Brecon Singers Constitution

1. NAME The organisation shall be known as “Brecon Singers”. 

2. OBJECTS The object of the Brecon Singers shall be to entertain and educate the public with a variety of music, by the presentation of concerts and by other activities.

3. MEMBERSHIP  Membership of the Brecon Singers shall be open to anyone interested in furthering its object, without formal nomination or election, but membership may be refused or terminated for a good and proper reason by the Committee in respect of any person whose conduct is considered detrimental to the objects.  If a member wishes to sing in a concert, s/he must attend at least 7 out of 10 rehearsals each term. In extenuating circumstances, this will be at the discretion of the Musical Director.

4. SUBSCRIPTION:  The subscription, which shall be regarded as minimum (and may be exceeded at the individual member’s discretion) and which shall be reviewed annually at the Annual General Meeting, shall be payable by every member, in the case of annual subscriptions not later that the end of January, and in the case of termly subscriptions during the first month of the term.

5.  MANAGEMENT:  The management of the Brecon Singers shall be in the hands of a Committee consisting of:

1)  The Chair who shall be elected annually from the Brecon Singers’ membership at the Annual General Meeting and who shall normally serve for not more than two consecutive years.

2) The Vice Chair, the Secretary, the Treasurer, the Membership Secretary, the Publicity Officer, the Patron Secretary and the Librarian, who shall each be elected annually from Brecon Singers membership at the Annual General Meeting.

3) The Musical Director

4) The Ex-Chair will be available for a hand over period and consultation, but shall not be a member of the committee.

 The Committee shall meet as required throughout the year.  Five members present shall constitute a quorum.  The committee shall have the power to co-opt not more than three additional members and, in the event of there occurring a vacancy on the Committee between Annual General Meeting, to appoint a member to fill the vacant officer or Committee seat.

 6.  MUSIC  The Committee shall be responsible for all the affairs of the Brecon Singers with the exception of purely musical matters, which shall be the responsibility of the Musical Director.

 7.  GENERAL  The annual General Meeting shall be held in May of each year.  A Special General Meeting shall be called, for any purpose, by the Committee or at the request of at least ten members.  The date of any General Meeting shall be announced at two consecutive weekly rehearsals, the first of which shall be not less than 14 days before the General Meeting.

 8.  FINANCE  

1) Accounts shall be kept by the Treasurer of all money received and expended by Brecon Singers.

 2) Banking accounts shall be opened in the name of Brecon Singers and cheques shall be signed by the Treasurer and one other officer of Brecon Singers.

 3) Brecon Singers may receive donations, grants in aid and financial guarantees.  Tickets for any or all of its concerts and other events may be offered for sale to the public.

 4) The income and property of Brecon Singers wheresoever derived shall be applied solely towards promoting the object of the Brecon Singers as set forth above, and no portion thereof shall be paid or transferred either directly or indirectly to any member or members of Brecon Singers except in payment of legitimate expenses incurred on behalf of Brecon Singers.

 5) In the event of the winding up or dissolution of Brecon Singers, any remaining assets after all liabilities have been discharged shall not be paid or transferred to any member or members of Brecon Singers but shall be transferred to a charitable organisation whose objects are similar to those of Brecon Singers and whose rules preclude the distribution of income and assets among its members.

6) An auditor, who shall not be a member of the Committee and who need not be a member of Brecon Singers, shall be appointed annually at the Annual General Meeting or, in the event of the office falling vacant between AGMs, by the Committee.   A Statement showing the financial position of Brecon Singers for the previous calendar year,  examined and certified by the auditor shall be circulated to all members present at the Annual General Meeting.

9. CONSTITUTION  The Constitution may only be amended by at least a two-thirds majority at an Annual General Meeting or a Special General Meeting, subject also to the requirement that the proposal to amend the Constitution shall have been announced with the announcement of the General Meeting.  No amendment that would cause Brecon Singers to cease to be a charity shall be adopted.