TOTFA Bylaws

Article I

The name of the organization shall be Texas Old Time Fiddlers Association.

Article II

The purpose of the Texas Old Time Fiddlers Association shall be to promote Texas fiddling, improve Texas fiddling contests, sponsor a state contest, and publish a monthly newsletter for benefit of the members.

Article III

Officers for the Texas Old Time Fiddlers Association shall consist of a six member Board of Directors, one of which shall serve as President. The officers shall be elected for two-year terms by a majority of the voting membership Officers may be re-elected to serve consecutive terms in office. Officers shall be nominated by committee. President and three board members shall constitute a quorum for Directors Meetings.

A. Duties of President:

  1. He shall be responsible for all business of the Association.
  2. He shall be responsible for printing and mailing a monthly newsletter, the expenses of which shall be paid by the Association.
  3. He shall open an account at a bank to handle all money for the Association and shall have the authority to write checks for necessary expenses.
  4. He shall keep a written record of all income and expenses and offer the books for audit once each year 5. He shall not be allowed expenses for travel and accommodations unless authorized by the Board of Directors, and then only for necessary Association business.
  5. He shall have the right to appoint committees as needed concerning Association business.

B. Duties of Board of Directors:

  1. They shall aid and advise the President.
  2. They shall audit the books kept by the President and report to the convention.
  3. They shall select a date and place and formulate plans for a yearly convention and state contest.
  4. They shall serve as approval committee for judges.
  5. They shall have the right to suspend members not complying with Association rules.
  6. They shall have the right to remove judges from the Approved Judges List.
  7. They shall have the right to appoint committees as needed concerning Association business.
  8. They shall be reimbursed for necessary Association expenses.

Article IV

Section 1:

Membership in the Texas Old Time Fiddlers Association shall consist of four types. All members shall receive a copy of the monthly newsletter.

Section 2:

The duties of all members shall be to fully support and stand behind the Bylaws of the Texas Old Time Fiddlers Association, to participate in as many Association approved activities as possible, to report news of events in their area to the newsletter, and to encourage all parties to become members of the Texas Old Time Fiddlers Association.

Article V

Section 1:

The business of the Association requiring a vote of the membership shall be conducted at the annual convention. A quorum for the convention shall be 25 voting members plus a majority of the officers. Issues shall be passed with a majority of the vote for, or defeated by a majority of the vote against, except amendments to the Bylaws. Amendments shall require a two-thirds majority of the vote at the convention.

Section 2:

Any necessary business between conventions shall be handled by the President and Board of Directors. The minutes of each Directors Meeting shall be printed in the following monthly newsletter. Policies approved by the Board of Directors during the year shall be presented to the membership as minutes at the Annual Convention. If these minutes are accepted by the voting members at the convention, the policies will become accepted policies of the Association. This does not include a change in the Bylaws.

Article VI

The Texas Old Time Fiddlers Association shall compile a list of standard contest rules and rules for becoming an Association Approved Contest. All fiddling contests in Texas, with the exception of bluegrass-style fiddling contests held in conjunction with bluegrass festivals, shall be required to adopt these rules after December 31, 1973, in order to become an Association Approved Contest. After December 31, 1973, no person may compete in an Association Approved Contest as a fiddler unless he is a Fiddler Member or Out-of-State Fiddler Member of Texas Old Time Fiddlers Association except at the Annual Fiddlers' Reunion contest. The Board of Directors shall select one contest per year called the "Annual Fiddlers' Reunion" where non-members will be allowed to compete, but all other bylaws will remain in effect for the contest. Fiddler Members of Texas Old Time Fiddlers Association may compete in any fiddlers contest anywhere. Out-of-State Members shall not compete in the state contest sponsored by the Association.

Article VIII

General Provisions:

A. Membership includes family:

The Payment of dues by a member automatically includes Associate Member status for all immediate family members, with the exception of married sons or daughters.

B. Adding judges to Approved Contest Judges List:

Voting members may submit names for acceptance to the Judges List any time during the year. Names shall be listed, signed by the member, and filed with the President. He shall turn them over to the Directors for approval. The President shall then compile a list of all names approved and present them for a vote once each year at convention. No name shall be added to the list if a majority of the vote cast be against acceptance.

C. Removing judges from Approved Contest Judges List:

A judge may be removed from the approved contest Judges List for showing consistent prejudice for or against any contestant or for repeatedly displaying a lack of knowledge and understanding of Texas fiddling. Judges may be temporarily or permanently removed by the Board of Directors when upon investigation of fiddler’s complaints, just cause is shown.

