*Please note: the new Model Rules which are now applicable since our recent Incorporation will be uploaded shortly.  

 

THE GAMA MUSICAL SOCIETY OF GEELONG, a Section of GAMA Inc.

16.2.1996 STATEMENT OF PURPOSES

The purposes of the Society are:

1. To promote, extend, advance and cultivate and foster musical art in all its branches, particularly youth.

2. To promote and arrange concerts and functions for members of the Society and other interested persons.

3. To fund and endow scholarships, bursaries and exhibitions within the Society.

 

Soley for the purpose of furthering the purposes set out above, the Society shall have the power:
 

1. To hold meetings for the exchange of information and opinions and for other purposes of interest to the members.

2. To subscribe to, become and member of and co-operate with any other organisation, whether incorporated or not, whose objectives are altogether or in any part similar to those of the Society, and to assist (monetarily or otherwise) any such establishment or institution.

3. To buy, sell and deal in all kinds of articles, commodities and provisions, both liquid and solid, for the benefit of the Society.

4. To purchase, take on, lease or exchange, hire or otherwise acquire any lands, buildings, easements or property, real and personal, and any rights or privileges which may be requisite for the purpose of the Society.

5. To invest and deal with the money of the Society not immediately required, in such manner as may, from time to time, be thought fit.

6. To borrow, raise money or secure payment of money in such manner as the Society shall think appropriate.

7. To accept any gift or money or property, whether subject to any special trust, or not.

8. To enter into any arrangements with the Government or statutory bodies that are incidental or conducive to the attainment of the objectives of the Society.

9. To draw, make, accept, endorse, discount, execute and issue promissory notes, bills of exchange and other negotiable or transferable instruments.

10. To limit liability of the members of the Society, equal to one year’s membership subscription.

11. To take, or otherwise acquire and hold share, debentures or other securities of any company or body corporate.

12. To undertake and execute any trusts for the benefit of the Society or in the furtherance of the objectives thereof.

13. To borrow or raise money either alone or jointly with any other persons or legal entity in such a manner as thought proper.

14. To take such steps by personal or written appeals, public meetings or otherwise,as may from time to time be deemed expedient for the procuring of contributions to the funds of the Society, in the shape of donations, annual subscriptions or otherwise.

15. To print and publish any newspapers, periodicals, books or leaflets that the Society may think desirable for the promotion of its objectives.

16. To amalgamate with any one, or associations having objectives altogether or in part similar to those of the Society, and which shall prohibit the distribution of its or their income and property among its members or their members to an extent at least as great as that imposed upon the Society under or by virtue of the Rules.

17. To purchase or otherwise acquire and undertake all or any part of the property, assets, liabilities and engagements of any or more of the associations with which the Society is authorised to amalgamate.

18. To transfer all or any part of the property , assets, liabilities and engagements of any or more of the associations of the Society to any one or more of the associations with which the Society is authorised to amalgamate.

19. To make donations for patriotic, charitable or community purposes.

20. To hire and employ all classes or persons whose services may be considered necessary for the purposes of the Society and pay them in return for services rendered to the Society salaries, wages or gratuities. Any artist officially asked to perform for the Society, (member or otherwise), will be offered a token honorarium for their performance and it will be left to their discretion as to whether they accept or decline the payment.

21. To do all such things as are incidental or conducive to the attainment of the objectives and the exercising of the powers of the Society.

 

 

THE GAMA MUSICAL SOCIETY OF GEELONG, a Section of GAMA Inc.

RULES

​

   1.  The name of the Society is “The GAMA Musical Society of Geelong”, in these rules called “The Society”.

​

   2. INTERPRETATION. In these rules, unless the contrary intention appears:

1. The “Committee” means the committee of management as the Society elected in accordance with these  rules.  

2. “The Secretary” means a person holding office under these Rules as secretary of the Society.

3. “General meeting” means a regular meeting as decided by the Committee, “Annual general meeting”   means the AGM to be held annually and “Special general meetings” means meetings called to discuss and decide extra business of the Society.

4. “Member” means a financial member of the Society.

