Club Constitution | Waterloo Undergraduate Student Association Clubs

Concert Band, UW

Last active term

Constitution

Club Name

The name of the club will be Concert Band, UW. We are not agent or representative of the Waterloo Undergraduate Student Association (WUSA), and our views and actions in no way represent the WUSA.

Governance

The club will uphold the values, mission, and mandate of both the University of Waterloo (UW) and WUSA through following the directives outlined in the WUSA Clubs Manual, all WUSA By-Laws, Policies, and Procedures, as well as all policies and procedures outlined by the UW Secretariat. Furthermore, the club will abide by all laws of the Region of Waterloo, Province of Ontario, and Government of Canada. All club matters will ultimately be governed by the WUSA Clubs Manager.

Purpose

The purpose of the club is to gather University of Waterloo students, staff, faculty and members of the UW community at large to

rehearse, perform and enjoy music.

Club events, activities, and/or initatives will include

maintaining a concert band which will perform at least once per term for the enjoyment of the public.

Membership Structure

The club will be fully inclusive and welcoming to both its current and potential membership. New membership is welcome and accepted at any time during a club’s active term. Eligible club members may be current: WUSA Members, as outlined by the WUSA By-Laws; UW graduate students; UW staff or faculty; and/or members of the UW community at large, as defined in the Clubs Manual.

Only current UW students (graduate or undergraduate) may hold voting membership within the club. UW Staff, faculty, and members of the UW community at large may hold non-voting membership within the club. (If Applicable) UW undergrad students who are eligible to obtain voting membership in the club who do not wish to pay the club membership fee at the time of joining may hold non-voting membership within the club. Voting membership can be obtained for said members by paying the membership fee.

At least two thirds of the club's membership must be current UW students (graduate or undergraduate).

Membership Fee

The membership fee is $15.00 cash per term payable to the VP of Finance no later than one month after the first day of class. If joining after the first month, membership is due at the beginning of their first club function. Membership fees will be used for

Section 5.1 - Membership Fees
The membership fee is $15 paid directly to the club. The membership fee must be paid by the second-last general meeting. Under special conditions, the fee may be waived with majority approval of the Executive Members. Members may require uniforms and attire for public performances; these costs are not covered by the membership fee and will require the payment of an additional fee beyond membership. Members will be given at least one month's notification of these charges. While uniform costs do not need to be paid to attain or retain membership with the club, they may be mandatory to partake in public performances. Members electing not to pay uniform costs must inform the executive within the first month of their membership, will be provided a shirt for the duration of the concert, to be returned immediately afterwards.
Membership fees will be used and budgeted each term for:
1. Sheet Music and Other Copyright Expenses (see Section 5.2)
2. Rental/Purchase of Percussion Instruments (see Section 5.3)
3. Rental Subsidies for Instruments (see Section 5.4)
4. Administration Fees (see Section 5.5)
5. Membership Appreciation Expenses (see Section 5.6)
6. Other Expenses (see Section 5.7)

Section 5.2 - Sheet Music and Other Copyright Expenses
To ensure a variety of music from term to term, new sheet music can be purchased each term. Sheet music purchases are the responsibility of the Conductor(s) for the term. The Conductor(s) may only purchase sheet music that is intended to be played during the Conductor(s)'s term.
Since most concert band repertoire is not public domain, the club may use the membership fees to cover any appropriate copyright costs required to use the music.

Section 5.3 - Rental/Purchase of Percussion Instruments
Percussion instrument rentals may make up the largest expense funded by membership fees. It is a reasonable expense since concert bands percussionists are not expected to own their own instruments (due to their price and size). Also, percussion instruments are fundamental to concert bands and benefit every member and the band as a whole.
Additional funds will be budgeted for the purchase of percussion instruments, or put into savings for purchases in future terms. Purchases will be approved by a majority vote of current Executive Members on a per term basis.

