# Membership & Belonging Committee Charter ## MEMBERSHIP & BELONGING COMMITTEE CHARTER *Last updated Jan 25, 2026* ## I. PURPOSE The Membership & Belonging Committee (the “Committee”) is a standing committee of the Board of Directors (the “Board”) of the Silicon Valley Gay Men’s Chorus (“SVGMC”). The primary purpose of the Committee is to foster a healthy, inclusive, and supportive environment for all members. The Committee oversees the full lifecycle of the member experience—from recruitment and orientation to retention and conflict resolution—while ensuring the equitable collection of dues and administration of scholarships. ## II. COMPOSITION The Committee shall consist of at least three (3) members, and at least one must be a member of the Board of Directors. Members shall serve one-year terms and may be reappointed. Section Leaders, appointed by the Artistic Director(s), shall serve as liaisons for the singing sections they lead. ## III. MEETINGS The Committee shall meet at least monthly, or more frequently as needed to fulfill its responsibilities. Meetings may be held in person or via electronic platform. A majority of the Committee members shall constitute a quorum. The Chair shall establish the agenda and ensure minutes are kept. At least once per quarter, the Committee shall hold a "Listen and Learn" session (formal or informal) to gather feedback from the general membership. The Committee shall provide a summary of member morale and a report of its activities and recommendations to the Board prior to each regular Board meeting. ## IV. DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES The Committee’s primary duties and responsibilities include: ### 1. Member Advocacy & Ombudsman Services * Serve as a confidential ombudsman for singers to surface suggestions, grievances, or concerns to the Board without fear of reprisal. * Mediate internal conflicts between members or between members and leadership when necessary. (Section Leaders should be consulted as needed.) ### 2. Financial Stewardship (Dues & Scholarships) * Oversee the collection and tracking of member dues in coordination with the Finance Committee. * Develop and manage a confidential, equitable process for scholarship applications and approvals for members with financial need. * Contribute to the annual budget planning by providing revenue projections for dues and expense requests for scholarships and social events. ### 3. Orientation, Ritual, & Culture * Oversee the "New Member Orientation" process and the traditional "rituals" that welcome singers into SVGMC. * Maintain and periodically suggest updates to the Member Handbook to ensure it reflects current policies, code of conduct, and organizational culture (in consultation with the Artistic Director(s)). * Ensure that new and existing members are reminded of Member Handbook policies on an ongoing basis. * Draft, administer, and analyze an annual membership survey. * Coordinate plaque updates and gifts for the annual awards distributed by the Board. ### 4. Social Engagement * Coordinate social events for singers, staff, and leaders at least monthly (e.g., game nights, potlucks) to build community outside of musical rehearsals. * Coordinate major program-related social events at retreat and after concert parties. * Recognize and celebrate member milestones (birthdays, anniversaries of service, etc.). * Any contracts that need to be signed should be drafted in consultation with the Production Committee. ## V. AUTHORITY The Committee serves in an advisory capacity to the Board. It has the authority to approve individual scholarship requests within the Board-approved scholarship fund. The Committee may not change dues structures or handbook policies without final approval from the Board of Directors. The Committee may not authorize expenditures outside the Board-approved budget without express Board approval. ## VI. ANNUAL REVIEW The Committee shall review this Charter annually and recommend any changes to the Board. --- # Agent Instructions: Querying This Documentation If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question. Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter: ``` GET https://governance.svgmc.org/governing-documents/committee-charters/membership-and-belonging-committee-charter.md?ask= ``` The question should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language. The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation. Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.