Melksham Music and Drama Constitution
1. Name
The name of the Non-profit Society shall be Melksham Music and Drama (MMAD)
2. Aims and Objectives
2.1. Promoting Wellbeing: The primary aim of MMAD is to enhance the overall well-being of the community members by providing a creative outlet through drama and theatrical activities. We aim to create a supportive and inclusive environment where individuals can express themselves, boost their confidence, and improve their mental and emotional health.
2.2 Fostering Interest in Amateur Productions: We strive to ignite and nurture a passion for amateur productions within the local community. By organising high-quality and engaging theatrical performances, workshops, and events, we aim to inspire individuals to participate in and appreciate the art of drama.
2.3 Community Engagement: MMAD is committed to active engagement with the local community. We aim to collaborate with our community to involve diverse groups of people in our activities. Through partnerships, we aim to reach out to individuals who might not otherwise have access to theatrical experiences and support our local community to thrive.
2.4. The societies specific objectives shall be:
2.4.1. To put on a variety of shows every year.
2.4.2. To hold social events throughout the year for all the society to attend.
3. Membership
The Society shall consist of Members as defined by one of the following classes: –
3.1 Full Members over 18 years, who upon payment of the Annual Membership Fee shall be entitled to the privileges of membership and shall be eligible to audition for the cast of any Production.
3.2 Probational member over 17 years, who upon payment of the discounted Annual Membership Fee shall be entitled to the privileges of membership and shall be eligible to audition for the cast of any Production. After completing 2 shows they will be invited to come Full members.
3.3 Junior Members aged between 14-17 at the date of the first performance of a Production who upon payment of an Annual Membership Fee, agreed by the committee, shall be eligible to take part in the cast of suitable Productions.
3.4 Temporary Members such as technical crew, wardrobe team, and administrative etc. aiding the Society in any capacity, are enrolled as a member for the duration of the current show. Temporary Members are not eligible to audition for the cast of any Production and will not be required to pay rehearsal fees.
3.5 Honorary Members. Members other than Members in the previous classes of membership, who give assistance to the Society, may be offered Honorary Membership at the discretion of the Committee. Honorary Members are not eligible to audition for the cast of any Production and will not be required to pay the Annual Membership Fee.
4. Eligibility for Membership
Membership shall be given if the following conditions are met:
4.1 All prospective members agree to a probation period of two shows within a year. New applicants will be required to pay an application fee which is half the charge for membership. An application form must be completed by all applicants.
4.2 At the end of the probation period the applicant’s application will be considered by the Committee and they may be offered full membership. At this time the balance of the membership fee will be due (this is the full membership price less the application fee). Rehearsal fees will be due from the time of application.
4.3 Full Members, being those approved, are eligible to take part in productions or take part in the activities of the society.
4.4 Application forms for those persons under 16 must be completed in the presence of a committee member by a parent/guardian/carer.
4.5 There shall be a minimum age of 14 years. Or any other age at the discretion of the Committee & Show Directors. If persons of a younger age are required for a specific show, e.g. Panto, they can then be invited to participate without being offered full membership.
4.6 All persons taking part in the Pantomime on a temporary basis should complete an application form and if they are under 16 years of age, this should be completed and signed by a parent /guardian or carer. The parent/guardian/carer must take full responsibility for that person for the duration of the show, including all rehearsals and other associated events.
5. Annual Membership Fee and Performance Fee
The amount of the Annual Membership Fee shall be determined at each year’s Annual General Meeting for the following year. Rehearsal fee shall also be payable by all Performing Members in addition to the Annual Membership Fee. The Rehearsal Fee shall be as determined for each show by the Committee and Director. Those helping backstage are not required to pay rehearsal fees.
6. Payment of Annual Membership Fees and Performance Fees
The first Annual Membership Fee shall become due upon successful application to join the Society and before undertaking an audition for any ensuing Production. All subsequent Annual Membership Fees shall become due 2 weeks before the date of that year’s AGM.
Payment of the Annual Membership Fee is deemed to enlist that person to the Membership List for the duration of the current membership year.
All Members taking part in any Production shall be required to pay the rehearsal Fee, which shall become due after the successful cast has been announced and paid in full no later than one month after the first rehearsal. Those helping backstage are not required to pay rehearsal fees as they are not required for all rehearsals.
