I.B.M. Ring 362
The Maine Mystics
Bangor, Maine

The purpose of the Policy and Program Manual is to provide working guidelines to our Ring's Board and Members in order to maintain a consistent direction and focus to Ring activities. The Policies outline a history of thoughtful decisions made by the Ring Board to delegate responsibilities and create actions. They should be helpful in guiding the Ring in future decisions.

The guidelines supplement and help interpret specific working actions to be taken as well as policies that are more broadly outlined in the Constitution and Bylaws. They are not substitutions for either, and in the event of any perceived conflict, the Constitution and Bylaws have precedence over the Policy and Program Manual.

At the end of each year, the Vice President and the Secretary shall review the minutes of actions taken by the Ring Board and Members and incorporate in this manual changes and additions that may be useful to future decisions and actions.

II. Officers

This section details the responsibilities of elected Officers.

President. The President acts as the chief executive and a proactive administrative leader of the Ring.

The President appoints Ring committees and persons (except where otherwise specified in this manual) to Ring responsibilities in consultation with the Board. The President has specific responsibilities outlined elsewhere in this manual to appoint Members to various offices and committees, to assist in the preparation of the Annual Budget, to appoint a committee for the annual Treasury Audit, and to serve as a liaison to the International Brotherhood of Magicians and the Territorial Vice President.

The President is responsible for keeping the membership informed of decisions by the Board and Ring plans. The President should be a positive force for the Ring, encouraging full membership involvement in Ring activities, preventing and resolving conflicts, and encouraging growth of the Ring and the knowledge and skill of the membership in the magical arts.

Vice President. The Vice President has the following specific responsibilities: updates the Program and Policy Manual every year in conjunction with the Secretary; serves on the Budget Committee; jointly with the President recommends to the Board recipients of Ring Awards and verifies and reconciles Ring bank account statements monthly.

Secretary. The Secretary shall maintain and distribute a true record of the proceedings of all meetings of the Board and of the Ring. The Secretary shall in conjunction with the Vice President update the Policy and Program Manual at the end of each Ring calendar year.

The Secretary shall maintain a record of all Members of the Ring and assist in publication of an accurate Roster of paid Members. The roster of Ring Members and Officers with contact information shall be maintained on the Ring's web site. The Secretary shall process all applications to the Ring and the International Brotherhood of Magicians and be the lead person in answering questions by Ring members and the Board about membership qualifications and dues (see Dues).

It shall be the responsibility of the Secretary to inform Members in a timely way of the date, place and time of each meeting, whether directly or through another Officer, using mail, email or telephone.

In the absence of a Scribe, Editor of the Ring Newsletter, or Webmaster, the Secretary shall assume these duties.

Treasurer. The Treasurer shall maintain a record of income and disbursements and submit at least a bimonthly update of the income and disbursements against the annual budget to the Board twice a year for publication in the Ring Newsletter.

The Treasurer shall submit to designated Ring Officer the monthly bank statements of deposits and disbursements for verification and reconciliation of balances.

The Treasurer shall attempt to recover all bank service charges from Members who have checks returned for insufficient funds.

The Treasurer shall submit the annual reports required to maintain the Ring's Corporate Charter and Not for Profit Status.

The Treasurer shall chair the Budget Committee and in conjunction with its members consisting of the President and Vice President, shall submit an annual budget to the Board at the first meeting following the election. This budget shall be completed by the Treasurer after appropriate review by the Board. Actual expenses vs. budgeted shall be shown in reports in the Ring newsletter at least twice a year.

Sergeant At Arms. The Sergeant At Arms shall admit only paid members or approved guests to Closed Ring meetings or sections of meetings. If the Sergeant At Arms cannot attend a meeting where the Closed Meeting policy is in force, the Sergeant At Arms shall find a substitute or advise the President so that a substitute can be found.

The Sergeant At Arms shall also advise the Board and Members on proper parliamentary procedure during the conduct of meetings, ensuring that proper procedures as defined by Robert's Rules of Order are followed.

Board. The Board shall consist of elected officers and other Ring Members as defined by the Ring Constitution and Bylaws.

