The Constitution of the University of Pennsylvania Band

Article I: Organization

The name of this organization shall be the University of Pennsylvania Band ("The Penn Band").

Article II: Purpose

The purpose of this organization shall be to serve the University of Pennsylvania through its support of the University's athletic teams and through its participation in non-athletic University and community events. The organization shall strive to uphold the name and reputation of the University. Its purpose is, moreover, to provide a social atmosphere in which the individual Band member's experience at the University is made more meaningful and complete.

Article III: Membership

The membership of the Penn Band shall be open to all undergraduate and graduate students of the University of Pennsylvania ("Penn"), as well as any alumni of the University. At the end of each semester, the Executive Board shall determine which members of the Band are eligible to vote. To be eligible to vote for the fall semester, attendance is required at four (4) home football games and one-half of rehearsals, music or field, throughout the fall semester, unless the Executive Board announces a different attendance level. To be eligible to vote for the spring semester, attendance is required at seven (7) Ivy League basketball games and one-half of rehearsals throughout the spring semester, unless the Executive Board announces a different attendance level. The Executive Board shall announce the number of rehearsals constituting “one-half” no later than October 1 for the fall semester and February 20 for the spring semester. Voting eligibility applies to the entire semester after which a member meets the eligibility requirements. Eligible members can vote to elect Executive Board members, to remove Executive Board members, and to ratify amendments to the Constitution. Individuals who do not meet the eligibility requirements have the right to petition the Executive Board for eligibility. Petitions should reflect dedication to the Band. Petitions shall be approved on a case-by-case basis at the discretion of the Executive Board. Members who are ineligible to vote are otherwise entitled to participate in Band activities.

Article IV: Leadership

Section A: The Executive Board

1. Composition: The Executive Board ("the Board") shall be comprised of the following four (4) duly elected officers: the President, the Vice President, the Treasurer, and the Secretary. The Board shall also consist of the Director, appointed by the University of Pennsylvania administration, and, if one exists, the Assistant Director or Assistant Directors, appointed by the Director.
2. Election Process:
   
   1. Elections for the Executive Board shall be held no later than two (2) weeks following completion of the football season. Any Penn undergraduate eligible to vote in Penn Band elections who wishes to run for office must declare their intentions to the Secretary prior to elections. Members may also be nominated from the floor at the time of elections. Officers shall be elected by separate ballots in the following order: President, Vice President, Treasurer, Secretary. All eligible members present must vote or submit a ballot indicating abstention. If there is more than one candidate for a position, voting for that position shall commence by secret ballot following candidate speeches and a question-and-answer session between candidates and voting members. Candidates for the position of President may speak for up to four (4) minutes while candidates for the other three (3) positions shall be allowed two (2) minutes. After the voting takes place, the results shall be tallied immediately by incumbent Board members not seeking reelection to the Board. The victor shall be announced immediately by the incumbent Board member in the corresponding position. If the incumbent seeks reelection, the Director, an Assistant Director, or another incumbent Board member shall announce the victor. If after the band has been allowed to nominate members for a position from the floor there is only one nominee, a member may call for acclimation of that nominee by a simple unanimous voice vote.
   1. Run-offs and Drop-downs:
      Should more than two (2) candidates vie for the same position, a run-off election between the two (2) candidates with the greatest number of votes shall be held immediately following the first vote, unless one (1) candidate receives a simple majority of votes cast in the first election. Members defeated in a vote for an Executive Board position may choose to "drop down" to run for a different position if the election of that position has not already taken place. However, no member may run for more than two (2) positions in a general election.
   2. Absentee Voting:
      Absentee votes must be signed and delivered to the Director prior to elections. Absentee votes shall count towards a candidate in a runoff election. Once a candidate is defeated, an absentee vote for that candidate is no longer valid should that candidate drop down to run for a second Board position.
   3. AAssumption of, Resignation from, and Removal from Office: Board members shall take office on January 1st of the following year and shall serve a term of one (1) calendar year. Should an elected Board member resign their position, a special election adhering to the above-stated rules shall be held soon thereafter to fill the vacated office. A Board member shall be subject to removal from office during a general meeting (rehearsal) by a two-thirds (2/3) vote of the members eligible to vote, a quorum of at least one-half (1/2) of those eligible individuals being present for the vote, with the intention of voting on removal of the officer in question announced by a member to the band at least one (1) week in advance. A replacement shall be elected at a special election adhering to the above-stated rules as soon after the removal as possible.

