Cambridge University Brass Band

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Cambridge University Brass Band Society Constitution

The following is the band's official constitution:

1. Name

The name of the society shall be the Cambridge University Brass Band Society (CUBBS).

2. Aim

The aim of the Society shall be to promote purposeful and enjoyable music making by any brass band instrumentalist, and other instrumentalists at the discretion of the Committee.

3. Membership

Membership of the Society shall be open to all members of Cambridge University, Anglia Polytechnic University, Addenbrookes and others at the discretion of the Committee, on the payment of a subscription as determined by the Committee and approved by the Annual General Meeting. Membership shall not be refused on grounds of race, gender, religion, sexual orientation or political views.

4. The Cambridge University Brass Band

4(1). The Cambridge University Brass Band (CUBB) shall be administered by the Society.
4(2). CUBB membership is open to all members of CUBBS.
4(3). No playing member of CUBBS shall be refused a place in one of the bands administered by the Society because of lack of ability.
4(4). In the interests of balance, the Musical Director may, in the most extreme cases and with the backing of the Committee, ask players to step down for certain occasions.
4(5). Auditions may be held to assist the Musical Director in determining the ability of individual members. An audition board consisting of three people - the Musical Director, a band representative and a member of the Committee shall be used.

5. Administration of the Society

The Society shall be administered by a Committee elected at the Annual General Meeting of the Society except for the Musical Director, the Tour Secretary and the ex-officio post of Senior Treasurer. A Committee elected at an Annual General Meeting shall be responsible for all matters pertaining to the period beginning with the first day of the following Michaelmas Term until the day before the start of the next Michaelmas Term.

6. Committee composition and duties of its members

The Committee shall consist of ten or eleven [see 6(13)] voting members. The Committee shall be deemed to be quorate when at least 6 of these members are present. All members of the Committee shall be informed of committee meetings in advance. There shall be at least two committee meetings per term.
In the event that the Committee are unable to reach a majority decision on any matter to be decided by them, the Committee shall decide if that matter is a musical or non-musical matter. If it is decided by simple majority that the matter is a musical matter then the Musical Director shall have the casting vote. If it is decided by a simple majority that that the matter is a non-musical matter or if no majority decision as to what the matter concerns may be reached then the Chairperson shall have the casting vote.
Any CUBBS member may attend committee meetings to express an opinion provided he/she gives three days notice of such an intention (but he/she shall have no voting rights). Any member of the Committee may be called to account for his/her actions at the Annual General Meeting or at an Extraordinary General Meeting subject to the conditions below. If at such a meeting a motion of no confidence is passed against any single member of the Committee or the Committee as a whole then an election shall be held subject to the conditions outlined below.

6(1). Senior Treasurer

An unelected post. The Senior Treasurer shall be a senior member of the University. The Senior Treasurer shall not be liable for any debt or obligation of CUBBS except where he/she has personally authorised it in writing.

6(2). Chairperson

The Chairperson shall:

• Be responsible for the running of the Society's affairs;
• Be able to answer for the actions of the Society;
• Be the Chairperson at the meetings of the Society;
• Be a joint signatory to the Society's Bank Account.

6(3). Junior Treasurer

The Junior Treasurer shall:

• Be responsible for the financial affairs of the Society;
• Produce detailed accounts for the Society as set out in section 10 below;
• Be a joint signatory to the Society s Bank Account.

6(4). Musical Director

An unelected post. The Musical Director for the year shall be appointed by the Committee and shall be the person who, in their opinion, is the best available candidate for the job. The post shall be publicised within the University and auditions for the post shall be held by the Committee. The form of audition shall be at the discretion of the Committee. The appointment shall be for one academic year, subject to review by the Committee at the end of the Michaelmas Term.
The Musical Director shall:

• Be responsible for the musical standard of the Society as a whole;
• Be responsible for the conducting of the Band;
• Be responsible for the formation of the Band;
• Be responsible for the rehearsal discipline of the Band.

6(5). Secretary

The Secretary shall:

• Be responsible for the administration of membership;
• Provide a full list of all members of the Society to any member of the Society on request;
• Take minutes of each committee meeting and present them for approval at the next meeting;
• Keep an up to date Minutes Book containing minutes of all Society meetings.