5. Words importing the singular member only shall include the plural and vice versa.

6. Words importing the masculine gender only, shall include the feminine.

 

   3. MEMBERSHIP

1. The membership of the Society shall consist of natural persons in one or more of the following categories:

2. Subscriber members who are persons paying an annual membership fee to the Society as fixed annually by the Committee:

3. Honorary Life Members appointed by the unanimous vote of the Committee, for rendering lengthy and distinguished service to the cause of the Society. Honorary members have voting rights.

4. Patron members of the Society, being persons who by donation or subscription or otherwise (as fixed by the Committee from time to time), to be Patron members. All Patron members shall ipso facto be Honorary Life members.

 

   3.2 APPLICATION FOR MEMBERSHIP.

Every application for membership, except Honorary Life and Patron members, shall be in the form prescribed   by   the Committee. All applications or memberships shall be submitted to the Committee which shall determine whether such applications shall be approved.

​

 

   3.3 MEMBERSHIP QUALIFICATIONS.

1. Any member of the society failing to pay any subscription on the due date may be declared by the Committee to have ceased to be a member of the Society.

2. Members shall notify the Secretary of the Society in writing of any change of address.

3. Any member desiring to resign from the Society shall notify the Secretary in writing.

4. No member shall avail themselves of the privileges of membership unless the member has paid the current membership subscription.

5. No rights or privileges of membership shall be in any way transferable and shall cease upon death, resignation or upon a person ceasing, for any other reason, to be a member.

6. No member shall without the authority of the Committee make any public statement or a statement to the press, which could be interpreted as an official statement or expression of the views of the Committee.

7. Any member, who in the opinion of the Committee is guilty of unprofessional or dishonourable conduct, or acting in a manner prejudicial to the interests of the Society, or willfully infringing these Rules or any by-laws of the Society, shall be called on to explain their conduct or actions to a special meeting of the Committee. After considering such explanations, the Committee shall votes for the expulsion or otherwise of such member from the Society. In the event that three quarters (75%) of the Committee present voting in favour of the expulsion of the member, such member shall therefore cease to be a member of the Society. Any subscriptions paid shall be forfeited.

 

   4. REGISTER OF MEMBERS.

The Secretary shall keep and maintain a register of members in which shall be entered the full name, address, phone/ email details and date of joining of each member, and the Register shall be available for inspection by members at places as may be designated by the Committee.

 

   5. MEMBERSHIP SUBSCRIPTION FEES

1. Members other than Honorary Life members shall pay such subscriptions as the Committee may determine from time to time at the Annual General meeting.

2. All membership subscriptions for the following year, shall be due and paid within 3 months, commencing each year on the 1st NOVEMBER or at the time of approving a new membership.

 

   6. MANAGEMENT.

1.  The affairs of the Society shall be managed by a Committee which shall consist of a President, Vice-President, Secretary, Treasurer and up to 6 other Committee members, all of whom shall be voted in at the Annual General meeting, by a majority of votes. The President automatically becomes a delegate of the GAMA Council.

2. The Committee may draw by-laws for the conduct of the Society.

3. The Committee may, subject to these Rules, exercise all such powers and functions as may be exercised by the Society, other than those powers and functions that are required by these Rules to be exercised by Special meetings of the members of the Society.

4. The Committee may from time to time delegate any of its powers to sub-committees consisting of one or more members of the Committee.

5. A resolution passed by a majority of members of the Committee shall be valid and effectual as if it had been passed at a meeting of the Committee.

6. The Financial year of the Society shall commence on the first day of November in each year.

7. The Committee shall keep true accounts of the operations, assets, finances and liabilities of the Society.

8. Minutes shall be kept of all meetings and retained in safe keeping.

 

   6.1 Terms of office.

         Officers may be re-elected each year. They must be full financial members.

​

   6.2 Filling Committee vacancies.

1. Any committee member who fails to attend 3 consecutive meetings, without leave of absence granted by the Committee or has ceased to be a member of the Society, shall be deemed to have resigned as a member of the Society.

2. In the event of the resignation or death of a member of the Committee, the Committee may appoint any financial member to fill such vacancy until the next Annual General meeting.

