GUILDFORD PHILHARMONIC CHOIR
Registered as a Charity No. 1026337
DRAFT 9 JUNE 1999
CONSTITUTION
.
TITLE
[
] The name of the Charity shall be the Guildford Philharmonic Choir (“the Choir”).
. OBJECTS
To advance public education and appreciation of choral music in all its aspects in particular by the presentation
of public concerts and by other such means as the Committee of the Choir shall determine. [
]
. MEMBERSHIP
The membership of the Choir shall be those who are aged 18 years and over, who pay the annual subscription at
the appropriate rate or rates as determined by the Committee, all such subscriptions being payable in
advance, and (in the case of performing members) who provide such evidence of musical ability as the
Chorus Master shall require.
. PRESIDENT AND VICE-PRESIDENT
The Choir may at an Annual or Special General Meeting appoint a President and may also appoint a VicePresident. Appointment shall be for an initial period of five years. A President or Vice-President shall be
eligible for reappointment for similar or lesser periods thereafter.
. COMMITTEE
The management of the Choir shall be in the hands of a Committee consisting of four officers (a Chairman, an
Honorary Secretary, an Honorary Treasurer and an Honorary Membership Secretary ) and not more than eight
nor less than four additional members. The Committee shall be elected out of the members of the Choir at the
Annual General Meeting.
. The officers shall be elected to a specificoffice, shall hold that office for one year and shall be eligible for
reelection provided that a Chairman shall not“normally hold that office for more than five years. In the event of
acasual vacancy occurring in any office during the year the Committee shall appoint a member of the Choir to
act in that capacity until the next Annual General Meeting.
The four officers for the time being of the Choir shall be the trustees of the charity.
. Additional members shall hold office for one year and be eligible for reelection [ ].
The Committee may co-opt, for specific tasks and until the next Annual General Meeting, not more than
three other members of the Choir.
.
The Committee shall appoint a representative of each voice part to work with and assist the Honorary
Membership Secretary
. The Committee at its first meeting after the Annual General Meeting or as soon thereafter as possible
shall appoint one of its number to be Vice-Chairman of the Choir.
. CHORUS MASTER AND ACCOMPANIST
The Choir at each Annual General Meeting shall appoint a Chorus Master for the ensuing year and, on
the recommendation of the Chorus Master, shall appoint an Accompanist for the ensuing year. Neither the
Chorus Master nor the Accompanist shall be a member of the Choir but the Chorus Master shall be a nonvoting member of the Committee.
MANAGEMENT
The management of the Choir and the control of its finances shall be in the hands of the Committee. Minutes
of all Committee and General meetings shall be kept by the Honorary Secretary. [ _ ].
FINANCE
The financial year shall end on April 30".
. Acurrent banking account shall be held in the name of the Choir and be managed by the Honorary
Treasurer Cheques on that account shall be signed by any two of the officers. The Honorary Treasurer shall
also maintain in the name of the Choir such other accounts as the Committee may from time to time
decide.
The Choir may receive donations, grants in aid and financial guarantees.
- Tickets for all its concerts and other choral events shall be offered for sale to the public.
The income and property of the Choir shall be applied solely towards promoting the objects of the Choir as set
forth above and no portion thereof shall be paid or transferred either directly or indirectly to any member or
members of the Choir except in payment of legitimate expenses incurred on behalf of the Choir.
ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING
Within thirteen weeks of the end of each financial year an Annual General Meeting shall be held of which at
least fourteen days notice in writing shall have been given to each member of the Choir of the business to
be conducted at that meeting. The business shall include the consideration of the Annual Report and
Accounts of the Choir, the election of the Committee for the ensuing year and the appointment of an
Independent Examiner.
10. SPECIAL GENERAL MEETING
The Committee may call a special general meeting of the Choir at any time. If at any time ten members of
the Choir request such a meeting in writing stating the business to be considered the Committee shall call
such a meeting. At least fourteen days notice of any special general meetingstating the business to be
discussed shall be given to all members of the Choir.
ik
ACCOUNTS
The Committee shall comply with its obligations under the Charities Act 1993 with regard to :
(a) the keeping of accounting records for the Choir;
(b) the preparation of annual statements of account for the Choir;
(c) the independent examination of the statements of accounts of the Choir; and
(d) the transmission of the statements of account of the Choir to the Commissioners.
12. DISSOLUTION
In the event of the Choir being wound up any assets remaining upon dissolution after payment of proper debts
and liabilities shall be transferred to a charitable institution or institutions having similar objects to those of the
Choir.
13. AMENDMENTS
[
] This Constitution may be amended by a two-thirds majority of members present and voting at an Annual
or Special General Meeting provided that at least fourteen days notice of the meeting and of the proposed
amendments has been sent to all members and provided that nothing therein contained shall authorise any
amendment which shall have the effect of the Choir ceasing to be a charity.
=
Constitution adopted on 26 April 1993: Clauses 5 and 10 amended on 3 June 1996: Clauses 5 and 9 amended on
11 May 1998: Clause 5b amended on 17 May 1999.
GUILDFORD PHILHARMONIC CHOIR
Registered as a Charity No. 1026337
President: Sir David Willcocks, CBE, MC.
Chorus Master: Jeremy Backhouse
Accompanist: Jeremy Filsell
Chairman: ohn Trigg, 13 Vicarage Gate, Onslow Village, Guildford, GU2 5Q). Sl: 01483 823084
Secretary: Stephen epson, Clereholt, Felday Glade, Holmbury St Mary, Dorking, Surrey, RH5 6PG. Tel. 01306 730383
heasurer: Bob Cowell, 1 Penhurst, Shores Koad, Woking, Surrey, GUY21 4AP. Tel. 01483 770896
Membership Sec: Noreen Ayton, 51
Garrick Close, Hersham, Walton on Thames, Surrey, K12 5VZ. Tel: 01932 221918
July 15" 1999
CONSTITUTION
Revised wording of Clause 12 (the additional words are in bold below)
12. Dissolution
If the Committee decides that it is necessary or desirable to dissolve the Choir it shall call a
Special General Meeting. A decision to dissolve the Choir shall require the approval of two-thirds
of the members present and voting at the Meeting. In the event of the Choir being wound up any
assets remaining upon dissolution after payment of proper debts and liabilities shall be transferred to a
charitable institution or institutions having similar objects to those of the Choir.
The above amendment/wording applies to the “DRAFT 9 JUNE 1999” version as circulated at the AGM.
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