Version 2011-03-24

1. Name
   1. The name of the society shall be The University of Bristol Barbershop Singers, hereinafter referred to as the Society.
   2. The Society shall also be known as TUBBS.
   3. The Society shall be recognised by the University of Bristol Union, hereinafter referred to as the Union.
2. Aims
   1. The Society shall aim:
      1. to provide opportunities for rehearsal and performance composed primarily of barbershop and modern a cappella singing to its members, and
      2. to promote barbershop and modern a cappella singing in the wider community by means of concerts and, where appropriate, workshops, and
      3. to present high standards of barbershop and modern a cappella singing at public engagements, and
      4. always to abide by the Union’s Equal Opportunities and Harassment Policies.
3. Membership
   1. Full membership is open to all Full, Associate, Temporary Associate, Staff and Honorary Members of the Union by application in writing to the Secretary of the Society or by such other application procedures as may be set up by the Society or the Union.
   2. Associate membership is open to all other persons who are interested in the aims and objectives of the Society.
   3. Not less than two-thirds of the Society members shall be Full Members of the Union.
   4. The Secretary shall keep a list of all members, differentiating between full and associate members.
   5. There shall be a subscription fee levied for membership, which shall be fixed at the discretion of the committee being no less than the minimum rate demanded by the Union’s Societies Executive Committee.
4. Privileges of Membership
   1. Only Full Members may sit on the Committee.
   2. All categories of membership shall have equal rights of voting, attending meetings, etc..
5. Ensembles
   1. There shall be two permanent ensembles of ladies’ and gentlemen’s barbershop; although these groups are not limited in repertoire, they should aim to perform at least one song per term in the barbershop style.
   2. There shall be a mixed ensemble of the entire Society as a single entity.
   3. Other ensembles or smaller groups shall be formed as the Committee sees fit.
   4. Each ensemble shall be rehearsed and conducted where needed by a Musical Director and Deputy Musical Directors appointed by the Committee at any time, but usually following the annual elections.
   5. Musical Directors must decide the pieces to be performed in scheduled gigs for a whole academic year at a meeting with the President, Librarian and Secretary of the Society. Music (whether written, arranged, bought or from the TUBBS library) should be distributed by the Librarian at week 2; if this is impossible, the Committee may choose repertoire with the Librarian for distribution. Changes to the music list should be discussed with the Librarian to arrange for recall and further distribution.
   6. Each ensemble may have a number of Performance Directors, responsible jointly with the Musical Directors for non-musical aspects of the ensemble's performance, appointed by the agreement of that ensemble's Musical Directors and the Committee at any time.
6. Committee
   1. There shall be a committee of the Society which shall be the executive decision-making body of the Society.
   2. The Committee shall be responsible for the general and financial policy of the Society, subject to such rules as laid out by the Union.
   3. The quorum for Committee meetings shall be set at 50% of the members filling positions plus one.
   4. The Committee shall maintain an appendix to this Constitution setting out in more detail the responsibilities of Committee members. This appendix may be altered by a properly constituted Committee meeting without reference to a General Meeting, but shall not contradict this Constitution.
   5. The positions on the Committee shall be:
      1. President
         
         The President shall be responsible for the overall running of the Society, maintaining a five-year plan, representing the Society and chairing Committee and general meetings, and other or more detailed responsibilities as set out by Appendix 2.
         
         The President shall be a Full Member of the Union.
      2. Vice-President
         
         The Vice-President shall be responsible for assisting the President in fulfilling his or her duties, the day-to-day actions of the Society, and other or more detailed responsibilities as set out by Appendix 2.
      3. Treasurer
         
         The Treasurer shall be responsible for all Society accounts and finance, in accordance with Union regulations for financial activities and as set out below, and other or more detailed responsibilities as set out by Appendix 2.
         
         The Treasurer shall be a Full Member of the Union and not in their final year at the University during any part of their term of office.
      4. Secretary
         
         The Secretary shall be responsible for preparing an agenda and reminding attendees of Committee and general meetings, and the taking of minutes. Also, ensuring that a Society web site is kept up-to-date and that members can be contacted by email, and other or more detailed responsibilities as set out by Appendix 2.
         
