The Constitution sets out the aims, roles and liabilities of the various members of the Society. It was last updated at the AGM in September 2005.
CONSTITUTION
______________________________________________________________
1. General
1.1
The Society shall be called Epsom Players.
1.2
The Society shall consist of a President, Vice-Presidents and Members.
Junior members under eighteen years of age may also be admitted.
1.3
The object of the Society is to present Musical Productions
and Plays for performance to the public and social functions for the benefit of
its members.
2.1
The affairs of the Society shall be managed by an Executive
Committee (hereafter referred to as the Committee) consisting of the Chairman,
Vice-Chairman, General Secretary, Treasurer, Business Manager, and up
to six Committee Members. The
Committee shall approve the selection of all musical productions and plays to be
performed by the Society.
2.2 All
posts on the Committee are honorary in nature and members will not receive any
payment other than legitimate expenses, supported by receipts, which are
incurred in their work for the Society or by reason of their office. Members of the Society, including the Committee, are eligible
for consideration of positions on the Production Team of any production.
Members of the Society may not receive either direct or indirect payment
for taking part in or producing any performance of the Society.
However, reasonable expenses may be paid to a member of the production
team at the discretion of the Committee.
2.3
The Committee shall meet not less than six times a year.
2.4 All
officers and Members of the Committee shall be elected at the Annual General
Meeting and the Committee shall have the power to fill any casual vacancy that
may occur in its membership and co-opt members as necessary.
Members co-opted to fill casual vacancies shall rank as full members of
the Committee. The quorum of the
Committee shall be five and provided this quorum is met, the Committee may
continue to act.
2.5
The members of the retiring Committee are eligible for
re-election without nomination. Additional
candidates seeking election to the Committee must be proposed and seconded by
members of the Society, such nominations to reach the General Secretary at least
seven days before the Annual General Meeting.
2.6
Where more than one individual is nominated for a post or where an
objection is raised to a nomination the election will be put to a ballot of
members in attendance of the Annual General Meeting.
2.7 The
appointment of any member of the Committee will be terminated in the following
circumstances:-
·
If
the Committee, in its absolute discretion, considers the actions of a member to
be prejudicial to the purposes or interests of the Society.
·
Upon
receipt of a formal written resignation by the Secretary.
3.1 The
Committee shall nominate an individual to be invited to act as President of the
Society subject to the approval of the Society at an
Annual General Meeting.
3.2
The role of the President is to represent the view of members.
The President is entitled to attend Committee meetings as an observer,
and when requested advisor, but does not have voting rights.
3.3 Appointment
of President will be subject to review by the Committee at the Annual General
Meeting.
3.4
The position of President will be terminated in the following
circumstances:-
·
If
the Committee, in its absolute discretion, considers the actions of a President
to be prejudicial to the purposes or interests of the Society.
·
Upon receipt of a formal written resignation by the
Secretary.
4.1
Individuals who wish to support the Society may become Patrons. Patrons will be eligible to receive a
complimentary ticket, programme and interval drink for each of the society’s
productions during the season.
4.2
Patrons may attend Annual General Meetings of the Society as
observers only. They will not be
entitled to vote at such meetings. Patrons
will not be responsible for underwriting any of the Society’s debts.
5.1 The
Committee shall appoint the Director, and where applicable, Musical Director and
Choreographer for each production and also a Production Manager, who together
with the aforementioned shall form the Production Team responsible to the
Committee. Reasonable expenses may
be paid to a member of the production team at the discretion of the Committee.
5.2
The Committee shall have the power to request any member of
the Committee who has been appointed or is under consideration for appointment
as a Director, Musical Director or Choreographer to absent himself or herself
from the whole or any part of any meeting of the Committee.
6
Auditions
6.1 Open
auditions shall be held for all productions.
6.2 The
Chairman (or any other member of the Committee) and Director, together with the
Musical Director and Choreographer when applicable, shall jointly audition and
select members to take part in all productions.
6.3 An audition fee may be charged at
the discretion of the Committee.
7.1 The
Business Manager shall be responsible to the Committee for Publicity, Programmes,
Sponsorship, Ticket Sales, Block Bookings, Membership and may form a
Sub-Committee for these purposes.
8.1 The
post of Front of House Manager shall be by invitation of the Committee.
9.1 Applications
for Society Membership shall be approved by the Committee.
9.2 Members
shall have:
·
the right to attend all Annual General Meetings, auditions
and rehearsals of the Society.
·
the right to one vote at Annual General Meetings of the
Society.
·
receipt of newsletters.
·
the right to audition for any role at production auditions.
·
the right to perform in productions of the Society providing
a successful audition is undertaken where required.
10.1 Subscription
rates shall be determined by the Annual General Meeting on the recommendation of
the Committee.
10.2 It is a
requirement that any person cast in the Society’s productions shall be, or
become, a member, pay a cast fee as determined by the Committee and may in
addition defray the cost of their own vocal scores, libretti or scripts.
10.3
Subscriptions, which are non-refundable, shall become payable upon
joining the Society and will fall due on 1st January annually
thereafter. At the discretion of
the Committee a discount may be given to individuals joining the Society more
than 6 months into the membership year. A
lower Performing Member subscription rate shall be available to those members
who are:
·
over the state retirement age or
·
in receipt of Unemployment, Disablement, Supplementary or
other like State benefit or
·
in full-time education.
10.4 The
Treasurer shall be entitled to be provided with documentary evidence of the
above before authorising payment of any lower subscription rate.
11
Finance
11.1 The
accounts of the Society shall be audited annually by an Auditor elected at the
previous Annual General Meeting and a copy of the Balance Sheet together with
the Income and Expenditure Account shall be available to every member at the
Annual General Meeting.
11.2
All members shall have equal liability for any debts of the Society but
shall only be called upon to meet such debts in the event that the Society
neither has nor is likely to have assets, funds or income with which to meet or
service such debts.
11.3
Contracts between the Society and third parties can only be entered into
by Committee members. All proposed
contracts must be sanctioned by the Committee.
The Business Manager shall have the responsibility of ensuring that all
contracts are in the best interests of the Society.
12
Annual General Meeting
12.1 An
Annual General Meeting shall be held once a year within two months of the end of
the financial year. At least
fourteen days’ notice of the Annual General Meeting shall be given in writing
to every member of the Society.
13
Extraordinary
General Meeting
13.1 An
Extraordinary General Meeting shall be convened by the General Secretary upon
receipt of a request by twenty members or by resolution of the
Committee, such meetings to be held within one month of the receipt by
the Secretary of a written request and at least seven days notice shall be given
to members.
14.1 No
alteration or addition to the Constitution shall be made except at a General
Meeting, and suggested alterations or additions must be forwarded to the General
Secretary in writing at least twenty-one days before the date of such a meeting.
14.3 Every
member shall receive a copy of the Constitution and whenever there is alteration
or amendments they shall be circulated to the Members.
14.4 Any
other matters not covered in the Constitution or any interpretation thereof
shall be dealt with by the Committee.
Last updated 25 September
2005