West Byfleet Community Choir Constitution

The name of the society shall be The West Byfleet Community Choir, referred to as ‘the choir’ or ‘WBCC’ in this Constitution.

The choir was started in 2016 and is a mixed voice community choir of male and female singers affiliated to the village of West Byfleet in Surrey.

Aim

To be an accessible and inclusive choir to promote community cohesion and the wellbeing of participants through the enjoyment of singing.

Values

The choir is not aligned to any political party or religious denomination. The choir performances reflect the commitment of the choir to issues that are relevant to the local and national community, which are concerned with equality, humanity and respect and which celebrate the rich diversity of our local and national community. All members of the choir will conduct business in ways which reflect and are consistent with these values.

Objectives

• To be an inclusive choir which is open to any person who wishes to sing with others.

• For rehearsals and performances to be enjoyable and happy experiences for all. • To learn and appreciate a variety of music and perform this to the best of our ability.

• To offer performances at community events - occasional public concerts and agreed local organisations.

• To raise funds to donate to local charities.

• To be open and transparent in how we operate. Code of Conduct Choir members agree that they will

• Treat each other with respect despite different backgrounds in choirs.

• Endeavour to be at rehearsals ahead of the start time so that we can get maximum singing time.

• Prioritise the annual schedule of concerts so that WBCC can honour its obligations.

Membership

Membership of the choir is open to any person interested in supporting the aims of the choir. Musical experience is not necessary, and auditions will not take place. Membership is open to anyone over the age of 16 years, however parental consent is required for any one below the age of 18 and a responsible adult in the choir must be known to them and be in attendance with them at all rehearsals.

A termly membership fee, as determined by the committee, shall be payable in advance. The Treasurer should be approached in confidence if the termly payment causes a choir member financial difficulty. The committee will decide the weekly fees at the beginning of each term. The committee will endeavour to keep the cost as low as possible for members. New or prospective members shall be entitled to a free ‘taster’ session. Members joining part way through a term shall pay the remainder of the term’s membership fee pro-rata in advance after their free session. Only members who have paid membership will be allowed to vote at the AGM or other general meetings.

The Committee has the power to terminate the membership of any individual, for good and sufficient reason, provided that two thirds of the total Committee agree to this action. The member is entitled to be heard by the Committee before any final decision is made.

Committee

The committee currently has the following roles:

Committee Members:

Chair

Treasurer

Membership Secretary

Website and Marketing Secretary

Music Librarian

Social Secretary

The management of the choir and the control of finance is overseen by the Committee. The roles have a maximum duration of 3 years before a re-election is required. Other roles may be added as deemed necessary by the Committee. Officers and committee members will be elected at the AGM, held annually (usually in the Autumn Term). All choir members are eligible for election to any role on the Committee. All committee members will be nominated and seconded before moving to a vote. Where there is more than one choir member applying for a role then there will be an election. The committee can co-opt any member as a full committee member to fill an officer vacancy until the next AGM.

The committee can establish working groups and sub-committees to deal with specific aspects of running the choir or an event. The committee can invite any non-member with special expertise to attend committee meetings or working group meetings but they may not have voting rights. The Director of Music and the Accompanist are invited to attend all Committee meetings, except where their roles or remuneration are being considered. They are not entitled to vote. The secretary will email minutes of meetings to all members of the choir and the Musical Director and Accompanist.

Powers of the committee:

• To appoint and pay a Musical Director and an Accompanist.

• To book and hire premises and undertake any other work to further the work of the choir.

• To carry out activities of the choir without discriminating against any individual on any grounds, including race, religion, age, sexual orientation, physical or mental ability, and with respect for all members.

• To receive monies and other forms of assistance (e.g. grants) only to further the aims of the choir. Finance The choir will have a bank account in its name (West Byfleet Community Choir) which will be overseen by the Treasurer. All monies will be paid into that account. The choir’s financial year will run from 1st September to 31st August. At the AGM members will receive a financial statement from the Treasurer for the preceding year which has been checked by another choir member, independent of the Committee.

Constitution

The Constitution shall be reviewed annually at the AGM. It will be amended if two thirds of the choir membership present to vote.

Dissolution

In the event of the West Byfleet Community Choir being wound up, any assets remaining upon dissolution after the payment of any debtors and liabilities shall be transferred to a charity with similar aims to those of the choir. The Dissolution clause cannot be altered.

This constitution was agreed and adopted by The West Byfleet Community Choir on 16th September 2025.

Signed by Chair/Secretary and Treasurer: