Belper Musical Theatre Rules (2018)
Affiliated to NODA
Title
1. The Society is
called Belper Musical Theatre
Objects
2. Belper Musical
Theatre has been set up to educate the public in the dramatic and operatic
arts. We will do this by developing public appreciation and taste in these
arts. From time to time the Committee may also decide on other related
charitable roles. The Committee of Belper Musical Theatre can do the following:
a. Promote plays,
drama, comedies, opera, operettas and other dramatic and operatic works of
educative value.
b. Purchase, acquire
and obtain interests in the copyright of or the right to perform or show any
such dramatic or operatic works.
c. Purchase or
otherwise acquire plant, machinery, furniture, fixings, fittings, scenery and
all other necessary effects.
d. Raise funds and
invite and receive contributions from any person or persons whatsoever by way
of Subscriptions, donations and otherwise. However we cannot set up a permanent
trading activity to raise funds.
e. Anything else to
help us to achieve our purpose.
3. The Society
consists of Acting and Non-Acting Members and may also include Life Members. Life
Members are those who have rendered special services to the Society.
4. The Society is
managed by a Committee consisting of the following Honorary Officers:
President, Chairman, Treasurer and Secretary. It has another eleven Members of
the Society as Members.
Who
can be a member of Belper Musical Theatre?
5.
You can join Belper Musical Theatre if
you meet the following criteria:
a.
pay the annual membership fee
b.
undertake a successful audition of
singing, acting and dancing ability
Are
there any age limits to joining Belper Musical Theatre?
6.
Yes. You must be over 16 years old and
have completed year 11 of secondary education in order to perform with the
company.
NB.
If you have performed with Belper Junior Musical Theatre, then after you
audition you can join BMT for rehearsals in preparation for the first concert
that you are able to perform in. This may be whilst you are still in year 11.
Application for Membership
7. You need to let
us know if you want to become a Member of the Society. You can do this by
phone, email, letter or by talking to a Member of the Committee. If you want to
be an acting Member, then you will need to audition. If you want to be a
non-acting Member then you don’t need to audition.
Capabilities of candidates for Membership
8. Before you can
join as an acting Member, you need to satisfy the audition panel that you can
sing, dance or act to the required standards to meet our primary objects.
9. The audition
panel will approve applicants for Membership and will inform the Committee.
Expulsion of Members
10. The Committee can
suspend your Membership, or expel you from the Society. We will only do this
if:
f.
It is our opinion, confirmed by an Extraordinary General Meeting
of the Society, that you guilty by action of misusing the privileges of the Society
or bringing the Society into contempt or disrepute.
g. There is a
unanimous vote from the Committee that you have persistently neglected the work
undertaken by the Society.
h. There is a
unanimous vote from the Committee that your conduct is likely to endanger the
welfare of the Society, or
i.
You do not pay your Membership within 28 days of it becoming due.
Subscriptions
11. We will tell you
the Annual subscription and other Fees when we call the Annual General Meeting.
We can call a specific General Meeting to determine subscription and other Fees.
12. We will share the
fee schedule each year so that you know what you have to pay to be a Member of
the Society, or to participate in our works.
Payment of entrance Fees and Subscriptions
13. Your Annual subscription
fee is due before the Annual General Meeting, which will be held in May each
year. You must pay the fee to be able to enter the AGM.
Life Members
14. The Committee
will nominate and recommend Members to become Life Members. These will be
individuals who have rendered special services to the Society. Members of the Society
will decide at the AGM whether to elect them as Life Members.
Finance
15. The Society has
clear financial responsibilities to maintain its function
a. The funds of the Society
will only be used to meet the objects of the Society
b. We won’t pay any Members
of the Committee, directly or indirectly, for services to the Society
c. Members of the Society
can claim for expenses legitimately incurred in its work
d. We will tell you the
Fees we have paid to those involved in direction, production and choreography
of accounts in our Annual financial year summary.
Financial Year
16. The Financial
Year of the Society commences at the AGM and we will prepare an Annual profit
and loss account and balance sheet to share at the AGM.
Adjustment of Subscriptions
17. The Committee can
decide to refund part of the Annual subscription fee if you leave the
neighbourhood and resign your Membership. The Committee can also decide to
re-admit to the Society, without audition, any prior Members. You have to pay
the full Annual subscription fee to be readmitted.
Resignations
18. If you want to
resign, then you need to write to the Secretary stating this.
Non-payment of Subscriptions
19. The Committee can
suspend you if you have not paid your subscription after the 30 June in any
year. You are not able to rehearse or perform for the Society until your
subscription has been paid.
Annual General Meeting
20. The Society will
hold its Annual General Meeting in the month of May when:
a. The report of the
Committee and the accounts for the past year, duly audited, will be presented,
b. The officers,
other Members of the Committee and an auditor, for the ensuing year, and Life Members,
if any, will be elected, and
c. All general
business will be transacted.
Extraordinary General Meeting
21. The Committee can
call an Extraordinary General Meeting at any time.
a. A group of 12 Members
can request an EGM by writing to the secretary, explaining why this is wanted.
