VdGSA Chapters

A chapter is a local organization of viol players which is affiliated with the VdGSA.

At a minimum, a chapter of the Society has the following attributes:

• It has an organizational structure, including a Chapter Representative to VdGSA;
• It has an open membership;
• It holds meetings for the purpose of playing the viol;
• It maintains contact with its membership via a newsletter or other means;
• It encourages its members to become members of VdGSA.

Over and above these minimum requirements, a chapter is free to engage in other activities in its quest to stay viable.

Chapters are separate, autonomous organizations. VdGSA is not legally responsible for any Chapter activities, and VdGSA cannot share with Chapters its 501(c)(3) tax status or non-profit bulk-mail privileges.

The Society places no restrictions as to the type of organization, nor does it impose a minimum on the number of Chapter members. Experience with other early music society chapters, however, points to serious burn-out problems if the organization is not large enough to protect the one or two doers from overload. To this end, the Society recommends an organizational structure consisting of officers and a board of directors totaling about nine people. This would set a practical minimum membership of about nine. Keep in mind that once you have set up shop, viol players will start streaming out of the woodwork to join.

VdGSA chapters looking for a website can get a homepage (and ample space for more pages) attached to the VdGSA's site at no charge. Your URL will be of the form "http://vdgsa.org/my-chapter", and you'll be able to administer it without intervention from the VdGSA Webmaster.

If you would like to form a VdGSA chapter:

1. Read the VdGSA Chapter Policy;
2. If your organizations qualifies as a VdGSA chapter, fill out the chapter application form;
3. The VdGSA makes available two $500 chapter start-up grants each year on a first-come, first-served basis. If you would like to apply for one of these, fill out the chapter start-up grant form;
4. Send the application and grant forms, either as paper mail or in e-mail, to:
   Susan Marchant
   215 Beacon Pt.
   Oxford, MS
   38655
   susanmarchant19@yahoo.com