Silver City Singers Standing rules (17/3/2017)
1) New members: All new members should fill out a membership form. The membership form includes a box for members to sign permitting them to be videoed and photographed. New members will be expected to pay fees after they have passed their audition which will take place within a 3 month period starting from their first rehearsal attendance.
2) Wardrobe: Each member is required to have on loan, from the SCS wardrobe, a grey suit for which they will pay a £10 deposit. The suit will be kept at home between events by the member until such time as the member leaves the SCS at which point the suit will be returned in good condition to the SCS. It is the responsibility of the member to keep the suit in a clean condition.
3) Event attire: The SCS has a variety of costumes depending on the nature of the event. The musical director decides which costume should be worn at a particular event prior to each performance. Members are required at performance to conform to the dress code.
4) Public domain: Recordings of SCS performances, part or full, should not be placed in the public domain (internet or other). A system is in place by which recordings can be approved for public display: the recording, saved on a memory stick, or other media, is passed to the musical director who will decide whether or not the recording should added to the members-only YouTube zone after which it may be made publicly available, also at the discretion of the musical director.
5) Honorary Membership (Review date: 27/11/2017):
Persons who have distinguished themselves by meritorious service in the furtherance of SCS ideals and those persons considered friends of SCS for their permanent support of SCS’s cause may be nominated as honorary membership. The power to confer and terminate honorary membership rests with the committee. Any member of the club may at any time suggest names for consideration as honorary members.
The committee’s criteria for bestowing the designation Honorary Member are provided as follows:
• Long serving members of the chorus or committee who are no longer able to be involved as they once were.
• Prominent persons who the club would like to be associated with the club
• Persons, male or female, and organisations, which have a record of significant support for the chorus.
In the event that club members are also honorary members this will not, by virtue of being an honorary member, exempt such members from paying subscriptions, nor will they be precluded from their voting rights as ordinary members. Non club members who are honorary members will not be required to pay a subscription nor will they be entitled to any voting rights at any club committee meeting, sub-committee meetings AGMs or EGMs.
SILVER CITY SINGERS
CONSTITUTION
5 October 2015
(Replaces previous dated 1 August 2012)
1. NAME
The name of the Club shall be “Silver City Singers”
2. AIMS & OBJECTIVES
The aims of the club shall be to preserve the style and encourage the singing of barbershop harmony, as defined by the British Association of Barbershop Singers (BABS). In furtherance of these aims the club shall form a chorus of all eligible members, encourage the formation of quartets and further the education of the members and the general public in any and all aspects of the barbershop harmony style. The Club may also assist members in developing additional performance skills, and at the discretion of the music team, in consultation with the Committee involve guest entertainers in public performances.
3. MEMBERSHIP
Membership of the club shall be open to any male supporting the aims of this constitution, who sings to an acceptable standard, as covered in section 6, and who pays the appropriate subscription. The Committee may confer honorary membership upon persons of both genders. Such persons will be eligible to serve on the Committee, other than in officer roles. Ladies may become members of the club by being appointed Musical Director or Deputy Musical Director.
4. MANAGEMENT
The running and management of the club will be by Committee comprising the following officers:
Chairman, Vice-Chairman, Secretary and Treasurer
and a maximum of 8 other members.
The Officers will be appointed by the Committee at the first meeting of the Committee after the AGM.
Officers must be reappointed annually and may normally serve in the same capacity for a maximum period of three years in succession. Only in exceptional circumstances and as agreed by the Committee at its first meeting after the AGM will any member be permitted to serve in the same capacity for a period in excess of three consecutive years.
Ordinary members of the Committee may be appointed to defined positions as may be decided from time to time by the Committee. For example: Membership Secretary, Sing-out Secretary, Public Relations Officer, Wardrobe Manager, Social Secretary and Web/IT Officer. Such positions may also be held by members who are not members of the Committee.
The Committee shall meet regularly with a minimum of five meetings throughout the year and may, from time to time, co-opt members to fill vacant positions or to fulfill other functions to assist in running the club. A quorum at all meetings shall consist of a minimum of four members, one of whom shall be the Chairman, Vice-Chairman, Secretary or Treasurer. In the event of the Committee Chairman and Vice-Chairman are not present at the start time of the meeting, the Treasurer or Secretary will chair the meeting. The competency of items raised at the meeting under AOCB will be at the discretion of the chair of the meeting.
Upon retirement from office, all Committee members shall hand over to a successor all information, funds, files, books, manuals and other property relating to the office in question.
Minutes of all Committee meetings shall be recorded by the Secretary and their accuracy or otherwise confirmed and signed by the Chairman at the following meeting.
A copy of the confirmed minutes of each meeting shall be displayed for inspection by the members as soon as possible after the relevant meeting.
The club may affiliate with BABS and/or other appropriate regional, national, or international organisations. Decision to affiliate to such organisations shall be subject to a decision at a general meeting or plebiscite. A simple majority in favour will be required for affiliations involving no change in members’ subscriptions. A two-thirds majority in favour will be necessary where an increase in members’ subscriptions is required to meet the affiliation fees.