7. Non-payment of Annual Membership Fees
Any Member whose Annual Membership Fee remains unpaid after 30th April in any year shall be deemed to have resigned from the Society.
8. Expulsion of Members
The Committee may by a unanimous vote remove from the Membership List the name of any Member who has persistently neglected the work undertaken by the Society or whose conduct it considers likely to endanger the welfare of the Society. The individual shall have the right to be heard by the Committee, accompanied by a friend, before a final decision is made.
9. Committee
The Society shall be managed by a Committee of fully paid members, elected at the Annual General Meeting (AGM) consisting of the following Officers: Chairman, Treasurer, Secretary, Membership Secretary, and five ordinary members.
Chairperson
- Responsible for overseeing the affairs of the Society and chairing meetings.
Treasurer
- Keeping proper accounts of the finances of the Society.
- Presenting a statement of the accounts for the previous financial year at the Annual General Meeting.
- Maintaining appropriate banking accounts in the name of the Society.
Secretary
- Keeping and presenting minutes of all meetings. The Secretary is required to make the minutes available for inspection by members on reasonable notice.
- Collation and circulation of agendas.
- Management of correspondence and communication with other organisations.
- Communicating with the membership.
Membership Secretary
- Maintaining an accurate list of members’ names, addresses, and other contact details as necessary.
- Collation of annual subscription and
- Regularly providing the Treasurer with up-to-date membership details.
- Secure storage of documents under GDPR.
The Committee reserves the right to delegate any of the above responsibilities wherever it is deemed necessary, however the Committee shall remain responsible for ensuring that these activities are in accordance with the constitution.
No member of the Committee shall acquire any interest in property belonging to the Society or receive remuneration or be interested (other than as a Melksham Music and Drama member of the Committee) in any contract entered into by the Committee.
A member of the Committee shall cease to hold office if they:
9.1 are absent without the permission of the Committee from all meetings held within a period of three months; or
9.2 does not actively contribute to the operation of the Society; or
9.3 notifies the Committee of a wish to resign (but only if at least four members of the Committee will remain in office when the notice of resignation is to take effect).
10. Meetings of Committee
The Committee shall hold at least ten ordinary meetings a year. A special meeting may be called at any time by the Chairman or by any two members of the Committee upon no less than four days’ notice being given to the other members of the Committee of the matters to be discussed.
The Chairman shall chair meetings of the Committee. If the Chairman is absent from any meeting, the members of the Committee shall decide which of those in attendance shall chair the meeting before any other business is transacted.
There shall be a quorum when at least four members of the Committee are present at a meeting. Where deemed appropriate by the Chairman, matters may be determined by a majority of votes of the members of the Committee (including co-opted members) present. In the case of equality of votes the Chairman of the meeting shall have a second or casting vote.
The Committee shall keep minutes of the proceedings of meeting of the Committee and any sub-committee. Salient notices will be conveyed to the Membership via social media.
The Committee may from time-to-time make and alter rules/ policies for the conduct of their business, the timing and conduct of their meetings and for the storage of documents. No rule may be made which is inconsistent with this Constitution.
11. Committee’s Powers
The Committee shall have the power to decide any questions arising out of the Constitution and all other matters connected with the Society (other than and except those which can be dealt with only by the Society in AGMs) and make, maintain, and publish all necessary orders regulations and bye-laws in connection therewith.
The Committee may appoint a Social Secretary, Health and safety administrator, Sales and Marketing Manager, Backstage Representative, Wardrobe Administrator, Communications Officer or any other role whose work would facilitate the smooth running of the Society’s affairs. Such Officers of the Society may or may not be members of the elected Committee.
The Committee may appoint one or more sub-committees to make any inquiry or supervise or perform any function or duty which in the opinion of the Committee would be more conveniently undertaken or carried out by a sub-committee: provided that all acts and proceedings of any such sub-committees shall be fully and promptly reported to the Committee.
The Committee shall arrange the Society’s future programme, based on general guidance given by Members at a General Meeting.
Where necessary, the Committee shall carry out the general management of the Society.
The Director shall be an ex-officio member of the Committee and invited to attend meetings when the Production is to be discussed unless they are already an elected member of the Committee in their own right. The Director must attend at least part of the committee meeting unless there are exceptional circumstances that the committee has been notified of. The director may nominate an appointed person to attend the committee meeting in their absence to answer any queries.