         The Secretary shall also be responsible for maintaining a list of members as specified by the Union.
      5. Gigs Co-ordinator
         
         The Gigs Co-ordinator shall be responsible for arranging gigs and engagements, both for the Society as a whole, and any smaller ensembles in collaboration with their Musical Directors, and other or more detailed responsibilities as set out by Appendix 2.
      6. Publicity Co-ordinator
         
         The Publicity Co-ordinator shall be responsible for publicising Society events and the Society itself to students, the University and general public, and other or more detailed responsibilities as set out by Appendix 2.
      7. Ladies’ and Gents’ Social Secretaries (one for each)
         
         The Ladies’ and Gents’ Social Secretaries shall be responsible for organising social activities for their ensembles, and for jointly managing the social and welfare aspects of the Society, and other or more detailed responsibilities as set out by Appendix 2.
      8. Musical Director
         
         The senior Musical Director shall be an ex officio member of the committee with all rights and privileges, and responsibilities as set out by Appendix 2.
      9. Ensembles Co-ordinator
         
         The Ensembles Co-ordinator shall be responsible for membership records of smaller ensembles within the Society (apart from quartets), liaising with Musical Directors as necessary and organising socials for smaller ensembles, and other or more detailed responsibilities as set out by Appendix 2.
      10. Quartets Co-ordinator
          
          The Quartets Co-ordinator shall be responsible for membership of quartets within the Society, and other or more detailed responsibilities as set out by Appendix 2.
      11. Librarian
          
          The Librarian shall be responsible for printing and organisation of the Society's music collection, and other or more detailed responsibilities as set out by Appendix 2. Such roles may be designated either as full or observing members of the Committee.
   6. In addition to the Committee members listed above, the Committee may appoint roles to individual members of the Society as necessary to the functioning of the Society, including (but not limited to) Co-ordinators for a Tour, Gig Refreshments or the Web Site.
      
      Such roles may be designated either as full or observing members of the Committee. Observing members are not required to always attend or send apologies for absence to meetings, do not count towards quoracy, and are not accorded the rights and privileges of a full Committee member, such as voting in Committee meetings.
   7. Holders of the following positions are strongly recommended not to take on other roles within the Committee:
      1. Vice-President
      2. Gigs Co-ordinator
      3. Tour Co-ordinator
   8. Holders of the following positions are advised not to take on other roles within the Committee:
      1. Musical Directors
      2. Quartets Co-ordinator
      3. Treasurer
   9. Motions of no confidence in any member of the Committee must be passed by a properly constituted General Meeting to take effect.
7. Financial
   1. The Society’s financial year shall run from 1st August until 31st July the following calendar year, so as to coincide with the academic year.
   2. The accounts of the Society shall be audited by a member of University Staff and submitted to the Union Treasurer as and when requested and at least once per annum.
   3. All financial arrangements must be made in accordance with current instructions to Society Treasurers, as set down by the Union’s Societies Executive Committee.
   4. The Union Treasurer and Finance Manager shall jointly be empowered to issue financial instructions on behalf of the society if:
      1. the society folds with outstanding financial affairs, or
      2. change of mandate forms are not completed, and the previous committee are out of reasonable contact, or
      3. financial irregularities are found.
8. General Meetings
   1. There shall be an Annual General Meeting once per annum, and this shall be held before the end of the undergraduate teaching block of the Summer term.
   2. Notices of such meetings must be published to the Society’s members at least seven days beforehand, together with the agenda.
   3. The quorum of such meetings shall be set at twice the committee size plus one.
   4. An Extraordinary General Meeting may be called by 5% of the membership of the Society by application to the Secretary or by a majority decision of the Committee. An EGM shall be called as specified on the application, but at least seven days notice shall be given.
   5. Voting shall be carried out by open or secret ballot as appropriate, motions being passed by a simple majority (except where required by this constitution), recording votes for and against (and abstentions) in all cases.
9. Elections
   1. Elections shall be held at the Annual General Meeting to elect officers of the committee for the following session.
   2. There shall be provision for by-elections to be held at an EGM, usually in October, should there be vacant committee posts.
   3. Nominations should be received at least 24 hours before the start of a General Meeting, although they may also be accepted at the discretion of the chair until the start of voting for that post.
   4. Voting shall be carried out by secret ballot, candidates being elected by a simple majority, recording votes for and against (and abstentions) as reserved items.
   5. There being only one candidate for an elected position that falls vacant during the normal term of office, that candidate may be deemed elected by a properly constituted Committee meeting without the need for a General Meeting. At least seven days’ notice of this intention shall be given to members; any member’s objection shall trigger the requirement for an EGM as if the position were contested.
10. Affiliations
    1. The society may affiliate to external bodies where membership of those bodies is pursuant to the fulfilment of the core aims, but only with the prior agreement of the Union’s Societies Executive Committee.
11. Constitutional Amendments
    1. Any amendment to this Constitution shall require a two-thirds majority of the members present at a properly constituted General Meeting, except where such changes are required by changes in Union by-laws or policy, when minimal amendments to ensure compliance may be passed by the Committee.
    2. All such amendments shall become valid only after approval by the Union’s Societies Executive Committee.
    3. A history of all such amendments shall be maintained as an appendix to this Constitution in all versions of the document.