III. Committees and Appointments

Scribe. The Ring Scribe shall be appointed by the President annually. The Scribe should follow the general procedures outlined in the International Brotherhood of Magicians' Brochure, Ring Scribes' Guidelines for the Linking Ring.

The Scribe is responsible for submitting Ring reports to The Linking Ring by the deadlines established in that publication. If the Scribe cannot personally submit a report, the Scribe shall find a suitable substitute who will fulfill these duties.

The Scribe shall also submit to The Linking Ring articles on those major Ring activities and events that are acceptable under The Linking Ring editorial guidelines. In the event that the President does not appoint a Scribe, the Secretary shall serve as Scribe.

Editor. The Ring Editor shall be appointed by the President annually and is responsible for the publication of the Ring Newsletter. The final editorial policies are the responsibility of the Board. In the event that the President does not appoint a Editor, the Secretary shall serve as Editor.

Webmaster. The Webmaster shall be appointed by the President annually. The Webmaster is responsible for maintaining and updating the Ring web site. In the event that the President does not appoint a Webmaster, the Secretary shall serve as Webmaster.

Historian. The Historian shall maintain the historical archives and critical permanent records of the Ring.

Audit Committee. This Committee shall consist of three members appointed by the President, none of whom have power to withdraw funds from the treasury during the current year (see Treasury Audit). If the above criteria were met, desired members on this committee would be those with accounting experience, followed secondly by the President-Elect and the Treasurer-Elect.

Budget Committee. This Committee shall consist of the Treasurer as Chair, the President and Vice President (see Budget).

Contests. The President shall appoint a Chair for the Stage, Close-up, and Youth Contests, and any other contests conducted by the Ring, sufficiently in advance of each contest.

Nominating Committee. This Committee shall be appointed by the President four months before the annual election and shall consist of a minimum of three individuals, who will recommend nominees for each Ring elective office ( President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, and Sergeant At Arms).

Public Shows. For each Public Show presented by the Ring, there shall be a Public Show Committee. The Public Show Committee, appointed by the President, shall consist of three individuals who will coordinate subcommittees on: 1) Talent Coordination, 2) Publicity and Ticket Sales, and 3) Stage and Theater Management. One of these individuals shall serve as General Public Show Chair. The subcommittee chairs are responsible for appointing members to their own subcommittees.

The Talent Coordination Subcommittee shall select all the talent for a Public Show obtaining appropriate input from the Board and others prior to their selection. Where possible, winners of the Stage Contest should perform in Public Shows. Generally only Ring members should be used as the talent; however, when deemed desireable by the Talent Coordination Subcommittee nonmembers may be used to add variety to the show or to take advantage of unique available talent. No members shall be paid for performing in Public Shows. Non-members can be paid only with prior approval of the Board.

The Publicity and Ticket Sales Subcommittee shall have tickets printed and maintain a record of all sales. Where possible, names of ticket purchasers will be recorded for a mailing for future performances. The Publicity and Ticket Sales Subcommittee shall promote shows by assuring that information about the shows appears in newspapers, online events calendars, and other publicity outlets. The Subcommittee shall prepare and distribute posters and flyers, and encourage members to sell tickets. The Subcommittee will make additional publicity press releases or organize publicity stunts as appropriate. This Subcommittee is also responsible to provide personnel for ticket sales at the door on the day of the show, and to prepare a program.

The Stage and Theater Management Subcommittee will assure that there is sufficent and competant staff to handle sound, lights, curtains and backdrops, and other stage crew activites. They will also provide an experienced stage manager. The Subcommittee is responsible to assure that there are sufficeint ushers to take tickets and to seat the house. It is mandatory that all those assigned theater activities take the initiative to work with performers to assure proper production values. This Subcommittee is also responsible for the house clean up after the show.

Each of the Subcommittee Chairs should develop a calendar of activites and examples of their execution to be placed in a Show file which can be shared with future show planners. They shall also send "thank you" notes to all those who helped. Their responsibility is not ended until this is accomplished.

Youth Show. The President shall appoint one or more Junior members to Chair or Co-Chair the Youth Show. In addition the President shall appoint a senior member to advise the Chair(s) and develop a staff to help execute the show including show promotion and theater management (see also Public Shows).

