Stratford Musical Theatre Company – Rules 2024
1. Name - The name of the organisation shall be the Stratford Musical Theatre Company (SMTC).
2. Objects - The objects of SMTC shall be:
(a) To produce musical theatre and raise funds to be devoted solely to the SMTC and charitable purposes; and
(b) To do all such things as shall be conducive to the attainment of the above objects.
3. Membership - Membership is open to all, regardless of ability. All members must be willing to learn, be kind, and available to attend rehearsals as and when required. Members are not required to be active performers; membership is as much an expression of support for the society and an opportunity to be an engaged and active member of the SMTC Community.
4. Management - The Management of SMTC and its work shall be entrusted to a Committee consisting of the officers - Chair, Vice-Chair, Hon Treasurer, and Secretary - supported by a committee comprising five other members. The committee shall have the power to co-opt up to two additional members. Five will form a quorum at Committee meetings.
Members of the committee will take on the roles of: Membership Secretary, Marketing Director, Production Manager, Choir Management and other roles as required.
All officers and committee members shall be elected annually by a ballot at the Annual General Meeting. All retiring officers are ex-officio members of the committee for the ensuing year.
5. Musical Theatre Productions -
(a) The Production Team will operate in accordance with the brief given by the General Committee of the SMTC.
(b) The cast will be selected from members of the SMTC, or candidates for membership, who attend auditions:
(c) The cast for every production will be chosen by the Casting Panel, which will consist of the Chair of the General Committee, who will be Chair of the Casting Panel, two nominated, non committee members of the SMTC, the Producer, Musical Director and Choreographer.
(d) No member of the Casting Committee may audition for a principal role in the production.
(e) The Chair of the casting panel may delegate the role, with the agreement of the committee, if they wish to audition for a show role themselves.
(f) The Casting Panel shall have the power to fill any parts not cast and to revise the cast if any member, to whom a part has been allocated shall, in its opinion, prove unsuitable for the part and recast any part should it become vacant.
(g) The Casting Committee, in consultation with the General Committee, may, in emergency, invite any person to take part in the SMTC's current production but such person shall not be deemed a member of the SMTC, with full privileges, until duly elected;
(h) Should any member, either as a principal or in the chorus, be absent, without reasonable cause, from three rehearsals, when called, in a production rehearsal period without permission from the Producer or Musical Director, his or her part may be allocated elsewhere.
6. Performances of the Choir
(a) For each performance, the programme, including solos and small ensemble parts, will be agreed by the Musical Director, and the Chair of the General Committee. Small solos within compilations will be at the discretion of the Musical Director.
(b) Should any member be absent without reasonable cause from three consecutive rehearsals, without permission from the Musical Director, he or she may be ineligible for the next concert.
7. Subscriptions - The annual membership subscription shall be fixed in the Annual General Meeting from time to time and fall due on the date of joining and subsequently every 12 months thereafter. All show and concert fees shall be due by the end of the month before a show or concert. If any member shall fail to pay his or her subscription by the opening of the show or concert, they shall cease to be a member of the SMTC.
8. Annual Meeting - The Annual General Meeting of the SMTC shall be held within three months of the end of the financial year when the Report and Balance Sheet for the past year shall be presented. Ten days' notice of the date of each Annual General Meeting shall be given to members.
9. Special Meetings - A Special General Meeting of the SMTC shall be convened at any time by direction of the Committee, or within one month after the receipt by the Hon Secretary of a written requisition signed by ten or more members. In either case, ten days' notice shall be given to members of the object, time and place of such meeting.
10. Finance -
(a) The funds of the SMTC shall be applied solely to the objects of the SMTC.
(b) No member of the SMTC shall receive payments directly or indirectly for services to the SMTC or for other than legitimate expenses incurred in their work. The General Committee has the power to waive this clause in exceptional circumstances.
(c) At least one member shall be elected annually to audit the accounts of the SMTC.
(d) In the event of dissolution of the SMTC the remaining funds shall be devoted to charitable purposes; and
(e) The financial year of the SMTC shall commence on the first day of April in any year.
11. Expulsion - The exclusion of any member or officer from the company shall be effected by a vote of three-fourths of the rest of the committee, whose decision shall be subject to a right of appeal to a General Meeting. A vote by the committee may only take place when a member falls in to one or more of the following categories:
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Poor attendance at meetings or rehearsals without valid reason
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Persistent unacceptable or aggressive behaviour
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Failure to complete given tasks.
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Bringing the reputation of SMTC into disrepute
12. Rules - Each member shall be provided with a copy of the SMTC's rules and a copy of the rules will be available on the Company website. The same may be altered only at a General or Special Meeting by resolution of the members present and voting of the SMTC of which due notice (indicating the nature of the proposed alteration) shall have been given to members.