12. Finance
The Society is established as a nonprofit entity with the primary goal of serving the community, focusing on promoting and supporting theatrical arts and culture.
The funds of the Society shall be applied solely in furthering the purpose of the Society.
The funds of the Society, including all Members’ fees, donations, box office income and bequests, shall be paid into an account operated by the Committee in the name of the Society at such bank as the Committee shall from time-to-time decide. All payments drawn on the account must be signed or authorised by at least two members of the Committee.
(a)All expenditures made by the MMAD shall be documented through receipts or invoices.
(b) Receipts or invoices shall include, at a minimum, the following information:
i. Date of the transaction
ii. Official record of vendor or seller name and location
iii. Description of the goods or services purchased.
iv. Amount paid.
(c) All receipts and invoices shall be retained by the MMAD for a minimum period of 5 years from the date of the transaction.
No Member of the Society shall receive payment directly or indirectly for services to the Society other than for legitimate expenses e.g., travel costs incurred in its work and/or unless the Committee shall in its absolute discretion agree on reasonable payment for services to the Society which may include, but shall not be limited to, Musicians etc. Payments for any goods will only be made following a receipt or invoice received, for example mileage receipt.
Reimbursement may be supplied through BACs transfer or Cash, within 10 working days of receipt or invoice received. Funds may be allocated in advance for a show to the Director; however, the Director must maintain accountability for any such funds by providing receipts for all expenditures. The Director will also be accountable for any deficits that may arise.
No reimbursable expenditure shall be incurred by any Member of the Society without the express agreement of the relevant budget holder and all accounts shall be sanctioned by the Committee.
All expenses in connection with a Production shall be submitted for payment within 10 working days after the final performance. Within two calendar months after the final performance of any Production, the Treasurer shall prepare a full statement of the receipts and expenses of each Production and the same shall be open for the inspection of Members at such time and place as the Committee shall decide.
The financial transactions of the Society shall be recorded in the proper set of Books and such Books shall be open for inspection by the Members at the Annual General Meeting of the Society and operated upon by such Officers as the Committee shall direct.
The financial records, including receipts and invoices, of the MMAD society shall be subject to periodic audits.
(a) Audits shall be conducted by an internal auditor appointed by the committee.
(b) The purpose of audits is to ensure compliance with financial procedures, accuracy of records, and adherence to the principles outlined in this constitution.
All monies due and owing to the Society, including Performance Fees and Membership Fees, shall be recoverable by law.
13. Financial Year
The financial year of the Society shall commence on 1 April and close on 31 March. An annual profit and loss account and balance sheet shall be prepared within two calendar months of the end of the financial year and submitted to an independent financial reviewer as shall be appointed by the committee when there is a change of treasurer and/ or every 5 years. The verified accounts shall be presented to the Committee for approval; the approved accounts shall then be presented to the Members at the Annual General Meeting.
14. Annual General Meeting
The AGM of the Society shall be held before the end of April when the Report of the Committee and approved accounts for the previous financial year shall be presented.
The Secretary shall give at least 6 weeks’ notice of the AGM to all Members of the Society. Notification of the AGM shall be given in writing to all Members and will include details on the process for nominations and proposals. All Members of the Society shall be entitled to attend and participate in the business to be transacted. Only Full members and Honorary members may vote at the meeting (see clause 3).
A one-third quorum is required (the presence of at least one-third of the total membership) for the Annual General Meeting to proceed and for any decisions to be considered valid.
The Committee shall retire annually but shall be eligible for re-election. The names of candidates for these positions shall be sent to the Secretary in writing 2 weeks before the AGM. If more names are proposed than the number required to fill the vacancies, then the election shall be by ballot.
The AGM shall be chaired by the Chair of the Society; if they are not available then the Committee shall be empowered to select an alternative chair.
The Chairman, Treasurer, Secretary, Membership Secretary, and five ordinary members shall be elected at each AGM.
An Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM) shall be called at the discretion of the Committee, or within 6 weeks of the receipt by the Secretary of a request for such a meeting, specifying the business to be transacted and signed by no fewer than one-third of the Members of the Society. At 6 weeks’ notice of such a meeting shall be given in writing to all Members, and only the business specified in the notice shall be transacted at the Meeting.
15. Productions
If the Director decides on auditions being required, the entire cast for any Production shall be selected as a result of auditions before a casting panel, comprising but not limited to the Director, Musical Director/ or producer, and a person appointed by Director.