IV. Newsletter and Web Site

Newsletter. The Ring shall publish a Ring Newsletter at regular intervals that shall be distributed to Members. The Ring Newsletter shall contain a President's column, minutes of recent meetings, Treasurer's reports if available, a calendar of upcoming events, announcements from the Board, and other such items as deemed appropriate by the Board.

In the absence of an Editor or a Publications Committee appointed by the Board, the Ring newsletter shall be prepared by the Secretary.

The Ring shall maintain a file of past Newsletters, and shall make past Newsletters available on its web site. Because the Ring Newsletter will be freely available, care shall be taken not to expose the workings of magic effects in the Newsletter.

Web site. The Ring shall maintain a web site that is updated in a timely fashion. The web site shall always contain:

the Ring's Constitution, Bylaws and the Policy and Program Manual
current information on the date and location of Ring Meetings and other events
a current roster of Board and Members with contact information
a complete file of the minutes of all regular meetings and Ring reports
a complete file of Treasurer's Reports
a complete file of all Ring Newsletters
a complete file of all Contest winners and Award recipients
other such items as deemed necessary by the Board

In the absence of a Webmaster or a Web Site Committee appointed by the President, the Ring's web site shall be maintained by the Secretary.

V. Calendar

This section details events that occur throughout the year. As the new Ring develops a history, some of these events will regularly occur at specific times of the year.

Dues. Annual dues shall be payable in January. See Finances.

Meetings. Monthly meetings shall normally be held the third Sunday of each month unless otherwise specified. It shall be the responsibility of the Secretary to inform Members in a timely way of the date, place and time of each meeting, whether directly or through another Officer, using mail, email or telephone.

Meetings may be designated as Open or Closed. The calendar section of the Newsletter and web site should always reflect whether the meetings are Open or Closed. Open meetings can be attended by anyone. Closed meetings are open o Ring members, and approved guests and potential members who are the Ring's guests. However, these last two groups may be charged fees for special events such as lectures. A section of an Open meeting may also be Closed, for example a Mentoring session, with attendance limited to members and special guests only.

The Sergeant At Arms or a substitute shall monitor the door at Closed meetings and allow only members or approved guests into the meeting.

Themes for Meetings. All members and guests are welcome to perform at each meeting. Each meeting shall have a theme for the performance segment. One person shall be designated as the emcee (this person may also perform). All performers shall give to the emcee:

Name
Title of their presentation
whether or not their presentation fits the theme

The emcee shall attempt to group the performers following the theme. Performers following the theme shall generally perform first.

Ring Name Raffle. The Ring shall be named annually by a Ring Name Raffle. Any member may propose a name for the Ring for the twelve months following the Ring Name Raffle. The Ring Board shall review any proposed name to ensure that: 1) the proposed Ring name is not demeaning to magic, and 2) the proposed Ring name is not in use by another Ring.

Each Active Member (a Member whose dues are currently paid as certified by the Treasurer) in attendance will be given one free ticket. Active Members may purchase any number of additional tickets at $5 each. As tickets are being purchased, a Ring Officer shall post the proposed names and the total funds collected on behalf of each name. When all members present have had the opportunity to purchase as many tickets as desired, a drawing shall be held to determine the name of the Ring. This name shall be the name of the Ring for twelve months. The next Ring Name Raffle shall be held at the meeting date closest to the anniversary of the prior Ring Name Raffle.

A record of the names selected in the Ring Name Raffle in each year of the Ring's existence shall be maintained. The list of names shall be displayed on the Ring's web site and published annually in the Ring Newsletter. The list of names shall be memorialized in tangible form (such as on a plaque or other object) in a way decided upon by the Board.

Raffles. Magic items donated by members may be raffled at a Ring meeting or other event.

Contests. The Ring shall hold Contests approved by the Board. The contests shall include, but are not limited to, a Stage Contest, a Close-up Contest, and a Youth Contest.

The Contests are a vital part of the Ring's activities in improving the skills of its members. Every effort should be made to assure that the contestants have a suitable venue in which to compete and that their efforts be suitably and consistently judged with appropriate feedback so that knowledge is gained to improve.

The Board shall also make every effort to promote the contests and to attract contestants and audiences. They shall review after each contest the net results, rules and procedures and improve these if possible. They shall provide feedback to all contestants who so desire it.

