Constitution
Adopted at the Society’s AGM on 1 October 2006; amended
at
AGM 9 August 2015. Second revision
agreed at AGM 12 August 2018.Third
revision agreed at AGM 15 August 2020.
- Name
The name of the society shall be the "Unitarian Music Society" (UMS)
hereafter referred to as "the Society".
- Aims
The aims of the Society shall be:
- to provide a focus for all Unitarians interested in music,
particularly its role in Unitarian worship.
- to provide music education in the widest sense.
- Membership
Individual Membership is open to all on the basis of payment of an
annual subscription, rates to be decided at the AGM. Church Membership
is open to all Unitarian and Free Christian congregations and
fellowships on the payment of an annual donation (also to be
determined at the AGM) and nomination of a named contact person.
Membership will be deemed to have lapsed if the member’s annual
subscription is not paid within six
months of the end of the previous accounting year.
- The Committee
The Committee shall be composed of three Officers - Chairman,
Secretary, Treasurer, and up to eight other Committee Members, all of
whom must be members of the Society. The Officers and other Committee
Members are appointed on an annual basis through election at the AGM.
Existing Committee Members may stand for re-election.
Nominations for Officers or other Committee Members may be made to the
Secretary at any stage prior to the election process.
At any point during the year, the Committee may co-opt additional
committee members to assist in carrying out its responsibilities
Conference Organisation shall be undertaken by a subgroup of Committee
and other ordinary members with a named Convenor formed within 1 month
of the AGM, and with the approval of the Committee as a whole.
- Responsibilities of the Committee:
- The Chairman shall oversee the general running of the Society
and chair the AGM and any other meetings.
- The Secretary shall maintain up-to-date lists of membership,
deal with correspondence on behalf of the Society and provide
information to members regarding meetings and subsequently make
available minutes of those meetings.
- The Treasurer shall manage the Society's finances and provide
independently examined annual accounts for the AGM. The Society's
financial year shall be from 1st
July to 30th June.
- The Conference Organiser subgroup shall arrange an annual
conference for members at which the AGM shall take place.
- The Committee shall, either as a group or by appointing an
individual, be responsible for production of the Society's
newsletter.
- Members of the Committee shall assist the Officers in helping
the Society fulfil its aims on behalf of its members.
- The President
The Society may invite an appropriate person to become President of
the Society, an honorary role involving support for the work of the
Society as the incumbent considers appropriate. The position shall
normally be held for an unspecified length of time, any cessation
being at the discretion of the role-holder or the Society's
membership.
- Decision making
Key decisions (beyond those made by the Committee in the day-to-day
running of the Society) shall be made at the AGM or any Extraordinary
General Meeting convened for such a purpose. Members are to be
notified of such meetings at least two weeks in advance.
Election of officers, approval of accounts and any other issues which
require a decision by the Society (apart from those specially provided
for later in this document), shall be decided on the basis of a simple
majority of those present by a show of hands, except that a ballot
shall be held instead if there is any such request from the
membership. In the event of a tie, the Chairman shall have a casting
vote.
Decisions to change the constitution or to wind up the Society require
a 2/3rd majority of those present.
Meetings shall be quorate if at least 20 individual members (or 20% of
the membership, if less) are in attendance.
- Dissolution
If, as provided for above, the Society's membership decides to wind up
the Society, any residual funds and assets shall be transferred to the
General Assembly of Unitarian and Free Christian Churches.