Cambridge University Musical Society
Founded in Peterhouse in the Michaelmas Term 1843
Constitution, as revised and approved at the Annual General Meeting of 15th February 2007
I. Aims
1. The Society shall be called the CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY MUSICAL SOCIETY. Its aims shall be the musical education of Members of The Society and the advancement of music within the University and City of Cambridge.
2. The Society shall ordinarily maintain four ensembles: two symphony orchestras, a wind orchestra and a chorus. The Committee of The Society (hereafter referred to as the Committee) shall determine the number of concerts to be given by The Society's Chorus and Orchestras in Cambridge in any academic year, provided that this number shall normally be not less than nine. The Committee may also arrange concerts outside Cambridge, or agree to the participation of The Society's ensembles in concerts promoted by other organizations.
3. The making of profits other than such as may be necessary to build up reserve funds to meet the costs of any large-scale future production or any serious emergency shall not form part of the objects of The Society. A `CUMS Fund', administered by Trustees appointed by a General Meeting, may exist for the purpose of supporting non-repetitive, special expenditure, including capital equipment and tours but not normally fees or other payments to individuals.
II. Membership and Subscriptions
4. Any member of the University, or a non-member if proposed by a member of the University, shall be eligible for Membership of The Society.
5. There shall be three categories of membership: Performing Membership, Contributing Membership and Hiring Membership. Performing Membership shall be open to those selected by audition to perform in The Society's ensembles. Contributing Membership shall be open to those, not being Performing Members, who wish to support the aims of The Society. Hiring Membership shall be open to those, not being Performing or Contributing Members, who wish to make use of The Society's music and instrument hire facilities.
6. Annual subscription rates for the three categories of membership shall be determined each year by the Committee. The Committee shall also have power to determine special subscription rates for Performing Members joining The Society for a single Term. Annual subscriptions shall be payable by the division of the Michaelmas Term in each academic year.
7. The Committee shall have power to remove the name of any Member from The Society's list on due cause being shown; such Member shall have a right of appeal to a General Meeting, to be held within four weeks of the receipt by the Secretary of a request from the individual concerned.
III. Privileges and Duties of Members
8. Members are not entitled to any privileges until the Treasurer has received the subscriptions due from them.
9. Performing Members shall undertake to make themselves available for any concert for which their presence is required by the Conductor or an Assistant Conductor (it being understood that such requirement shall not be unreasonably enforced in cases of illness or other grave cause), and to inform the Secretary at the earliest possible opportunity if they are unable to be present for any rehearsal.
10. All Members shall be entitled to hire music from The Society's Library and instruments from The Society's collection, under conditions to be determined by the Committee.
11. All Members other than Hiring Members shall be entitled to such concessionary booking arrangements for The Society's concerts as the Committee may determine. In particular, Season Tickets giving access to more than one concert shall be available only to Members.
12. All Members shall provide the Secretary with an address for correspondence, which wherever possible shall be an electronic mail address. Where notice is required to be given to Members under these Rules, it shall be deemed to have been given if an electronic mail message has been sent to the list of addresses provided by Members, and a notice has been placed on The Society's website. Members may, at the time of joining The Society, request that such notices be sent by letter.
IV. Government of The Society
13. The Officers of The Society shall include a President and not more than eight Vice-Presidents, who shall not be designated Executive Officers of The Society. They shall be elected by a General Meeting, and shall be re-elected every five years.
14. The Executive Officers of The Society shall comprise:
Conductor; Treasurer; those Officers listed in Schedule A, who shall be elected annually at The Society's Annual General Meeting, and those Officers Listed in Schedule B, who shall be elected by the Committee.
NB Nothing in these Rules shall prevent any elected Officer from holding hold two Offices simultaneously.
15. The Conductor and Secretary shall be appointed by the Committee for a period of three years in the first instance, renewable in periods not exceeding five years thereafter; a newly appointed Secretary shall serve a probationary year. Procedures for appointments shall be those agreed from time to time by the Committee.
16. The affairs of The Society shall be managed by a Committee consisting of the Executive Officers, the Chairman (who shall be a student) of each Ensemble sub-committee, a representative of the Faculty of Music appointed by the Faculty Board of Music, and not more than seven co-opted Members. A majority of the committee shall be persons who are either full-time undergraduates or post-graduate students in the University of Cambridge or are members of the Regent House.
17. The Committee shall elect a Chairman from amongst its members at the first meeting of each academic year. The person elected shall take the chair at all Committee Meetings during the year, and at General Meetings unless the President is present, in which case the latter shall take the chair. In case of absence, the Meeting shall vote into the chair one of the Executive Officers present.
18. A précis of the minutes of each committee meeting shall be posted on the CUMS website within two weeks of that meeting. The full minutes shall be posted on the website within one week following approval at the next committee meeting.