The Contest Chairs shall be appointed by the President in a timely fashion a suitable interval prior to the contests. The Board shall modify any rules of the upcoming contests and publicize the rules to the contestants. The current guidelines and further details of the contest procedures are in the Appendix.

Lectures. Lectures shall be Closed Meetings. Guest magicians and prospective members may attend but shall be charged a lecture fee of $10 per person.

The Sergeant At Arms or a substitute shall be present to check for Ring membership at the entrance to the lecture.

Shows. The Ring's shows are organized to either develop and showcase talent ( Stage Contest, Close-up Contest, and Youth Contest) for which no admission fee is charged or to generate income to support Ring activities. In addition, shows not routinely scheduled may be performed to assist charitable organizations, secure a meeting location at reduced or no cost, or to increase funds available for Ring activities. While the opportunities to present additional income-generating shows are welcome, the Ring should not make excessive demands on the time of its Members or strain its organizational abilities. Each opportunity should be addressed by the Board based on the current situation. All Public Shows shall be organized by a Public Show Committee appointed by the President.

The Ring should avoid having conflicting and overlapping shows with other local magic clubs, including any other I.B.M. Ring or S.A.M. Assembly in Maine.

Auction. An auction may be scheduled at a Ring meeting or other event. Items donated by Members shall be auctioned by an Auctioneer appointed by the Board.

Banquet. The Ring shall hold an annual banquet open to Members and guests. The banquet shall be an occasion for the presentation of awards to Ring members. The Board shall designate a Banquet Chair or Banquet Committee to organize the event.

VI. Finances

This section contains policies on finances. Please see also the Constitution and the Bylaws.

Annual Budget. A Budget Committee shall create an Annual Budget. The Treasurer shall chair the Budget Committee and in conjunction with its members consisting of the President and Vice President submit a budget for approval to the Board at the first meeting after assuming office. Actual expenses vs. budgeted shall be shown in reports in the Newsletter twice a year and to the Board at least bimonthly.

Dues. Annual dues shall be $5, payable in January to cover the calendar year. Persons joining the Ring later in the year shall pay the full annual dues for any portion of the calendar year. Funds derived from dues shall enter the Ring's General Fund.

Paid Advertisements. The Ring shall offer the opportunity for Members to place paid advertisements on a specific section of the Ring's web site, event programs, and other means of communication as decided by the Board. Funds derived from advertisements shall enter the Ring's General Fund.

Endowments. The Ring may present awards to Ring members or other friends of magic as specified in the Policy and Program Manual. All awards requiring the expenditure of funds for the purchase of trophies, plaques, certificates, gifts, scholarships, travel awards or other items of tangible value shall be funded by special endowments. The members initially funding such endowments may chose to name the award to honor a person who has contributed to the art of magic. Proposed names shall be reviewed by the Board to ensure that the proposed name is not demeaning to magic. The Treasurer shall report on the status of each endowment in the Treasurer's Report. When the disbursement of any funds from an endowment is proposed, the Treasurer shall determine whether there are sufficient funds in the endowment for the proposed award. If funds are insufficient and Ring members do not contribute to the endowment, the award shall not be granted, and the Treasurer shall certify that the endowment for the award is depleted. Depleted endowments shall be announced to the membership to allow renaming, with any residual endowment funds being transferred to the new endowment. If the Treasurer has certified that an endowment is depleted, and there is no refunding or renaming of the award for twenty-four (24) months, any funds remaining in the award endowment shall revert to the Ring's General Fund.

Ring Name Raffle. All funds collected in the Ring Name Raffle shall enter the Ring's General Fund.

Raffles. The Ring shall periodically raffle donated magic items at meetings. All funds collected in such raffles shall enter the Ring's General Fund.

Income from Shows. Ring members performing in public in shows to benefit the Ring shall not normally derive any income from these shows. Income to the Ring derived from Ring fundraising shows shall normally enter the Ring's General Fund, unless upon recommendation by the Board and a majority vote of members at a regular meeting, the funds are directed to an Award Endowment.

Auction. The Ring may facilitate an auction of magic items at a Ring meeting. For every item or lot auctioned, the Ring shall receive 10% of the purchase price for facilitating the auction. All funds collected in such auctions shall enter the Ring's General Fund.