Section B: The Council

1. Composition:
   The Council shall minimally be comprised of the following appointed officers: an Equipment Manager, a Travel Manager, and a Section Leaders for each section of the Band. The Executive Board may eliminate or create and fill additional Council positions as it deems appropriate. These additional positions shall be categorized as Managers and/or Chairs . More than one (1) person may fill each position. The Council shall be comprised additionally of the Drum Major(s), the Assistant Drum Major(s) (if applicable), and the Executive Board itself.
2. Eligibility:
   All members of the Council shall be current members of the Band.
3. Appointment, Selection, and Confirmation Process:
   

   1. Managers and Section Leaders:
   Managers, Chairs, and Section Leaders shall be appointed by the Executive Board in January. In order to be appointed to these positions, members must submit applications to the Executive Board. Applications shall be provided to any interested member no later than when the Band reconvenes following Winter Break.

   2. Drum Major, Assistant Drum Major, and Conducting Assistants:
   i. Drum Majors shall be selected following the conclusion of the basketball season, no later than the end of the academic year. Auditions for the Drum Major position must be held at an open, publicly announced general meeting (rehearsal). The Director, Assistant Director and incumbent Drum Majors not auditioning shall submit recommendation(s) to the Executive Board, which may choose to accept or reject the recommendation. After rejection, another recommendation shall be submitted adhering to the above-stated rules.

   ii.The Director, Assistant Director and incumbent Drum Majors may choose to submit recommendation(s) for Assistant Drum Majors to assist the Drum Major(s) to the Executive Board, which may choose to accept or reject the recommendation. After rejection, another recommendation may be submitted adhering to the above-stated rules

   iii. The Director, Assistant Director, Drum Major(s), and Assistant Drum Major(s) may appoint Conducting Assistants as necessary. Conducting Assistant appointments shall not require approval from the Executive Board. Conducting Assistants shall not vote on Council and shall not be present at closed Council meetings.

   iv. The Director may remove a Drum Major, Assistant Drum Major, or Conducting Assistant at their discretion. If any of the above are removed, the Director shall coordinate the appointment of a replacement as necessary.

   3. Assumption of, Removal from, and Resignation from Office:
   Council Members shall take office at the meeting immediately following their appointment or confirmed selection and shall serve a term of one (1) year. A member of Council not serving on the Executive Board may be subject to removal from office at any time by a two-thirds (2/3) majority of the Council. A replacement shall be either appointed by the Executive Board or by the Director as necessary. A vacancy created by resignation shall be replaced in the same fashion.

Article V: Meetings

Meetings shall be held regularly. Time, location, and frequency of general meetings (rehearsals) shall be determined by the Executive Board. Barring exceptional circumstances, the Band must convene at least weekly during academic periods. Time, location, and frequency of Board meetings shall be determined by the President except that the Board must convene at least twice a month during academic periods. Time, location, and frequency of Council meetings shall be determined by the President and announced at least seven (7) days in advance, except in unforeseen circumstances. The Council must convene at least monthly during academic periods.

Article VI: Amendments

Amendments to the Constitution may be proposed at a general meeting (rehearsal) by a member eligible to vote, the amendment having been submitted to the membership for review one (1) week in advance of the meeting at which it is proposed. Once duly proposed, amendments to the Constitution shall be ratified by a two-thirds (2/3) vote of the eligible members voting at the meeting, a quorum of one-half (1/2) being present for the vote.

Article VII: Ratification

This Constitution shall be in effect, superseding all previous Constitutions, when approved by a two-thirds (2/3) vote of the eligible members voting at the meeting, a quorum of one-half (1/2) being present, the motion having been submitted to the membership in writing at least two (2) weeks prior.

