Article I - Membership

Section A. The Advisory Board shall be composed of members who shall serve for three (3) years. New members shall be selected annually by local boards to fill vacancies of those whose terms have expired or as needed to fill vacancies of incomplete terms. They may be reelected for three (3) years by mutual consent. The Advisory Board shall be composed of equitable representation from each high school, if available.

Section B. New Board Members shall be invited to the Spring Function.

Section C. All Board Members shall pay $80.00 annual dues by Mother/Daughter event.

Section D. Invitations, decorations, and all the arrangements for the social events are  the responsibility of the Advisor of the “Hostess Town”, with the exception of the Presentation Ball which is a cooperative effort. Invitations are to be distributed to the Senior Advisor in each town, who in turn addresses and mails them to her girls, receives replies, and advises the “Hostess Town” as specified.

Section E. Attendance to all functions and meetings is mandatory. Continued membership on the Advisory Board is contingent upon attendance. Replies to all functions/meetings are required to the local Senior Advisor.

Section F. It shall be the duty of the Senior Advisor to coordinate all activities for her town and to call an orientation meeting for the new selectees in her town and to call an orientation meeting for the new selectees in her town before they accept the invitation to join the Lower Valley Cotillion Club.

Section G. Absences: Advisors cannot mis more than 3 events, or they will be replaced.

Article II – Officers

Section A. An Advisory Board Member must have served at least one (1) year before she can become an officer.

Section B. The Officers of the Advisory Board shall consist of the President, President- Elect, Immediate Past President, and Ball Chairmen, who shall each serve one (1) year terms and Secretary, Treasurer, Historian, and the Senior Advisor from each town, who shall each serve two (2) year terms.

Section C. Duties of the Officers: All Officers and an Advisor from each town, not otherwise represented shall serve in the receiving line at the Presentation Ball.

• President: Coordinate all activities and preside at meetings for the fiscal year.

• President-Elect: Preside in the absence of the President. Compile the yearbook which includes a calendar for the year. These yearbooks are to be distributed at the Fall Function. Make arrangements for the printing of the invitations to new members, and distribute to each town. Make arrangements for the printing of re-invitations and distribute them at or before the Spring Function. It is to be the President-Elect ’s responsibility to see that the founder receives an invitation to both the luncheon and the ball.

• Treasurer: Collect all dues and pay all bills. Be responsible for ordering the Cotillion Charms.

• Secretary: Keep minutes of the meeting and handle all correspondence

• Senior Advisor: Coordinate all activities for her town, record attendance and to call an orientation meeting for the new selectees in her town before they accept the invitation to join the Cotillion Club. It shall be the responsibility of the Senior Advisor to notify the girls, by mail, that they will not be able to attend a particular function due to untimely responses. The Senior Advisor is also responsible for providing, to the President-Elect, a list of all girls who are members of the Lower Valley Cotillion Club and the Advisors for the purpose of appearing in the yearbook. This information should be provided at the Fall General Meeting.
• Immediate Past-President: Advise and put together the Mother-Daughter Tea packets.
• Historian: Keep an accurate record of membership and advisors through yearbooks, photos of events and functions.
• Ball-Chairmen: Coordinate all functions pertaining to the ball. The following Advisory Boards shall be responsible for their assigned duties:
  • Willacy County - Photos, including video, set up Jr. photos, and publicity
  • Port Isabel - Music, including background music for presentation

Section D. A nominating committee, consisting of the Executive Committee shall present a slate of new officers at the Spring Business Meeting. The newly elected officers, along with the new advisors shall assume their duties at the close of the Spring meeting

Article III – Meetings

Section A. The President may call special meetings at her discretion.

Section B. There shall be a minimum of two (2) regular meetings of the Advisory Board during the year.

Section C. At the Spring Business Meeting, new officers shall be elected. “Hostess Towns” for the social events will be decided for the coming year at the Summer Executive Board Meeting and presented at the First General Meeting. Any constitutional changes should be read twice before adoption of said changes.

Section D. At the Fall Meeting, the following should be completed and presented:

1. Names, addresses, zip codes, and telephone numbers of all Advisors.
2. Names of all renewal members.
3. Names, addresses, zip codes, and telephone numbers of all girls eligible for new membership.
4. Place, date, and estimated cost of all calendar events.
5. Invitation to members.

Article IV - Responsibilities

Section A. The local advisory board shall select and invite for membership eligible candidates as defined in the Girls Constitution, Article III, Section B. Each local Board shall limit their selections to girls residing in their jurisdiction.