Treasury Reserves. The Ring shall have as a goal to maintain at the minimum one half year's operating expenses as a reserve. The reserve funds shall be increased whenever income starts to routinely exceed annual operating expenses.

Reserve funds shall be invested in higher interest generating accounts. If reserve funds fall below the minimum, the Board shall execute a conservative spending plan or generate additional funds by raising dues, increasing fund-generating shows, or engaging in other fund-generating activities.

Funds shall be transferred from the checking account to the reserve accounts expeditiously when the former starts to exceed amounts needed for annual expenses.

Treasury Audit. An Audit Committee appointed by the President shall audit the books at the close of the fiscal year. This Committee shall consist of three members, none of whom have power to withdraw funds from the treasury during the current year. If the above criterion is met, desired members on this committee would be those with accounting experience, followed secondly by the President-Elect and Treasurer-Elect and then others who are acquainted with Ring expenditures.

The results of the audit should be reported by letter to the Board within a month of its completion. Any errors or corrections to the Treasury should be rectified within one month of this report.

The duties of the Audit Committee should not be taken lightly and there should be a conscientious effort to verify balances and accountability for expenditures.

Security Bond. A security bond, equivalent to the maximum annual amount in the treasury shall be carried on the Treasurer and any other individual with the capacity to write checks or withdraw funds from the Ring's accounts. The cost of this security bond will be the responsibility of the Ring.

VII. Contests

An overview of contests is given in the Calendar section. Rules for specific contests are described in the Appendix.

Dr. James William Elliott Card Challenge. This contest shall be held in April to mark the anniversary of the birth of Dr. James William Elliott on April 27, 1874. The contest emphasizes skill at card manipulation. Please see the contest rules in the Appendix.

Stage Contest. The Stage Contest is a vital part of the Ring's activities in improving the skills of its members. Every effort should be made to assure that the contestants have a suitable venue in which to compete and that their efforts be suitably and consistently judged with appropriate feedback so that knowledge is gained to improve.

The Board shall make every effort to promote the Stage Contest and to attract contestants and an audience that includes nonmagicians. They will review after each contest the results, rules and procedures and improve these if possible. They will provide feedback to all contestants who so desire it.

Further guidelines on the Stage Contest are provided in the Appendix.

Close-up Contest. The Close-up Contest is a vital part of the Ring's activities in improving the skills of its members. Every effort should be made to assure that the contestants have a suitable venue in which to compete and that their efforts be suitably and consistently judged with appropriate feedback so that knowledge is gained to improve.

Further guidelines on the Close-up Contest are provided in the Appendix.

Youth Contest. The Youth Contest is an essential part of the Ring's Youth Program. Every effort should be made to assure that the contestants have a suitable venue in which to compete and that their efforts be suitably and consistently judged with appropriate feedback so that knowledge is gained to improve.

Further guidelines on the Youth Contest are provided in the Appendix.

VIII. Awards

Awards shall be granted for contests as described in the Appendix. Other awards may be made by the Ring and shall be described in this section as they are developed. The funds for any tangible recognition of the award, such as a trophy, plaque, certificate, gift, scholarship, travel award or other item of tangible value shall be funded by special endowments and not from the Ring's General Fund.

Dr. James William Elliott Award. The Dr. James William Elliott Award shall be presented annually to the winner of the Dr. James William Elliott Card Challenge. The award shall be publicized in a release to The Linking Ring. A list of the winners of the award shall be maintained on the Ring's web site, and shall be published annually in the Ring's newsletter.

Stage Contest Award. The as-yet unnamed Stage Contest Award shall be presented annually to the winner of the Stage Contest. The award shall be publicized in a release to The Linking Ring. A list of the winners of the award shall be maintained on the Ring's web site, and shall be published annually in the Ring's newsletter.

Close-up Contest Award. The as-yet unnamed Close-up Contest Award shall be presented annually to the winner of the Close-up Contest. The award shall be publicized in a release to The Linking Ring. A list of the winners of the award shall be maintained on the Ring's web site, and shall be published annually in the Ring's newsletter.