This will be held within 21 days of receiving this request.
b. The only business
at an EGM will be the issue stated as the reason for requesting the EGM.
Quorum at General Meetings
22. At least 30
percent of Members need to be present at a General Meeting for business to be
discussed. If there are not enough Members present, then the Meeting will be
formally adjourned. Nothing else will be discussed.
Resolution at General Meetings
23. Resolutions will
be decided by a majority of votes. If there is no majority then the Chairman of
the Committee has the casting vote.
Retirement of Officers and Committee
24. The Committee
(including Officers) and the Auditor will retire Annually but are eligible for
re-election. Any Member who wants to join the Committee, or to be an officer,
needs to tell the secretary in advance of the AGM. If more names are proposed
than the number required to fill the vacancies, and sufficient names are not
withdrawn at or before the Meeting, we will appoint a teller and the election shall
be by ballot.
25. If all the
positions are not filled at the AGM, or a vacancy occurs at a later date, the
positions will be filled by the remaining Members of the Committee of the Society
elected by ballot at an EGM convened for this purpose.
Notice of General Meeting
26. At least seven
days before the Annual, or other, General Meeting the Committee will send a
written notice to each Member. The notice of the AGM will be accompanied by the
Statement of Accounts for the past year and particulars of nominations for the Committee
(including the Officers) and Auditors and of any proposal to elect a Life Member.
This may be sent by email, handed out at rehearsals, or be delivered as a
letter.
Appointment of Sub-Committee
27. The Committee can
appoint Sub-Committees, to delegate to such sub-Committees all or any of its
powers and shall continue to hold office until the conclusion of the AGM at
which its successors are elected.
Selection of Cast
28. The selection Committee
will decide the cast for any production. At least five people will be on the
subCommittee with at least one of them being a Member of the Committee.
Revision of Cast
29. The Committee can
revise the cast from time to time, if any acting Member to whom a character has
been assigned proves unsuitable for the part.
Obligations of Acting Members
30. If you are
assigned a part then you will play the part to the best of your ability whether
principal or chorus. You will obey the directions given at all rehearsals and
performances.
Control of Rehearsal
31. The production
team is responsible for the control of all rehearsals
Attendance at Rehearsals and Performances
32. The Committee can
ban you from taking part in the performance of the work in preparation if your
attendance at rehearsals is irregular. If you absent yourself from three
consecutive rehearsals then the Committee can decide that you have resigned
your part in the work then in rehearsal.
Acting Members in excess of requirements
33. If at any time
the number of Members rehearsing a production exceeds the number of persons
required for the representation of the same, preference shall be given to the Members
who, by the regularity of their attendance sheet, have rendered themselves most
suitable.
Selection of Works
34. The Committee
will select the works to be produced by the Society.
Production Money
35. You must pay any
money you own in connection with the production and performance of any work,
within 21 days of being offered the part.
Production Account
36. The Committee
will make available a full statement of the receipts and expenses of each
production to Members within TWO calendar months after the final performance of
any work produced by the Society. If final figures are not known, then this
will be indicated on that statement.
Privileges of non-acting Members
37. The privileges of
Members other than acting Members except the right to attend and vote at General
Meetings of the Society shall be determined from time to time by the Committee.
Recovery of money due to the Society
38. All moneys that
you owe to the Society, including the Fees and Subscriptions, can be recovered
by taking you to court if we need to.
Meetings of the Committee
39. The secretary
will arrange the Committee Meetings
a. At least seven
Members have to be there to make it quorate
b. The Committee
will appoint a Vice Chairman at the first Committee Meeting
c. The secretary
will record who attends Committee Meetings. If a Committee Member misses three
consecutive Meetings, then the rest of the Committee can decide that Member
can’t apply to join the Committee in the following year.
Committee’s Powers
40. If Members have
any questions about these rules then, unless it has to be dealt with at a
General Meeting, the Committee can discuss and agree the answer. The Committee
can also make, and maintain and publish all necessary orders, regulations and
byelaws relating to Society Membership. The Chairman of any Committee Meeting
only has a casting vote.
Dissolution of the Society
41. The Society can
only be dissolved if at least five sixths of the Members present and voting at
a Special General Meeting called for the purpose of considering such
dissolution vote to dissolve it. If the Society is dissolved, then any cash
funds remaining after the realisation of assets and payments of debts shall not
be distributed among the Members of the Society but shall be applied for such
charitable purposes similar to those of the Society or be paid, distributed or
transferred to such charitable institution having objects similar to the
objects of the Society as the Committee, with consent of the Meeting, shall
determine.
Alteration to the Rules
42. These rules can
only be changed at a General Meeting. To do this you must have 21 days before
the Meeting to see the changes that are being proposed. You can suggest an
alternative change. If you do, then the Secretary will give 14 days notice of
the change. Two thirds of the Members present at the Meeting need to agree for
the change to take place.
a. Rules 2, 41 and 42
can only be changed if the Charity Commissioners for England and Wales or other
authority having charitable jurisdiction from time to time approve the
amendment.
We have tried to
write this version of the rules using Plain English so that they are easier to understand.
This does not change the intention of any of the original rules.
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