Section B. Advise selectees of proper etiquette, appropriate attire, and expected behavior for all Cotillion functions.

Section C. The Advisory Board shall review membership of local girls for the purpose of reissuing invitations and /or membership, at any time for inappropriate dress or conduct.

Section D. Each local Advisory Board shall be assigned responsibilities by the Officers of the Advisory Board for the planning, decoration, and assisting with Cotillion functions.

Article I - Name

The name of this organization shall be “The Lower Valley Cotillion Club.”

Article II - Purpose

The purpose of the Cotillion organization is to organize the group of girls that will bond with one another, become aware of and improve important social skills, and produce ladies that share common goals, the most important being to further their education.

Article III - Membership

Section A. Membership shall be limited.

Section B. Qualifications: To be eligible for membership, a girl must be a resident or student of Cameron or Willacy Counties one full year prior to invitation, unmarried, a junior in high school, or a graduating senior from high school under the “Three Year Plan.”

Section C. New members of this organization shall be elected in the summer.

Section D. All new members are formally presented at the Presentation Ball.

Section F. The Advisory Board shall reserve the right to withdraw membership without notice at any time for inappropriate dress or conduct.

Section G. Replies to all invitations, whether acceptance or regrets, must be in writing and mailed to the Senior Advisor within five (5) days after received. Failure to send a written response by mail will result in the member not being able to attend the event. Proper replies to invitations will be taken into consideration for re-invitation.

Section H. Members are responsible for notifying the Senior Advisor of any change of address, telephone or e-mail address.

Section I. At the recommendation of the Local Advisory Board and with the approval of the Executive Committee, junior girls are automatically invited to membership as seniors holding true that the Advisory Board still reserves the right to withdraw membership at any time for inappropriate dress or conduct as is stated in Section F.

Section J. Absences: Debutantes cannot mis more than 3 events.

Article IV – Dues & Assessments

Section A. Dues for new members shall be $500; $250 due on or before July 15th, with the remaining $250 due by or before the Mother Daughter luncheon in August. If dues are not postmarked on or before the due date and received by the local Senior Advisor, a member’s name will be removed from membership. Dues are not refundable.

Section B. An assessment of the cost of social functions shall be made for each out of the Valley house guest of a member who attends any social function.

Section C. The number of functions shall be left to the discretion of each yearly board.

Article V - Amendments

This constitution may be amended or revised by a majority vote of the Advisory Board in attendance, provided the amendment to be voted upon has been submitted and read twice.

Traditions

All white, floor length ball gowns and appropriate white gloves shall be worn by the members being presented at the Presentation Ball. Short gloves may be worn with long-sleeved dresses and with dresses having elbow-length sleeves. No strapless gowns will be allowed.  Ball gowns must have straps of at least 1/2" width or spaghetti straps. White shoes (preferably white flat shoes-ballerina like) are required. Long gloves may be worn with sleeveless dresses and short-sleeved dresses. Gloves are to be solid white with no adornment. No lace gloves will be permitted.

Fathers escorting their daughters for the Presentation and dates escorting members to the ball shall be in black and white formal attire. Traditional black tuxedo, white shirt, black bow tie and cummerbund only – NO TAILS – NO WESTERN STYLE ATTIRE. Dress shoes and socks will be black. No boots or tennis shoes are allowed. Formal military uniforms will be acceptable. Flowers and boutonnieres are furnished to all new members.

Escorts accompanying members to the Presentation Ball MUST be between the ages of 15 (a freshman in high school) and 20. No one 21 years of age or older will be allowed to escort a Cotillion girl to the Presentation Ball.

No corsages are to be worn during the Presentation.

Senior members and advisors are required to wear floor-length gowns, other than white, to the Presentation Ball. Escorts must be in formal attire – traditional black tuxedo, white shirt, black bow tie and cummerbund only – NO TAILS – NO WESTERN STYLE ATTIRE. Dress shoes and socks will be black. No boots or tennis shoes are allowed.

Group pictures are made approximately two (2) weeks before the Presentation Ball. Gowns should be ready for approval in December.

The Presentation Ball will be held each year.

All members are expected to honor the specified hours of each event.

A Foreign Exchange Student may be issued an invitation to each function as a house guest of her American sister, but may not be presented.

A Lower Valley Cotillion Charm shall be presented to each Senior girl during her Senior year.