V. Committee and Sub-Committees
19. The Committee shall meet at least once in every Full Term.
20. At least five days' notice of Committee Meetings shall be given and 50% of the members shall form a quorum. In case of emergency the Chairman may suspend this rule but shall, as soon as possible, convene a further meeting to review decisions made at the emergency meeting.
21. No Executive Officer or Member of the Committee shall remain present at a meeting of the committee when a vote concerning the terms of contract or continuation of the tenure of their position is being discussed or taken.
22. The Committee shall have the general control and administration of The Society's affairs, with authority to make by-laws for that purpose, but it shall have no power to make an enactment infringing or altering the Rules of The Society.
23. The Committee shall have the power to appoint and to authorize payment to the Conductor, Secretary, and to appoint and authorize payment to such other persons as it shall be deemed necessary to hire from time to time.
24. The Committee may from time to time remit to an Executive Sub-committee, consisting of the Chairman, Conductor, Secretary, Treasurer and a maximum of two other persons (who shall be students) whom the Committee shall appoint from among its number. The Executive sub-committee shall have the power to co-opt. It shall have power to decide any issues remitted to it by the Committee (other than the adoption of new by-laws, or the amendment of existing ones), provided that all such decisions shall be subject to review by the next meeting of the Committee.
25. There shall be four Ensemble Sub-committees, whose members shall normally be elected by the end of each Lent Term. A student member shall be elected as Chairman by the full ensemble, and shall act as the representative of the subcommittee on the Committee of The Society. Non-student membership of such Committees shall not exceed 50%. The Ensemble Sub-committees shall have responsibility for ensuring that the views of all performing members of The Society are represented on the Committee, for assisting the Executive Officers in the running of the ensembles, and for arranging social activities within a budget to be determined by the Treasurer.
26. The Committee may appoint sub-committees for any special purpose. In particular, if a vacancy occurs or is about to occur in one of the Offices of The Society, the Committee may appoint a Sub-committee to bring forward a nomination for the Committee to propose to the next following General Meeting. In setting up a sub-committee, the Committee shall nominate a convenor, and shall specify a date by which the sub-committee is expected to report its conclusions to the Committee.
VI. General Meeting
27. At least one week's notice shall be given of any General Meeting and twenty-five Members shall form a quorum. General Meetings shall not be held outside Full Term.
28. In giving notice of a General Meeting, the Secretary shall specify which, if any, of the Officers are to be elected by the Meeting. Nominations for such elections, bearing the signatures of a proposer and seconder, and of the nominee signifying his or her willingness to stand, must be received by the Chairman not less than 24 hours before the start of the Meeting.
29. No Executive Officer or Member of the Committee shall remain present at a General Meeting when a vote concerning the terms of contract or continuation of the tenure of their position is being discussed or taken.
30. An Annual General Meeting shall be held each year before the division of the Lent term. The accounts to the 30th September / 31st July shall be presented and a professional auditor shall be elected at this Meeting.
31. Subject to paragraph 26 (above), the Chairman shall summon a General Meeting within ten days of receiving a notice requesting such a meeting, signed by ten Members of the Society and specifying the business to be brought to it. The Chairman may refuse to summon more than one meeting for the same purpose in the same term.
32. The Chairman shall at all times have the option of refusing to put to a General Meeting any resolution of which three days' notice shall not have been given in writing.
33. A précis of the minutes of a general meeting shall be posted on the CUMS website within two weeks of that meeting. The full minutes shall be posted on the website within one week following approval at the next general meeting.
VII. Interpretation and Amendment of Rules
34. The Committee shall in all cases be the interpreters of the Rules and by-laws of The Society.
35. No alteration of the Rules of The Society, whether by amendment or by addition, shall be carried unless seven days notice shall have been given of the proposed alteration (as in paragraph 12), and unless at least two-thirds of those present shall vote in favour of it. If at that Meeting no quorum shall have been formed, the Chairman may summon another General Meeting giving three days' notice, at which an absolute majority may carry the alteration provided at least twenty-five members are present.
36. Any Schedules attached to the Constitution may additionally be amended by a resolution of the Committee, provided that two-thirds of the whole committee shall vote in favour of it; that no Officer listed in Schedule A may be removed from Office, without his or her consent, before the end of his or her tenure.
Schedule A. Officers elected at the AGM
Fund-raising Manager; Instrument Manager; Librarian; Publicity Officer; Webmaster.
Schedule B. Officers elected by the Committee
Alumni Officer; Alumni Secretary; Assistant Conductors (of whom all but one must be either a full-time undergraduate or postgraduate student in the University of Cambridge, and who shall be recommended to the Committee by the Conductor); Secretary.