• 2007-05-29: (Initial draft.)
• 2007-06-20: (Draft.) 7.a deleted; 1.b, 6.d.i, 6.d.iii, 9.d amended.
• 2008-02-18: (Accepted by the Union.) 6.d.vi added (previous 6.d.vi–vii renumbered as 6.d.vii–viii); 1.b, 6.b, 6.d.iv, 7.a, 7.c, 9.c, 9.d, 10.a amended.
• 2009-03-10: (Draft.) 6.d (previous 6.d renumbered as 6.e), 6.e.ix, 6.f, 6.g, 7.a added (previous 7.a–c renumbered as 7.b–d); 6.c, 6.e.i, 6.e.ii, 6.e.iii, 6.e.iv, 6.e.v, 6.e.vi, 6.e.vii, 6.e.viii, 11.a, 11.b amended.
• 2009-11-24: (Draft.) 9.e. added; 6.e.viii, 6.f amended.
• 2010-03-09: (Draft.) 5.d, 6.e.x added; 2.a.i, 2.a.ii, 2.a.iii, 5.a, 6.e.vii amended.
• 2011-03-24: (Draft.) 5.e, 6.e.xi, 6.g, 6.h, 8.e. added; 5.b, 5.c, 5.d, 5.f, 6.f, 6.i, 9.d. amended

• Form and maintain good relations with the Union, Societies Executive Committee, other societies, individuals, etc.
• Communicate with other societies/individuals to organise co-operation/collaboration and representing the Society (e.g. at meetings, awards, etc.).
• Decide on the direction of the society and set out a five-year plan accordingly.
• Delegate jobs within the committee.
• Chair meetings for the Society.
• (Jointly with the Secretary) collate nominations for elections and count votes at General Meetings.
• Take decisions (i.e. with a veto or casting vote) if the Committee cannot agree.
• Provide leadership (especially in an emergency or in the absence of the person responsible). The buck always stops here.
• Monitor all delegated tasks.
  (I.e., make sure everyone else is doing his or her job and step in if they aren't. This might include asking other committee members if they are in the right role or are struggling, etc.)

• Carry out the day-to-day running of the society, for example, room bookings, responding to all non-membership enquiries, etc.
• Monitor actions decided at meetings and make sure these are all done in a timely fashion.
• Negotiate membership card discounts with retailers, service providers, etc.
• Deputise for the President in all activities in his or her absence.
• Receive concerns and complaints from the Ladies' and Gents' Representatives or directly from members of the Society and bring these to appropriate channels.

• Deal with the finances of the Society including paying invoices and expense claims, paying in cheques and any cash etc., in a timely fashion and in compliance with Union and University regulations.
• Ensure that the Committee works within the financial constraints of the Society.
• Hold the Society cheque book.
• Monitor signatory status on the TUBBS bank account and ensure that appropriate signatures are obtained on forms etc.
  (E.g., the President may not sign for his or her own expenses etc.)
• Monitor bank statements.
• Rule on any proposed fees or expenses, subject to the approval of the Committee.
  (I.e., decide whether any fee should be paid, what can be claimed on expenses, etc.)
• Organise collection of any cash (e.g., buckets for busking gigs); arrange pick-up of cheques or similar.
• Collect membership fees.
• Report to the Committee on any financial issues or concerns that might arise and suggest solutions.
  (E.g., if the membership fees need to go up or similar.)
• Produce accurate and comprehensive budgets for gigs and other events, in consultation with the Committee.
• Set prices for tickets of various kinds, TUBBS clothes, etc., in consultation with the Committee.
• Produce financial returns and auditable accounts for the Societies Executive Committee at the end of each financial year.
• Be a member of any Sub-committee that deals with financial matters.