6(6). Librarian

The Librarian shall:

• Be responsible for the maintenance of the property of the Society - both music and equipment;
• Be repsonsible for the hiring of property for the Society;
• Be able to account for the property of the Society.

6(7). Publicity Officer

The Publicity Officer shall:

• Be responsible for all publicity concerning the Society;
• Maintain the Society's web pages;
• Be a member of the committee of Friends of CUBB.

6(8). Social Secretary

The Social Secretary shall:

• Be responsible for organising the Annual Dinner and any other social events;
• Be responsible for organising refreshments for the Band after concerts.

6(9). Deleted.

6(10). President

An unelected post. The Committee may at their discretion appoint a President. This shall be a purely honorary post with no voting rights at committee meetings.

6(11). Concert Manager

The Concert Manager shall:

• Be responsible for organising CUBBS's concerts;
• In conjunction with the Publicity Officer, be responsible for publicising these concerts.

6(12). Chairman of Friends of CUBB

The Chairman of Friends of CUBB (FOCUBB) shall:

• Be Chairman of FOCUBB as elected at the Annual General Meeting;
• Be responsible for liasing between the Committee of CUBB and the committee responsible for the administration of FOCUBB;
• Chair meetings of the FOCUBB committee.

6(13). Tour Secretary

An unelected post. The Tour Secretary shall:

• Be a member of the Band who may be co-opted onto the Committee in a year in which the Committee decide that the Band will go on tour;
• Aid the Committee in organising the details of a band tour.

6A. Removed

6B. In the event that the Society shall administer more than one band, the Musical Director shall have overall responsibility for all the bands and shall if required appoint a conductor to conduct any of the bands as the Committee sees fit.

6C. With the approval of the Committee, the Musical Director may appoint an Assistant Conductor.

The Assistant Conductor shall:

• Be prepared to conduct the Band if the Musical Director is unavailable.
• May also conduct part of the musical programme of the band at the Musical Director's discretion. The Musical Director's decision on matters pertaining to the Assistant Conductor shall be final unless countermanded by the Committee.

7. General Meetings

7(1). All members of the Society shall be given at least seven days notice of a General Meeting.
7(2). All members of the Society shall be entitled to attend and vote at the meeting.
7(3). Motions shall be presented to the Chairperson at least three days before the meeting.

8. Annual General Meeting

8(1). An Annual General Meeting of the Society shall be held in the Easter Term of the academic year for the purpose of reviewing the past year's activities and electing a new Committee.
8(2). Nominations for committee posts must be received by the Chairperson at least 24 hours before the meeting. If no nominations are received, nominations may be made at the AGM.
8(3). Elections for committee posts shall use a transferrable vote system in which candidates may be ranked in order on the ballot paper. After each count, the votes of the candidate in last place shall be transferred to their second choice candidates. This shall be repeated until one candidate receives a simple majority of the votes counted.
8(4). Voting shall be by a simple majority of those present with the outgoing Chairperson having the casting vote.
8(5). The minutes shall be taken by the outgoing Secretary.

9. Extraordinary General Meetings

9(1). An Extraordinary General Meeting may be called by the committee or in a letter to the Chairperson signed by at least 15 members of the Society.
9(2). The meeting must be held within 14 days of the receipt of such a letter.
9(3). Voting shall be by two-thirds majority of those present with at least 50% of the Society's members in attendance.

10. Finance and Audit

10(1). The financial year shall run from the day Michaelmas Term begins to the day preceding the start of the following Michaelmas Term.
10(2). At the end of the financial year, the Junior Treasurer shall prepare the accounts for that year for audit.
10(3). The accounts shall be audited by two non-committee members of the Society appointed for that purpose by the committee.
10(4). The accounts shall be countersigned by the Senior Treasurer and submitted to the Junior Proctor at 1 Saint Mary's Passage, Cambridge by 31st December.
10(5). The accounts shall be presented at the next Annual General Meeting after the end of the financial year.

11. Alterations to the Constitution

This constitution may be amended at an Annual General Meeting or an Extraordinary General Meeting by a two-thirds majority subject to the approval of the Junior Proctor.