1/11/03)
5. The presidents of each affiliate organization will be the contributing editors to the Cadenza. (10/4/87)
6. The MMEA president, president-elect, Cadenza editor, and MMEA treasurer/state manager will meet prior to the Winter Planning Meeting each year to discuss the costs and budget for the current volume and the following year. (1/03/86)
7. The MMEA president will recommend annually to the MMEA Executive Board at the Winter Planning Meeting the continuance or non-continuance of a contract for services with the Cadenza editor. The president will also recommend the terms of the agreement for the ensuing volume of three issues. (1/03/86)
8. The Cadenza editor should be informed by January 20 whether he/she will be contracted for an ensuing year. (1/03/86)
9. The Cadenza shall solicit copy-ready advertising and shall not bear any expenses for advertising set-up costs. (1/03/86)
10. See section D, number 12.
11. The conference advance registration form shall be printed in the fall Cadenza, thus necessitating earlier deadlines for submission of all materials in order to enable the editor to timely print and circulate the Cadenza in September. (1/07/89)
12. The MMEA treasurer shall annually remit to the Cadenza editor the approved MMEA subsidy by September 30. (1/07/89)
13. The Cadenza Fiscal Oversight Committee shall annually determine that there is anticipated to be approximately enough cash on hand (in the Cadenza accounts) at the end of each fiscal year to cover the costs of one edition. The current contract with the editor will suggest what this sum should be. (1/07/89)
D. Conference, Registration, Fees, and Exhibits
1. The following fee schedule will apply:
a) NAfME/ MMEA members registration fee $45, first time fee and early registration $35 (1/2013)
b) NAfME/ MMEA non member fee $80 (1/2013)
c) For clinicians, retired music educators and NAfME-C members, no charge (01/07/06)
2. Individuals who are Montana school music teachers, K-12, must be a member of NAfME/MMMEA to attend the conference. (01/07/06)
3. MMEA will accept, as valid for registration at any of its annual conferences, membership cards dated January 1 through October of the year following the annual conference. Members without a current valid membership card as well as members whose cards may elapse within the months of October through December of the current year must renew at conference. If a member claims to have paid NAfME, has not yet received a valid membership card, it shall be the duty of the treasurer to immediately check with the NAfME director of membership and finance. If a membership is verified by NAfME, admission will be assured; if a member is not verified, the member must make payment at the registration site and a stop-pay at NAfME will be issued. This policy shall be printed in the fall issue of the Cadenza each year and any other information used to advertise the conference. (1/09/87)
4. All conference attendees will be provided badges. (01/07/06)
5. The MMEA Executive Board is delegated the authority to review the price structure of exhibits and to make changes in the same. (1/06/01)
6. Only MMEA approved materials are allowed in MMEA registration and exhibit areas. (01/07/06)
7. The MMEA will offer Montana colleges and universities exhibitors table space for 50% of the current rate, but collegiate faculty cannot use exhibitor badges to attend MMEA sessions. (01/07/06)
8. Only one exhibitor may be represented per single table. Two or more separate companies may not use the same single table (8ft. space).
9. Security will be provided in the exhibit area and will be the responsibility of the Exhibit chairman. (1/06/01)
10. In-state clinician’s honorarium will be $50.00 per full session presented. Expenses may be negotiated for non-members of MMEA. (1/06/01)
11. MMEA funds allotted to affiliate organizations must be used annually. These funds will not accumulate. (1/14/77)
12. Membership dues and conference expenses (registration, mileage, food, and lodging) of the state treasurer will be paid by the state association. (10/15/86)
13. Procedures for MMEA Treasurer/State Manager to follow in case of non-payments or non-sufficient funds (N.S.F.) registrations is a three-tiered process:
a) A courtesy letter and/phone call is sent from the MMEA Treasurer/Manager informing the conference registrant (individual or exhibitor) of N.S.F. status. If no satisfactory reply is made within 30 days, then:
b) A letter from the MMEA President with a 30-day resolution limit on response from N.S.F. party. The MMEA President will explain that the association must mail in their state and national membership fees, which must be forwarded to national NAFME in a timely manner. The President will include in the letter “Your membership will be canceled in 30 days if receipt of funds is not completed to (Treasurer/State Manager)by (date).”
