Constitution of The Crystal Palace Band

 

 

Rule 1  Title
The band shall be known as “The Crystal Palace Band”.

 

Rule 2  Objectives
The Band shall be established and shall exist for the purpose of furthering all those activities that are associated with brass bands and with the playing of brass instruments.

 

The objectives of the Band shall be:

a)    To encourage music making by players of brass instruments.

b)    To support and encourage the organisation of concerts for brass bands and brass instrumentalists in collaboration with local government authorities, brass band associations or any other body organising such events.

c)    To raise funds by receiving contributions from members, fees from concerts undertaken and grants and subsidies from other sources for promoting the activities and objectives of the Band.

d)    To co-operate with local education authorities in the work of further education classes and classes at evening institutes.

e)    To co-operate, at the discretion of the Committee, with other organisations or persons interested in music making.

f)      To do such other things as the Committee deems necessary in order to further the interests of the Band.

 

Rule 3  Membership

Any person interested in or connected with the brass band movement may make application to join the band.

 

Rule 4  Admission to Membership

The Committee shall, after a suitable time, make a formal written invitation to any prospective member to join the Band.  The candidate shall reply in writing having read and accepted the constitution of the Band.  Once accepted he or she shall be duly registered with the Band.

 

Rule 5  Annual Subscriptions

The annual subscription in respect of members shall be such sum as shall, from time to time, be decided at an Annual General Meeting.  If at any Annual General Meeting it is proposed to fix or amend the rate of annual subscription, this intention shall be stated in the notice convening the meeting.

 

Rule 6  Officers

The officers of the Band shall be:

Chairman

Musical Director

Secretary

Deputy Musical Director

Treasurer

Property Master

Librarian

Assistant Secretary

 

They shall be elected to office at the first Annual General Meeting and thereafter annually at an Annual General Meeting.

 

Rule 7  Management

a)    The internal management of the Band shall be undertaken by a Committee of the Officers of the Band.  The Officers may also co-opt such other members as may be considered necessary from time to time.

b)    Meetings of the Committee shall be convened by the Secretary as and when required in order to discharge efficiently the business of the Band.  Four members in person shall constitute a quorum at any meeting of the Committee.  Voting shall be by a show of hands.  The Musical Director shall only be accorded voting rights on matters of a musical nature.  Minutes shall be kept of the proceedings at all meetings and a précis of the minutes shall be made available to the band as a whole.  The Chairman presiding over the meeting shall, in all cases of equal division, have an additional or casting vote.  In the absence of the Chairman a chairman for the meeting shall be chosen by the members present from within their numbers.

c)    In the event of a vacancy occurring in the membership of the Committee the vacancy shall be filled by the appointment of a serving member of the Committee or, if this proves impractical, by the appointment of a person outside the Committee.  The member or person thus appointed shall serve up to the date of the next Annual General Meeting of for such shorter period as the Committee shall decide.

 

Rule 8  Bye-laws and Regulations

The Committee may, from time to time, make, amend or rescind bye-laws and regulations that the Committee consider expedient for the proper and efficient management of the Band provided always that such bye-laws and regulations and any amendments thereto shall become binding on members immediately they have been submitted to and approved at a General Meeting and members have been notified thereof in writing by the Secretary.

 

Rule 9  General Meetings

a)    The Annual General Meeting shall be held at such time and place as the committee shall determine.  The business to be transacted at the meeting shall be:-

i.  To receive from the Committee the annual reports on the previous year’s working.

ii. To receive the statement of account for the previous year.

iii.To elect the officers of the Band to serve for the ensuing year.

iv.To transact any other business relating to the affairs of the Band of which due notice has been given.

b)    Extraordinary General Meetings shall be convened by the Committee at any time for any purpose, or by the Secretary on receiving a written application signed by not less than five members, stating the purpose for which the meeting is required.  The notice convening an Extraordinary General Meeting shall state the business to be transacted thereat and only such business shall be transacted..

c)    Verbal notice of the Annual General Meeting or of any Extraordinary General Meeting shall be given to the Band not less than fourteen clear days before the date of the meeting.  This announcement shall specify the date, time and place appointed for such a meeting and shall include an agenda.

d)    At all General Meetings the Chairman, or in his absence one of the attending members chosen by those present, shall preside over the meeting.

e)    Five members, excluding the Officers, who are present in person and entitled to vote at a General Meeting shall form a quorum.

f)      Any member wishing to raise a special item of business at a General Meeting shall give notice thereof in writing to the Secretary not less than seven days before the date of the meeting.

g)    Except as provided in Rule 9(h), voting at General Meetings shall be by a show of hands in accordance with the voting rights of the respective members.  In the case of an equality of votes the chairman of the meeting shall have the right to exercise a second or casting vote.

h)    In special circumstances, where the Committee deem it to be in the best interests of the Band so to do, the Committee shall arrange for voting on a specific resolution to be by proxy in writing.

 

Rule 10            Audit and Presentation of Accounts

Proper accounts shall be kept of all moneys received and expended by the Band and the accounts shall be audited annually by auditors (not being an officer of the Band) appointed at the Annual General Meeting.  The accounts of the Band shall, after audit, be presented to the Annual General Meeting and certified copies of the accounts and the auditor’s certificate shall be held by the Secretary for inspection by members.  The financial year shall end on 31st March.  Cheques drawn on the Band’s bankers shall be signed by any two of the following officers, namely, the Chairman, Treasurer, Secretary and Assistant Secretary.

 

Rule 11            Interpretation of Rules

The Committee shall be the sole authority for the interpretation of these rules and of any bye-laws and regulations made by the Committee, and any decision of the Committee on a question of interpretation shall be final and binding on the members.

 

Rule 12            Alteration of Rules

The rules may be altered or rescinded and new rules may be made with the sanction of a resolution passed by a majority of not less than two-thirds of the membership who vote thereon at an Annual General Meeting or an Extraordinary General Meeting convened for that purpose.  Notice of any proposed alteration to the rules shall be given in writing and sent to the Secretary not less than fourteen days before the date of the meeting at which the proposal is to be discussed.  The notice convening the meeting shall give full details of the proposed alteration to the rules and state the reason therefor.

 

Rule 13            Dissolution of the Band

A resolution to dissolve the Band shall be considered at a General Meeting of which proper notice has been given and at which not less than one-half of the members shall be represented.  If the resolution is carried the Committee shall thereupon or at such future date as shall be specified, obtain the return of any properties on loan from the Band and, after discharging from the funds all liabilities, divide the remaining assets among such organisations or bodies as the Committee shall decide.  When all liabilities have been discharged and the assets have been divided as aforesaid, the Band shall be dissolved.