D. Fiddlers shall have the right to file complaints against judges:

Fiddler members of the Association shall have the right to file complaints against judges, when after due consideration, they feel some particular judge is discriminating against any member of the Association. Complaints shall be written, signed by the member, and filed with the President of the Association.

E. Suspension of members from the Texas Old Time Fiddlers Association:

  1. A fiddler member shall not be suspended for competing in Non-Association approved contests in Texas.
  2. Any fiddler member who resigns from the Texas Old Time Fiddlers Association will be suspended. The suspension will last for a period of one year from the date of his or her resignation. Names of persons being suspended shall be listed in the newsletter. The member under suspension shall not receive the newsletter nor receive refund of any dues. Suspended members shall not be allowed to compete in any Association approved contests. If a member is suspended two times, he or she will have to appear before the membership at the annual convention if he or she wishes to be reinstated.

F. Approved contests not following standard contest rules:

In the event that a contest agrees to follow the standard contest rules, but plainly is not set up to do so at the time the contest occurs, it shall be the responsibility of all Association members present to persuade the contest officials to follow the rules. Should the official refuse, the Fiddler Members of the Texas Old Time Fiddlers Association shall not compete in the contest.

Article IX

Proposed amendments to the Texas Old Time Fiddlers Association Bylaws shall be written and signed by a voting member, and filed with the President of the Association. The President shall turn it over to the Board of Directors for evaluation. If the Board of Directors advise for the adoption of the amendment, the President shall bring it before the membership for a vote at the next annual convention. A member proposing an amendment rejected by the Board of Directors may have a proposed amendment brought before the membership for a vote by securing the signature of 1 /3 of the voting membership to the proposed amendment and filing it with the President. The president shall be bound to bring it before the member for a vote at the next annual convention.

Article X

TOTFA Officers may elect to contribute TOTFA funds to any TOTFA contest and or any TOTFA function the sum of which shall not exceed $1,000,00 (One-thousand dollars) and must be approved by an unanimous vote of all TOTFA officers.

Texas Old Time Fiddlers Association Standard Contest Rules:

  1. There shall be no entry fee.
  2. Contests will start at the advertised time. Failure to do so shall make the contest subject to review by Board of Directors before approval is granted the following year. A report stating reason for delay shall be filed by Judges of said contest.
  3. There shall be no "break" in any contest division for other types of entertainment.
  4. Only fiddler members or out-of-state fiddler members of the Texas Old Time Fiddlers Association shall be allowed to compete in an approved fiddlers contest. Exception: Annual Fiddlers' Reunion Contest.
  5. A drawing will be held for order of play prior to contest division.
  6. A contestant shall be allowed to register until the drawing in his division has begun.
  7. When a contestant is called to play he shall have three minutes to report to the stage with fiddle in tune and ready to play. Failure to do so, with accompanists ready, shall constitute automatic disqualification.
  8. No tune shall be prohibited.
  9. No contestant shall play the same tune twice during any contest, including playoffs, championships, etc. Exception: When winner is challenging a current champion who does not have to compete in preliminaries.
  10. A fiddler will be allowed four accompanists. If four accompanists are used, one must be a bass player.
  11. A fiddler breaking any rule of the contest shall be disqualified.
  12. Amplified instruments shall be regulated by the judges.
  13. Judges shall have complete control of contest results.
  14. Judges shall sign each score sheet. Judges shall score each tune 70 to 100 points The Head Judge shall tally the score sheets and be approved by the other Judges. Judges must agree by a majority on the winners; any judge may call for a play-off.
  15. The Head Judge may select a replacement Judge in an emergency.
  16. Judges shall approve all recording equipment. No recording made during any contest by any party shall be offered for sale in any form without the written permission of the Association and the contestant involved.
  17. A contestant's scores from a contest shall be available from the Association for a fee of $ 1.00 and a period of one year. Contestant scores will be posted for viewing at contest immediately following each division. Scores will remain posted for at least thirty minutes except for the last division played which will remain posted for a minimum of fifteen minutes. Score sheets for one entire division are available for $5.00.
  18. Any complaints by a contestant on the outcome of a contest shall be written, signed, and directed to the Association and not to the contest sponsors
  19. A contestant may not enter both the fiddle and accompanist contest.
  20. A contestant must play all tunes unassisted to qualify for Youngest Fiddler Award.