c) After 30 days have passed, if the bill is not paid, membership will be canceled at the state and national levels. In the future, in order to rejoin, any expenses incurred by the MMEA must be reimbursed prior to acceptance of registration. (10/02)
14. OPI (Office of Public Instruction) forms from only the two most recent conferences will be archived. Those from years previous to that time will be destroyed. (10/18/03)
15. High school student groups will not perform at functions that include an open bar. (10/92)
16. The MMEA will not be responsible for private business expenses not authorized by the MMEA Board. (1/08)
17. The conference expenses of the president and president-elect not covered by their school districts will be paid by the state association. (1/11
18. Exhibitors and businesses who advertise in all three issues of the Cadenza shall be named Associate Members for the school year. Associate Members will have access to the MMEA Directory.
E. General Policy
1. MMEA is in cooperation with, but not affiliated with the MEA. (1/10/81)
2. It is the duty of the Council of Past Presidents to keep the policy statement current. (9/87)
3. The MMEA president shall encourage appointed chairs to attend all Executive Board meetings, especially the one which occurs in conjunction with and follows the fall conference. (1/07/89)
4. The MMEA president shall encourage appointed chairs to submit their reports in advance by a date to be established annually by the president in order that the reports can be reprinted and circulated to the general meeting of the membership. Appointed chairs shall therefore not make specific reports to the Executive Board, although any appointed chair can, of course, request of the MMEA president that an issue be placed on the agenda for discussion. (1/07/89)
5. In accordance with Robert’s Rules of Order, it shall not be deemed necessary for the general membership of MMEA to again ratify by vote the election of the MMEA president assuming that it is in the normal succession from president-elect to president. (1/07/89)
6. The MMEA Historian shall keep the archival collection organized by year, and shall retain no more that two years of materials before submitting additions to the archival collections to the University of Montana Archives. (1/05/91)
7. Investments and investment decisions will be reviewed at the annual executive board meeting. Investment direction will be set with Board approval. (1/08)
8. To become a member of an MMEA affiliate association, active and retired music teachers from public and private schools must also join MMEA. (1/11)
F. Travel Policy
1. Members of the Executive Board, as defined in the MMEA Constitution, plus the president-elect-elect, the immediate past host chairperson, the upcoming host chairperson, and the state editor (1/11) will be reimbursed for expenses to the January Executive Board meeting as outlined below. (10/96)
2. The presiding officer of the January Executive Board meeting will extend invitations to officers-elect of the affiliate organizations who will serve on the following year’s Executive Board. No expenses will be paid by the MMEA to these invited officials. It is recommended that affiliate organizations pay expenses for their officers-elect. (1/85)
3. Travel expenses will be based on the most recent version of the MCA, Montana Code Annotated. (1/85)
a) Air travel will be based on the least expensive service available. (1/85)
b) Automobile mileage allowed will be 85% of the current IRS approved rate per mile. (10/06)
c) Individuals will be allotted the cost of lodging and meals based on current state rate. Receipts are not required for meals. Receipts are required for lodging. (1/85)
4. Out-of-state travel expenses by the president for National meetings will be covered by the provisions listed in #3. (1/85)
5. Expenses for the board members attending the MMEA executive Winter board meeting who will also be attending the MHSA Music Committee Meeting will be paid for by the MMEA as needed; mileage to be calculated at the MMEA rate. (1/11)
G. Awards
1. The immediate past-president will arrange to present (or have presented) the MMEA Distinguished Service and Leadership awards per item B, number 6 above. Awards to MMEA retirees will be conferred at an appropriate time and place during the state conference. (1/10/04)
To meet the criteria for the MMEA Retirement Award, the retiring teacher must:
a) Qualify for TRS retirement (25 or more years of service)
b) Have taught in Montana for 10 or more years
c) Be a member in good standing of MMEA at the time of retirement
d) Notify the MMEA President or Past-President of their retirement by September 1 of the award year (10/04)
2. Distinguished Service Award recipients will be allowed up to $100.00 to cover travel expenses to receive their award. (1/14/77)
3. History of Awards: see attached list
4. The Council of Past-Presidents shall devise an appropriate time, place, and way to recognize each new MMEA president as well as each outgoing MMEA president. (10/21/88)