Ratified on March 3, 2014; Amended on December 6, 2021

The 2022 Ivy Band Agreement

1. In order to facilitate communication among the bands, each band will send out to all other bands a list of their newly elected or appointed officers’ contact information. This is to be done as soon as possible after elections or appointments, and is to be done again when any information on the initial list changes. In addition, the ivy-band-mgt@elilists.yale.edu will be updated as soon as the information is available. Yale is in charge of this listserv, and will be responsible for adding new leadership and removing old leadership from the listserv. New leadership must be added by December for bands who change leadership in November, and by the end of January for bands who change leadership in January. Also, newly elected or appointed officers must be shown this Ivy League Bands Agreement. Contact information for each band and the current Ivy League Bands Conference Agreement will be posted on each group's website in an easily accessible location. Each group’s respective website URL is as follows:

   • Brown: http://students.brown.edu/band/
   • Columbia: dissolved until further notice
   • Cornell: http://mb.bigredbands.org/ and http://pepband.bigredbands.org
   • Dartmouth: http://dcmb.dartmouth.edu
   • Harvard: http://harvardband.org
   • Penn: http://www.pennband.net/
   • Princeton: http://www.princetonuniversityband.com/
   • Yale: http://bands.yalecollege.yale.edu/yale-precision-marching-band/

   The following is a list of the approximate times each band's leadership changes:

   • Brown: late November
   • Columbia: dissolved until further notice
   • Cornell: January
   • Dartmouth: late November
   • Harvard: late November
   • Penn: January
   • Princeton: late November
   • Yale: late January

2. Each band will inform other bands of the intent to attend University events (sporting or otherwise) at least two weeks in advance during the football season (but preferably at the beginning of the school year) and as soon as scheduled for all other events (at least 1 week for winter sports). If they will need to be housed for a game, they will notify the host band at least two weeks in advance of this date, giving an approximate estimate of numbers as soon as such information is known (no later than one week in advance). The host band will provide a response (including housing capacity) no later than one week in advance of the game. If a visiting band is in need of a practice field, they will notify the host band at least 2 weeks in advance, and the host band will attempt to secure the requested practice field (more information for hosting and visiting rules per school can be found in a different document shared with those on the Ivy bands listsrv). Yale will neither request nor provide housing. Dartmouth will not house bands during their finals period. There shall be no expectation of housing any band by any band for the Ivy League Basketball Tournaments. All bands attending the tournament will make their own accommodations for the duration of their team’s participation in the tournament. So as to avoid unequal treatment, no band shall be housed while other visiting bands are not, except in the event of a double-header. If a band does not have adequate space to house both visiting bands, the first band to contact the host band has priority in receiving housing. Bands, with the exception of the given cases, are expected to provide housing to visiting bands during the football season and are encouraged to do so during the winter and spring seasons as they are able.

3. Visiting bands are expected to act respectfully towards host bands and institutions. Bands may decline housing if serious infractions occur, but this must be discussed between the host band and the visiting band before contacting all bands. If housing is declined for a band, all bands must be notified via the listserv by the band declining housing. If housing is declined for a serious infraction, housing must be reevaluated for the next housing cycle. Further disciplinary action should be brought up with the university’s athletic departments and administrations.

4. The following officers should be contacted when traveling to their respective schools:

   • Brown: Corresponding Secretary - brownbandcorsec@gmail.com
   • Columbia: dissolved until further notice
   • Cornell:
     • Marching Band Head Manager for football - marchingband@cornell.edu
     • Pep Band Head Manager for other events - see website
   • Dartmouth: President - see website
   • Harvard: Drum Major - drummajor@harvardband.org
   • Penn: Executive Board - board@pennband.net
   • Princeton: Head Manager - puband.hm@gmail.com
   • Yale: YPMD Manager - see website

   Bands not listing an email on the agreement will have an updated email to contact available on their website. These people should provide visiting bands with contact numbers for emergency health services in the area, and both visiting and hosting bands should provide each other with emergency contacts within their bands. These same people should be contacted for information about the host school’s policy regarding the censoring of scripts. Bands will provide a censoring policy in advance to other bands via the listserv if a policy exists. If a script needs to be sent in advance, it should be sent to the other school's athletic department by 5 PM the Wednesday before the game.

