Telford and District Light Operatic Players

Affiliated to the National Operatic and Dramatic Association:  Registered Charity Number. 701613

 

 

RULES AND CONSTITUTION

Updated June 2007

 

 

TITLE

 

1.       The Society shall be called ‘Telford and District Light Operatic Players’

 

 

OBJECTS

 

2.            The object of the Society is to educate the public in the dramatic and operatic    arts, to further the development of public appreciation and taste in the said arts (to further assist such charitable institutions and charitable purposes as the committee shall from time to time determine); and the furtherance of this object but not otherwise the Society through its management committee shall have the following powers:

 

a)             To promote plays, drama, comedies, operas, operettas and other dramatic and operatic works of educational value.

b)            To purchase, acquire and obtain interests in the copyright of, or the right to perform or show any such dramatic or operatic works.

c)             To purchase or otherwise acquire plane, machinery, furniture, fixtures, fittings, scenery and all other necessary effects.

d)            To raise funds and invite and receive contributions from any person or persons whatsoever by way of subscriptions, donation and otherwise: providing that the Society shall not undertake any permanent trading activities in raising funds.

e)             To do all such other things as shall further the objects of the Society.

 

 

PRESIDENT.

 

3.            A President shall be elected on a yearly basis at the Annual General Meeting.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

MANAGEMENT

 

4.            The Officers of the Society shall be:

 

Chairperson

Vice Chairperson

Secretary

Treasurer

Membership Secretary

Business Manager

Publicity Manager

Ticket Secretary

         

Who each hold office in an honorary capacity.

 

5.       The Society shall be managed by a General Committee consisting of the Officers and four General Members.

 

6.       The Chairperson shall be entitled to vote in all instances, but in the event of an equality of votes, shall have the casting vote.

         

7.       At any meeting of the General Committee, five shall form a quorum.

 

8.            The General Committee shall have the power to:

 

a)      co-opt members where necessary

b)     To appoint sub committees with prescribed terms of reference. Any such sub committee would report back all acts and proceedings fully and promptly to the General Committee.

c)      Chairperson and Vice Chairperson shall be ex-officio members of all sub committees.

 

9.       The General Committee shall appoint a Production Director, a Musical Director and Choreographer, as necessary, who will serve on the General Committee in an advisory capacity.

 

10.        The General Committee shall meet at least six times per year and the Secretary shall notify all Officers and Members of the Committee of the time and place of such meetings.

 

ELIGIBILITY FOR MEMBERSHIP

 

11.    Membership shall be open to all those having sympathy with the objects of the Society and desiring actively to further it and to pay the entrance fee and annual subscription prescribed by the rules.

 

12.    Applications for Acting and Non-Acting membership from persons not less than fifteen years shall be made in writing, signed by the applicant, to the Secretary, who shall submit the same to the committee for its decision. The Committee shall not withhold membership except where there is good and sufficient reason.

13.        Prior to elections all candidates for acting membership shall satisfy the committee as to their historic and/or musical ability.

 

14.        Life Members may, on the nomination of the General Committee, be elected at an Annual General Meeting.

 

15a   Any member of the Society who, in the opinion of the committee confirmed by an Extraordinary General Meeting of the Society, shall be guilty of misusing the privileges of the Society or of otherwise bringing the Society into disrepute, may be suspended or expelled from the Society.

 

15b   The Committee may, by a unanimous vote, remove from the list of members the name of any Acting Member who has persistently neglected the work undertaken by the Society and the name of any member whose conduct they consider to endanger the welfare of the Society.

 

15c   Any member so suspended, expelled or removed, has the right to be heard before a decision is made.

 

SUBSCRIPTIONS

 

16.    The annual subscription to the Society shall be decided at the Annual General Meeting.

 

17a   Subscriptions shall become due on 1st January annually. Members who have not paid their subscription by 31st January of the current year shall automatically be deemed to have lapsed their membership.

 

17b   Members who join the Society between 1st July and 31st December in any given year shall pay 50% of the annual subscription.

 

18.     No member may address a general Meeting or take part in the Annual productions unless his or her Subscription has been paid, except by invitation of the General Committee.

 

PRODUCTIONS AND CASTING

 

19.     The General Committee shall decide the work to be performed by the Society prior to the performance of the Next Production. A selection of suitable shows should be presented to the General Committee by a sub committee appointed for that purpose. Members will be invited to submit names of shows for consideration.

 

20.     The cast of any production shall be chosen by audition by the Director, Musical Director, Choreographer and the independent person who shall be appointed by the General Committee. None of the casting committee shall audition for any principal role in the production being auditioned, except when a concert production is taking place, and any member of the auditioning panel wishes to perform solo and duet work which will not involve any other members of the cast. In the event of an equality of votes, the Director shall have the casting vote. Whenever possible understudies will be cast for principal roles.

