1. Title
The Society shall be called Derby Choral Union, hereinafter referred to as the Society.
2. Objects
The objects of the Society shall be to increase the public knowledge and appreciation of music by the practice and performance of oratorios and other musical works of high excellence, sacred or secular, which may include orchestral items as decided by the Committee.
3. Membership
Membership of the Society shall be open to persons who shall be capable of satisfactorily singing such music as may be selected for performance, the Committee having the sole power to accept, refuse or terminate membership for good and sufficient reason and to introduce voice tests at their discretion.
4. Officials
The officials shall consist of Musical Director, Chair, Vice-Chair, Hon. Secretary, Hon. Treasurer, Hon. Registrar, and (if deemed necessary by the Committee) Hon. Ticket Secretary and Hon. Assistant Treasurer, all to retire annually but to be eligible for re-election at the Annual General Meeting, with the exception of the Chair and Vice-Chair, who shall be elected at the first General Committee Meeting after the Annual General Meeting, and the Musical Director and Accompanist who shall not be subject to annual appointment but shall be deemed to continue in office subject to six months' notice on either side.
5. Management
The affairs of the Society shall be managed by the following: Musical Director, Hon. Secretary, Hon. Treasurer and a Committee elected from the ordinary members of the Society as follows: the General Committee shall consist of nine members of the Society each of whom shall be elected to serve for three years, and each year the three retiring members shall be eligible for re-election.
If a casual vacancy occurs for any reason, the Committee shall be empowered to co-opt a replacement to serve for the remainder of the year and, at the following Annual General Meeting, such replacements shall be subject to election by the members.
At each Annual General Meeting therefore, there will be three Committee places to be filled plus any casual vacancies. If more candidates offer themselves for election than there are vacancies, a ballot shall be held among all those attending the meeting. The three candidates heading the poll shall be deemed to be elected for a full three-year term of office and those coming next in order of votes cast shall be deemed to be elected for such periods of office as remained to the casually retired members of the Committee; those with two years of office remaining being replaced before those with only one year remaining.
After the election of the full Committee, three persons not necessarily members of the society may be co-opted as additional members of the Committee until the next Annual General Meeting. The Musical Director, Hon. Secretary and Hon. Treasurer shall be ex-officio members of the Committee. Five members or one third whichever is the greater, of the Committee shall form a quorum.
6. Nominations for Committee
No member shall be eligible at the Annual Meeting for election to the Committee unless nominated in writing to the Hon. Secretary at least seven days previous to the Annual Meeting. If there be a larger number of nominations than are required to fill the vacancies, election by ballot shall take place, and ballot papers bearing the names of all candidates shall be supplied by the Secretary at the Meeting.
7. Annual and other Meetings
The Annual General Meeting shall be held as soon as possible after the final concert of the season and at an Annual General Meetings and Special General Meetings one third of the total number of members shall form a quorum.
8. Sub-Committee and Ex-officio Members
The Committee may appoint sub-Committees for any special purposes and decisions of sub-Committee shall be subject to continuation by the Committee unless otherwise authorised. The Chair or Vice-Chair shall be ex-officio members of all Committees. All acts and proceedings of any such Committee shall be reported fully and promptly to the Management Committee.
9. Vacant Offices
The Committee shall have power to fill any vacant office during the season.
10. Audit of Society's Books and Accounts
A Bank Account shall be opened in the name of the society and all cheques shall be signed by at least two authorised signatories.
The Books of the society shall be independently examined to the satisfaction of the Committee and certified accounts produced at the Annual General meeting.
11. New Members
Prospective members of the Society shall apply to the Registrar on the form provided. After a satisfactory voice test and a trial period not exceeding four weeks of rehearsals such applicants shall be deemed to be members of the Society and their subscription shall then be payable.
12. Annual Subscription
The Annual Subscription shall be determined by the Annual General Meeting for the ensuing year. All subscriptions shall become due and payable, in advance, on the first rehearsal night of each season and membership shall be deemed to have lapsed if the subscription is not paid by 31 December.