5. Each band will contact its respective ticket office in the spring or before football season to attempt to secure adequate and equitable seating for visiting bands at football, hockey, and basketball games for the coming year. The visiting bands will be responsible for procuring those seats, but the host bands will make sure that their ticket offices are expecting these bands. If any problems arise that involves tickets or seating, visiting bands should feel free to ask for assistance from the host band. The host band will find out and inform the visiting band of any ticket limits imposed by the host school's athletic department at least one week in advance.

6. Each band will find out its respective school's policy on playing music during sporting events (whatever sport), including post-game policy, and will communicate that policy, along with other traditions bands might have during the game (Ex: Penn, toast) to visiting bands at least one week in advance of the game. Bands shall not enter the football field or play music during the performance of another band without prior agreement. Where possible, the host band will help show the visiting band how to use the P.A. equipment.

7. Representatives of the home band will meet with the visiting band upon arrival to determine the order of playing during breaks and after the game, and, if available, an Athletics script will be provided for each band. Time outs will be divided between the bands in an equitable manner agreed upon before the start of the game. Additionally, bands will not play over P.A. announcements, except where permitted.

8. All bands agree to adhere to split their allotted time for halftime and pre-game shows evenly at football games. Respect for allotted time takes precedence over Section 6. Timing shall start when a member of the band first steps on the field, begins to play, when the band's public address announcer begins to speak, or at a designated time, whichever comes first. Timing shall end when the last member of the band has left the field, stops playing, or when the announcer completes his dialogue, whichever comes last. All bands shall time their own shows both in rehearsal and actual performance.

9. If any bands need extra time for a special band-related celebration or internal celebration, they will let the visiting band know three weeks in advance or as soon as possible so that the visiting band can write or adjust its shows accordingly. If there will be other changes (such as kick-off time delayed due to televising or other non-band activities taking up part of half time) the host band will let the visiting band know as soon as possible. If any changes occur on game day, the visiting band will be notified immediately.

10. In the event of an infraction of the Ivy League Bands Conference Agreement, the offended band may notify the other bands of the nature of the infraction (via use of the listserv, if need be) after a discussion between the bands involved in the infraction has taken place.

11. All bands agree to host the Ivy League Bands Conference in the following order: Penn, Yale, Brown, Columbia, Harvard, and Princeton. Dartmouth and Cornell are exempted from the cycle due to how difficult it is to get there. Columbia is exempt from the cycle until further notice (due to their dissolution in fall 2020). Each host band of the given year will act as a center of communication until the following conference. The host band shall be in contact with other bands of the upcoming Ivy Bands Conference by February 1st of the hosting year. By February 1st, the host band should send out the expected date, which will be around the first weekend of April. Other bands have until February 15th to voice serious conflicts with this date. The host band will also calculate the cost of hosting the conference and divide it by the number of attendees, and each band will pay that amount times the number of that band’s attendees on the day of the conference. One representative from the host band will take minutes throughout the conference and send them to all members within 1 week following the conference.

12. The conference host shall send the text of any proposed amendments to this agreement to all members within 2 weeks following the conference. Each band will contact the host to ratify the amendment(s). Amendments will be ratified individually. Each band will have two weeks from receiving an amendment to ratify. Any school that does not contact the host by the end of those two weeks shall be counted as ratifying all amendments. If an amendment has not passed unanimously once the two weeks have passed, the bands will discuss and revise the amendment and begin the ratification process anew. If the amendment fails to be ratified unanimously three times, the most recently proposed version will be added to a “Proposed Amendments” section following the ratified IBA and discussed at the next year’s IBC.

    12a. Amendments to the Ivy Bands Agreement may also be considered at any time of the year via proposal emailed to the Ivy Bands Listserv by one or more bands. If a band or bands email(s) a proposed amendment to the listserv, the bands shall have four weeks from the date the amendment was first proposed to discuss the amendment and vote via the listserv to either ratify or not ratify the amendment. Bands that do not cast a vote to the listserv within four weeks of the proposal shall be counted as ratifying the amendment. If an amendment proposed electronically is not ratified unanimously by the end of four weeks, the procedures for revision denoted in Section 12 shall take effect.