Section 5.4 - Rental Subsidies for Instruments
Depending on the balance of the band for the term, the requirements of the music being played, and the costs associated with renting an instrument, the club may offer a small subsidy to partially cover the cost of the rental. The value of the rental will depend on the instrument being rented, but it will not exceed the value one month of rental of the instrument from an official company (rental subsidies will not cover Warriors Band rentals).
To apply for a rental subsidy, members must submit a request to the club. Requests may not be made before the club's first general meeting of the term. The rental subsidy request requires approval of both the Primary Conductor and the majority of the Club Executives. Requests are to be processed within term of submission. All approved requests are conditional on the applicant being an active member of the club and not missing more than two general meetings, without approval of extenuating circumstances by the Club Executives. The applicant is responsible for arranging the rental and providing the club with receipts as proof of the rental. If the approved request meets all of the necessary conditions, the subsidy will be paid out at the last general meeting of the term.

Section 5.5 - Administration Fees
There are many administrative expenses associated with running a successful band. These include, but are not limited to:
1. Marketing and advertising expenses
2. Information technology expenses
3. Photocopying and printing expenses
4. Venue rental expenses

Section 5.6 - Membership Appreciation Expenses
A portion of membership fees will be budgeted for membership appreciation activities including, but not limited to:
1. Providing food and refreshments at concerts and socials
2. Providing memorabilia for participation in a given term.

Section 5.7 - Other Expenses
Other expenses will be budgeted as deemed necessary by Executive Officers.

Section 5.8 - Membership Fee Refund Policy
Under no circumstances will membership fees be refunded to members.

Section 5.9 - Reimbursement Policy
To prevent the club from accumulating debt to its members, any expense incurred must be processed at latest one academic term after the term in which the cash expenditure took place.

Section 5.10 - Active Members
To be considered an active member of the band, an individual must have paid their membership fees for the term and attended at least one rehearsal. In the event that membership fees are waived for some or all members, via majority Executive vote (Section 5.1), any such member is considered an active member of the band if they have attended at least one rehearsal.

Executive Officers

The majority of executives will be current UW students (graduate or undergraduate). The club president will be a current UW undergraduate student. All club executives will be elected, not hired or appointed. The term of office for all executive positions is one academic term, as outlined by the UW Registrar’s Office. All club decisions will be determined by executive vote, as no executive officer (not even the President) holds decision making power for the collective.

The President ensures that:

The club operates according to the guidelines of its constitution and some agreed upon guidelines for running a meeting, such as Robert's Rules of Order;
The club works towards its objectives as agreed upon by the membership; and
Their successor is trained.
The President is responsible for:
• Ensuring the club follows the constitution, WUSA policies, and all applicable laws that affect the club's operations
• Have at have held a position of Executive Officer for a full term with the UW Concert Band Club
• Ensuring decisions are made in a manner that is democratic, fair, and open
• Chairing and organising club meetings and agendas, in accordance with Section 8 of this constitution, while moving the club towards its goals as agreed upon by the Club Executive and the General Membership
o For clarification, any Executive Officer may organise an Executive or General meeting and the respective agenda
• Arranging an election for Secondary Conductor(s) of the concert band, as per Section 7.1.2, and arranging for the Primary Conductor to be trained
o It is the responsibility of the President, together with Primary Conductor of the previous term to ensure the Primary Conductor is qualified and prepared for the position
o In the event that all Conductor(s) will be unavailable for a rehearsal, the President shall choose a substitute Conductor or call an Executive vote to cancel the rehearsal
• Arranging for selection of the Small Ensemble Leaders, as per Section 7.1, and arranging for the Small Ensemble Leaders to be trained as necessary.
o It is the responsibility of the President to ensure the Small Ensemble Leaders are qualified and prepared for the position
• Allocating the responsibility of assigning parts to the club members as part of the band
• Communicating with WUSA so they are kept up to date with club activities when necessary (the President will be the club liaison to WUSA).
• Providing the necessary permissions and access to the various club accounts to the Executive Officers who require access
• Ensuring that all of the next Executive Officers are trained by the previous Executive Officer
• Communicating with other groups as required
• Providing summary of termly activities to members by the end of the term.
The President must:
• Have at have held a position of Executive Officer for a full term with the UW Concert Band Club

The President is a signing authority.

