Salisbury Symphony Orchestra Constitution

1. The name of the Society shall be:

The Salisbury Symphony Orchestra

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES

2. The aims and objectives of the Society shall be to promote and maintain an orchestra, to give concerts to the general public, to assist in concerts by other bodies and generally to encourage the hearing and playing of instrumental music in Salisbury and in other towns and villages in the neighbourhood, and to affiliate with recognised bodies having similar objects — all these activities being of an educational nature and not for the purpose of making profit.

PRESIDENT AND OFFICERS

3. The President and Vice-Presidents may be elected at the Annual General Meeting.

4. The Officers of the Society shall consist of

Chairman

Conductor

Leader

Secretary

Assistant Secretary

Treasurer

Librarian

Publicity Officer

The Officers shall be elected at the Annual General Meeting. Nominations, other than those made by the Committee, shall be in writing signed by the Proposer and Seconder, with the consent of the Nominee, and shall be delivered to the Secretary not less than fourteen days before the date of the Annual General Meeting.

5. Federal Representative. The Society shall appoint a representative to 'Making Music' (the National Federation of Music Societies), and in the event of the appointment becoming vacant the Society shall make a new appointment as soon as reasonably practicable.

THE COMMITTEE

6. The management of the Society shall be vested in a committee consisting of:

a. The Officers.

b. The Federal Representative when appropriate; and

c. Three members of the Society, or four members if the Federal Representative is an Officer of the Society.

7. Election of members for service on the Committee shall be by way of ballot at the Annual General Meeting.

8. A quorum shall consist of the Chairman, or Deputy nominated by him from the Committee, and at least four members. The Committee shall have power to co-opt generally as they think fit.

TERMS OF OFFICE AND ATTENDANCE REQUIREMENTS

9. The Officers and Committee, with the exception of the Federal Representative, shall serve for one year and, subject as hereinafter provided by this Rule, shall be eligible for re-election. Members, other than Officers of the Committee, shall relinquish their appointment after three years' service, and shall not be eligible for re -election for one year. The Federal Representative shall remain in office until replaced.

10. If a member of the Committee shall in any one season fail to attend three meetings of the Committee of which he/she shall have had not less than three days' notice, he or she may be required to provide a satisfactory explanation for remaining on the Committee.

MANAGEMENT

11. All arrangements and the management of rehearsals and concerts and control of expenditure and finance shall be in the hands of the Committee.

MEMBERSHIP

12. The membership of the Society shall consist of Playing Members and Honorary Members.

a. Playing Members. The Playing Members shall consist of Performing Members and Practising Members. All Playing Members shall be elected by the Committee, and any person desiring to become a Member shall, in the first instance apply in writing to the Secretary. In all cases the Committee has the right to require the applicant to attend an audition. Practising Members shall not perform at concerts unless the Conductor and Leader from time to time otherwise decide. On request to the Secretary, subsequent Performing Membership may be granted by the Committee following evidence of improved ability as required by the Conductor and Leader.

b. Honorary Members. Honorary Members may be elected by the Society at a General Meeting, following a recommendation from the Committee, and eligibility for Honorary Membership shall be limited to those members of the Society who have given long and valued service and have been obliged to relinquish their active membership. Honorary Members shall be exempt from payment of a subscription, but shall otherwise be entitled to the benefits of normal membership save mat they shall not be entitled to vote at General Meetings of the Society.

13. The President, Vice-President, Officers, and all Playing Members shall be entitled to vote.

14. A list of Members and Register of Attendance shall be kept by the Secretary.

OBLIGATIONS OF MEMBERSHIP

15. All duly elected Members will be expected to be regular in attendance at rehearsals and concerts, and to advise the Secretary of illness or other causes which prevent attendance. The Committee may, from time to time, make rules limiting performance at concerts to those who have attended a minimum number of rehearsals, and the Conductor and Leader shall have the right to decide which Members shall play at all or any part of a concert.

16. The Committee shall have power to expel any Member who shall offend against the Rules of the Society or whose conduct shall in the opinion of the Committee render him/her unfit for membership of the Society. The Secretary shall give him/her seven days' written notice to attend a Meeting of the Committee, which notice shall contain particulars of the complaints made against him/her. No Member shall be expelled without first having an opportunity of appearing before the Committee and answering the complaints made against him/her, nor unless at least two-thirds of the Committee then present vote in favour of his/her expulsion.

17. Periodical rotation between First and Second Violins shall take place under the direction of the Conductor and Leader.

18. Concert Performance. The Conductor and Leader shall make whatever arrangements are necessary to engage augment in order to maintain the Society's high standards.

SECTION PRINCIPALS

19. Section Principals. When a vacancy occurs for the position of principal for any section of the orchestra, the Society will be advised immediately. The vacancy may also be advertised in the Salisbury Journal and any other suitable local newspaper. Auditions will be held at a venue, date and time acceptable to all candidates. The auditioning panel will comprise the Conductor, Leader, existing principal — if available — or other suitable nominee from the Society, and an independent adviser, selected by the Committee as being appropriate for the particular vacancy. The results will be announced to the candidates and to the Society as soon as possible thereafter.

SUBSCRIPTIONS

20. Annual Subscriptions will be agreed as necessary at the AGM for the following categories:

a. Members.

b. Members who are receiving full time education.

21. Reduced Subscriptions for half a season may be accepted where the Committee considers there are circumstances which justify this.

22. The Annual Subscription is payable in advance and is due for payment as from the date of the Annual General Meeting, and shall in any event be paid by 31^st December in any year.

FINANCE

23. The Society may receive donations, grants in aid, or financial guarantees.

24. The income and property of the Society, whencesoever derived, shall be applied solely towards the promotion of the objects of the Society as set forth in its Rules and in particular for the encouragement of instrumental music, and no portion thereof shall be paid or transferred directly or indirectly, by way of dividend, honorarium, bonus, or by payment of a professional fee to any Member or Members of the Society.

25. In the event of the Society being wound up or dissolved, any balance of cash remaining after the realization of assets and payment of any debts, shall be handed to some charitable institution or institutions having objectives similar to our own Society as the members may determine.

26. The Society's Financial Year and Concert Season shall end on the 31st May in every year.

ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

27. Members shall be summoned to an Annual General Meeting of the Society not later than the 31^st October in any year upon twenty-one days' notice being given by the Committee, for the purpose of receiving the Report from the Committee, receiving and adopting the independently examined Financial Accounts, the appointment of an Independent Examiner, and the election of Members to fill vacancies on the Committee, and any other relevant business placed on the Agenda by the Committee.

ALTERATION OF RULES

28. Any proposed alteration in these Constitution at an Annual General Meeting must appear on the Agenda for that Meeting. Unless such a proposal is sponsored by the Committee, a copy of the Resolution must be sent to the Secretary not later than the first day of July before the Annual General Meeting. A two-thirds majority of Members present and voting is necessary for the passing of such a Resolution.

EXTRAORDINARY GENERAL MEETING

29. An Extraordinary General Meeting may be convened upon requisition by the Committee or twelve Members of the Society, and if so convened for the purpose of considering a proposal for alteration to the Constitution, such Proposal shall be submitted in writing to the Secretary at least twenty-eight days before the date of the Meeting, and the Society shall incorporate the Proposal in the Notice of the Meeting circulated to Members. A two-thirds majority as stipulated in Rule 28 shall be required for the passing of such Resolution.

Constitution & Rules

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