The club may appoint/elect a member to represent the club at meetings of any organisations to which it is affiliated.
The club shall collect and forward subscriptions to any organisations to which it is affiliated.
5. MUSICAL DIRECTOR
The Musical Director (MD) shall be appointed by the Committee at its first meeting after the annual general meeting (AGM). The MD shall then be a member of the club and an ex-officio, member of the Committee. At the discretion of the Committee the MD may serve in any defined position on the Committee. The MD may nominate a deputy MD and one or more assistant MD’s whose appointment shall be subject to approval by the Committee. The membership fee of the MD and Deputy MD will be waived.
6. MUSIC TEAM
The music team consists of the MD, who will be Music Team Leader, and any deputy MD and any assistant MDs, along with the Section Team Leaders. The Section Team Leaders will be appointed by the sections on an annual basis after each AGM and their nomination will be reported to the first Committee meeting after the AGM. The Music Team will solicit the views of the Committee and members and formulate the musical policy of the Club. The Music Team will report regularly to the Committee. Before members represent the club in public performances the Music Team must be satisfied that their singing ability is of an acceptable standard.
7. FINANCE
The club's financial year shall be from 1 August to 31 July or for any period decided by the Committee and the finances of the club shall be administered by the Committee through the Treasurer. The club may engage in fund-raising activities and may receive subscriptions, fees, donations, loans, covenants, grants-in-aid, financial guarantees or sponsorships.
The Treasurer shall prepare accounts which will be subject to independent audit by a competent person for submission to the members at the AGM.
The income and property of the club, whence ever derived, shall be applied solely towards promoting the objectives of the club as set out above and no portion thereof shall be paid or transferred directly or indirectly to any member or members of the club, except in payment of legitimate expenses incurred on behalf of the club.
All cheques drawn on the club account shall be signed by any two of the following: Chairman, Vice-Chairman, Treasurer or Membership Secretary
The Treasurer may authorise expenditure up to an amount which from time to time, will be decided by the Committee.
The Treasurer and Chairman may together authorise expenditure up to an amount exceeding that allowed for in clause 7 (e) which from time to time, will be decided by the Committee.
For amounts exceeding that allowed for in clause 7 (f), which is not specified in the approved budget, if authorisation by the Committee at a Committee meeting is not possible due to the nature and urgency of the payment, the Treasurer will seek approval from two other officers of the Committee prior to payment. The payment will be reported to the next Committee meeting.
With the approval of the Committee the Treasurer may seek charitable status for the club.
8. ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING
(a) The AGM will be held during September each year subject to twenty-one days notice being given to all paid-up members of the club.
(b) At the AGM only paid-up members will be entitled to vote and sixty percent of the total membership shall constitute a quorum.
(c) At the AGM the following business will be conducted:
To confirm, or otherwise, the minutes of the previous AGM and any EGM.
To receive and approve reports from the Chairman, Vice-Chairman, Secretary, Treasurer and Music Team Leader. Other members of the Committee may be asked to report as required.
To receive and approve the audited annual accounts to be presented by the Treasurer.
To receive and approve the Treasurer's proposed budget for the coming year and to decide the rate of the club subscription.
To elect the Committee for the ensuing year. Any candidate for membership of the Committee who is unable to be at the AGM must have communicated their willingness to stand in advance of the AGM.
To appoint an auditor to examine the accounts.
When items have been notified to the Secretary a week before the AGM they will be on the agenda. Additional items may be raised at the meeting at the discretion of the Chairman.
9. EXTRAORDINARY GENERAL MEETINGS
An E.G.M. may be called at any time by the Committee and initiated by the Chairman upon written request signed by at least twenty percent of the total membership. At least fourteen days written notice of such a meeting shall be given to all paid-up members and this notice shall state the nature of the item to be discussed, to which the meeting will confine itself.
10. AMENDMENTS TO THIS CONSTITUTION
Amendments to this Constitution may only be made by resolution passed by a two thirds majority of the club membership at any AGM or EGM called for the purpose.
11. VOTING
With the exception of clauses 4(i) and 10 above, voting at all meetings will be resolved by a simple majority. In the event of votes being equal, the Chairman will have a second or casting vote.
12. LEGAL MUSIC
The club will observe the copyright law and use only legal copies of music.
13. DISSOLUTION OF THE CLUB
In the event of the dissolution of the club, by resolution of any AGM or EGM properly called, the officers of the club shall proceed to realise all assets and property of the club. All outstanding debts shall be settled, including the expenses of the club's officers in effecting the winding-up procedure. Subsequently the Treasurer shall prepare a final statement of account and, subject to any resolution passed by the remaining members at the AGM or EGM, the net balance shall be transferred to a charitable institution or institutions having similar objectives to those of the club. A copy of the final statement of account and report of the closure shall be sent to any organisations to which the Club is at the time affiliated.