RULES AND CONSTITUTION

The Choir

1. The name of this choir shall be “The Shrewsbury Young Performers’ Choir” hereinafter called SYPC.

2. It shall be non-political and non-sectarian.

Objects                                                                   

            3a. The object of the choir shall be the study and practice of choral music in order to foster public knowledge of such music by means of public performance.

            3b. To assist and support such charitable institutions or purposes as the committee shall from time to time determine.

Officers

            4a. The officers committee are the persons having general control and management of the SYPC in its role as a registered charity, and are its charity trustees. The committee shall consist of the following:

                        Chairperson

                        General Secretary

                        Treasurer

                        Making Music Representative

                        Librarian

                        Music Director ex-officio

                        Accompanist ex-officio

                        Choreographer ex-officio

                        Business Adviser ex-officio

            Ex-officio members are to be invited to meetings but without voting rights.

            4b. Officers shall be elected annually to serve for a period of one year.

            4c. The Chairperson may serve for a maximum period of four years at any one time.

            4d. The officers of the SYPC shall have the power to co-opt members who shall become members of the officers’ committee. They shall have full voting rights and be fully responsible charity trustees. The officers shall have the power to appoint working parties to carry out specific short term tasks and functions. Such appointees shall normally report to the officers committee who may make decisions on their findings. The officers’ committee will not be bound to accept any recommendations or findings made by such individuals or groups.

            4e. The committee shall meet once a quarter or in the event of any special business.

Honorary President and Patrons

            5a. The officers shall recommend candidates for the roles of Honorary President and Patrons. These appointments shall be confirmed at a general meeting.

            5b. The office of Honorary President shall be confirmed annually at the AGM.

            5c. Honorary Patrons shall be elected for life at a general meeting.

            5d. The Honorary President and Honorary Patrons may be invited to attend officers’ meetings in a non-voting capacity.

Membership

            6a. Membership of the choir is open to young people between the ages of 4 and 18.

            6b. The Infant section is open entry to those aged between 4 and 7 years old

            6c. The Junior choir is open to children aged 7 to 10 years. Entry may be granted to members of the infant section on the grounds of continual assessment, or to new applicants subject to an observation period of 2-3 weeks.

            6d. The Chorus membership is open to young people aged between 10 and 18 years old, and is subject to audition and continued membership is subject to periodic voice check. Audition frequency will be determined by performance and other commitments.

            6e. Former members wishing to rejoin shall make application to the Music Director.

            6f. The upper age limit of a group is the oldest at which one may join the group, not exist within it.

            6g. Every effort will be made to integrate talented children.

            7a. This choir is a safe place to make mistakes, this is how we learn. No-one will tolerate anti-social or unkind behaviour to another member. All members will be issued a current CHORISTER HANDBOOK, which will be updated annually to fit current choir needs.

            7b. Any breaches of discipline shall follow this prescribed process subject to severity and frequency of offence:

·        Discussion with child

·        Discussion with child and parent

·        Every attempt will be made to avoid exclusion or suspension.

Finance

            8. The membership subscription rate shall be determined at the AGM.

            9. The financial year of the choir shall terminate on 30^th April. The financial position shall be reviewed quarterly by the committee.

            10. The books of the account shall be independently examined after the end of the financial year, before the date of the AGM.

            11. The independent examiner shall be appointed at the AGM each year.

            12. Reasonable out of pocket expenses incurred by members on authorised business of the choir will be reimbursed at the discretion of the committee. An additional allowance will be made for the Music Director, Accompanist, Choreographer and Business Adviser’s fees.

Music

            13. All music is property of SYPC and must not be sold or loaned without sanction from the committee. No music may be borrowed by a member for any purpose without permission from the Librarian.

            14. The choice of music shall be in the hands of the Music Director.

            15. Program selection for concerts shall be in the hands of the Musical Director.

            16. Further notes about the care and use of music will be found in the CHORISTER HANDBOOK.

General

            17. A special general meeting may be called with 14 days notice at the request of at least 3 voting members.

            18. The rules of the choir shall only be altered at the AGM or a special general meeting duly called; no alteration shall be made to the rules that would cause the choir at any time to cease to be a charity at law, and no alteration shall be made to Rule 3, Rule 19 or this rule without the prior written approval of the Charity Commission.

            19. If, upon the winding up or dissolution of the choir, there remains any property whatsoever after the satisfaction of all debts and liabilities, the same shall not be distributed among the members of the choir, but shall be given or transferred to some charitable institution or institutions having objects similar to the objects of the choir, to be determined by the members of the choir at or before the time of dissolution and in so far as effect cannot be given to such provision then to some charitable object.

            20. A copy of these rules shall be given to each member or respective parent/guardian, if under 18.

Amended Saturday May 15^th,2004