CONSTITUTION

  6.    ANNUAL SUBSCRIPTIONS:

1. The annual subscription for members shall be £40.00, corporate members £60, and the reduced subscription rate shall be £25, or such other sum as may be determined from time to time by the Society assembled in annual meeting or in a general meeting duly convened, and shall be payable in advance to the Administrator.  Twenty-eight days notice must be given to the membership of a proposed increase or change in subscription prior to the AGM or EGM.

2. New members joining within three months of the end of the financial year shall be entitled to membership until the end of the financial year next following.

3. Membership of the Society shall lapse on failure to pay the annual subscription after reasonable notice has been given.

4. The financial year will begin on October 1st.

7.  ORGANISATION

1. The business of the Society shall be managed by an Executive Committee consisting of six elected persons who shall each serve for three years;  and are, or will become, members of the Society, together with the officers who are ex-officio members of the said Committee.  The Executive Committee shall be empowered to co-opt not more than three further persons who need not be members of the Society.  If the number of elected members shall fall below six, the Executive Committee shall be empowered to fill the vacancies.  All such co-opted members shall serve until the date of the next Annual General Meeting.  After three years' service on the Executive Committee a member will not be eligible for re-election until one year has elapsed.

2. Three members present at a duly convened meeting of the Executive Committee shall constitute a quorum.

3. The Executive Committee shall appoint such officers as they think appropriate, whose tenure and function (and remuneration if applicable) shall be fixed by the Executive Committee.

4. A meeting of the Executive Committee shall be convened by at least seven clear days' notice delivered to the members.

5. Nominations for election to the Executive Committee must be in writing, (the consent of the nominee having been secured) proposed and seconded by two Members of the Society, and delivered to the Administrator before the start of the Annual General Meeting.  Elections shall be by those present at the meeting, each member having one vote for each vacancy existing.

6. The Executive Committee shall have power to appoint sub-committees as necessary for any purpose and period to be determined by the Executive Committee.

7. The Executive Committee may appoint one or more eminent persons to serve as President or Vice-president of the Society.  More than one Vice-President may hold office simultaneously.  A person shall be appointed as President or Vice-President for a period of five years and be eligible for re-appointment for such further period or periods as the Executive Committee may determine.  The President, Vice-Presidents and Chair will be entitled to the privileges of membership.

8. The Executive Committee may if they think fit establish an Advisory Council consisting of persons sympathetic to the aims of the Society.  For the purpose of constituting such a Council the Executive Committee may appoint eminent persons as members of the Council for a period of three years.  Members of the Council are eligible for re-appointment.

9. Nominations for the Chair of the Society must be in writing, (the consent of the nominee having been secured) proposed and seconded by two members of the Society and delivered to the Administrator at least fourteen days before the date of the Annual General Meeting.  Members of the Society present at the Annual General Meeting (each member being entitled to one vote) shall elect the Chair from among the nominees.  The Chair shall serve for a period of one year.  Nominations for Chair should always be a state Registered Music Therapist.

10. The Deputy Chair shall be elected annually by the Executive Committee at the first meeting after the Annual General Meeting.

7A. POWERS OF THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

(1) The Executive Committee shall have the following powers in order to further the aims and objectives of the Society (but not for any other purpose):

(a) to raise funds. In doing so, the Executive Committee must not undertake any substantial permanent trading activity and must comply with any relevant statutory regulations;

(b) to buy, take on lease or in exchange, hire or otherwise acquire any property and to maintain and equip it for use;

(c) to sell, lease or otherwise dispose of all or any part of the property belonging to the Society. In exercising this power, the Executive Committee must comply as appropriate with sections 36 and 37 of the Charities Act 1993;

(d) to borrow money and to charge the whole or any part of the property belonging to the Society as security for repayment of the money borrowed. The Executive Committee must comply as appropriate with sections 38 and 39 of the Charities Act 1993 if they intend to mortgage land;

(e) to co-operate with other charities, voluntary bodies and statutory authorities and to exchange information and advice with them;

(f) to establish or support any charitable trusts, associations or institutions formed for any of the charitable purposes included in the aims and objectives of the Society;

(g) to acquire, merge with or enter into any partnership or joint venture arrangement with any other Charity formed for any of the aims and objectives of the Society;

(h) to set aside income as a reserve against future expenditure but only in accordance with a written policy about reserves;

(j) to obtain and pay for such goods and services as are necessary for carrying out the work of the Society;

(k) to open and operate such bank and other accounts as the Executive Committee consider necessary and to invest funds and to delegate the management of funds in the same manner and subject to the same conditions as the Trustees of a trust are permitted to do by the Trustee Act 2000;

(l) to do all such other lawful things as are necessary for the achievement of the aims and objectives of the Society.

(2) No alteration of this constitution or any special resolution shall have retrospective effect to invalidate any prior act of the Executive Committee.

(3) Any meeting of the Executive Committee at which a quorum is present at the time the relevant decision is made may exercise all the powers exercisable by the Executive Committee.

8.      ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING:

An Annual General Meeting shall be held each year.  Not less than twenty-eight days' notice shall be given.  The business of the meeting shall be:

to receive the reports of the Chair and Administrator;

to receive and pass the accounts for the previous year;

to elect the Chair and Executive Committee members for the ensuing year

An Extraordinary General Meeting can be convened through the Administrator by the Chair of the Executive Committee, or upon the request of not less than twelve ordinary members of the Society.  Not less than twenty-one days' notice of any such meeting shall be given, stating the purpose.

9.    ALTERATION OF RULES:

Any alteration in these rules and Constitution shall be effective only when passed by a resolution of a duly convened General Meeting of the Society.

March 2007

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