13. Resignations
Any member wishing to resign is requested to give notice of any such intention to the Hon. Secretary not later than the first day of September in any year; otherwise he or she will be liable to pay the subscription for the ensuing year.
14. Rehearsals
The ordinary meetings of the society for rehearsals shall be on Tuesday evenings commencing at 7.30pm unless otherwise arranged by the Committee when due notice will be given. Members are expected to remain throughout the rehearsal.
15. Punctuality at Rehearsals
All members are expected to be in their places at rehearsals by 7.30pm punctually.
16. Attendances
Any member absent from more than one third of the rehearsals for a concert shall be disqualified from taking part in the public performance at the discretion of the Musical Director.
17. Dress at Concerts
To secure uniformity of dress at the public performances of the society, ladies shall wear dresses of such style and colour as shall from time to time be approved by the General Committee and gentlemen to wear evening suit with black bow ties.
18. Selection of Works
The Committee shall select the works to be publicly performed each season and shall also select and engage Principals and Orchestras for all concerts. The Committee shall notify all members before the Annual General Meeting that they will be pleased to receive suggestions (for works to be performed) at the Annual General Meeting.
19. Convening Meetings
The Chair of the Committee, or in his absence, the Vice-Chair, shall have power to convene Committee meetings at any time, due notice to be given by the Hon. Secretary by circular, stating the business to be brought before the meeting.
20. Special General Meetings
The Hon. Secretary on behalf of the Committee, or at the written request of not less than one tenth of the total number of members of the society, may call a Special General Meeting of the Society which shall take place within 14 days, and shall be convened by a circular stating the business to be brought before the meeting, the circular to be sent to every member at least seven days prior to the meeting. It shall be competent for a Special General Meeting to deal with and decide upon any matter expressed in the circular as fully and completely as at a General Meeting.
21. Cases of Dispute or Emergency
In case of a Dispute or Emergency the Committee shall have power to decide upon any question arising upon the construction of these rules or upon any matter not thereby provided for without the necessity for convening a Special General Meeting.
22. In Case of Dissolution
In the event of the dissolution of the Society, the Committee or Officers shall within three months, sell or convert any property the Society may possess, and after discharging all claims, pay any surplus which may remain, to any charitable organisation or institution having as one of its principal objects the furtherance of musical art, vocal or instrumental or the support of needy musicians with the prior approval of the Charity Commissioners.
23. Self-dissolution
The society shall be deemed dissolved when the number of its members has fallen below thirty, with the prior approval of the Charity Commissioners.
24. Alteration of Rules
Alteration of this Constitution shall receive the assent of two-thirds of the members present and voting at an Annual General Meeting or a Special General Meeting. A Resolution for the alteration of the Constitution must be received by the Secretary at least twenty one days before the meeting at which the resolution is to be brought forward. At least fourteen days notice of such a meeting must be given by the Secretary to the membership and must include notice of the alteration proposed. Provided that no alteration to clause 2 (objects), clause 22 (dissolution) or this clause, shall take effect until the approval in writing of the Charity Commissioners or other authority having charitable jurisdiction shall have been obtained; and no alteration shall be made which would have the effect of causing the society to cease to be a charity in law.
25. Distribution of Rules
A copy of these rules shall be supplied to each member of the Society on the payment of their first subscription. |
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Derby Choral
Union Ladies’
Concert Dress Committee |
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Responsibilities
To select, maintain and distribute affordable and durable ladies’ concert dress in keeping with the public image of the choir, the style of music presented and the settings in which it is performed.
Approach and Selection
Meetings to be held as required.
When selecting new items, the committee will present a shortlist of fabric and style choices with indicative pricing for a ballot of lady members of the choir, the final choice being subject to approval by the General Committee which will not be unreasonably withheld.
Membership
The committee shall consist of 5 members, up to 2 of whom are appointed by the General Committee to organize and chair it, the remaining members being elected by the lady members of the choir from candidates not holding other official positions in the choir.
Approved by the General Committee of DCU on 19th September 2011 |
