1. The Society shall be called the Ottery St Mary Choral Society.
2. The objects of the Society shall be to give the enjoyment of music-making and the public performance of choral works from time to time in the Ottery St Mary district or on special occasions elsewhere
3. (a) The Society shall consist of ordinary members and in special cases Honorary Life Members and shall be open to anyone over the age of twelve years who enjoys singing and who is prepared to attend rehearsals regularly.
(b) The upper age limit for membership will be eighty years but the Committee shall have discretion to vary this limit in individual cases.
4. Normally the active seasons of the Society shall be from September to December and January to April with rehearsals once a week and a concert at the end of each season.
5. (a) The Officers of the Society shall consist of a Chairman, Vice Chairman, Secretary, Concert Secretary, Membership Secretary, Treasurer, Musical Director and Librarian, and one representative each from Sopranos, Altos, Tenors and Basses (provided that one or more of these offices may be held by a single individual) which Officers shall together
constitute the Committee and shall manage the Society.
(b) The Committee (except the Musical Director) shall be elected at the Annual General Meeting in each year and each Officer shall, unless his term of office is determined earlier by resignation or otherwise, remain in office until his successor be elected or he is re-elected at the Annual General Meeting next following his election.
(c) The Officers shall have power to fill any vacancy on the Committee that may occur and shall have power to co-opt any other members as required for special purposes.
(d) The retiring officers shall be eligible for re-election and any officer who does not wish to be available for re-election shall inform the Secretary in writing one month before the Annual General Meeting.
(e) The Musical Director shall be appointed by the Society in General Meeting and shall continue in office until his appointment is terminated likewise or until he resigns.
6. The Annual Subscription for members of the Society shall be such sum as shall be decided by the Society in General Meeting payable in two instalments at the beginning of the Autumn and Spring seasons. Membership shall be free for persons who are under eighteen years old and receiving full time education.
7. (a) The Society’s finances shall be controlled by the Committee.
(b) The Society’s funds shall be kept in a bank account or accounts, withdrawals from which shall be made only over the signatures of two officers.
(c) The officers who may so authorise withdrawals and sign cheques shall be selected by the Committee.
(d) The income and property of the Society whencesoever derived shall be applied solely towards promoting the objects of the Society, and no portion thereof shall be paid
or transferred either directly or indirectly to any member or members of the Society except in payment of legitimate expenses incurred on behalf of the Society.
(e) Dissolution: In the event of the Society being wound up, any assets remaining upon dissolution after the payment of proper debts and liabilities shall be transferred to a charitable institution or institutions having similar objects to the Society.
8. (a) The Society may appoint an Honorary President and in special cases Honorary Life Members.
(b) Appointment of persons to the Honorary Presidency or Life Membership shall be for the purpose of conferring honour or distinction on the persons concerned.
(c) An Honorary President shall not (unless he is also a member of the Society) be entitled to participate in the Society’s activities nor shall he be a member of the
Committee nor may he vote at a General Meeting, but he may be invited by the to preside at General Meetings of the Society.
(d) Honorary Life Members of the Society shall be regarded in all respects as members of the Society but shall not be obliged to pay any subscription.
9. (1) An Annual General Meeting of the Society shall be held in every year not later than the end of July to transact the following business:
(a) To receive and, if approved, to adopt a statement of the Society’s accounts to the end of the previous year
(b) To elect the officers and other members of the Committee.
(c) To receive a report from the Musical Director and his proposals for the forthcoming year’s performances.
(d) To deal with any other special matter which the Committee desires to bring before the members and to receive suggestions from the members for consideration by the Committee provided that the General Meeting shall not be required to consider any such matter or suggestion that is not notified to the Secretary in writing at least seven days before the Annual General Meeting.
9. (2) Notice Convening the Annual General Meeting and an Agenda shall be given to the members not less than 14 days before the meeting. All members shall be deemed to have
received such Notice and Agenda if a copy of the same is offered to all members singing in the Spring Concert and a notice of the Annual General meeting stating its time and
place and the person from whom copies of the Notice and agenda are available is inserted in a newspaper circulating
in Ottery St Mary.
10. (1) A Special General Meeting may be convened at any time by the Committee (and shall be so convened within 28 days from the receipt of a requisition in writing signed by not less than five members specifying the object of the meeting) for any of the following purposes:
(a) to consider and, if appropriate, approve alterations to this Constitution.
(b) to remove any member or members of the Committee from office.
(c) to elect officers to fill any vacancy.
(d) to deal with any other special matter which the Committee may desire to place before the members or for which the meeting was requisitioned as aforesaid
10 (2) Notice convening a Special General Meeting and an Agenda shall be given to the members not less than 14 days before the meeting. All members shall be deemed to have received such Notice and Agenda if copies of the same are made available to all members attending a weekly practice and a notice of the Special General meeting stating its time and place and the person from whom copies of the Notice and Agenda are available is inserted in a newspaper circulating in Ottery St Mary.
11. The Society’s Constitution shall be adopted and may be amended by a two-thirds majority of the members present and voting at a properly convened General Meeting.
12. The Chairman (or at his absolute discretion the Honorary President or such member of the Society as he shall nominate) shall preside at General Meetings and at such meetings the Chairman or his nominated substitute shall have a casting vote in the event of a tie.
13. A quorum shall be:
(a) at a Committee Meeting, four officers and
(b) at a General Meeting, one quarter of the members who have paid their subscriptions for the current season.
14. In this Constitution the masculine shall include the feminine and the plural the singular unless a contrary intention is expressed.
Amended June 2017 : Month in Clause 9(1) changed from‘ June’ to’ July’
Amended September 1999: Addition of Clauses 7(d) and 7(e)to comply with the requirements of National Federation of Music Societies