As a Member of the Dramatists Guild, you have the privilege of casting a ballot in the annual Dramatists Guild Council Election. You can help to elect the Council Members who will make decisions about how your Guild operates.

Please Note: Only current full members may cast their vote for DG council. If you are an associate member, or student member, or are in arrears in your payments, please update your membership status HERE.

Once you click the voting link (below), there will be instructions on how to cast your ballot for the Council Election. To ensure security, you will be required to enter your member number. You are only allowed to vote once in the General Election, and once more in your Regional Election. If you voted by using a paper ballot, you are not eligible to vote online.

Voting Closes on Monday, February 24, 2025 at 2pm EST. View our current Council.

This year, we are holding a virtual meeting, which all members are invited to attend; we hope that you will be able to join us. The Annual meeting provides DG members with the opportunity to watch a live DG council meeting, and to see how the governing body of your Guild operates. Please note that the meeting will begin promptly at 3pm EST. Don’t miss this opportunity to see your Guild in action. To RSVP, please register through this link. Thank you for taking the time to make your vote count.

Questions? Contact gperez@dramatistsguild.com

Click Here to Vote Securely Online


Bylaw Amendment

 

At the council meeting held on December 16, 2024, a motion was made, seconded, and passed unanimously to revise certain sections of the Guild’s bylaws. The revisions reflect the need of the Guild Council for greater flexibility and efficiency regarding specific dates and amounts set forth in the bylaws that impact council nominations, the election process, and annual dues payments. This makes it a slow, inefficient and difficult process for the organization to serve the current needs of the organization. Therefore, the revisions below give Council more discretion in acting on behalf of the membership, but also establish appropriate guardrails to prevent any abuse in the exercise of their discretion.

Pursuant to the bylaws, the proposed revisions require the consent of a majority of the members who cast a vote on this resolution.

The proposed revisions to the bylaws are as follows (deletions in RED, additions in BLUE):

ARTICLE 4. Membership Dues

SECTION 1. Members.
Each Member shall pay dues as follows:
(a) The sum of $130 annually. A sum, annually paid, as determined each year by the Guild Council, subject to the procedures in Section 3 below. Members shall be entitled to a credit for said sum against any amounts payable by said member pursuant to clauses (b) and (c) in the same fiscal year.

SECTION 2. Associate Members.
Each Associate Member shall pay dues as follows:
(a)The sum of $90 annually. A sum, annually paid, as determined each year by the Guild Council, subject to the procedures in Section 3 below. An Associate Member shall be entitled to a credit for said sum against any amounts payable by said member pursuant to clauses (b) and (c) in the same fiscal year.

SECTION 3. Change of Determination of Annual Dues.
The Council of The Guild shall have the power to change determine the annual dues payable for each fiscal year hereunder by an amendment of this Constitution, provided, however, that such an amendment shall not become effective until submitted to the Members for a vote and ratified by a majority vote of the members voting thereon. at a special council meeting called for that purpose, to be passed by a two-thirds vote of council members present, but in no event by less than sixteen votes of the Council. At least ten days’ notice of any meeting for such purpose shall be given to the council members, accompanied by a copy of such proposed change in annual dues and the reasons for it.

ARTICLE 6. The Council.

SECTION 2. Tenure of Members.
(b) If an elected member shall be absent from three or more successive meetings of the Council, the Council may determine that the member’s place has become vacant. If a regional member shall be absent from both of the two yearly regional Council meetings, such two meetings to be designated by the Council, then the Council may determine that the regional member’s place has become vacant. Reasonable and pre-approved expenses incurred by Council members to attend each of two designated Council meetings shall be reimbursed by The Guild. Any vacancy on the Council shall be filled by the Council, the replacement to serve until the next annual election, when a replacement shall be elected to serve the remainder of the term, if any. A record of the attendance Guild activities of elected members (including their attendance at Council meetings) during the 12 months preceding the appointment of each Nominating Committee shall be provided to the Nominating Committee.

ARTICLE 8. Membership Meetings.

SECTION 1.
The annual meeting of the members of The Guild shall be held in the Borough of Manhattan, City and State of New York, at such date, time, and place as the Council may designate, but said date shall be within the period from February 10th to February 28th inclusive, month of February each year.

SECTION 7. Nominations.
(a) Nominations for members of The Guild Council shall be made on or before the last day of December 10th in each year, by a Nominating Committee appointed annually by the Council, between July 1st and November 30th. Such Nominating Committee shall consist of at least five Members of The Guild, of whom not more than two shall be members of the Council. Nominations for one or more Council vacancies may also be made by any five Members of The Guild, provided that such nominations are made in writing and signed by such members and delivered to the Executive Director of The Guild no later than December 31st. At least twenty days before the date of the annual meeting there shall be mailed or emailed to all Members a ballot listing all nominations from the floor. At the annual membership meeting, the ballots received by mail and email, and those cast in person or by proxy at the meeting, shall be counted by a committee of tellers appointed by the presiding officer. The candidates receiving the largest number of votes out of the total cast shall be declared elected.

(b) Nominations for regional members shall be made by Members residing in each specific geographic region. On or before December 10th 1st of each year, the Executive Director shall call for nominations for each region. On or before December 31st of each year, Members from each region shall submit a list of nominees to The Guild. The number of The top two (2) members receiving the highest number of nominations in each region shall become candidates. At least twenty days before the date of the annual meeting, there shall be mailed to all Members, in addition to the ballot listing all nominations for elected members of The Guild Council, a supplemental ballot listing nominations for regional members of The Guild Council for the respective region. There shall be no nominations from the floor. At the annual membership meeting, the ballots received by mail and email, and those cast in person or by proxy at the meeting, shall be counted by a committee of tellers appointed by the presiding officer. The candidate in each region receiving the largest number of votes out of the total votes cast shall be declared elected.

ARTICLE 13. Amendments

SECTION 1.
The Council may at a meeting amend this Constitution by a two-thirds vote of members present, but in no event by less than sixteen votes of the Council; provided, however, that the amendment of any section of this Constitution affecting in any manner the rights of members in regard to the election of officers, Council members, or changes in dues, or the holding of/or procedure at membership meetings, shall not be effective until submitted to the Members for a vote and ratified by a majority vote of the members voting thereon either in person, or by proxy, or by mail, or by email. At least ten days’ notice of any meeting for such purpose shall be given to the council members, accompanied with a copy of such proposed amendment.


 

Council Nominees