Texas Old Time Fiddlers Association Rules for Becoming an Approved Contest:

  1. File application for approval with the Association forty-five days in advance of the contest date. (Forms will be provided.)
  2. If an admission fee is charged, officials of TOTFA may negotiate for a percentage of that fee to be returned to the Association.
  3. Provide Association approved contest judges.
    • Judges will be furnished by the Association upon request but contests must deposit funds in advance with the Association to cover costs and judges fees. Judges shall be selected by one of the Board of Directors which will be coordinated by the President in a rotation through the Board of Directors; i.e. each Director will select the judges for every 6th contest. If the assigned Director is unable to select the judges, the assigned Director can appoint any person of their choice to select judges.
    • Contests may obtain judges on their own from the Approved Contest Judges List.
    • Contests may submit names not on the Approved Contest Judges List for approval.
    • Contests may select persons from one division to serve as judges for another division as long as they are on the Approved Judges List.
  4. Adopt and follow the Standard Contest Rules.
  5. File a report with the Association within ten days following the contest including the following data.
    • Names of all contestants in each division.
    • Names of all winners in each division.
    • Prize money awarded each winner.
    • Names of judges.
    • Score sheets of judges.

Operating Policies Dues and Memberships:

There will be no grace period for membership renewal. A person paying dues with a check that is returned will be removed from the membership rolls and contest directors will be notified that the person's membership card is invalid until such time as the dues are paid with cash. Texas fiddlers or accompanists registered as associate members may pay the additional dues and gain fiddler or accompanist status for the remainder of time left under the associate membership. Members will be notified that dues are payable by stamping inside their newsletter: Last Issue, Membership Expires this Month, and Pay Dues Now. An Associate membership card may be issued to a members spouse if so requested. Newsletter Only approved contests will be listed in the newsletter, except for paid advertisements. New record releases by TOTFA members, only, may be announced in the newsletter. A copy of each issue of The Texas Fiddler will be sent to the Library of Congress. Back issues still available or extra copies of the newsletter may be ordered from the Association for $1.00 per issue. The newsletter will be mailed at first-class rates.

Judges and Judging:

Three complaints in writing against a judge will warrant an investigation by the Board of Directors. A Director should be one of the judges for the State Championship Contest. Judges may call for the following categories of tunes: breakdowns, waltzes, and tunes of choice or tunes of choice other than a breakdown or a waltz. Judges may not call for a specific tune to be played in a contest. Three judges will be used to judge a contest if at all possible.

Registration:

A contestant must present a valid membership card to register for competition. A contestant must be there in person to register for a contest.

Alcohol:

The control of alcohol and persons under the influence is the responsibility of contest sponsors and directors, not the Texas Old Time Fiddlers Association.

Disorderly Conduct at Contests:

Any disorderly conduct at Association contests by any Association member will be subject to review by the Board of Directors and may lead to suspension of membership for up to one year. Complaints should be written and signed by the complainant and forwarded to the President, Texas Old Time Fiddlers Association.

Contest Approval:

Contests applying for approval too late to be listed in the newsletter will be required to mail notices to the entire membership of the Association. A fee will be charged for a mailing list. No other contest will be approved for the same date as the TOTFA convention and state contest.

Accompanist Contests:

Contestants in accompanist contests must have accompanist or fiddler membership in the Association. One guitar player can be used during an accompanist contest when the contestant is a bass player.

Gate Fees:

If an admission fee is charged, officials of the TOTFA may negotiate for a percentage of that fee to be returned to the Association.

Items for Sale:

Individuals offering items for sale bearing Texas Old Time Fiddlers Association insignia must be approved by the Board of Directors.

Extra copies of back issues of The Texas Fiddler:

$1.00 if available

Advertisement Rates

Full-page ads are $100; half-page ads are $50l fourth-page ads are $30; eighth-page ads are $20.

Awards:

Red Steeley Favorite Fiddler Award: Presented annually to the best-liked Fiddler Member selected by all member vote. Eligible to win only once. Sponsored.

Favorite Accompanist Award: Presented annually to the best-liked Accompanist Member selected by all member vote. Eligible to win only once.

Most Improved Fiddler Award: A special award to the fiddler in the Association who has most improved in fiddle playing ability since the last Annual Contest and Convention. Selection made by the Directors.

Associate Member Award: Presented annually to the Associate Member who has contributed the most to the Association and Texas Fiddling. Selected by Fiddler and Accompanist vote. Eligible to win only once.

Directors' Award: A special award to honor a person or organization deemed worthy of recognition by the Board of Directors. Not an annual award.

President's Award: A special award to honor a person or organization deemed worthy of recognition by the President. Not an annual award.

Out-Going President's Award: An award given to each out-going president. Sponsored TOTFA.

Appreciation Award: Special award given to persons in appreciation for assistance to the Texas Old Time Fiddlers Association. Not an annual award.

The Texas Fiddler is the official publication of The Texas Old Time Fiddlers Association (TOTFA). The "Fiddler" is published monthly and mailed first class to all members of the Association. TOTFA is a non-profit organization incorporated in the state of Texas, TOTFA Nacogdoches, Texas 75961.