The VP of Administration ensures that:

Records of what the group has done are maintained, distributed, and are accessibile to all the members;
Meeting minutes/notes are recorded and made available to all voting members;
All club correspondence is monitored and brought to the attention of the appropriate person(s);
Their successor is trained.
• The next VP of Administration is trained
• The list of active members for the term is accurate
• Attendance is taken each rehearsal
• Club documents are maintained and made accessible to all Club Executives
• The duties of the President are undertaken in their absence
• All forms and bookings, except Cheque Request Forms, are dealt with appropriately.
• Meeting minutes are taken at all meeting and are distributed to Executive Officers and voting members within 24 hours of any executive and general meeting
• All decisions and directives as made by Executive Officers are maintained, distributed and accessible to all the members.
The VP of Administration ensures that:

The VP of Finance ensures that:

The club's WUSA bank account and all financial transactions for the club are monitored and verified;
All club revenues are collected, deposited into the club's WUSA bank account, and reconciled correctly and within a timely manner;
Club cheque requests are submitted correctly and in a timely manner; and
Their successor is trained.
• Financial summary is provided to members at the end of each term
• The club account with the Federation of Students is maintained and that all financial transactions are completed properly as per Federation of Students regulation.
• All membership fees are paid before the last general meeting and reminders are provided to members whose fees are outstanding
• A budget is made each term, as per the constitution, that includes all expenses and cash expenditures made during the term (Section 5).
• All expenses are documented
• Rental subsidies are recorded in club documents and members are reimbursed as per constitution (Section 5)

The VP of Finance is a signing authority.

The VP of Marketing ensures that:

• Posters, advertisement and marketing plans are made for each event (as deemed necessary by the Executive Officers), and that all advertising is in accordance with policies set out by WUSA
• All marketing plans are executed.
• Communications channels are maintained, monitored, and updated regularly with club news and events (including the website and social media).
• The Webmaster's duties are performed.
• Communications with current members and potential members are maintained
• The next VP of Marketing is trained.
Ensures that the next VP of Marketing is trained.

The VP of Operations ensures that:

• The next VP of Operations is trained.
• Club storage facilities are maintained.
• Corresponds with other clubs and organisations to plan events
• Purchases and rents equipment as per directives approved by the Club Executive
• All club events, including the performances, are planned and organised
The VP of Operations ensures that:
Ensures that the next VP of Operations is trained.

The VP of Operations is a signing authority.

It is important to assure that the person with the most information and/or knowledge in the club is not the full-time chairperson. Therefore, the club will occasionally rotate the role of chairperson among voting members.

Executive Support Structure

The Small Ensemble Leaders ensures that:

• Organizes events and performances (other than those organised by the concert band) for the small ensemble
• Leads the small ensemble
o Any Small Ensemble Leader that wishes to access club funds must have the purchase approved by the Club Executive
• Selecting, locating, and purchasing sheet music for the term (Section 5.2)
The position of Small Ensemble Leader has the following responsibilities:
• The Small Ensemble Leader is a member of the respective small ensemble
• The Small Ensemble Leader must have been a member of the club for one full term
Each small ensemble that will be run by the club will require a Small Ensemble Leader, each one elected by the majority of the Club Executive. The term of office is one term. Each Small Ensemble Leader must meet the following requirements:
Ensures that the next Small Ensemble Leaders is trained.

The Primary Conductor ensures that:

• Selecting and acquiring sheet music for the pieces that they will conduct (Section 5.2)
• Conducting the band in rehearsing and performing said pieces
• Overseeing and approving the Secondary Conductor(s)'s sheet music selection
• Overseeing and training the Secondary Conductor(s)
• Conducting the Secondary Conductor(s)'s pieces in their absence
The Primary Conductor must:
• Approving or rejecting requests for rental subsidies (Section 5.4)
• have served at least one term as Secondary Conductor, unless no such candidate exists or is willing to serve as Primary Conductor
Ensures that the next Primary Conductor is trained.

The Secondary Conductor ensures that:

• Selecting and acquiring sheet music for the pieces that they will conduct
• Conducting the band in rehearsing and performing said pieces
A Secondary Conductor must:
• have been trained and assessed by a current or previous Primary Conductor
• have been a member of the band prior to their candidacy
Ensures that the next Secondary Conductor is trained.