3. In the event of there being insufficient nominations to fill the positions of the Committee, the Committee may fill the positions with members of the Society.

​

   6.3 Quorum.

          At any meeting of the Committee, one half of the members (five) shall form a quorum.

 

   7. ANNUAL GENERAL MEETINGS

​

   7.1 The Annual General meeting shall be held before the first meeting in the month of NOVEMBER.

​

   7.2 NOMINATIONS.

Committee positions shall be declared vacant 14 days prior to the Annual General meeting and nominations shall  be lodged with the Secretary in the time leading up to the Annual General meeting.

​

   7.3 QUORUM.

10% of Society members shall constitute a quorum. In the event such a number is not present within 30 minutes of the prescribed time for holding the meeting, such meeting may either lapse and a new time and place be decided, or the members may agree for the AGM to continue after the 30 minutes.

   7.4 CHAIRMAN OF THE MEETING.

At all meetings, the President or in his absence the Vice-president shall preside over the meeting and shall, in addition to his ordinary vote, shall have a casting vote.

   7.5 VOTING.

1. All elections and other resolutions shall be decided by a show of hands unless a ballot is demanded, which shall be taken in a manner such as the Chairman of the meeting directs.

2. No member shall be entitled to vote at any meeting if their subscription is 3 months or more in arrears.

​

​   7.6 ACCOUNTS.

At the Annual General Meeting, the Committee shall submit to the members of the Society statements including the following:

1. Income and expenditure of the Society during its last financial year.

2. Assets and liabilities of the Society as at the end of its last financial year.

3. Charges and securities of any description affecting any of the property of the Society as at the end of its last financial year.

4. Audit reports of such statements.

​

   7.7. AUDITOR.

An auditor shall be confirmed at the Annual General meeting.

   7.8 SPECIAL MEETING.

Special meetings shall be convened:

a) by a resolution of the Committee,

b) by a request signed by not fewer than 7 members of the Society setting out the reason for such meeting and lodged with the Secretary

c) Such meeting will be held within 21 days of the request being lodged with the Secretary or such resolution being passed.

 

   8. NOTICES TO MEMBERS.

Notices NOTICES TO MEMBERS of Annual General Meetings and Special meetings shall be sent t0 all persons entitled to vote 14 days before the date of such meeting.

 

   9. SOURCE OF FUNDS.

The funds of the Society shall be derived from member subscriptions as hitherto provided in these Rules, donations, application fees, proceeds from public performances and such other sources as the Committee determines from time to time.

 

  10. MANAGEMENT OF FUNDS.

1. All cheques, drafts, bills of exchange, promissory notes and other negotiable instruments shall be signed by any 2 members of the Committee as determined from time to time.

2. Subject to these Rules, the Committee has the power to perform all such acts and things for the proper management of the business and affairs of the Society.

3. Bequests to be held in trust and the interest from the investment to be used for music education ie. Scholarships, masterclasses, unless specifically designated.

4. In the event of insufficient donors for the scholarships, the interest on the investment fund may be used foe the scholarships and expenses thereof.

 

  11. ALTERATIONS OF STATEMENT OF PURPOSES and RULES

1. The Society may, by a special resolution passed by a three quarter majority of members present at a Special meeting, alter, repeal, or make new additions to the Statement of Purposes or Rules.

2. The notice calling the Special Meeting for the purpose of amendment to the the Statement of Purposes or Rules, shall set out the text of proposed alterations/amendments/additions to be placed at such meeting. Twenty-one days notice shall be given for Special meeting.

 

  12. CUSTODY OF BOOKS, DOCUMENTS and SECURITIES

1. Except as otherwise provided in these Rules, the Secretary shall keep his custody or under his control all books, minutes, documents and securities of the Society.

2. Any member of the Society shall inspect such books, minutes, documents and securities of the Society at times and places determined by the Committee.

 

  13. WINDING UP.

1. The Society shall be wound up whenever a Special meeting is passed requiring the Society to be wound up.

2. In the event of the winding up of the Society, the assets of the Society shall be disposed of in a manner as decided and passed by resolution at a Special meeting.