21.     Those members of the society wishing to audition shall notify the Secretary in writing. The decision of the auditioning committee shall be made known by the candidates in writing prior to general publication.

 

22.     The Musical Director shall conduct and control all music rehearsals but the Production Director shall take control from the time the production goes on the floor.

 

23.        Young persons under Fifteen years of age may take part in productions by special invitation and arrangement, but will not become members of the society or be liable for payment of any subscription.

 

24.        A record of attendance at rehearsals shall be kept. The General Committee shall have the authority to prohibit any member, whose attendance at rehearsals has been irregular from taking part in the performance of the work in preparation.

 

 

SCORES AND LIBRETTI

 

25.        Participating members of a production will be responsible for meeting the cost of their own libretti and scores, with the following exceptions: Production Director, Musical Director, Stage Director, Choreographer, and the Wardrobe Mistress. Copies as required.

 

 

ACCOUNTS

 

26.        The examined Annual Statement of financial account shall be presented at the Annual General Meeting to be held in May of each year. The financial year of the Players shall be from 1st January to 31st December.

 

27.    All monies due from Members in conjunction with the production and performance of any work shall be accounted for, and paid to the treasurer, within 14 days after the conclusion of the final performance.

 

28.    Within 2 calendar months of the final performance of any work produced by the Society, a full statement of the receipts and expenses of such production shall be prepared and published.

 

29.    Members taking tickets for productions are responsible for payment if not returned to the Ticket Secretary by the specified date on the Ticket Order form.

 

30.        The Society shall take out all relevant insurance cover.

 

31.    Any two from the Chairperson, Vice-Chairperson, Treasurer, and Secretary be authorised to sign cheques on behalf of the Society. All cheques to be signed by two of the Officers.

 

 

 

 

MEETINGS

 

32.    The Annual General Meeting of the Society shall be held during May, after the end of the financial year when the report of the General Committee and the accounts for the past year, duly examined, shall be presented; an examiner appointed; and any other business of which the Secretary has received Fourteen days notice in writing.

 

33.    The President and all Officers and Members of the General Committee shall retire annually, but shall be eligible for re-election. The President, Officers and Members of the General Committee shall be subject to election at the Annual General Meeting by written ballot. The nominees for Chairperson of the General Committee must have served on the Committee for a minimum term of twelve months (not necessarily the preceding twelve months). Nominees shall be notified to the Secretary in writing seven days before the Annual general Meeting, together with an indication of the Proposer and Seconder of that nomination. Only members over the age of eighteen shall be allowed to vote and serve on committees.

 

34.    An Extraordinary General Meeting of the Society may be called at the discretion of the General Committee or shall be called within twenty-one days after the receipt by the Secretary of a requisition in writing to that effect signed by at least twelve members. Every such requisition shall specify the business with which the meeting is to be concerned and no other business shall be transacted at such meeting.

 

35.        Unless otherwise provided by these rules, all resolutions brought forward at a General Meeting shall be decided by a majority of votes properly recorded at such Meeting.

 

36.    A printed notice of every General Meeting and Annual General Meeting shall be sent to each member at least 14 days prior to the date fixed for such meeting.

 

37.        At any General Meeting, a quorum shall be one third of the members qualified to vote.

 

38a   No alteration of these rules shall be made except at a General Meeting, nor unless twenty one days prior to such meeting a written notice of the proposed alteration, or of one substantially to the like effect, shall have been given to the Secretary who shall give fourteen days notice thereof to the Members and the resolution embodying such proposed alteration shall be carried by a majority of at least two-thirds of the votes and recorded thereon at the meeting.

 

38b.  No alteration of these rules shall be made which would result in the Society ceasing to be established for exclusively charitable purposes.

 

38c.  No alteration may be made to rules 2, 38 and 39 without the approval of the Charity Commissioners for England and Wales or other authority having charitable jurisdiction from time to time.

 

 

DISSOLUTION OF THE SOCIETY

 

39.        The Society shall only be dissolved by resolution passed by a majority of at least five-sixths of the Members present and voting at a Special General Meeting called for the purpose of considering such dissolution. In the event of dissolution any balance of cash remaining in hand 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 institutions of institution which have objects similar to the objects of the Society as the Committee with the consent of the meeting shall determine.

 

SOCIAL COMMITTEE

 

40.        This should be appointed at the Annual general Meeting and comprise of a Social Chairperson and four other members with powers to co-opt. They should meet at least twice a year. The Treasurer shall be a member of this committee. All decisions of the Social Committee shall be dependent upon approval by the General Committee.

 

 

INDIVIDUAL LIABILITY

 

41.    If any Member incurs any liability, with the prior consent of the Committee or a General Meeting on behalf of the Society he or she shall be reimbursed out of the Society’s funds, but if these shall be insufficient then by the Members generally equally between them.