Saturday 10 December 2016

SWYM (Society for Wessex Young Musicians) Constitution

This is the current (as of December 2016) SWYM (Society for Wessex Young Musicians) Constitution, as last amended at an AGM held in November 2010:

1.                 NAME
The society shall be called the Society for Wessex Young Musicians and shall be affiliated to and form part of Bournemouth and Poole College of Further Education (“The College”).
2.                 OBJECTS
To promote the art of music in the County of Dorset through support of the activities of the Centre for Wessex Young Musicians (herein afterwards referred to as the Centre’) organised by The College, and other music activities by College students by:
a)     encouraging the musical education and training of young people.
b)    assisting through its activities the raising of funds for the above Centre to purchase music, equipment and instruments, provide bursaries and carry out the objectives.
c)     organising events in association with the College and promoting co-operation and fellowship amongst musicians and all persons interested in music.
d)    assisting with promotion and organisation of concerts, including those for charitable purposes, as may be arranged in agreement with the Head of Department of Social and Community Studies.
e)     when possible and necessary providing bursaries to individuals against set criteria in order that those individuals may attend the Centre.


3.                 MEMBERSHIP
Membership of the Society shall be open to:
     I.            Ordinary Members
a)     Parents or guardians of students enrolled in the Centre who will be deemed to have paid the annual subscription fee.
b)    Relatives and other well-wishers of students enrolled in the Centre paying the annual fee of the Society.
    II.            Vice-Presidents and Patrons
a)     Vice-Presidents as agreed by a vote of not less than three quarters of those present at an AGM of the Society, numbering not more than five at any one time.
b)    Patrons, who may be individuals or organisations, committed to making an annual contribution of a sum not less than the subscription fee to Society funds for a period of not less than four successive years.
  III.            Performing members Students enrolled in the Centre under the age of 18 who shall be non-subscribing and non-voting members of the Society.
  IV.            Honorary Life Members
Life members may be appointed as a mark of esteem to persons to have given outstanding service to the Society and the Centre.  Proposals for such membership must be submitted to and approved by the Executive Committee and confirmed by a simple majority vote at an Annual General Meeting of the Society.
    V.            Associate Members
Associate Membership shall be open to persons over the age of 18 years who are not parents of the children registered as attending the Centre for Wessex Young Musicians. Such Associate Members shall (upon payment of the appropriate subscription) be entitled to all benefits of Ordinary membership, except that they may not vote at any of the Society’s meetings, or be eligible to stand as Officers or Committee members.
4.                 SUBSCRIPTION
      I.            There shall be annual subscription fees for Ordinary Membership and for Associate Membership of the Society as recommended by the Executive Committee and agreed at the AGM. Any change in the subscription shall be conditional upon a vote in favour of the change by not less than three-quarters of the voting members present.
    II.            A single subscription may be paid for the family of members paying the annual subscription giving the family the voting rights of two Ordinary Members attending the Society’s meetings. A single subscription may also be paid for the family of Associate Members.
5.                 EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
There shall be an Executive Committee of the Society and this shall comprise:
      I.         Ex-Officio
a)     The College Principal or his representative
b)    The Director of the Creative Industries Faculty
c)     The Faculty Manager for Music
d)    The Director of the Saturday Music Centre and the Coordinator of the Saturday Music Centre
    II.        Ten other members of the Society, not less than five of whom shall be relatives of enrolled music students.
6.                 OFFICERS OF THE SOCIETY
      I.         The Officers of the Society shall all be honorary, shall be members of the Executive Committee, and shall be as follows:
a)     The Chairman
b)    The Vice-Chairman and Secretary
c)     The Treasurer
    II.         The Executive shall nominate from its members individuals to act in particular capacities as may be required.



7.                 ELECTION OF OFFICERS
a)     The Executive Committee members and Officers of the Society shall be elected at the Annual General Meeting by a simple majority vote. They may stand for re-election annually.  In the event of an Officer or Committee member resigning during the period between two AGMs the Executive Committee shall be empowered to co-opt a member to fill the vacancy for the remainder of the year until the next AGM.
b)     Nominations for Officers and Committee members shall be received by the Secretary in writing before the meeting, duly proposed and seconded, and such proposals shall be circulated with the AGM agenda.
c)     The Committee may invite persons to its meeting where that person’s special expertise or qualities relate to the matters under discussion. Such persons shall have no voting powers and not exceed two in number at any particular meeting.

