Constitution

1. Designation. The Society will be called "The Callander Amateur Operatic Society", hereinafter referred to as "The Society".
2. Objects. The objects of The Society will be the study, performance and appreciation of musical plays and light operas, and the encouragement of the public in the appreciation of music and light opera in all its forms.
3. Membership. Members will be those persons aged 16 years and over paying the annual subscription fee.

PATRONS will be those persons as shall receive and accept the invitation of the Management Committe to act in this way.
4. Membership Fees. The annual membership fees will be such sums as are decided upon at the Annual General Meeting and may be paid in two instalments; first payment due in October and the second in January.
5. Management

(1) Office Bearers. The office bearers will consist of President, Vice-President, Secretary and Treasurer.

(a) President. The President will be elected annually at a General Meeting of The Society and will serve for a maximum of three consecutive years.

(b) Vice-President. The Vice-President will be elected annually at a General Meeting of The Society and will serve for a period of up to three years, with a view to assuming the position of President at the termination of the period of office of that official.

(c) Secretary. The Secretay will retire annually, but will be eligible for re-election.

(d) Treasurer. The Treasurer will retire annually, but will be eligible for re-election.

The Office Bearers will have the power to vote.

(2) Management Committee. The business of The Society will be managed by an elected Management Committee consisting of The President, Vice-President, Secretary and Treasurer, together with not more than six, and not fewer than four other members. The elected members will each serve for two years. Up to three elected members must retire annually, but may be eligible for re-election. No member will be elected to the Management Committee unless present at the General Meeting at which the election is made, or unless the consent of that member has already been obtained.

The Musical Director and Producer will be appointed at the Annual General Meeting or as soon as possible thereafter.

The President, whom failing the Vice-President, shall preside at all meetings of The Society Management Committee. In the absence of both the President and Vice-President, the meeting will elect its own Chairman.

At all meetings the Chairman shall have a deliberative, as well as a casting vote. The Management Committee will have the power to co-opt a member to fill any vacancy, but the co-opted member will offer him/herself for re-election at the next Annual General Meeting. The Manaement Committee will have the power at any time to appoint sub-committees for specific purposes, with or without powers. Six members of the Management Committee will constitute a quorum.

The Secretary will keep a record of all Minutes of all the proceedings of The Society and Management Committee, conduct all the correspondence of The Society and call meetings in connection with The Society .

6. Finance. The funds, property and assets of The Society will be vested in the Management Committee in trust for The Society. Members of The Society will jointly and severally accept responsibility for the whole management of the Society, and for any financial loss which may be incurred. The funds of The Society will be applied for the stated objects of The Society. In the event of The Society, for any cause whatsoever, being wound up or dissolved the whole of the funds remaining after payment of all debts due by The Society will be disbursed to Local Charities as decided by the members of The Society. All monies will be lodged in a bank in an account(s) in the name of The Society. The bank account(s) will be operated by the Treasurer, together with either the President or the Secretary.

The Treasurer will keep a record of all transactions and intromissions with the funds of The Society. The Society's financial year will be deemed to end on 30th April annually. The Treasurer's record of the intromissions of The Society's funds will be audited as agreed by the Management Committee.

7. Voting Procedures. Voting at all General Meetings of The Society will be by show of hands or by ballot, at the Chairman's discretion.

8. Meetings. The Annual General Meeting of The Society will be held in May each year or as soon thereafter as may be practical to receive the report of the Management Committee and the Treasurer, to elect Office Bearers and members of the Management Committee and to transact any other competent business, all voting to be as described in Section 7.

Any busness which members wish to have raised at the Annual General Meeting may be intimated to the Secretary no later than 30th April, for intimation to members in advance of the Annual General Meeting. This does not preclude members from raising any matter during the course of the Annual General Meeting which has not been previously intimated to the Secretary.

Special General Meetings of The Society may be called by authority of the Management Committee or on demand by not less than twelve members, who shall sign and deliver to the Secretary a requisition stating distinctly the business to be brought before the meeting. On receipt of such a requisition the Secretary shall call the meeting, which must be held within fourteen days of receipt of such notice. A minimum of seven days notice shall be given of all General Meetings. One third of the members will form a quorum at any General Meeting.

9. Selection of Work to be Performed. Suggestions of work to be performed can be made by any member of The Society for production in the following year. The suggestions should be in the hands of the Secretary by the final performance of the current show. These suggestions will be investigated and considered by the Management Committee in consultation with the Musical Director and the Producer. The Management Committee will then report back to a General Meeting of The Society recommending not fewer than three of the original suggestions, these being voted on by members for their final choice.

10. Attendeance at Rehearsals. A record of attendance of playing members at rehearsals will be kept and the Management Committee will have the power to prohibit any member who fails to attend four consecutive rehearsals, or whose attendance is less than 75% of the possible, from taking part in the performance of the work in preparation unless a satisfactory prior explanation has been given to the Secretay.

The Management Committee will also be empowered to prohibit from taking part in auditions for any production, any member who has failed to attend a minimum of three rehearsals prior to the date of these auditions, unless a satisfactory prior explanation has been given to the Secretay.

The Management Committee will also be empowered to exclude any member who, having attended rehearsals and taken part in auditions without success, subsequently fails to take any further part in the production under rehearsal unless a satisfactory prior explanation has been given to the Secretary. Such members will also be precluded from participating in the auditions for the following year's production.

The above will also apply in respect of any concerts which may take place during the period.

11. Selection of Cast. The cast of any production will be selected by two Office Bearers and Production Officials, all voting. In the event of any or all of the Office Bearers auditioning, each may be replaced on the auditioning committee by a nominated, non-auditioning member of the Management Committee.

12. Revison of Cast. The selection committee will have the power to revise the cast if any member to whom a character has been assigned shall, in the opinion of the Production Officials, prove unsuitable for the part.

13.  Expulsion of Members. The Management Committee will have the power to remove from the list of members the name of any member(s) who has persistently neglected the work undertaken by The Society and the name of any member whose conduct they consider is likely to endanger the welfare of The Society.

14. Obligation of Members. Members, by virtue of their membership, are expected to assist in all aspects of the production in hand. This may include the preparation of scenery, the setting up of the stage, hall, dressing rooms and front of house areas, and also the clearing up of the premises following the production.

In addition, members are expected to assist at all fund-raising and other eents as may be organised.

15.  Alterations to Constitution. No alteration(s) to the Constitution shall be made except at an Extraordinary or Annual General Meeting, and not unless twenty one days prior to such a meeting a written notice of the proposed alteraion(s), or of one substantially to the like effect, shall be given to the Secretary, who shall give fourteen days notice thereof to the members. The resolution embodying such proposed alteration(s) shall be carried by a vote of at least two thirds of the votes recorded thereof at the meeting.

Bye-Laws

1. The subscription payable by Patrons will be fixed by the Management Committee for the ensuing season.
2. Each member will, on admission, be furnished with a copy of the Constitution, and will be subject to the rules and conditions thereof.
3. No one but members and those people necessary for the production will be allowed beyond the entrance to the stage and dressing room areas before or during performances, this including any intervals.
4. The Management Committee will have the power to distribute for the performance such complimentay tickets of admission as they may find expedient.
5. No member of the Society will receive payment directly or indirectly for services to the Society or for other than legitimate expenses incurred in its work.
6. These Bye-Laws may not be altered or added to without the consent of a majority of the members present at a General Meeting of the Society called for this purpose, and at least fourteen days notice of such a meeting and proposed alteration or addition must be given to members.

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