The NEEMF constitution can also be downloaded in pdf form here.


 




North East Early Music Forum: Constitution



updated at AGM 2008



1. NAME



The name of the Society shall be ‘North East Early Music Forum’, which may be abbreviated to ‘NEEMF”, hereinafter referred to as the Society.



2. OBJECTS



The object of the Society shall be the education of the public in the study, practice and appreciation of music and the allied arts, and in particular the music of the medieval, renaissance, baroque and pre-classical periods (hereinafter called ‘early music’). In furtherance of this object but not further or otherwise the Society may:




i) - co-ordinate, organise, sponsor or promote concerts, recitals, broadcasts, recordings, seminars, lectures, classes and courses



ii) - disseminate information relating to early music to members of the Society and others by means of a regular newsletter and otherwise



iii) - print, publish and distribute books, pamphlets and leaflets relating to early music



iv) - do all such other things as are necessary to the attainment of the said object.




3. MEMBERSHIP



a) Membership of the society shall be open to all persons and institutions professing an interest in early music and in particular (but not exclusively) those residing in the North East of England. The Society shall consist of Individual, Student (pursuing a full-time course of study), unwaged, Family (two adults and children under eighteen) and Institutional members



b) Any individual or institution wishing to be admitted to membership of the Society shall apply through the Secretary or another member of the Committee.



c) Not more than one nominee of any Institutional member shall be entitled to vote at a General Meeting of the Society.



d) A member may be removed from the Society by resolution of a simple majority of those present and voting at a meeting of the Committee. Any member so removed may appeal to the next Annual General Meeting or to an Extraordinary Meeting of the society, and such an appeal shall be determined by simple majority of those present and voting. In the case of an appeal the member concerned may remain in membership until the next General Meeting of the Society



e) The Committee may from time to time determine the annual rate of subscription (if any) applicable to the various classes of members. A member shall be deemed to have resigned from the Society when his annual subscription is two years in arrears. Such a member may be reinstated without election upon payment of arrears or by resumption of payment from a later date.



f) No member whose subscription is more than one year in arrears may vote at a General Meeting of the Society.



g) Persons under the age of eighteen shall not be entitled to vote at General Meetings of the Society.



4. COMMITTEE



a) The Society’s affairs shall be directed by a Committee elected from members of the Society, consisting of the administrative officers of the Society and additional elected members.



b) The administrative officers of the Society shall be: Chairman, Secretary, Treasurer, Membership Secretary, Newsletter Editor, Development Officer (for funding and “outreach”) and Web Master



c) The administrative officers and other elected members of the Committee shall be appointed by the Annual General Meeting. Each such appointment shall terminate at the conclusion of the Annual General Meeting next following, and may be renewed at that meeting. All retiring members of the Committee shall be eligible for re-election.



d) In addition to the administrative officers, the Committee of the Society shall consist of up to four other members of the society.



e) The Committee shall have the power to co-opt members of the Society from time to time as it may think fit and to remove at any time any member so co-opted. The number of members co-opted shall not exceed one-third of the total number of the Committee.



f) If a casual vacancy occur in the membership of the Committee, the Committee may appoint a deputy by majority vote to serve until the next Annual General Meeting.



g) The Chairman shall preside at any meeting at which he/she is present. In his/her absence the Secretary shall be the Chairman and if neither is present the meeting shall elect a Chairman. The Chairman shall have a second or casting vote in the case of an equality of votes.



h) The Secretary shall keep minutes of the proceedings of the Society and of the Committee. Any minute of any such meeting signed by the Chairman of that meeting or of the next competent meeting shall be sufficient evidence of the facts stated therein. The Secretary shall also convene meetings by notifying those concerned at least fourteen days before the date of that meeting.



i) The Treasurer shall receive the subscription of members and other income, shall make the payment of accounts rendered to the Society, secure the audit or examination of the accounts and provide the Secretary with a copy of the audited accounts for circulation with the notification of the Annual General Meeting.



j) Nominations for administrative office or membership of the Committee of the Society may be made to the Secretary in writing or from the floor or chair by any member of the Society at the annual General Meeting and must be seconded by another member of the Society. All appointments shall be made by a simple majority of members present and voting.



k) All voting shall be decided by a show of hands unless for a particular issue a ballot be decided upon by a majority of members present.



l) Persons under the age of eighteen shall not be eligible for election to the Committee of the Society.



m) The Committee shall meet at least three times each year to carry out the business and policies in accordance with the Society’s aims. The quorum for a meeting of the Committee shall be the Chairman or deputy and at least two other members. Each member including the Chairman shall have one vote at committee meetings and, m the case of an equality of votes the Chairman shall have a second or casting vote.



5. GENERAL MEETINGS



a) The Annual General Meeting shall be held (as far as is reasonably practical) in the month of October, twenty-one days’ notice having been given to all members. Business to be included at the meeting shall be the annual report of the Committee, the annual audited/ examined statement of accounts, the appointment of officers and committee, the appointment of auditors/examiner, the acceptance of resignations of the Committee and any other business of which the Secretary has been given notice in writing.



b) A special General Meeting may be called by the Chairman or at the written request of at least ten members, giving the Secretary at least twenty-one days’ notice and stating the urgent business to be considered. The Secretary shall then convene the meeting by notifying all members of the Society.



c) The quorum at General Meetings shall be fifteen or one-third of the membership, whichever is the least.



6. FINANCE



a) The annual rates of subscription shall be approved by a simple majority of those present and voting at the annual General Meeting of the Society shall remain in force until the next Annual General Meeting, being payable annually on 1st November.



b) Subscriptions shall be paid to the Treasurer, who shall prepare an audited/examined account of the income and expenditure of the Society for presentation to the Annual General Meeting following the end of each financial year.



c) The financial year shall end on 30th June.



d) A banking account shall be opened in the name of the Society and cheques shall be signed by the Treasurer or Chairman and any one other administrative officer of the Society.



e) The Society may receive donations, grant in aid and financial guarantees, and tickets for any event which it promotes may be offered for sale to non-members



f) The society may charge members for admission to events which it promotes.



g) The income and property of the Society shall be applied solely towards the furtherance of the society’s objects as defined in Rule 2 and no portion thereof shall be paid or transferred either directly or indirectly to any member or members of the Society except in payment of expenses, including customary professional fees, incurred on behalf of the Society.



7. CONSTITUTION



The Constitution of the Society may be amended by a two-thirds majority of the members present and voting at an Annual General Meeting or special General Meeting, provided that fourteen days’ notice of the proposed amendment has been sent, by the Secretary, to all members and provided that nothing therein contained shall authorise any amendment affecting the Society’s charitable status, unless the consent of the Charity Commissioners or other authority having charitable jurisdiction shall have first approved the same. No amendments shall be made which would cause the Society to cease to be a charity at law.



8. DISSOLUTION



The Society may be dissolved by a two-thirds majority of members present and voting at a meeting called for that purpose, fourteen days’ notice having been given to all members. Any assets remaining after the payment of all debts and liabilities shall not be paid or distributed among the members but shall be given or transferred to such other organisation or organisations having objects similar to the Society as the Committee may with the approval of the Charity Commissioners for England and Wales, decide.