13. All bands agree to split their allotted time at hockey games. During period breaks, the bands will determine whether this means splitting playing time during each break, or whether each band will take one period break. Representatives of the leadership of each band will, time and ability permitting, meet with the announcers before the game to indicate that playing time shall be split during the breaks. Additionally, bands will alternate playing during the time following any stoppage of play. The bands will coordinate before the game if this same rule applies to time following a penalty.

14. When a band transitions its leadership, its outgoing leadership shall publish a short report to the Ivy Bands listserv detailing the past year’s recruitment efforts, retention efforts, initiatives to foster greater inclusivity, and relationship with its athletics department. Outgoing leadership reports shall be due by Valentine’s Day. The host of the upcoming year’s Ivy Bands Conference shall be responsible for reminding the bands to publish their outgoing leadership reports.

The Constitution of the Fanfare Honor Society

Article I: Organization

The name of this organization shall be The Fanfare Honor Society.

Article II: Objective

The Fanfare Honor Society shall serve the following function within the University of Pennsylvania Band:

1. As an organization that strives to create an atmosphere of Spirit and Fraternity within the larger Penn community by planning and implementing social and community service events.

Article III: Officers

The Society shall be led by a Chair who will be assisted by a Vice Chair and a Secretary (the Fanfare Board). Election of these said officers will take place at a meeting of the Society during the month of April. The Membership of Fanfare may provide for special elections as needed. Terms of the offices will turn over on May 1. The Board shall meet at least once before the end of the Spring Term. This Fanfare board is responsible for organizing the members of Fanfare toward achieving the society's goals and for communicating with the Executive Board of the Penn Band. The duties of each officer are as follows:

1. CHAIR: The Chair shall preside over meetings and be responsible for the execution of all Society functions. Meetings are held at the discretion of the Chair. The Chair has the power to form committees and name Fanfare members to these committees.
2. VICE CHAIR: The Chair shall be assisted by a Vice Chair. The Vice Chair shall fulfill any and all duties of the Chair should they be unable to be present at a meeting. The Vice Chair is responsible for membership and voting eligibility issues.
3. SECRETARY: The Society shall have a Secretary. The Secretary shall be responsible for attendance at the Society's meetings and functions. They shall be responsible for the taking of minutes of the Society's meeting and for their timely distribution. The secretary shall be responsible for notifying Fanfare members (and the Chair) of any attendance problems.

Article IV: Meeting Attendance and Voting Procedure

For any voting procedures, at least two-thirds of total Fanfare voting members must be present. On the occasions that the necessary fraction of affirmative votes is not a whole number, the Society will round up the number of votes needed for the vote to pass.

Article V: Membership

Membership in the Society shall be determined in the following manner:

1. Membership in Fanfare is an Honor for members of the Band who have distinguished themselves within the organization through Service.
2. A prospective member must be a member at the time of selection and shall have been a Voting Member (as determined by the Executive Board of the Band) for a total of at least three semesters. This may not include the semester in which they are being considered but may include the semester previous to the time of consideration.
3. New members shall be selected twice yearly within five weeks from the start of the fall academic semester and within three weeks from the start of the spring academic semester.
4. All members of the Band eligible for membership in the Society shall be notified by the Vice Chair of the Society, in writing, of their eligibility, and they will be asked to submit an application. Once the application is reviewed, they will receive a decision.
5. Any members that go abroad or take a leave of absence who had Voting Membership the semester prior to leaving are granted automatic voting status.
6. There are two classifications of membership in the Fanfare Society, Voting and Non-Voting. Fanfare voting member: Fanfare voting members are in Voting Membership with the Band (as defined by the Band Executive Board) from the previous semester and comply with Fanfare’s attendance guidelines.
   1. Fanfare voting member: Fanfare voting members are entitled to one unexcused absence from a meeting per academic semester. Requests for excused absence must be received by the Secretary no later than three hours prior to the start of the meeting. Later excuses can be approved at the Secretary’s discretion.
   2. Fanfare non-voting member: Fanfare non-voting members of Fanfare have either had more than one unexcused absence from a Fanfare meeting, did not receive Voting Membership with the Band in the previous semester, or have chosen to voluntarily relinquish their voting privileges and status. They may be granted voting status by a majority vote of the present voting members of Fanfare.
7. Any member may be dismissed from the Society for a reproachable act against the Band or Society. This is accomplished by a four-fifths vote of the present voting members of the Society.
8. Upon graduation, members of the Fanfare Society become Fanfare non-voting members unless they maintain Voting Membership (as by the Band Executive Board's criterion) and comply with attendance guidelines of Fanfare.