The Webmaster ensures that:

• Accurate and up-to-date information surrounding rehearsals is displayed on the website
• The website is updated as requested by the Executive Officers
• All technical issues that arise with the website are rectified in a timely manner
Ensures that the next Webmaster is trained.

Meetings

General Meetings

The club will hold weekly general meetings. Quorum for general meetings will be 15 voting members of 20% of voting membership (whichever is more).

Executive Meetings

The club will hold bi-weekly executive meetings. Quorum for executive meetings will be 2 executives or at least 51% of the executive body (whichever is more).

The first meetings (both general and executive) of the following term will be arranged by the outgoing executive. At said meetings, subsequent meeting dates and locations will be set. Meeting dates and times will be forwarded to voting members by:

Email
NOTE: Quorum will be 3 people for executive officer meetings or 51% of executive members, whichever is more.

Emergency meetings can be called by an executive via:

and must be sent to the appropriate members at least 48 hours prior to the meeting time.

ELECTION PROCESS

Elections shall take place at the end of each term for the following academic term. Only University of Waterloo students who are members of the club can vote. Club members must be notified, by email, two weeks in advance of the meeting where executive elections will take place. The term of office shall be for one term. An executive can only hold office (any position) for a total of up to three terms.

Nominations for executives can be made from any club member. The majority of executives must be undergraduate University of Waterloo students. The successful candidate will be the one with the most votes. In the case of a tie, a re-vote will take place until the tie is broken.

IMPEACHMENT AND DISCIPLINARY PROCEDURES

A movement to impeach an executive officer may be made by any executive officer or by petition of at least five voting members. When the motion is made the Clubs Manager will be informed. An emergency general meeting will be called as soon as is reasonably possible. No club funds will be spent until the issue is resolved.

At the impeachment meeting, the individual(s) who initiated the process will state their case. Afterwards, the officer(s) under impeachment will have an opportunity to defend their position(s) on the matter.

There will then be a question and answer period followed by the selection process for a Chief Returning Officer (CRO) who will oversee the voting process to ensure the decision is fair and democratic. Any executive officer who is neither the initiator nor subject of the impeachment may volunteer as CRO. If there is no such officer, then any voting member of the club present at the meeting may volunteer. If there are multiple volunteers, then the CRO will be selected based on a simple majority vote cast by secret ballot and tallied publically by the chairperson of the meeting. If there is no such volunteer for CRO, then the meeting will be at a standstill until either an eligible executive officer or voting member volunteers.

The vote will be by a “YES/NO” secret ballot, tallied publically by the CRO. If at least two thirds of the votes are for impeachment, then said officer will immediately be stripped of their position. The remaining executive may choose to call an immediate by-election to replace the newly vacant executive officer position.

CONFLICT OF INTEREST

A claim against any executive officer or club member regarding a potential conflict of interest can be made by any executive officer or by petition of at least five voting members. If such a claim arises, then said individual(s) under suspicion have the opportunity to remove them self (or themselves) from said potential conflict without acknowledging intention of wrongdoing. In the event the claim is contested, then the Clubs Manager will be informed and an emergency executive meeting will be called to determine the validity of the claim. Executive officers who have a claim against them cannot vote to determine the validity of said claim. If executive quorum is not possible due to the removal of said vote(s), then an emergency general meeting will be called and the same proceedings described for impeachment will be used to determine the validity of the claim.

If the claim is validated and there is suspicion of intentional wrongdoing, an immediate impeachment proceeding may be called by any executive officer or by petition of at least five voting members, of whom are not named in the claim. If it is determined that a club member is involved in intentional wrongdoing, the impeachment proceeding will be called to determine said member’s club status.

AMENDMENTS

Constitutional amendments may be proposed by any executive officer or by petition of at least five voting members. The amendment will then be voted on by referendum. The voting procedure will be the same as for the impeachment process. If the vote passes, the amendment and the vote will be forwarded to the Clubs Manager for final approval. If the Clubs Manager approves, then the constitution will be amended and any changes will be inserted into the constitution.

A motion to officially close the club will follow the same procedure as a constitutional amendment. If such a motion passes, then the club will be purged from the clubs system.

AFFILIATIONS

No organization(s) is/are currently affiliated with this club.