Youth Contest Award. The as-yet unnamed Youth Contest Award shall be presented annually to the winner of the Youth Contest. The award shall be publicized in a release to The Linking Ring. A list of the winners of the award shall be maintained on the Ring's web site, and shall be published annually in the Ring's newsletter.

IX. Shows

The Ring shall stage shows for contests or fundraising as described in the Calendar section. Shows shall be developed by a Committee.

Appendix

This section contains the detailed rules for contests.

Dr. James William Elliott Card Challenge
Stage Contest
Close-up Contest
Youth Contest

Dr. James William Elliott Card Challenge

The Dr. James William Elliott Card Challenge honors the memory of Maine's foremost card manipulator. When exhibiting before the public, Elliott wore a handsome gold, diamond-studded Howard watch, attached to which was a fob of unique and (for a card manipulator) most appropriate design. This fob consisted of four gold frames which held, under glass, the four Aces of a Junior-sized deck. This beautiful fob was presented to Elliott in 1894 by the card manipulators of Boston; attached to its upper and lower ends by miniature gold rings were gold plates upon which were engraved his name and title-firmly linked together for over twenty-two years - "James William Elliott, Champion Card Manipulator of the World."

The Dr. James William Elliott Card Challenge shall be held according to the following rules.

Date of Contest: The Dr. James William Elliott Card Challenge shall be held at a Ring meeting in the month of April, to mark the anniversary of Dr. Elliott's birth on April 27, 1874.

Contest Officials: There shall be at least one Contest Official who is a Ring member. This Contest Official shall not be a contestant. It shall be the responsibility of the Contest Official(s) to see that the rules of the Dr. James William Elliott Card Challenge are correctly followed. A single Contest Official shall be responsible for security. Contest Official(s) shall be appointed by the Board.

Contestants: Those wishing to attempt the Dr. James William Elliott Card Challenge shall be Ring members or guests who are members in good standing of the International Brotherhood of Magicians. There shall be at least two contestants.

Judging: The winner of the Dr. James William Elliott Card Challenge shall be determined by a secret ballot of the members witnessing the performances of the contestants. Contestants are entitled to vote.

Official Decks: The Contest Official in charge of security shall acquire a suitable supply of quality decks of standard playing cards in either poker or bridge size. This Contest Official shall not communicate to any Ring member the exact card design until the beginning of the contest, and shall strive to avoid designs commonly used by magicians (e.g. Bicycle), in order to foil attempts to introduce extraneous cards during performance.

Rules: The order of performance of the contestants shall be determined by chance. Contestants shall be given a new, sealed deck of cards at the beginning of their performance and given up to ten minutes to perform. At the conclusion of each performance, the cards and card case shall be collected and secured by a Contest Official. Judges shall determine the winner, and in the event of disqualification, a new winner.

Disqualification: Contest Official(s) shall verify the integrity of each deck collected at the conclusion of the contest by, minimally, examination and counting of the cards in each deck. Any evidence that foreign cards have been added to the deck shall result in immediate disqualification of the contestant. Removal of cards from the deck, for example the removal of advertising cards or Jokers, or the destruction of cards by signing, tearing, burning, or other means is permissible.

Award: The winner of the Dr. James William Elliott Card Challenge shall be noted in the Ring report to be published in The Linking Ring, and recognized in the Ring newsletter and web site. A list of the winners of the award shall be maintained on the Ring's web site, and shall be published annually in the Ring's newsletter. If there are sufficient funds in the Dr. James William Elliott Endowment, a trophy shall be awarded to the winner on a suitable occasion as determined by the Board.

The trophy shall be a traditional trophy not less than 12 inches in height, topped with a Winged Victory and bearing an engraved message giving the I.B.M. Ring Number, the year, and the words "Elliott Card Champion."

(Unnamed Stage Contest)

The detailed rules for the unnamed Stage Contest have not yet been developed.

(Unnamed Close-up Contest)

The detailed rules for the unnamed Close-up Contest have not yet been developed.

(Unnamed Youth Contest)

The detailed rules for the unnamed Youth Contest have not yet been developed.

I.B.M. Ring 362The Maine MysticsBangor, Maine

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I.B.M. Ring No. 362 Policy and Program Manual

I. Introduction