Article VI: Meetings

1. Meetings shall be held at least once a month at a time and place determined by the Chair. Supplemental meetings may be called at the discretion of the Chair or upon petition of at least one-fourth of the Society's membership.
2. At the discretion of the Chair, Fanfare meetings may be open to any member of the Band who wishes to observe. However, only members of Fanfare may participate, unless the Chair recognizes that non-Fanfare member to speak. Only Fanfare members may be present for any part of a meeting that involves voting procedure.
3. For any voting procedures, at least two-thirds of the Society's voting membership must be present.
4. Unless otherwise stated, a motion carries if voted upon affirmatively by a majority of the above two-thirds quorum at a regular, announced meeting of the Society.

Article VII: Finances

All financial resources and expenses of the Society shall be maintained and distributed under the auspices of the Treasurer of the Band with the exception of any fundraisers held by the Society. The Chair shall be responsible for all communication with the Treasurer of the Band to ensure compliance with University, city, state, and federal guidelines concerning transactions.

Article VIII: Override

1. In extenuating circumstances, where strict adherence to the Constitution significantly hinders the progress or best interest of the Society, provisions (and amendments) of the Constitution, excluding this Article and Article IX, may be temporarily overridden through the procedures dictated by this article.
2. If two-thirds of Fanfare voting members are present at a meeting, any Fanfare voting member may propose to temporarily override any specific provision of the Constitution. This may be proposed at any point after the meeting has commenced and before it has adjourned. The unanimous consent of all present and eligible Fanfare voting members is required to override any provision of the Constitution. If a member's duties or membership in the Society is in question, that member may not vote. Due to the standard of unanimity, all votes must be in the form of a written and secret ballot. This will ensure that members are not pressured into overriding a Constitutional provision and that the overrides are only used in extenuating circumstances. Furthermore, the override must be adopted during the same meeting in which it is proposed.
3. The Society may not prohibit relevant discussion before voting on such a proposal, including cases in which a member is speaking in defense of their duties or membership in the Society.
4. In order to prevent abuse of this amendment, each member may only propose one override per semester.

As soon as the action for which the override is necessary has been executed, the override is no longer in effect nor does it have binding precedent on future cases.

Article IX: Amendment

With a four-fifths vote of the Society's present voting membership, this Constitution may have clauses or articles appended, changed, or subtracted. An amendment may not be voted upon at the same meeting in which it is introduced. The meeting to vote on an amendment must take place at least one week after the meeting at which it is introduced. The effect of such a change to the Constitution shall be to supersede the previous Constitution in favor of the new Constitution adopting the desired change.

Last ratified November 17, 2021

Scrolls of the Immortals

The Executive Board

The Drum Majors and Conducting Assistants

Directors

Past Voices of The Penn Band

The Henry Goodband First-Year of the Year Award

Most Valuable Bando

Past Harvard Pregame Languages (at Cambridge)

The Horse's Ass Award

As legend has it, back in the fall of 1967 the band was down on the field getting ready for halftime. As the clock ticked down, the opposing team was running for a certain touchdown. Unable to just sit idly by and watch this happen, one Anthony J. Stagliano released himself from his bass drum and ran onto the field and tackled said opponent. Lost in time are any actual facts - penalties, sobriety tests, how much money AJ had in the betting pool, ... But ever since then, the band has singled out a person (or persons) for service Above and Beyond the call each year. It is worth mention that the current Band Director has won this award twice (so far) - once as an undergrad, and once as an alleged adult).

Recordings

Check out our 2021 Album, "The Penn Band Breaks...the Internet!"!

Lyrics to Penn songs

(The Songs of the University of Pennsylvania. c1923 Hinds and Noble)