The Friends of the Gateshead Youth Orchestra are a registered charity No.1118385.  To visit our page on the  Charity Commission website, please click here.

An extract from the Friends of the Gateshead Youth Orchestra Constitution ( Adopted 12th May 2006, as amended at an Extraordinary General Meeting on 21st November 2006.) can be viewed below

The Friends of the Gateshead Youth Orchestra Constitution

The organisation is to be known as “The Friends of the Gateshead Youth Orchestra”.

Aims of the Friends of the Gateshead Youth Orchestra

1. To advance the education of young persons in Gateshead, particularly those in financial hardship, in all aspects of  orchestral music and its performance by providing financial support for musical activities and assisting in the provision of educational visits, courses and material.
2. To advance the education of the public in orchestral music by promoting and supporting the Gateshead Youth Orchestra.

Membership

Membership eligibility.

Membership of the Friends of the Gateshead Youth Orchestra is open to:

• Any current member of the Gateshead Youth Orchestra.
• Adults actively connected with the work or expressing an interest in the objects of the above aim.
• Former students, former members and anyone or any other person who may be co-opted by the committee.
• Committee members may refuse an application for membership only if acting reasonably and properly, they      consider it to be in the best interests of the association to refuse the applicant.

Subscription £10 per annum
Membership is free for Gateshead Schools’ Music Service students.

Offices and Election of Committee

This is to take place at the Annual General Meeting (AGM) or at an extraordinary general meeting called specifically for this purpose.
• The AGM must be well publicised giving at least fourteen (14) days notice and should be held within thirteen (13) months of the last AGM.
• Names for the elected committee will be put forward either by a process of nominating and seconding or by people volunteering to stand.  A vote if necessary will be taken by a show of hands or in the case of sensitive issues by a ballot there and then.
• The AGM will elect a group of people to form a committee.
• The Director of the Gateshead Youth Orchestra will also be a non-elected member of the committee.
The Size and Compostion of Committee

The affairs of the organisation will be managed by a committee comprising:

• The director of the Gateshead Youth Orchestra
• Chairperson
• Secretary
• Treasurer

Other officer roles can be created as the committee wishes.  The committee shall have the power to co-opt members at any stage who will then be entitled to full committee status for the duration of their co-option.  The overall total of co-opted committee members should not exceed six (6).  The committee described above may be referred to as the main committee.

Powers of the Main Committee

The committee shall have the following powers:

• To co-opt members as above.
• To organise fund raising events in order to further the aims of the Friends of the Gateshead Youth Orchestra.
• To call extraordinary general meetings.
• To actively promote the work of the Gateshead Youth Orchestra.

Rules of Procedure

Meetings should br one Annual General Meeting, other meetings should take place at least once a term.

Attendance and Quorum

At least four people should be in attendance at each meeting including three committee members.  Members who cannot attend meetings should give their apologies to the secretary, if possible before the relevant meeting.  Committee members who miss three consecutive scheduled meetings may be asked to leave the committee.

Minutes

Minutes will be kept for each meeting and circulated at least one week before the next meeting.

Voting

Each member shall have one vote but if there is an equality of votes the person who is chairing the meeting shall have a casting vote in addition to any other vote he may have.

Finance

Friends of the Gateshead Youth Orchestra will operate a bank account in its name.
All monies generated through activities instigated by the Friends will be deposited
in this account.  Normally accrued funds will be paid to the Gateshead Council Youth Orchestra account to support overseas tours, purchase of music equipment etc.

Sources of Funding

This will be from various sources which include raffles, concerts, donations from
individual sponsorship and other activities.

The Treasurer (or Chairperson, if there is no Treasurer) should make the accounts available at the Annual General Meeting and give updates to the main committee whenever required.  Any bank account will have two (2) signatories.  No person should make financial profit from this organisation.