• Manage and update the list of all members and Society mailing lists.
• Monitor who has and hasn't paid their fees and inform the Treasurer.
• Monitor which members sing with which ensembles.
• Respond to membership enquiries.
• Receive requests for Extraordinary General Meetings.
• Compose and circulate the agenda before Society meetings (and remind everyone when and where the Committee meetings, General Meetings, etc. will be held).
• Minute all Society meetings.
• Keep members informed about Society meetings and their minutes, and other useful information, for example, before the first rehearsal of term.
• (Jointly with the President) collate nominations for elections and count votes at General Meetings.
• Produce forms or any non-publicity documents that the society might require, and provide assistance with completing these forms and keep a stock for use.
• Keep copies of all Society documents such as minutes, letters, etc.
• Be the keeper of the Constitution and update it as necessary.
• Be the keeper of this Appendix (Committee Roles and Responsibilities) and update it as necessary.

• Propose, and actively seek out opportunities for, possible singing events.
• Organise singing events for the Society and joint participants.
• Ensure the smooth running of Society gigs.
• Act as a front-of-house manager for Society gigs.

• Publicise the Society and its events.
• Propose ways of publicising the Society to the Committee.
• Produce publicity material for the Society and its events.
• Organise the production of branded merchandise for the Society.
• Negotiate sponsorship for the Society and its events.

• Be available for members to raise concerns, and pass on any concerns to the committee as the Representative deems appropriate.
• Check whether any members who are often missing rehearsals are OK.
• Take a register of attendance at rehearsals and other events as needed.
• Organise socials for their respective sections, and jointly organise socials for ensembles.

• Organise members and membership of smaller ensembles (i.e., excluding Ladies, Gents and the Society as a whole).
• Organise participation in and transport to festivals or gigs for smaller ensembles.
• Liaise with Musical Directors regarding festivals, including entry requirements, costs and syllabi.
  (Some classes require the choir to perform a test piece etc.)
• Organise socials for smaller ensembles.
• Receive any concerns from members of smaller ensembles and deal with them appropriately.

• Decide on appropriate repertoire to learn and perform.
• Conduct rehearsals.
• Liaise with the Librarian to ensure that sufficient copies of music are available.
• (Jointly with the Deputy Musical Director) audition members (if Musical Director of an auditioned ensemble).
• Ensure that Deputy Musical Directors are familiar with the repertoire and able to take control of an ensemble.
• Assist in the appointment of Deputy Musical Directors and Performance Directors.
• Ensure that one of the chosen pieces for the Christmas term is suitable for singing at socials, so as not to exclude new members from the social side of the Society.

• Take rehearsals in the absence of Musical Directors.
  Deputy Musical Directors should be sufficiently familiar with their ensemble's music to be able to take control at a moment's notice.
• (Jointly with the Musical Director) audition members (if Deputy Musical Director of an auditioned ensemble).

• Look over music before rehearsals and be the point of contact for music enquiries from members.
• Run sectionals if they are a part of a rehearsal or if needed for practice outside of main rehearsal times.
• Liaise with the Musical Directors over any disputed or unclear sections in music.

• Liaise with Musical Directors to ensure that sufficient copies of music are available.
• Agree with the Musical Directors exactly what will be rehearsed each week.
• Ensure sufficient copies of sheet music are available to members.
• Keep a library of repertoire for the Society in digital form, or hard copy where computer files are not available.
• Purchase books or sheet music as agreed on behalf of Musical Directors for ensembles.
• Keep an archive library of past publicity materials, photos, etc. for posterity.

• Seek out opportunities for quartets under the aegis of the Society to perform.
• Keep a library of repertoire (in conjunction with the Librarian) for quartets.
• Assist with setting up quartets as part of the Society at the start of the year and as required at other times.
• Assist with negotiation of terms of bookings, in consultation with the Committee on financial details.
  (E.g., times, dress, fees.)

• Maintain a web site to meet the needs of the Society in consultation with the Committee.
• Provide ways of hosting the archive library to preserve access for posterity.
• Provide access to members of the Committee to edit the web site.
• Manage a Facebook group to meet the needs of the Society in consultation with the Committee.

• In the event that the Society are planning a Tour, liaise between the Committee and a Tour Sub-committee of at least two people including the Treasurer.
• Present a plan to the Committee outlining location of Tour, costs and expected number of places for agreement before booking.
• Be the point of contact with regards to all Tour bookings and arrangements.

• Liaise with the Gigs Co-ordinator and Treasurer to provide refreshments at any concert or event where they are requested.
• Recruit a team of people to serve refreshments at these events. The Committee should be willing to help out as needed.