8.                 PRESIDENT OF THE SOCIETY

The Executive Committee may invite a prominent individual from the community to serve as the President of the Society for a period of not less than one year.
9.                 MEETINGS OF THE SOCIETY
Meetings of the Society or its Executive Committee shall be held as follows:
     I.             The Annual General Meeting shall be held on College premises in October or November for the election of officers, for the presentation of reports by each of the officers, including written reports from Secretary and Treasurer, detailing respectively the annual progress and activities of the Society and an accurate / statement of the Society’s accounts for the previous financial year ended on 31 August. quorum for the Annual General Meeting shall be deemed to be an attendance of not less than fifteen members. The dates of the AGM shall be fixed annually one year in advance, and not less than two weeks’ reminder notice given in writing to all members.
Vice-Presidents and Patrons of the Society (whether individuals or groups) shall have one vote which may be applied to each issue balloted at an AGM or EGM.
   II.             An Extraordinary General Meeting may be held at any time, subject to the joint instance of a majority of the Executive Committee, or at the request of not less than fifteen members of the Society. It shall be held on College premises.
The business of an EGM shall be to consider only specific emergency items and to implement such action as may need to be taken in the emergency arising. A quorum shall be not less than twenty members and a minimum of two weeks’ notice of the holding of an EGM shall be given in writing to all members.
  III.              The Executive Committee of the Society shall meet from time to time at the discretion of a simple majority of its members, but not less than once during each College term. The Chairman or the Vice- Chairman must be in attendance.
The Executive Committee of the Society shall offer for information an annual report on its activities to the Principal of The College.
The Executive Committee shall take action on the vote of a simple majority of members present 
five being a quorum. All members of the Executive Committee shall be given not less than two weeks’ written reminder notice of meetings, in advance. The dates of Executive Committee meetings shall as far as possible be fixed annually for the Society’s year at the first Executive Committee Meeting after an AGM. 
10.                         FINANCIAL CONTROL AND ADMINISTRATION
a)     The Executive Committee shall be responsible for the overall financial control of the Society funds.
b)    The Treasurer shall be responsible for the keeping of accounts and shall exercise supervision over all the Society finances subject to the decision of the Committee and the Annual General Meeting.
c)     At the first meeting of each College term the Treasurer shall present a statement showing expenditure and income.
d)    At the end of the financial year (31 August) the Treasurer shall be responsible for preparing the Society’s final accounts. Current Charities Commission guidelines shall be observed in relation to inspection of these account, and a copy of these accounts shall be presented to the Annual General Meeting for approval.
e)     The Society shall maintain a current bank account and a deposit account or a Building Society Account in its own name, into which income shall be paid. No withdrawals or transfers shall be made except on the signatures of any two of the following The Treasurer, Secretary or Chairman. A further bank account may be maintained subject to the agreement of the Executive, for the operation of refreshment and catering activities and in a name to be so agreed
11.                         PURCHASE OF EOUIPMENT AND MATERIALS
a)     Any equipment purchased by the Society or purchased for the Society which has provided the finance, shall be placed on the inventory held by the Director of the Creative Industries Faculty.
b)    Where the Society Executive has agreed that a single item of value likely to exceed £1000 is to be purchased, the Faculty Manager for Music shall seek appropriate quotations on behalf of the Society before the order is placed.
12.                        AMENDMENT OF THE CONSTITUTION
Recommendations to amend the Constitution may only be considered at an AGM, any such proposal being circulated with the agenda prior to that meeting.  The proposal may only be carried with a vote in favour by not less than three quarters of those members present with power to vote.
Any recommendation to amend which is so made will be submitted to a panel of three members of the Corporation for their consideration and whilst that panel appointed a Board of the Corporation for that purpose has power to reject the recommendation, their approval of the AGM recommendations will not be unreasonably withheld.
13.              DISSOLUTION OF THE SOCIETY
Recommendation to dissolve the Society may only be made on the majority of three-quarters of the Society Members voting at an AGM or EGM called to consider the question of dissolution only.
The recommendation to dissolve shall be considered by the Governing Body panel outlined in (12) above who shall take the final decision.
Any residual funds or assets shall revert to the College for the furtherance of musical education on dissolution being agreed. 

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