Only current Members of the Society (classes 3.1 and 3.2) shall be eligible to take part in auditions; Junior Members and Temporary Members (classes 3.3 and 3.4) shall be eligible to take part in the cast of suitable Productions at the discretion of the Committee and Director.
The requirements for auditions and audition pieces shall be circulated to Members no less than seven days prior to the date set for the auditions.
Members shall declare in advance of auditions which roles and/or chorus parts they intend to attempt and whether they are prepared to be considered for other roles. Late applications may only be admitted at the sole discretion of the casting panel.
The Casting Panel shall have at their disposal all relevant details of Members auditioning. Should the Casting Panel not find it possible to complete the selection of a cast on the date appointed for auditions, further auditions and/or appointments shall be at the discretion of the Director.
16. Obligations of Members
Performing Members shall to the best of their ability play the parts assigned to them and follow the directions given at all rehearsals and performances.
The Director shall conduct all rehearsals and the Music Director and/or Choreographer shall lead all other rehearsals. In the Director’s absence, the Producer and/or Music Director and/ or Choreographer shall deputise and will convey the Director’s explicit instructions and artistic intent to the Company.
A record of the attendance of performing Members at rehearsals shall be maintained by the Director or deputise. The Director, with the support of the Committee, shall have the power to prohibit any Member, whose attendance at rehearsals shall have been irregular, from taking part in the performance of the work in preparation.
Performing Members absenting themselves from three consecutive rehearsals without good reason may, at the discretion of the Director and in consultation with the Committee, be deemed to have resigned their parts in the Production.
The Committee retains the authority to exclude any Member from a Production if, in the judgment of the Committee, the member exhibits wilful disrespect towards others or violates any of the Club’s policies (classes 18 and 22).
17. Dissolution of Society
If the Committee decides that it is necessary or advisable to dissolve the Society, it shall call a meeting of all Members, giving no less than 21 days’ notice (stating the terms of the resolution to be proposed). If the proposal is confirmed by a two-thirds majority of those present and voting, the Committee shall have power to realise any assets held by or on behalf of the Society. Any assets remaining after the satisfaction of any proper debts and liabilities shall be given or transferred to another charitable institution or institutions with a similar purpose to the Society, as the Members of the Society may determine.
In the event that the Society should be unable to meet its financial obligations (i.e. become insolvent) all debts and losses incurred by the Society, after absorption of all monies in reserve, shall be made good by the Members of the Society (Classes 3.1., 3.2 and 3.3) enlisted on the Membership List as shall be current at the time of such insolvency.
18. Club policies
The Society will have in place the following policies that all members must adhere to.
- Safeguarding – to ensure that all members are kept safe whilst rehearsing and performing. The society will appoint a safeguarding officer in charge of these issues.
- Equal opportunities policy- to ensure a fair and unbiased treatment for all members, regardless of characteristics such as race, gender, age, or disability, and promoting our values of diversity and inclusion.
- GDPR – to ensure that all information kept on members are kept in accordance with the Law.
The Society will appoint a GDPR Officer in charge of these issues.
- Complaints Policy – to give all members the opportunity to disclose any issues that may arise within the group and will be acted upon by the committee. The society will appoint a complaints officer in charge of these issues.
- Social media policy- outlines guidelines and expectations for the responsible and respectful use of social media platforms by individuals associated with MMAD, defining acceptable behaviour, confidentiality measures, and potential consequences for non-compliance.
- Anti-Bullying and Harassment Policy- sets forth clear guidelines and consequences to prevent and address any form of bullying, harassment, or discriminatory behaviour within MMAD, fostering a safe and inclusive environment for all members.
19. Further guidance
To give effect to any legal act or deed, any two of the following Officers are empowered to sign deeds and documents and to bind the Society by such deed or act, and the Society will indemnify the said Officers from and in respect of all actions, claims, and demands made in respect of such deed or act:-
- The Chairman for the time being of the Society.
- The Secretary for the time being of the Society.
- The Treasurer for the time being of the Society.
20. Record of Amendments
21. Other Associated Guidance
- MMAD risk assessment – to ensure we promote a safe environment for all members, audience, and visitors.
- Membership forms with details of GDPR.
- Cookie policy for our website
- Directors’ advice to support all Directors on expectations and responsibilities.